That famous Geordie charm and an improved extended contract the order of the day! Over to you Brucie!!! Koren to Reading?? Ed. fat fingers and iPad do not a good title make!!!
We need a load of new contracts signing. Chester is said to be on a lot less money than others players and Barmby/Pearson were desperate to get him, Evans and others on new deals. I hope this is still a priority.
I feel the priority should be to get Andy Dawson on a vastly improved contract and a testimonial game with Real Madrid. He has at least three years top quality football in him. Nicky Barmby said so and I believe him. On a more serious note, the new management and coaching staff will look at all the players and assess their worth and reward it accordingly, or tell them they are no longer required as the case may be.
Nobody could blame Koren for wanting to talk to reading if they're after him. He's got us out of a lot of sticky situations over the last 2 years. I'd by annoyed if he was after making a sideways move but an approach from a PL club can't be ignored.
To be fair, take the goals away and Koren provides a limited contribution to most games. I can't think of a game where he has been the stand out performer. Obviously he has saved our bacon a good few times and scoring a winner, especially at the death, makes him a cert for man of the match. A year on his contract with a £750k - £1m offer would be tempting, I would think, even though I agree he could be difficult to replace. I hope he stays, but won't cry into my sunshine and black tiger print pyjamas if he goes.
Strange that the most recent transfer speculation regarding outgoing players is Fryatt and Koren, the two players modelling our new kit!
Koren will end up going so we can get a decent fee for him. I'd hope around £1.5m but I'm now resigned to losing him especially as it doesn't appear that he wants to sign a new contract.
I'm not taking the piss, but did you go to any games while Barmbs was in charge last season? Specifically when Koren was injured, we wern't a team without him, in fact I'd have fancied Ferriby and Winterton to stick a few past us if we played them instead of Pompy and Cov. Without him we were clueless, no ideas, creating sod all and looking like a pub team. His fast tempo one touch pass and move, movement and spacial awareness was the most vital part to Hull City in that 4-2-3-1 last season. I'd sooner sell any other player in the team including Chester at the minute (until we see who Bruce brings in, backup to Koren is essential IMO anyway) but I won't grudge him if he moves to the premier league, I'd be disappointed, but we'd all do the same.
Koren is a quality player to have in the Championship, the only person I would consider as a decent replacement is Ambrose from Palace
Lookily though we're likely to play 4-4-2 so Koren will just sulk on the wing for a season. As long as we bring in a decent winger I won't mind as much.
He would and he is a Free transfer. I am amazed that Reading dont go for Akos Buszaky as he is PL proven. I am still very sure its all just agent brio and paper talk re.Koren.
So you mean the system that is employed by most of the world top teams and most of the Premiership teams, ie. 4-2-3-1, is that what you mean?
The one that nearly everyone plays nowadays? The same one that saw us create 20 shots nearly every game? The strikers may have missed them all, but short of getting his boots on and sticking himself up front, there wasn't a lot Barmby could do about that. Especially without being allowed new players...
