January Outs

[Woodcote Royal]

So glad Meyler has gone, and a good window as a whole. The squad is a little thinner now, but we still have some deadwood hanging around, as well as four keepers unless something happens quickly.
Depending on our formation i still feel we have one to many strikers, Meite would have been a good loan but i guess it wasn't to be and i guess we are still waiting on McNulty, whom i feel really sorry for. This guy can score goals but never given a chance, it would be interesting to see him alongside Oliveira as a front two, but i really don't think Gomes favors a 4-4-2 formation.

Agreed about McNulty. He was given very few chances and we hardly played to his strengths. He is not a lone striker.

I would have off loaded Baldock before McNulty. I think we've seen enough to understand why Brighton let him go but McNulty was never given enough time to show his worth.

[Sutekh]

So glad Meyler has gone, and a good window as a whole. The squad is a little thinner now, but we still have some deadwood hanging around, as well as four keepers unless something happens quickly.
Depending on our formation i still feel we have one to many strikers, Meite would have been a good loan but i guess it wasn't to be and i guess we are still waiting on McNulty, whom i feel really sorry for. This guy can score goals but never given a chance, it would be interesting to see him alongside Oliveira as a front two, but i really don't think Gomes favors a 4-4-2 formation.

Agreed about McNulty. He was given very few chances and we hardly played to his strengths. He is not a lone striker.

I would have off loaded Baldock before McNulty. I think we've seen enough to understand why Brighton let him go but McNulty was never given enough time to show his worth.

Perhaps Baldock might have gone but for his 2 month injury.

[Snowflake Royal]

I guess it somewhat depends on his wages, but has Oshea really been a disappointment? He's impressed me on the occasions he's been called upon, and has looked fairly class.

He's played 7 games. Got injured in the warm up twice. Got himself sent off. Has no pace. Has had no measurable positive impact on anyone else.

He's been shit.

[Snowflake Royal]

I guess it somewhat depends on his wages, but has Oshea really been a disappointment? He's impressed me on the occasions he's been called upon, and has looked fairly class.

He's played 7 games. Got injured in the warm up twice. Got himself sent off. Has no pace. Has had no measurable positive impact on anyone else.

He's been shit.

[Hound]

I guess it somewhat depends on his wages, but has Oshea really been a disappointment? He's impressed me on the occasions he's been called upon, and has looked fairly class.

He's played 7 games. Got injured in the warm up twice. Got himself sent off. Has no pace. Has had no measurable positive impact on anyone else.

He's been shit.

Absolutely. An awful signing

[Hendo]

I guess it somewhat depends on his wages, but has Oshea really been a disappointment? He's impressed me on the occasions he's been called upon, and has looked fairly class.

He's played 7 games. Got injured in the warm up twice. Got himself sent off. Has no pace. Has had no measurable positive impact on anyone else.

He's been shit.

Tbf, with the sending off he stopped a pretty much certain goal, not too bothered by that.

Also, how are you expecting to measure positive impact, exactly?

[From Despair To Where?]

I guess it somewhat depends on his wages, but has Oshea really been a disappointment? He's impressed me on the occasions he's been called upon, and has looked fairly class.

He's played 7 games. Got injured in the warm up twice. Got himself sent off. Has no pace. Has had no measurable positive impact on anyone else.

He's been shit.

Tbf, with the sending off he stopped a pretty much certain goal, not too bothered by that.

Also, how are you expecting to measure positive impact, exactly?

Well, in Ian's case, you have a preconceived notion that he will have no positive impact and you stick to it.

O'Shea was a baffling signing but he's been far from the worst of the summer.


Anyway, it's been a cautiously positive transfer window. We've not lost anyone we really couldn't do without, the squad's leaner, the players coming in, on paper, are better than the players who have left and we've apparently mugged Cardiff for £4m.

[Hound]

From the positive impact side - I suppose its a simple question of 'has our defending got better this season', and the answer without digging deep into stats etc, is 'no'. 3 clean sheets all season isn't it?

Which is why I'd agree he has made no obvious positive influence to those around him.

[genome]

3 clean sheets all season isn't it?

And O'Shea played in all three of those. Not bad for 7 appearances

[From Despair To Where?]

Gomes has come in and been pretty ruthless about who he wants to jettison from the squad yet O'Shea isn't one of those.

[Hound]

I very much doubt O Shea is a bad influence. Seems a nice chap and no doubt is good around the place.

Getting rid would really just be paying off the last few months of his contract. May as well keep him around, just in case. Prob won't moan if he doesn't play, just happy to still be kicking a football about and helping out a bit

Similar to McShane though, won't be getting a new contract in the summer if Gomes is still about

[Old Man Andrews]

Have no massive issue with O'Shea, not his fault we signed him. Bet he couldn't believe his luck. He gives his best but he's just a bit old and shit now that's all. He will no doubt retire in the summer.

[Hound]

Obvs nothing stopping us paying off McShane on O Shea still if thats what we wanted to do. If McShane starts being an ar$e, which wouldn't surprise me, then its still an option

[Sutekh]

Have no massive issue with O'Shea, not his fault we signed him. Bet he couldn't believe his luck. He gives his best but he's just a bit old and shit now that's all. He will no doubt retire in the summer.

He's meant to be moving into coaching I believe. Not sure whether that was part of the deal he signed when joining Reading or not but either way there could be a chance he moves onto Reading's coaching side in the summer.

[Old Man Andrews]

Have no massive issue with O'Shea, not his fault we signed him. Bet he couldn't believe his luck. He gives his best but he's just a bit old and shit now that's all. He will no doubt retire in the summer.

He's meant to be moving into coaching I believe. Not sure whether that was part of the deal he signed when joining Reading or not but either way there could be a chance he moves onto Reading's coaching side in the summer.

Not sure I could see it happening under Gomes. Should we go down and get a British manager in could easily see O'Shea being a first team coach or something. Think he could only help the likes of Osho and McIntyre.

[CountryRoyal]

3 clean sheets all season isn't it?

And O'Shea played in all three of those. Not bad for 7 appearances

[Nameless]

I’d suggest only someone with either a preconceived view or only access to highlights packages could dismiss O’Shea so summarily.
Certainly a couple of the games I saw him in he was a bit of a rock , won everything in the air against teams who pumped the ball into the box.
No one expected him at 86 to be a sprinter, slating him for lack of pace is a bit pointless, it is simply not why you would select him.
The red card was pretty forgivable (we’ve had players sent off for pointless, avoidable red cards). He got a tackle slightly wrong when having to cover a missing full back, it was late in the game and didn’t cost us any points.
Of the league games he’s played we’ve lost 2/7 so he’s probably got as good a ppg record as anyone this year !
He won’t go down as one of our great signings, he may be on top end wages which would not represent value for money but it’s simply unfair to just dismiss him as ‘shit’.
I’m not sure an analysis of any of our centre backs would be especially positive..l

[paultheroyal]

I guess it somewhat depends on his wages, but has Oshea really been a disappointment? He's impressed me on the occasions he's been called upon, and has looked fairly class.

He's played 7 games. Got injured in the warm up twice. Got himself sent off. Has no pace. Has had no measurable positive impact on anyone else.

He's been shit.

[Hoop Blah]

A pretty decent window all round considering our position and limited options as a result.

On the O'Shea question, everyone slated Keown when he was here but I'm sure there was plenty of comment from the players in the successful years after that his contribution off the pitch at the time, and after as a result, was pretty significant despite it not appearing to effect performances.

If Clement saw Reading as a long term project, O'Shea may have been part of addressing the issue with mentality over the long term.

[WoodleyRoyal]

jlow-

The future of goalkeeper Vito Mannone remains unclear, with the Italian well away from Gomes' first-team plans. The former Sunderland shotstopper has been training with the U23s and was told to find another club in the January window.

A move away never materialised, but it is understood his future will be resolved in the coming days

Mutual termination of contract?