CONFIMRED - Blackman to Derby

[Extended-Phenotype]

its a royal colour, but surely a patch of it isn't very royal

It's a purple patch on an otherwise normal garment. I think it was also used in literary terms. Like a good bit of a book.

[Hoop Blah]

Fwiw, his resulting form with Derby <> his possible form with us if he stayed

Changing teams is a big hit that even some of the best can't take

He'd already reverted to form long before he left for Derby so it's probably fair to think we'd seen the best of him during that short purple patch.

Not a massive fan of his or anything but that's just conjecture. Much like assuming his form for Derby would be his form for us.

It's just my opinion, based on his previous performances over a 2 and a half year period. It's one that I think is pretty fair.

I'm not stating it as indisputable evidence in support of his hanging...

[Extended-Phenotype]

He'd already reverted to form long before he left for Derby so it's probably fair to think we'd seen the best of him during that short purple patch.

Not a massive fan of his or anything but that's just conjecture. Much like assuming his form for Derby would be his form for us.

It's just my opinion, based on his previous performances over a 2 and a half year period. It's one that I think is pretty fair.

I'm not stating it as indisputable evidence in support of his hanging...

Yeah, just saying that's conjecture.

Players improve, and not necessarily in a straight line. Lots of players are gash at first.

Imo, it's pretty difficult to predict how he would have continued to play for us. Could easily have been a dip in an upward trend of improvement as a player reverting to past form. Plus Brian might have got him playing again given the chance.

Lots of uncertainties.

[Maneki Neko]

its a royal colour, but surely a patch of it isn't very royal

It's a purple patch on an otherwise normal garment. I think it was also used in literary terms. Like a good bit of a book.

apparently in literary terms it means overly florid

[Extended-Phenotype]

its a royal colour, but surely a patch of it isn't very royal

It's a purple patch on an otherwise normal garment. I think it was also used in literary terms. Like a good bit of a book.

apparently in literary terms it means overly florid

Purple means red? Ments

[Hendo]

May look back and think it was a good deal? It was blatantly obvious it was an absolutely stonking deal the moment it was announced. It was downright miraculous we got that much for him.

Fully agree and posted as such when the deal was done. The club have a solid history in terms of selling players at the very top of their value range outside of forced sales. This one could end up very high on the list.

Unfortunately that is somewhat countered by their reluctance to negotiate early and/or give more than 2.5 year deals, leading to the loss of some very valuable assets for sweet FA. HRK the next?

Interested to know the other valuable assets we have lost for sweet FA? Off the top of my head;
Federici - possibly agreed but Al-Habsi is showing good form currently and I am happy with him starting in goal.
Pearce -
Jem - argument could be made for Jem but we have more than capable replacements in CM position.
Sidwell - wanted more money, should have given it to him - the one that got away.

Can't think of any more that we let go on a free and haven't replaced them with better players/it was obvious their time at the club was coming to an end, but happy to be proved wrong.

[Jagermesiter1871]

Fully agree and posted as such when the deal was done. The club have a solid history in terms of selling players at the very top of their value range outside of forced sales. This one could end up very high on the list.

Unfortunately that is somewhat countered by their reluctance to negotiate early and/or give more than 2.5 year deals, leading to the loss of some very valuable assets for sweet FA. HRK the next?

Interested to know the other valuable assets we have lost for sweet FA? Off the top of my head;
Federici - possibly agreed but Al-Habsi is showing good form currently and I am happy with him starting in goal.
Pearce -
Jem - argument could be made for Jem but we have more than capable replacements in CM position.
Sidwell - wanted more money, should have given it to him - the one that got away.

Can't think of any more that we let go on a free and haven't replaced them with better players/it was obvious their time at the club was coming to an end, but happy to be proved wrong.

Feds - In current form I'd definitely take Al-Habsi plus Feds was on huge wages
Jem - I don't think an argument could be made. Far to injury prone and not that great (especially compared to what we now have). Plus he always planned on playing in Turkey. Win win for both.
Sidwell - I never hugely rated Sidewell (oooo controversial). He was just made to look good by sideways Harper. Our current CM's are better than both of them and following the 106 season, the centre was probably the one area I'd have looked to improved.

[OLLIE KEARNS]

Unfortunately that is somewhat countered by their reluctance to negotiate early and/or give more than 2.5 year deals, leading to the loss of some very valuable assets for sweet FA. HRK the next?

Interested to know the other valuable assets we have lost for sweet FA? Off the top of my head;
Federici - possibly agreed but Al-Habsi is showing good form currently and I am happy with him starting in goal.
Pearce -
Jem - argument could be made for Jem but we have more than capable replacements in CM position.
Sidwell - wanted more money, should have given it to him - the one that got away.

Can't think of any more that we let go on a free and haven't replaced them with better players/it was obvious their time at the club was coming to an end, but happy to be proved wrong.

Feds - In current form I'd definitely take Al-Habsi plus Feds was on huge wages
Jem - I don't think an argument could be made. Far to injury prone and not that great (especially compared to what we now have). Plus he always planned on playing in Turkey. Win win for both.
Sidwell - I never hugely rated Sidewell (oooo controversial). He was just made to look good by sideways Harper. Our current CM's are better than both of them and following the 106 season, the centre was probably the one area I'd have looked to improved.

Yep, the 17 league goals that Sidwell and Harper delivered whilst still being an excellent defensive unit are way off the pace compared to what we have now.

[Ian Royal]

Finishing 8th in the top flight really demonstrated how weak a pairing they were and what a one off 106 was. That certainly was a key area that needed strengthening for us to have stayed u.. oh.

[Jagermesiter1871]

Glad a both agree

[Hendo]

Sidwell - I never hugely rated Sidewell (oooo controversial). He was just made to look good by sideways Harper. Our current CM's are better than both of them and following the 106 season, the centre was probably the one area I'd have looked to improved.

Are you high?

[Upper West Ginger]

Jem - argument could be made for Jem but we have more than capable replacements in CM position.

Jem has been found to be less than effective in Turkey.
Galatasaray have shipped him out to Bursaspor on loan.
His departure from Reading was an emotional wrench because he had been around for so long, but in hindsight it wasn't a great loss.

[Hoop Blah]

Unfortunately that is somewhat countered by their reluctance to negotiate early and/or give more than 2.5 year deals, leading to the loss of some very valuable assets for sweet FA. HRK the next?

What a load of rubbish RB.

The club have a great record of getting contracts, in general, spot on.

[Maneki Neko]

Interested to know the other valuable assets we have lost for sweet FA? Off the top of my head;
Federici - possibly agreed but Al-Habsi is showing good form currently and I am happy with him starting in goal.
Pearce -
Jem - argument could be made for Jem but we have more than capable replacements in CM position.
Sidwell - wanted more money, should have given it to him - the one that got away.

Can't think of any more that we let go on a free and haven't replaced them with better players/it was obvious their time at the club was coming to an end, but happy to be proved wrong.

Feds - In current form I'd definitely take Al-Habsi plus Feds was on huge wages
Jem - I don't think an argument could be made. Far to injury prone and not that great (especially compared to what we now have). Plus he always planned on playing in Turkey. Win win for both.
Sidwell - I never hugely rated Sidewell (oooo controversial). He was just made to look good by sideways Harper. Our current CM's are better than both of them and following the 106 season, the centre was probably the one area I'd have looked to improved.

Yep, the 17 league goals that Sidwell and Harper delivered whilst still being an excellent defensive unit are way off the pace compared to what we have now.

[Jagermesiter1871]

Interested to know the other valuable assets we have lost for sweet FA? Off the top of my head;
Federici - possibly agreed but Al-Habsi is showing good form currently and I am happy with him starting in goal.
Pearce -
Jem - argument could be made for Jem but we have more than capable replacements in CM position.
Sidwell - wanted more money, should have given it to him - the one that got away.

Can't think of any more that we let go on a free and haven't replaced them with better players/it was obvious their time at the club was coming to an end, but happy to be proved wrong.

Feds - In current form I'd definitely take Al-Habsi plus Feds was on huge wages
Jem - I don't think an argument could be made. Far to injury prone and not that great (especially compared to what we now have). Plus he always planned on playing in Turkey. Win win for both.
Sidwell - I never hugely rated Sidewell (oooo controversial). He was just made to look good by sideways Harper. Our current CM's are better than both of them and following the 106 season, the centre was probably the one area I'd have looked to improved.

Yep, the 17 league goals that Sidwell and Harper delivered whilst still being an excellent defensive unit are way off the pace compared to what we have now.

You'd have Harper over Norwood?

Fairly certain Bas Savage would have got 17 goals in that team.

[Maneki Neko]

harper over norwood all day long




and im a big fan of our ollie

[Hoop Blah]

harper over norwood all day long

and im a big fan of our ollie

Absolutely agree!

The fact Gunnarsson couldn't get in above either of them shows just how good Harper and Sidwell really were.

[OLLIE KEARNS]

harper over norwood all day long




and im a big fan of our ollie

Exactly the same reply from me but I'd love to see Norwood play higher up the pitch in the type of role that Paul Scholes played in his pomp. Right now he plays very deep and looks good at what he does but it has limited effect on the game and he is under limited pressure. The same sharp passing in and around the box could potentially take him up another level, not to mention getting more from his shooting ability.
As for Harper, he was and continues to be extremely under rated because much of the great work he did was without the ball,plus he and Sidwell worked great as a pair. My oldest son was only 6 in 05/06 so we watched the you tube video of the season a couple of months ago. If you take a look you'll see that nearly every time we got a cross into the box one of them was arriving from midfield. That's why they got 17 goals between them but they were able to do it because the other one always stayed in midfield so we didn't over comit. To get the 17 goals they probably had to make that same run 200 times which is what I mean by working without the ball. Danny Williams does do that from time to time but more often than not we have one player in the box when a cross comes in.
So, Harper over Norwood for now but the potential is there for that to change over time