Poll: Recruitment

[Clyde1998]

Just thinking about the recruitment we made in the summer. How many of the players we've signed have actually been good signings so far?

[Snowflake Royal]

There's a couple of ways to think about this... how many have actually delivered consistent good performances, and how many were good players to sign.

Consistent good performances is very few, because half of them spend half their time injured and the other half vary from poor to ok.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Only Williams and Marriot have made a consistent positive impact on the team.

[Hound]

Well to parrot what I got told a lot - and it prob is true - it’s too early to say on a lot of them

None of them have consistently helped improve us as a team or we wouldn’t be where we are

Paudie I’m sure will be a good signing but he’s been injured virtually the entire time. Lane is improving and will turn out well I reckon. Williams has played well but been injured a lot - we cannot afford that

Very meh on the rest of them. Stevens and DK have been poor. Others pretty average. Marriott has scored a few but also injured and personally think we are worse when he plays

Ritchie might turn out well but we needed him to be fit which he clearly wasn’t

[From Despair To Where?]

I think Fraser, O'Connor, Ritchie and Lane will prove to be good signings and Marriott and Williams have proven to be good signings

None of the loans have added anything although Burns has had flashes of adequacy. I'd send the lot back in January though if at all possible.

DK is the sort or signing we make when we're desperate to get bodies in.

I can see the point of getting an experienced back up keeper but Stevens isn't very good. Bouzanis MK2.

[leon]

Marriot (what are you on Hound?) and Williams. Possibly O’Connor just don’t know yet.

The rest - to be brutal, look absolutely fcuking shit.

[West F]

Lane looks like a good signing. Williams likes a knock and Marriot hasn’t completed half a seasons worth of matches since his hamstring tear in 2021.

The rest of them would not get into the Reading team from this point last season.

[Orion1871]

Williams, Ritchie, Marriott, and O'Connor. Lane is getting there, but the misses he has had don't qualify him yet.

The rest have failed and some like Jacob, O'Mahoney, and Burns have failed miserably.

[stealthpapes]

So here's the list of players we signed in 2023-24

Harvey Knibbs
Sam Smith
Lewis Wing
Charlie Savage
Tivonge Rushesha
Harlee Dean
Tyler Bindon
David Button
Ben Elliott
John Ryan
Charlie Wellens
Jayden Wareham
Clinton Mola
Joel Pereira
Paul Mukairu
Dom Ballard

How many could be described as successes at November/December 2023?

[Hound]

Yeah it’s too early to say on some. None have been an unqualified success yet. Everyone (including me tbf) said Williams is a good signing but he’s been injured more than he’s played, he’s 33. With our recent history on ‘experienced’ CBs he might not play another 5 games

Others have time to improve and will do I’m sure. I don’t think Burns has been awful tbh, done an ok job overall

[Hound]

Marriot (what are you on Hound?) and Williams. Possibly O’Connor just don’t know yet.

The rest - to be brutal, look absolutely fcuking shit.

Re: Marriott

At this point in time, our ppg is better when he doesn’t play than when he does despite him being on an unsustainable scoring run

He has missed 30% of games since he’s been here with injury

We blew our striker budget on a 31 year old 5ft 7 slightly tubby poacher with a patchy scoring record who hadnt played a 90 mins for 12 months when we desperately needed a big strong CF

But he’s scored some goals so he’s a meh for me currently rather than a poor signing. And of course he may go on and score 25 and prove me totally wrong. Though can’t see him being an LR player from the little I know of him

[Snowflake Royal]

I really don't get the Jacob hate. He started atrociously, and he still makes a few mistakes, but he's been perfectly fine most of the time.

For me, the best of a bad bunch of loanees.

[Hound]

I really don't get the Jacob hate. He started atrociously, and he still makes a few mistakes, but he's been perfectly fine most of the time.

For me, the best of a bad bunch of loanees.

He looks really good sometimes but he is a bit of a liability at the back. Certainly doesn’t deserve the hate even if he was unnecessary as a signing. Would have him level with Burns myself

[Snowflake Royal]

I really don't get the Jacob hate. He started atrociously, and he still makes a few mistakes, but he's been perfectly fine most of the time.

For me, the best of a bad bunch of loanees.

He looks really good sometimes but he is a bit of a liability at the back. Certainly doesn’t deserve the hate even if he was unnecessary as a signing. Would have him level with Burns myself

Don’t rate Burns at all. He's awkward, he's slow, he's not very dominant in the air for a big guy, and he's not a ball player either.

[Snowflake Royal]

Yeah it’s too early to say on some. None have been an unqualified success yet. Everyone (including me tbf) said Williams is a good signing but he’s been injured more than he’s played, he’s 33. With our recent history on ‘experienced’ CBs he might not play another 5 games

Others have time to improve and will do I’m sure. I don’t think Burns has been awful tbh, done an ok job overall

Wasn’t it you arguing only a few weeks ago that Ritchie wasn't old at 36?

[Hound]

Yeah it’s too early to say on some. None have been an unqualified success yet. Everyone (including me tbf) said Williams is a good signing but he’s been injured more than he’s played, he’s 33. With our recent history on ‘experienced’ CBs he might not play another 5 games

Others have time to improve and will do I’m sure. I don’t think Burns has been awful tbh, done an ok job overall

Wasn’t it you arguing only a few weeks ago that Ritchie wasn't old at 36?

Yes but with Ritchie I specifically said he was only a good signing if he was fully fit to play. And he wasn’t/isnt

I haven’t an issue particularly with Williams age but it’s a short term fix in reality, and like I said we’ve not got a good recent record with experienced CBs

Overall though his contribution has been excellent though, no doubts. 3 wins, 3 draws, 1 defeat when he has started

He is the only one who has really dramatically improved the side after coming in. The only really good signing

[Snowflake Royal]

Yeah it’s too early to say on some. None have been an unqualified success yet. Everyone (including me tbf) said Williams is a good signing but he’s been injured more than he’s played, he’s 33. With our recent history on ‘experienced’ CBs he might not play another 5 games

Others have time to improve and will do I’m sure. I don’t think Burns has been awful tbh, done an ok job overall

Wasn’t it you arguing only a few weeks ago that Ritchie wasn't old at 36?

Yes but with Ritchie I specifically said he was only a good signing if he was fully fit to play. And he wasn’t/isnt

I haven’t an issue particularly with Williams age but it’s a short term fix in reality, and like I said we’ve not got a good recent record with experienced CBs

Overall though his contribution has been excellent though, no doubts. 3 wins, 3 draws, 1 defeat when he has started

He is the only one who has really dramatically improved the side after coming in. The only really good signing

Ritchie is out, hopefully not for long, through an impact injury. Recovery time may be affected somewhat, but the injury itself has nothing to do with age.

[tidus_mi2]

Said Ritchie, Marriott, O'Connor and Williams, I know there have been some injury issues there but these have all looked consistently good when they've played.

Agree about the loan signings, dunno if it's poor recruitment or bad luck but they aren't doing well enough and I'd rather we not waste time hoping these guys become good and send them back, let their own clubs deal with them. Maybe keep Jacob due to LB being an issue this season and maybe we're potentially having a look at him for a transfer.

But freeing up loan spaces to have another look at the market in January can only be a good thing. Think MoM and Burns have been the biggest disappointments, was expecting a lot more from them.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

So here's the list of players we signed in 2023-24

Harvey Knibbs
Sam Smith
Lewis Wing
Charlie Savage
Tivonge Rushesha
Harlee Dean
Tyler Bindon
David Button
Ben Elliott
John Ryan
Charlie Wellens
Jayden Wareham
Clinton Mola
Joel Pereira
Paul Mukairu
Dom Ballard

How many could be described as successes at November/December 2023?

Yes good point....probably only Knibbs & Wing in all honesty.

Smith took time to get going as was initially injured, Savage was inconsistent, Bindon was played out of position, Button was initially favoured over Joel, can't remember Elliott or any of the others pulling up any trees in the league.

Its too early to make a call on many of the new players as they have been in and out of the side and in my view been poorly coached and badly set up tactically.

[Hound]

Yes - or injured…

I’ve still some slight hope that under better management MoM may come good. Was a nice goal on Sat and he had a real bounce in his step for the next 20 mins or so. Maybe Beattie can unlock it

Obvs if he is still struggling by Jan send him back if we can