For anyone who has not heard, Reading have let Kaspars Gorkss go on an loan to Wolves with a permanent deal in the offing. He has not played for The Royals since mid December which coincidentally(?) coincides with their upturn in fortune. While he fought valiantly for us in our promotion winning season and I was disappointed for him that Warnock moved him on, this would seem to indicate that Colin made the right decision. Personally I think he has yet again gone back to his level, but are there still people on here hankering for his return?
He's a bit like Clint Hill - plays passionately for his club which the fans will always appreciate. Can't believe we allowed him to score against us! Wish him well but not back at LR.
Wouldn't it be cruelly ironic or ironically cruel even if his goal against us depriving us of two extra points was the difference between survival and the drop? Why did he have to do that? They still dropped him and now loaned him out. Fitting punishment.
I didnt see the benefit of replacing him with those two, by Dawson and Samba by all means - but it looked hasty at the time. Is Conolly still our player btw, or was he sold and not loaned?
Agreed, he probably isn't good enough for the PL but was better than some we have played in PL. Still like him and wish him the best.
Never go back they say, and he'd be no use to us even in the Championship. Helped get us up and he'll be remembered fondly for that...
Better than Gabbidon, probably - I would certainly have picked him ahead of Gabbidon, but I'm not absolutely convinced he is better. Better then Ferdinand, this is more contentious - I'm not a fan of Ferdinand, but a focused and concentrating Ferdinand would outstrip Kaspars (imo). I think that Gorkss is a top Championship centre back, but not good enough for the Premier League.
Roller - in pure talent wise terms - Ferdinand is a better player than Gorks.. he'd win a super skills comp hands down. BUT.. they're both centre halfs and the number 1 requirement for that job is to minimize mistakes. Be strong and dominate. As you say yourself, Ferdinand can't concentrate for 90 minutes.. he will almost certainly make a mistake.. and neither is he a leader. Ferdinand would win a skills comp with Nelson but I know who I'd rather have at centre back. Centre halves who could really play are rare... um... Moore, Beckenbauer, Hansen, Maldini... or , at a lesser level for us Roeder, Parker... we ain't got 'em. Strength, dominance and discipline.. that's why keeping Gorks would have helped, the likes of Ferdinand and Gabbidon lacked those abilities at PL level IMO. (Nice to find a thread where we can argue amicably about football innit Roller? PS I predict we won't lose this weekend.)
Indeed Pete, I can't see you and I ever falling out. Thank God for no Friday night prediction this week mate! I really think this is a tough call. We only ever saw Gorkss week in week out in the Championship. Ferdinand spent many seasons in the Premier league before we signed him. I don't think that Gorkss was ever going to be good enough, Ferdinand had the potential. Maybe. Maybe we should try to rate Gorkss against Hill. I'd say that Hill is far superior, better positionally, better at reading the game and more consistent, nothing between them for determination and desire though. I'd love to see Roeder playing for us now......
Am I right in thinking that Roeder did step overs long before they became a standard trick, and certainly before other defenders did them? And he really did run like he had a broom up his backside. Proper footballing central defender though, big beneficiary of Venables coaching I suspect.
You're definitely buying the first round before the Sunderland game, and a few after that if you keep this mod stuff up.
