Nick Blackman

[toddy]

11 minutes ago, MuespachRam said:

I haven't "got the pitchforks out" at all, I am asking someone who has watched him 75 times what he is like, rather than rely on someone who bought him on football manager once....

 

What is football manager, a video game?

[toddy]

12 minutes ago, SaintRam said:

Actually most Derby fans seem quite happy, but here:

He's fast and has a good touch but he's not very good at creating space for himself. if he finds himself in space he has a powerful shot and is an accurate finisher. Strong aerially too. Doesn't like tracking back and can get quite mopey when things don't go his way for an extended period of time. Sometimes doesn't pick his head up often enough, I find this is more common in games where he's already scored for some reason. Is an excellent FK taker. A good passer of the ball. Sometimes slow to make decisions. Not all that interested in crossing the ball. Far more likely to be played on the right wing than anywhere else.

and just to add: I think he's well worth 2-2.5m

Was this Ince before his hat trick?

[SaintRam]

6 minutes ago, toddy said:

Is this Ince?

As I've pointed out to someone on twitter, Ince has the best defensive stats of all of our wingers and will certainly not shy away from tracking back. Other than that, they are similar. Ince can create space for himself a bit better.

[Grimbeard]

Well he better be a good striker, cos as a bloke to have around the place he seems to be an absolute cock.

[toddy]

3 minutes ago, SaintRam said:

As I've pointed out to someone on twitter, Ince has the best defensive stats of all of our wingers and will certainly not shy away from tracking back. Other than that, they are similar. Ince can create space for himself a bit better, but Blackman is two footed.

I can see them playing opposite each other left and right and part of a front three also.

[eddie]

37 minutes ago, MuespachRam said:

I haven't "got the pitchforks out" at all, I am asking someone who has watched him 75 times what he is like, rather than rely on someone who bought him on football manager once....

 

Anyone reading your posts would get the impression that Blackman is from Liverpool.

[MuespachRam]

1 minute ago, eddie said:

Anyone reading your posts would get the impression that Blackman is from Liverpool.

or anyone reading them would get the impression that just like you I have never seen the guy play, can only go by the rubbish stats he has produced and am trying to form a decent impression by asking someone who has seen him play 75 times... heaven forbid someone actually tries to form an opinion on someone by using a source with more knowledge than himself....what was i thinking...??

[ossieram]

1 minute ago, MuespachRam said:

or anyone reading them would get the impression that just like you I have never seen the guy play, can only go by the rubbish stats he has produced and am trying to form a decent impression by asking someone who has seen him play 75 times... heaven forbid someone actually tries to form an opinion on someone by using a source with more knowledge than himself....what was i thinking...??

Here's an idea, why not form an opinion on him by seeing what he does for Derby! I know it's a crazy idea but it might just work.

[eddie]

Just now, MuespachRam said:

or anyone reading them would get the impression that just like you I have never seen the guy play, can only go by the rubbish stats he has produced and am trying to form a decent impression by asking someone who has seen him play 75 times... heaven forbid someone actually tries to form an opinion on someone by using a source with more knowledge than himself....what was i thinking...??

Well, like I was at great pains to point out yesterday, it's all about how players blend with each other and adapt to a way of playing. As far as 'forming an impression' of someone before they have even got their spot in the car park, let alone having had time to fit in, the simple answer is that I don't.

I leave that for the ones who are think they have to know everything.

[ossieram]

31 minutes ago, Grimbeard said:

Well he better be a good striker, cos as a bloke to have around the place he seems to be an absolute cock.

How do you know? Have any of his former team mates said anything?

[Kernow]

1 hour ago, MuespachRam said:

Ok..which is absolutely awful for a strain who has played 200 games at a poor standard. Fingers crossed he continues this seasons form not the form of his entire career...got to say, if Forest had signed him every single person on here would be laughing at them. 

I know, it's one of the reasons why I wasn't too excited about it when first linked with him.

But the past couple years in football have shown that people can be late bloomers. You can have season upon season of mediocrity and then suddenly it'll just click. He's not the third top scorer in the league by accident, he must have something about him. Look at the goals he's scored this season, they're not tap ins or flukes, they're genuinely quality goals.

It's not like we're signing another Conor Sammon who has had one good half a season, he's got real pace and a fantastic left foot. 

A couple seasons ago I wouldn't want Daryl Murphy, and that was when we were terrible. But suddenly he wins the top scorer award easily last season and although he hasn't been as prolific this year, only has 2 less than Martin. Alan Judge has been one of the best players this season, I watched him a bit as Plymouth Argyle are relatively local, and he didn't look brilliant then. He only excelled for Notts County in League One, now suddenly he's fantastic in the Championship.

I'm going to look past the career statistics of Blackman, if he continues for us like he has been at Reading this season I couldn't care less if he'd played 300 games and scored 0 before this season.

[MuespachRam]

7 minutes ago, Kernow said:

I know, it's one of the reasons why I wasn't too excited about it when first linked with him.

But the past couple years in football have shown that people can be late bloomers. You can have season upon season of mediocrity and then suddenly it'll just click. He's not the third top scorer in the league by accident, he must have something about him. Look at the goals he's scored this season, they're not tap ins or flukes, they're genuinely quality goals.

It's not like we're signing another Conor Sammon who has had one good half a season, he's got real pace and a fantastic left foot. 

A couple seasons ago I wouldn't want Daryl Murphy, and that was when we were terrible. But suddenly he wins the top scorer award easily last season and although he hasn't been as prolific this year, only has 2 less than Martin. Alan Judge has been one of the best players this season, I watched him a bit as Plymouth Argyle are relatively local, and he didn't look brilliant then. He only excelled for Notts County in League One, now suddenly he's fantastic in the Championship.

I'm going to look past the career statistics of Blackman, if he continues for us like he has been at Reading this season I couldn't care less if he'd played 300 games and scored 0 before this season.

I am totally open to his signing, but my worries would be, and justifiably too on his past stats, is he the player we need next season..? We should be planning for the step up, could he make it, i guess no one knows and people will throw Jamie Vardy at anyone who dares to day anything, but for every Jamie Vardy there are hundreds of players who shone in the championship but couldn't make an impact in the top fight, even the great Bobby Davison and Phill Gee combo were guilty of that.

As for Daryl Murphy....I still wouldn't have him...! ha ha

[Mr Tibbs]

Got no interest in if he'll be good enough for the PL until we get there!

If he scores goals that get us promoted he'll have paid for himself.

[Kernow]

24 minutes ago, MuespachRam said:

I am totally open to his signing, but my worries would be, and justifiably too on his past stats, is he the player we need next season..? We should be planning for the step up, could he make it, i guess no one knows and people will throw Jamie Vardy at anyone who dares to day anything, but for every Jamie Vardy there are hundreds of players who shone in the championship but couldn't make an impact in the top fight, even the great Bobby Davison and Phill Gee combo were guilty of that.

As for Daryl Murphy....I still wouldn't have him...! ha ha

Re Daryl Murphy, nor would I, not as a starter anyway. Just used him as an example of a player who can spend his career being piss poor then have one fantastic season and have £4mil bids knocked back for him.

And regarding next season, it doesn't matter whether Blackman can make it in the PL or not. We need him for now to get us promoted, then even if we released him on a free we've still made a huge financial gain. If we were in the PL now we wouldn't have signed him because we could attract better players. Basically if we go up this year, I see Blackman having a very short career at DCFC but that doesn't really matter!

[Animal is a Ram]

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/sport/readingfc/14189254.Brian_McDeermott__Reading_FC_shareholders_took_decision_to_sell_Nick_Blackman_to_Derby_County/

Quote

BRIAN McDermott confirmed Reading FC shareholders took the decision to sell Nick Blackman to Championship rivals Derby County, writes Anthony Smith.

Royals sold top scorer Blackman to the Rams on Tuesday in a deal that could rise to £4 million.

The 26-year-old had failed to agree new terms with Reading and opted for a move to Derby after snubbing Sheffield Wednesday.

While McDermott admitted it was 'good business' to cash in on a player who had only six months left on his contract at Madejski  Stadium, he confessed the decision was not his but the club's Thai owners.

He told today's press conference: “The situation was that from a club perspective, Nick had six months to go on his contract and he walks away in May on a free transfer.

“Or the club are business orientated and get this or that amount of money for him.

“You can look at it both ways, but your shareholders will make a decision.

“The call has been made and as a manager you have to try and find a solution to that and do the best we can.”

However, McDermott refused to go along with irate fans who argue that selling your 13-goal top scorer to a Championship rival smacks of a lack of ambition from the Royals.

“I'd like to think we are all ambitious,” he stressed. “We want to go to Huddersfield on Saturday and Derby on Tuesday and win.

“Are we ambitious? Of course we are ambitious.

“These things happen in football. I'm comfortable with everything that's going on at the moment and that's important for me.”

McDermott will try and replace Blackman in the January transfer window and Reading are being heavily linked with 19-year-old Arsenal forward, Alex Iwobi.

Iwobi has made five appearances for the Gunners this season and boss Arsene Wenger is keen to loan him out to gain more first-team experience.

But McDermott, who left his post as Arsenal scout to become Reading manager a second time, denied he had contacted his old club about the England U18 striker.

“I have not spoken to Arsenal about Alex Iwobi,” he insisted.

“I know Arsenal and their players pretty, well but I don't want to talk about Arsenal's players.

“Alex Iwobi is a terrific talent, but we're just trying to do what we're trying to do which is as quietly as we possibly can so it works out best for the long-term vision of the club.

“It's difficult. I've only been here two or three weeks which is no time at all to make an imprint, but we'll get there.”

It is understood Royals are eyeing Crystal Palace out-of-favour striker, Dwight Gayle.

The 26-year-old has made only seven Premier League appearances this season and McDermott could ask his close friend and ex-Royals boss, Alan Pardew, for a favour.

However, McDermott says is not a fan of loan deals unless they lead to a permanent transfer.

“I don't really want too many loans, I've got six already,” he declared.

“If we bring another it's seven so two can't be involved in the team. I've never been one to bring in a lot of loans.

“The only real ones I took were Andy Griffin and Mikele Leigertwood with a view to signing them.

My feeling is if you sign a player on loan you have to have an opportunity to sign him [permanently].”

Nevertheless, McDermott also admits some loan players are different and he highlighted Matej Vydra's influence in the winning goal against Bristol City on Saturday as a perfect example.

“Sometimes loan players don't feel they are part of the club,” he suggested. “I'm not saying that's the situation here.

“Look at what Matej Vydra did on Saturday. He gave ball away, ran straight after it and get it back with a fantastic tackle.

“He wasn't thinking he was a loan player, he was thinking 'I'm a Reading player and I'm going to do well.'

“Now every time someone loses the ball I say 'go and do a Matej Vydra,' which means win it back.

“I kind of like that.”

Reading go to Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup third round this Saturday (3pm).

Simon Cox could be added to the Reading squad after ending his loan move at Bristol City.

 

[Srg]

Added another million on the fee again

[SaintRam]

1 minute ago, Srg said:

Added another million on the fee again

Obnoxious, the freedom they take in biasing undisclosed figures in their favour. Sure it "could" rise to 4m, but it "could" also have been paid in smarties. 

[Kernow]

The fee is rising all the time...

Was £1.5million rising to 2 to start with now it's possibly 4?

Load of old ****

[tomsdubs]

To me Blackman is just improving and this season shows what he can do, when you watch his videos you can see the ability. Bit a late bloomer, had a patchy career before Reading never really settled. Loads of players have sudden leaps in ability and improvements, it can be down to a lot of things. It's funny how we are scrutinising some stats here where as in the past we've signed some players that suggested no better but we now all think are great.

[Srg]

24 minutes ago, tomsdubs said:

To me Blackman is just improving and this season shows what he can do, when you watch his videos you can see the ability. Bit a late bloomer, had a patchy career before Reading never really settled. Loads of players have sudden leaps in ability and improvements, it can be down to a lot of things. It's funny how we are scrutinising some stats here where as in the past we've signed some players that suggested no better but we now all think are great.

Stats are so subjective. Really is so difficult to tell when the player is in a different team with different tactics, sometimes in a different league.