Simon Church

[andrew1957]

I really like seeing our own Academy players doing well and I have really tried to make allowances for Churchy in the hope that he will come good.

However, I really cannot see any progress in the last 3 seasons. He does have good movement but he does not create or score enough goals. He "might" still develop but he really needs to take his chance and push on this season. But he has shown no sign of doing so to date.

Strangely he might be a player who does better in the PL (if we ever get there). It seems to me you often get more space in that division than in the Championship.

In reality through I suspect all of us would swap him in an instant for the likes of Ched Evans or Billy Sharp - both players who are more likely to influence a game in my opinion.

But as the Chairmen will not splash the cash - I am sure Church will get every opportunity to push on with RFC until the end of the season. If we don’t go up I really cannot see the club persisting with him next season though.

[Snowball]

Could do well running onto slide-rule passes from Gylfi, then hitting
the post (deliberately of course) for Graham to tap in.

So many it'll be named the Churchwood pass and be remembered/cited like the Cruyff turn


Anyone got Rodgers number?





Having said that above doesn't mean he will never come good for us.
The club have believed in him for a long time. Maybe we are impatient?

[sandman]

All Church does is tap the ball in from a few yards out. I really wish we'd play to Alf's Strengths and get the ball in the box so he can score from a few yards out.

[RoyalBlue]

All Church does is tap the ball in from a few yards out.

To be fair to Church (and very few seem to want to be), his last goal was rather more than a tap in and took a great deal of skill to execute.

I really don't know why everyone is criticising him so much.

[Ian Royal]

I think Church has three main problems.

1) He over thinks things and isn't instinctive enough.
2) He's too much of a jack of all trades, master of none, in terms of his game.
3) His style of play is not well suited to our style of play.

[Extended-Phenotype]

It's because he gets balls less often than Anne Widicombe and has the kicking ability of a girl

In an age when girls played less football because men wouldn't let them because we were all repressive and sh/t and it wasn't there fault and sh/t, it was ours. Men.

Pant.

[royalsroyalsroyals92]

Was Shane long ever playing as badly as Simon church is now? I never remember Long being this bad at all!!
For me, Church has been poor all season, and when he does score there is only the occasional impressive finish (Leeds away)

[sandman]

Yay another lets have a go at Simon Church thread.

[rfc2001]

Was Shane long ever playing as badly as Simon church is now? I never remember Long being this bad at all!!
For me, Church has been poor all season, and when he does score there is only the occasional impressive finish (Leeds away)

The difference as we all know is that Long was very quick and fearless. Was never technically brilliant.

Church is not quick or fearless.

I would say Church actually has a better touch, but does not have a finish, the ability to turn or run in behind.

Long has now got an improved touch hence the explosion in form.

My overall conclusion is that

Church will never be as good as Long because he does not have the pace and fearlessness. If long didn't have pace im sure he would be doing hurling instead of football.
Church is not good enough at football to play without pace. Whereas for example. Kitson had little pace, but had finishing and and link play and other little aspects.

A footballer is either quick. Walcott
Or Technical and intelligent Lampard
Church has neither.
Long is quick.

[peterroyal76]

Yay another lets have a go at Simon Church thread.

We NEED a scapegoat when we win.

[Muguire]

Simon Church is absolute toilet

You've had far too many chances

Give Le Fondre a run in the side partnering Roberts

Hunt is OK but should only come off the bench or cover an injured Le Fondre.

[royalsroyalsroyals92]

Yay another lets have a go at Simon Church thread.

We NEED a scapegoat when we win.

THIS.

It's ridiculous, we're seriously mounting a promotion challenge, and people are banging on about Church and Mills, some moron on here even posted saying he was disappointed with Jason Roberts not winning more headers! FFS! WE WON! ROBERTS SCORED! What is wrong with these people??

Nothing about a scapegoat at all. Its more a case off our manager constantly playing or putting on a player who seems to offer nothing, and misses decent opportunities.
Oh wait, sorry... he runs around a lot and tires the defenders out... cause that makes him a brilliant striker

[Friday's Legacy]

simon church is a disaster at this level. his previous loans in L1 & L2 where he really should have scored a few, were also unsuccessful.



you go and sign a natural goalscorer in adam le fondre who is proven at L1 and hasn't looked out of his depth at this level, and he sits on the bench and has to watch simon 'shot shy' church come on in place of him every week.

even the fans around me, and probably most of you too huff and sigh when they see church stand up and ready himself to come on.

it just doesn't make sense.

[royalsroyalsroyals92]

simon church is a disaster at this level. his previous loans in L1 & L2 where he really should have scored a few, were also unsuccessful.



you go and sign a natural goalscorer in adam le fondre who is proven at L1 and hasn't looked out of his depth at this level, and he sits on the bench and has to watch simon 'shot shy' church come on in place of him every week.

even the fans around me, and probably most of you too huff and sigh when they see church stand up and ready himself to come on.

it just doesn't make sense.

Agree

[Snowball]

Nothing about a scapegoat at all. Its more a case off our manager constantly playing or putting on a player who seems to offer nothing, and misses decent opportunities.
Oh wait, sorry... he runs around a lot and tires the defenders out... cause that makes him a brilliant striker

Let's get things straight.

McDermott is an idiot, playing a load of clowns.

That's why we have 27 points from the last 36 and are top of the form table.

Seriously guys, take a look at yourselves.

I AGREE with you, when I watch Church I think he's not very good, but I trust McDermott, NOT
because he's Reading's manager, but because he is getting results on (up to now) a shoestring.

Yes, my uneducated head wants Alf to get more time, but maybe
(I realise this is way out of line) the manager knows more than HobNob

[West Stand Man]

Nothing about a scapegoat at all. Its more a case off our manager constantly playing or putting on a player who seems to offer nothing, and misses decent opportunities.
Oh wait, sorry... he runs around a lot and tires the defenders out... cause that makes him a brilliant striker

Village.
Missing idiot.
Return immediately.

[Friday's Legacy]

*proven at L2, sorry. also our leading goalscorer this season(?)

[Simon's Church]

*proven at L2, sorry. also our leading goalscorer this season(?)

Yep, joint with Church

[West Stand Man]

*proven at L2, sorry. also our leading goalscorer this season(?)

Yep, joint with Church

You won't learn - don't think that facts will affect the bigotry on here

[Friday's Legacy]

*proven at L2, sorry. also our leading goalscorer this season(?)

Yep, joint with Church

and the goals to games and mins ratio is?

sorry simon but you're a bit not good.