How do we become good again?

[Zip]

Yes but the injuries....he has yet to get more than 12 in a season throughout his career. He’s nearly 27. He was known for his inconsistency at Sheffield Wed. Yet he is the answer to our problems. His career to date suggests otherwise.

Isn't this standard behaviour? Any player that is injured/dropped/not being played is immediately the saviour of Reading.

It is interesting that on the POTS thread Joao hardly gets a mention.

Because he's been injured most of the season, if he hadn't and kept the form he had when he was playing then he would very likely be in the top 3.

If if if

[WestYorksRoyal]

I don't want us to rely upon Joao because his fitness issues here are nothing new. He's played under an hours football since new years day, and Sheffield Wednesday fans warned us about his fitness and consistency. Not doubting his ability at this level, but he doesn't have a proven track record of delivering over a full season. So we either need another striker who can play his role, or a plan B which plays to Puscas' strengths better.

[tidus_mi2]

Isn't this standard behaviour? Any player that is injured/dropped/not being played is immediately the saviour of Reading.

It is interesting that on the POTS thread Joao hardly gets a mention.

Because he's been injured most of the season, if he hadn't and kept the form he had when he was playing then he would very likely be in the top 3.

If if if

What exactly do you disagree with in regards to my comment?

[Snowflake Royal]

Too much emphasis is being placed on Joao. He will be 27 when the new season starts. He has not scored more than 12 goals in a season throughout his career. He has yet to score more than 10 goals in a season in England. Puscas has bettered all of that in his first season here.

Joao isn't all about goals though, he is all about hold up play and being a physical presence that disturbs opposing defenders, we severely lack that without him. For me the ideal scenario is we play him and Puscas up top together in a 3-5-2 with Joao playing that Heskey role.

I know that but if we only play one up front and that’s Joao I am not convinced we will resolve our goalscoring problem. Joao played well over the festive period when we went on a good run. He has yet to show he can consistently perform over an entire season. Sheffield Wed fans will tell us that.

If Joao stays fit (massive if) I think he's likely to score more goals than Puscas would in the same number of goals, assists maybe, but I think we'd see more goals from elsewhere as well.

Because the thing Joao does really well is link up with the others. Puscas frequently looks isolated partly because he isn't as good as linking up. Joao will make the players around him better.

But hopefully Puscas can grow in that direction and/or we can shift Baldock and bring in someone who can play like Joao.

[Zip]

Because he's been injured most of the season, if he hadn't and kept the form he had when he was playing then he would very likely be in the top 3.

If if if

What exactly do you disagree with in regards to my comment?

A lot! For a start Joao came to us with a rep for being very inconsistent. It would be asking a lot to expect him to play consistently well throughout the season. It has not happened before in his career so why do you think it will change now? Also to suggest we would be top three if he was fit throughout really is overegging it. He was in the side early on in the season when we were struggling. We only really had a brief spell of the team doing well when he was involved. To suggest that translates to us getting to the sort of points Leeds, Brentford and WBA will end up with is incredibly optimistic.

[Zip]

I don't want us to rely upon Joao because his fitness issues here are nothing new. He's played under an hours football since new years day, and Sheffield Wednesday fans warned us about his fitness and consistency. Not doubting his ability at this level, but he doesn't have a proven track record of delivering over a full season. So we either need another striker who can play his role, or a plan B which plays to Puscas' strengths better.

Yep.

[morganb]

If if if

What exactly do you disagree with in regards to my comment?

A lot! For a start Joao came to us with a rep for being very inconsistent. It would be asking a lot to expect him to play consistently well throughout the season. It has not happened before in his career so why do you think it will change now? Also to suggest we would be top three if he was fit throughout really is overegging it. He was in the side early on in the season when we were struggling. We only really had a brief spell of the team doing well when he was involved. To suggest that translates to us getting to the sort of points Leeds, Brentford and WBA will end up with is incredibly optimistic.

I think the top 3 comment was referring to Joao in POTS not Reading in the table.

[tidus_mi2]

What exactly do you disagree with in regards to my comment?

A lot! For a start Joao came to us with a rep for being very inconsistent. It would be asking a lot to expect him to play consistently well throughout the season. It has not happened before in his career so why do you think it will change now? Also to suggest we would be top three if he was fit throughout really is overegging it. He was in the side early on in the season when we were struggling. We only really had a brief spell of the team doing well when he was involved. To suggest that translates to us getting to the sort of points Leeds, Brentford and WBA will end up with is incredibly optimistic.

I think the top 3 comment was referring to Joao in POTS not Reading in the table.

Correct.

[Zip]

What exactly do you disagree with in regards to my comment?

A lot! For a start Joao came to us with a rep for being very inconsistent. It would be asking a lot to expect him to play consistently well throughout the season. It has not happened before in his career so why do you think it will change now? Also to suggest we would be top three if he was fit throughout really is overegging it. He was in the side early on in the season when we were struggling. We only really had a brief spell of the team doing well when he was involved. To suggest that translates to us getting to the sort of points Leeds, Brentford and WBA will end up with is incredibly optimistic.

I think the top 3 comment was referring to Joao in POTS not Reading in the table.

Yep I misread the post. Apologies to Tidus. Yes he could have been a top three contender

[tidus_mi2]

It's very possible that his 2 injuries has made him seem like the saviour we need as he's only had to play in two brief spells, perhaps if he hadn't got injured he would have shown that inconsistency that saw Sheffield Wednesday fans more than happy to see the back of him.

[Snowflake Royal]

It's very possible that his 2 injuries has made him seem like the saviour we need as he's only had to play in two brief spells, perhaps if he hadn't got injured he would have shown that inconsistency that saw Sheffield Wednesday fans more than happy to see the back of him.

His inconsistency there was often about injury too.

[Snowball]

It's very possible that his 2 injuries has made him seem like the saviour we need as he's only had to play in two brief spells, perhaps if he hadn't got injured he would have shown that inconsistency that saw Sheffield Wednesday fans more than happy to see the back of him.

Is he consistently inconsistent or inconsistently inconsistent?