CONFIMRED - Rafael Cabral

[Ranger_762]

Hey, he joined Reading for free (I mean, there was no purchase, he'll still be paid a hefty sum per match)? That's uncommon these days, everyone and their mother is being sold from one club to another for millions and millions of pounds/dollars/euros like they're slaves that would be made of gold. I don't even understand why and how footy player purchases can reach such sums, it's several times the price of any Lamborghini, or yacht, or even a villa on the Côte d'Azur. What do they do with that money? Buy each one of their pets a boat?

[Hendo]

Nominated for Player of the Month of December.

[Old Man Andrews]

Nominated for Player of the Month of December.

Great to see a keeper recognised, doesn't happen enough. I would actually like to see a "Goalkeeper of the Month" award come in.

[Millsy]

Good question. When's the last time we had a keeper as PoM?

[Hendo]

Good question. When's the last time we had a keeper as PoM?

Would've thought that AAH got one?

[Millsy]

Good question. When's the last time we had a keeper as PoM?

Would've thought that AAH got one?

I've just looked through.

Feds got one in Feb 2012.

[John Smith]

Good question. When's the last time we had a keeper as PoM?

Would've thought that AAH got one?

I wouldn't have. He was dreadful.

[Old Man Andrews]

Good question. When's the last time we had a keeper as PoM?

Would've thought that AAH got one?

I wouldn't have. He was dreadful.

Along with Kemorgant he got us into a playoff final, John.

[Hendo]

Good question. When's the last time we had a keeper as PoM?

Would've thought that AAH got one?

I wouldn't have. He was dreadful.

Well he was nominated for a PotM in November 2016, was in the EFL Championship Team of the Season for 2016-17 and was POTS for Reading in a season where we finished 3rd, so yeah, dreadful.

[genome]

Reading have this weird knack of finding excellent goalkeepers. We've really been spoiled over the years. Hahnemann, Federici, McCarthy, Al-Habsi, Martinez, and now Rafael.

Virginia the exception of course...

[Silver Fox]

Good question. When's the last time we had a keeper as PoM?

Would've thought that AAH got one?

I wouldn't have. He was dreadful.

Don't you keep boring on about how other people know nothing about football?

[Hound]

Reading have this weird knack of finding excellent goalkeepers. We've really been spoiled over the years. Hahnemann, Federici, McCarthy, Al-Habsi, Martinez, and now Rafael.

Virginia the exception of course...

Mannone, Walker, Bond, Jaakkola were also exceptions of course.

[Old Man Andrews]

Reading have this weird knack of finding excellent goalkeepers. We've really been spoiled over the years. Hahnemann, Federici, McCarthy, Al-Habsi, Martinez, and now Rafael.

Virginia the exception of course...

The Al-Habsi one was strange because he was universally considered a bit ropey by most supporters before he joined us. He only came here to be back up too, the awful Jonathan Bond started the season as first choice. Think Al-Habsi probably surprised himself with how well things went for him.

[Hendo]

Reading have this weird knack of finding excellent goalkeepers. We've really been spoiled over the years. Hahnemann, Federici, McCarthy, Al-Habsi, Martinez, and now Rafael.

Virginia the exception of course...

And Bond, to an extent.

But yes, we do have a very good record with 'keepers recently.

[URZZZZ]

Would've thought that AAH got one?

I wouldn't have. He was dreadful.

Along with Kemorgant he got us into a playoff final, John.

And the other 9 players, of course

[genome]

Reading have this weird knack of finding excellent goalkeepers. We've really been spoiled over the years. Hahnemann, Federici, McCarthy, Al-Habsi, Martinez, and now Rafael.

Virginia the exception of course...

Mannone, Walker, Bond, Jaakkola were also exceptions of course.

Mannone agreed but I didn't really count the other three, as they were mostly brought in as cover.

[URZZZZ]

Reading have this weird knack of finding excellent goalkeepers. We've really been spoiled over the years. Hahnemann, Federici, McCarthy, Al-Habsi, Martinez, and now Rafael.

Virginia the exception of course...

Mannone, Walker, Bond, Jaakkola were also exceptions of course.

Andersen and Stuart Taylor weren’t great to be fair

But yeah, we have had some great goalies over the years

[Old Man Andrews]

I wouldn't have. He was dreadful.

Along with Kemorgant he got us into a playoff final, John.

And the other 9 players, of course

No it was pretty much just those two who got us to the heights we did that season. The others played at their level, Al-Habsi and Yann were way above expectations.

Did you go to any of the games?

[genome]

Reading have this weird knack of finding excellent goalkeepers. We've really been spoiled over the years. Hahnemann, Federici, McCarthy, Al-Habsi, Martinez, and now Rafael.

Virginia the exception of course...

Mannone, Walker, Bond, Jaakkola were also exceptions of course.

Andersen and Stuart Taylor weren’t great to be fair

But yeah, we have had some great goalies over the years

I'm talking proper first-team goalies, not reserves. Mannone and to a lesser extent Bond would count, but the other 4 were back-ups.

[Hendo]

Along with Kemorgant he got us into a playoff final, John.

And the other 9 players, of course

No it was pretty much just those two who got us to the heights we did that season. The others played at their level, Al-Habsi and Yann were way above expectations.

Did you go to any of the games?

Hmm, I seem to remember Danny Williams having a few stand-out games, McShane was excellent and Swift was playing at the same level he currently is.