Striker STILL urgently required - can we wait until January?

[jonnyroyal1871]

I think we are almost criminally short up front. Kelvin doesn't look any more like scoring than MOM does. Hardly at all. Okine-Peters is miles away from the first team squad.

That leaves us with Jack, great start - but he has a bit of a habit of doing this, and then for whatever reason, it comes apart a bit. I'd love though, to think he follows in the pantheon of 'not huge' front runners, in Curo and Alfie, and I'm optimistic. Regardless, he doesn't have a suitable foil - he doesn't have a replacement if he's injured (gawd forbid).

If we aren't to realistically write this season off as a lower mid table finish, and are to advance the squads confidence in the new system, obtaining better results, going on a few runs - then I really feel we need to look at unattached free agents, or get involved in the loan market (if we can) and get somebody else in. Even if just in effect, on a 3 month trial contract.

I don't understand why we have left ourselves so short in the most important department on the pitch.

[morganb]

The loan window is shut. We can only sign then play free agents who were available in the summer window - anyone released since would not be allowed to play til January.

I would imagine that any free agent strikers still available in early October are either going to be rubbish, not match fit or both. Based on our summer recruits, by the time an unfit striker gets up to speed it will almost be the January window.

Plus the strikers who are available may not want to come to a League One club - Patrick Bamford (WCBAP), George Puscas (once bitten), etc

The squad is already getting quite bloated and any more players in would block the pathway for our Academy strikers (Patton, Tuma, Evans, Okine-Peters)

[windermereROYAL]

Reece Evans looks like a bit of a unit, unused sub the other night, had a brief cameo against Swindon. Kelvin is big too but has no idea how to use it.
We need a battering ram to put himself about.

[Orion1871]

Sadly Connor Wickham has moved to Dubai.

[Snowflake Royal]

We have multiple strikers, one has scored 5 games in a row.

Yes, O'Mahoney looks a complete flop and Kelvin certainly isn’t ideal. But barring a nasty injury to Marriott we're perfectly adequate to January.

[Royal Rother]

Unambitious of me but can we not just relax and revel in some stability for a season?

I haven’t enjoyed the games I’ve seen but am happy to settle in for now.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Talking of our strikers, I'm going to call it and say we've already seen the peak of Kelvin's career. He's talented, but too casual, inconsistent and he's not physical enough given his frame.

The contract saga this summer suggested he was holding out for a better offer and didn't get one. Well he needs to get his act together as otherwise come summer 2027 we won't even be interested in keeping him.

[Clyde1998]

I'm going to guess one of the U21 strikers will be on the bench on Saturday with O'Mahony and Tuma away; could be a big opportunity if one can get on the pitch.

[Stranded]

I'm going to guess one of the U21 strikers will be on the bench on Saturday with O'Mahony and Tuma away; could be a big opportunity if one can get on the pitch.

Given Reece Evans was given a 2 year deal when all other u21 intakes only signed 1 - I imagine he could well be given a spot on the bench.

[Snowflake Royal]

I'm going to guess one of the U21 strikers will be on the bench on Saturday with O'Mahony and Tuma away; could be a big opportunity if one can get on the pitch.

Given Reece Evans was given a 2 year deal when all other u21 intakes only signed 1 - I imagine he could well be given a spot on the bench.

Patton's been getting the recent cup games so you'd think him, but excluding that I'd have guessed Evans too.

Probably be JOP

[Whore Jackie]

I'm going to guess one of the U21 strikers will be on the bench on Saturday with O'Mahony and Tuma away; could be a big opportunity if one can get on the pitch.

Given Reece Evans was given a 2 year deal when all other u21 intakes only signed 1 - I imagine he could well be given a spot on the bench.

Patton's been getting the recent cup games so you'd think him, but excluding that I'd have guessed Evans too.

Probably be JOP

Yep, thought Evans looked quite promising at Swindon, but didn't make the bench for West Ham and then didn't get on against MK Dons. Patton looks to have slightly nudged ahead in Hunt's thinking. Can only presume Okine-Peters is showing something in training that we haven't witnessed yet in the Cups.

[RoyalBlue]

The loan window is shut. We can only sign then play free agents who were available in the summer window - anyone released since would not be allowed to play til January.

Is that latter part the case, even if their contract has been cancelled? I would've thought that might cause the authorities legal difficulties in respect of potential restraint of trade - they're effectively temporarily restricting someone from earning a living in their profession.

[RoyalBlue]

Unambitious of me but can we not just relax and revel in some stability for a season?

I haven’t enjoyed the games I’ve seen but am happy to settle in for now.

I don't regard our current performances, results and position in the table as 'stability'. Nor do I think it gives reason to 'relax'. If (when?) Marriott gets injured, we could well find ourselves in the bottom four.

[Forbury Lion]

I agree we need another striker, but do we not think Lewis Wing would create more goal scoring opportunities for our current strike force and score more goals himself if he wasn't playing sweeper, sometimes behind the back four?

[morganb]

The loan window is shut. We can only sign then play free agents who were available in the summer window - anyone released since would not be allowed to play til January.

Is that latter part the case, even if their contract has been cancelled? I would've thought that might cause the authorities legal difficulties in respect of potential restraint of trade - they're effectively temporarily restricting someone from earning a living in their profession.

I was told this previously on another thread -

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=192411&p=5598290&hilit=released&sid=4948a1a46b7627235a44fa5a580f4122#p5598290

- I guess the free agent market keeps changing as Freddie Ladapo has just been released, as was Matty Carson yesterday

- Can't you only sign free agents if they were already free agents when the window closed?

- Correct - although I'm sure someone will challenge that at some point.
To be more accurate, you can sign a player who became a FA between windows however, he cannot be registered for the first team until the first day of the next window.

[RoyalBlue]

The loan window is shut. We can only sign then play free agents who were available in the summer window - anyone released since would not be allowed to play til January.

Is that latter part the case, even if their contract has been cancelled? I would've thought that might cause the authorities legal difficulties in respect of potential restraint of trade - they're effectively temporarily restricting someone from earning a living in their profession.

I was told this previously on another thread -

https://royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php? ... 2#p5598290

- I guess the free agent market keeps changing as Freddie Ladapo has just been released, as was Matty Carson yesterday

- Can't you only sign free agents if they were already free agents when the window closed?

- Correct - although I'm sure someone will challenge that at some point.
To be more accurate, you can sign a player who became a FA between windows however, he cannot be registered for the first team until the first day of the next window.

Here seems to be the answer: https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/25528831.southampton-sign-register-free-agent-striker/

Apparently you can both sign and register a free agent now provided you haven't used up all 25 registered squad spaces.

As at September it looks like we had only used 19 of the 25.

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/club/2025-26-squad-list/

If the above is all correct, we are free to set out on a free agent striker signing frenzy!

EDIT: Looks like we're only allowed a squad of 22 in EFL1

[morganb]

Is that latter part the case, even if their contract has been cancelled? I would've thought that might cause the authorities legal difficulties in respect of potential restraint of trade - they're effectively temporarily restricting someone from earning a living in their profession.

I was told this previously on another thread -

https://royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php? ... 2#p5598290

- I guess the free agent market keeps changing as Freddie Ladapo has just been released, as was Matty Carson yesterday

- Can't you only sign free agents if they were already free agents when the window closed?

- Correct - although I'm sure someone will challenge that at some point.
To be more accurate, you can sign a player who became a FA between windows however, he cannot be registered for the first team until the first day of the next window.

Here seems to be the answer: https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/25528831.southampton-sign-register-free-agent-striker/

Apparently you can both sign and register a free agent now provided you haven't used up all 25 registered squad spaces.

As at September it looks like we had only used 19 of the 25.

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/club/2025-26-squad-list/

If the above is all correct, we are free to set out on a free agent striker signing frenzy!

EDIT: Looks like we're only allowed a squad of 22 in EFL1

Thanks for looking that up!

[Snowflake Royal]

I agree we need another striker, but do we not think Lewis Wing would create more goal scoring opportunities for our current strike force and score more goals himself if he wasn't playing sweeper, sometimes behind the back four?

Personally, probably not.