Is Jimmy Kebe the greatest man that ever lived?

[PEARCEY]

^ Interesting point Floyd. Kebe's such an odd player to fathom. He does look completely disinterested some of the time. Whether its a confidence thing or general apathy I don't know. You are right about the goal celebration. Hunt, ball in hand, starts geeing up the fans whilst Kebe quietly takes the plaudits and doesn't look towards the Reading supporters at all.
A shame really because I've always had a soft spot for Jimmy from the first time I saw him play at Goodison in 2008 and will be sad when he leaves the club which looks highly likely this summer.

[Millsy]

Something occurred to me at the weekend watching the replay of Kebe's fine finish at Palace, something which I didn't notice at the time because I was too busy flicking the Vs at a bald Palace fan in the adjacent block of the Arthur Wait. I noticed that after Kebe scored in front of the Reading following he didn't celebrate with the fans - who chanted his name over and over following his excellent goal and who have been chanting his name in support on a regular basis over the last 18 months (or less) since he finally found his form - he celebrated instead, almost bashfully with his team mates. Compare and contrast with Hunt who saluted those of us who travelled for our support when he himself notched for three-apiece.

Now I am sure there will be plenty of drones bereft of imagination or any sort of lateral thinking who will jump on the 'well you all booed him bandwagon' but that simply isn't true because not every Reading supporter has given him the sh*t that I personally have given him over the past four years. A good many of you - god love ya - have been patient, supportive. Yet he still fails to strike up any rapport with the fans. They chant his name, he barely acknowledges. Maybe he is genuinely shy; the moment when BMc (showing the typically excellent man-management that his predecessor lacked) brought him over to the away end at the same venue last season after a mesmeric performance in a 3-1 win was rather touching, Kebe reluctantly gave applause back to the fans as they gave him a top drawer reception for a top drawer performance. Yet it is that lack of bond generally with the fans as displayed Saturday which makes the impatient amongst us less forgiving of his disinterested performances (see Watford the week before).

Good thought-provoking point FS, but I'm not convinced by your arguments:

How annoying is it for a player who scores a goal to pretty much ignore his team mates, who he trains with day in, day out, to run over to the fans just to get a load of popularity??? I suspect I'd be pretty hacked off with a team-mate with that sort of attitude and would quite possibly think to myself "screw you, you selfish arrogant prick... just sucking up to the fans when we're all in this together." I am FAR more heartened by a Reading player who is so bonded with his team-mates that the first people he runs to are them, sharing with them his joy of having achieved something for *them* and acknowledging that they are indeed, a team, and his action was a result of a *team* effort. I suspect a lot of our success in punching way above our weight is down to this fantastic team spirit, which BM has developed amongst the guys. I'm not knocking those who go straight to the fans necessarily but I'm just trying to point out that a good sense of teamwork is just as praiseworthy in my eyes and is certainly nothing to knock. Good on Kebe.

(Of interest also... you have to remember that as fans we are, sadly, a bunch of t*ssers. We showed him absolutely no love for a huge proportion of his time here. "Not every Reading supporter" hassled him, as you rightly say, but enough to make him feel distinctly unwelcome I imagine or he would NOT have felt the need to run to the East Stand with his hand to his ears after *that* goal. Having said that though we have idolised him for the last however many months so you could argue this particular point either way I guess hence putting it in brackets.)

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Not difficult to do both tho, the team mates can congratulate in front of the fans with the scorer, worked at Leicester pretty well.

[Maguire]

I suspect Kebe is just naturally shy rather than some kind of Anelka-esque sulkmonger.

[rfcjoe]

I suspect Kebe is just naturally shy rather than some kind of Anelka-esque sulkmonger.

He was rather shy the other night in TGI's after the palace game when my cousin(who was hammered) started singing his song as loud as he could as we left. Me and my dad hot-footed it out the door slightly embrassed, mind you.

In all fairness though, he was happy to have a chat and a photo, so he's a top geezer in my book.

[brendywendy]

Something occurred to me at the weekend watching the replay of Kebe's fine finish at Palace, something which I didn't notice at the time because I was too busy flicking the Vs at a bald Palace fan in the adjacent block of the Arthur Wait. I noticed that after Kebe scored in front of the Reading following he didn't celebrate with the fans - who chanted his name over and over following his excellent goal and who have been chanting his name in support on a regular basis over the last 18 months (or less) since he finally found his form - he celebrated instead, almost bashfully with his team mates. Compare and contrast with Hunt who saluted those of us who travelled for our support when he himself notched for three-apiece.

Now I am sure there will be plenty of drones bereft of imagination or any sort of lateral thinking who will jump on the 'well you all booed him bandwagon' but that simply isn't true because not every Reading supporter has given him the sh*t that I personally have given him over the past four years. A good many of you - god love ya - have been patient, supportive. Yet he still fails to strike up any rapport with the fans. They chant his name, he barely acknowledges. Maybe he is genuinely shy; the moment when BMc (showing the typically excellent man-management that his predecessor lacked) brought him over to the away end at the same venue last season after a mesmeric performance in a 3-1 win was rather touching, Kebe reluctantly gave applause back to the fans as they gave him a top drawer reception for a top drawer performance. Yet it is that lack of bond generally with the fans as displayed Saturday which makes the impatient amongst us less forgiving of his disinterested performances (see Watford the week before).

he is shy and meek, he shuns the limelight, and does not need the adoration of others- preffering to give it to those who need it more.

[Stuka]

Once again he was top tonight. A likeness of this man should be commissioned for permanent display on the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square cast in iron and depicted raising a fist skywards. Tourists would be invited to lay floral tributes at his feet and would file past weeping at the majesty the figure evokes.

[SLAMMED]

Once again he was top tonight. A likeness of this man should be commissioned for permanent display on the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square cast in iron and depicted raising a fist skywards. Tourists would be invited to lay floral tributes at his feet and would file past weeping at the majesty the figure evokes.

They could use this as the guide...

[Stuka]

Picture above would be perfect.


Also children everywhere have a new impetuous to study Kebe's country and cultural background. Well, at least to briefly read this anyway:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Mali

[brendywendy]

Once again he was top tonight. A likeness of this man should be commissioned for permanent display on the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square cast in iron and depicted raising a fist skywards. Tourists would be invited to lay floral tributes at his feet and would file past weeping at the majesty the figure evokes.

YES!
im writing to boris as we speak

[brendywendy]

[Archie's penalty]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3YUlcyPXLo

[Millsy]

I have it on good authority that Kebe

- prevented an AIDS epidemic in Europe

and

- halted a huge earthquake in California before it started

I know more but cannot divulge.

[Stuka]

He can inspire the disabled to cast away their crutches and dance.

Simply by kissing a baby's forehead, that baby will be destined to become a leader and a visionary.

He can detect early signs of cancer by smell.

As a mutual friend, he introduced Kate and Wills to one another.

He was the architect of the Northern Ireland peace process.

When he plays football, Japanese school girls gush and laugh nervously.

[brendywendy]

jimmy kebes legs are only so lanky because he shaves strips of meat off them to feed the worlds hungry on a weekly basis

[wolsey]

But can he make circular motions with his left hand on his stomach while patting the top of his head with his right?

http://www.motforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=23456

Of course he can (whilst running 90 yards in 1.1 seconds whilst doing keepy uppy)

[rhroyal]

Death has had a near Jimmy Kebe experience.

[brendywendy]

Death has had a near Jimmy Kebe experience.

[brendywendy]

But can he make circular motions with his left hand on his stomach while patting the top of his head with his right?

http://www.motforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=23456

Of course he can (whilst running 90 yards in 1.1 seconds whilst doing keepy uppy)

good to see the fear he strikes into fans of other teams

[Hampshire Royal]

Some people don't believe it, but it's a fact written on tablets of gold that Kebe's mother was a virgin.