Loan Frenzy: Appiah in, Guthrie and Taylor Out

27 March 2015
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Following Wednesday's loan signing of Nathan Ake from Chelsea, Reading have been busy again in the loan market. Crystal Palace forward Kwesi Appiah has arrived on loan from Crystal Palace until the end of the season. Going out is Danny Guthrie on loan for the rest of the season to Fulham, and Jake Taylor who has joined Leyton Orient in League One.

There has been speculation about Kwesi Appiah joining Reading for some time and the loan spell will give Steve Clarke time to properly assess the player. Appiah is 24 and has spent most of his career out on loan at various clubs after signing for Crystal Palace from Kettering in January 2012. He has been limited to just one start and nine appearances from the substitutes bench at his parent club. Loan spells have included time at Aldershot, Yeovil, Notts County and AFC Wimbledon - but his success has come in two different spells at Cambridge United. He has a very impressive hit rate at Cambridge scoring 18 goals in 39 starts. After leaving Cambridge at the end of the year his appearances have been limited to four matches for his country, Ghana. He scored for his country against Guinea in a 3-0 win in February.

Meanwhile, Danny Guthrie may well have played his last game for the Royals after joining Championship strugglers Fulham on-loan. Guthrie arrived from Newcastle for 2.5 million pounds in the summer of 2012 and has had plenty of ups and downs at Reading - but mostly downs. He had a very public falling out with former Reading boss Brian McDermott after refusing to travel to an away match, which saw reduced first team appearances for the player. Under Adkins he came back into favour for a time, but has had limited action under Steve Clarke. This season Guthrie has made just 11 appearances for the Royals.

Jake Taylor has also had reduced chances in the starting eleven after establishing himself as a regular at the start of the campaign. His Reading career has seen him clock up more appearances from the bench than starts, but this season had looked bright. After loan spells at Crawley and Cheltenham last season was a big break through for Taylor as he became a regular in the side - but Clarke clearly doesn't have Taylor in his immediate plans. Clarke dropped Taylor from the side and has played him just twice this year - and both occassions were when he made dramatic changes to the side to rest players around FA Cup fixtures.

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