Tiago llori

[Hound]

I thought Gomes made a point of saying he (depressingly) rates Ilori really highly

I’m not surprised

I think what gets massively over looked is the quality of his passing into the midfield. It will undoubtedly get worse when he leaves. He makes far too many mistakes but he is also starting many of our attacks

[Nameless]

Apparently one bid knocked back. Reading reportedly looking for something around 3m Euro for him.

One hopes Reading’ll have the sense to have a suitable replacement lined up before letting him go though.

Osho or McIntyre seem more than adequate (presumably Osho if we are wanting a right sided player).

"More than adequate?" after one game each, albeit promising.
Good starts but this is a relegation scrap and their time will come when the waters are calmer.

With McShane, O'Shea and Blackett still on the books we have numbers but lack quality.

Not judging either on one game.
We aren’t talking 16 year olds here, they are both 20 and frankly their time is here.
But you stick with those who have repeatedly shown themselves not to be adequate if you think they are suddenly going to become better players.....

[Snowflake Royal]

Osho or McIntyre seem more than adequate (presumably Osho if we are wanting a right sided player).

"More than adequate?" after one game each, albeit promising.
Good starts but this is a relegation scrap and their time will come when the waters are calmer.

With McShane, O'Shea and Blackett still on the books we have numbers but lack quality.

Not judging either on one game.
We aren’t talking 16 year olds here, they are both 20 and frankly their time is here.
But you stick with those who have repeatedly shown themselves not to be adequate if you think they are suddenly going to become better players.....

I think it is a valid point that young inexperienced defenders are going to have a steep learning curve and make mistakes. You've only got to look at Cooper, Hector, Richards and Obita to see it is pretty much always the case. All had bright starts but not long later had people describing them as awful and needing to be got rid of, well maybe not Obita.

Osho and McIntyre look very promising but I wouldn't be confident they are 'more than adequate', unless we're talking purely as 4th and 5th choice, playing only a handful of games as cover. Although I concede you've obviously seen much more of them in the unders.

[Nameless]

Let’s compile a list of central defenders available to us who despite having lots of experience, much of it at PL level have demonstrated consistent coolness under pressure, the ability to make good decisions, lack of stupid errors (with special focus on those who don’t tend to repeat the SAME stupid errors), ability to work as a team members etc.
Frankly I’m not sure a bit of youthful inexperience is that much of an issue when faced with experienced players who keep making the same errors !

[Jackson Corner]

Need to get rid ASAP we can’t afford big. Earners once we are in div one the cull starts now.

[PistolPete]

There are few players who I’ve wanted to succeed as I have Illori. He has SO MUCH potential. However, £3m and his happiness is hard to ignore.

I’d then be adamant we kept Moore, and played him with Blackett (right footer and left footer) or Osho.

If we could get £3m, I’d hope at least some of that was spent on a left back

[Victor Meldrew]

Let’s compile a list of central defenders available to us who despite having lots of experience, much of it at PL level have demonstrated consistent coolness under pressure, the ability to make good decisions, lack of stupid errors (with special focus on those who don’t tend to repeat the SAME stupid errors), ability to work as a team members etc.
Frankly I’m not sure a bit of youthful inexperience is that much of an issue when faced with experienced players who keep making the same errors !

Nobody is arguing with you about McShane nor O'Shea and , for me Blackett.
I would like us to dispense with all 3 of those and as Ilori might be going and who knows about Moore what are we then left with?
Preferably we sign (having cleared the decks) two experienced centre-backs (the likes of Burn that I have suggested elsewhere) and the two lads that you mentioned are still back-ups.

They did o.k. in those two games (no more than o.k.) but it would be one hell of a gamble to include these "more than adequate" s as regular starters but , like you and so many others on here, I would love to see a Reading team made up mainly of our own.
Unfortunately for every Rino there have been quite a few Kuhls,Barretts and Smiths and, having said already that the two centre-backs have done o.k. they still may or may not make the grade.

[maffff]

I thought Gomes made a point of saying he (depressingly) rates Ilori really highly

I’m not surprised

I think what gets massively over looked is the quality of his passing into the midfield. It will undoubtedly get worse when he leaves. He makes far too many mistakes but he is also starting many of our attacks

This is a strength of McIntyre and to a lesser extent Osho's games tbf.

[Wimb]

I thought Gomes made a point of saying he (depressingly) rates Ilori really highly

I’m not surprised

I think what gets massively over looked is the quality of his passing into the midfield. It will undoubtedly get worse when he leaves. He makes far too many mistakes but he is also starting many of our attacks

I think this is why he has to go though.

Right now it's about getting back to basics and cutting out the stupid mistakes that are costing us game after game. Sure I'd love a defender who can launch attacks but I'm happy to put that burden on the midfield and forward players. It's a bad situation if we're counting on a centre-back to provide creativity.

I'd say Ilori has shown 6/10 ability on average but does have that 8/10 potential. Right now I'd settle for someone who's 7/10 on average even if he's never going to get any better.

18-months from now we may be in a position where we really wish we'd hung on to him, similar to the Daniel Carrico situation but right now it's not a team he's likely to succeed in.

[Hound]

I don't disagree - as mentioned above. I think it would be best for all for him to go at this point in time. Just pointing out why Gomes might want to stick with him despite the regular screw ups

[Old Man Andrews]

Illori thinks he is better than he is which is a problem. I think he needs to play in a league where defenders get a lot more time and aren't pressed. Portugal would be perfect for him, especially in a decent side. The Championship is the exact opposite of what he is comfortable with.

[Wimb]

I don't disagree - as mentioned above. I think it would be best for all for him to go at this point in time. Just pointing out why Gomes might want to stick with him despite the regular screw ups

Oh absolutely.

Almost a situation where you wish he could go on loan for 6-months, then come back for a full pre-season and a clean slate.

[Maneki Neko]

can see he doesn't want to be here, makes too many mistakes, think his head goes down too easily(maybe understandable in our current state)
get rid.

id be very very happy if we got 3 million for him.

[Snowflake Royal]

I don't disagree - as mentioned above. I think it would be best for all for him to go at this point in time. Just pointing out why Gomes might want to stick with him despite the regular screw ups

Oh absolutely.

Almost a situation where you wish he could go on loan for 6-months, then come back for a full pre-season and a clean slate.

Well worth persisting with in my view, but we've got to trim the squad and need the cash, so if we can only offload him and not Moore, Blackett, O'Shea or McShane and we can get good money then I'll not complain if we take the pragmatic decision.

[From Despair To Where?]

O'Shea and McShane are out if contract in the summer but to be fair, O'Shea has been the least of our worries defensively. I don't think McShane will be going anywhere before June.

We need to offload 1 to bring in new faces and between Moore, Ilori and Blackett, it's all much of a muchness at the moment. I'd like to keep all three but Blackett is the only one performing at anywhere near his potential and £3m for Ilori looks to offer best value of any of the rumoured deals.

[Hound]

IMO O Shea and McShane should not be considered for the first team. Both are constantly injured, and both not up to the job. Fair chance McShane has already been given his cards

[From Despair To Where?]

McShane isn't going anywhere because he's old, injury prone and on a shedload of money for his current ability so no-one will touch him. We are stuck with running down his contract, buying him out or subsidising a move elsewhere.

[Sutekh]

I thought Gomes made a point of saying he (depressingly) rates Ilori really highly

Ilori is a really good player in the right system. If a club like Sporting Lisbon are after him then he’s got what it takes to play at the higher levels of the game.

Whether Reading quite have the right system or players st the moment is open to debate of course but I’d have no problem with Ilori staying though would agree in a right old dogfight at the bottom of the second division he is more of a luxury than quite what you want.

By the way is there any sell on close due for Liverpool if he’s sold?

[Hound]

McShane isn't going anywhere because he's old, injury prone and on a shedload of money for his current ability so no-one will touch him. We are stuck with running down his contract, buying him out or subsidising a move elsewhere.

yeah not expecting any money - but will take one of those options I expect

Be interesting to see if he does the programme notes this weekend. Guessing not.

[Sutekh]

IMO O Shea and McShane should not be considered for the first team. Both are constantly injured, and both not up to the job. Fair chance McShane has already been given his cards

O’Shea is good to have about the place with his experience and perhaps his future now should be a move into the coaching side rather than the playing side. Personally think him contributing on that side of things would be really helpful to Gomes giving him insights into the English game etc.

As regards McShane. Didn’t someone suggest on this board somewhere his last injury was actually serious enough for him to consider retirement? If so then the ongoing problems he’s had this season may well mean that does happen at the end of this season.