Most important player ever?

[PistolPete]

Question is:.

And to just suggest a dampener on things... Blackman in that ridiculous
purple patch he had, was awesome. Did he ever do similar before or since?

Finely enough, I put this in my post then deleted it. Figured it might de-rail the topic!

[tidus_mi2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005%E2%8 ... .C._season

All the appearance info is near the bottom.

[Pepe the Horseman]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005%E2%80%9306_Reading_F.C._season

All the appearance info is near the bottom.

Cheers fam. So Sidwell only actually played 30 games. Don't remember that!

[3points]

Shane Long seemed indispensable in 10/11, but then we went up next year without him. Forster in 02/03 is a good shout, as well as Kermogant as people have suggested.

Also Kitson prior to the arrival of Doyle and Lita. The team fell apart with his injury in 04/05.

But Joao is right up there with all these examples.

Struggling to think of examples who aren't strikers; I guess goals win games. And in all examples, it's not just goals but the way the team has relied upon their focal point.

Systems of play do seem to be designed around the strikers. Therefore their importance is accentuated. As previously mentioned, just look at Kermogant in the Stam P/O season. Awful the next season when he was injured for large parts

[WestYorksRoyal]

Question is:.

And to just suggest a dampener on things... Blackman in that ridiculous
purple patch he had, was awesome. Did he ever do similar before or since?

Finely enough, I put this in my post then deleted it. Figured it might de-rail the topic!

World class for about 6 weeks.

[ROYALJOE]

NO!!! not ever. Not in the conversation unless we get promoted. Most important player this season....maybe

[WestYorksRoyal]

NO!!! not ever. Not in the conversation unless we get promoted. Most important player this season....maybe

Does that mean Forster, Long, Kermogant and Kitson (before Doyle and Lita) are not part of the conversation?

[Snowflake Royal]

I always think Sidwell was by far the most important player in the Coppell side. It was like having three in midfield and we saw how difficult it was to replace him

It's difficult to make a call on the 106 team, as they just didn't get injured. Anyone got any stats on how many games they each played that season?

We beat Sheff Utd without Sidwell, Shorey, Murty or Kitson. That's arguably our three best players.

According to wiki, Sidwell started just 29 league games, so he missed almost half the season (not sure that's true).

Murty and Shorey both missed 6 games
Little only managed 34 starts. Kitson 27.

The we didn't have injuries myth was started by Warnock iirc. No idea why it's stuck so well. Lita broke his leg ffs.

[Snowflake Royal]

NO!!! not ever. Not in the conversation unless we get promoted. Most important player this season....maybe

I think you're misunderstanding most important to the team functioning with best.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I always think Sidwell was by far the most important player in the Coppell side. It was like having three in midfield and we saw how difficult it was to replace him

It's difficult to make a call on the 106 team, as they just didn't get injured. Anyone got any stats on how many games they each played that season?

We beat Sheff Utd without Sidwell, Shorey, Murty or Kitson. That's arguably our three best players.

According to wiki, Sidwell started just 29 league games, so he missed almost half the season (not sure that's true).

Murty and Shorey both missed 6 games
Little only managed 34 starts. Kitson 27.

The we didn't have injuries myth was started by Warnock iirc. No idea why it's stuck so well. Lita broke his leg ffs.

Though Ingimarsson and Sonko played every game, and if I remember properly our only cover would have been Bryn playing out of position.

[Snowflake Royal]

It's difficult to make a call on the 106 team, as they just didn't get injured. Anyone got any stats on how many games they each played that season?

We beat Sheff Utd without Sidwell, Shorey, Murty or Kitson. That's arguably our three best players.

According to wiki, Sidwell started just 29 league games, so he missed almost half the season (not sure that's true).

Murty and Shorey both missed 6 games
Little only managed 34 starts. Kitson 27.

The we didn't have injuries myth was started by Warnock iirc. No idea why it's stuck so well. Lita broke his leg ffs.

Though Ingimarsson and Sonko played every game, and if I remember properly our only cover would have been Bryn playing out of position.

We had options, they just weren't great ones. Dobson & Osano, I think.

The full run down is:
Hahnemann - 45
Murty - 40
Shorey - 40
Ingimarsson - 46
Sonko - 46
Harper - 44+1
Sidwell - 29+4
Little - 34+1
Convey - 45
Kitson - 27+7
Doyle - 41+4
‐-----------------------
Makin - 11+1
Gunnarsson - 19+10
Hunt - 3+35
Oster - 11+22
Lita - 22+4
Stack - 1
Halls - 1
Long - 1

[Franchise FC]

It's difficult to make a call on the 106 team, as they just didn't get injured. Anyone got any stats on how many games they each played that season?

Except for the strikers, if my memory serves me correctly, although we were lucky that of Kitson was out, Lita and Doyle were good to go and then when Kitson was back, one of the others were out with injuries. Other than that, I’d be surprised if anyone else from the main XI played less than 35 games that season, maybe even less than 40.

Yeh, that's how I remember it. Can't remember any of our back four missing a game, although sure they must've done. Hunt and Oster played a few games, but mostly sub appearances. Same with Bryn.

Didn't Makin have a reasonable run (4/5 games) in the side at one point ?

[Snowflake Royal]

I've posted it right there chaps, and already listed the 5 players who missed most games. 3 of our back five missed games btw.

[Hendo]

I've posted it right there chaps, and already listed the 5 players who missed most games. 3 of our back five missed games btw.

13 out of a possible 230 games isn’t a whole lot of games though

[Franchise FC]

I've posted it right there chaps, and already listed the 5 players who missed most games. 3 of our back five missed games btw.

3 of our back 5 missed 13 games between them - is that what you were trying to say ?

I'd wager that's extremely low for the number of games missed by a back 5, possibly/probably close to a record in a 46 game season

Hendo - can you just give me a minute next time
I obviously can't type quick enough

[Snowflake Royal]

I've posted it right there chaps, and already listed the 5 players who missed most games. 3 of our back five missed games btw.

3 of our back 5 missed 13 games between them - is that what you were trying to say ?

I'd wager that's extremely low for the number of games missed by a back 5, possibly/probably close to a record in a 46 game season

But more than none.

And 2 players who didn't make 30 starts, let alone 40. And arguably two of our best 3.

[Franchise FC]

I've posted it right there chaps, and already listed the 5 players who missed most games. 3 of our back five missed games btw.

3 of our back 5 missed 13 games between them - is that what you were trying to say ?

I'd wager that's extremely low for the number of games missed by a back 5, possibly/probably close to a record in a 46 game season

But more than none.

And 2 players who didn't make 30 starts, let alone 40. And arguably two of our best 3.

Sorry, have I missed the bit where 2 of our back 5 played less than 30 but they only missed 13 games between them ?
I'm sure I was pretty clear that my quote is specifically about the back 5. To be fair, I only mentioned it twice so I can see how you may have missed it.

[Sutekh]

Going back a bit:

Robin Friday - 1975/76 promotion season

Kerry Dixon - 1982/83, we were relegated but on an unusually high 53 points and Dixon was the leading scorer in the entire football league

12 wins, 17 draws and 17 defeats from that season is etched in my memory. Probably the most pissed off I’ve been with a relegation

Annoying thing about that as well was that it was only the 2nd season of 3 points for a win and if it had still been 2 points then Reading would have stayed up at the expense of Orient.

[Sutekh]

Question is:.

And to just suggest a dampener on things... Blackman in that ridiculous
purple patch he had, was awesome. Did he ever do similar before or since?

Finely enough, I put this in my post then deleted it. Figured it might de-rail the topic!

World class for about 6 weeks.

World class long enough to persuade Derby to provide £3.5m. Since January 2016 he’s scored 13 goals in 83 apps for various clubs.

[ROYALJOE]

NO!!! not ever. Not in the conversation unless we get promoted. Most important player this season....maybe

Does that mean Forster, Long, Kermogant and Kitson (before Doyle and Lita) are not part of the conversation?

Forster, Long and Kitson were part of a promotion season so are rightly in the conversation but yeah Kermogant is not