Gylfi or a new striker?

[Woodcote Royal]

This shouldn't even be a speculative option, everyone, or nearly everyone, fans , media etc...... can see we need a striker who can put the ball away, the only ones who seem blind to this are Madejski and his crew !!

Firstly, how many goals has Siggy scored this season?

Why would the solution to a goal drought be to get rid of your top goalscorer and spend the proceeds on someone who would have to match the impressive tally of our attacking midfieder just for such a transaction not to make matters worse?

I prefer our managers view rather than the the blinkered rantings from certain sections of the fan base.

We are just as likely to get what we need from a loan deal should it be deemed necessary and this could still take place in February. So, it seems obvious to me that needlessly selling one of our best players in this instant would represent an act of gross stupidity.......................something our Chairman, thank God, is not noted for.

We have 5 strikers and they are clearly going to be given a few more weeks to find their form before looking elsewhere......................a rational approach from those paid to see us through these testing times.

[IcelandicStokie]

Bolton apparently made a cheeky bid yesterday.

[Fezza]

Frankly I'm still not sure what all the fuss is about. Yes he can deliver a good ball and has a fine shot, but the rest of the team seem to have to carry him. He just doesn't seem to work hard enough for me; either tracking back, tackling in the centre when he's there or playing simple passes.

I am quite prepared to be mocked, but, feel that a seasoned striker would, in theory, be the better option (unless both was a possibility).

[winchester_royal]

Bolton apparently made a cheeky bid yesterday.

Any idea how much they offered?

[Ian Royal]

Frankly I'm still not sure what all the fuss is about. Yes he can deliver a good ball and has a fine shot, but the rest of the team seem to have to carry him. He just doesn't seem to work hard enough for me; either tracking back, tackling in the centre when he's there or playing simple passes.

I am quite prepared to be mocked, but, feel that a seasoned striker would, in theory, be the better option (unless both was a possibility).

He is by far our best player!

[Fezza]

Frankly I'm still not sure what all the fuss is about. Yes he can deliver a good ball and has a fine shot, but the rest of the team seem to have to carry him. He just doesn't seem to work hard enough for me; either tracking back, tackling in the centre when he's there or playing simple passes.

I am quite prepared to be mocked, but, feel that a seasoned striker would, in theory, be the better option (unless both was a possibility).

He is by far our best player!

Not sure I agree with you (which may be a first for me), I'd have any of Mills, Bertrand, Jodi and more recently Griffin ahead of him.

Fact is though we are third from bottom of a pretty average league (with a squad that despite "cloth cutting" should be mid table) and our definition of "best" is pretty limited.

For me, and I am fully aware that he is far from the finished article, he disappears for long periods of games, doesn't track back / tackle enough and doesn't have enough pace. This is perhaps why we don't see him in the middle of the park.


Still just opinion and I look forward to being completelywrong for the rest of the season.

[IcelandicStokie]

Frankly I'm still not sure what all the fuss is about. Yes he can deliver a good ball and has a fine shot, but the rest of the team seem to have to carry him. He just doesn't seem to work hard enough for me; either tracking back, tackling in the centre when he's there or playing simple passes.

I am quite prepared to be mocked, but, feel that a seasoned striker would, in theory, be the better option (unless both was a possibility).

He is by far our best player!

Not sure I agree with you (which may be a first for me), I'd have any of Mills, Bertrand, Jodi and more recently Griffin ahead of him.

Fact is though we are third from bottom of a pretty average league (with a squad that despite "cloth cutting" should be mid table) and our definition of "best" is pretty limited.

For me, and I am fully aware that he is far from the finished article, he disappears for long periods of games, doesn't track back / tackle enough and doesn't have enough pace. This is perhaps why we don't see him in the middle of the park.


Still just opinion and I look forward to being completelywrong for the rest of the season.

Egil Östenstad, now the football director at Norwegian club Viking, recently said Gylfi is among the 3 most promising Nordic players at the moment.

[Fezza]

That's not the point though. The idea is what benefits Reading more; an experienced striker certain to get 10 - 15 goals (and staying up) or an outstanding prospect who is not the finished article. For me it's the former - however as this is completely hypothetical.

[Snowball]

Gylfi's goals are very good for a striker, for a midfielder playing mostly wide they are incredible

Looking at starts (and calling them 90 minutes which they probably are not)
and calling sub appearance 15 minutes average Gylfi has "played" 22.5 games for his 9 goals

(this season, because we are taking the cup seriously, I include it)

ST sub 'play' goals rate assists season
22 03 22.50 09 02.50 06 09-10 Gylfi
05 07 06.17 02 03.08 01 09-10 Noel
18 08 19.33 06 03.22 00 09-10 Rasiak
19 03 19.50 05 03.90 00 09-10 Church
08 08 09.33 02 04.67 01 09-10 Long
12 12 14.00 02 07.00 02 09-10 Kebe
12 06 13.00 01 13.00 01 09-10 Howard
16 03 16.50 01 16.50 00 09-10 Cisse
22 00 22.00 01 22.00 07 09-10 Jobi

and here is last season... showing Shane Long as a VERY good strike rate
same number of goals in 3 less "games"

15 26 19.33 09 02.15 02 08-09 Long
39 02 39.33 18 02.19 05 08-09 Doyle
29 10 30.67 13 02.36 03 08-09 Noel
09 01 09.17 02 04.58 01 08-09 Kitson
26 12 28.00 05 05.60 01 08-09 Cisse
08 04 08.67 01 08.67 00 08-09 Lita
38 04 38.67 02 19.33 11 08-09 Kebe

Incidentally, take Shane Long for last season and this combined you get
he scores once every 2.6 games and considering what a lousy start he
had this year, that tells me he could well be our striking answer

23 34 28.67 11 02.61 03 08-10 Long

[Terminal Boardom]

Funny how snowflake appears once Long has scored a couple.

What worries me is how much pressure you lot are putting on young Gylfi's shoulders. Think about it.

[Son of Len]

Funny how snowflake appears once Long has scored a couple.

What worries me is how much pressure you lot are putting on young Gylfi's shoulders. Think about it.

Apparently, The Sig can handle a little pressure. The Liverpool penalty kick proved that.

[Terminal Boardom]

Funny how snowflake appears once Long has scored a couple.

What worries me is how much pressure you lot are putting on young Gylfi's shoulders. Think about it.

Apparently, The Sig can handle a little pressure. The Liverpool penalty kick proved that.

And how did that go last Tuesday night then?

[Fezza]

More recent fluff didn't though!

[Ian Royal]

That's not the point though. The idea is what benefits Reading more; an experienced striker certain to get 10 - 15 goals (and staying up) or an outstanding prospect who is not the finished article. For me it's the former - however as this is completely hypothetical.

You'll be lucky to find a striker who can score 15 goals with less than half the season left. 10 would be pretty nice!

And in doing so on you lose our top scorer and one of our two players consistently producing assists. I can't think of a better way of making the goals dry up.

[Snowball]

Har, Har. Just play Shane and Thor, problem solved

[Terminal Boardom]

Don't get me wrong.

I like Gylfi. I think that he has been one of the brightest lightsf or us this season. Along with McAnuff he has been our best player this season. BUT... I think that it is a symptom of just how bad we have become that a relatively inexperienced and untried youngster has looked so good.

[IcelandicStokie]

In this interview from january 23rd, Gylfi says he intends to finish this season with Reading and then see what happens. I hope he is staying with Reading:

,,I am not really thinking about my future too much. I am just focused on playing football but I have heard certain things but I dont know how much truth is in it. I will certainly finish this season with Reading and then see what happens but as it stands I am really happy at Reading."

http://www.sport.is/fullfrettir.php?idnews=16906

[Terminal Boardom]

In this interview from january 23rd, Gylfi says he intends to finish this season with Reading and then see what happens. I hope he is staying with Reading:

,,I am not really thinking about my future too much. I am just focused on playing football but I have heard certain things but I dont know how much truth is in it. I will certainly finish this season with Reading and then see what happens but as it stands I am really happy at Reading."

http://www.sport.is/fullfrettir.php?idnews=16906

Sounds fairly sensible. Would it be in his best interests to play for us at League 1 level should we go down?

[Hoop Blah]

If I were him I'd see that as a career limiting move.

Not that many players seem to move up from a League 1 club to higher things, so I could understand him capitalising on this years form and moving to a Championship or better club this summer. The difference in money between what we're paying him now, even on a new contract, and what a 'new' club would be willing to pay him off the back of a transfer would be quite appealing.

[Wycombe Royal]

He is worth quite a bit of money now and as this transfer window has shown there isn't a lot of transfer funds floating around. Very few Championship clubs would be able to afford him.