QuoteDoyle makes it 4-0 after 36 minutes.
Good enough or not he has scored hid first premiership goal for Reading
Doyle makes it 4-0 after 36 minutes.
I did not rate him after seeing in the Championship last year. However given the options Ireland have he is worth squad place. When all players are fit he is Reading bench player. Even with Convey injured Hunt has started few games.
He is not international quality, he works hard and has a good attitude but if he were to get into the Ireland team on merit it would be a very sad indictment of the current players Duff, Kilbane, Reid and McGeady.
Some have suggested that Reid has been functioning on that skill alone, that he was developing a physique more suited to a casual game of cricket than Premiership football. Even when he couldn't make the team at Tottenham, the managerial staff at White Hart Lane defended him against such claims, insisting he was in the top two or three trainers at the club.Originally Posted by eirebhoy
I think most people on this forum now realise that Reid isn't overweight. The jokes got a bit old about 2 years ago.
"People who say that don't understand the game," Reid insists. "We do a lot of the Prozone stuff and if anybody wants to check the stats, you'll see that I do as much if not more running than anyone on the pitch."
I saw him come on as substitute for his Spurs debut, when the crowd laughed. At first. They were jeering him by the end of the match.
The facts are these.
When he joined Spurs, he was rated the better prospect (if anything) of him and Michael Dawson, signed together for a total of £8 million.
During the season, Dawson (who has a similar history of injuries, btw) forced his way into the Spurs team on a regular basis, even making the fringes of the England team.
Whereas Reid made a total of 26 appearances, mostly either as substitute, or being substituted.
At the end of the season, the same Spurs staff who publicly defended him (or rather, defended their multi-million pound purchase), bit Charlton's hand off when the Addicks offered to cut Tottenham's losses with a bid of "up to £3m". This is despite Reid having been signed to fill (no pun intended) what has been a problem position for Spurs (left wing/midfield) for the last three years.
Contrast that with their treatment of Wayne Routledge, a similarly talented but injury-prone young right winger/midfielder.
When Aaron Lennon suddenly emerged ahead of Routledge in that position, Spurs sent Routledge out on long-term loans, first to Portsmouth, then to Fulham; i.e. they still wanted to retain an interest in the player.
In the end, Spurs are heavily committed to signing the best available young talent from the British Isles. To that end, they've tied down Lennon, Dawson, Huddleston and others. They took a look at Reid, then got shot of him. It wasn't because of lack of talent, nor is it likely to have been due to injury problems. Perhaps there was another reason, but having seen Reid for myself, I know what I think it is.
Two final points:
Prozone never picked the Spurs team, Martin Jol did.
The official Charlton website doesn't list Reid's weight, though it appears to do so for most of the rest of their squad (inc. this season's signings). However, The Times and Wikipedia list Reid, who is 5' 7" (1m 70cm) as weighing 11 stone (70 kg).
EalingGreen, trust me. Reid isn't overweight. It's impossible to be in this day and age and still get your game. As for Jol picking the team, he said Reid was one of the fittest players at Spurs.
That gives Reid a Body Mass Index (obesity measure) of 24.1, far below anything approaching overweight, or obesity.
The debate appears to have moved from "Stephen Hunt - Do you rate him?" to "Andy Reid - have you weighed him?"
Owlsfan, it has been brought up on numerous ocasions in the written press, so before you dismiss my point you might try and expand your reading.
the argument was made, on the basis of including the likes Alan O'Brien, Tabb, and douglas in the squad. Also that there seems to be a lack to tenacity and passion in the midfield areas, both of which are glaring characteristics of Hunts game.
who gives a flying rats ass how much he weighs if he can play and run around a pitch for 90 minutes. Since he moved to Charlton he has been outstanding. Spurs are a knee jerk reaction club - they panic buy and will continue to do so with Jol at the helm.
"If God had meant football to be played in the air, he'd have put grass in the sky." Brian Clough.
You'll NEVER beat the Irish.......you'll just draw with us instead!!!
I asked "who" - I wasn't dismissing your point. I haven't seen it in the papers but then anyone who does anything in the UK soon gets touted by some journalists trying to fill up inches in their columns. I remember McCarthy getting crucified by many in the print media for his early reluctance to play John O'Shea - the same people who are now crucifying O'Shea.
I saw the highlights on the Reading game last night. (a) Hunt scored a goal when he headed in to an empty goal, (b) miscontrolled a pass and (c) might have appeared in one other clip.
I honestly don't know enough about him but the bits I have seen of him on TV show him as a workmanlike player without any special ability like pace or touch.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
I honestly don't know enough about him but the bits I have seen of him on TV show him as a workmanlike player without any special ability like pace or touch.[/QUOTE]
I think he is definatley worth a place in the next squad. He has a decent touch, good eye for a pass, is tenacious and full of energy. He seems to have that extra little bit of bite and a will to win that we've been lacking in recent performaces. He has had a positive impact on any of the games I've seen. Give him a chance as I think we all agree that the squad needs some sort of injection or kick up the ar*se in order to move up the group table.
you are only a loser when you stop trying. Playing sport does not build character, it reveals it.
IMO Hunt is an average premiership player who tends to frustrate and harrass more so than create chances for his teammates. He tends to blow hot and cold. I do think, however, that he's come on leaps and bounds from last season (when he wasn't even a regular in the team) but I don't see him adding anything of note to the Irish first 11 unless he undergoes another dramatic improvement. Saying that we are hardly blessed with wingers setting their clubs alight at the moment so who knows?
I'd have him in the squad though.
Hunt is not international standard.
Ealing Green, I agree. I'm a spurs fan and I saw Reid quite a few times for Spurs, imho he has the ability but not the aptitude, regardless of the statements about his training or prozone, he rarely played well and never really looked like he could fill that left side slot which has plauged Spurs for years, the fact that they let him go without a natural replacement speaks volumes. Having said that I play golf with a mate who's a season ticket holder at Charlton who claims him to be one of their best players this season, where him normally plays behind the front 2.
On the evidence of his 18 months at WHL, he couldn't (or wouldn't?) "run around a pitch for 90 minutes". That's why after signing him for (up to) £5 million, they got shot of him for around half of that.
And as for Charlton, he may be one of the better players in the team (maybe the best?), but that's not saying much, considering how crap they are. Is it not just a case of Reid realising that he's going to run out of excuses, if he doesn't start producing on a football pitch before long?
To get back to the thread title, having seen both players in action a number of times, I readily agree that Hunt is nowhere near so naturally talented as Reid. But I still think Staunton should be picking the likes of Hunt, in order to send out a message to the "Big Time Charlies" who aren't currently producing for the ROI. (I'll leave you to decide whether Reid fits the BTC description)
[Btw, who are these "panic buys" by Jol? When he took over as manager, he declared that the squad assembled by Santini and Arnessen was far too big and set about cutting it down. Having got shot of a large number of average players, he proceeded to sign:
Chimbonda, Lee Young Pyo, Zokora, Davids, Berbatov, Huddleston, Lennon, Routledge, Assou Ekotto, Mido, Murphy, Ghaly and Malbranque - not too many duds there. He also signed Reid and Dawson, the latter being notably successful.
Reid is actually a rare example of a Jol signing for decent money who clearly didn't subsequently impress him (or the fans, for that matter). And I say again, it certainly wasn't for lack of talent, since he occasionally showed flashes of brilliance; nor was it down to injuries, since his record in that respect was no worse than several other Spurs players with whom they perservered. Perhaps I'm wrong about Reid's being overwieght, but if it's not that, might he be pregnant?
Have to laugh at posters saying Hunt should not be in the irish squad but then suggesting kids like Stokes & others from Championship or League One be included...
[QUOTE=OwlsFan;597870]I
I saw the highlights on the Reading game last night. (a) Hunt scored a goal when he headed in to an empty goal, (b) miscontrolled a pass and (c) might have appeared in one other clip. [QUOTE]
Its a bit unfair to say it was an open goal for Hunt, the keeper had been out of position but he was back in position when Hunt headed the ball, Hunt sensibly headed it back to where the keeper had been rather than the area which the keeper was trying to cover. Not a difficult chance but he took it nicely enough, I dare say a fair few players would have fluffed it if they had as much time as he didWest Han were rubbish though. Their keeper may as well have stayed on the coach!! He seems to be playing fairly regularly for Reading.
I agree with this it deffo might give the other lads a kick up the arse and send a message that no ones place is written in stone and a place must be earned
Saw the Highlights as well.... That miscontolled pass led to Doyle's second...And I thought he did well for the header, NOT an empty net, he showed 100% composure, unlike a certain Robbie Keane every time a cross goes into the box in an Ireland match...(just an aside) If we judged everybody on highlights I dont know where we'd be, maybe in the same position as Stan. Anyway, Hunt has a better touch and flair than people give him credit for. If Staunton picks insists on picking Douglas, I dont see why Hunt shouldn't get a shot. Douglas works hard, thats it. He also plays for a relegation threatened team in the Championship. Hunt works just as hard, maybe harder, has better ability all round, more of an attacking threat and plays for a high flying club who play good,exciting football. No contest. Don't get me started on the likes of Tabb. (Struggling to make the bench at Coventry) That said,if you want sheer ability, I think Garvan should be in the squad for San Marino. Outstanding talent. Just turned 18 and probably Ipswich's most important player.
Just watched the Reading game and Hunt has more flair than is being advertised here.
He's no Cristiano Ronaldo but he was giving the West Ham fullback hell all game, and generated a lot of chances for his team.
He works hard, yes, but to say that's all he's good for doesn't do him justice.
Glad to see him bag that header.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks