Contract situation at end of 2020/21 season.

[andrew1957]

I do feel a bit for Watson. With all the injuries at right back I would like to have seen him given a chance.

Yes Watson is an odd one. He looked very good when he first broke through and was offered a 3 year contract extension on the back of those performances. But then we never gave him another serious chance. Very odd.

And it is hard to see how he will forge a career now - as the opportunity at age 24 has most likely gone.

[morganb]

That's the Holmes and Watson partnership gone then

[andrew1957]

That's the Holmes and Watson partnership gone then

Yes - but I have it on good authority that we are going to sign Freddie Moriaty from Watford on loan this summer. That should give Holmes something to think about.

[SCIAG]

Lawless was an absolutely beautiful player to watch but there were always question about whether he had the defensive awareness for a deep role or the athleticism for an advanced one. Think Matejovsky. Also had some rotten luck with injuries which stopped him kicking on the way that Olise has.

Pendlebury is surprising. I guess Tetek has overtaken him.

With McIntyre I am pretty sure that his main concern will be playing time. He has been agitating for more playing time since the Stam days. I think he’d consider dropping a level if it meant he was guaranteed to start. Don’t think he’ll move to a top flight team.

[Hendo]

If McIntyre is looking for 1st team football, then I guess the big thing will be if Moore goes.

They obviously play on the same side so it would leave a hole, that McIntyre can fill, if Moore is moved on

[morganb]

Yesterday the club published a released and retained list, but does an actual transfer list also exist - do we know if there are any players the club are actively looking for a buyer for (or even a player agitating for a move away)?

[Silver Fox]

That's the Holmes and Watson partnership gone then

Holmes and Lawless too for the less literary among us

[Westwood52]

Am I going nuts.We brought in Jayden Onen last Autumn,and now he has been released.What sort of contract duration did he have nine months ?Just seems a bit bizarre to me .
Feel for a lot of these kids now out on their ear;with very little prospect of future full time contracts.Maybe when the semi pro stuff really gets going again,with fans (and money) coming in;they can get some part time contracts.
Be interesting to see what happens to Alukho and Baldock.Their money will fall off a cliff.Welcome to the real world boys.L1 or L2 and short term contracts await.

[muirinho]

Am I going nuts.We brought in Jayden Onen last Autumn,and now he has been released.What sort of contract duration did he have nine months ?Just seems a bit bizarre to me .
Feel for a lot of these kids now out on their ear;with very little prospect of future full time contracts.Maybe when the semi pro stuff really gets going again,with fans (and money) coming in;they can get some part time contracts.
Be interesting to see what happens to Alukho and Baldock.Their money will fall off a cliff.Welcome to the real world boys.L1 or L2 and short term contracts await.

I think that's kind of fair enough - he was released by Brentford (from their B team), Reading picked him up and gave him a season to see if he was worth another shot, appears that he isn't - at least not for us. If he wants to stay in football, maybe he'll be able to pick something up at a lower level.

But yeah, it's very tough on all of them - less than 0.5% of boys in academies at 9 will earn any kind of living as a footballer. It's a bit like kids who go to stage school and stuff - chances of them having a career in the arts are vanishingly small.

Ideally, academies would be pushing alternative careers - players doing apprenticeships/degrees alongside their training. Even stuff in things like grounds management, physio, agents, fitness coaching etc, there are other careers in football other than being footballers. Doesn't seem to happen like that though.

For Aluko and Baldock and the like, I've no sympathy, they've had a number of years on very good salaries, if they haven't been putting away chunks of it, that's on them.

[Simon's Church]

I do think it's strange that Onen was a semi regular part of the squad this season and is now released, surely this opportunities would have been better off given to Azeez or Nevers while he was fit as they might still be here next season?

[Snowflake Royal]

I do think it's strange that Onen was a semi regular part of the squad this season and is now released, surely this opportunities would have been better off given to Azeez or Nevers while he was fit as they might still be here next season?

Didn't actually get many minutes though, so maybe they preferred them playing in the Unders than sitting on the first team bench?

[Simon's Church]

I do think it's strange that Onen was a semi regular part of the squad this season and is now released, surely this opportunities would have been better off given to Azeez or Nevers while he was fit as they might still be here next season?

Didn't actually get many minutes though, so maybe they preferred them playing in the Unders than sitting on the first team bench?

Maybe, Onen was still one of the most used players in the U23s though. Not that it actually would have made any difference considering Paunovic was only ever going to give any of the academy kids 2-3 minutes at a time

[linkenholtroyal]

I do think it's strange that Onen was a semi regular part of the squad this season and is now released, surely this opportunities would have been better off given to Azeez or Nevers while he was fit as they might still be here next season?

Didn't actually get many minutes though, so maybe they preferred them playing in the Unders than sitting on the first team bench?

Maybe, Onen was still one of the most used players in the U23s though. Not that it actually would have made any difference considering Paunovic was only ever going to give any of the academy kids 2-3 minutes at a time

I would say this is slightly harsh as he did play the kids in the cup games and peripheral players to give them a chance to shine. This has also been McIntyre and Holmes breakthrough season from the youth squad. Onen just didn’t fit for whatever reason.

[URZZZZ]

No real surprises with Walker, Watson, Baldock and Aluko going and good to save some money on the wage bill

The last two will certainly go down as contenders for worst value for money signings we've made but some sympathies with them in the sense that we've very rarely utilised their key attributes to a great effect

For example, Baldock and Puscas had a great partnership going, back in Oct/Nov 2019 but then Baldock picked up an injury and those two never started another game together as a strike duo from that point onwards - and instead management decided to play him up front by himself to repeatedly no avail. Arguably, Baldock was also a victim (certainly initially) of our powderpuff midfield as Clement quickly transitioned from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1 when he realised that (a) - Meyler wasn't up to it and (b) - Kelly and Swift weren't able to play in a two

Similarly Aluko joined at a time when we played two out and out wingers who hugged the touchline, a role Aluko had never played before - hence his constant tendency to drop deep and take the ball off our CB's which just disrupted our overall shape. Furthermore, we had fairly decent (actual) wingers at the time, so it was a complete mystery as to why he was bought in the first place, especially with deficiencies in other areas of the pitch. You could clearly see his best performances coincided with his games starting more central (Watford this season, United away in the cup etc) - yet it scarcely happened - strange

Two expensive signings who all in all contributed very little - but IMO more indicative of our managers' failing transfer strategies. Ideally, we use these failings to learn lessons in the future and become more astute in the windows, something I guess we've began to see in these last 12 months under Paunovic

[Crowbar6753]

No real surprises with Walker, Watson, Baldock and Aluko going and good to save some money on the wage bill

The last two will certainly go down as contenders for worst value for money signings we've made but some sympathies with them in the sense that we've very rarely utilised their key attributes to a great effect

For example, Baldock and Puscas had a great partnership going, back in Oct/Nov 2019 but then Baldock picked up an injury and those two never started another game together as a strike duo from that point onwards - and instead management decided to play him up front by himself to repeatedly no avail. Arguably, Baldock was also a victim (certainly initially) of our powderpuff midfield as Clement quickly transitioned from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1 when he realised that (a) - Meyler wasn't up to it and (b) - Kelly and Swift weren't able to play in a two

Similarly Aluko joined at a time when we played two out and out wingers who hugged the touchline, a role Aluko had never played before - hence his constant tendency to drop deep and take the ball off our CB's which just disrupted our overall shape. Furthermore, we had fairly decent (actual) wingers at the time, so it was a complete mystery as to why he was bought in the first place, especially with deficiencies in other areas of the pitch. You could clearly see his best performances coincided with his games starting more central (Watford this season, United away in the cup etc) - yet it scarcely happened - strange

Two expensive signings who all in all contributed very little - but IMO more indicative of our managers' failing transfer strategies. Ideally, we use these failings to learn lessons in the future and become more astute in the windows, something I guess we've began to see in these last 12 months under Paunovic

Spot on regarding Baldock, as a lone striker he's no good other than the 100% he gives you for every minute on the pitch which is a credit to the lad. Play him as a partnership and he's a different player.
If the right team takes a punt with him and plays to his strenghs i'm sure in the 1st or 2nd divisions he will bag alot of goals.
I would also put both Baldock and Aluko down to really poor management.

[linkenholtroyal]

I wonder what the odds are on Aluko and baldock joining the retirement squad at Wycombe

[Hound]

Found baldock and incredibly frustrating signing. There was some quality there and great attitude and work rate.

First season was just wrecked by injury then as said just not a fit with the style we played. He really should have been so much better

[Lower West]

Found baldock and incredibly frustrating signing. There was some quality there and great attitude and work rate.

First season was just wrecked by injury then as said just not a fit with the style we played. He really should have been so much better

Hopefully next season. Given the constraints. Recruitment will be less exciting but more structured. Round pegs for round holes.

[Westwood52]

Where do we go from here given budget constraints and whose gone and who is likely to be going ?

GK If Rafa stays ,plus Southwood covered.

RB. Yids first choice;then experienced loanee to keep Yids honest.

CB More than covered.Do we need four potential starters though ? McIntyre (if he signs) and Holmes will get better.Morro s performance level bound to drop off.Moore is a great player but only when he is at the top of his game.Covered.

LB. With Richards gone; most of the transfer budget will be spent here.We will need a real class act.A signing the calibre of Laurent would be great.

MF With Olise gone we are still covered.

CF If Puskas goes,we are going to need someone pretty useful to come in.Joao being very prone to injury and loss of form.

Wide player. We literally have nothing really,with Yakou and Ovie trying to cover the situation.

Order of priority:

LB Absolute necessity

Wide player. If he could play left or right that would be good.

CF. Someone who can hold it up.

Three new players please,although the winger or CF could be loanees.

[morganb]

Amongst our Under-23s group, we have offered new deals to striker Thierry Nevers, goalkeeper James Holden and forward Femi Azeez, while left-back Ethan Bristow remains at the club after a clause in his current contract was mutually triggered.

Contract must have been rejected by Nevers - from Twitter:

@ThierryNevers
Thank you for 9 years of learning and growing
@ReadingFC
. Shoutout to every staff member who has had my back through everything I’ve been through at the club. I leave with full appreciation of the platform you’ve given to me to express myself as a player and person.