Howard to Saints

[Archie's penalty]

Except Harper was an excellent passer of the ball, better than any of our remaining midfielders at it. Legs is a good passer but keeps it fairly simple and direct still (nothing wrong with that). And as Wimb said Sidwell was a goalscorer as well.

They gave us an outlet through the middle. Karacan, Tabb, Gunnarsson and to a lesser degree Legs simply don't to anything approaching the same degree. And remember under Coppell in our relegation season and the end of his last season we were utterly shut down because we had nothing decent working through the middle once our wings were taken care of.

+1 to this, I think this is what has been the real problem with Reading since that second season in the Premier league. It looked like it had been solved when the Sig came through, but now he's gone we've got nothing through the middle again. Seeing one of our central midfielder's running in to the box to attack a cross or taking defenders on through the middle is a very rare sight these days.

It is. It makes for a peculiar style of football, where everything has to go wide and then back in again--rarely down the middle. Howard does have the skill of the slotted forward pass between defenders, though he doesn't do it often enough.

Are we really playing such bad football though? And Mcanuff and Kebe I think are the equals of Little and Convey (and possibly better). Also Legs is very talented and Karacan is improving game on game.

Do you remember a certain Arsenal team that had two defensive midfielders and seemed to do pretty well?

So that's that argument down the pan then.

[Bandini]

Are we really playing such bad football though? And Mcanuff and Kebe I think are the equals of Little and Convey (and possibly better).

They're neither better than nor equal to 05/06 vintage Little & Convey.

[Maguire]

Think the fact he's created about as many goals as McAnuff or Kebe shows he is creative and he is capable of doing it at this level

He takes free-kicks and corners

So do McAnuff and Harte.

Your post said "McAnuff or Kebe"

[Archie's penalty]

No way to prove it but I think Kebe is more dynamic than Convey and Mcanuff is very talented and assured on the ball.

I reckon they're the best wingers in the division apart from Taraabt.

[Bandini]

No way to prove it

Observation and common sense will probably do it.

[Maguire]

Kebe and McAnuff better than Little and Convey

LOL

[Archie's penalty]

Pillory me if you like but I thinkg they're both very good and on their day no-one can handle them in this league.

[juanpablo]

little>>Kebe>>>>Jobi>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>convey

[Maguire]

Little = best player EVER

[Royal With Cheese]

Little = best player EVER

ORLY?

Even we didn't see the best of Glen but that's a very bold statement Mags.

[Woodcote Royal]

The best compliment I can pay Legs is that we've finally replaced Sidwell.

He is so obviously the box to box performer we've been missing and the impact he's had on the teams performance is no coincidence.

The games is evolving and it's high time some of you realised that, with teams playing one striker fast becoming the norm, if you want your team to play 4-4-2 there's no room for a non tackling unfit central midfielder however creative he might be.

And, frankly, looking at how Gunnarsson is performing in his mid thirties, I seriously wonder how many points we might have added to our 106 had he partnered Sid in place of Harper.

Legs plus Tabb or Karacan and probably Bryn (huge respect to a player I wish we'd signed 5 years earlier)as 4th choice will do us very nicely at his level.

[TBM]

little>>Kebe>>>>Jobi>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>convey

The season we went up Convey was one of our star players.......best winger in the division by a mile

[Gordons Cumming]

Are we really playing such bad football though? And Mcanuff and Kebe I think are the equals of Little and Convey (and possibly better). .

Wash your mouth out with soap and water!

[facaldaqui]

It is. It makes for a peculiar style of football, where everything has to go wide and then back in again--rarely down the middle. Howard does have the skill of the slotted forward pass between defenders, though he doesn't do it often enough.

Are we really playing such bad football though? And Mcanuff and Kebe I think are the equals of Little and Convey (and possibly better). Also Legs is very talented and Karacan is improving game on game.

Do you remember a certain Arsenal team that had two defensive midfielders and seemed to do pretty well?

So that's that argument down the pan then.

We're not playing badly, and I'm happy enough with two defensive midfield players. But it's a peculiar style, and, lets face it, we're only eleventh. Maybe what we need is a forward/come/midfielder, playing behind the centre forward in a 4411. Playing Noel there isn't always going to work.

[Hoop Blah]

Pillory me if you like but I thinkg they're both very good and on their day no-one can handle them in this league.

Their days are very few and far between though and even on those better days I really don't see them getting close to surpassing Little and Convey at their best for us.

The fact their both right wingers doesn't help them perform at their peak either. As for the best pair of wingers in the league...I'd swap them for Rouledge/Tarbet (who isn't a real winger anyway) or Sinclair/Dyer without a second thought, Forest and Cardiff have better options too.

[Archie's penalty]

Disagree but at least I have livened up the thread.

[Hoop Blah]

As for comparing any of our midfield options to Patrick Vieira at his peak...he could play anyway he wanted to, he wasn't just any old average holding midfielder.

[Tilehurst End]

little>>Kebe>>>>Jobi>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>convey

The season we went up Convey was one of our star players.......best winger in the division by a mile

Convey could be frustrating but a matchwinner on his day, rather like Jobi and Jimmy, but Little was a class above. I have no figures to prove it but I'd suggest his number of assists would put the others to shame.

As the saying goes "one of those players you'd pay to watch".

Oh, and that goal at Plymouth

[brendywendy]

little>>Kebe>>>>Jobi>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>convey

The season we went up Convey was one of our star players.......best winger in the division by a mile

Little>>>05-07 convey>>>kebe>>>jobi>>>hunt(but only cos i hate him now)

[brendywendy]

Kebe and McAnuff better than Little and Convey

LOL

how soon they forget