Who needs to step up next season? Who is ready?

[Terminal Boardom]

I can fully recommend the 'Add Foe' facility for this cock '1TeamInBerksRFC'. 560 posts of pure shit in a little over 2 weeks. I assumed he was a simple wind-up merchant, but the twat can't spell so hasn't the brains to wind up a clock. Illiterate pratt.

Thats better, Back on topic ..... we need goals next year, someone who can do a Longy and get 20 odd. Hunt will get a few, McAnuff too maybe, Mills will get a couple of headers, Harte will be good for 10 or more as long he gets his radar back in check, and so on. But I can't see Manset being a prolific scorer, nor Churchy for that matter. Take Long's goals and divide then up over the rest of the team and it starts looking a little unrealistic ... worryingly.

Not sure that I agree. The strikers scored 37 this season (Long 21, Hunt 10, Church 4 and Manset 2). Church scored 9 the previous season so if played regularly should score at least 10. Don't see why Hunt could not manage 15 and Manset 10 as well - which is 35. We don't necessarily need someone to score 20 (that only happens once every ten seasons or so) - we just need all three to step up and contribute.

Long only scored 6 in the previous season and was being written off by many 12 months ago - so if the other three get more games in 2011/12 I am confident that like Long they can have a better year this time.

... and in the first half of the season, how many did Long score? Not many. No-one at Christmas gave us an earthly on making the play-offs.

[CayeneMatt]

That is true , but when Long started scoring, we started climbing the table. If he hadn't got in to gear, we'd have been mid table.

My point is, we're going to need a prolific scorer by the end of the season as we can't rely on our midfield to get a shed load.

[andrew1957]

That is true , but when Long started scoring, we started climbing the table. If he hadn't got in to gear, we'd have been mid table.

My point is, we're going to need a prolific scorer by the end of the season as we can't rely on our midfield to get a shed load.

But Long was NOT a prolific striker in 2009/10. Just because the other three have not been prolific in the past does not mean they will not be this time round.

And Hunt has been injured for much of the last two seasons and has only recently returned to his best. If he stays fit he could score 20 next season.

And I still think Church can do it. He was just painfully short of confidence last season – no idea why. It might just be that Long overtook him (after all Church scored more the previous season) and he felt under pressure. With some encouragement he might just be a revelation this time round.

[Terminal Boardom]

To be fair, the season dramatically improved with the signing of Legs.

[Hoop Blah]

I think it's pretty obvious that we'll need to see some serious improvement from some of our current players if we're going to get anywhere near repeating this seasons success.

After we've lost Long, Federici and Kebe (I'm sure McAnuff will still be here and confident Mills will be likewise) I think those that'll be big factors in our success will be:

McAnuff - One of my more favoured current players but I doubt we'll replace Kebe with a top draw winger so a lot of our creativity will fall at McAnuff's feet.
Pearce - Now we've lost Ingimarsson and Kishanishvili Pearce will surely be a key figure next season, especially if Mills does go, and he'll need to kick on a level to be the mainstay of the back four. We need a dependable rock to build the defence around and Pearce looks more suited to it than the more tempremental Mills.
Robson-Kanu - If Kebe goes it's a massive season for Robson-Kanu who's looked both good and bad at times. He can deliver some quality in the box but far too often he just runs into opponents and hopes for the best. I can see McDermott giving him a real chance though.
Church/Hunt - One of these two are going to have to step up a gear. I don't think we'll see enough games from Hunt (or enough minutes is perhaps a better way of putting it) and I don't think Church has quite enough about him but without spending a decent chunk of money to replace Long one of this pair is going to have to lead our attack....worrying.

Who's ready? McAnuff can do it, I think Pearce is probably much closer to it than he was when Rodgers gave him the responsibilty too soon, but the others I'm remain unconvinced.

A lot will also depend on Leigertwoods performances.

[Snowball]

Hunt has a very very good record of goals and assists per minute.

He matched Doyle in goals/minute when they were partners but usually played 60 minutes.

He's done it this season too. 10 goals in 1815 minutes on the pitch = 181.5 minutes per goal (2 games) almost the same as Shane

Adding the POs (I would give him that goal) he's 11 in 2400 minutes, very good.

His problem is physical. Can he play a season of 80-90 minutes?

[Snowball]

Long played a total of 471 minutes in the first half of last season, a little over 5 whole games worth

[superreadingfan]

Madejski

[Snowball]

When Church got 12 goals in 2009-10 how many expected him to fail this year?

We KNOW he is (was) capable of 12 goals in 2275 minutes (almost 1 per 180 minutes) even if this year he got 4 (or is it 5?) in 2027 minutes.


I watch him and think something is not quite right there, but if we could get a kid who got 12 goals in 2009-10
at a rate of 1 every 190 minutes and still only 22, we'd be happy to take a punt, esp as he's free and not crazy wages.

He may well have a great season.

[No Fixed Abode]

Charlotte Church is no good - I would ship him out on loan to league 1 or 2 for a season.

HRK is not gr8 either - ship him out on loan as well.

Noticed Brighton signed Will Buckly for £1m the other day - Reading should have got him. Good winger with lots of energy.

[Vision]

Hunt has a very very good record of goals and assists per minute.

He matched Doyle in goals/minute when they were partners but usually played 60 minutes.

He's done it this season too. 10 goals in 1815 minutes on the pitch = 181.5 minutes per goal (2 games) almost the same as Shane

Adding the POs (I would give him that goal) he's 11 in 2400 minutes, very good.

His problem is physical. Can he play a season of 80-90 minutes?

With the aid of a proper pre-season I see little reason why he can't. He was effectively out injured for 2 seasons,the impact of which tends to be underestimated I think

His contribution is underrated in my view. I still maintain Coppell's side would have gone up 08/09 if he'd not got injured.

It may just be a coincidence but the last time Doyle was prolific was when playing alongside Hunt. The goals dried up for Doyle (and us) once Hunt's injury set in.

Equally Long's goal scoring run (and our excellent string of results) this season coincided with Hunt playing regularly alongside him.

He's a top end championship player in my opinion, the real question is if/when Long leaves can he lead the line or will he always be the support striker to a main man?

[Ian Royal]

Hunt is one of those strikers who can rely on to score goals at a reasonable rate. He's not actually a very good player IMO, but similar to his brother, he's an effective one. He won't bring a whole lot to the side by playing, and I'm not sure he's ever likely to push the 20 goal mark, but I think you can rely on him to get in the 10-15 zone most seasons.

He's strong and very good at winning balls in the air, and he hassles quite well. But he doesn't quite have the skill, passing or (footballing) intelligence to really be a great striker for someone. That's just my feelings from watching him play.

He's an excellent second striker. Maybe he can make the step up to lead the line. My only reservation is I'm not sure I'd want him to, because I'm not sure I'd like the playing style we'd adopt to get the very best out of him.

He's exactly the sort of second striker to have next to your main one, because his regular ticking over of goals will keep the pressure off the main man having to bang them away all the time.

[Snowball]

Hunt has a very very good record of goals and assists per minute.

He matched Doyle in goals/minute when they were partners but usually played 60 minutes.

He's done it this season too. 10 goals in 1815 minutes on the pitch = 181.5 minutes per goal (2 games) almost the same as Shane

Adding the POs (I would give him that goal) he's 11 in 2400 minutes, very good.

His problem is physical. Can he play a season of 80-90 minutes?

With the aid of a proper pre-season I see little reason why he can't. He was effectively out injured for 2 seasons,the impact of which tends to be underestimated I think

His contribution is underrated in my view. I still maintain Coppell's side would have gone up 08/09 if he'd not got injured.

It may just be a coincidence but the last time Doyle was prolific was when playing alongside Hunt. The goals dried up for Doyle (and us) once Hunt's injury set in.

Equally Long's goal scoring run (and our excellent string of results) this season coincided with Hunt playing regularly alongside him.

He's a top end championship player in my opinion, the real question is if/when Long leaves can he lead the line or will he always be the support striker to a main man?

Smack on, he's a great "grab" in a smash and grab pair.

I've been singing his praises and posting his goals/minutes stats since he came here, They are better than Doyle's,

I can't see Churchy as the smash plauer, unsure about Manset there either. Hr=e'll need to get faster and harder (but might get there)

From what I've seen oh him, Cox might be the man, or Henderson. Otherwise I think it's a new style required 4-3-3 ? CHURCH-HUNT-MANSET?

[Hoop Blah]

Who would've predicted Church to fail? I did, although I don't think he failed as such, he just had what I think will be an average season for him. He's almost a pretty good player but he just hasn't got a real weapon in his armoury and is too easy to defend against.

He has good goals in him, we've all seen that, but consistently I don't think he's quite there. Playing week-in week-out would help him, but I don't think he's the answer.

As for Hunt, well I agree he's a decent player. He's almost our best forward even when Long was playing well. Unfortunately he just doesn't seem to be resiliant enough or fit enough for 90 minutes on a regular basis. That's not the sort of player you want as your main forward (just look at Arsenal with RvP, great when he's fit but that doesn't help if he misses 1/3 of the season every year).

Given a full pre-season etc etc then yes he might last a bit better, but it seems to me he'll always find some way of missing a reasonable number of games.

[fester_royal]

1TeaminBerksRFC, please, please, please stop tour idiotic, inane, unstructured, barely intelligible, often contradictory and frequently abusive posts. Like everyone you are entitled to your view and all views are welcomed but you seem to have no understanding of forum etiquette or how to present your views. Your tone and absuive attitude are to be utterly deplored. You are absolutely ruining every thread by showering them with your pointless posts. So, I say again, please desist; in your case practice does not make perfect. Thank you.[/quote]

Post of the century[/quote]

+1

[Snowball]

Perhaps the answer is Hunt for 60 minutes, Manset for the other 30

[floyd__streete]

Church needs to learn how to finish, learn to look along the line to stop getting caught offside and generally grow a pair.....because there is a half decent player there waiting to get out, but he seems riddled with self-doubt most of the time. Sort your head out or ship out.

He is not an out-and-out goalscorer though, and does anyone really think that Hunt and Manset are going to get us enough goals at this level . Reinvest the Long money in a new striker from the lower divisions who deserves a chance - Adam Le Fondre? - or bum around in midtable (or lower) all season. Simple as.

[Hoop Blah]

Perhaps the answer is Hunt for 60 minutes, Manset for the other 30

I don't think any team should send out players thinking they'll last 60 minutes then be replaced (not on a consistent basis that is, it's ok if it's an important player coming back from injury or an emergency etc).

[Snowball]

Perhaps the answer is Hunt for 60 minutes, Manset for the other 30

I don't think any team should send out players thinking they'll last 60 minutes then be replaced (not on a consistent basis that is, it's ok if it's an important player coming back from injury or an emergency etc).

That isn't necessarily the case (I mean "have to")

IMO it makes very good sense to rotate players while keeping the core more or less the same, building up
the almost-there players. 3-0 up and cruising, why not give the second keeper 30 minutes? 2-0 up,
why not bring on Manset or Church or Williams to give them experience?

Gone are the days of a basic first eleven and a reserve team. It's about squads now

[Hoop Blah]

Rotating and using the squad is quite different to going into a game/season thinking that Hunt for 60 followed by Manset for 30 is the answer to our centre forward problem.

I've not problem with changing things around but if Hunt isn't capable of consistently playing 90 minutes then the answer isn't using Manset to fill in for him when he's knackered.