RUMOUR: Kanu to Portsmouth

[Isaac Hunt]

Hal Robson-Kanu's agent has rejected rumours linking the Reading winger with a move to Portsmouth.

Reports had suggested Portsmouth had made a bid for the Wales international as Steve Cotterill looks to lure him to Fratton Park.

However, Robson-Kanu's representative Gary Saunders claims he has heard nothing from Portsmouth and that the 22-year-old is in talks with Reading over a new deal at the Madejski Stadium.

"The speculation has not been put out by me, it's the first I have heard about it," Saunders told the Portsmouth News.

"At this moment in time Hal is a Reading player and is still negotiating with them over extending his contract.

"He seems to be happy at Reading and has been there for a number of years.

"The club have approached him about staying even longer and he is speaking to them.

"At this moment in time Hal is a Reading player and is still negotiating with them over extending his contract."

"I know Portsmouth from last year and this year seems different to me, they seem to be heading in a different direction, which is great for the club. But I've heard nothing from them."

[YateleyRoyal]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 52,00.html

Hal Robson-Kanu's agent has rejected rumours linking the Reading winger with a move to Portsmouth.

Reports had suggested Portsmouth had made a bid for the Wales international as Steve Cotterill looks to lure him to Fratton Park.

However, Robson-Kanu's representative Gary Saunders claims he has heard nothing from Portsmouth and that the 22-year-old is in talks with Reading over a new deal at the Madejski Stadium.

"The speculation has not been put out by me, it's the first I have heard about it," Saunders told the Portsmouth News.

"At this moment in time Hal is a Reading player and is still negotiating with them over extending his contract.

Happy
"He seems to be happy at Reading and has been there for a number of years.

"The club have approached him about staying even longer and he is speaking to them.

"At this moment in time Hal is a Reading player and is still negotiating with them over extending his contract."

Hal Robson-Kanu's agent on Portsmouth rumours

Quotes of the week

"I know Portsmouth from last year and this year seems different to me, they seem to be heading in a different direction, which is great for the club. But I've heard nothing from them."

Sonko interest
Saunders, who also represents Ibrahima Sonko, admits the big defender will not be returning to Portsmouth after spending last season on loan at Pompey from Stoke.

Sonko is available on a free transfer and Saunders admits a number of clubs are looking at the stopper, but that Portsmouth have not expressed an interest in bringing the player back to the club.

He added: "There has been interest from a few clubs but at this moment in time nothing has been tied up.

"I can say, though, that there is no interest from Portsmouth at the minute."

[andrew1957]

It will be good news if true that he wants to stay.

It is bad enough that we are likely to lose established players this summer without losing promising players from the next generation as well. That really would be a body blow to our chances of being competitive next season.

Whether we like it or not the survival of the club - even at Championship level - now appears to be reliant on the Academy creating a continuous flow of good young players who become established - so that they can be sold for millions to keep the club afloat.

[Snowball]

Those of you now poo-hooing HRK's stats and coming out with the
classic "defences are tired" BS need to go back and read where
you said exactly the same thing about Shane Long.


1. Long is only any good as an impact sub.

2. When Long gets to start he's absolute rubbish.

3. Long only gets those goals because he's fresh against tired defences.




I heard it all a thousand times and said that if he played a full season he'd get goals.
He played a full season and got 25 goals.

HE has said, the manager has said, that it's playing a lot of minutes
that brings you on.


HRK is not that dissimilar to Long (as-was) in being young, having potential
but struggling to get starts, but getting goals and assists.

14 (18) = "17" (1,486 Minutes) for 6 Goals 2 Assists HRK 2010-11
24 (12) = "26" (2,204 Minutes) for 9 Goals 2 Assists Long 2009-10

Multiply HRKs goals assists by 2204/1486 for direct comparison and you get HRK with 9 goals and 4/5 assists in 2,204 minutes


McAnuff SOMETIMES does good defensive work. At other times he stands there leaving Harte exposed
almost as if he's had a mental switch-off.

HRK is a LOT more naive in attack and defensively but he would come on in leaps and bounds as a regular starter.
In a full season he would stat-up to 18 goals and 6 assists, but that is just pro-rate and WITHOUT IMPROVEMENT.

IMO he will improve a LOT this season through simple maturity and minutes-played, so I believe the stat could
be an UNDER-estimate.

[Wycombe Royal]

[BR2]

Those of you now poo-hooing HRK's stats and coming out with the
classic "defences are tired" BS need to go back and read where
you said exactly the same thing about Shane Long.


1. Long is only any good as an impact sub.

2. When Long gets to start he's absolute rubbish.

3. Long only gets those goals because he's fresh against tired defences.




I heard it all a thousand times and said that if he played a full season he'd get goals.
He played a full season and got 25 goals.

HE has said, the manager has said, that it's playing a lot of minutes
that brings you on.


HRK is not that dissimilar to Long (as-was) in being young, having potential
but struggling to get starts, but getting goals and assists.

14 (18) = "17" (1,486 Minutes) for 6 Goals 2 Assists HRK 2010-11
24 (12) = "26" (2,204 Minutes) for 9 Goals 2 Assists Long 2009-10

Multiply HRKs goals assists by 2204/1486 for direct comparison and you get HRK with 9 goals and 4/5 assists in 2,204 minutes


McAnuff SOMETIMES does good defensive work. At other times he stands there leaving Harte exposed
almost as if he's had a mental switch-off.

HRK is a LOT more naive in attack and defensively but he would come on in leaps and bounds as a regular starter.
In a full season he would stat-up to 18 goals and 6 assists, but that is just pro-rate and WITHOUT IMPROVEMENT.

IMO he will improve a LOT this season through simple maturity and minutes-played, so I believe the stat could
be an UNDER-estimate.

I still think it takes a great leap of faith to assume automatic improvement in a player merely through experience.
By way of an example I give you Francis Jeffers and Danny Cadamateri.
Over the years I have had involvement with horses and the progression from age 2 to 3 so often doesn't happen-likewise with young players and to use racing parlance "They haven't trained on".
Look at England rep sides at the younger ages and you will see so many youngsters who were thought to be the best in the country at that time fail to make a career of football even at the lower levels.

As a Reading fan I want all of our players to "train on"but from what I have seen I feel that Jake Taylor is a better prospect than Robson-Kanu and would not be disappointed to see Robson-Kanu sold for £500,000 as I don't see a player with real pace nor a great desire.
As ever time will tell but as posted earlier I wonder if he is held in great regard at the club as he was due to be used as part of a deal to get Charlie Austin from Swindon,something you wouldn't even consider if it was felt that he had a future with us.

From the club's perspective I assume that players now have to be considered good enough to get us promoted (including experienced older pros who have been there and done it)plus a nucleus of younger players thought to have the potential to play Premier League football.
At the moment I believe that players like Church,Robson-Kanu,Antonio and Pearce fall into neither of those categories and we still have no idea of the scope of Morrison and Manset plus the other cheap punts taken with the Americans and young Williams.

I do think there will be quite a lot of changes over the summer and if we lose players who think they are of Premier League standard already I hope that money received will be spent on players that the manager feels have the scope to do the same and do it with our club.

[Svlad Cjelli]

But I do think HRK will improve with experience. I'm not going to blitz you with largely irrelevant stats, I'm just going to give an opinion - becausee all of this is still opinion, no matter how many numbers you post at the same time.

Simply that every time I've seen HRK play I've been of the opinion that he has the skills but that he's lacking in the confidence to take people on enough, and that his decision-making isn't what it might be.

This are the two areas which really can improve with experience. You don't improve skills with minutes on the pitch (you've either got them or you've not, and you hone them in training) - but confidence and decision-making do require match time to improve.

[Hoop Blah]

I get where you're coming from Dirk, and I agree he's show flashes of good technique let down by poor decision making.

What I find most frustrating with him is that he has two pieces of 'trickery'. The first is his legendary step over, the second is running into and over the defender and using his strength to basically run through them. I'm not sure he's got the skills to beat a player but he is getting better and knowing when to deliver the ball into the box, and his crossing is at least the equal to Kebe's in terms of quality to dross ratio.

He's grown on me, but like Victor, I'm not sure I see enough from him to be a regular in a side competing for a play off spot, at least not in our current side where we rely heavily on the contribution from the wingers.

He has improved though.

[Ian Royal]

I get where you're coming from Dirk, and I agree he's show flashes of good technique let down by poor decision making.

What I find most frustrating with him is that he has two pieces of 'trickery'. The first is his legendary step over, the second is running into and over the defender and using his strength to basically run through them. I'm not sure he's got the skills to beat a player but he is getting better and knowing when to deliver the ball into the box, and his crossing is at least the equal to Kebe's in terms of quality to dross ratio.

He's grown on me, but like Victor, I'm not sure I see enough from him to be a regular in a side competing for a play off spot, at least not in our current side where we rely heavily on the contribution from the wingers.

He has improved though.

Against Derby he showed he's got what it takes and doesn't just rely on a couple of tricks. I think you may be right that before he has tried to rely on tricks, without really focusing on what the defender is doing and how to beat him. He's got the skill IMO, and is young. There's no guarantee he'll come good, but I'd be gutted if he left as he's got a very good chance of developing and is probably the most natural goalscorer of any of our wingers.

[Isaac Hunt]

I get where you're coming from Dirk, and I agree he's show flashes of good technique let down by poor decision making.

What I find most frustrating with him is that he has two pieces of 'trickery'. The first is his legendary step over, the second is running into and over the defender and using his strength to basically run through them. I'm not sure he's got the skills to beat a player but he is getting better and knowing when to deliver the ball into the box, and his crossing is at least the equal to Kebe's in terms of quality to dross ratio.

He's grown on me, but like Victor, I'm not sure I see enough from him to be a regular in a side competing for a play off spot, at least not in our current side where we rely heavily on the contribution from the wingers.

He has improved though.

I'd agree with all of that and I'd add that he lacks enough desire at the moment (that might be a confidence thing though). The other thing i've noticed is that he often favours knocking the ball up when receiving it rather than getting it down under control ASAP. This allows the opponent time to close him down far too easily. That's something that can be coached out of him though.

As I previously stated, he made a good improvement in the final third of last season - I'd prefer it if that progress continues with us and not a Championship rival.

[leicsRoyal]

It's hard to measure players like Kanu at the moment. It was much easier to look a decent player at the end of last season than it maybe when we have our backs to the wall.

In saying that, I think HRK has great potential. He's got enough pace to cause trouble and already the strength to go with that. For a youngster that's a great start and as his football brain matures he will become a very good player.

Long contract with big release clause please!

[under the tin]

McAnuff SOMETIMES does good defensive work. At other times he stands there leaving Harte exposed
almost as if he's had a mental switch-off.

/\/\/\
This is an opinion, based on an observation.

HRK is a LOT more naive in attack and defensively but he would come on in leaps and bounds as a regular starter.

/\/\/\
This is an opinion.

Captain to crew.
Stay away from the air locks.
HAL's beginning to act strangely.

[Mr Angry]

It's hard to measure players like Kanu at the moment. It was much easier to look a decent player at the end of last season than it maybe when we have our backs to the wall.

In saying that, I think HRK has great potential. He's got enough pace to cause trouble and already the strength to go with that. For a youngster that's a great start and as his football brain matures he will become a very good player.

Long contract with big release clause please!

But what if he doesn't come on?

What if he continues to have the odd good spell but it continues to be interpersed with getting caught in possession, not tracking back, and wayward crosses that end up deep in the North Stand?

With his long contract that you would give to him, the club would be tied and unable to offload.

[leicsRoyal]

Probably the gambler coming out in me, I do think he is worth the risk.

Out of our wingers we haven't got that all round winger now. McAnuff blows hot and cold and can be as anonymous as anyone. Kebe has the explosive pace and is hugely exciting when he is in the mood and HRK can bully his way into a game. All can come up with important goals but I doubt any of them would win a crossing competition, which is something normally associated with a winger.

[ZacNaloen]

Hal can put him some fantastic crosses when he does strike the ball properly though.



There was one he put in with the outside of his boot from the wrong side.... I forget the game, was class though.
Composure comes with games etc

[Ian Royal]

Probably the gambler coming out in me, I do think he is worth the risk.

Out of our wingers we haven't got that all round winger now. McAnuff blows hot and cold and can be as anonymous as anyone. Kebe has the explosive pace and is hugely exciting when he is in the mood and HRK can bully his way into a game. All can come up with important goals but I doubt any of them would win a crossing competition, which is something normally associated with a winger.

We haven't really used a traditional wing role since Coppell left. Kebe's improvement is pretty much linked to this IMO. He simply isn't the type of player who's best at hitting the byline and putting telling crosses in consistently.

Our wing play is built around attacking the box just as much as keeping wide and putting in the cross these days.

If HRK is more the complete package for that role than McAnuff or Kebe IMO, the question is can he raise his game frequently enough to a level approaching their quality? In a year or two, I think the answer is yes.

[leon]

Probably the gambler coming out in me, I do think he is worth the risk.

Out of our wingers we haven't got that all round winger now. McAnuff blows hot and cold and can be as anonymous as anyone. Kebe has the explosive pace and is hugely exciting when he is in the mood and HRK can bully his way into a game. All can come up with important goals but I doubt any of them would win a crossing competition, which is something normally associated with a winger.

We haven't really used a traditional wing role since Coppell left. Kebe's improvement is pretty much linked to this IMO. He simply isn't the type of player who's best at hitting the byline and putting telling crosses in consistently.

Our wing play is built around attacking the box just as much as keeping wide and putting in the cross these days.

If HRK is more the complete package for that role than McAnuff or Kebe IMO, the question is can he raise his game frequently enough to a level approaching their quality? In a year or two, I think the answer is yes.

sorry Ian Royal, this is bollocks. How many times have you actually seen kebe play?

[Wimb]

Kebe's crossing is still one of his weakest areas, Wembley was a prime example of that.

[Scarface]

Kebe is consistant, he has 5 good games a season and then lives off them.

[Cypry]

Just saw HRK leaving the Mad Stad - could be nothing of course, but maybe there'll be some news later?