Stams philosophy

[Dixeyroyal]

Clearly Stam has made big changes from last season.

Is it that clear? I think the main difference is that Stam's tried a back three on occasion, but stylistically we've broadly played the same way since we got relegated.

I feel we only have about half a team that can take it forward.

Such players need to be comfortable on the ball, patient, spot openings early and have a change of pace.

I think the following players are the only ones that suit this system;

Moore, McShane, Blackett, Kelly, McCleary, Berens, Evans, Watson and Swift when he regains his form. That leaves a lot of new signings to make.

Well for starters, you just listed nine players, which is a lot more than half a team!

I find it strange that you'd include McShane in that list. The three "weak points", at least in terms of style, are Al-Habsi, McShane, and Williams. They bring other qualities which balance that out to an extent (we'll struggle to get a better goalkeeper than Al-Habsi), but they're fairly uncomfortable on the ball and don't have much vision. All the other senior players are either fine or unknowns (the new signings). Guess you could argue that Gunter's only "good enough" but meh, he's not holding us back from promotion. While the likes of Obita and Joey might not be good enough players, they'e completely suited to our style of play.

Our academy has been using this sort of set up for the best part of a decade so they should almost all be comfortable with it.

If we narrowly miss out on promotion, then this summer's priorities should be a long-term replacement for Kermorgant, an upgrade on Williams, and a better footballing version of McShane. Could also maybe do with signing an excellent left back if one becomes available, and maybe a third striker. We certainly don't need yet another summer in which we sign a whole new team, unless we get promoted.

Your post was credible until I got to the bit that stated that "Gunter is good enough" yet McShane isn't, are you sure you watch Reading every week?

[Top Flight]

Are you sure that you watch Reading FC every week?

Everyone knows that Gunter is the best right back in the Championship. It's not disputed.

[genome]

Troll confrimed.

[Top Flight]

Who is a better right back then?

Are you telling me that Wales most capped international player who had an outstanding Euros tournament and has always been solid for Reading is not the leagues best right back? Who is better than Gunter? There is nobody better than Gunter. If Gunter was playing in a Coppell Reading team, overlapping a talented right winger with clear instructions to deliver quality crosses into the box then I am certain you would witness a different player on the Madejski Stadium stage each week.

He is just playing the Stam way which is to pass the ball around the back and try to pick moments to thread balls through to players in space. He is just doing what he is told to do which doesn't really show the best of what he is capable of.

In a Coppell side, Gunter would look an incredible right back.

[Gunny Fishcake]

Everyone knows that Gunter is the best right back in the Championship. It's not disputed.

Excuse me ? .....Bruno Salter at Brighton for a starter

[Hound]

A good RWB, an average RB in my opinion.

Think he is in poor form at the moment though, was rubbish against both Brentford and Brighton, and actually started to make me wonder about Watson coming in. Hopefully he can improve for the weekend

[No Fixed Abode]

Everyone knows that Gunter is the best right back in the Championship. It's not disputed.

Excuse me ? .....Bruno Salter at Brighton for a starter

Watching Gunter even made me think of making a footballing comeback.

[genome]

Who is a better right back then?

Are you telling me that Wales most capped international player who had an outstanding Euros tournament and has always been solid for Reading is not the leagues best right back? Who is better than Gunter? There is nobody better than Gunter. If Gunter was playing in a Coppell Reading team, overlapping a talented right winger with clear instructions to deliver quality crosses into the box then I am certain you would witness a different player on the Madejski Stadium stage each week.

He is just playing the Stam way which is to pass the ball around the back and try to pick moments to thread balls through to players in space. He is just doing what he is told to do which doesn't really show the best of what he is capable of.

In a Coppell side, Gunter would look an incredible right back.

Bruno
Luke Ayling
Ryan Fredericks

[muirinho]

Who is a better right back then?

Are you telling me that Wales most capped international player who had an outstanding Euros tournament and has always been solid for Reading is not the leagues best right back? Who is better than Gunter? There is nobody better than Gunter. If Gunter was playing in a Coppell Reading team, overlapping a talented right winger with clear instructions to deliver quality crosses into the box then I am certain you would witness a different player on the Madejski Stadium stage each week.

He is just playing the Stam way which is to pass the ball around the back and try to pick moments to thread balls through to players in space. He is just doing what he is told to do which doesn't really show the best of what he is capable of.

In a Coppell side, Gunter would look an incredible right back.

Bruno
Luke Ayling
Ryan Fredericks

don't get the obsession over Ryan Fredericks - he's fast, but a lot of his crosses are terrible, and he's not a good defender. Still just 3 assists this season.

Speaking of Fulham, there's some absolutely comedy defending in these clips from our match against them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCT367YsdXs

My main concern with replacing Gunter, is what happens to Watson? As Stam clearly doesn't think he's ready yet. So we get a new younger full back in, he'll get pushed further down the pecking order and will end up leaving to get games. I'd rather Gunts hung around a bit as first choice longer, so it's only him Watson has to overtake. And there's no denying he's a useful squad member, as he can cover a lot of positions, and is always fit - if he's happy not to always be a starter (not a given though), don't see any problems with him still here in the PL.

Macca on the other hand, is getting older and is injury prone.

[Top Flight]

Who is a better right back then?

Are you telling me that Wales most capped international player who had an outstanding Euros tournament and has always been solid for Reading is not the leagues best right back? Who is better than Gunter? There is nobody better than Gunter. If Gunter was playing in a Coppell Reading team, overlapping a talented right winger with clear instructions to deliver quality crosses into the box then I am certain you would witness a different player on the Madejski Stadium stage each week.

He is just playing the Stam way which is to pass the ball around the back and try to pick moments to thread balls through to players in space. He is just doing what he is told to do which doesn't really show the best of what he is capable of.

In a Coppell side, Gunter would look an incredible right back.

Bruno
Luke Ayling
Ryan Fredericks

Give me a break. I'm glad your not running the club.

[Top Flight]

Everyone knows that Gunter is the best right back in the Championship. It's not disputed.

Excuse me ? .....Bruno Salter at Brighton for a starter

You're having a laugh.

[Top Flight]

Everyone knows that Gunter is the best right back in the Championship. It's not disputed.

Excuse me ? .....Bruno Salter at Brighton for a starter

Watching Gunter even made me think of making a footballing comeback.

So how do you explain his Wales performances?

[genome]

Who is a better right back then?

Are you telling me that Wales most capped international player who had an outstanding Euros tournament and has always been solid for Reading is not the leagues best right back? Who is better than Gunter? There is nobody better than Gunter. If Gunter was playing in a Coppell Reading team, overlapping a talented right winger with clear instructions to deliver quality crosses into the box then I am certain you would witness a different player on the Madejski Stadium stage each week.

He is just playing the Stam way which is to pass the ball around the back and try to pick moments to thread balls through to players in space. He is just doing what he is told to do which doesn't really show the best of what he is capable of.

In a Coppell side, Gunter would look an incredible right back.

Bruno
Luke Ayling
Ryan Fredericks

Give me a break. I'm glad your not running the club.

So you're saying that the highly-regarded right back for the best team in the league Bruno, and the highest-rated right back in the league on WhoScored Luke Ayling, are better than Gunter? And Ryan Fredericks, who in my admittedly small sample-size has looked more dangerous in 2 1/2 appearances than Gunter has in the last few seasons?

[Handsome Man]

:roll:
The philosophy is literally the whole reason we are in the top 6. The team are massively over-achieving, completely because of the way that Jaap has the team set up.

Couldn't agree more.

We finished 17th and 19th and then lost all our good players, replacing them with a load of cast-offs who we had never heard off and somehow we are in the top 6. Our outfield players all look comfortable with the system, and although occasionally we get found out we certainly deserve to be in the mix for a play-off place.

Stam is a genius.

[West Stand Man]

Disagree entirely. We're the odd player from something special. The groundwork has been laid and we need relatively little in personnel changes.

+1

[Dixeyroyal]

Excuse me ? .....Bruno Salter at Brighton for a starter

Watching Gunter even made me think of making a footballing comeback.

So how do you explain his Wales performances?

Because Wales give him few defensive responsibilities, play a system that ensures that he is never exposed, and have some excellent players who make him look better.

We don't have this luxury which exposes Gunter as very weak defensively and very one dimensional going forward, or backwards as it is 85% of the time.

Please therefore tell me how this makes him the best right back in the league and answer me this...... when was the last time you saw Gunter win a tackle?

[muirinho]

when was the last time you saw Gunter win a tackle?

I know you didn't ask me - but I can't remember a game where I didn't see him win at least one.

whoscored has him at one successful tackle for the Brighton game (which I wasn't at) - same as Paul McShane.
4 against Huddersfield game, 3 for Brentford, 2 for Barnsley, 5 for Ipswich - etc etc

those might not sound very high, but they aren't massively out of step with the other Reading defenders.

Like I always say, if you don't like a player you see his mistakes - if you like a player, you see his successes. We're only objective about players we don't particularly care about either way!

Last game I think I saw some ratings of him as 2 or 3 on this board - but the Times had all the Reading defenders down as 6, with the exception of Liam Moore who was a 5. I think theirs are more likely to be accurate.

If you asked - when was the last time you saw him dive in to a tackle, yeah, can't remember. But diving in is only effective if you are absolutely sure you are going to win the ball. Or if you rate players on how macho they are, rather than how useful they are to the team.

[paddy20]

Excuse me ? .....Bruno Salter at Brighton for a starter

Watching Gunter even made me think of making a footballing comeback.

So how do you explain his Wales performances?

Could ask the same about Robson - Kanu

Gunter pretty much done the same with Wales as he does with us - run forward , stop, pass back. He rarely loses it but rarely creates much - but he's playing with much better players with Wales. Strangely on the occasions that he takes chances and goes forward and crosses he looks good. Perhaps with a more defensive winger he would be better. I wonder if we should consider pushing him into midfield as I think Watson looks a great defender when he's played

[Dixeyroyal]

when was the last time you saw Gunter win a tackle?

I know you didn't ask me - but I can't remember a game where I didn't see him win at least one.

whoscored has him at one successful tackle for the Brighton game (which I wasn't at) - same as Paul McShane.
4 against Huddersfield game, 3 for Brentford, 2 for Barnsley, 5 for Ipswich - etc etc

those might not sound very high, but they aren't massively out of step with the other Reading defenders.

Like I always say, if you don't like a player you see his mistakes - if you like a player, you see his successes. We're only objective about players we don't particularly care about either way!

Last game I think I saw some ratings of him as 2 or 3 on this board - but the Times had all the Reading defenders down as 6, with the exception of Liam Moore who was a 5. I think theirs are more likely to be accurate.

If you asked - when was the last time you saw him dive in to a tackle, yeah, can't remember. But diving in is only effective if you are absolutely sure you are going to win the ball. Or if you rate players on how macho they are, rather than how useful they are to the team.

Fair point, my frustration with Gunter is his constant need to put his foot on the ball and pass backwards, and then point to where it should have gone from him.

I don't want to see players diving into tackles but if they don't then they need to ensure that they counteract that by stopping a winger from playing. Having watched all but 1 game this season (H & A) I haven't seen Gunter do either.

[tidus_mi2]

Next season will be interesting assuming we don't go up, income down £10m off the bat as we have no more parachute payments, that's the equivalent of 192k/week on wages, I think we'll see how much the current owners are willing to support the club in a promotion push. I'm not expecting Tony Bloom levels of investment but hopefully they back Stam enough.