Ian Harte

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Just a shame about his defending really.

Back off back off back off... Oh he squared it

Nail. Head.

[melonhead]

Just a shame about his defending really.

Back off back off back off... Oh he squared it

dont think hartes is any better

[SCIAG]

Shorey's indirect delivery is much better than Harte's, but then again, when Shorey plays, Morrison plays. Harte has had Pearce and Mariappa to aim at, neither of whom are especially tall, whereas Shorey had 6'4 Morrison (and earlier in the season he also had Gorkss). That goes some of the way to explaining why Shorey has been so much better at setting up goals and chances this season.

Neither can defend particularly well, would say that over the course of the season Shorey has probably been slightly better but I'm not particularly fussed, much like with the right backs.

[melonhead]

kelly>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gunter/cummings

[Extended-Phenotype]

Harte, Shorey, no real difference. When one starts to wear out, use the other and let the other regenerate or whatever. Like clones or something.

It's fun to have two equally average players to chose from in so many positions.

[Woodcote Royal]

shoreys delivery last night was miles better than hartes has been for weeks imo

Go check Kebe's winner against Sunderland.

Never before have we had two left backs as good as Harte and Shorey but the last 2 months have confirmed who is the better player despite being 35.

He's got no pace but reads the game superbly and is very decent in the air. He might not have scored with one of his free kicks so far but others have and we have the points to show for them.

I know which one my money is on to get a new contract next season.

[melonhead]

really?!

[Tony Le Mesmer]

really?!

Has the number of goals scored from Ian Harte set pieces over the last 3 seasons completely passed some people by?

Even just in recent games, without Harte on the pitch we do not win the games over WBA and Sunderland. In the last home game we created 4 clear cut chances, 3 from Harte set pieces. Its well documented just how many goals at the top end of the game are from set plays.

Shorey's set plays are consistently good, Harte's waiver between rubbish and deadly because he's going for a killer ball every time. The result being lots of goals scored from them and lots not even threatening. Im sure half of you just cant grasp that.

Until he starts becoming a liability defensively Harte is not going to be dropped. He wins us matches.

Just look at our results when he has been out of the team. Not just this year, but last year as well. It says it all really.

[melonhead]

yeah i think he is decent. hes not incredible though, and he is getting really old.

[Ian Royal]

Harte's freekicks have been pretty terrible for most of the season.

Can't Check, Won't Check, but haven't a large number of our goals come from Ian Harte this season?

If you mean assists. No. We may have scored from quite a few of his corners, but I don't think we've scored from many freekicks of his, if only because they seem to hit the wall most of the time.

Assists
McAnuff - 5
Shorey - 4
Akpan - 3
Harte & McCleary - 2
ALF, Kebe, HRK, Pearce, Tabb & Roberts - 1

So it looks like Shorey may be providing more dangerous set pieces.

http://www.whoscored.com/Teams/94/Show/England-Reading

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Dont be fooled from the term "Assist" IR. Thats simply the last man to touch the ball before the goalscorer. We ve scored 4 goals from Harte set pieces in 2013 in just 6 games.

That said, not surpised to see McAnuff up there. For no other reason than so many fans thin he should be dropped.

[The Rouge]

Harte's freekicks have been pretty terrible for most of the season.

Can't Check, Won't Check, but haven't a large number of our goals come from Ian Harte this season?

If you mean assists. No. We may have scored from quite a few of his corners, but I don't think we've scored from many freekicks of his, if only because they seem to hit the wall most of the time.

Assists
McAnuff - 5
Shorey - 4
Akpan - 3
Harte & McCleary - 2
ALF, Kebe, HRK, Pearce, Tabb & Roberts - 1

So it looks like Shorey may be providing more dangerous set pieces.

http://www.whoscored.com/Teams/94/Show/England-Reading

In the year went down, i believe S Hunt had 10 assists by Christmas. It just shows how incredible he was when on his game, and how woeful he was Jan onwards.

[BR2]

Dont be fooled from the term "Assist" IR. Thats simply the last man to touch the ball before the goalscorer. We ve scored 4 goals from Harte set pieces in 2013 in just 6 games.

That said, not surpised to see McAnuff up there. For no other reason than so many fans thin he should be dropped.

Rather selective stats by just picking the last 6 games.
Harte has played 14 times this season and he takes most of the corners and even more of the free-kicks.
We used to play a lot for corners but less so recently so let us say we get 6 corners per game and Harte takes 4 of them.
That makes 56 that he has taken this season.
Let us assume that he takes 6 free-kicks per game,that makes 64.
So from say 120 dead-ball kicks of his we have scored how many goals?
If it is 4 then that means 1 goal for every 30 of Harte's dead-ball kicks or using Ian's figures it is more like 1 in 60 .
It is hardly Harte's credit when a goal is scored after phase 2,3 or 4 from a corner which Tony is implying.

Not being a snowball I don't know what the norm is for clubs that tend to have mainly one set-piece taker but it strikes me that Harte is not prolific in a side that plays for free-kicks and corners.
Bring back Shorey,he offers more in terms of pace and passing.

[Woodcote Royal]

On the basis that some tortoises are slightly quicker than others, you would have a point if his rival didn't more than compensate with a better reading of the game.

As for one footed Shorey being a better passer than Harte.........................are you for real

I can promise you this; Had Harte still been on the pitch, his head would have reached the ball before Barry put in the net

[melonhead]

although in reality you can do nothing of the sort

[Woodcote Royal]

I know some of you would rather lose a limb than admit that little Nicky has ever been guilty of being slightly less than perfect but, do you think Reading fans might reasonably have expected both of Shorey's feet to have left the ground in an attempt to get his head on the ball before Gareth Barry put in the net

The fact that this was not the case makes me very confident that any effort Harte would have made in the same instance would have been both superior and quicker.


HTH

[melonhead]

couldnt give a toss about nicky.
you still cant promise anything of the sort, which is why youve already downgraded your promise to just very confident

[Woodcote Royal]

couldnt give a toss about nicky.
you still cant promise anything of the sort, which is why youve already downgraded your promise to something slightly less concrete

Of course not The point is this has fcuk all to do with speed and everything to do with ability.

All Shorey had to do that day was jump and Barry would not have scored and only those who still think the sun shines out of Shorey's backside believe Harte would not have prevented the goal.

[melonhead]

no, only those who tyhink the sun shines out of his bumhole, and those who can see another million reasons why its impossible to ma ke any concrete claims about what ian harte might havbe done in those same circumstances

[Victor Meldrew]

I know some of you would rather lose a limb than admit that little Nicky has ever been guilty of being slightly less than perfect but, do you think Reading fans might reasonably have expected both of Shorey's feet to have left the ground in an attempt to get his head on the ball before Gareth Barry put in the net

The fact that this was not the case makes me very confident that any effort Harte would have made in the same instance would have been both superior and quicker.


HTH

You carry on Woodcote knocking Shorey as you have done for years(I'm not his greatest fan BTW but consider him a better all-round footballer than the arrogant Irishman) and when he costs us the 3 points that leads to our relegation,just as he cost us the £50 million play-off game at Wembley,please come back on here and tell us what a great player he is.
I know you don't go to many games but if you went to a few more games you would see how often the snail leaves us vulnerable at the back-mark my words he will cost us again.