match thread Reading (A)

[roversfan99]

2 hours ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

I was very unhappy with what happened that season which I think was principally down to Owen Coyle failing to organise the team in a way to give us sufficient defensive solidity .- I don't put that at Gallagher's door - as I recall he seemed to be putting in 100% in the way the manager was playing him

But you were implying that Gallagher cannot be questioned as he is part of a team that has hit some good form, so surely by the same token if we are judging individuals based solely on the teams results then he was only deserving of criticism during Coyles tenure as even though his goal tally was as impressive as it ever has been in his fledgling career, the team was losing?

Ive not said that he isnt offering anything or that he doesnt have any attributes of any use, because of course he does. I also have read @Atko's Engine and whilst I slightly disagree that hes "mainly" played wide (against Charlton, Fulham, West Brom and Reading he played central, against Hull, Boro and Cardiff wide, as a sub v Millwall mainly central) and I totally appreciate that his game is different to Graham.

I dont believe a striker yet to score's contribution can be described as excellent to be honest. I also think it is very fair to demand that at some point, our (£5m!) striker starts adding goals to his game as we can not be solely reliant on other positions scoring all season in absence of our seemingly now main striker, especially as we are far from free scoring anyway. I have not put specific demands on how many goals, I dont expect him to score 20 goals, or to be honest even match Grahams tally, but we must never lose sight of the main purpose of a striker regardless of what else he might offer, its not enough without goals.

[1864roverite]

As it stands Rf99, I couldn't give a toss if we won every game 1-0 and other players than our centre forward scored the goals. Its a team game, points at stake and at the end of the day it doesn't matter who scores as long as we win and each team member contributes to the game.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

But you were implying that Gallagher cannot be questioned as he is part of a team that has hit some good form, so surely by the same token if we are judging individuals based solely on the teams results then he was only deserving of criticism during Coyles tenure as even though his goal tally was as impressive as it ever has been in his fledgling career, the team was losing?

Ive not said that he isnt offering anything or that he doesnt have any attributes of any use, because of course he does. I also have read @Atko's Engine and whilst I slightly disagree that hes "mainly" played wide (against Charlton, Fulham, West Brom and Reading he played central, against Hull, Boro and Cardiff wide, as a sub v Millwall mainly central) and I totally appreciate that his game is different to Graham.

I dont believe a striker yet to score's contribution can be described as excellent to be honest. I also think it is very fair to demand that at some point, our (£5m!) striker starts adding goals to his game as we can not be solely reliant on other positions scoring all season in absence of our seemingly now main striker, especially as we are far from free scoring anyway. I have not put specific demands on how many goals, I dont expect him to score 20 goals, or to be honest even match Grahams tally, but we must never lose sight of the main purpose of a striker regardless of what else he might offer, its not enough without goals.

I agree. £5million is a lot to pay for someone to run around a lot and make a nuisance of themselves, even in today's market. Whoever's playing up front has to carry a goal threat. This weekend would be a good time to start.On another point I believe Luton have a midweek game also.

[47er]

1 hour ago, rigger said:

Would you get Pukki on a free transfer now. I'd swap £5m Gallagher for free transfer Messi, but that is unrealistic also. 

Well---true---obviously. But when we're bigging up TM for his great signings he's never got remotely close to one like Pukki or Lyle Taylor,who makes Charlton tick for that matter---also on a free.

They are around, you don't have to pay £7M or £5M. our scouting system isn't up to it apparently. However I digress....

[rigger]

Just now, 47er said:

Well---true---obviously. But when we're bigging up TM for his great signings he's never got remotely close to one like Pukki or Lyle Taylor,who makes Charlton tick for that matter---also on a free.

They are around, you don't have to pay £7M or £5M. our scouting system isn't up to it apparently. However I digress....

You certainly have

[MarkBRFC]

Just now, 47er said:

Well---true---obviously. But when we're bigging up TM for his great signings he's never got remotely close to one like Pukki or Lyle Taylor,who makes Charlton tick for that matter---also on a free.

They are around, you don't have to pay £7M or £5M. our scouting system isn't up to it apparently. However I digress....

I'd say Bradley Dack has been pretty instrumental for us in the past two and a bit years, wouldn't you?

100 games, 40 goals, less than a million quid.

[47er]

Just now, rigger said:

You certainly have

True though.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, MarkBRFC said:

I'd say Bradley Dack has been pretty instrumental for us in the past two and a bit years, wouldn't you?

100 games, 40 goals, less than a million quid.

Yeah Dack's been great. Pound for pound one of our best signings.

[47er]

Just now, MarkBRFC said:

I'd say Bradley Dack has been pretty instrumental for us in the past two and a bit years, wouldn't you?

100 games, 40 goals, less than a million quid.

Well nobody in their right mind could argue about that. But---Strikers! People defended the Brereton signing on the grounds that that's what you have to pay these days for a championship striker. Norwich and Charlton have shown you don't.

[1864roverite]

Just now, 47er said:

 our scouting system isn't up to it apparently. However I digress....

In your humble opinion it isn't, in others it is, Buckley, Travis, JRC, Butterworth and others in the youth picture are examples of positivity.

[47er]

17 minutes ago, 1864roverite said:

In your humble opinion it isn't, in others it is, Buckley, Travis, JRC, Butterworth and others in the youth picture are examples of positivity.

I'm not talking about youth level though, I'm talking about 1st team now. As you knew.

[philipl]

Lewis Holtby on a free from Germany?

[K-Hod]

2 hours ago, philipl said:

Hey guys,

Gallagher is putting in more than a shift every game and we are in the top six in the current form table.

Chill

We aren’t currently looking to expand the moderating team, but if that changes, I’ll keep your details on file for next time. ?

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Just now, 47er said:

I'm not talking about youth level though, I'm talking about 1st team now. As you knew.

Dack was cited as a player we brought in on the cheap and you changed the parameters to strikers only. We know he considerably overpaid for Brereton and Gally has to start scoring. But Mowbray has bought influential players for small amounts. How much did Johnson, Downing and Holtby cost?

[JBiz]

Anyone notice Reading had 15m of strikers on the pitch Saturday? Joao and Puscas.

 

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, 1864roverite said:

As it stands Rf99, I couldn't give a toss if we won every game 1-0 and other players than our centre forward scored the goals. Its a team game, points at stake and at the end of the day it doesn't matter who scores as long as we win and each team member contributes to the game.

Neither do I, you are making out as if I am unhappy with a win. Absolutely nothing that I have said warrants you taking the moral high ground.

I have merely said that our striker will need to contribute at least some goals in order for us to meet our objectives. 

[Dreams of 1995]

I think it's mad how Preston are being cited as a team we should emulate when they finished 1 point ahead of us last season and are 3 points ahead of us now.

Yep, aim high.

I'd also hazard a guess, in fact nay I'd wage money on it, that PNE rotate their starting line ups more than us.

[Admiral Nelsen]

6 minutes ago, Harry The Bass said:

Anyone notice Reading had 15m of strikers on the pitch Saturday? Joao and Puscas.

 

Some very poor views of Joao from their fans. Maybe justified, but surprising. Very impressed (albeit sometimes exasperated) when he was at Ewood. 

[Adam C]

1 hour ago, 47er said:

Well---true---obviously. But when we're bigging up TM for his great signings he's never got remotely close to one like Pukki or Lyle Taylor,who makes Charlton tick for that matter---also on a free.

They are around, you don't have to pay £7M or £5M. our scouting system isn't up to it apparently. However I digress....

Signings like Pukki are one in a million tbf. And I think Dack is up there as a one in a million signing anyway, he’s become our most important player and maybe the most technically gifted since we dropped out of the Prem? Or even before then? For £750K we’ve done amazingly well there. 

I agree that our scouting hasn’t been up to much in the recent past. I’m tired of being linked with ex players all the time but I’m hopeful that the Holtby transfer is a sign of more good things to come from Europe. 

[Mashed Potatoes]

2 hours ago, 1864roverite said:

As it stands Rf99, I couldn't give a toss if we won every game 1-0 and other players than our centre forward scored the goals. Its a team game, points at stake and at the end of the day it doesn't matter who scores as long as we win and each team member contributes to the game.

My views exactly

[1864roverite]

18 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Neither do I, you are making out as if I am unhappy with a win. Absolutely nothing that I have said warrants you taking the moral high ground.

I have merely said that our striker will need to contribute at least some goals in order for us to meet our objectives. 

No moral ground and I haven't made you out as being unhappy at any point in the post. It is just an observation.

[roversfan99]

55 minutes ago, 1864roverite said:

No moral ground and I haven't made you out as being unhappy at any point in the post. It is just an observation.

Would you agree then that during the course of the season, it would be very difficult (IMO impossible) to reach our play off objective without our striker contributing goals along the way?

[rigger]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Would you agree then that during the course of the season, it would be very difficult (IMO impossible) to reach our play off objective without our striker contributing goals along the way?

I will tell you what is impossible to do. Be certain of an outcome before it has happened.

[philipl]

I know Armstrong gets the plaudits for a lovely strike from outside the area but Dack's goal was control guts and determination. 

If he were just a fancy soft touch, no way would he have ever scored that.

[speeeeeeedie]

5 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

But you were implying that Gallagher cannot be questioned as he is part of a team that has hit some good form, so surely by the same token if we are judging individuals based solely on the teams results then he was only deserving of criticism during Coyles tenure as even though his goal tally was as impressive as it ever has been in his fledgling career, the team was losing?

Ive not said that he isnt offering anything or that he doesnt have any attributes of any use, because of course he does. I also have read @Atko's Engine and whilst I slightly disagree that hes "mainly" played wide (against Charlton, Fulham, West Brom and Reading he played central, against Hull, Boro and Cardiff wide, as a sub v Millwall mainly central) and I totally appreciate that his game is different to Graham.

I dont believe a striker yet to score's contribution can be described as excellent to be honest. I also think it is very fair to demand that at some point, our (£5m!) striker starts adding goals to his game as we can not be solely reliant on other positions scoring all season in absence of our seemingly now main striker, especially as we are far from free scoring anyway. I have not put specific demands on how many goals, I dont expect him to score 20 goals, or to be honest even match Grahams tally, but we must never lose sight of the main purpose of a striker regardless of what else he might offer, its not enough without goals.

I agree that centre forwards should score goals. However, on what you say above he's only played 4 games there. Give him a chance. Give him a decent run and I'll bet the goals will start coming.

If he's out there causing problems and allowing others to prosper it's still good. Giroud won a World Cup with France and he may only have had 2 shots, never mind goals, throughout the whole tournament.