Ex Players

[Sutekh]

Most dangerous opponent, for some…

https://rdg.today/trent-alexander-arnol ... nent-ever/

Made 4 apps for Reading, does anyone even remember him?



Now without a club after leaving Morecambe last year, guess one of those you file under “with talent but lacking the application”?

[SCIAG]

Most dangerous opponent, for some…

https://rdg.today/trent-alexander-arnol ... nent-ever/

Made 4 apps for Reading, does anyone even remember him?



Now without a club after leaving Morecambe last year, guess one of those you file under “with talent but lacking the application”?

As mentioned, you left him off your list of Dai-era signings.

Extract from an article about Barker recently published in The Athletic:

In English football, there is no shortage of stories of teenage prodigies who shone brightly at youth level and then, for whatever reason, faded from view.

But Barker’s story is unusual because it is harder to categorise. It doesn’t revolve around an injury or a self-destructive lifestyle. It isn’t one of those “too much too soon” stories of a player blinded by the trappings of potential stardom.

We go back to a phrase Barker used earlier. For how long does Barker feel his iron was hot?

“I’d say it was hot for quite a while when I was at City,” he says. “But I had senior internationals in front of me and I felt I couldn’t really do any more at City in the reserves especially. I needed to play first-team football every week to kick on, which means going on loan.

“But then you go on loan and it can feel like the loan club doesn’t have your best interests at heart. You’re not their player, so they’re just trying to milk you. It’s different now, the way clubs manage the loans, but it’s difficult.”

It might sound like Barker is making excuses, but most figures in youth development would acknowledge the issues he raises — both regarding the loan system and, more generally, the challenges faced by homegrown players at big clubs where there is a constant drive to recruit not just ready-made talent or the first team but potential stars in that 18-21 age group. Pathways to the first team can become almost impossibly congested.

At the same time, Barker admits he failed to make the most of some of those loan moves and the opportunity that followed when he joined Rangers in the summer of 2019.

I have said before that I think opportunities at your original club are slightly overrated. Chelsea don’t produce many Chelsea players, but they produce more Championship players than Reading (and far more Chelsea players).

But it’s fair to say that Man City weren’t developing their prospects into Premier League players, or even a high volume of Championship players, at the time.

In age, Barker is between George Evans and Tom Dele-Bashiru. City produced some good players in that age bracket - Kelechi Iheanacho obviously, Denis Suarez, Angelino, Tosin Adarabioyo - but it seems fair to say they weren’t quite as efficient at it as they are now.

[JedMaxwell]

Friend of a friend who lives in Australia was on a work MS Teams call, and a certain Lloyd Owusu appeared. I believe he works at a private school, which would make sense as the person I'm tangentially connected to has taught at private schools all over the world.

Apparently he didn't raise the roof as it was quite a serious call, but will try to in the future as they may have some more meetings.

[Snowflake Royal]

Owuusuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!

[stealthpapes]

My memory of Barker is the Forest game (we lost 4-0, conceded while Green and I were still walking around the ground ), he came on, was the only player to run about a bit, but really lightweight and didn't do much.

I would have thought he'd have stayed at about Championship/L1 level, record for Oxford was pretty solid.

[Sutekh]

Friend of a friend who lives in Australia was on a work MS Teams call, and a certain Lloyd Owusu appeared. I believe he works at a private school, which would make sense as the person I'm tangentially connected to has taught at private schools all over the world.

Apparently he didn't raise the roof as it was quite a serious call, but will try to in the future as they may have some more meetings.

Hi Lloyd, does it still rankle that you got binned off at Reading the summer before their 106 season?

[JedMaxwell]

Friend of a friend who lives in Australia was on a work MS Teams call, and a certain Lloyd Owusu appeared. I believe he works at a private school, which would make sense as the person I'm tangentially connected to has taught at private schools all over the world.

Apparently he didn't raise the roof as it was quite a serious call, but will try to in the future as they may have some more meetings.

Hi Lloyd, does it still rankle that you got binned off at Reading the summer before their 106 season?

I'll pass the message on.

[Hendo]

Bosh https://x.com/footballontnt/status/1889778883534189026

[Sutekh]

Bosh https://x.com/footballontnt/status/1889778883534189026

He’s no Lewis Wing though…

[Sutekh]

Remember Nick Ive, whatever became of him? And how many of the HNA contributors below are still on the board?

[Brogue]

Remember Nick Ive, whatever became of him? And how many of the HNA contributors below are still on the board?

Copy editor for China Daily

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-ive-38 ... um=ios_app

[Sutekh]

Remember Nick Ive, whatever became of him? And how many of the HNA contributors below are still on the board?

Copy editor for China Daily

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-ive-38 ... um=ios_app

Small world! Wonder how clued up he is on the general activities of a certain football club owner….

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Remember Nick Ive, whatever became of him? And how many of the HNA contributors below are still on the board?

Copy editor for China Daily

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-ive-38 ... um=ios_app

Small world! Wonder how clued up he is on the general activities of a certain football club owner….

Might see if he's on Twitter later and message him. Decent local journo, we've had a few...Charles Watts probably the most recent who's gone on to better things.

In other ex player news, Matty Carson has gone loan to Alfreton Town, no idea what tier they are.

[Sutekh]

Copy editor for China Daily

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-ive-38 ... um=ios_app

Small world! Wonder how clued up he is on the general activities of a certain football club owner….

Might see if he's on Twitter later and message him. Decent local journo, we've had a few...Charles Watts probably the most recent who's gone on to better things.

In other ex player news, Matty Carson has gone loan to Alfreton Town, no idea what tier they are.

Same tier (6) as Slough, one tier below Maidenhead.

[Four Of Clubs]

NGW on target for the 'Cobblers' v Brizzle Roverz - neat first-time finish on the back post....had just come on as sub.

[Uke]

Remember Nick Ive, whatever became of him? And how many of the HNA contributors below are still on the board?

If only someone would invent a way of searching the internet

He's in Beijing working for Xi on China Daily

[Sutekh]

Tranmere looking for a new manager after introducing Nigel Adkins to the Spanish archer.

[Winston Biscuit]

Ian Harte appears to have been operating as an unregistered agent

[Hendo]

Remember Nick Ive, whatever became of him? And how many of the HNA contributors below are still on the board?

If only someone would invent a way of searching the internet

He's in Beijing working for Xi on China Daily

Or if someone invested the scroll function on this very page

[Hendo]

The ball in from Olise for this Kane header last night is an absolute beauty.

https://x.com/footballontnt/status/1897380669002563926

13 goals and 14 assists for him this season at Bayern - baller.