John SmithNewCorkSethJohn Smith Yes probably all of those nations, maybe bar Sweden
Then I really don't get your point.
The size of the nation doesn't correlate to the quality of their players? I would rather have Hamsik than some young English player for example.
Not size of nation, but quality of nation. I'd rather have Gareth Bale but he's a shining light in a bog standard side.
The point I'm making is we have recruited an average foreigner when surely there's a much better young player from England that we don't need to bring in from abroad.
Think you have green-tinted glasses there pal, Wales didn't do better than England by being a "bog-standard" side, they did better because they are an established team, where everybody knows their roles, with a bedrock of decent players and a sprinkling of very good players. Doubt you'd be that snobby about Aaron Ramsey if he rocked up to the MadStad tomorrow.
Fact is, a well managed team of decent players, will generally do better than a bunch of "world-class" players, who never get any consistency of playing style, or management, or fellow team members. Wales had a plan. Iceland had a plan. They are examples of the sum being more than the parts, and how to play for each other.
Which is exactly what we need more of in the Reading team. not less.
We're never going to be able to compete for stars unless and until we become an established premier league side - while we are where we are, we need a team of decent players with a manager they all believe in. That's how we do well. Not by spending bucketloads on a star striker - who frankly all seem to cost about ten times as much as they should, and therefore think they are worth that money too, but by giving chances to hardworking players who will do their utmost for the team and the manager.
Jon Dadi reminds me of Kevin Doyle or Noel Hunt. I can't think of a better recommendation.
If there are similar English players, then that's fine too. But there don't seem to be many at any kind of reasonable price.