Loanwatch: Season 2010-2011

[Wycombe Royal]

Why PRECISELY do people not rate this guy?

He has had two starts for Reading and scored two goals!
He has 5 goals in 11 starts for Colchester

2009 - 10 League 22 (08) 06 Charlton
2008 - 09 League 08 (01) 03 Norwich City
2008 - 09 League 02 (00) 00 Stockport
2008 - 09 League 01 (00) 01 Cork
2007 - 08 League 10 (00) 14 Cork
2007 - 08 League 09 (00) 13 Longford Town
2006 - 07 League 06 (00) 06 Longford Town
2005 - 06 League 02 (00) 02 Shamrock R
2004 - 05 League 06 (00) 06 Shamrock R
2008 - 09 Euro Cups 01 (00) 01 Cork
2009 - 10 Lgue Cup 02 (00) 02 Reading
2008 - 09 Lgue Cup 00 (02) 00 Reading


80 Starts 11 sub appearances 65 goals

In England 45 (12) 16 goals. That's hardly cr@p

How many of those goals have been at Championship level?

[Hoop Blah]

Why PRECISELY do people not rate this guy?

It's one thing scoring goals for these clubs but to get in our side he has the be better than what we already have.

You seem convinced that Long is a 20+ goals Championship forward. Church and Hunt are probably just as good as Long in many ways, although all three have slightly different strengths and weaknesses, so which of those do you think Mooney is better than?

If you think Long would get 20+ in the Championship how many do you think he (and the other two for that matter) would get playing at the level Mooney has scored his goals?

As Stranded has said, Mooney may just not fit into how we want to play. The little I've seen of him he certainly doesn't look like a forward capable of playing upfront on his own. He's too slow, too lighweight and little bit too lazy.

[Snowball]

It's one thing scoring goals for these clubs but to get in our side he has the be better than what we already have.

You seem convinced that Long is a 20+ goals Championship forward. Church and Hunt are probably just as good as Long in many ways, although all three have slightly different strengths and weaknesses, so which of those do you think Mooney is better than? If you think Long would get 20+ in the Championship how many do you think he (and the other two for that matter) would get playing at the level Mooney has scored his goals? As Stranded has said, Mooney may just not fit into how we want to play. The little I've seen of him he certainly doesn't look like a forward capable of playing upfront on his own. He's too slow, too lighweight and little bit too lazy.

All I know is he gets goals.

BTW why do you say he's "lazy"? Based on what?

True, he may not "fit", and/or it may be he's out on loan to save money.

He's never really had a chance with Reading

[Hoop Blah]

BTW why do you say he's "lazy"? Based on what?

This bit from my original post pretty much covers it...

The little I've seen of him he certainly doesn't look like a forward capable of playing upfront on his own. He's too slow, too lighweight and little bit too lazy.

I've seen him on the TV, a couple of his games for the first team, and a couple for the reserves. He doesn't have the same appetite for work that our other forwards do.

That's possibly fine when you have a workhorse alongside you and you can score the goals to justify your lack of work (it worked for the likes of Linaker and Cureton) but he didn't look good enough to be carried that way, and we don't play with that kind of partnership upfront anyway.

[Snowball]

Two on TV (cup highlights) and a couple of reserve games..?


Isn't that a very small sample?

Wouldn't the half-a-season at Charlton, the games at Norwich and now Colchester be a better sample?

41 + (10) games and 14 goals versus TV highlights and a couple of reserve games?

[Hoop Blah]

Personally I don't think I need that many games to judge a players stengths and weaknesses. I'm certainly not going to watch a full season of another clubs games just to confirm the ability of a sub-standard squad player at Reading!

A players level of quality might ebb and flow depending on form, fitness and confidence, but in general you can suss a players game out pretty quickly.

What makes you think my judgement is wrong by the way?

[Stranded]

Two on TV (cup highlights) and a couple of reserve games..?


Isn't that a very small sample?

Wouldn't the half-a-season at Charlton, the games at Norwich and now Colchester be a better sample?

41 + (10) games and 14 goals versus TV highlights and a couple of reserve games?

That is of course a better sample, and one I'm sure the coaches at RFC have based their decision not to play him in our first team on.

[Snowball]

Personally I don't think I need that many games to judge a players strengths and weaknesses.
I'm certainly not going to watch a full season of another clubs games just to confirm the ability of a sub-standard squad player at Reading!
A players level of quality might ebb and flow depending on form, fitness and confidence, but in general you can suss a players game out pretty quickly.
What makes you think my judgment is wrong by the way?

Like we sussed-out Cummings?

This list wrote off Cummings, Kebe, Long, Bikey, Pearce, to name just a few.

Were they right?

[Hoop Blah]

I'm talking about me, not some of you numpties!

For the record, I don't think Cummings is quite up to the job still, but his strength and weaknesses remain the same as they were when he was bombed out the side. He's still a bit weak, still too cautious when attacking the ball but still has a quick turn of pace to help get him out of trouble.

Same with the likes of Bikey. He was always a player with lots of ability and potential. He was strong, good on the ball, decent in the air and had a bit of pace about him once his brain was engaged. Those were his strengths. His weaknesses were, and still are from what I can see, that he wandered about a bit, was a bit slow upstairs and cumbersome at times and got caught out of position...not to mention a propensity to blow up and cost his team dearly due to a suspect temperament.

[Duke the Dog]

I seem to recall some comments from Charlton fans calling Mooney lazy and not really up to it (was it last season?). Then he scored a great goal near the end of the season (sorry, can't remember who against or when exactly) and they liked him a bit more.

Whilst 3 successive managers have not deemed him good enough for our squad (including the bloke who scouted him AND the manager who signed him), no one has actually got rid of him. So maybe there is something else going on?

[Hoop Blah]

I think it's simply that someone else would have to be willing to commit to matching, or getting close to, the money he's on here.

Considering we've got rid of pretty much anyone else that other clubs have shown an interest in I can't see we're holding on to him for any other reason.

[brendywendy]

Personally I don't think I need that many games to judge a players strengths and weaknesses.
I'm certainly not going to watch a full season of another clubs games just to confirm the ability of a sub-standard squad player at Reading!
A players level of quality might ebb and flow depending on form, fitness and confidence, but in general you can suss a players game out pretty quickly.
What makes you think my judgment is wrong by the way?

Like we sussed-out Cummings?

This list wrote off Cummings, Kebe, Long, Bikey, Pearce, to name just a few.

Were they right?

no, wrong, this list usually is ive found.

[Snowball]

I know, Wendy.


They seem to slag off the majority of players for not being slightly better than Messi.

Madjeski, Coppell, Rodgers, Kebe, Long, Cummings, McAnuff, Rasiak, Griffin, Harte,
Bikey, Pearce, Mills, Howard, Steve Hunt, Matejovsky, Cisse, Hannheman, Fedders,
Williams, Kelly, and surely others have been SLAMMED on this list.

Only Doyle seems not to be written off, and I'm probably wrong there

[Ian Royal]

Personally I don't think I need that many games to judge a players strengths and weaknesses.
I'm certainly not going to watch a full season of another clubs games just to confirm the ability of a sub-standard squad player at Reading!
A players level of quality might ebb and flow depending on form, fitness and confidence, but in general you can suss a players game out pretty quickly.
What makes you think my judgment is wrong by the way?

Like we sussed-out Cummings?

This list wrote off Cummings, Kebe, Long, Bikey, Pearce, to name just a few.

Were they right?

no, wrong, this list usually is ive found.

It's made up of members of the public, which often appear, in my most unfortunate experience, to largely consist of people who ought to be bright enough to know better, being incredibly stupid.

[ayjaydee]

Just had an email from a Saints supporting mate - Bignell just signed on loan for them.

They seem to be suffering the same problem as us - decent strikers on paper but not doing ther main job of scoring goals. Not sure Bignell will improve on what they have.

[RoyalBlue]

I think it's simply that someone else would have to be willing to commit to matching, or getting close to, the money he's on here.

Considering we've got rid of pretty much anyone else that other clubs have shown an interest in I can't see we're holding on to him for any other reason.

If you are correct in that assumption, then it is further evidence (to add to the black holes) that the club hasn't been as well run as some kept (and some still keep) telling us. Why would the club have offered such good money to a completely unproven striker from the Irish League?

[Wycombe Royal]

I think it's simply that someone else would have to be willing to commit to matching, or getting close to, the money he's on here.

Considering we've got rid of pretty much anyone else that other clubs have shown an interest in I can't see we're holding on to him for any other reason.

If you are correct in that assumption, then it is further evidence (to add to the black holes) that the club hasn't been as well run as some kept (and some still keep) telling us. Why would the club have offered such good money to a completely unproven striker from the Irish League?

A well run club still won't get everything right, just most things. And at the time he was a hot prospect, but playing players is not an exact science and some will be mistakes.

[brendywendy]

If you are correct in that assumption, then it is further evidence (to add to the black holes) that the club hasn't been as well run as some kept (and some still keep) telling us. Why would the club have offered such good money to a completely unproven striker from the Irish League?

why did man united pay tens of millions of pounds for djemba djemba or veron?

[Snowball]

If you are correct in that assumption, then it is further evidence (to add to the black holes) that the club hasn't been as well run as some kept (and some still keep) telling us. Why would the club have offered such good money to a completely unproven striker from the Irish League?

why did man united pay tens of millions of pounds for djemba djemba or veron?

and Forlan, a flop at Man Utd but then came good after he moved on.

[SLAMMED]

I know, Wendy.


They seem to slag off the majority of players for not being slightly better than Messi.

Madjeski, Coppell, Rodgers, Kebe, Long, Cummings, McAnuff, Rasiak, Griffin, Harte,
Bikey, Pearce, Mills, Howard, Steve Hunt, Matejovsky, Cisse, Hannheman, Fedders,
Williams, Kelly, and surely others have been SLAMMED on this list.

Only Doyle seems not to be written off, and I'm probably wrong there