DONE DEAL - Mathieu Manset

[Hoop Blah]

I don't buy the excuse that he's making a step up from League 2 though, he's been a full time pro and getting match fit is one thing that ability doesn't stop.

Except that Championship level football is far quicker than League 2 football.

Despite playing in just about every game for Hereford this season, he still looks knackered after 70 minutes - and that's at League 2 level. There's no doubt that he has some talent though and hopefully he'll be able to work more on his fitness with Reading.

That doesn't stop you having the stamina to play 90 minutes at either level though, especially if your training full time.

As I said, it may just be he hasn't got the natural fitness to build on, at any level. We'll find out next season though.

[ZacNaloen]

He looked knackered after 30 minutes on Saturday,


If he can apparently play 70 and look knackered perhaps the actual problem is just his running style and he's not as tired as he looks?

[Hoop Blah]

He looked knackered after 30 minutes on Saturday,


If he can apparently play 70 and look knackered perhaps the actual problem is just his running style and he's not as tired as he looks?

You mean a bit like someone like Waddle, Le Tissier or Little?

Some players do just look like they're struggling from the kick off.

[muddyfeet]

He looked knackered after 30 minutes on Saturday,


If he can apparently play 70 and look knackered perhaps the actual problem is just his running style and he's not as tired as he looks?

You mean a bit like someone like Waddle, Le Tissier or Little?

Some players do just look like they're struggling from the kick off.

Half the Blackpool team look like they've just come from the pub - seem to be doing alright tho

[ZacNaloen]

He looked knackered after 30 minutes on Saturday,


If he can apparently play 70 and look knackered perhaps the actual problem is just his running style and he's not as tired as he looks?

You mean a bit like someone like Waddle, Le Tissier or Little?

Some players do just look like they're struggling from the kick off.

I don't really remember Waddle or Le Tissiers playing days tbh but Little definitely had that air about him.

[papereyes]

There's a difference between types of fitness due to the differing energy systems the body uses. Endurance and explosive are different systems, requiring different fuels.

I could almost certainly run the same distance as any Reading player in 90 minutes, but my top speed would be markedly less. I'd also be running in the wrong places. If I were to make the top speeds, I'd soon discover I couldn't cover the same distance. At all.

If he's an explosive player, that requires recovery from the sprints. If he's wasting energy through a making poor choices, then that's going to further compound things.

[Scarface]

Unfortunately we all wanted a signing that would make immediate impact and propell our promotion push, but none of signings we made satisfy this requirement (this is why I'm disappointed yet again with the clubs ambition). Although I drew my own conclusion that Manset looked slow and very unfit, I really feel we can't judge him and the others until next season. I remember Kitson's first appearance and he was shocking, only to then reappear the next season a world beater.

Manset would not of been involved in the first team had Hunt been fit and assuming he gets fit soon, don't expect to see Manset again this year, unless we get injuries and suspensions. The same goes for Morrison and Williams.

[pea]

Am I the only one who really liked what I saw on Saturday? Yes he needs to build up his fitness and get to know our players but honestly, what were people expecting, the guy is 21, french-speaking, only met the rest of the team when they arrived on Saturday, has only just managed to cement his place in a first team, and at league two level. I thought he did a pretty decent job, got into the right places and was only denied two headed goals by a premiership standard keeper who commands his area brilliantly.

[brendywendy]

nope-totally with you pea

[No Hoops]

He is now officially a Reading Player.

Loan now permanent

[fester_royal]

im stunned..although sadly not surprised.

some of the comments on here are flat out embarrasing even for hob nob.. i know we have a tradtion of casting players out before theyve even signed but some of the stuff being said..

he played half an hour of football less than two hours after having driven up the motorway from a club two leagues below us to play a game with people hed most likely not spoken to let alone played with

are these the same people that thought kebe was arse water? doyle was a nothing/ cheap deal? sigurdson was too weak and wont make it?

we could sign kaka and most of the morons on here would come back and say hes not messi!!

[RoyalBlue]

We might even attract young talent who sign for us over other clubs because we can nurture them and develop them into players that higher level/higher wages paying teams come in for.

I agree with that, but surely what we need in a January window is a player who can affect the present season. To be fair, that was probably what was behind going for Wright-Phillips.

Who doesn't appear to have had any trouble passing his medical for Charlton (who following a change in ownership now have money to spend) and was also reportedly of interest to Rangers!

There's a difference between types of fitness due to the differing energy systems the body uses. Endurance and explosive are different systems, requiring different fuels.

I could almost certainly run the same distance as any Reading player in 90 minutes.

Unless you are a good athlete I suspect you couldn't, although I understand the point you are making.

From what I saw on Saturday, Manset is currently lacking fitness of both types. He really shouldn't have been blowing so much after a couple of relatively short sprints, although some of that might have been down to nervous energy expended.

I'm sure we will see a difference in a few weeks time, I'm just surprised Hereford (albeit a league 2 team) didn't manage to get him into better shape.

[muddyfeet]

im stunned..although sadly not surprised.

some of the comments on here are flat out embarrasing even for hob nob.. i know we have a tradtion of casting players out before theyve even signed but some of the stuff being said..

he played half an hour of football less than two hours after having driven up the motorway from a club two leagues below us to play a game with people hed most likely not spoken to let alone played with

are these the same people that thought kebe was arse water? doyle was a nothing/ cheap deal? sigurdson was too weak and wont make it?

we could sign kaka and most of the morons on here would come back and say hes not messi!!

^^^^^ This
he meet his team mates on Saturday morning and was playing Saturday afternoon, plus he would have been nervous and was unlikely to play anything but a nice safe short pass. I'm not even going to start to judge him until hes played half a dozen games

[bigshaka'away']

I am - totally and unfairly based on what i saw on Saturday, im going say that he will fail at Reading due to poor fitness, no first touch and lack of ability in the air....bar a few goals (albeit good ones from range no doubt) he will be farmed out on loan by next Xmas.....Time will prove my powers of deduction correct.

[muddyfeet]

Just scored for the reserves - assist from Williams

[Hoop Blah]

...by a premiership standard keeper who commands his area brilliantly.

This isn't the keeper they played on Saturday? The one they had kept dropping simple crosses and hardly came out of his six yard box unless it was to recklessly, and needlessly, throw himself at the feet of Shane Long.

im stunned..although sadly not surprised.

some of the comments on here are flat out embarrasing even for hob nob.. i know we have a tradtion of casting players out before theyve even signed but some of the stuff being said..

You'll have to point a few of these embarassing comments out for me. I've not really read anyone slagging or writing him off at all. There are a few suggestions that he didn't look fit enough or in-tune with his team-mates, but nothing that I'd really see as negative or untrue.

[Hoop Blah]

Manset would not of been involved in the first team had Hunt been fit and assuming he gets fit soon, don't expect to see Manset again this year, unless we get injuries and suspensions. The same goes for Morrison and Williams.

I think he's going to be on the bench pretty much whenever he's available. It seems to have gone a little quiet at the club regarding any more transfers. I'm hoping that means they're being a bit more coy about the last signing and not that they've actually wrapped up the business for the window, but I'm not holding my breath.

[winchester_royal]

Just scored for the reserves - assist from Williams

Brett himself scores now.

[papereyes]

Unless you are a good athlete I suspect you couldn't, although I understand the point you are making.

I know its the internet but I'm really not a fat bearded nonce.

[Arch]

Just scored for the reserves - assist from Williams

Brett himself scores now.

Stop bringing football into it.