Brian Howard

[Franchise FC]

We permanently signed him on loan, forever.

That cannot be right - he's never going to be playing in 20 years, let alone forever.

[Maguire]

Are we going to revisit this thread every week depending on whether or not Howard plays well or plays like shit?

We the thread was bumped from 18th October. So, invalid point, poorly made.

How can a question about the future be rendered "invalid" by a statement about the past?

An epic fail with whatever point you were trying to make, which will come as a surprise to absolute nobody.

[Maguire]

I like the fact that people excuse players for playing like shit by blaming it on Rodgers.

How else can you explain the turnaround in Shane Long and Brian Howard then? Even Jimmy Kebe is starting to impress and that's saying something. Yesterday's game was the first time in ages that I saw a collective determination and hunger to win. Howard made one brilliant last-ditch tackle as did Andy Griffin. Coincidence? I don't believe in coincidence.

Howard's had one good game - whilst I was pleased to see it, it hardly consitutes a turnaround.

Don't you think players might take a certain level of responsibility for their own performances?

[Terminal Boardom]

I like the fact that people excuse players for playing like shit by blaming it on Rodgers.

How else can you explain the turnaround in Shane Long and Brian Howard then? Even Jimmy Kebe is starting to impress and that's saying something. Yesterday's game was the first time in ages that I saw a collective determination and hunger to win. Howard made one brilliant last-ditch tackle as did Andy Griffin. Coincidence? I don't believe in coincidence.

Howard's had one good game - whilst I was pleased to see it, it hardly consitutes a turnaround.

Don't you think players might take a certain level of responsibility for their own performances?

In a normal, human environment I would tend to agree with you. But we are talking about the lowest level of intelligence known to Man. Well, second lowest after readers of OK! and Hello! Since when have footballers ever taken responsibility for anything?

[Ian Royal]

I like the fact that people excuse players for playing like shit by blaming it on Rodgers.

How else can you explain the turnaround in Shane Long and Brian Howard then? Even Jimmy Kebe is starting to impress and that's saying something. Yesterday's game was the first time in ages that I saw a collective determination and hunger to win. Howard made one brilliant last-ditch tackle as did Andy Griffin. Coincidence? I don't believe in coincidence.

Howard's had one good game - whilst I was pleased to see it, it hardly consitutes a turnaround.

Don't you think players might take a certain level of responsibility for their own performances?

He's had more than one good game.

[Alan Partridge]

First time he's really impressed me. I only caught the last 20-30minutes but he was decent, and obviously had a huge role in both goals. He's one of them players that i want to like. He's attacking, he can pass, he can create but for me he simply hasn't done that enough since joining. Hopefully he can continue to play like yesterday from now on.

[URZZZZZZZZ]

Im chuffed for him, I really am. I thought some of the stick he received was unfair, but if he can keep playing as he did yesterday we won't hear much more. Seems a very likeable bloke, and seems to have Reading's best interests at heart so I think we're onto a winner!

Well done Brian!

[UpNorth]

I'm please for him too.

He hasn't exactly had an easy start to his Reading career.

Rogers did'nt know his best midfield and Howard only played a few games before he fractured his cheekbone and was out for several weeks.

Yesterday he gets a start and is told to play in an advanced midfield role in support of Shane. He was excellent. Hit the bar, got a header in, set up the first goal and scored the second.

Hope he is a regular starter in the future.

[RoyalBlue]

I'm please for him too.

He hasn't exactly had an easy start to his Reading career.

Rogers did'nt know his best midfield and Howard only played a few games before he fractured his cheekbone and was out for several weeks.

Yesterday he gets a start and is told to play in an advanced midfield role in support of Shane. He was excellent. Hit the bar, got a header in, set up the first goal and scored the second.

Hope he is a regular starter in the future.

Me too. Pretty good performance for a player unfairly written off as fat and useless by many of our supporters.

[readingbedding]

many of our supporters?

what bullshite.

[brendywendy]

Shame it has taken so frigging long for him to show us what he can do.

his inclusion in the side did coincide with a few wins before his broken jaw too

[Hoop Blah]

I think it may be another case of a good player mis-used by Rodgers in a system he wasn't suited to. Yesterday was the first time I've seen him perform in an attacking midfield role.

Previously I've been impressed when he plays the workhorse, pivotal role in the middle.

Stay on his feet better and keep the long shots down and he's definitely going to be a big player for us in our fight to stay up.

Rodgers played him in the more advanced of the three midfielder quite a bit to start with but he didn't do too well there, unless you count missing the target with a plethera of long range efforts doing well.

When he came back into the side in a more traditional midfield role he looked much better (alongside Matejovsky I think).

As with a lot of this team, he's a reasonable player who can compete relatively well at this level but he's not quite good enough to do it consistently or to carry those other average players in the squad. He'll have the odd good game here and there, as will most of the side and the team itself, but it's doing it consistently that will get us out of the relegation zone.

As for McDermott getting better performances out of players, I think it helps that he's picking a bit more of a settled side, but most of these players (Long being the obvious exception) did have some good games under Rodgers as well.

[Dirk Gently]

Plsu the instructions they're being given are a lot more straightforward and so they're not as "confused" about the tactics are and what their role in them is. So they can concentrate more on what they are meant to be doing.

[Maguire]

Plsu the instructions they're being given are a lot more straightforward and so they're not as "confused" about the tactics are and what their role in them is. So they can concentrate more on what they are meant to be doing.

"Brian, Shane - do a goal"

"Yes boss"

[Maguire]

Plsu the instructions they're being given are a lot more straightforward and so they're not as "confused" about the tactics are and what their role in them is. So they can concentrate more on what they are meant to be doing.

"Brian, Shane - do a goal"

"Yes boss"

[Muskrat]

Coincidence? I don't believe in coincidence.

What a coincidence, neither do I.

[Ian Royal]

I think it may be another case of a good player mis-used by Rodgers in a system he wasn't suited to. Yesterday was the first time I've seen him perform in an attacking midfield role.

Previously I've been impressed when he plays the workhorse, pivotal role in the middle.

Stay on his feet better and keep the long shots down and he's definitely going to be a big player for us in our fight to stay up.

Rodgers played him in the more advanced of the three midfielder quite a bit to start with but he didn't do too well there, unless you count missing the target with a plethera of long range efforts doing well.

When he came back into the side in a more traditional midfield role he looked much better (alongside Matejovsky I think).

As with a lot of this team, he's a reasonable player who can compete relatively well at this level but he's not quite good enough to do it consistently or to carry those other average players in the squad. He'll have the odd good game here and there, as will most of the side and the team itself, but it's doing it consistently that will get us out of the relegation zone.

As for McDermott getting better performances out of players, I think it helps that he's picking a bit more of a settled side, but most of these players (Long being the obvious exception) did have some good games under Rodgers as well.

But the whole style of play was different in Rodgers formation when he was played as an attacking midfielder IMO.

Rodgers wanted us to pass the ball neatly, keep posession and build an attack carefully and slowly. Working the space we needed.

McDermott's system against Donny saw us working the channels and being direct in attack with Howard playing more advanced than he seemed to be under Rodgers.

That's what I meant by being misused. There is more than one way to set up a vaguely 4-5-1 formation and use an attacking midfielder.

[Hoop Blah]

You can certainly play it more than one way yes, but I was more responding to your point about seeing him perform in an attacking role.

I took that as meaning play there, not just play well there.

I'm not sure his role in the formation under Rodgers and McDermott was that different to be honest, but who knows? In both instances his job was to support the forward and seemingly get on the ball and create things.

Under Rodgers he looked a bit lost and resorted to a hell of a lot of wasteful long shots. Against Donny he looked more at home and didn't waste the possession we had as much and generally played better. He will have better and worse games though, that's just the nature of players at his level so I'm not sure you can put it down to Rodgers misusing him and McDermott being the hero by getting a decent game out of him.

[Ian Royal]

It's all opinions ain't it. I can't see anything horrible with yours and mine is only a tentative suggestion anyway.

Glad he's stopped with the long shots. I was never convinced he was likely to score one.

[Crowthorne Royal]

I have seen other people refer to BH as this and I couldn't agree more.

In his defence he did very well for us on Saturday eve but he really is the epitome of a modern day footballer who seems to want to put as little effort in as possible for the greatest reward.

His gesticulations towards the ref, other players etc makes him look like Roy Keane (the ultimate whinger) and yet he plays like James Lambert most of the time.

He has been effective for us (IMO) in 1 game and that was Donny.

I really hope he begins to be more effective but he annoys more intensely than any other player ever has who played for us.

(I hated Keith Scott because he was the worst player I have ever seen in a Reading shirt)

Am I over reacting to Billy ? Does he have qualities that I am just not seeing ?