Alex Pearce

[Bottle of Tonic]

Is there a thread on this guy?

Merge if so.

Declaring interest.

Is he any use?

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/sport/readingfc/articles/2012/09/07/62476-irish-eyes-check-out-defender-pearce/

[Serb]

There is a thread about Alex Pearce (http://foot.ie/threads/151272-Alex-Pearce) alright. To answer your second question — Ross probably posted the most informed reply at the time and said:


I'm a season ticket holder at Reading so I've seen Pearce develop over the last few years. He's a solid enough defender at championship level - reads the game very well and is strong in the air but I don't trust him with the ball at his feet. He's prone to some terrible hoof ball but as far as defending goes he's a standard no-nonsense centre-half, always chipping in with crucial blocks, tackles and defensive headers. He's a threat from set-pieces as well.

He was absolutely fantastic last season until he got injured, our best defender by a long way and miles better than Mills who managed to get himself a £5million move to Leicester. Unfortunately he hasn't found that form this yet this season but he's certainly getting back to his best.

He could well make the step up to international football but his lack of pace is likely to be an obstacle, he's painfully slow! However, he's still ten times the player Paul McShane is (I know it doesn't take much!). I'd rate him as of similar ability to O'Dea so he could well do a job for us. Obviously not in the same league as Dunne or O'Shea, or even St Ledger, but he would be good defensive cover. We're actually in a pretty good position considering it wasn't that long ago that we had absolutely no options at centre-half other than Dunne and O'Shea.

[Sullivinho]

Well the fact the FAI have been in contact with him is news. Prior to that it's been a series of 'come and get me' pleas from Pearce. I think I read elsewhere that he turned down an approach from Craig Levein and the Scots but I don't know how accurate that is.

[tetsujin1979]

Called into the squad for the Oman game according to Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh: https://twitter.com/Ciaran_O/status/244500913224548352

Alex Pearce ( @ReadingFC ) and Robbie Brady #MUFC called into Ireland squad.

[IsMiseSean]

Called into the squad for the Oman game according to Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh: https://twitter.com/Ciaran_O/status/244500913224548352

I just had a look at who was left in the squad. Very short at CB, I was thinking we'd call up someone, thought maybe Duffy!

[Charlie Darwin]

Great news, I like the look of this guy, even if he has about 100 nationalities.

[the doc]

This guys just another Alex Bruce type of player! Same with Calamity Clark at the Villa.

[Sullivinho]

The competition will do you good Sean.

[boovidge]

"Because I played for Scotland Under 21s in a friendly people think I'm Scottish."

How unreasonable of them!

[Murfinator]

A very good player and great to see him called up. Given that Dunne will be returning on top of everyone else already there it would appear Clark is nowhere near the squad and probably won't feature in this campaign.

[the doc]

Good luck to Pearce, gives us another back up option at CB.

[TrapAPony]

http://www.sportsfile.com/winshare/w540/Library/SF897/682332.jpg

[Murfinator]

http://www.sportsfile.com/winshare/w540/Library/SF897/682332.jpg

Miskicking the ball by a wide margin there, worrying signs. :cool:

[tricky_colour]

He was Reading's player of the season last season, I did not know that, in a promotion winning side.
That statistic alone kind of screams "a nailed on starter for us"!!
He also scored 7 goals, do we really have better than that?

[TrapAPony]

He was Reading's player of the season last season, I did not know that, in a promotion winning side.
That statistic alone kind of screams "a nailed on starter for us"!!
He also scored 7 goals, do we really have better than that?

Yes, Paul McShane and Darren O'Dea:rolleyes:

[the bear]

As an Ireland fan I'm glad that Pearce has been called up into the squad. On a personal level #gutted#****in joke#embarrasing

This is what i read from your above posts DOC

[Irish_Praha]

How refreshing, a young premership player with a least one (if not both) of his arms untattooed; this is the kind of sensible guy we need at CB.
The perfect future partner for The Sledge.

[tricky_colour]

Miskicking the ball by a wide margin there, worrying signs. :cool:

Nope he is bending it with the outside of his foot Brazilian style (Brazilian as in the style of football not pubic hair removal ;) )

[tricky_colour]

How refreshing, a young premership player with a least one (if not both) of his arms untattooed; this is the kind of sensible guy we need at CB.
The perfect future partner for The Sledge.

Well he is only a youngster, plenty of time for tats yet and the must be a fair bit of pressure on players to have them.


I take it Sledge has no tats?
I don't think Ward has any.
Glen Whelan has,
Keith Andrews hasn't

I will start a thread :)

[DannyInvincible]

must be a fair bit of pressure on players to have them.

Hehe, who'd be exerting such pressure? :confused:

[BonnieShels]

Well he is only a youngster, plenty of time for tats yet and the must be a fair bit of pressure on players to have them.


I take it Sledge has no tats?
I don't think Ward has any.
Glen Whelan has,
Keith Andrews hasn't

I will start a thread :)

So that's where you had your spas out.

[tricky_colour]

Hehe, who'd be exerting such pressure? :confused:


Peer pressure isn't it?

I once got friendly with this guy I used to see in the bookmakers and he had a lot of tattoos, he asked
me if I had any and I said no, then he said why not, so I had to think up excuses for why I didn't have any,
and of course they had to be excuses which did not offend him!!!
Boy was that tricky!! Every time I thought up one he would kind of knock it
down so I had to think up another again without offending him!

"I have a skin condition which makes me allergic to needles"
"I am a Jehova's witness"..

Wish I had thought of those at the time, I think I ended up saying I thought it would affect my employment prospects :)

Dunno if that went down too well. ;)

[tricky_colour]

So that's where you had your spas out.


Yes massive forum spas, could not resist the pressure any longer :)

[Charlie Darwin]

Peer pressure isn't it?

I once got friendly with this guy I used to see in the bookmakers and he had a lot of tattoos, he asked
me if I had any and I said no, then he said why not, so I had to think up excuses for why I didn't have any,
and of course they had to be excuses which did not offend him!!!
Boy was that tricky!! Every time I thought up one he would kind of knock it
down so I had to think up another again without offending him!

"I have a skin condition which makes me allergic to needles"
"I am a Jehova's witness"..

Wish I had thought of those at the time, I think I ended up saying I thought it would affect my employment prospects :)

Dunno if that went down too well. ;)
How about "I don't want one"?

[TrapAPony]

Pearce to frame debut Irish jersey
http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/pearce-to-frame-debut-irish-jersey-207579.html (http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/pearce-to-frame-debut-irish-jersey-207579.html)

[Colbert Report]

In that article he says how great it was to score a goal "for the Irish". I don't like that.

[DannyInvincible]

At least it wasn't for Oman, I guess...

[Murfinator]

In that article he says how great it was to score a goal "for the Irish". I don't like that.

Lets not pretend we haven't had many proxy Irish play for us over the years and continue to play for us these days. Just because others hide it better doesn't make it better. It's either an all in or all out kind of thing as far as I'm concerned.

[Sullivinho]

Back in the starting lineup today.

[Charlie Darwin]

Ian Harte is back too. Amazing what your team mates being thumped for five goals will do for your chances of getting back in a side.

[tricky_colour]

Reading unlucky to lose to a late goal which they dispute, they also think they should have had a penalty.

Pearce got a good rating, Harte not so good, however he was off the pitch when Man City scored.

[Paddy Garcia]

In that article he says how great it was to score a goal "for the Irish". I don't like that.

He is framing the jersey - I don't think he can win!!

[tricky_colour]

In Garth Crooks team of the week!!

That's for Saturdays victory over West Ham though.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20871668

[nigel-harps1954]

I recall a few weeks back where Garth Crooks had Hugo Lloris in his team of the week, even though he hadn't faced a shot on target for the whole game.

[Colbert Report]

I recall a few weeks back where Garth Crooks had Hugo Lloris in his team of the week, even though he hadn't faced a shot on target for the whole game.

His mere presence was enough to scare the opposition into not shooting?

[Charlie Darwin]

His mere presence was enough to scare the opposition into not shooting?
He had his angles set up right.

[SolitudeRed]

Pearce urged to come to some sort of compromise with Reading over a new contract/wages by McDermott...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20901837

This seems to have been going on for a while now thought it was sorted and thats why he was back in the team.

[Charlie Darwin]

I'd imagine at this stage he's holding out more in hope of a move to a team that won't get relegated.

[SolitudeRed]

Indeed but I haven't heard of any clubs showing any interest in him apart from Liverpool and that seems a bit tenuous one.

[Charlie Darwin]

Yeah but worst comes to worst, nobody wants him and he can re-sign with Reading, but I think he is a prospect other managers will take notice of.

[gastric]

West Brom now interested in Pearce too.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4729608/West-Brom-have-joined-Liverpool-in-eyeing-Readings-Alex-Pearce.html

[elroy]

Too simplistic to say Pearce's return to the first team has seen an upturn in Readings fortunes?

[tricky_colour]

Too simplistic to say Pearce's return to the first team has seen an upturn in Readings fortunes?

Somewhat, Ian Harte returned after his first two games (which they lost) but they were away from home.
They lost the next game but away at Man City is no surprise, but only 1-0.
After that 2 home wins and a draw + and understandable away defeat to Spurs .
I would say Harte has a greater claim to the upturn in form. I wrote something on Harte's thread about it.

However Peace get pretty good ratings in those games, Harte's are mediocre.

So a bit difficult to say, the results coincide more with Harte's return, could be put down to the dropping of Shorey perhaps.
However it would seem sensible to play both at the moment on the basis of if it ain't broke don't fix it.

[Grafter]

Winning plaudits this weekend... an Ireland regular in the coming months given our sorry state of centre-back affairs? Anyone seen him playing over a period of time with the lowdown on his ability? Better than Alan Kernaghan at his pomp would be a bonus!

[Crosby87]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Alex_Pearce.png/220px-Alex_Pearce.png (http://foot.ie/wiki/File:Alex_Pearce.png)

He kinda looks like Steve Staunton.

[tricky_colour]

Looks a bit like Gazza there.

[nigel-harps1954]

Funny I thought he looked like Alex Pearce.

[tricky_colour]

Funny I thought he looked like Alex Pearce.


Who Gazza? Same here.

[Crosby87]

Red people all look alike.

[Paddy Garcia]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Alex_Pearce.png/220px-Alex_Pearce.png (http://foot.ie/wiki/File:Alex_Pearce.png)

He kinda looks like Steve Staunton.

Yeah - but nowhere near as gormless looking.