[Archived] Transfer Talk Part 3

[G Somerset Rover]

The only people making a profit out of Apkan will be the Manc restaurants!

[JBiz]

I thought John O'Sullivan (or perhaps I should refer to him as "Johnno") had been highly praised by Bowyer in the past.

So why are we getting in dross free transfers and keeping this guy on the bench?

Is it because we could make a profit on this guy?

Wouldn't logic dictate we'd make more money selling Sullivan after giving him game time?

For those who are not familiar with the rules, clubs have a limit on the amount of long term loans they can take in a season.

The rules changed recently - thank Watford for that and their entire foreign squad loan, which is now not an option.

I think the rules are something along the lines of;

1. a maximum of 4 long term loans (3 month +) for over 21

2. As many under 3 month loans as necessary (with a limit from one club ie you can't borrow 5/6 off one team) but if you already have 4 players on long term you can't keep anyone else for longer than 3 months

3. For u21 I think the rules are laxer, but I couldn't find a direct link.

To explain why Barrow may be 3 months - it doesn't take up one of the full season ones (because even if you send them back they still count if a 3 month + loan had been agreed)

The positives for us mean if he gets injured or under performs, we can still borrow out full compliment of loan players and still extend his into a long term if he plays well.

The negatives are, if Swansea want him back they can get him before Christmas. Normally, there is no recall option in long term deals because borrowing clubs will not borrow players they want to use, only to lose them on a whim.

[Lancs Rover]

The sheer amount of negative comments from Reading fans about Akpan is concerning... "League 1 player" "can't pass" "can't hit a barn door" "no hope Akpan"

Jason Lowe anyone?

Live by the messageboard, die by the messageboard.

[broadsword]

Wouldn't logic dictate we'd make more money selling Sullivan after giving him game time?

I was meaning giving Akpan gAame time and then flogging him.

O'Sullivan will presumably be loaned out somewhere with a view to a perm transfer and a tidy profit. Gold star for our Gary.

[unsall]

Someone raised an interesting point on Twitter

If we sign Akpan it takes us near that 24 number which would indicate that the youngsters can't play much this season

I think O'Sullivan will leave myself, a few times on Twitter he's seemed annoyed to not be involved[/quote. One of the reasons Bowyer didn't play O'Sullivan and Lenihan much last season was to keep them under the 5 starts for the start of this season,so they are not established players,Raya also not established due to his age,was told last week we had room for 4 more to come in,with these two signing this week,we should still have room for two more,all players we bring in on loan/free are classed as established players regardless of age etc,the lad Barrow from Swansea is on an emergency loan,which dosent count as full loan,because you can only have so many full loan players,if no one leaves I can see a c/b and forward coming in......

[JBiz]

I was meaning giving Akpan gAame time and then flogging him.

O'Sullivan will presumably be loaned out somewhere with a view to a perm transfer and a tidy profit. Gold star for our Gary.

I know what you meant, but what I'm saying is if it's purely profit why bring in an extra 400k per year wage, why not just play the kid and sell him?

If you're gonna have a pop, at least make sense.

[K-Hod]

He might be good, he might be bad, but christ, he's young so he's got time on his side.

Though he's not getting a chance before a ball's been kicked clearly....

[JHRover]

I'd be surprised if anyone was prepared to pay money to sign O'Sullivan. He's on a 1 year deal so interested clubs could approach him in January and offer him a contract at the end of this season without the need to pay several hundred thousand.

More likely is he'll go back out on loan to a decent League One club until January and then the club will reassess. If we're out of the embargo by then I can't see O'Sullivan ever making it here.

[JBiz]

I'd be surprised if anyone was prepared to pay money to sign O'Sullivan. He's on a 1 year deal so interested clubs could approach him in January and offer him a contract at the end of this season without the need to pay several hundred thousand.

Under 24 - compensation will be required, won't be millions but if he gets a few games under his belt, it will be more!

[broadsword]

I know what you meant, but what I'm saying is if it's purely profit why bring in an extra 400k per year wage, why not just play the kid and sell him?

If you're gonna have a pop, at least make sense.

I wasn't "having a pop".

I was querying why O'Sullivan wasn't playing and asked if it was because we were trying to make a profit on Akpan.

It wouldn't be a strategy that made much sense, but I was inviting comments from other people in the hope of getting clarity.

Your comments haven't been helpful in that sense, but when are they ever?

[Blueandwhitemike]

Didn't Barnsley already want Sully for 250k in January? Similar to the O'Connell deal

If he did well at Barnsley, and according to their fans he did very well, then he doesn't need to go on loan again, especially as he's only on a one year deal... I don't know if there's something going on with the embargo and not making 5 starts but I don't understand why sign him up, play him in preseason and then not even in the squad, maybe he's done something behind the scenes but if not then he deserves a few outings in real games before he's discarded.

On Barrow, if he's as good as he appears to be then Swansea only letting him out for 3 months makes sense for them and us. They might need him back as he's not far off their first team and we get a high quality player for three months with the chance for more. If he is great for 3 months , helps us get a good few wins and then leaves that's fine by me.

On Akpan, doesn't sound very promising if he's 5th choice CM for Reading but who knows maybe he and Guthrie get on and can form a strong partnership.

[JBiz]

I wasn't "having a pop".

I was querying why O'Sullivan wasn't playing and asked if it was because we were trying to make a profit on Akpan.

It wouldn't be a strategy that made much sense, but I was inviting comments from other people in the hope of getting clarity.

Your comments haven't been helpful in that sense, but when are they ever?

Clarity? You are making an assumption that we are simply buying a player to sell. Inviting comments to pat on back, guffaw and say "yes that scouse agent must be back!"

The pop was yet another insinuation that the football club puts football secondary to transfer business. Going to the extreme to suggest we are now trying to get free players to sell without even considering position, ability....

Hardly a "helpful" post broadsword was it?

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Some friendly agent finding a home for another clubs unwanted crap onto our books ? Wouldn't be the first time would it, no doubt someone will flag up the 'but Rudy hadn't done anything before...' line soon lol

Even Lowe and Willo get more defence on here than the Reading fans are giving this guy

Interestingly Guthrie also comes in for a fair amount of stick on the Reading MB's - imparticular his tracking back - TBH I put it down to fitness, but his tracking back on Saturday wasn't brilliant - always seemed to be the much maligned Lowe putting in the blocks etc

[broadsword]

Clarity? You are making an assumption that we are simply buying a player to sell. Inviting comments to pat on back, guffaw and say "yes that scouse agent must be back!"

The pop was yet another insinuation that the football club puts football secondary to transfer business. Going to the extreme to suggest we are now trying to get free players to sell without even considering position, ability....

Hardly a "helpful" post broadsword was it?

I wasn't making ANY assumptions, I was ASKING why we've signed a player with a very poor reputation when we're not using a player that can play that position, that the manager has highly praised in the past, and that Barnsley wanted to pay money for.

The gentle nuances of my posts appear to be utterly lost on you.

But for the record, your answer to my question I think can be summed up as "I don't know."

[Blueandwhitemike]

With GB always banging on about money and players values recently it's not surprising that people are questioning his signings JBizzle. On the other hand broadsword, Akpan and Sully are very different players. Akpan is a def mid and I thought O'Sullivan played right wing at Southport, Stanley and Barnsley, although like a lot of players these days he probably wants to be a number ten.

[broadsword]

Yeah, my mistake. Looks like O'Sullivan is more of an attacking midfielder.

So, we have Lowe, Williamson, Akpan, Evans as defensive midfielders. Edit: Guthrie too.

I genuinely hope he's been brought in as an improvement on what we already have.

[K-Hod]

Yeah, my mistake. Looks like O'Sullivan is more of an attacking midfielder.

So, we have Lowe, Williamson, Akpan, Evans as defensive midfielders.

I genuinely hope he's been brought in as an improvement on what we already have.

That won't be that difficult!

[davulsukur]

Not sure if anyone has a Times subscription but i'm sure i read on here that Bowyer claimed we could accept player swap deals?

Just read on the BBC gossip page:

"Middlesbrough and Sunderland target Jordan Rhodes, 25, will not be allowed to leave Ewood Park as part of a player-exchange deal because of a transfer embargo at Rovers."(Times - subscription only)

[joey_big_nose]

So, we have Lowe, Williamson, Akpan, Evans as defensive midfielders. Edit: Guthrie too.

You forgot Petshi, Lenihan and Tomlinson too.

We have bloody loads.

[DE.]

GB does have a tendency to stockpile in certain positions. If we were bringing in somebody of genuine quality then fair enough... but Hope Akpan? Is it really necessary to add this player onto our wage bill in an already overcrowded position?

The transfer market is supposed to be one of Bowyer's strong points, but transfers like this genuinely have me scratching my head.

[Iceman]

How about a good CB? or maybe a good Gestede replacement up front? another 2 midfielders makes absolutely no sense

[broadsword]

You forgot Petshi, Lenihan and Tomlinson too.

We have bloody loads.

Sorry, it's difficult to keep track of all these players we sign whilst under embargo. (I know Lenihan and Tomlinson are youth team players before I get picked up on that).

[JAL]

Like what's been said by the Reading fans this Akpan kid does not sound good at all.

[DE.]

A selection of comments from the Reading board...

Not good enough at this level, and always seems to put us under more pressure with his terrible first touch and backwards passing.

He's a terrible player and would be great to get his wages off the books even if it means cancelling his contract.

Can't fault his effort, just not particularly good. Always looks too nervous.

I think he's OK, but a bit too ponderous on the ball at times, and he isn't the type of player to push us towards the top of the table. I think he is adequate as cover

This is fabulous news. Lovely bloke, great athlete, woeful footballer.

I see no downsides to this move, except from Blackburn's perspective

Good luck to him. Never really given a chance here by fans who could never get over the fact that he was signed in the Premier League and a manager who would drop him or take him off the pitch even when he was doing well. Shoulder injury whilst on international duty meant he was never really able to get going during Clarke's tenure.

Still say that if he was a 23 year old produced from the academy he would have been cut a lot more slack by supporters than he did as a 23 year old signed in the Premier League from another club.

He wasn't given a chance to be good.

When he had a little run in the side he and the team did relatively well. 2013-14 season he's beginning to form a partnership with Williams and we win a few games including a very good performance against Millwall away, next thing you know Guthrie is back to fitness and Akpan is dropped despite not really doing anything wrong. Wolves last season, the Sky commentary team pick Akpan out as being key to our play, what happens? Adkins makes a completely unnecessary half time change, brings on Guthrie and we end up drawing.

Akpan became a full international here, playing for a country that reached the World Cup second round during 2014 tournament. You can dismiss Nigeria if you want but it's still an achievement to get into a squad that played in the round of 16 at a World Cup just a few months before.

his first touch was heavy, he was easily pushed off the ball, his passing was tentative at best and players just ran past him with ease. Put in the worst substitute appearance I've ever seen and should have been taken off within 5 minutes of coming on too.

Can't pass water. Good luck at Blackburn.

I'll remember him for constantly falling over, skewed shots, sliced volleys, and for the most part, generally being a bit @#/?.

In fairness to Akpan he'd be a decent squad player but as has been mentioned he's clearly well down the pecking order so it's best for all parties if he moved on.

Feel a bit sorry for Blackburn though. Lose Gestede, maybe Rhodes, sign Guthrie and Akpan.

Make of those what you will...

[tomphil]

Interestingly Guthrie also comes in for a fair amount of stick on the Reading MB's - imparticular his tracking back - TBH I put it down to fitness, but his tracking back on Saturday wasn't brilliant - always seemed to be the much maligned Lowe putting in the blocks etc

Arguably that's the way it should be, one playing deeper and getting the tackles in and one being a bit more forward and creative. Lowe was actually doing his job, the midfield was ok first half but he was often guilty of continually turning the ball backwards in the second half. Maybe under instruction.

Seem a funny bunch that Reading lot though and probably suffering delusions of grandeur after a few seasons in the Prem. Nothing seems good enough for them at the min and it's likely to be partly down to the frustration of them under achieving these days. Dunno where we've seen that before like .....