Pearce has been spectacular this season for Reading. Part of the best defensive unit in the championship, having just kept 5 clean sheets in a row. What he lacks in pace he makes up for in a fantastic footballing brain. Fortunately now that we (Reading) have some cash we should be able to keep hold of him. I would have him in the Ireland squad in a heartbeat.
Goal Pearce! Again (see: Harte thread) McAnuff the provider as, from deep in the left channel, he cuts it back on to his right foot and delivers a great cross the back post. Pearce, from the right edge of the 6 yard box, guides his header back across goal and in at the far post.
My Guarantee
Am looking for old Irish matches on VHS, PM me if you have some and I'll upload them here
I'm curious how the Reading back 4 is so successful when apparently both Harte and Pearce are very slow. Do they play a very deep line? A holding midfielder to cover? Is the other CB a speed merchant? Are these guys just so tuned in positionally that they don't get caught out in a mismatch? Sweeper keeper?Originally Posted by Ross
The other CB (Gorkss) is not that fast though fullback Shaun Cummings has some pace. They do have a holding midfielder to cover in Mikele Leigertwood and wingers Jobi McAnuff and Jimmy Kebe both have great pace and must help tracking back.
Last edited by theworm2345; 23/04/2012 at 3:58 PM.
My Guarantee
Am looking for old Irish matches on VHS, PM me if you have some and I'll upload them here
They play in the Championship.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
Great post! Made me spit Corn Flakes all over my keyboard.
Yep, potm candidate.
Pearce eyes Trap's call
Reading's player of the year hoping promotion will earn him Ireland nodHE MAY be a new recruit to the cause, but Reading defender -- and Ireland hopeful -- Alex Pearce wants to make one thing clear. He's not jumping on the Irish bandwagon, he was on it a long time ago.
"Most people seem to know that I played U21 football for Scotland, but people don't know that Ireland was the first country I played for," Pearce told the Herald.
"I was called up by the Republic way back in my career and I played in an U14 game in a tournament, I think it was up in Derry. Anthony Stokes and Eddie Nolan were in the side, they're the two main ones I remember from the Irish team that day.
"So even though I was born in England and played for Scotland's U21s, I always had a strong Irish connection, the Irish link has always been there -- my dad's mother was from Dublin, though sadly she's no longer with us as she passed away a few years ago.
"But I always hoped that some day I could achieve two things: play in the Premier League and play for Ireland at senior level."
The 23-year-old already has one of those aims almost in his grasp, as Pearce will -- barring a calamity -- be playing in England's top flight next term, as he was a key player -- voted the club's player of the year -- for Reading as they won the Championship title and automatic promotion.
Celebrations are still ongoing and the Reading squad have only just returned from a well-earned club holiday in Spain, all part of the "team bonding" which, Pearce says, has made the Royals such a tight group.
Next up is an international call-up. The Euro 2012 finals will go ahead without his involvement, but by the time the World Cup campaign kicks off in Kazakhstan in September, Pearce hopes to be part of it.
"It's a big ask to break into that squad because there's so much competition but I hope I can do it," says Pearce.
"It's always been my dream to play for Ireland. I got that cap at U14 level and then nothing happened for a few years. Then I got the call to play for Scotland and I did, once, at U21 level, but it was always in the back of my mind that Ireland would always be my choice.
"Thankfully I have everything sorted in terms of the paperwork -- I have my Irish passport -- and hopefully now I can get a call-up at some stage. All I need to do is to catch the eye of the Ireland manager and show him what I can do and hopefully being in the Premier League next season will help. "I haven't had a direct approach from Trapattoni or the FAI yet but I have spoken to people who are involved indirectly so I think the manager knows who I am.
"The squad have done really well to qualify for the Euros, I won't get to Poland in the summer but I'll be supporting the team on TV, I'd love to see them do well and then, hopefully, try to be a part of things for the World Cup qualifiers after the summer."
Elevation to the national team squad is certainly achievable for players like Pearce -- three years ago Sean St Ledger was just an uncapped player in the Championship, now he's almost certain to start in defence for Ireland at the European Championship finals.
And central defence is a position that could be up for grabs in the autumn, especially if Richard Dunne opts for international retirement.
So what could Pearce bring to the party? "I think I have good leadership qualities," he says.
"I am a good solid defender, I win a lot of balls in the air and my distribution on the ground is pretty good, so I think I have enough about me to add to the squad. I have a lot of experience at club level and I had a good season, personally as well as with the club, in the season just gone so I feel I can contribute. I'd sell myself as a good all-round centre half.
"I know it can be done, the Ireland manager has shown with people like Sean St Ledger that he will pick players if they are good enough, no matter what level they play at or what experience they have and I feel I can do the same, and maybe I have more of a chance that I'll move up to the Premier League from the Championship next season.
"All you can hope for is a chance, so that if you don't take that opportunity then it's your own fault, but I feel that if I get a chance with the Ireland squad I won't let anyone down."
The season just gone was Pearce's sixth with Reading but he's had to be patient in his progress, and spent time on loan to toughen himself up, going to clubs like Northampton and Bournemouth to get games. "I have worked my way up, I played in the lower leagues on loan so I have come up the hard way," he says. "I think that's why the reward of playing in places like Anfield and Old Trafford in the Premier League next season will be even better. "We're really looking forward to the Premier League now, you see clubs like Norwich and Swansea go up and do well in that division after going up from the Championship. We'll go into the Premier League with no fear.
"Playing Premier League football will be great exposure for me and if I can just get the call from Ireland, I don't think anything could top that."
Last edited by TrapAPony; 08/05/2012 at 1:05 AM.
"We lost because we didn't win"- Ronaldo
With Pearce expressing such positively Irish sentiment as that, Ian Harte must find it difficult to play in the same defence.
He's a good talker, does a good job interview.
Oh How the irony must be lost on poor Ian, closer to "home", Ian.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
All seems good, must keep a closer eye out for this lad in the future. Centre half is likely to be one of our weakest areas in the coming years, something we havent had to worry about for well over 20 years.
Pearce & Duffy are likely to press hard for a place next season. Both have great potential.
Very true. St. Ledger has been quite good for us since he's been a regular under Trap. But, he's been a championship player and, at times, not even a regular starter. However, there haven't been any really viable alternatives other than O'Dea and Delaney. Next season will be a lot more interesting in this regard because Pearce will most likely be a regular starter for Reading (unless McDermott really splashes the cash). Furthermore, Duffy has a chance to stake a claim in the Everton side and maybe we'll see Clark find his feet at centre-half also. Trap does tend to differentiate between international and club football quite a bit, but if Duffy, Pearce or Clark found themselves getting blooded there at club level and receiving the nod at international level, should they acquit themselves and earn Trap's trust then they could be looking at regular action under him.
Duffy and Clark are extremely unlikely to be playing centre half next season.
Wouldn't rule it out in Clark's case. Cuellar's out of contract, Collins is tacitly for sale and Dunne would probably be flogged too if someone made a reasonable offer . Not much money for quality replacements and Clark's still being looked at for centre-half long term.
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
I bordered on 'possibly' rather than 'extremely unlikely' and stand by that. Clark's versatility is another factor standing against him, but hopefully next season isn't just one season too early for him. For Duffy, Distin, Heitinga and Jagielka stand ahead of him and are all far more experienced. But David Weir has gotten a coaching job there and I'd hope he'll work in close contact with Duffy and injuries, suspension and lack of form could see him get a run in the side. He's clearly better than O'Dea and Delaney also.
Pearce being linked with Liverpool - maybe a bit of a beat up. Notice I didn't start a new thread as I knew this existed, as I set it up!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...Carragher.html
I wonder is this as reliable as the old rumour that Liverpool was looking at Glen Whelan.
Plus he doesnt seem to be getting his game at Reading at the moment either...
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