Alex McCarthy

[Bandini]

:roll:

Every club has to sell its best players aside from 5 or 6.

Appreciate that, however the Reading side that was carefully put together that won us promotion was not a side that had it's best players sold each summer. It was added to with one big signing each summer, usually around £800k and one or two clever additions for low cost. We only sold what wasn't good enough. Nowadays, or since relegation, it's a much different story.

That's because recently we've often had players who were demonstrably capable of playing at a higher level than the club was at.

[Svlad Cjelli]

:roll:

Every club has to sell its best players aside from 5 or 6.

Appreciate that, however the Reading side that was carefully put together that won us promotion was not a side that had it's best players sold each summer. It was added to with one big signing each summer, usually around £800k and one or two clever additions for low cost. We only sold what wasn't good enough. Nowadays, or since relegation, it's a much different story.

Because it didn't have "best players" - it was a squad, assembled pretty cheaply, without any stand-out stars.

[Rex]

As the username suggests i'm a Leeds fan, just thought you might be interested to hear a Leeds perspective on McCarthy. I was surprised to see you loan him to us but he's been absolutely fantastic and kept us in some games, especially against Burnley, with some great saves and just looks so assured, his only weakness that i've seen is that he's not the best kicker of the ball but not so bad that it causes problems and other than that he excells at everything. However despite being very impressive the generel consesus is that Lonergan at this moment is still better than him and I find it strange that we've extended his loan as Lonergan is fit to play against you at the weekend and although I'd love us to sign McCarthy permanantly it would be a waste of our very limited resources and we would find ourselves in the same position as you having two excellent keepers but there is no doubt in my mind McCarthy's potential far exceeds that of Lonergan's and Federici's and you have a potential England 'keeper at your club and from the comments McCarthy has made it's obvious he wants to play games. My advice to Reading would be to offload Federici for the long-term prospect otherwise you could lose him. Good luck for the rest of the season after Saturday.

Can you find out if the stewarding is up to the usual standard. Top post BTW and an interesting view from the dark side.

[T.R.O.L.I.]

CBA to trawl through the whole thread but I presume AMc is not allowed to play for Leeds this Saturday?

[Svlad Cjelli]

CBA to trawl through the whole thread but I presume AMc is not allowed to play for Leeds this Saturday?

Correct

[Woodcote Royal]

If Federici was anywhere near to being "The best 'keeper in the division" we would have been fending off Premiership vultures for the past 12 months and there's been no evidence to suggest that this has been the case despite his "Come and Get Me" plea

Here in lies our over riding problem; It doesn't matter how often Adie Wiliams, Mick Gooding etc go out of their way to fool our own fan base, they won't con those who are ALWAYS on the look out for Prem quality stoppers.

There's nothing special about Federici, who is no better now than the day he took over from Hahnemann. Camera saves (often brought about because his positioning has always been suspect) won't impress those who know what to look for and that's before they start to factor in his regular elementary bloopers that should be a rarity amongst the elite.

McCarthy showed last season that he was, at worst, already Federici's equal. This should be his time in our team because, before too long, he will be on his way to where Fed thinks he should be now.

In my view, the only realistic chance we stand of leaving this division in the right direction, on our shoestring budget, is by making the most of home grown future stars before they out grow us and leave for big bucks.

It nearly worked with Long last season and my gut feeling is that, had McCarthy not been dropped, two of Swansea's goal would not have been conceded.

We should be getting the best out of Le Fondre, McCarthy and Mills etc whilst we still have them and while Jobi, Leigertwood and Gorkss are still young enough to provide the required experience.

Squeeky has done an amazing job to rake in so many millions from off loading our star performers but, IMHO, January should be the time to accept reality as far as our average keeper is concerned, especially when he cost us nothing in the first place and letting McCarthy slip through our hands would be the real disaster.

[sandman]

You can keep doing what you've been doing all season with your anti Feds rhetoric and he'll keep doing what he's been doing proving you all wrong and making you look like mugs.

[Friday's Legacy]

You can keep doing what you've been doing all season with your anti Feds rhetoric and he'll keep doing what he's been doing proving you all wrong and making you look like mugs.

the best thing for both player and club is to sell him as soon, if at all, a big offer comes in for federici. mccarthy is a ready made replacement who at his age in comparison to his counterpart is streets ahead. the money will be a blessing for reading and a young and exciting goalkeeper breaks into the first team here.

it'll be sods law we let mccarthy go to leeds for something pathetic like £1m, and at the end of the season federici's ego shines through again and off he trots, and we lose both.

[sandman]

Funny how Federici is accused of having a huge ego and kicking up a fuss that won't allow him to be on the bench yet Saint Alex complains about being on the bench and demands to go out on loan to get first team football and his little disciples hardly bat an eyelid.

[Ian Royal]

:roll:

Every club has to sell its best players aside from 5 or 6.

Appreciate that, however the Reading side that was carefully put together that won us promotion was not a side that had it's best players sold each summer. It was added to with one big signing each summer, usually around £800k and one or two clever additions for low cost. We only sold what wasn't good enough. Nowadays, or since relegation, it's a much different story.

Kitson, Sidwell and Shorey would most likely have been off to bigger clubs if we hadn't gotten promoted and they were our bigger and proven "stars". If we'd have got promoted last season Long would have gone nowhere, maybe Mills as well.

[Ian Royal]

Funny how Federici is accused of having a huge ego and kicking up a fuss that won't allow him to be on the bench yet Saint Alex complains about being on the bench and demands to go out on loan to get first team football and his little disciples hardly bat an eyelid.

Quote on McCarthy complaining about being sat on the bench or I don't believe it.

Surely its not that hard to see why many people prefer a young homegrown player with the potential to be an England international in future to a good Aussie who's already issued come get me pleas. There really isn't a lot between them in quality and McCarthy is far more likely to significantly improve than Federici.

[andrew1957]

If Federici was anywhere near to being "The best 'keeper in the division" we would have been fending off Premiership vultures for the past 12 months and there's been no evidence to suggest that this has been the case despite his "Come and Get Me" plea

Here in lies our over riding problem; It doesn't matter how often Adie Wiliams, Mick Gooding etc go out of their way to fool our own fan base, they won't con those who are ALWAYS on the look out for Prem quality stoppers.

I think I would take the opinions of Williams, Gooding etc over yours any day. At least they know what they are talking about.

Federici is a class act. We have let in just 22 goals this season and have amongst the tightest defences in the league - despite having a makeshift back 4 at the start of the season. The anti Federici sentiment expressed by you and a few others on here is verging on the ridiculous.

[andrew1957]

You can keep doing what you've been doing all season with your anti Feds rhetoric and he'll keep doing what he's been doing proving you all wrong and making you look like mugs.

the best thing for both player and club is to sell him as soon, if at all, a big offer comes in for federici. mccarthy is a ready made replacement who at his age in comparison to his counterpart is streets ahead. the money will be a blessing for reading and a young and exciting goalkeeper breaks into the first team here.

it'll be sods law we let mccarthy go to leeds for something pathetic like £1m, and at the end of the season federici's ego shines through again and off he trots, and we lose both.

When have RFC ever sold players at a discount?

Federici, McCarthy and Andersen all have another year on their contracts. None of them can walk away for nothing at the end of the season. I have no doubt that we would want a very high fee for McCarthy in January - say 5M and I cannot see anyone paying that.

I am sure we would sell Fed to a PL club (assuming he wanted to go) for any offer in excess of 1M, but I doubt there will be any offers. I expect this issue will all be sorted out in the summer. Fed will almost certainly (bar injury) be number 1 all this season.

[andrew1957]

Funny how Federici is accused of having a huge ego and kicking up a fuss that won't allow him to be on the bench yet Saint Alex complains about being on the bench and demands to go out on loan to get first team football and his little disciples hardly bat an eyelid.

Quote on McCarthy complaining about being sat on the bench or I don't believe it.

Surely its not that hard to see why many people prefer a young homegrown player with the potential to be an England international in future to a good Aussie who's already issued come get me pleas. There really isn't a lot between them in quality and McCarthy is far more likely to significantly improve than Federici.

I don't think any of us would begrudge McCarthy becoming the RFC number 1 in due course, but Federici is at the moment rightly the one in possession of the shirt.

And from an RFC financial point of view we will never sell Federici to as PL club if he is sitting on the bench.

[Hoop Blah]

I think I would take the opinions of Williams, Gooding etc over yours any day. At least they know what they are talking about.

Although none of them are actually making a living from football anymore, Goodings an estate agent remember!

The people who really matter are presumably those that are responsible for buying players and taking them to the kind of clubs mentioned earlier (ie Premier league scouts, coaches and managers). So far none of them have seen fit to take him elsewhere (although I think Federici was close to a move to Fulham at the start of the year).

[sandman]

Funny how Federici is accused of having a huge ego and kicking up a fuss that won't allow him to be on the bench yet Saint Alex complains about being on the bench and demands to go out on loan to get first team football and his little disciples hardly bat an eyelid.

Quote on McCarthy complaining about being sat on the bench or I don't believe it.

Surely its not that hard to see why many people prefer a young homegrown player with the potential to be an England international in future to a good Aussie who's already issued come get me pleas. There really isn't a lot between them in quality and McCarthy is far more likely to significantly improve than Federici.

The main thing is going there to play games. I’ve been sitting on the bench behind Feds (Adam Federici) and so this will be a very good thing for me.

Quite frankly if he wasn't complaining about being on the bench I'd be worried for him.

[Hoop Blah]

That's not him complaining though is it.

[sandman]

Er It is.

That's the thing with this lad it's all me, me, me.

[Hoop Blah]

Which bit is him complaining then?

All I'm reading in that is him saying getting games will be good, nothing about not being happy or willing to be sat on our bench.

[Woodcote Royal]

You can keep doing what you've been doing all season with your anti Feds rhetoric and he'll keep doing what he's been doing proving you all wrong and making you look like mugs.

And you can keep sticking your head up his arse but it counts for zip in the real world until somone comes in with an offer that matches your valuation.

How could "The best 'keeper in the Championship" possibly be worth less than £2m

Feel free to enlighten us of ANY offers for him in the last 12 months.