So just to sum up.......

[weybridgewanderer]

I thought the loan system opens in a weeks time....or is this just applicable to the football league?

Premiership clubs have until midnight on Friday 31 August to sign players. English Football League clubs have the same deadline for full transfers, but not for loans. English Conference clubs are not bound by the transfer window system.

After midnight on 31 August, Premiership clubs cannot sign any players, on loan or full transfers, until one minute past midnight on 1 January 2008. This window will stay open until midnight on 31 January.

Clubs in the Football League can sign players on loan outside of the transfer windows.

Outside of the transfer windows, any club may still sign players on an emergency basis with the permission of their competition's governing body, ie the Premier League.

Players who are out of contract and do not have a club, can be signed at any time.

[Behindu]

I don't think Coppell rates them that highly. He's prob right not to throw them in the deep end. But they'll never get better without extended runs. Like I said, he'd play 1st teamers out of position before a youth team player every time.

You can;t put young players into a Premier League side just to help them get better though...the dilemma that has been discussed many times on here before.
He went with Long as a very young inexperienced player and stuck Goldbourne in so he's not totally averse to playing youngsters. Pearce has had a couple of cup runouts as has Osano. You can see why he'd ask an experienced pro to play rather than a totally raw youngster and i don;t think he's played people out of position to do it (Fae, DLC have both played in the positions he's used them in before).
I think henry is going to start geting on the bench very soon, it's harder for Pearce as he's got 3 good CB's a head of him and Sonko not too far off as well. He needs to be patient and keep performing for the reserves. An injury / suspension and his chance will come. Simon Church also looks like he may be close to becoming a 'proper' first team squad player.

[glass half full]

Famously, Hansen once said "You don't win anything with kids." How wrong he was, as Manchester United went on to prove. If you're good enough, you're old enough.

[Behindu]

Famously, Hansen once said "You don't win anything with kids." How wrong he was, as Manchester United went on to prove. If you're good enough, you're old enough.

But you don;t put them in just becasue they are young....

Is Pearce better than Iver / Bikey / Duberry / Sonko ?

Probably not (yet).

Is Henry the best available right winger / midfielder ?

Maybe, but not obviously as Fae / Rosenior are probably ahead if we go for a 442.

[glass half full]

But, in the circumstances and situation, I would trust them to do a good job.

[Friday's Child]

As this is a "summing up" thread, I thought it best to look at the full squad and our coverage (excluding players out on loan who may return and even our youth players who may step up to the plate):

GK - Hahnemann, Federici

LB - Shorey, Golbourne
CB - Sonko, Ingemarsson, Duberry, Bikey, Gunnarsson
RB - Murty, De La Cruz, Rosenior, Halls

LM - Hunt, Convey
CM - Harper, Cisse, Fae, Convey, Oster, Bikey, Gunnarsson
RM - Oster, Little, Rosenior, Fae

CF - Doyle, Kitson, Lita, Long

To me that looks fairly neat and balanced. No "world-beaters" but then that's the Reading way, innit?

[PieEater]

More realistically.

GK - Hahnemann, Federici

LB - Shorey, Golbourne
CB - Sonko, Ingimarsson, Duberry, Bikey
RB - Murty, De La Cruz, Halls

LM - Hunt, Convey
CM - Harper, Cisse, Fae, Gunnarsson
RM - Oster, Little, Rosenior

CF - Doyle, Kitson, Lita, Long

[West Stand Flash]

As this is a "summing up" thread, I thought it best to look at the full squad and our coverage (excluding players out on loan who may return and even our youth players who may step up to the plate):

GK - Hahnemann, Federici

LB - Shorey, Golbourne
CB - Sonko, Ingemarsson, Duberry, Bikey, Gunnarsson
RB - Murty, De La Cruz, Rosenior, Halls

LM - Hunt, Convey
CM - Harper, Cisse, Fae, Convey, Oster, Bikey, Gunnarsson
RM - Oster, Little, Rosenior, Fae

CF - Doyle, Kitson, Lita, Long

To me that looks fairly neat and balanced. No "world-beaters" but then that's the Reading way, innit?

You cant use the same player in different positions like you have. thats just trying to make our squad look bigger than it is. That is just stupid.

Lacking quality on right side midfield & upfront.

Time will tell I guess.

[Whistle]

24 players w/o the double-counting - 2 crocked til who knows when.

We still have the nucleus of the team (and therefore spirit) that won promotion - MH, GM, NS, II, JH, KD, DK, LL, BG, SH with BC, GL and IS in the background. Sooner rather than later this nucleus will disintegrate and the danger is when that transition happens.

No-one Coppell's brought in is a distinct improvement on the 2005/6 side - though a few of the 05/06 players have upped their game - Marcus, Leroy and Hunty to name 3.

[tom_t69]

I am a bit worried about the right midfield position now as i think that little will struggle to come back and oster is a good bit part player but who else are we going to play there because fae isnt a winger really and nor is rosenior.

[Friday's Child]

As this is a "summing up" thread, I thought it best to look at the full squad and our coverage (excluding players out on loan who may return and even our youth players who may step up to the plate):

GK - Hahnemann, Federici

LB - Shorey, Golbourne
CB - Sonko, Ingemarsson, Duberry, Bikey, Gunnarsson
RB - Murty, De La Cruz, Rosenior, Halls

LM - Hunt, Convey
CM - Harper, Cisse, Fae, Convey, Oster, Bikey, Gunnarsson
RM - Oster, Little, Rosenior, Fae

CF - Doyle, Kitson, Lita, Long

To me that looks fairly neat and balanced. No "world-beaters" but then that's the Reading way, innit?

You cant use the same player in different positions like you have. thats just trying to make our squad look bigger than it is. That is just stupid.

Lacking quality on right side midfield & upfront.

Time will tell I guess.

Sorry, I don't think Coppell sees it your way. Players can play in more than one position very effectively.

[PEARCEY]

Thanks for the clarity on the loan system Weybridgewanderer

[ArfnipIsARoyal]

Add to all this that Convey is now back from being out of 90% of last season, Sonko is a matter of weeks away from a return, Little is still to come back. They are like having 3 new signings from what we started this season with. Why all the doom and gloom? If things are not working come january then a change may well happen and a further face brought in. Just bite your tongue until the end of the season. If we are relegated then point out where we wen wrong, until then, lets just wait and see.

[RoyalBlue]

As this is a "summing up" thread, I thought it best to look at the full squad and our coverage (excluding players out on loan who may return and even our youth players who may step up to the plate):

GK - Hahnemann, Federici

LB - Shorey, Golbourne
CB - Sonko, Ingemarsson, Duberry, Bikey, Gunnarsson
RB - Murty, De La Cruz, Rosenior, Halls

LM - Hunt, Convey
CM - Harper, Cisse, Fae, Convey, Oster, Bikey, Gunnarsson
RM - Oster, Little, Rosenior, Fae

CF - Doyle, Kitson, Lita, Long

To me that looks fairly neat and balanced. No "world-beaters" but then that's the Reading way, innit?

You cant use the same player in different positions like you have. thats just trying to make our squad look bigger than it is. That is just stupid.

Lacking quality on right side midfield & upfront.

Time will tell I guess.

Sorry, I don't think Coppell sees it your way. Players can play in more than one position very effectively.

Not in one game at the same time they can't!

Makes me laugh, Everton have the smallest injury list in the league (2) and yet Moyes was saying how he needed to strengthen the squad. We have the longest injury list in the league, probably the smallest squad yet there are many who don't appear to see any risk in that approach. I really hope that their optimism proves well-founded, otherwise we could be deep in the shyte by the time the transfer window next opens.

At that point we will find players even more reluctant to join us and their clubs asking for even higher fees as they will know how much we need to sign players to strengthen the squad.

Add to all this that Convey is now back from being out of 90% of last season, Sonko is a matter of weeks away from a return, Little is still to come back. They are like having 3 new signings from what we started this season with. Why all the doom and gloom? If things are not working come january then a change may well happen and a further face brought in. Just bite your tongue until the end of the season. If we are relegated then point out where we wen wrong, until then, lets just wait and see.

More dodgy accounting/spin. We enjoyed the contribution of Sonko and Little for significant parts of last season. How then can they be like 2 new signings from last season?

[RG30]

SC has been too loyal to the likes of Murty and Little and this year we'll get found out for it. Both have poor records in terms of games played per season and signing Rosenior was a good move for the future, we still have no direct replacement for Little.

[cmonurz]

I think we have a problem now, and I know I will get slated for this – Rosenior is, imho already Murty’s equal. Quick, good on the ball, perhaps Murts has him defensively at the moment. How many games does our captain get before Liam proves his better?

[G Force 1871]

As this is a "summing up" thread, I thought it best to look at the full squad and our coverage (excluding players out on loan who may return and even our youth players who may step up to the plate):

GK - Hahnemann, Federici

LB - Shorey, Golbourne
CB - Sonko, Ingemarsson, Duberry, Bikey, Gunnarsson
RB - Murty, De La Cruz, Rosenior, Halls

LM - Hunt, Convey
CM - Harper, Cisse, Fae, Convey, Oster, Bikey, Gunnarsson
RM - Oster, Little, Rosenior, Fae

CF - Doyle, Kitson, Lita, Long

To me that looks fairly neat and balanced. No "world-beaters" but then that's the Reading way, innit?

You cant use the same player in different positions like you have. thats just trying to make our squad look bigger than it is. That is just stupid.

Lacking quality on right side midfield & upfront.
Time will tell I guess.

Surely that is the one position where we have no doubts about the quality?!? Doyle and Lita have proven their ability to score at this level (and international and U21) Kits was our top scorer for 2/3 seasons running until last season where he was out injured and long as a capable back up.

[Friday's Child]

Not in one game at the same time they can't!

Makes me laugh, Everton have the smallest injury list in the league (2) and yet Moyes was saying how he needed to strengthen the squad. We have the longest injury list in the league, probably the smallest squad yet there are many who don't appear to see any risk in that approach. I really hope that their optimism proves well-founded, otherwise we could be deep in the shyte by the time the transfer window next opens.

At that point we will find players even more reluctant to join us and their clubs asking for even higher fees as they will know how much we need to sign players to strengthen the squad.

There is a very fine balance between the two notions. You can have a massive amount of expensive cover, which mitigates risk of injuries but not of squad togetherness, understanding, morale etc. You can have a very closely knit squad with few alternatives which increases togetherness etc but is exposed to a mass-injury outbreak.

I do see the risk in the approach, but the opposite scenario carries its inherent risk also, surely one can see the contrast and trade-off?

Our squad of 24 (ish) has ample coverage in all departments. Yes there is risk that players being supposedly "out of position" may not work day-in-day-out, but there are other risks such as that players may not perform as well as last season, or that other teams will strengthen beyond a level that which our current squad can progress to organically.

All risks. Everywhere. We have plenty of players who are not institutionalised in a single position in the 11, and I feel that we are in a good position to put out a strong 16 players per game even with injuries. There is always the risk that 9 players could be injured, or that we could have all 5 possible centre-backs out at the same time, but that risk is naturally minimal (not impossible), and SC, NH etc probably do not feel that the risk should be mitigated by the inclusion of more playing staff which could disrupt the whole ethic of the club.

I for one, agree with their balance.

[Archies Volley]

not sure where SC expects Rosenior to play but I am not sure why so many people here are pigeonholing him as only a RB

didnt he start as a RW / RM?

players can change / are cappable of playing in 2 different (but similar) positions

didnt we once sign a RW / RM (who had occasionally played as a RB) from York? Murty I think his name was........

[Tamworth_Royal]

Look on the bright side, it's only 15 prem games to wait until we strengthen ( or not )