Rumour: James Harper (talks with Wolves confirmed)

[watfordroyal]

I'd prefer to see Harps going forward, breaking from midfield, and showing composure in the box.
Remember his goals at Boro, at Toon and my Fave bursting through and rounding the Scouse keeper.
Have yet to see Tabb et al show any of that finishing ability.

[North Somerset Royal]

Some odd comments from Brenda in the EP saying that if Harps goes he will not replace him. Hardly likely to engender commitment from Harps so i assume that the club want him out. In fact I wonder whether the failure to play other established players like Hunt & Marek is because the club hope that they will seek moves and thereby get these relatively high earners off of the payroll.

Rodgers would not try to replace James Harper
By Jonny Fordham
August 21, 2009


Brendan Rodgers insists he already has adequate replacements if James Harper leaves Reading.

The club accepted a £2million bid from Wolves for the 28-year-old midfielder two weeks ago, and Harper looked to be on the brink of joining ex-Royals team-mates Kevin Doyle and Marcus Hahnemann at Molineux.

Sources close to the Midlands club have suggested that Harper failed a medical. However, Rodgers last week indicated the deal fell through for other reasons.

Royals’ boss said yesterday: “If James was to go then we’ve certainly got more than enough possibilities to compensate for that.

“He had an opportunity maybe to go and it’s one where he’s in the latter part of his career.

“If he does go, it’ll be on our terms, which are if I’m happy for him to go and the club gets the right deal.

“We had a bid and if we get something in the next week and a half, then we’ll assess it from there. What I do know is that we’ve got some very good talents coming through here.”

The amount Reading have received in transfer revenue this summer rose to more than £12m following the sale of Andre Bikey to Burnley for £2.8m this week. And the Cameroon international may not be the last to leave.

Rodgers said: “We’re not sitting back and waiting to see players go through the door. But if they’re for the reasons that we want, then they can go.”

[ZacNaloen]

Tbh, that's not how I took it.


We have a load of CM players, at least two that can play the deep holding position he likes, hardly a position we should need to rush out and replace someone if he left.

[brendywendy]

certainly not the priority is it
especially in these cash starved times...........

[North Somerset Royal]

I agree but I still think its an odd thing for a manager to say to the press a few days after it was reported that Harps wants to stay with us.

[andrew1957]

I agree but I still think its an odd thing for a manager to say to the press a few days after it was reported that Harps wants to stay with us.

I think the only way Harper can read it is that he is superfluous and the club wants him to go. I will be surprised if he is here after 1st September unless he really is thick skinned. I am beginning to think we are in a bit of a financial crisis at the club and desperate to offload all the expensive players.

[brendywendy]

its definitely starting to look that way innit

[Stranded]

I agree but I still think its an odd thing for a manager to say to the press a few days after it was reported that Harps wants to stay with us.

I think the only way Harper can read it is that he is superfluous and the club wants him to go. I will be surprised if he is here after 1st September unless he really is thick skinned. I am beginning to think we are in a bit of a financial crisis at the club and desperate to offload all the expensive players.

Not really, the manager has already said he wants him to stay. This just reads as though he's anticpating him leaving though, not that he wants him too.

[Royalee]

I agree but I still think its an odd thing for a manager to say to the press a few days after it was reported that Harps wants to stay with us.

I think the only way Harper can read it is that he is superfluous and the club wants him to go. I will be surprised if he is here after 1st September unless he really is thick skinned. I am beginning to think we are in a bit of a financial crisis at the club and desperate to offload all the expensive players.

Rodgers explains the situation clearly if you listen to his interview - we needed to sell pay off an overdraft, which we have done and sell on top of that to spend, which we have also done. We now have money to spend on players, but Harper isn't really essential as we have other players just as capable (more so in my opinion) than him who can take his place.

[Royal Lady]

So, in other words "Harps is a bit superfluous" If I was Harps I wouldn't want to stay now anyway. I suspect that because Rodgers isn't thaht bothered about him, that's why he's not been starting him.

[Royalee]

So, in other words "Harps is a bit superfluous" If I was Harps I wouldn't want to stay now anyway. I suspect that because Rodgers isn't thaht bothered about him, that's why he's not been starting him.

Good.

[Royal Lady]

Serious question, if it all goes t*ts up this season, will you still be 100% Rodgers? And if so, will you then understand why some people were still 100% behind coppell last season?

[Royalee]

Serious question, if it all goes t*ts up this season, will you still be 100% Rodgers? And if so, will you then understand why some people were still 100% behind coppell last season?

I was against Coppell because he chose not to improve the team when he had the opportunity to and got too comfortable in the job after 5 years, not because he had a bad run of games. It won't all go tits up this season though, hth.

[Royal With Cheese]

Serious question, if it all goes t*ts up this season, will you still be 100% Rodgers? And if so, will you then understand why some people were still 100% behind coppell last season?

I was against Coppell because he chose not to improve the team when he had the opportunity to and got too comfortable in the job after 5 years, not because he had a bad run of games. It won't all go tits up this season though, hth.

It depends on your definiton of "Tits Up".

Last year, for you, tits up was not being promoted - period.

this year I'm presuming it means we won't be relegated?

[leon]

Serious question, if it all goes t*ts up this season, will you still be 100% Rodgers? And if so, will you then understand why some people were still 100% behind coppell last season?

I was against Coppell because he chose not to improve the team when he had the opportunity to and got too comfortable in the job after 5 years, not because he had a bad run of games. It won't all go tits up this season though, hth.

It depends on your definiton of "Tits Up".

Last year, for you, tits up was not being promoted - period.

this year I'm presuming it means we won't be relegated?

In other words coming 4th for Coppell is failure but coming 15th for Rodgers is not?

I'd prefer continual improvement than ripping the ar*e out of a team and starting from scratch. Very definite shades of the Burns era which I'm sure Royalee remembers very well

[SHORT AND CURLY]

Serious question, if it all goes t*ts up this season, will you still be 100% Rodgers? And if so, will you then understand why some people were still 100% behind coppell last season?

I was against Coppell because he chose not to improve the team when he had the opportunity to and got too comfortable in the job after 5 years, not because he had a bad run of games. It won't all go tits up this season though, hth.

You really are a prize tooooooooooooool!

So ripping the heart out of a side and not replacing it is the way forward.

Brenda has a week to sort it out before the transfer window closes. If he fails we are in for a long depressing season.

[Southbank Old Boy]

Serious question, if it all goes t*ts up this season, will you still be 100% Rodgers? And if so, will you then understand why some people were still 100% behind coppell last season?

I was against Coppell because he chose not to improve the team when he had the opportunity to and got too comfortable in the job after 5 years, not because he had a bad run of games. It won't all go tits up this season though, hth.

You really are a prize tooooooooooooool!

So ripping the heart out of a side and not replacing it is the way forward.

Brenda has a week to sort it out before the transfer window closes. If he fails we are in for a long depressing season.

Dont you realise that the ripping out the heart of the team bit was out side of BRs control

I guess he knew what he was getting himself into when he took the job, but he is now starting from a point where the success and the squad of the last few years are pretty much irrelevant

[Royal Lady]

Why isn't he giving Mooney a chance? People moaned about Coppell sticking with his favourites, but we haven't scored a league goal yet and Mooney hasn't even been given a run out from the bench as far as I'm aware? He has a couple of other options, inc Harps, but he's not playing them.

[rotherwick_royal]

Serious question, if it all goes t*ts up this season, will you still be 100% Rodgers? And if so, will you then understand why some people were still 100% behind coppell last season?

I was against Coppell because he chose not to improve the team when he had the opportunity to and got too comfortable in the job after 5 years, not because he had a bad run of games. It won't all go tits up this season though, hth.

It depends on your definiton of "Tits Up".

Last year, for you, tits up was not being promoted - period.

this year I'm presuming it means we won't be relegated?

I got very bored of Royalee and others slagging off Coppell last year. At the beginning of last season most people on here would have accepted a play-off place but the most frustrating thing was the way we let it slip. So, Royalee, you were against the Coppell because 'he chose not to improve the team'. So, what the hell do you call the last few weeks? An improvement??? If it was SSC's fault last year then it will be BR's fault this season, right? Our squad is looking more and more like Saint's team from last year, without some more experienced players we won't get a sniff of promotion and might be looking nervously downwards instead of upwards. Question - if we're in the bottom 6 at Christmas will you be defending BR and pointing the finger elsewhere?

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

To be honest I'd say we badly need a quality defensive midfielder even if Harper does stay.

Still think the comments from Rodgers open the door even more on the move, I reckon Wolves will come back in...