RUMOUR - Jermaine Defoe

[Hoop Blah]

Gylfi is a lightweight attacking midfielder?

That's a pretty good description I'd say.

I don't buy the idea that they couldn't play together though, from what I remember Defoe worked pretty well with van der Vaart.

I'm not sure Roberts alone up front with Sigurdsson behind would be a preferred solution though. When he signed he made a point of saying how he was pleased to be back in a side that played 4-4-2 and gave him someone to work with upfront.

[Ian Royal]

Gylfi is a lightweight attacking midfielder?

What do you think he is if not that?

[soggy biscuit]

Pretty good description I would say. He ain't the biggest of blokes and is hardly known for his crunching tackles!

[Royal Ginger]

This is exactly the problem with the seeming desperation to have Siggs back. Of course id love to see him in the hoops again, but we'd have to totally change the way we play to fit him in. It's going to mean playing 1 striker, favoring protecting the defense, and at the moment we don't really have anyone capable of playing lone striker. (Alf at a stretch). We'd need someone more like Long than Defoe.

[Ian Royal]

This is exactly the problem with the seeming desperation to have Siggs back. Of course id love to see him in the hoops again, but we'd have to totally change the way we play to fit him in. It's going to mean playing 1 striker, favoring protecting the defense, and at the moment we don't really have anyone capable of playing lone striker. (Alf at a stretch). We'd need someone more like Long than Defoe.

I think this is a very blinkered way of looking at it. We played largely the same way when we had him, but with a slightly different formation. I see no reason we'd need to change a whole lot to fit him in. In fact I'd argue we NEED to change to the sort of style that he'd be a good fit in, to have much chance of survival. I'd say it's our current formation that would need more signings to make work than switching.

Currently, we'd be relying on Karacan to come back from injury better than ever. One of our biggest weaknesses over the last couple of years has been retention of possession. You can guarantee that'll be harder in the Prem. The less we have the ball, the less chance we have of scoring and the more chance we have of conceeding. And attackers are far better in the Prem.

I think we'd need to bolster our central midfield with a really quality player to keep with 4-4-2. Our wingers should do ok still, that's one of our positions of strength. But upfront, we look weak. Roberts came in and looked a cut above. But he is still 34. Can we rely on him being able to carry out attack all season? Doubtful. Hunt is a great squad player for the Prem, but he's not a starter. ALF isn't ready and Church simply isn't good enough. So we need at least one more striker, preferably two, to play 4-4-2. Then you look at our full backs and centrebacks. All performed really well last season, but it's a massive ask to expect all of them to step up. Ideally we need two new full backs and a new centreback, if not two. That's to cope with the extra pressure they're going to come under as we score less and conceed more possession.

Bring in Sig, and we only need the one striker, as Roberts, Hunt & ALF will be fine as back up and late game subs to go more attacking. Bring in Sig and we don't need a top quality midfielder, as Jem and Ledge should be good enough, to do the drity defensive work without worrying about pushing forward to help win games as much. Bring in Sig and our defence will be under less pressure for that reason and perhaps we can get away with fewer, or at least less expensive additions.

We can't afford to go into the Prem as a one trick pony totally dependent on getting the ball wide and hitting teams on the break. We need more threat through the middle and better ability to retain possession.

4-2-3-1 will protect us at the back and make it harder to beat us. Help us retain possession better. And also play into our strengths of hitting teams on the break hard from wide. And it also plays to our fitness, wearing down teams and allowing us to switch to 4-4-2 late on with ALF, or Hunt coming on to go out and open up for the win in the dying minutes.

That's just the way I see it though.

[Royal Ginger]

This is exactly the problem with the seeming desperation to have Siggs back. Of course id love to see him in the hoops again, but we'd have to totally change the way we play to fit him in. It's going to mean playing 1 striker, favoring protecting the defense, and at the moment we don't really have anyone capable of playing lone striker. (Alf at a stretch). We'd need someone more like Long than Defoe.

I think this is a very blinkered way of looking at it. We played largely the same way when we had him, but with a slightly different formation. I see no reason we'd need to change a whole lot to fit him in. In fact I'd argue we NEED to change to the sort of style that he'd be a good fit in, to have much chance of survival. I'd say it's our current formation that would need more signings to make work than switching.

Currently, we'd be relying on Karacan to come back from injury better than ever. One of our biggest weaknesses over the last couple of years has been retention of possession. You can guarantee that'll be harder in the Prem. The less we have the ball, the less chance we have of scoring and the more chance we have of conceeding. And attackers are far better in the Prem.

I think we'd need to bolster our central midfield with a really quality player to keep with 4-4-2. Our wingers should do ok still, that's one of our positions of strength. But upfront, we look weak. Roberts came in and looked a cut above. But he is still 34. Can we rely on him being able to carry out attack all season? Doubtful. Hunt is a great squad player for the Prem, but he's not a starter. ALF isn't ready and Church simply isn't good enough. So we need at least one more striker, preferably two, to play 4-4-2. Then you look at our full backs and centrebacks. All performed really well last season, but it's a massive ask to expect all of them to step up. Ideally we need two new full backs and a new centreback, if not two. That's to cope with the extra pressure they're going to come under as we score less and conceed more possession.

Bring in Sig, and we only need the one striker, as Roberts, Hunt & ALF will be fine as back up and late game subs to go more attacking. Bring in Sig and we don't need a top quality midfielder, as Jem and Ledge should be good enough, to do the drity defensive work without worrying about pushing forward to help win games as much. Bring in Sig and our defence will be under less pressure for that reason and perhaps we can get away with fewer, or at least less expensive additions.

We can't afford to go into the Prem as a one trick pony totally dependent on getting the ball wide and hitting teams on the break. We need more threat through the middle and better ability to retain possession.

4-2-3-1 will protect us at the back and make it harder to beat us. Help us retain possession better. And also play into our strengths of hitting teams on the break hard from wide. And it also plays to our fitness, wearing down teams and allowing us to switch to 4-4-2 late on with ALF, or Hunt coming on to go out and open up for the win in the dying minutes.

That's just the way I see it though.

Fair points. With Siggs in the team, as it stands, we'd need to go with a lone striker. The way it relates to this thread is that i'd rather have Long back to fulfill that role then anyone we currently have, or Jermaine Defoe. I think large parts of what we're saying is the same.

[Ian Royal]

Yeah, possibly not the best thread for that.

I think Long would work very well as a lone striker. Not sure about Defoe, but then I don't like him much. Roberts should work well as long as he isn't used as just a target man. But then he's said himself he doesn't like playing upfront alone.

[Franchise FC]

Yeah, possibly not the best thread for that.

I think Long would work very well as a lone striker. Not sure about Defoe, but then I don't like him much. Roberts should work well as long as he isn't used as just a target man. But then he's said himself he doesn't like playing upfront alone.

Seems to me that a Long/Roberts partnership would get the best of both

[Ian Royal]

Yeah, possibly not the best thread for that.

I think Long would work very well as a lone striker. Not sure about Defoe, but then I don't like him much. Roberts should work well as long as he isn't used as just a target man. But then he's said himself he doesn't like playing upfront alone.

Seems to me that a Long/Roberts partnership would get the best of both

Yep, be happy with that, though wouldn't work with Gylfi too.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Let's be honest, it would be a faptastic problem to have

[Gordons Cumming]

Does anyone seriously think Defoe is coming to Reading?

[Friday's Legacy]

Does anyone seriously think Defoe is coming to Reading?

I expect he'll go to a much bigger club, but Reading have been in talks with Spurs. A permanent deal is unlikely due to the wages, but we have offered a season long loan deal. But as I said, and it's personal opinion only, he will go elsewhere. It's another sign of intent, as it is with Gylfi Sigurdsson, but both are highly unlikely. I think we all have to accept we're a completely different football club now. We will get linked with bigger name players, and we will get some in eventually.

[TheWearing]

Does anyone seriously think Defoe is coming to Reading?

I expect he'll go to a much bigger club, but Reading have been in talks with Spurs. A permanent deal is unlikely due to the wages, but we have offered a season long loan deal. But as I said, and it's personal opinion only, he will go elsewhere. It's another sign of intent, as it is with Gylfi Sigurdsson, but both are highly unlikely. I think we all have to accept we're a completely different football club now. We will get linked with bigger name players, and we will get some in eventually.

I predict Sigurdsson will come to us though!

[themadstad]

Liverpool are interested in Sig now. Sigurdsson will not be coming to Reading.

Interest in Defoe surprises me, speculation maybe? If he isn't in Harry's main plans I'd have thought plenty of other clubs will be interested.

[Extended-Phenotype]

in the sun today (i know ) sir john said he hopes anton doesnt buy defoe or cole.....

well sir john it isnt up to you anymore

Thank f/cking God.

[TBM]

His father passed away last night, only 49 too....

I know its not nice but im just wondering how this will affect him next season - it will either spur him on or turn him "wild" - do we still take that risk?

[Royal Ginger]

We're not living in a movie and he's not an action hero with a score to settle. He'll be sad, he'll mourne, and he'll play football just as he did before.

[TBM]

We're not living in a movie and he's not an action hero with a score to settle. He'll be sad, he'll mourne, and he'll play football just as he did before.

Im guessing that sounded funny in your head?

Anyway, how do you know he will play just as he did before and it wont affect him - people do suffer from such a thing as depression you know

[Royal Ginger]

We're not living in a movie and he's not an action hero with a score to settle. He'll be sad, he'll mourne, and he'll play football just as he did before.

Im guessing that sounded funny in your head?

Anyway, how do you know he will play just as he did before and it wont affect him - people do suffer from such a thing as depression you know

Cute

People's parents die all the time, and the vast majority of people, whilst being upset for a bit, get on with their lives without self destructing or turning into superman. In all likelyhood he'll just get on with it.

[TBM]

Ok

Im glad you're inside his head and know exactly how he is feeling and how he will react......maybe he will be fine, but for a good few months i bet football will be the last thing he could give a shit about