Just on Thierry, Risdale was in the directors box at Wembley and they had an embrace after the trophy lift, the move was 100% done before the play offs and regardless of what division we would of been in I think
"Knibbs has yet to feature for Reading so far this pre-season and manager Noel Hunt confirmed that after his team’s defeat to Portsmouth at the Select Car Leasing Stadium that Knibbs had withdrawn from the squad due to a development with a Championship transfer.
According to reports, Charlton have agreed a fee with Reading in the region of £1.8m to sign the 26-year-old."
I think Small had very likely agreed a deal with Preston well before the season ended. Ok, not signed a PCA but nonetheless. I mean I certainly knew he was almost certainly off to Preston in the spring and I think a lot of our fans did as well.
Isn’t this illegal?
I think you’re allowed to start talking to other clubs if you’re only 6 months of contract left. You’ll recall Dobson had signed a formal deal with Ferencvaros whilst still playing for us
I think Small had very likely agreed a deal with Preston well before the season ended. Ok, not signed a PCA but nonetheless. I mean I certainly knew he was almost certainly off to Preston in the spring and I think a lot of our fans did as well.
Small moving to Preston was not great surprise. He’s 20 and PNE are his seventh club. Two of which admittedly were on loan. His first club was his local team, WBA and he jumped ship aged 12 to Everton. Since then he’s seemingly never settled anywhere and the only stable and good period of form was with us and Nathan Jones. If you believe the reports, CAFC were negotiating with Small for months and he wasn’t interested in our offer. Fair enough, good luck to the lad for getting more from Preston, but I think he had that move lined up months in advance and was leaving us promotion or not. Don’t blame him one iota for chasing the money but as soon as an opportunity comes along he’ll be off again. I think the moment a Championship club started sniffing he’s mind was made up. Charlton winning promotion was not in the equation because it was a done deal months before.
On Small, Apter joining and playing RWB in the friendlies (so far) suggests we'll continue with a very attacking left footed RWB.
Knowing how ambitious NJ is, and that he'll be ruthless (the signings prove that), then my guess is Small wasn't seen as worth a £10-15k a week contract when a player like Apter is a better goalscorer (clear from the stats) and what I think will prove to be a more creative passer (not Small's strength at all) and a better crosser (something he was inconsistent with).
Small's combination of pace, strength and tricks looked unstoppable at times, but if you're going to give a WB the freedom to play like a wide forward, then you want them to be a proper goal and creative threat, as that will justify that freedom. I can see Small's end product improving, but he's never going to be natural in and around the box in the way we'll be hoping Apter can be.
I think the aim is for us to be a better, more extreme version of last seasons team - Small can be remembered for playing a big part in finding this formation and style, but I can see what the thinking might be in the type of player NJ wants in that role.
Small is a defender who Jones pushed further forward. You could tell by his (lack of) finishing that he is not an attacking player.
Apter, by all accounts, is a winger (an old style one according to Steve Bruce). I really hope that 1) we don't try to compare the two and 2) we dont try to use Apter in any defensive capacity as that would be a waste of his talent.
You mean like Steve Bruce did successfully at Blackpool ?
I wonder if Small is having a few doubts about his decision to leave us. 🤔
Would be interesting to know the reason he went in the end.
I get the feeling if we’d really wanted to keep him we could have. Guess we’ll never know
It’s been my suspicion all along and I suspect if given the choice he would have wanted to stay. The manager wasn’t mad on him though, the offer reflected that and there was other interest that actually did want him.
Time to move on. That’s football
I’ve a mate who is a football scout using the same data model that’s brought Brighton so much success, and that I believe NJ favours.
He worked for a number of League 1 clubs last season, sometimes to report on Charlton.
He was telling me the one player he didn’t rate, under that stats model, was Small.
I don’t know for sure but I suspect that could be one reason NJ didn’t go all out to keep him. The data didn’t back up the hype.
I'm not subscribed to Rich Cawley's South London Sport, so cant read the latest post. But just had the email through which included in the headline: "Ramsay sale fears rubbished"
Imagine its just a follow up to his comments on Saturday, when he asked Nathan about Kayne's absence, and was told it was injection related and should be involved tomorrow night.
My biggest concern is how long will Kayne need injections for, before he's absent longer?
I'm not subscribed to Rich Cawley's South London Sport, so cant read the latest post. But just had the email through which included in the headline: "Ramsay sale fears rubbished"
Think that's his free weekly round up so you might be able to read it
I'm not subscribed to Rich Cawley's South London Sport, so cant read the latest post. But just had the email through which included in the headline: "Ramsay sale fears rubbished"
Think that's his free weekly round up so you might be able to read it
"Knibbs has yet to feature for Reading so far this pre-season and manager Noel Hunt confirmed that after his team’s defeat to Portsmouth at the Select Car Leasing Stadium that Knibbs had withdrawn from the squad due to a development with a Championship transfer.
According to reports, Charlton have agreed a fee with Reading in the region of £1.8m to sign the 26-year-old."
I assume we are busy filming the ‘reveal’ video where Knibbs is dressed as the mascot and takes off his furry head to reveal the Real Harvey !
I think Small had very likely agreed a deal with Preston well before the season ended. Ok, not signed a PCA but nonetheless. I mean I certainly knew he was almost certainly off to Preston in the spring and I think a lot of our fans did as well.
Isn’t this illegal?
I think you’re allowed to start talking to other clubs if you’re only 6 months of contract left. You’ll recall Dobson had signed a formal deal with Ferencvaros whilst still playing for us
I don’t believe you’re allowed to talk/sign with another English club (without permission from your existing club) until after your contract has ended.
I'm not subscribed to Rich Cawley's South London Sport, so cant read the latest post. But just had the email through which included in the headline: "Ramsay sale fears rubbished"
Imagine its just a follow up to his comments on Saturday, when he asked Nathan about Kayne's absence, and was told it was injection related and should be involved tomorrow night.
My biggest concern is how long will Kayne need injections for, before he's absent longer?
Thankfully it feels like there’s way less riding Ramsay and his fitness now that we’re really well stacked at the back.
"Knibbs has yet to feature for Reading so far this pre-season and manager Noel Hunt confirmed that after his team’s defeat to Portsmouth at the Select Car Leasing Stadium that Knibbs had withdrawn from the squad due to a development with a Championship transfer.
According to reports, Charlton have agreed a fee with Reading in the region of £1.8m to sign the 26-year-old."
I assume we are busy filming the ‘reveal’ video where Knibbs is dressed as the mascot and takes off his furry head to reveal the Real Harvey !
Could just have someone asking a lonely Floyd where Harvey is and he pops up saying here. Think it will scare and confuse little kids though.
"The Welshman said: “Kayne Ramsay has had a thing with his achilles, so we have given him an injection. He is back training and he will be involved on Tuesday. Kayne Ramsay is going nowhere.”
"Knibbs has yet to feature for Reading so far this pre-season and manager Noel Hunt confirmed that after his team’s defeat to Portsmouth at the Select Car Leasing Stadium that Knibbs had withdrawn from the squad due to a development with a Championship transfer.
According to reports, Charlton have agreed a fee with Reading in the region of £1.8m to sign the 26-year-old."
I assume we are busy filming the ‘reveal’ video where Knibbs is dressed as the mascot and takes off his furry head to reveal the Real Harvey !
I hope, after this window, there's no bedwetting if we DON'T sign Knibbs!
On Small, Apter joining and playing RWB in the friendlies (so far) suggests we'll continue with a very attacking left footed RWB.
Knowing how ambitious NJ is, and that he'll be ruthless (the signings prove that), then my guess is Small wasn't seen as worth a £10-15k a week contract when a player like Apter is a better goalscorer (clear from the stats) and what I think will prove to be a more creative passer (not Small's strength at all) and a better crosser (something he was inconsistent with).
Small's combination of pace, strength and tricks looked unstoppable at times, but if you're going to give a WB the freedom to play like a wide forward, then you want them to be a proper goal and creative threat, as that will justify that freedom. I can see Small's end product improving, but he's never going to be natural in and around the box in the way we'll be hoping Apter can be.
I think the aim is for us to be a better, more extreme version of last seasons team - Small can be remembered for playing a big part in finding this formation and style, but I can see what the thinking might be in the type of player NJ wants in that role.
Small is a defender who Jones pushed further forward. You could tell by his (lack of) finishing that he is not an attacking player.
Apter, by all accounts, is a winger (an old style one according to Steve Bruce). I really hope that 1) we don't try to compare the two and 2) we dont try to use Apter in any defensive capacity as that would be a waste of his talent.
You mean like Steve Bruce did successfully at Blackpool ?
I don't understand why people are saying this. He played as a right wing back twice in the league under Steve Bruce and Blackpool lost and drew those games (Stockport 0-3, Wycombe 2-2)
He then from what I can tell, played every game as a right midfielder/winger in a 442, with Offiah behind him at right back. He has been described as a winger. He is a winger as that's where he has played his whole career almost. Unless Jones plays him at RWB, and it works, then people can say he has successfully played there, right now there is no proof of that. It was very much square peg round hole.
We still need a right wing back if we are going to play a 532 and Ramsay isn't playing that role, we know we want this position covered because of the interest in Fukuda.
To me it's almost like signing Kelman and trying to shoe him in as a 10 and saying "he's had success there" when he has played there once.
Fair enough if Jones can somehow turn a pure winger into a defensive minded player, but most right or left wingers will show a heat map all down the flank unless they're lazy bastards/have an exceptional full back behind them, a heat map doesn't mean you can defend, or show that you have good defensive attributes.
On Small, Apter joining and playing RWB in the friendlies (so far) suggests we'll continue with a very attacking left footed RWB.
Knowing how ambitious NJ is, and that he'll be ruthless (the signings prove that), then my guess is Small wasn't seen as worth a £10-15k a week contract when a player like Apter is a better goalscorer (clear from the stats) and what I think will prove to be a more creative passer (not Small's strength at all) and a better crosser (something he was inconsistent with).
Small's combination of pace, strength and tricks looked unstoppable at times, but if you're going to give a WB the freedom to play like a wide forward, then you want them to be a proper goal and creative threat, as that will justify that freedom. I can see Small's end product improving, but he's never going to be natural in and around the box in the way we'll be hoping Apter can be.
I think the aim is for us to be a better, more extreme version of last seasons team - Small can be remembered for playing a big part in finding this formation and style, but I can see what the thinking might be in the type of player NJ wants in that role.
Small is a defender who Jones pushed further forward. You could tell by his (lack of) finishing that he is not an attacking player.
Apter, by all accounts, is a winger (an old style one according to Steve Bruce). I really hope that 1) we don't try to compare the two and 2) we dont try to use Apter in any defensive capacity as that would be a waste of his talent.
You mean like Steve Bruce did successfully at Blackpool ?
I don't understand why people are saying this. He played as a right wing back twice in the league under Steve Bruce and Blackpool lost and drew those games (Stockport 0-3, Wycombe 2-2)
He then from what I can tell, played every game as a right midfielder/winger in a 442, with Offiah behind him at right back. He has been described as a winger. He is a winger as that's where he has played his whole career almost. Unless Jones plays him at RWB, and it works, then people can say he has successfully played there, right now there is no proof of that. It was very much square peg round hole.
We still need a right wing back if we are going to play a 532 and Ramsay isn't playing that role, we know we want this position covered because of the interest in Fukuda.
To me it's almost like signing Kelman and trying to shoe him in as a 10 and saying "he's had success there" when he has played there once.
Fair enough if Jones can somehow turn a pure winger into a defensive minded player, but most right or left wingers will show a heat map all down the flank unless they're lazy bastards, a heat map doesn't mean you can defend, or show you have good defensive attributes.
Our RWB role isn’t a traditional RWB role though. If you look at what Small did last year it is probably closer to what is expected of a RM in a 4-4-2, the exact role that Apter played for Blackpool last year. An attacking role with some defensive discipline.
And if you’re worried about Apter getting on the ball too deep, he actually received the ball in deeper areas than Small did last season. We’ve clearly looked at his role last season and seen the similarities between it and the role Small was playing. We might lose a bit defensively, but the team being so strong defensively should hopefully cover it, and we will gain a lot going forward by adding a player to that role with end product
He's also played in that role for all of his pre season games, including when we had a trialist who can play RWB. It's pretty clear that's where Jones wants him to play
He's also played in that role for all of his pre season games, including when we had a trialist who can play RWB. It's pretty clear that's where Jones wants him to play
Jones clearly thinks he can play that role. And Apter obviously agrees and is happy to, otherwise he wouldn’t have signed for us
I think Small had very likely agreed a deal with Preston well before the season ended. Ok, not signed a PCA but nonetheless. I mean I certainly knew he was almost certainly off to Preston in the spring and I think a lot of our fans did as well.
Isn’t this illegal?
I think you’re allowed to start talking to other clubs if you’re only 6 months of contract left. You’ll recall Dobson had signed a formal deal with Ferencvaros whilst still playing for us
I don’t believe you’re allowed to talk/sign with another English club (without permission from your existing club) until after your contract has ended.
You’re not allowed to shag someone else when you’re married but …….
Comments
"Knibbs has yet to feature for Reading so far this pre-season and manager Noel Hunt confirmed that after his team’s defeat to Portsmouth at the Select Car Leasing Stadium that Knibbs had withdrawn from the squad due to a development with a Championship transfer.
According to reports, Charlton have agreed a fee with Reading in the region of £1.8m to sign the 26-year-old."
We then brought in Kaminski and it looks like Docherty could lose his place to JRC.
I’ve a mate who is a football scout using the same data model that’s brought Brighton so much success, and that I believe NJ favours.
He worked for a number of League 1 clubs last season, sometimes to report on Charlton.
He was telling me the one player he didn’t rate, under that stats model, was Small.
I don’t know for sure but I suspect that could be one reason NJ didn’t go all out to keep him. The data didn’t back up the hype.
Imagine its just a follow up to his comments on Saturday, when he asked Nathan about Kayne's absence, and was told it was injection related and should be involved tomorrow night.
My biggest concern is how long will Kayne need injections for, before he's absent longer?
He then from what I can tell, played every game as a right midfielder/winger in a 442, with Offiah behind him at right back. He has been described as a winger. He is a winger as that's where he has played his whole career almost. Unless Jones plays him at RWB, and it works, then people can say he has successfully played there, right now there is no proof of that. It was very much square peg round hole.
We still need a right wing back if we are going to play a 532 and Ramsay isn't playing that role, we know we want this position covered because of the interest in Fukuda.
To me it's almost like signing Kelman and trying to shoe him in as a 10 and saying "he's had success there" when he has played there once.
Fair enough if Jones can somehow turn a pure winger into a defensive minded player, but most right or left wingers will show a heat map all down the flank unless they're lazy bastards/have an exceptional full back behind them, a heat map doesn't mean you can defend, or show that you have good defensive attributes.
And if you’re worried about Apter getting on the ball too deep, he actually received the ball in deeper areas than Small did last season. We’ve clearly looked at his role last season and seen the similarities between it and the role Small was playing. We might lose a bit defensively, but the team being so strong defensively should hopefully cover it, and we will gain a lot going forward by adding a player to that role with end product