Summer Rebuild 2016/2017

[Nameless]

We haven't.
We've played players in positions they can play.
Sometimes they haven't been good enough but we've rarely played players completely out of position except in emergencies.

[RoyalJones]

Out of the 8 signings:
Gravenburch - Haven't seen him yet. Can anyone who went to a pre season game comment on how he did? Apparently he's still not fit. However he is not a Stam signing.

JVDB - Looks really strong and as solid as a rock who can be that bully in midfield we've been missing, can also help out in defence. Looks like a solid signing.

Joseph Mendes - Apparently is quick and strong but doesn't look like scoring 20 goals a season according to Charles Watts.

Anssi Jaakkola - Has done well in pre season and made some good saves, looks like capable back up.

John Swift - Looks exciting and is being that creative midfielder we have missed for many years at Reading.

Roy Beerens - Possibly the most exciting signing and shown very good flashes of skills.

Yakou Meite - we beat Premier League clubs to the signing of him so he could be a very good buy.

Callum Harriott - Looked very good today and is going to push hard for a starting spot.

[Ian Royal]

We haven't.
We've played players in positions they can play.
Sometimes they haven't been good enough but we've rarely played players completely out of position except in emergencies.

We'll have to agree to differ, I didn't say we'd played people completely out of position, Rakels at left back to take your example, btw.

[Nameless]

When was Rakels selected at full back ?

[Royal Rother]

He didn't say he had been.

[Nameless]

Ok, unpicked the thread and I think I understand where the Rakels bit fits !
Ian if saying we play round pegs in square holes is not saying we play people out of position I'm not sure what it does mean !

[Ian Royal]

Ok, unpicked the thread and I think I understand where the Rakels bit fits !
Ian if saying we play round pegs in square holes is not saying we play people out of position I'm not sure what it does mean !

There are degrees of being played out of position. You brought up Rakels playing as a fullback - rather a pointless strawman I thought, although I suppose you could have said Al-Habsi at left wing to go more extreme. But just off the top of my head we've had Gunter at left back, Quinn at left back, Williams at right wing, HRK up front, McCleary at right back, Piazon at left wing, Rakels at left wing, van den Berg at centreback. All in the last 12 months. And all because we've botched our squad balance by over indulging in player numbers for some positions and having bugger all cover in others.

It's poor squad management and planning to have two senior fullbacks (one a converted winger) and hope that midfielders and Academy graduates can do a good enough job. I don't think it's necessarily Stam's fault... he was left with a squad in terrible shape thanks to successive managers and the owners.

[From Despair To Where?]

Defensively , I agree we are a shambles, we have 4 senior defenders, one of whom is an academy graduate in his Sophomore year. That has been the biggest failing of a succession of managers, decent cover in defence.

However, Quinn sometimes played left back at Sheffield Utd and HRK plays up front for Wales. I don't remember Gunter starting too many games at LB, merely covering in-game and to quote Lucas Piston about comparisons to Kaka, he himself said "my style and his style are different because I am a winger".

Also pretty sure Joey has played CB in Holland and Rakels has played wide left in Poland so it's not like we have thrown these players blindly into positions they haven't played before, it just feels like we have a squad of utility players, Jack of all Trades. Whilst every player should be able to drop into a different position as the demands of a match dictate, at least what Stam seems to be doing is bringing in players to play specific positions.

Also, one of our "senior full backs" is an academy graduate who was thrown into the team not in his natural position.

[NewCorkSeth]

We really have to stop using that as a stick to beat obita with.. (to o-BEAT-a him with?)
He's played like 90% of his senior career in that position

[From Despair To Where?]

I'm not using it as a stick to beat Obita with, more a reflection on Ian moaning about management hoping that midfielders and academy graduates can be used to fill a gap when our first choice left back was a midfielder from the academy who was used to fill a gap. Obita has done a decent enough job to allegedly attract attention from the Premiership so he's doing a lot of things right.

[Ian Royal]

I'm not using it as a stick to beat Obita with, more a reflection on Ian moaning about management hoping that midfielders and academy graduates can be used to fill a gap when our first choice left back was a midfielder from the academy who was used to fill a gap. Obita has done a decent enough job to allegedly attract attention from the Premiership so he's doing a lot of things right.

Agree he's done pretty well. And after three seasons you can't call him a square peg in a round hole. Although I think his defending would be better if he'd come through the ranks playing defence.

[Sutekh]

I'm not using it as a stick to beat Obita with, more a reflection on Ian moaning about management hoping that midfielders and academy graduates can be used to fill a gap when our first choice left back was a midfielder from the academy who was used to fill a gap. Obita has done a decent enough job to allegedly attract attention from the Premiership so he's doing a lot of things right.

Agree he's done pretty well. And after three seasons you can't call him a square peg in a round hole. Although I think his defending would be better if he'd come through the ranks playing defence.

He's more a hexagonal peg in a pentagonal hole.

[Maneki Neko]

quite impressed with all the new boys yesterday tbh
obvs its early but on that evidence, its been a good summer

[Royal Ginger]

For the most part agreed. Bit of a question mark over Van Den Berg at centre back for me, but the other chaps were very good.

[CountryRoyal]

For the most part agreed. Bit of a question mark over Van Den Berg at centre back for me, but the other chaps were very good.

As soon as we sign a first choice CB VDB will go into the holding midfielder role I'd imagine. He wasn't tested against Preston but I wouldn't be keen on seeing him in defense against better opposition.

[Tommio]

I actually really liked JVDB at CB. Although I agree he'd be far better in a holding midfield role where he'd have more cover.

[Lower West]

For the most part agreed. Bit of a question mark over Van Den Berg at centre back for me, but the other chaps were very good.

As soon as we sign a first choice CB VDB will go into the holding midfielder role I'd imagine. He wasn't tested against Preston but I wouldn't be keen on seeing him in defense against better opposition.

If Williams were to leave at some point in the future, which seems highly likely. Then can see Evans filling that position in midfield. With VDB being the anchor.

[CountryRoyal]

For the most part agreed. Bit of a question mark over Van Den Berg at centre back for me, but the other chaps were very good.

As soon as we sign a first choice CB VDB will go into the holding midfielder role I'd imagine. He wasn't tested against Preston but I wouldn't be keen on seeing him in defense against better opposition.

If Williams were to leave at some point in the future, which seems highly likely. Then can see Evans filling that position in midfield. With VDB being the anchor.

Wouldn't be entirely against that. Argument to be made that Williams is only playing well to get himself a move to the prem.

[Royalwaster]

With reference to Obita, can only say that he can only be grateful that he was played as LB, because I don't think he'd have had half the game time he's had in any other position as he's frankly just not good enough as a LW or CM.

And with regard to lack of cover - well while I agree, on the other hand, it does open up the opportunity for academy graduates to have a go at proving themselves as Obita did ... so while it could cost us some points, it could also save us lots of money by using a young player rather than some old hack on much higher wages.

[Royal Ginger]

Watson did fine on Saturday, but it was a shame to move Gunter onto the left because he was having a very good game. Unfortunately that is currently the solution to cover at left back at the moment.