Coppell aims for new signings

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Wimb
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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Wimb » 31 Dec 2008 15:50

I'm all up for signing the Nogans, what a strikeforce.....

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Victor Meldrew » 31 Dec 2008 15:56

Bucks Dave For about the last month, my Watford supporting friends have told me that Tommy Smith is coming to Reading, it's virtually a done deal. Watford have also told their long suffering fans that more players will be sold in January. Or should this be in rumours?


I heard this one a few weeks ago as well-I think he is out of contract in the summer.
Although he seems to have been around forever he is still only 28.
An interesting player because although he started life as a striker he has been very effective playing wide right and is a good finisher who IIRC has scored against us more than once.
Although nothing like Little in physique he is in some ways similar because of his good close control and has always struck me as a thinking player.
Wouldn't mind him at all and would offer something different.

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Hoop Blah » 31 Dec 2008 16:00

Victor Meldrew
Bucks Dave For about the last month, my Watford supporting friends have told me that Tommy Smith is coming to Reading, it's virtually a done deal. Watford have also told their long suffering fans that more players will be sold in January. Or should this be in rumours?


I heard this one a few weeks ago as well-I think he is out of contract in the summer.
Although he seems to have been around forever he is still only 28.
An interesting player because although he started life as a striker he has been very effective playing wide right and is a good finisher who IIRC has scored against us more than once.
Although nothing like Little in physique he is in some ways similar because of his good close control and has always struck me as a thinking player.
Wouldn't mind him at all and would offer something different.


I've always seen him as a bit of a carbon copy of Nicky Forster (that's a good thing in my book).

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by 1871royals » 31 Dec 2008 16:00

Hoop Blah As ever, I don't want us to buy players that won't get in the side. I want to see us go for players who will strengthen the first XI and therefore strengthen the squad by pusing the weaker players out through the back door.


It's easy to say we should sign players for the first xi. But if we are being practical who will be able to get in this window that will actually improve the xi.

When was the last time we signed anyone in a Jan window who improved the xi?

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Sun Tzu » 31 Dec 2008 16:01

Hoop Blah
The idea isn't to buy a forward that will not get on the bench. The idea I think most people are suggesting is to bring in a different type of forward who might well prove to be an even better foil for Doyle than Hunt has proven to be so far.

As ever, I don't want us to buy players that won't get in the side. I want to see us go for players who will strengthen the first XI and therefore strengthen the squad by pusing the weaker players out through the back door.



Absolutley right Hoops !

If we want them to make a difference we need to bring in players better than what we have now, and make the players we have now step up to try and hold on to their places. A couple of young but established players - probably good players currently in poor sides - are what we need, but they have to be first team players.


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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Ian Royal » 31 Dec 2008 16:03

It's harsh on Long given his recent goal, but we need to be bringing in a striker who warrents taking a starting place next to Doyle and displaces NHunt to the bench with Long in the reserves or on loan somewhere.

Nugent would probably do that, but the big question is, as many say, is he different enough?

Not sure Smith is good enough should we go up, but would probably be ok for the rest of the season. We'll need a 4th quality striker for the Prem anyway so we should still have one on the shopping list in the summer unless Church, Mooney or Long show an awful lot more than they have so far.

Surman could solve a problem should SHunt go, although if he doesn't I'd much prefer more cover for the right, as Kebe can play left. I'm essentially dismissing Convey as a gonner, which is a shame.

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Hoop Blah » 31 Dec 2008 16:07

1871royals
Hoop Blah As ever, I don't want us to buy players that won't get in the side. I want to see us go for players who will strengthen the first XI and therefore strengthen the squad by pusing the weaker players out through the back door.


It's easy to say we should sign players for the first xi. But if we are being practical who will be able to get in this window that will actually improve the xi.

When was the last time we signed anyone in a Jan window who improved the xi?


Well according to some Mateovsky and Kebe last January for starters (I'd disagree, although we didn't actually have a right winger as such 12 months ago so perhaps Kebe was an improvement!).

I think the likes of Routledge would improve our side personally.

Upfront I'm sure there are players who would be suitable replacements for the Kitson type of forward that I think we're crying out for. Hunt has done a decent job up tops with Doyle, but we miss that nit of guile and ability to hold onto the ball that we used to have with Kits. Who those forwards are I'm not so sure at the moment, I've not watched enough football elsewhere this season to really know at the moment.

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by brendywendy » 31 Dec 2008 16:08

Scarface Coppell has stated his is happy with the centre midfield options and if Bikey stays we're looking fine at centre back. With Lita on his way out I feel sure he'll look to sell and replace him with a target man and then also possibly look at another winger, hopefully Surman or Bouzza.

Personally I think we need another left back, but that can probably wait until the summer to see if we get promoted.


if we got surman thats adequate cover for both LW and LB
typical coppell move too

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Sun Tzu » 31 Dec 2008 16:09

Hoop Blah Who those forwards are I'm not so sure at the moment, I've not watched enough football elsewhere this season to really know at the moment.


There's a ginger bloke at Stoke that i suspect we could get if we tried....

Probably at a decent price as well.


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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Franchise FC » 31 Dec 2008 16:10

Sun Tzu
Hoop Blah
The idea isn't to buy a forward that will not get on the bench. The idea I think most people are suggesting is to bring in a different type of forward who might well prove to be an even better foil for Doyle than Hunt has proven to be so far.

As ever, I don't want us to buy players that won't get in the side. I want to see us go for players who will strengthen the first XI and therefore strengthen the squad by pusing the weaker players out through the back door.



Absolutley right Hoops !

If we want them to make a difference we need to bring in players better than what we have now, and make the players we have now step up to try and hold on to their places. A couple of young but established players - probably good players currently in poor sides - are what we need, but they have to be first team players.



Where is this list of players available to bring in ready for the first team ?

Any player we are interested in that is 'established' will also be the target of a group of clubs at the top of the Championship, but also a group in the lower reaches of the Premier League. Given the choice of PL now or possibly PL later, most will choose PL now - particularly when most contracts will have release clauses triggered by relegation. They get PL now and PL later.

SC's style has always to bring in players he believes he can make better (Kitson, Doyle, Long, SHunt, Armstrong to name but a few). That almost certainly excludes most established players.

Realism sucks :cry: but it's the modern day reality of not being in the PL.

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by 1871royals » 31 Dec 2008 16:17

Franchise FC Where is this list of players available to bring in ready for the first team ?


Agree with you 100% Franchise FC. Where are these players?

Last Jan we signed Kebe and Marek (cant remember any other?).

Cant be bothered to check the stats but i dont remember either player starting many games.

Also you would assume we are signing players with a view to being in the prem. So if we get promoted the pool of players we can attract increases dramatically.

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Hoop Blah » 31 Dec 2008 16:21

Franchise FC Where is this list of players available to bring in ready for the first team ?

Any player we are interested in that is 'established' will also be the target of a group of clubs at the top of the Championship, but also a group in the lower reaches of the Premier League. Given the choice of PL now or possibly PL later, most will choose PL now - particularly when most contracts will have release clauses triggered by relegation. They get PL now and PL later.

SC's style has always to bring in players he believes he can make better (Kitson, Doyle, Long, SHunt, Armstrong to name but a few). That almost certainly excludes most established players.

Realism sucks :cry: but it's the modern day reality of not being in the PL.


A agree with what you say about Coppell's general method of working but he does sprinkle the team with players that come straight in too.

The likes of Lita, Noel Hunt, Sidwell, Little, Convey, Rosenoir were all players that we signed with the intention of them being able to step straight into the team. Yes they all had potential to improve and for Coppell to get more out of them, but they were all signed with a starting place in mind. You can add Duberry to that list as well, if only on a short term basis after Sonko's injury.

As for the list of players out there to sign right now, I've not really got one, especially for the Kitson replacement, but I'm sure they exist.

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by 1871royals » 31 Dec 2008 16:30

Hoop Blah
Franchise FC The likes of Lita, Noel Hunt, Sidwell, Little, Convey, Rosenoir were all players that we signed with the intention of them being able to step straight into the team. You can add Duberry to that list as well, if only on a short term basis after Sonko's injury.


Must admit i disagree with a lot of those. First of all Pardew signed Sidwell. Sidwell was signed in Jan played about 3 games and then didn't play again until the end of the season. He needed time to adjust

Even though we all knew Lita was out of favour. He was still given the nod ahead of NHunt at the start of this season. It took ages for Liam R to displace Murts. Convey hardly improved the first xi. He didnt perform for about a year.

None of these players were signed in Jan apart from Sidders which highlights the problem with this transfer window, in that clubs wont be willing to let their best players go.

I still don't think we will sign anyone this Jan who will improve the xi. I hope we do but cant see where he will come from?


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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Arch » 31 Dec 2008 16:33

winchester_royal I'd like us to take advantage if the loan system tbh.

Ched Evans or Jay Simpson on loan and Routledge in for £300k would do nicely.

Still want us to bring in Joey Mattock but doubt that will happen.......

Simpson to WBA

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Hoop Blah » 31 Dec 2008 16:39

Not sure why I put Sidwell in there to be honest! Slight oversight.

I know Lita was preferred over Hunt, but what I meant was that he was bought in to really challenge for the first team spot, not just make up the numbers. Maybe that's not quite the reality, just how I saw it.

Rosenoir was bought in as a long term successor to the right back with Murty's age, but he was also a seen as ashort term fix for the right wing. That didn't pay off obviously, but it was definately part of the thinking in letting Seol go and Rosenoir in.

Convey didn't perform until he had a full preseason and had settled no. But he was bought in as a big money signing which signalled, as ever, our ambition etc etc. The fact it didn't work to start out with doesn't mean he wasn't bought in with that in mind. If you argued that he wasn't actually a Coppell signing I might agree as it seemed to be Hammonds baby, although I still can't imagine Coppell allowing 800k of his 'budget' to be blown on a player he didn't want.

I agree on the January bit though. The point was more about Coppell only brining in players for long term progression as opposed to coming straight into the side.

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Sun Tzu » 31 Dec 2008 16:41

Whether WE have a list of players who could step in is of little consequence though. None of us fans ever make accurate calls about which players we'll sign and how they will progress.
Coppell and Hammond will know what they need and what the options are.

The counter to your point is that if there aren;t players available who can play for the first team then why would we waste our time in the market at all ? Now is not really the time for making long term purchases, we've got 20 games to get promoted and signings today need to contribute to that effort. We can outspend Wolves, Birmingham, Cardiff or Burnley comfortably if we want to and i don;t think there is any sense in looking for anything else other than first team standard players in this window.

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Hoop Blah » 31 Dec 2008 16:48

Sun Tzu Whether WE have a list of players who could step in is of little consequence though. None of us fans ever make accurate calls about which players we'll sign and how they will progress.
Coppell and Hammond will know what they need and what the options are.

The counter to your point is that if there aren;t players available who can play for the first team then why would we waste our time in the market at all ? Now is not really the time for making long term purchases, we've got 20 games to get promoted and signings today need to contribute to that effort. We can outspend Wolves, Birmingham, Cardiff or Burnley comfortably if we want to and i don;t think there is any sense in looking for anything else other than first team standard players in this window.


Agreed. If we're only going to bring in players as cover or to improve the depth of the squad then it would make more sense to do this with loan signings.

Any player we spend money on now has to be one we think can cut it in the Prem. That might mean as a Prem squad player only, which would mean that they'd get in our starting XI right now for me, but there's very little point in spending money on a Championship squad player now.

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by Victor Meldrew » 31 Dec 2008 16:50

Arch
winchester_royal I'd like us to take advantage if the loan system tbh.

Ched Evans or Jay Simpson on loan and Routledge in for £300k would do nicely.

Still want us to bring in Joey Mattock but doubt that will happen.......

Simpson to WBA


Didn't City loan out Evans last season?
With Roque Cruz going there to join Benjani,Jo and the emerging Sturridge I wonder if we could get him.
As for others suggesting that we as posters come up with lists I think people at the club are paid to do this.
BTW Sidwell was firstly at Brentford under Coppell but they couldn't afford him and likewise Brighton but Pardew with the big Reading cheque book could and did.

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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by SCIAG » 31 Dec 2008 17:35

1871royals
Franchise FC Where is this list of players available to bring in ready for the first team ?


Agree with you 100% Franchise FC. Where are these players?

Last Jan we signed Kebe and Marek (cant remember any other?).


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Re: Coppell aims for new signings

by runrunrunrungilksey » 31 Dec 2008 17:57

I rekon it's Surman & Fryatt that the club are after!

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