Hal Robson-Kanu, Anton Ferdinand and Simon Cox to leave Reading FC

[MrSwickle]

Ok so this is no shock, but Charles Watts is reporting that Robson-Kanu, Ferdinand and Cox will be leaving in the summer with Robson-Kanu having refused contract talks as he wants to secure a premier league move in the summer (hoping the Euro's will put him in the shop window).

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/hal-robson-kanu-anton-ferdinand-11301608

[Basingstoke Royal]

Great news.

[Crux]

Good news all round really.

Might indicate that we have money t spend or Brian is confident he can find the right players, Surely Cox would stay if we thought we had no money and needed numbers.

[MrSwickle]

Great news.

Agreed

[Pepe the Horseman]

Would've liked Cox to have another chance to prove himself and Ferdinand would've been useful backup if he could stay fit. Shame we never got a full season of quality from HRK, the ability is definitely there.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

A fully and reliably fit Anton Ferdinand would have been one of the best central defenders at Reading in years.

However, it would have been a gamble to re-sign him, as it appears he could break down at any time.

Great player, and I hope he gets a chance elsewhere to keep playing.

Shame for Cox - looks like he had his confidence shattered by that arsēhole Clarke. Brian didn't then seem to rate him. Again, just hope he goes somewhere he can get game time and recover the form he showed when he first arrived.

HRK - took ten years for him to start turning in anything like the form he is capable of. We'll soon see if the curse of the ambitious want-away Reading reject awaits.

[Royal_jimmy]

It is good news.

I liked Cox but we need to be getting someone in who's better really. I can see a club like Burton snapping him up.

Ferdy I'm a bit disappointed to see leave as he's probably the best centre we've had since Mariappa was here.

Kanu is overrated and doesn't score anywhere near enough. Good riddance to him as I've never rated the guy

[sandman]

Shame about Ferdinand, excellent defender and no surprise that our form tailed off when his pairing with McShane was broken up.

Cox and HRK leaving is also a shame, not because either are particularly good but because they are both RFC products.

[Forbury Lion]

Cox - At times, the only one giving 100%, which made him look better than he actually is. One of our own & I wish him well, but not the answer to anyones goalscoring problems, the right choice

Ferdinand - Probably on high wages, I would rather we sign a slightly lesser quality player with more reliability, fitness wise so the right choice.

HRK - Has been a favourite of every Reading manager for reasons unknown, Isn't a striker and only recently started to show promise at right wing. Probably best for him to go & for us to get someone else in. As a plus, it means we might actually get a striker wearing the number 9 shirt, which will keep traditionalists (including me) happy. - right choice

[Top Flight]

Hopefully this is just the beginning of a major cull. Let's put an axe to Danny Williams and Oliver Norwood next, not good enough for the amount they cost and not a pairing that will take us to the Premier League.

A midfield partnership of Tshibola and Quinn with Evans as a back-up in a 4-4-2 would be strong enough for me. Supplement that with two wingers who can defend and attack in equal measure just like during the Coppell era would mean that 2 CM's would be enough and we wouldn't get overrun in midfield. We had too many CM's last season. Reducing that department will free up some cash and with Quinn, Evans and Tish we don't need to sign anymore unless McDermott wants to look towards Sidwell or Karacan to provide some leadership, character and an example of what winning mentality and spirit looks like.

[No Fixed Abode]

Blackman leaving was 'great news' at the time. But now those same Reading fans use that as an excuse as to why the season went downhill.........

[Top Flight]

Blackman leaving was 'great news' at the time. But now those same Reading fans use that as an excuse as to why the season went downhill.........

Any player that doesn't want to play for us, it's better that they go.

[Hoop Blah]

Well no shock on Robson-Kanu (he made it clear he wasn't staying) or Ferdinand (we can't afford to keep him around for the rare occasions he's fit).

I did think that perhaps Cox would get his contract extended but I guess McDermott has seen enough to know that he can use that budget better.

With Robson-Kanu going it does make McDermott's decision to play him at the weekend even more odd. He'd decided not to play the loanees because they weren't here next season, so why the change in approach with Robson-Kanu?

[maffff]

Blackman leaving was 'great news' at the time. But now those same Reading fans use that as an excuse as to why the season went downhill.........

His form tailing off was before he left.

I'm having a party when it's official HRK is out.

[Top Flight]

Who knows Hoop Blah and who cares. It's great the season has finished and now we can move on to hopefully better things. We just need a really small tight squad. A smaller squad of better players who will fight for each other, rather than a large squad of average players who don't care.

[Maneki Neko]

Blackman leaving was 'great news' at the time. But now those same Reading fans use that as an excuse as to why the season went downhill.........

there is no dichotomy in knowing it was good business, and disliking him as a person/player
and acknowledging that he was one of only two players capable of scoring us goals this season.

[blueroyals]

Glad HRK is finally off. Got a new contract off the back of 4 good games when we got relegated and has done fukk all since then

[Rollerbob]

SO happy HRK is off.

Next years season ticket is BACK ON!!

[Maneki Neko]

shame with HRK
was a decent back up option on the wing/up front and capable of winning games.
too inconsistent and injured though. good luck to him.

shame with cox, but he wasn't good enough for us before, and hes still not good enough for us now. hes a slight improvement on simon church. we know strikers is where we are most short, and if we are to bring in better ones, Cox will only slip further down the order.right decision.

Ferdinand. cultured, classy, crocked. unfortunate, but again, if we are going to bring in better defenders than what we have, someone needs to go, and it should be him.

good start to the complete refit

[bracksroyal10]

Good luck to HRK, could have been playing in the PL long before he decided to leave us.

Not his biggest fan but a loyal player.