Howard to Saints

[Gordons Cumming]

Good news. Not my favourite player.

He'll probably be on 24 hour recall.

[Snowball]

While Howard IS capable, he hasn't really shone for us
for quite some while, and letting him go and bringing
in someone (or making room for a youngster) is forward-looking.

[biscuitman]

Good news for him especially. More first team games and he's playing for the club he supports. Good decison by the club. We have 4 good centre midfielders and a very decent young player in Lawson D'ath in the ranks.

[Wycombe Royal]

This is from Saints forum:

Ron I am at home with my son. Brian is talking to him via texts at this minute. Nothing is happening, Saints know what his contract is and all he is looking for is the same figures. He is happy to sign on loan and permanently if we are promoted. He isn't talking to anyone except friends. It seems the Reading end is leaking like a sieve. Unless his contract is accepted it won't happen. The conversation is along the lines that the Echo knows something he doesn't. The sarcastic response was It looks that way. I'll let you know if anything moves. I just hope that this Echo/media thing doesn't bugger it up because Cortese won't like it. He hasn't spoken to Saints yet but his agent has

[Maguire]

Only creative midfielder we have at the club

[specialjon]

Only creative midfielder we have at the club.

I disagree with the use of the word "midfielder", this implies he is a footballer.

Well you're an idiot to think he's not a footballer.

[Royal Lady]

Personally I think it would be lunacy to let him go on loan - we need all the cover we can get for a start - what with our injuries etc.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Personally I think it would be lunacy to let him go on loan - we need all the cover we can get for a start - what with our injuries etc.

As long as we can recall him at short notice, why not? It means he's match fit and in the swing of playing games each week.

[Agent Balti]

Filed under the same category as Nicklas Bentdner. Not half as good as he thinks he is.

Won't be missed by me, that's for sure.

[Tilehurst End]

Good news for him especially. More first team games and he's playing for the club he supports. Good decison by the club. We have 4 good centre midfielders and a very decent young player in Lawson D'ath in the ranks.

We also have Jake Taylor fit again and we've yet to see him in his best position (he's no full back).

Maybe these lads from across the pond are impressing as well.

[facaldaqui]

Personally I think it would be lunacy to let him go on loan - we need all the cover we can get for a start - what with our injuries etc.

On the face of it, yes. We seem to be getting by without a creative central midfielder in the team, but it's peculiar and left us impotent against City. We looked better once Howard was on. But if McD wasn't going to start him in that game, then clearly Howard isn't seriously part of the picture. The truth is that he doesn't have the level of industry that McD requires, nor the tackling ability. He is definitely talented, but he doesn't register his cultured passes and shots often enough. In that respect, another Matejovsky. But if McD intends to proceed indefinitely without a creative midfielder, there's surely a limit to how far we can progress: players like Dorrans, Taraabt, and Adam are a feature of promotion teams.

[brendywendy]

Saints fans loved Antonio, shame our manager does not.

saints fans loved him in Div 1............
he gets his fair share of appearances in the championship, and in not a single one of them has he come out and proved he deserves a shot at starting just yet. he looks very very raw, but someone who could cause oppositions problems late in games.
BMcDs policy of training him on, while giving him a few opportunitys as a sub is exactly right in my opinion.

Have a differing view to that. For the "minutes" he has had there are real promising moments etc, but minutes is not good enough to judge him on and deserves better.[/quote]
promising yes. deserves better? not imo.
HRK is rightly ahead of him in pecking order.
antonmio will imporve, and become less raw, and wghen he does, he'll get his shot, until then its training and improvement under brians stewardship

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Stupid decision.

[NR_Royal]

As much as I hate the bastard, what if QPR recall Ledge?

[ZacNaloen]

They can't?

It's not an emergency loan.

[Gordons Cumming]

This means Bryn will be staying................Hoorah!!

[roadrunner]

As much as I hate the bastard, what if QPR recall Ledge?

They can't do that.

I see no harm in this. He's too inconsistant, his passing is wayward, he doesn't add much in the way of goals, can't tackle for toffee. Bryn has been playing well and can fill Howards void of need be. I'm sure McDermott has his eye on a replacement for the summer. We usually hear how Hammond has been working on a target for months on end before it comes to fruition in the summer.

[Jeffers217]

How on earth is Howard anywhere near the ability of Matejovsky?! Marek just didn't fit the english style of football whereas Howard is just too slow and lazy!

[Elliott]

Best Reading moment - the late equaliser up at West Brom.

If we've seen your last appearance in a Reading shirt then I wish you good luck in the future Brian.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Always like to see any player that moves on doing well, gives a bit of interest in other teams, and shows that whoever signed the guy for us got it right, but perhaps was the wrong time, due to factors. Setling in, style of play etc, Howard for me scored a cracking goal for Barnsley at 'Pool, and somehow that seems to be his career.