CONFIMRED - Glenn Murray on loan

[quickwingerswife]

Why is everyone thinking the world will end if we don't get Murray? He aint that good and a bit of a prima donna.

[Nameless]

Samuel is not physically imposing,, he's pacy but compared to Blackman he's puny.
From what I've seen of him he can be anonymous for an hour then suddenly score a cracker out of nothing. No idea how he'd fare in the tougher world of Championship football, but nor does anyone else until we try him....

[Royal Ginger]

Long played upfront with Noel Hunt in his successful season.

TBF all of our successful strikers in the last 6 years have played best along side Noel Hunt.

[windermere_royal]

Why is everyone thinking the world will end if we don't get Murray? He aint that good and a bit of a prima donna.

Well he`s good enough to be our top scorer.

[sandman]

Why is everyone thinking the world will end if we don't get Murray? He aint that good and a bit of a prima donna.

Well he`s good enough to be our top scorer.

Joint top scorer. And Noel did play with Long Ian but he played more of a link role rather than proper out and out striker.

[harry]

Why is everyone thinking the world will end if we don't get Murray? He aint that good and a bit of a prima donna.

Well he`s good enough to be our top scorer.

Joint top scorer. And Noel did play with Long Ian but he played more of a link role rather than proper out and out striker.

Cox reminds me a lot of Noel in his business.
Noel was better in the air but Cox seems to have a better nose for goal.

[Snowball]

The point about Long-Hunt (and prior to that Doyle-Hunt) is a good one.

It's the PAIRING that counts and Noel Hunt, IMO, was a brilliant player for us.

Cox (with Murray) is not quite the blend, but it has shown signs it might be.

But if Murray goes we need a big, battering-ram type of CF, or we need someone with blistering pace like Long

[Hoop Blah]

Samuel is not physically imposing,, he's pacy but compared to Blackman he's puny.
From what I've seen of him he can be anonymous for an hour then suddenly score a cracker out of nothing. No idea how he'd fare in the tougher world of Championship football, but nor does anyone else until we try him....

I've not really seen him play for quite a while but I'd say that sums up what I saw of him before his injury.

From the pictures of him more recently I don't think he's really filled out as such either. I think he'd struggle to impose himself in the cut and thrust of first team football if he was playing upfront on his own.

Interesting that we're being linked with Chris Wood now as well. He'd presumably be a direct replacement for Murray if it happened.

[GH Royal]

Samuel is not physically imposing,, he's pacy but compared to Blackman he's puny.
From what I've seen of him he can be anonymous for an hour then suddenly score a cracker out of nothing. No idea how he'd fare in the tougher world of Championship football, but nor does anyone else until we try him....

I've not really seen him play for quite a while but I'd say that sums up what I saw of him before his injury.

From the pictures of him more recently I don't think he's really filled out as such either. I think he'd struggle to impose himself in the cut and thrust of first team football if he was playing upfront on his own.

Interesting that we're being linked with Chris Wood now as well. He'd presumably be a direct replacement for Murray if it happened.

Chris Wood would be a good signing, not getting as much as a sniff at Leicester, taller (6 ft 3) and younger (23) than Murray and should be a lot cheaper as well. 4 apps with 1 goal in the Prem this season which you can't complain about when he's not getting games and playing for the side that is currently sat bottom of the league.

[Snowball]

Woods' stats last season were decent enough

4 Goals, 5 Assists in 924 Minutes in the Championship
4 Goals, 1 Assists in 241 Minutes in the League Cup

8 Goals, 6 Assists in 1,165 Minutes

League that's a goal every 231 minutes (2.5 games) but add in his assists
and that's a major contribution every 103 minutes.

Add in cup games and he scored a goal every 145 minutes

With assists added, he was getting TWO goals or assists every 96 minutes (cup)
and a major contribution (goal or assist) every 83 minutes (overall - edit).

Damn good for a was 22-year old who has (now age 23) 4-5-6-7 years of improvement in him


One PREM goal this year (9 appearances) but that's in just 114 minutes. Don't think he'll be cheap.

[maffff]

Samuel would be awful upfront on his own at this level. Way too lightweight.

[mambo3]

Samuel would be awful upfront on his own at this level. Way too lightweight.

This aint the 1970s. when you need to be built like a brick shit house.
If that's the case then you must think Tanner, Kuhl too lightweight in Midfield. Cooper, Keown in defence.
They must play mickey mouse football in the U21s and all be midgets then.

P.S. Raheem Sterling, Messi their lightweight too hmmmmmmmm

Correct me if im wrong but don't they play the same way in the U21s as they do in the 1st Team and Samuel is they lone
striker so its not like its new to him and he has definitely got something about him or READING would of got rid long time ago if
you listen to the rumours.

[Hoop Blah]

It all depends on how and where they play doesn't it mambo?

I've not seen as much of the youth teams the last couple of years but I've seen enough to know that Kuhl and Tanner don't rely on their physical size or play in positions where it's needed. Samuel has been one of the larger lads coming through the youth ranks but still isn't a player (from the limited amount I've seen of him recently) who uses that size that much but he plays in a position where he's up against big centre halfs and we'd presumably be looking for him to do a similar job for the team as Murray if he's coming in as a direct replacement.

As an aside, Kuhl will hopefully continue to progress but he will need to learn to deal with the more physical and competitive nature of first team football as any youngster coming into it has to.

[mambo3]

It all depends on how and where they play doesn't it mambo?

I've not seen as much of the youth teams the last couple of years but I've seen enough to know that Kuhl and Tanner don't rely on their physical size or play in positions where it's needed. Samuel has been one of the larger lads coming through the youth ranks but still isn't a player (from the limited amount I've seen of him recently) who uses that size that much but he plays in a position where he's up against big centre halfs and we'd presumably be looking for him to do a similar job for the team as Murray if he's coming in as a direct replacement.

As an aside, Kuhl will hopefully continue to progress but he will need to learn to deal with the more physical and competitive nature of first team football as any youngster coming into it has to.

My neighbour whose son is in and around the U21s so I accompany him to U21 matches went to the Bolton U21 game and young Defender Keown had Emille Heskey in his back pocket. He is more or less the same size as Samuel and talk to some of the U18/21 players about how good they think Dom Samuel is and why Reading rate him highly, His game is more continental then about the English type player but don't want to give "are own" a chance because of this and that and nit pick for every weakness. Give the boys a chance and support them. This is why we never do well in SPORT.

I don't watch many Reading 1st Team Games so I wont comment on individual players but one thing I know if we don't get relegated
we should put the kids in. Keep what we rate and sell the rest.

[Sanguine]

I'd like to see Samuel loaned out to a League One/Two side.

[P!ssed Off]

It all depends on how and where they play doesn't it mambo?

I've not seen as much of the youth teams the last couple of years but I've seen enough to know that Kuhl and Tanner don't rely on their physical size or play in positions where it's needed. Samuel has been one of the larger lads coming through the youth ranks but still isn't a player (from the limited amount I've seen of him recently) who uses that size that much but he plays in a position where he's up against big centre halfs and we'd presumably be looking for him to do a similar job for the team as Murray if he's coming in as a direct replacement.

As an aside, Kuhl will hopefully continue to progress but he will need to learn to deal with the more physical and competitive nature of first team football as any youngster coming into it has to.

Went to the U21 Madejski Stadium game two weeks ago, where Samuel out-muscled his defender to score a header.
Given that you admit that you've not seen much of the youth teams, on what do you base your opinions?

[Hoop Blah]

I've not seen a lot of them over the last couple of years, apart from the games that were shown on the telly/you tube so I'm basing my opinion on what I saw of Samuel before that and the limited bits I've seen via the clubs highlights and news since.

When I say that Samuel didn't previously appear to use his physical advantage that much (and it's not like he was a beast like Ikpeazu) I don't mean he could never out muscle a defender or hold a player off etc, it just wasn't really a big part of his game from what I've seen of him. I'd equate his playing style to more of a Torres or Darren Bent, with the ability to turn a defender and run away from him and score a decent mix of goals, as opposed to a more physical number 9 like a Roberts, Heskey or Shearer who used their physical power (Murray is similar but not quite so overtly physical) .

My point was that Samuel isn't that type of player and the suggestion was that he could come in and replace that option within our squad whilst making the jump up to Senior competitive football from the rather tame under 21 league. Asking him to come into the side now to replace Murray would be a big gamble on the clubs part IMO.

Mambo, I'm all for the introduction of the youngsters into the first team. We have to be careful to throw them in when the time is right though. I'm not sure that time is now when we're looking to put a bit of room between us and the relegation fight.

[mambo3]

I've not seen a lot of them over the last couple of years, apart from the games that were shown on the telly/you tube so I'm basing my opinion on what I saw of Samuel before that and the limited bits I've seen via the clubs highlights and news since.

When I say that Samuel didn't previously appear to use his physical advantage that much (and it's not like he was a beast like Ikpeazu) I don't mean he could never out muscle a defender or hold a player off etc, it just wasn't really a big part of his game from what I've seen of him. I'd equate his playing style to more of a Torres or Darren Bent, with the ability to turn a defender and run away from him and score a decent mix of goals, as opposed to a more physical number 9 like a Roberts, Heskey or Shearer who used their physical power (Murray is similar but not quite so overtly physical) .

My point was that Samuel isn't that type of player and the suggestion was that he could come in and replace that option within our squad whilst making the jump up to Senior competitive football from the rather tame under 21 league. Asking him to come into the side now to replace Murray would be a big gamble on the clubs part IMO.

Mambo, I'm all for the introduction of the youngsters into the first team. We have to be careful to throw them in when the time is right though. I'm not sure that time is now when we're looking to put a bit of room between us and the relegation fight.

I agree with you up to a point but looking at the overall situation Reading FC is in (no Money, ambition to premiership
Status with seasoned players who might or might not be good enough, playing attractive football if we can) is a hell of a risk as we have been there and worn the t shirt playing a bunch of kids is a better option and the sale value is much greater, how good can they be by the end of the season if they are given the chance to gain experience in the 1st Team. So what if cooper makes mistakes or Samuel isn't physical enough or tanners too short, what's the alternative? Carry on as we are. My mate told me that reading fc has more players playing for different clubs that were originally in our academy then any other club. That tells me they know what they are doing. Bring the kids on I say. We shouldn't worry about the idea of relegation, we have been there as well.

[Hoop Blah]

So what if cooper makes mistakes or Samuel isn't physical enough or tanners too short, what's the alternative? Carry on as we are.

Well the obvious answer is that we get worse than we are and end up relegated and that those youngsters thrown in before they're quite ready could suffer personally as they fail to take their chance and don't recover.

My mate told me that reading fc has more players playing for different clubs that were originally in our academy then any other club. That tells me they know what they are doing. Bring the kids on I say. We shouldn't worry about the idea of relegation, we have been there as well.

I'm not sure you're mate is right, but we have produced a number of decent youngsters who are making a living elsewhere (which I think is great btw). They're largely playing in the lower leagues though (with a few notable exceptions like Sigurdsson, Hamer and McCarthy) which also tells me that the club make reasonable choices on which ones to keep and nurture and which ones to let go.

[Silver Fox]

So he's gone back to Palace, but it's not totally clear whether that means it's all over or not?