RUMOUR - Bertrand, Clyne and Zaha

[Alexander Litvinenko]

So we allegedly bid £6 mill for zaha, but now people claim we have no money to spend in January. I'm confused, easily done.....

People claim whatever suits their own agenda. No-one actually knows ......

[bracksroyal10]

We can forget this one now. His valuation will probably shoot up to about minimal £12 million once he has been capped. Im guessing Arsenal will line him up if Walcott decides to leave.

[cmonurz]

The principle I think many are missing with Zaha and similar discussions is this – if a player is ‘proven’, he is very, very, very unlikely to come to Reading. In October Mr Angry made a point about Victor Moses – what I want is for Reading to be to a player what Wigan was to Moses. There’s much worse places to be than a stepping-stone for a future star.

We had a shot at Zaha in the summer and decided against it – we won’t get him now.

[winchester_royal]

The principle I think many are missing with Zaha and similar discussions is this – if a player is ‘proven’, he is very, very, very unlikely to come to Reading. In October Mr Angry made a point about Victor Moses – what I want is for Reading to be to a player what Wigan was to Moses. There’s much worse places to be than a stepping-stone for a future star.

We had a shot at Zaha in the summer and decided against it – we won’t get him now.

Agreed, but we also have to accept that when you bring in a player that isn't proven then there is an element of risk attached.

Obviously we decided that >6m was too much of a risk. Clearly that looks like an error of judgement now, but I can understand the reasoning behind it.

[melonhead]

its simple really 6 million was just too much for a club like us to pay for an unproven player

not to say he wasnt worth it, or that he wont come good
just that the maths didnt work for us

proven player for 6 million-yes
unproven player for 2 million-yes
unproven player for 6-no

the gamble was just too great.
and thats no reflection on zaha, or hammond

[peterroyal76]

its simple really 6 million was just too much for a club like us to pay for an unproven player

not to say he wasnt worth it, or that he wont come good
just that the maths didnt work for us

proven player for 6 million-yes
unproven player for 2 million-yes
unproven player for 6-no

the gamble was just too great.
and thats no reflection on zaha, or hammond

+1

[RoyalBlue]

its simple really 6 million was just too much for a club like us to pay for an unproven player

not to say he wasnt worth it, or that he wont come good
just that the maths didnt work for us

proven player for 6 million-yes
unproven player for 2 million-yes
unproven player for 6-no

the gamble was just too great.
and thats no reflection on zaha, or hammond

Unproven at perhaps the very highest level but proven at the tier below and very clearly oozing talent from every pore.

[winchester_royal]

its simple really 6 million was just too much for a club like us to pay for an unproven player

not to say he wasnt worth it, or that he wont come good
just that the maths didnt work for us

proven player for 6 million-yes
unproven player for 2 million-yes
unproven player for 6-no

the gamble was just too great.
and thats no reflection on zaha, or hammond

Unproven at perhaps the very highest level but proven at the tier below and very clearly oozing talent from every pore.

If it was that clear then every PL club would have been looking to snap him up.

I remember him being pretty inconsistent last season, and was anonymous when they came to the Mad Stad.

Wish we'd taken a leap of faith, but understandable why the management chose not to.

Hopefully Nathan Redmond will be a little cheaper...

[paultheroyal]

its simple really 6 million was just too much for a club like us to pay for an unproven player

not to say he wasnt worth it, or that he wont come good
just that the maths didnt work for us

proven player for 6 million-yes
unproven player for 2 million-yes
unproven player for 6-no

the gamble was just too great.
and thats no reflection on zaha, or hammond

-1

[Snowball]

91 English clubs failed to get Saha

[sandman]

You are all right about forgetting Zaha, yes, we did miss the boat. However, if I could see his class and potential (as everyone knows), why couldn't RFC. Also, there is some real cr*p written above about costs vs proven ability. For the clown who believes that RFC should buy proven ability for 6m, potential for 2m and so on - please take the job as Director of Football. I anticipate a new Barcelona for about the cost of Messi's toenail clippings!

Get over it! Palace were never going to sell him to us, they know what a special player they've got, they know that if they hang on to him and he does well then bigger clubs than Reading are going to come in and bid far more money than we can afford.

[chilipepper91]

You are all right about forgetting Zaha, yes, we did miss the boat. However, if I could see his class and potential (as everyone knows), why couldn't RFC. Also, there is some real cr*p written above about costs vs proven ability. For the clown who believes that RFC should buy proven ability for 6m, potential for 2m and so on - please take the job as Director of Football. I anticipate a new Barcelona for about the cost of Messi's toenail clippings!

Get over it! Palace were never going to sell him to us, they know what a special player they've got, they know that if they hang on to him and he does well then bigger clubs than Reading are going to come in and bid far more money than we can afford.

Agreed. Sadly the fact that £6m for a Championship player wasn't enough is a sad indictment of the money within football these days. Not complaining though, seeing as we seem to have sold our own top assets for good amounts!

[BraisingsteakRoyal]

It's all very well saying "if i could see his class and potential then why couldn't RFC?", but you're not the one risking the 6M+ investment.

The fans will be first to slate/forget him if he ended up in the reserves not fulfilling his potential, or god forbid suffering a career threatening injury, or going off the rails etc

There is a long way to go yet for Zaha to be value for any 6M+ transfer. For every Oxlade-Chamberlain there are plenty of Franny Jeffers.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

But it wasn't £6M. £6M wasn't enough to secure him. So the gamble wouldn't just have been that figure, it would have been substantially more.

Plus, of course, the wages and the knock-on effect on everyone else's wages.

[MouldyRoyal]

In my opinion he's over-rated. Never looked as good in the championship as Moses did at Palace and Moses is far from a world beater. Redmond looks the better talent currently.

[Elm Park Pasty]

You are all right about forgetting Zaha, yes, we did miss the boat. However, if I could see his class and potential (as everyone knows), why couldn't RFC. Also, there is some real cr*p written above about costs vs proven ability. For the clown who believes that RFC should buy proven ability for 6m, potential for 2m and so on - please take the job as Director of Football. I anticipate a new Barcelona for about the cost of Messi's toenail clippings!

I am seriously not sure what you were smoking last night . Crystal Palace were not going to sell him for £6M and now the rumour mill says they are looking at £10M, and given their current position they may even leave it until the end of the season. The fact we (may have) made an offer does not mean they would sell him, and then of course there would have been wages to consider. I do not expect this guy to end up in a team below the top 6 (although as some others would say, I'm not sure he's worth it but he is young and may opt for England) so even then he is probably off our radar (unless BZ reaches for the Titanium card!).

Messi's nail clippings? jeeez!

[maffff]

Redmond looks the better talent currently.

I think he is. He's gone off the boil a bit at Birmingham though. Started to believe the hype.....

[melonhead]

its simple really 6 million was just too much for a club like us to pay for an unproven player

not to say he wasnt worth it, or that he wont come good
just that the maths didnt work for us

proven player for 6 million-yes
unproven player for 2 million-yes
unproven player for 6-no

the gamble was just too great.
and thats no reflection on zaha, or hammond

-1

oh no, paultheroyal and the siege disagree with me

[melonhead]

You are all right about forgetting Zaha, yes, we did miss the boat. However, if I could see his class and potential (as everyone knows), why couldn't RFC. Also, there is some real cr*p written above about costs vs proven ability. For the clown who believes that RFC should buy proven ability for 6m, potential for 2m and so on - please take the job as Director of Football. I anticipate a new Barcelona for about the cost of Messi's toenail clippings!

arcelona can afford to take a 6 million gamble on an unproven kid though
we still cant

[RockheadRumple]

To be honest though, last season McCleary was just as good as Zaha, and at the moment is doing very well for us at the mo. Someone will have to tell me if got more assists and that, I'm not sure, but he got more goals no?

Zaha is just on very good form and while he is undoubtedly very good no one should be kicking themselves about not signing him, especially when you compare his £6m price tag to the non existent one for Garath McCleary.