Brilliant signing, relish seeing him in action.
I just hope he's not like Coppells 'big' signings. When we shell out a good bit of cash for a player who hardly gets in the first time, i.e. Matejovsky, Halford etc
But still i'm sure Rodgers ain't the same, a £2m signing must been he's bloody good and the gaffer must know what he's doing.
Matthew Mills - SIGNED
Wikipedia has this..
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A subsequent offer of £2.3 million from Reading was accepted, with Mills set to complete the move in time for the start of the 2009/10 season. Mills Will Sign Wednesday.
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It's been up there overnight and not corrected so might actually be the true figure.
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A subsequent offer of £2.3 million from Reading was accepted, with Mills set to complete the move in time for the start of the 2009/10 season. Mills Will Sign Wednesday.
--------------------------------------
It's been up there overnight and not corrected so might actually be the true figure.
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Forbury Lion
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These threds piss me off, 7 pages and the actual news that we've signed the player is probably on about page 5 with speculation before that and off topic/random discussion afterwards.
Mods - Can we not just allow a new thread for actual news and just lock/leave the speculation on unfounded rumours?
Mods - Can we not just allow a new thread for actual news and just lock/leave the speculation on unfounded rumours?
Very pleased if this comes off-a proper signing of a youngish player with some experience and not another loan signing.
The player reminds me a bit of Gary Cahill-similar build and somebody who found the right move and the right coach when signed by O'Driscoll for just £300,000 after going around on loan .
He was always thought of at Southampton as a player with ability but a bit reckless and it looks as though with a bit more experience he has now settled down to be the decent player that everybody hoped he would turn out to be.
BTW both he and Bertrand may know each other from being on loan at Bournemouth which could be good news both on and off the pitch.
The player reminds me a bit of Gary Cahill-similar build and somebody who found the right move and the right coach when signed by O'Driscoll for just £300,000 after going around on loan .
He was always thought of at Southampton as a player with ability but a bit reckless and it looks as though with a bit more experience he has now settled down to be the decent player that everybody hoped he would turn out to be.
BTW both he and Bertrand may know each other from being on loan at Bournemouth which could be good news both on and off the pitch.
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Woodcote Royal
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Royalee Excellent bit of business if this goes through - LOL at all the dickheads slamming Madejski.
What choice did they have?
If it wasn't SJM's fault, the disaster of the last 2 seasons was all down to Steve "I've got money to spend but am happy with what I've got and don't have an effing clue why we are consistently getting stuffed by cr@p teams like Forest" Coppell.
This might explain Ivar "the best centre half we've ever had" Ingimarrson's squad number for this season.
Rest assured this is one of many signings Coppell would never have made in recent times because such players would have threatened the places of his precious "106" favorites.
Even if this deal falls threw, after 2 seasons when sitting in my seat became an increasingly painful experience, it is just fantastic to have a manager who is barking up all the right trees, and clearly enjoying significant financial support from a Chairman who doesn't deserve many of the ignorant observations made on these pages by those who should know better.
Thoroughly looking forward to Saturday and will be gutted if work intervenes.
Last edited by Woodcote Royal on 04 Aug 2009 13:26, edited 1 time in total.
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gazzer, loyal royal
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Ian Royal Pleased about this.
I was so looking forward to having to apologise to that knob Flash for us signing Dervite today as well.
I wonder if he'll be apologising to gazzer?
thanks,
At least my source is now believable
Woodcote Royal This might explain Ivar "the best centre half we've ever had" Ingimarrson's squad number for this season.
You mean the one he's worn ever since he signed for us? Why would he change it now having not bothered in the last 6 years?
As for Mills, I've not really seen much of him so don't really know if I should be excited about him or not. From what I've read he sounds pretty decent and he ticks all the right boxes in terms of age and experience. My only concern would be if he's a bit too similar to Pearce and if we'll have enough pace at the back to get ourselves out of trouble at times.
Very encouraging that Rodgers seems to have the ability to go after a player and snatch him from under one of our rivals noses though. Shows he has something about him.
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Wycombe Royal
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Hoop Blah My only concern would be if he's a bit too similar to Pearce and if we'll have enough pace at the back to get ourselves out of trouble at times.
Doncaster fans are concerned that they are losing their only centre back with pace.
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Alan Partridge
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Woodcote RoyalRoyalee Excellent bit of business if this goes through - LOL at all the dickheads slamming Madejski.
What choice did they have?
If it wasn't SJM's fault, the disaster of the last 2 seasons was all down to Steve "I've got money to spend but am happy with what I've got and don't have an effing clue why we are consistently getting stuffed by cr@p teams like Forest" Coppell.
This might explain Ivar "the best centre half we've ever had" Ingimarrson's squad number for this season.
Rest assured this is one of many signings Coppell would never have made in recent times because such players would have threatened the places of his precious "106" favorites.
Even if this deal falls threw, after 2 seasons when sitting in my seat became an increasingly painful experience, it is just fantastic to have a manager who is barking up all the right trees, and clearly enjoying significant financial support from a Chairman who doesn't deserve many of the ignorant observations made on these pages by those who should know better.
Thoroughly looking forward to Saturday and will be gutted if work intervenes.
Of all the things you could have used, you used that.
LOL!!!!
Wycombe RoyalHoop Blah My only concern would be if he's a bit too similar to Pearce and if we'll have enough pace at the back to get ourselves out of trouble at times.
Doncaster fans are concerned that they are losing their only centre back with pace.
That's good news then.
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readingbedding
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An old-fashioned, big centre-half might not be every manager's cup of tea, but after turning down a record bid of £1.5m for Matt Mills from Birmingham City there still seems to be room for such a player in the Doncaster side. And after watching Mills play, I can fully understand why.
There is an arrogance about Mills's game and that was evident in his performance against Aston Villa.
Like most committed defenders, he relishes the physical side of the game.
He marks his man tight and uses his strong frame to unsettle his opponent, either winning the ball cleanly, or unbalancing him with a subtle nudge as he's about to receive the ball.
That kind of treatment can be frustrating for a front player and is particularly good against a big man, which is exactly what John Carew is.
However, when he had to mark the more mobile Ashley Young he was a lot more guarded against the winger's pace and did not get quite so tight.
Mills kept everything simple which was nice for his team-mates, as he only really played two balls. The first was into midfield if there was a player in space.
With the second, he took care on his delivery and provided quality balls into the right-hand channel for breaking midfielders.
It was a particularly effective ball.
He was not fazed by marking space and staying in his area even when he had no one to play up against. This meant he didn't get dragged about – a tactic which resulted in him making a fantastic last-ditch tackle just inside his box.
He was in general the deepest of the Doncaster back four.
This isn't because Mills is lazy but simply down to Rovers playing with five in midfield and a deep lying midfielder who was always on hand to start attacks.
But this meant Mills was pushed slightly deeper than he might have wanted to play.
From this position he was happy to sit in defence and play cat- and-mouse with the opposition. Mills liked to step up and then drop off the player he was marking.
This would further unsettle his opponent, and by constantly appealing for offside he did the same to the linesman.
For a big lad, Mills stands up well.
He did not take the easy option and go to ground when he was isolated one-on-one.
When, on occasion, he did get dragged out of his central berth he was quick to track back into the middle. He is a good judge of when to get in front of his centre-forward, particularly when the ball was played straight or if his first touch wasn't the best.
Mills is very strong in the air, as you might imagine, and attacked the ball with aggression.
He sometimes even left a little bit on the player he was marking just to let him know he was there.
Mills was a little temperamental on the night.
Once or twice when he felt he'd been caught late he remonstrated with the referee.
On one occasion he tried to take revenge on the player who caught him after a tackle: he lashed out with an arm, something that the referee missed.
He was also on the odd occasion caught ball-watching, which I thought was the case for the Villa goal, but these were rare lapses.
He had very good communication levels which wouldn't surprise you from someone who is no shrinking violet on the pitch.
I liked the way he used this when the Villa forwards neatly crossed each other on the edge of the box – he calmly passed his man on and picked up the player who had come into his area.
Mills is not bad on the ball either but he is very much a last option as Doncaster are a team who are as comfortable in possession as any I've seen this year.
People like to talk about whether players can suit this era or that era, but Matthew Mills is a little bit of a throwback, a player who combines the old and the new very well.
Age 22
Born Swindon
Position Central defender
Height 6ft 3in
Weight 12st 12lb
From Manchester City
Heading 9/10
Pace 8/10
Tackling 8/10
Passing 7/10
Team responsibility 8/10
Value £1.75m
There is an arrogance about Mills's game and that was evident in his performance against Aston Villa.
Like most committed defenders, he relishes the physical side of the game.
He marks his man tight and uses his strong frame to unsettle his opponent, either winning the ball cleanly, or unbalancing him with a subtle nudge as he's about to receive the ball.
That kind of treatment can be frustrating for a front player and is particularly good against a big man, which is exactly what John Carew is.
However, when he had to mark the more mobile Ashley Young he was a lot more guarded against the winger's pace and did not get quite so tight.
Mills kept everything simple which was nice for his team-mates, as he only really played two balls. The first was into midfield if there was a player in space.
With the second, he took care on his delivery and provided quality balls into the right-hand channel for breaking midfielders.
It was a particularly effective ball.
He was not fazed by marking space and staying in his area even when he had no one to play up against. This meant he didn't get dragged about – a tactic which resulted in him making a fantastic last-ditch tackle just inside his box.
He was in general the deepest of the Doncaster back four.
This isn't because Mills is lazy but simply down to Rovers playing with five in midfield and a deep lying midfielder who was always on hand to start attacks.
But this meant Mills was pushed slightly deeper than he might have wanted to play.
From this position he was happy to sit in defence and play cat- and-mouse with the opposition. Mills liked to step up and then drop off the player he was marking.
This would further unsettle his opponent, and by constantly appealing for offside he did the same to the linesman.
For a big lad, Mills stands up well.
He did not take the easy option and go to ground when he was isolated one-on-one.
When, on occasion, he did get dragged out of his central berth he was quick to track back into the middle. He is a good judge of when to get in front of his centre-forward, particularly when the ball was played straight or if his first touch wasn't the best.
Mills is very strong in the air, as you might imagine, and attacked the ball with aggression.
He sometimes even left a little bit on the player he was marking just to let him know he was there.
Mills was a little temperamental on the night.
Once or twice when he felt he'd been caught late he remonstrated with the referee.
On one occasion he tried to take revenge on the player who caught him after a tackle: he lashed out with an arm, something that the referee missed.
He was also on the odd occasion caught ball-watching, which I thought was the case for the Villa goal, but these were rare lapses.
He had very good communication levels which wouldn't surprise you from someone who is no shrinking violet on the pitch.
I liked the way he used this when the Villa forwards neatly crossed each other on the edge of the box – he calmly passed his man on and picked up the player who had come into his area.
Mills is not bad on the ball either but he is very much a last option as Doncaster are a team who are as comfortable in possession as any I've seen this year.
People like to talk about whether players can suit this era or that era, but Matthew Mills is a little bit of a throwback, a player who combines the old and the new very well.
Age 22
Born Swindon
Position Central defender
Height 6ft 3in
Weight 12st 12lb
From Manchester City
Heading 9/10
Pace 8/10
Tackling 8/10
Passing 7/10
Team responsibility 8/10
Value £1.75m
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JimmytheJim
- Member
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Deathy Astonished, shocked, delighted, hard.
A deal rising to £2m then I assume. I can't see us shelling out that much in a one off payment.
reading would never pay seven figures for a player in the championship. it's all a scam. you ever going to hold your hands up and say 'oh yeah, turns out i was being a massive dick in all those threads were i stated categorically that reading would never pay 'that kind of money' for a player in this league?' or will you just act like nothing happened?
BR2 BTW both he and Bertrand may know each other from being on loan at Bournemouth which could be good news both on and off the pitch.
We had Pearce, Karajan, Henry and someone else who's name escapes (Goldbourne ?) me on loan at Bournemouth not long ago.
We could have a team who have more starts for Bournemouth than they have for us !
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Thaumagurist*
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Sun Tzu Karajan,
Who is this guy?
Thaumagurist*Sun Tzu Karajan,
Who is this guy?
You missed Goldbourne
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readingbedding
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is he related to Ipswich legend Mick?
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Royal Lady
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Hob Nob Subscriber
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Is he a Russian composer?
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Isaac Hunt
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readingbedding is he related to Ipswich legend Mick?
No, Mick Mills' son plays for Birmingham (i think)
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papereyes
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FiNeRaIn Hunt for nugent is never going to happen, why do people insist with this?
Portsmouth have no strikers.
Portsmouth have no players and not much money.
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