CONFIMRED - Sam Walker

[maffff]

Lewis Ward (21): In addition to our u21s and u23s the last 4 years alone he's also featured for Aldershot Town (26 appearances?), Hungerford Town 27 appearances - would have been more but he was injured at one point), Margate (19 appearances), Fylkr (3 appearances), Sutton United and Whitehawk, as well as sitting on our bench a few times. 72 pro appearances (that I can find details of. Southampton and Everton were looking at him in January.

Luke Southwood (20) has had the youth team, Bath (50 senior appearances) and his international youth experience. Palace trialled him last summer.

Legg (22) has had loans to Barnet (3 appearances), Hungerford (31 appearances), Gosport (10 appearances), Hampton & Richmond Borough (7 appearances), Chesham (12 appearances), Dunstable (1 appearance), Hendon (10 appearances), and Holyport (2 games) as well as being u23 keeper and featuring on our bench. 76 senior appearances...

[maffff]

Pickford broke into the team because he was that good though. Of course Southwood could be a real talent too, but realistically he's unlikely to be good enough for the Championship.

Could a manager really go into a season with Shortwood or Ward just one injury away from being number one for months? I'd say no myself.

So an OK keeper in League Two who is 6 years older deserves that responsibility over two younger players who were exceptional one league down?

Don't think it's about "deserved". Assuming Walker is backup, then he's going to be hanging about on the bench, not getting many matches. i.e., he's not going to get much opportunity to develop, beyond what the coaching staff can do with him. But he's mid 20's now, so that's not a massive problem, because where's he's at now is probably pretty much as good as it's going to get for him.

The other guys though, they need regular games so that they can get better, because they are still young.

Assuming Southwood and Ward have decent loans, they will end the season better than they are now. Doubt that would be the case for either of them, if they were kept at the club as backup.

Fine in principle, but where's the pathway a year or two from the loans. 2 years left on contract, they won't hang around again if there's no chance they'll get their shot here.

[Stranded]

So an OK keeper in League Two who is 6 years older deserves that responsibility over two younger players who were exceptional one league down?

Don't think it's about "deserved". Assuming Walker is backup, then he's going to be hanging about on the bench, not getting many matches. i.e., he's not going to get much opportunity to develop, beyond what the coaching staff can do with him. But he's mid 20's now, so that's not a massive problem, because where's he's at now is probably pretty much as good as it's going to get for him.

The other guys though, they need regular games so that they can get better, because they are still young.

Assuming Southwood and Ward have decent loans, they will end the season better than they are now. Doubt that would be the case for either of them, if they were kept at the club as backup.

Fine in principle, but where's the pathway a year or two from the loans. 2 years left on contract, they won't hang around again if there's no chance they'll get their shot here.

With Mannone out of contract next season, there wil be an opportunity to make a case to be in or closer too the first team this season. I would be very surprised if this is not part of the plan for the younger lads. Given how many young keepers we have, at least one of Ward, Southwood and Legg will be gone in a year or two. Possibly 2, would hope that the 3rd is either in or close too the first team.

[Hoop Blah]

Could a manager really go into a season with Shortwood or Ward just one injury away from being number one for months? I'd say no myself.

So an OK keeper in League Two who is 6 years older deserves that responsibility over two younger players who were exceptional one league down?

Walker is as much risk as Jaakkola was (and he's out of his depth at this level) and as much risk as both Ward and Southwood.

Ignoring the probability that Walker's signing is in part to free up Southwood and Ward for decent loans to further their development, I'd say yes, he's much less of a risk than either of them if we need to throw him into a few months of league action.

Half of his experience has been at League One, and he's played nearly 300 first team games in the first team for Football League clubs. That's significantly more than the young lads who've played very little first team football, even in non-league. Playing Conference South for the likes of Bath or Hungerford is good for their development, but it's totally different than churning out 300 games in the Football League over 5 or 6 years.

The fact Jaakkola hasn't been good enough, nor Bond or any of the other kids coming through, is probably more reason to bring in someone like Walker.

[Hound]

https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/20 ... reading-fc

[Sutekh]

And he’s 7 foot tall.

[maffff]

Don't think it's about "deserved". Assuming Walker is backup, then he's going to be hanging about on the bench, not getting many matches. i.e., he's not going to get much opportunity to develop, beyond what the coaching staff can do with him. But he's mid 20's now, so that's not a massive problem, because where's he's at now is probably pretty much as good as it's going to get for him.

The other guys though, they need regular games so that they can get better, because they are still young.

Assuming Southwood and Ward have decent loans, they will end the season better than they are now. Doubt that would be the case for either of them, if they were kept at the club as backup.

Fine in principle, but where's the pathway a year or two from the loans. 2 years left on contract, they won't hang around again if there's no chance they'll get their shot here.

With Mannone out of contract next season, there wil be an opportunity to make a case to be in or closer too the first team this season. I would be very surprised if this is not part of the plan for the younger lads. Given how many young keepers we have, at least one of Ward, Southwood and Legg will be gone in a year or two. Possibly 2, would hope that the 3rd is either in or close too the first team.

Mannone is contracted until 2020. Walker until 2022 and Jaakkola expires in the summer

[Sutekh]

Lewis Ward has left Reading for a season loan to Northampton Town.

[Hound]

Yep, great move for him

[maffff]

Agreed.