Clement

[Snowball]

Well Long "couldn't kick a ball" and "would never be a footballer"
when he arrived, and for about four seasons (according to HNA)

So either he was secretly swapped overnight or someone taught him how to play.

Not sure, but in terms of total transfer fees, he may be our biggest

WBA-Hull-Saints?

[NewCorkSeth]

Not even if I was barely better than a persistent vegetative state.

Think you might have left the goal open with that comment.

And you've just skied the shot I teed up.

I was never great at shooting sitting ducks.

[maffff]

IIRC Dembele went for only £500,000 or so after not agreeing a new contract.
One of the bargains of recent years and we could all see that he would become a decent player.
BTW isn't there another Sessegnon on the fringes of their first team?

We can but hope that one day the millions spent on the Academy will bear fruit.

We have received literally millions for its products and first team starts from players in their first two - three seasons after debuting is easily in triple figures.

Cooper and Tshibola probably paid off a fair chunk? How much did McCarthy go for again?

Was during QPR's days of spending. reportedly could have reached as much as £6m (obviously didn't)

[Sutekh]

Not a chance does Long count. We signed him at about 18 and he was basically straight in the First Team squad.

It was around 6 months for Long to feature in the first team I think and then it was as a sub. He was still playing academy games even after making his debut. He was obviously seen to be the brightest talent of the youngsters available at the time so got his chance earlier. Beacuse of that Reading was more of a finishing school for him so I don't think you can really say home grown in the true sense but certainly broke into championship level football all the sooner as a result of the Academy so I think it can be said he was a product of the system.

[NewCorkSeth]

We have received literally millions for its products and first team starts from players in their first two - three seasons after debuting is easily in triple figures.

Cooper and Tshibola probably paid off a fair chunk? How much did McCarthy go for again?

Was during QPR's days of spending. reportedly could have reached as much as £6m (obviously didn't)

So that's probably £10m from just those 3. That's not bad at all. If only we had sold Kuhl to Man City around the time of that rumour. Bet Hammond would have robbed them blind.

[Snowball]

Not a chance does Long count. We signed him at about 18 and he was basically straight in the First Team squad.

It was around 6 months for Long to feature in the first team I think and then it was as a sub. He was still playing academy games even after making his debut. He was obviously seen to be the brightest talent of the youngsters available at the time so got his chance earlier. Beacuse of that Reading was more of a finishing school for him so I don't think you can really say home grown in the true sense but certainly broke into championship level football all the sooner as a result of the Academy so I think it can be said he was a product of the system.

I'm pretty sure he was always quoted as an Academy product. He had barely played serious football before coming to us (joke opening here) and was 18 when he arrived. His first league start was ten months later.

His big plus was he was already strong, fast and brave. It took a while until he could do it with a ball.

[CountryRoyal]

His big plus was he was already strong, fast and brave. It took a while until he could do it with a ball.

I mean, he’s almost 32 and not lot has changed.

[Forbury Lion]

Well Long "couldn't kick a ball" and "would never be a footballer"
when he arrived, and for about four seasons (according to HNA)

So either he was secretly swapped overnight or someone taught him how to play.

Not sure, but in terms of total transfer fees, he may be our biggest

WBA-Hull-Saints?

I recall someone, Tredder I think at the time posting some insider info about how the Irish signings were a laughing stock in training as they didn't have the skills required to play the game.

[sandman]

Well Long "couldn't kick a ball" and "would never be a footballer"
when he arrived, and for about four seasons (according to HNA)

So either he was secretly swapped overnight or someone taught him how to play.

Not sure, but in terms of total transfer fees, he may be our biggest

WBA-Hull-Saints?

I recall someone, Tredder I think at the time posting some insider info about how the Irish signings were a laughing stock in training as they didn't have the skills required to play the game.

Distinctly remember Glen Little saying at an "evening with" do that Doyle was fine and you could see he had something about him but Long could barely make a 5 yard pass in training when he first arrived.

[NewCorkSeth]

Not sure, but in terms of total transfer fees, he may be our biggest

WBA-Hull-Saints?

Gylfi?

[Forbury Lion]

Well Long "couldn't kick a ball" and "would never be a footballer"
when he arrived, and for about four seasons (according to HNA)

So either he was secretly swapped overnight or someone taught him how to play.

Not sure, but in terms of total transfer fees, he may be our biggest

WBA-Hull-Saints?

I recall someone, Tredder I think at the time posting some insider info about how the Irish signings were a laughing stock in training as they didn't have the skills required to play the game.

Distinctly remember Glen Little saying at an "evening with" do that Doyle was fine and you could see he had something about him but Long could barely make a 5 yard pass in training when he first arrived.

Maybe McDermott was ahead of the game here then, Like British Athletics, they now search out potential athletes at schools/uni's and see what attributes they have and then match them up to any sports they should be good at...... Long presumably had the right attributes and just needed coaching/educating/toning etc to become the player he is.
This is what our academy should be doing - don't just focus on the lads who actually play football, Cast the net wider and find someone who maybe isn't even a fan of football but has the potential, then train them.

[John Smith]

Not sure, but in terms of total transfer fees, he may be our biggest

WBA-Hull-Saints?

Have you been away for 6 months?

Maybe McDermott was ahead of the game here then, Like British Athletics, they now search out potential athletes at schools/uni's and see what attributes they have and then match them up to any sports they should be good at...... Long presumably had the right attributes and just needed coaching/educating/toning etc to become the player he is.
This is what our academy should be doing - don't just focus on the lads who actually play football, Cast the net wider and find someone who maybe isn't even a fan of football but has the potential, then train them.

What??

[Snowball]

Not sure, but in terms of total transfer fees, he may be our biggest

WBA-Hull-Saints?

Gylfi?

Yeah Gylfi's total dwarfs Long's

[Snowball]

His big plus was he was already strong, fast and brave. It took a while until he could do it with a ball.

I mean, he’s almost 32 and not lot has changed.

I'd take him in a heartbeat. Still think he'd be good for 20_ Championship goals per season

[Snowflake Royal]

Well Long "couldn't kick a ball" and "would never be a footballer"
when he arrived, and for about four seasons (according to HNA)

So either he was secretly swapped overnight or someone taught him how to play.

Not sure, but in terms of total transfer fees, he may be our biggest

WBA-Hull-Saints?

I recall someone, Tredder I think at the time posting some insider info about how the Irish signings were a laughing stock in training as they didn't have the skills required to play the game.

Distinctly remember Glen Little saying at an "evening with" do that Doyle was fine and you could see he had something about him but Long could barely make a 5 yard pass in training when he first arrived.

[CR]What's changed? [/CR]

[NewCorkSeth]

Not sure, but in terms of total transfer fees, he may be our biggest

WBA-Hull-Saints?

Gylfi?

Yeah Gylfi's penis dwarfs Long's

[Snowflake Royal]

His big plus was he was already strong, fast and brave. It took a while until he could do it with a ball.

I mean, he’s almost 32 and not lot has changed.

I'd take him in a heartbeat. Still think he'd be good for 20_ Championship goals per season

If thats anything like the 10 you were sure he'd score in the PL we should get a good 12-16 out of him then.

[Victor Meldrew]

I recall someone, Tredder I think at the time posting some insider info about how the Irish signings were a laughing stock in training as they didn't have the skills required to play the game.

Distinctly remember Glen Little saying at an "evening with" do that Doyle was fine and you could see he had something about him but Long could barely make a 5 yard pass in training when he first arrived.

Maybe McDermott was ahead of the game here then, Like British Athletics, they now search out potential athletes at schools/uni's and see what attributes they have and then match them up to any sports they should be good at...... Long presumably had the right attributes and just needed coaching/educating/toning etc to become the player he is.
This is what our academy should be doing - don't just focus on the lads who actually play football, Cast the net wider and find someone who maybe isn't even a fan of football but has the potential, then train them.

A relative of ours who is a keen young footballer was approached by Southampton and they converted him from an outfield player to a keeper solely based on the height of his parents-the dad is about 6ft 4 in and the mum about 5ft 7 in.
Up till then he had shown no interest in playing in goal.

For a while last year he travelled up to Reading from Southampton for coaching (as a keeper)-he enjoyed the sessions but because of the travelling he returned to Southampton and is now very much part of their set-up (despite our efforts to get him to carry on with Reading).
He is 11 years old.

[Snowball]

I mean, he’s almost 32 and not lot has changed.

I'd take him in a heartbeat. Still think he'd be good for 20_ Championship goals per season

If thats anything like the 10 you were sure he'd score in the PL we should get a good 12-16 out of him then.

Ian go back and check my prediction

I said
10 as a Prem player
OR
20 as a Championship player
OR
30 as a League 1 player

and I said that when 95% of HNA were saying he would never be a footballer

And I believe he EASILY hit the Level2 standard I predicted

When I made that prediction it wasn’t even certain he would become a regular starter for Reading

When he did I lumped on him (each way) to be the league’s top scorer and was handsomely rewarded for my insight

If he goes to a Championship side and avoids injury I feel damn sure he will get a goal at 1 every 225 minutes.

I believe, if we got him in January we would shoot up the table

[Lower West]

Well Long "couldn't kick a ball" and "would never be a footballer"
when he arrived, and for about four seasons (according to HNA)

So either he was secretly swapped overnight or someone taught him how to play.

Not sure, but in terms of total transfer fees, he may be our biggest

WBA-Hull-Saints?

I recall someone, Tredder I think at the time posting some insider info about how the Irish signings were a laughing stock in training as they didn't have the skills required to play the game.

Doyle couldn't shoot to save his life when he first arrived. Became a better player than I imagined. Obviously had the ability to be coached.