SHOULD WE RESIGN LITA?

[Agent Balti]

It's all down to the wages, isn't it? The players that were released (or sold) were on contracts that are (now) too expensive to renew. There's no way a modern day player with some life left in them (let alone a youngster in relative terms like Lita) will take a substantial drop in wages from perceived Premiership wages. (Gunnarsson is hardly a risk and can't really really be one of our top earners.)

Then I guess we have to talk about return on those wages...of which Lita's was minimal. And let's face it, he's hardly been snaffled up by anyone as soon as his contract was up, let alone pencilled in with a pre-contract agreement.

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest that his off-field antics have been taken note of by many a club and he's now filed under "Not worth the risk."

[Isaac Hunt]

It's all down to the wages, isn't it? The players that were released (or sold) were on contracts that are (now) too expensive to renew. There's no way a modern day player with some life left in them (let alone a youngster in relative terms like Lita) will take a substantial drop in wages from perceived Premiership wages. (Gunnarsson is hardly a risk and can't really really be one of our top earners.)

Then I guess we have to talk about return on those wages...of which Lita's was minimal. And let's face it, he's hardly been snaffled up by anyone as soon as his contract was up, let alone pencilled in with a pre-contract agreement.

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest that his off-field antics have been taken note of by many a club and he's now filed under "Not worth the risk."

Spot on AB.

Although i'm sure as the season draws closer an unsigned Lita will reaccess his demands and end up somewhere, just not on the wages he's currently holding out for. Teams like Hull, Bolton or Blackburn might see him as an addition to their squads.

[Thaumagurist*]

Hmmm, Lita has scored more goals for Reading than Long has in the same amount of time they both have been at the club.

Lita = 32 goals.
Long = 20 goals.

Except that 30 of those 32 were four seasons ago and 3 seasons ago

whereas Long (still improving) got nine goals last season

and Lita has started a lot more games than Long

On the other hand, Long didn't get many goals in his first 2 seasons.

[Royal Rother]

Would you rather have a striker whose scoring record has markedly improved or deteriorated from 3-4 years ago?

[windjammer]

Glad my post stirred up so much interest. I didn't think for a minute that we would resign him but I do not see the rosy new future for Royals with the current squad and new manager that others seem to see. Yes I know there is still a month and a half to go until the transfer window shuts but how many summer and January windows have we gone thru in recent years and have been disappointed either by the lack of activity or the quality of the signings? Maybe as well as a new manager and coaching staff we need a new chairman and board to really give them proper backing.

[loyalroyal4life]

next you will be saying shall we keep s.hunt and resign doobs

I'd take Doobs back in heartbeat

Doobs > young Chelsea player unlikely to sign once loan is completed

guess thats why you sit in y21, doobs is shit, this is a new beginning and he just wouldnt fit in

[Royalee]

Glad my post stirred up so much interest. I didn't think for a minute that we would resign him but I do not see the rosy new future for Royals with the current squad and new manager that others seem to see. Yes I know there is still a month and a half to go until the transfer window shuts but how many summer and January windows have we gone thru in recent years and have been disappointed either by the lack of activity or the quality of the signings? Maybe as well as a new manager and coaching staff we need a new chairman and board to really give them proper backing.

The previous manager openly admitted it was he who was the reason for lack of signings. It's early days yet and things look to be happening with loan signings and Smith, which I'd happily take given we already have a decent squad which was wasted by the previous management.

[Royalee]

next you will be saying shall we keep s.hunt and resign doobs

I'd take Doobs back in heartbeat

Doobs > young Chelsea player unlikely to sign once loan is completed

You've got to be taking the piss?

I'm glad Doobs has finally found his level at Wycombe and long may he stay there.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Doobs was signed for a reason, short term cover for Sonko i seem to recall, worth £4.5million at one point, so i guess someone thought he was a player. He did a job at Reading, i doubt was ever meant to be long term.

That said he is now at lever more suited to him IMHO.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Glad my post stirred up so much interest. I didn't think for a minute that we would resign him but I do not see the rosy new future for Royals with the current squad and new manager that others seem to see. Yes I know there is still a month and a half to go until the transfer window shuts but how many summer and January windows have we gone thru in recent years and have been disappointed either by the lack of activity or the quality of the signings? Maybe as well as a new manager and coaching staff we need a new chairman and board to really give them proper backing.

The previous manager openly admitted it was he who was the reason for lack of signings. It's early days yet and things look to be happening with loan signings and Smith, which I'd happily take given we already have a decent squad which was wasted by the previous management.

we have not made any loan signings, and we bid, alledgedly, half what Sheff U bid for Smith.

[Snowball]

Hmmm, Lita has scored more goals for Reading than Long has in the same amount of time they both have been at the club.

Lita = 32 goals.
Long = 20 goals.

Except that 30 of those 32 were four seasons ago and 3 seasons ago

whereas Long (still improving) got nine goals last season

and Lita has started a lot more games than Long

On the other hand, Long didn't get many goals in his first 2 seasons.

He was a baby of 17-18 with zero footballing background. The RFC site says he was bought as a long-term prospect

[Alan Partridge]

Hmmm, Lita has scored more goals for Reading than Long has in the same amount of time they both have been at the club.

Lita = 32 goals.
Long = 20 goals.

Except that 30 of those 32 were four seasons ago and 3 seasons ago

whereas Long (still improving) got nine goals last season

and Lita has started a lot more games than Long

On the other hand, Long didn't get many goals in his first 2 seasons.

He was a baby of 17-18 with zero footballing background. The RFC site says he was bought as a long-term prospect[/quote]

Lita only had 1 year's regular football under his belt. Is Lita not (still improving) or at 23/24 is he past it?

Not that I really care anyway but hey where there's a tediously dull deb8 going on.

[Snowball]

I see so it was another Leroy Lita that played

2002-3 15 League appearances and 02 goals
2003-4 26 League appearances and 05 goals
2004-5 42 League appearances and 24 goals

83 appearances over 3 years and 31 goals. Yup inexperienced

(I don't know how many of these are starts and how many as sub)


Long has had a total of 30+70 league appearances in his career.

Lita had had 83 before he arrived at Reading FC!

In that third season (42 starts) he had about the same minutes on the pitch as Shane has had in the whole of his career.

Actually the Bristol City site shows he had

00-15 2002-3
02-24 2003-4
42-02 2004-5

That's 44 starts before he arrived at Reading. Shane has had 30 starts EVER


So if Shane gets 22 league starts and 4 sub appearances and gets 11 league goals he will be matching Lita's first Reading season

and what was it LAST season? 9 goals from just 13 starts...

[YateleyRoyal]

One of my mates who sits in the North Stand with me just sent me a text from work, saying that he was serving drinks to Rodgers and Lita in a personal meeting. Thats at Warbrook House in Eversley for those of you who know it...I think Leroy's on his way back

[Royal Rother]

It was probably Robson Kanu.

[Royal Rother]

Racist.

[Snowball]

Is Lita not (still improving) or at 23/24 is he past it?

He is 25 in December 2009.

He has had an almost identical number of starts for the last four seasons and IMO has shown a steady decline.

One hat-trick last season ups his figures. Had that been a single goal he would have been 1 goal every 5.2 appearances.

But surely what matters is what he does for READING


And that, for the last 2 seasons reads 16 Starts, 8 sub appearances, 2 goals



Appearances-Goals (includes Charlton and Norwich)

26-11 2005-6 = 1 goal every 2.36 appearances (22 starts)
33-07 2006-7 = 1 goal every 4.71 appearances (22 starts)
22-04 2007-8 = 1 goal every 5.50 appearances (18 starts)
26-07 2008-9 = 1 goal every 3.71 appearances (22 starts)

[Snowball]

LAST TWO SEASONS, LEAGUE



16 Starts, 08 sub appearances, "18 GAMES" = 02 goals LITA

18 Starts, 48 sub appearances, "26 GAMES" = 12 goals LONG



(Calling a sub appearance 15 minutes average)

[Thaumagurist*]

I've gone to sleep. Can somebody wake me up when the tedious debate is over?

RR - I'm shocked you called yourself racist.

[Ian Royal]

Snowball is so tiresome I can't even raise the energy to argue with him.

I think I may be ill.