Simon Cox released by Reading

[Icy Gull]

That's Nick Hammond for you, who has recently left for West Brom. I think Neil Warnock commented once that he was able to get blood out of a stone.

Selling Blackman for millions after 6 weeks of good form during his 4 years here was up there. I think my favourite was buying Greg Halford for £2m, finding out he had certain "issues" (you can research them) and selling him for a profit 6 months later.

You paid two million for Greg Halford? No idea about his other issues but the main one was that he is and never has been a 2 million pound player

 

[theroyal]

Good to hear he is doing alright - 21 wow I was a fair bit out! I saw a few Reading games early on in the season and he looked OK but like you say made a few mistakes. Dunky was the same I guess and still trying to fully get them out of his game. Hopefully he will be good for your guys. I was really surprised how your season went as expected big things. I was at the 3-0 v Walsall and the 1-0 against Bristol City and couldn't believe how poor some of the football was at times.

Bournemouth would probably be decent for him if he were to move on, they have turned Elphick and Cook into cracking defenders

To be honest, we have been very poor for the last couple of seasons. The only reason we didn't get relegated this season was because Blackman suddenly realised how to play football for a few weeks. As soon as his form dropped again we tumbled down the table. McDermott's the right bloke to clear the decks and build a team - he took us over last time we were struggling and took us to a play-off final and a league title within 3 years. He's not had a chance to start building yet.

I don't want to say I'm glad you guys stayed down, but I enjoy our fixtures, so looking forward to playing you again soon. I think you'll be up there because (from the outside) you haven't relied on a star player so I think you'll keep the core of your team.

 

[theroyal]

You paid two million for Greg Halford? No idea about his other issues but the main one was that he is and never has been a 2 million pound player

This was back in 2007 - he looked a prospect then. £2m was probably about right, but yeah, he had some problems... and Hammond sold him for £3.5m

 

[Simster]

I tell you what, you guys have mugged a couple of teams off over the last season or so, haven't you?

I've seen Hector play, what, three times now, and he's looked awful on each occasion. Can't believe Chelsea picked him up. Did Reading get a decent fee for him?

Still not as good as persuading Derby to fork out several million pounds for Nick Blackman though, that was absolute genius. He had, what, four good months in his entire RFC career? Looks to have a massive attitude problem to me, and I think is still goalless for Derby after five months there? Played, Royals!

Derby are pure chuckles aren't they? Like Middlesbrough, they threw money at just about every position. Unlike Boro, they bought some absolute turd with the money. Blackman is definitely the crowning turd in the u-bend, but they are now lumbered with a large number of high earners who simply aren't good enough to guarantee a top two place. Tom Ince, Darren Bent and Bradley Johnson surely top the list of low value high earners. How much is COG on? If he's on a fair wedge, we should try selling him to Derby.

They are left with Thorne, Martin and Hughes who are all very good players, but they will struggle to rebuild that squad because the wages they must be paying leave them hardly any wiggle room.

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

To be honest, we have been very poor for the last couple of seasons. The only reason we didn't get relegated this season was because Blackman suddenly realised how to play football for a few weeks. As soon as his form dropped again we tumbled down the table. McDermott's the right bloke to clear the decks and build a team - he took us over last time we were struggling and took us to a play-off final and a league title within 3 years. He's not had a chance to start building yet.

I don't want to say I'm glad you guys stayed down, but I enjoy our fixtures, so looking forward to playing you again soon. I think you'll be up there because (from the outside) you haven't relied on a star player so I think you'll keep the core of your team.

To be fair it is one of the small positives from staying down for me.

It gives me a really easy away game (Pamber Heath) and my son is now at an age where he loves football and wants to come along to watch 'both his teams' next season.

think you will be alright with McDermott as you say, last time he was great - I just hope that he isn't like Mickey Adams was for us the second time round

 

[Whitechapel]

Simon Cox is better than Baldock in every area, he'll go somewhere and score a lot of goals if he's given the patience and gametime that Baldock was here.

It's easy to mock, harder to put forward realistic suggestions.

Ok - Realistic suggestions that are better than Simon Cox.

Cheick Diabate - Free - Scored 10 in 22 for Bordeaux. Out of contract in the summer. 50 goals in 129 Ligue 1 and 15 in 37 for Mali Internationally.
Moussa Dembélé - "free" - 15 goals for Fulham in the Championship this year. Still only 19. Out of contract in the summer. Simon Cox has never scored 15 in a Championship season.
Alvaro Vazquez - Free - Similar record to Ulloa in La Liga. Contract with Getafe coming to an end. Had an unsucsessful loan spell with Swansea as a kid, but his international record at youth level is excellent.
Mirco Antenucci - Free - Better record than Cox in this league. Contract with Leeds runs out in the summer.
Sone Aluko - Free - As above, better record than Cox in this league and out of contract in the summer.

So that's 5 options without spending a penny.

However, I'd rather we showed some ambition and offered some cash for Florin Andone. 23 years old, 18 goals and 7 assists in the Segunda Division this season for Córdoba CF who finished midtable. Almost certain to play a part for Romania in the EURO's. Had a few La Liga teams and Villa looking at him but nothing concrete, exactly what we need IMO. He wouldn't cost the world, and if we show him how Ulloa has done since making the switch to England I'm confident we could get him here.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Ok - Realistic suggestions that are better than Simon Cox.

Cheick Diabate - Free - Scored 10 in 22 for Bordeaux. Out of contract in the summer. 50 goals in 129 Ligue 1 and 15 in 37 for Mali Internationally.
Moussa Dembélé - "free" - 15 goals for Fulham in the Championship this year. Still only 19. Out of contract in the summer. Simon Cox has never scored 15 in a Championship season.
Alvaro Vazquez - Free - Similar record to Ulloa in La Liga. Contract with Getafe coming to an end. Had an unsucsessful loan spell with Swansea as a kid, but his international record at youth level is excellent.
Mirco Antenucci - Free - Better record than Cox in this league. Contract with Leeds runs out in the summer.
Sone Aluko - Free - As above, better record than Cox in this league and out of contract in the summer.

So that's 5 options without spending a penny.

However, I'd rather we showed some ambition and offered some cash for Florin Andone. 23 years old, 18 goals and 7 assists in the Segunda Division this season for Córdoba CF who finished midtable. Almost certain to play a part for Romania in the EURO's. Had a few La Liga teams and Villa looking at him but nothing concrete, exactly what we need IMO. He wouldn't cost the world, and if we show him how Ulloa has done since making the switch to England I'm confident we could get him here.

Cracking scouting, I (and everyone else in this thread) haven't gone to that level of detail. Moussa Dembele is a bit misleading to include given where he's going to end up, and for the tribunal fee. He was actually a bit disappointing I thought, I was expecting to see something from him given how highly rated he is, but there's only so much you can do in their team.

 

[Surf's Up]

The OP

So "theroyal" - tell us more about this bird from Swindon

 

[LlcoolJ]

Why don't we just offer Watford £3m to borrow Vydra for a season?

 

[theroyal]

So "theroyal" - tell us more about this bird from Swindon

You know I'm not the OP?