How we stack up against the opposition in terms of signings

[BR2]

Edman signs for Wigan.

Yesterday's paper said that we were also in for him.
Obviously Wigan represents a much bigger and more ambitious club so there really would have been no choice for him.

[Hoop Blah]

Know him personally do you?

Do you not think that Roy Hodgson may have been a factor in his move? A manager who is highly respected in Scandanavia and managed successfully at the club they've just signed Hangeland from?

I think Hodgson knew him from his time there didnt he?

Doesn't mean he wouldn't have come to Reading IF we'd been in for him though. We'll never know....

[Platypuss]

Know him personally do you?

Do you not think that Roy Hodgson may have been a factor in his move? A manager who is highly respected in Scandanavia and managed successfully at the club they've just signed Hangeland from?

I think Hodgson knew him from his time there didnt he?

Hodgson left FC Cop more than 6 years ago!

They were at Viking Stavanger together though.

[Hoop Blah]

Hodgson left FC Cop more than 6 years ago!

They were at Viking Stavanger together though.

Cheers, I knew I'd read somewhere that he knew his capabilities as they'd worked together before.

[Archie's penalty]

Fulham officially sign Brede Hangeland from FC Copenhagen.

Disastrous for us, they SIGNIFICANTLY strengthen with a player that can go straight into their team, and we miss out again.
Hangeland is a very very good defender. Similar to Hyypia, and is only 25.
I expect him to do very well in this league, and I think it is absolutely horrible that we didn't have a look in.

In a John Carew style good or a Ole Solskjaer style good?

Haha, good question. I think Carew is quite good though (for that type of player), even though you apparantly don't seem to rate him he did score twice on us and has a proven track record, winning the league in spain and france, featuring in the champions league final, and once sending Arsenal out of the champions league semi-finals.

I'll put it like this, Hangeland is potentially better than any of the defenders we have at the club. Prone to the odd mistake, but certainly no Titus Bramble (or Sonko..).
With time he could be as good as Henchoz/Mellberg/Dunne, or better, who knows.
Right now he is certainly better than Duberry and much less error prone than Sonko, while offering the same kind of aerial superiority. So the way I see it, he would have significantly strengthened our team.

On the other hand he may turn out to be a miserable failure, but I would have liked it if we were the ones taking the gamble on that.

But don't worry, we'll get Jimmy Kebab.

F*off you idiot. How can you slag off a player you haven't heard of? FWIW I could do the same for this Icelandic guy but I'm not am I?

Some people on this board are ridiculous

[Forbury Lion]

Wasn't Matt Taylor linked with us at one stage? What went wrong? (Sorry if this has already been said.)

Maybe the newspapers and/or Matt Taylors agent got it wrong.


What does concern me is that Reading may not be targeting quality players on the assumption they, like all similar calibre players previously approached, won't want to join us.


Skysports news had a "buy me" plea interview from a Spurs winger... not sure if he might be on our watch list.

[Archie's penalty]

I think it's a bit stupid simply comparing the bottom sides in the thread. In doing this you miss the whole picture. Everyone in the premier league is having problems signing players. It's not just us. Who have Blackburn bought perchance? Villa?

Of course it's important to compare the bottom sides but the whole prem is rushing for players. As Coppell says it's a meat market. Isn't it best to shop quietly at the grocers until the dust settles?

[Old Biscuitman]

I think it's a bit stupid simply comparing the bottom sides in the thread. In doing this you miss the whole picture. Everyone in the premier league is having problems signing players. It's not just us. Who have Blackburn bought perchance? Villa?

Of course it's important to compare the bottom sides but the whole prem is rushing for players. As Coppell says it's a meat market. Isn't it best to shop quietly at the grocers until the dust settles?

Agreed. One reasonable quality steak is better than six hamburgers.

[tilehurstender]

comparing our lack of investment to that of Blackburn or Villa doesn't make sense in the fact that both of them already have much stronger squads than us.

it's been said already but the fact is that honest and hardworking isn't enough.

Coppell has already hinted that he will revert to his tried and tested selection tomorrow!!!

what ever happened with players fighting for their place?? after the shambles of the Villa game, the likes of Murty, Convey and Gunnarsson should be content just to make the bench.

[RoyalBlue]

I think it's a bit stupid simply comparing the bottom sides in the thread. In doing this you miss the whole picture. Everyone in the premier league is having problems signing players. It's not just us. Who have Blackburn bought perchance? Villa?

Of course it's important to compare the bottom sides but the whole prem is rushing for players. As Coppell says it's a meat market. Isn't it best to shop quietly at the grocers until the dust settles?

Clubs in mid table do not have quite face quite the same disastrous consequences if they fail to strengthen their first team squad!

[Platypuss]

I think it's a bit stupid simply comparing the bottom sides in the thread. In doing this you miss the whole picture.

How so - the "whole picture" of the Prem doesn't really affect us.

It make perfect sense to concentrate just on those teams with which we are directly competing in terms of both signings and premiership survival.

[Archie's penalty]

It's great when what you write gets a reaction All I was saying was it's a difficult market place at the moment. I hope that Coppell can maneuvre us through it to get the choice cuts...

[Uke]

How do we miss out on a player that we probably weren't even interested in?

WE DONT SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN ANYONE

Can I shout too?

Good God, I shall be having this conversation for the rest of my life. Now, please concentrate, BEFORE ONE OF US DIES

IN THE JANUARY SALES THE SHOPS ARE FULL OF OVERPRICED END OF LINE CLEARANCE STOCK, THAT IS WHY WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE UK SHOPS!

Bloody Witnit!

[West Stand Flash]

How do we miss out on a player that we probably weren't even interested in?

WE DONT SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN ANYONE

Can I shout too?

Good God, I shall be having this conversation for the rest of my life. Now, please concentrate, BEFORE ONE OF US DIES

IN THE JANUARY SALES THE SHOPS ARE FULL OF OVERPRICED END OF LINE CLEARANCE STOCK, THAT IS WHY WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE UK SHOPS!

Bloody Witnit!

Sure

[Uke]

How do we miss out on a player that we probably weren't even interested in?

WE DONT SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN ANYONE

Can I shout too?

Good God, I shall be having this conversation for the rest of my life. Now, please concentrate, BEFORE ONE OF US DIES

IN THE JANUARY SALES THE SHOPS ARE FULL OF OVERPRICED END OF LINE CLEARANCE STOCK, THAT IS WHY WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE UK SHOPS!

Bloody Witnit!

Sure

[West Stand Flash]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 196499.stm

Samaras going to Birmingham.

Once again, no one else around us is strengthening

[cmonurz]

Samaras and McFadden.

Thank god Birmingham are a worse team than us and will definitely finish below us. Idiots, buying people who are reserves at their current clubs. They are reserves for a reason. Blah, blah, blah.

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

I can't believe anyone here would seriously want us to sign Samaras.

[RoyalBlue]

How do we miss out on a player that we probably weren't even interested in?

WE DONT SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN ANYONE

Can I shout too?

Good God, I shall be having this conversation for the rest of my life. Now, please concentrate, BEFORE ONE OF US DIES

IN THE JANUARY SALES THE SHOPS ARE FULL OF OVERPRICED END OF LINE CLEARANCE STOCK, THAT IS WHY WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE UK SHOPS!

Bloody Witnit!

Only if you need a decent reliable rope to stop you dropping over that precipice do you say needs must and buy that overpriced end of line clearance stock from a UK shop or do you take a chance on a cheap foreign import of unproven and unknown quality?!

[Platypuss]

Birmingham have a pretty good defensive record out of the teams at the bottom, but have a problem with scoring goals. They are obviously seeking to address the problem.