Simon Church

[Shackleton Royal]

Two weeks ago Church got a brace against West Ham. All of a sudden he's cr4p. Most of Sheppard's goals were about movement and finishing. Isn't Church meant to be renowned for his movement? So it makes me think that Sheppard may struggle to make an impact. I'd love him to prove me wrong though!

However, Hunt should be starting up front, Church and Alf have had the chance at being a pairing - it wasn't great - let's try something different!

[melonhead]

You've never even seen sheppard play.

Hunt when fully fit and playing in form I would probably back that, but he's also seriously inconsistent.

Church is consistent in his total lack of nouse, much rather have Hunt and there's no way he'd have scored some of these http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrZgeAi6pPg&feature=related

Can't see a perfectly measured chip from a tight angle at Elland Road on there.

also seen him score a couple of long range rockets too

[Wimb]

Church has scored some belters, I seem to remember one against Preston towards the end of Brian's first season.

He's not up to top 6 Championship standard at the moment but he's not worth writing off either. Give him time, support and patience through till the summer and see where we are then.

[melonhead]

Church has scored some belters, I seem to remember one against Preston towards the end of Brian's first season.

He's not up to top 6 Championship standard at the moment but he's not worth writing off either. Give him time, support and patience through till the summer and see where we are then.

ive spotted the problem with what your asking them to do

[Wimb]

Schoolboy error

[Snowball]

More church hating as usual. Yet karacan is Xavi.

Can't wait until we sell church to a team with creative midfielders who play the ball on the deck and are able to pick up the smart runs he makes. Then it'll be " we should never have sold him like cox, wah wah wah". He works hard, makes intelligent runs and there are flashes he could be a goalscorer if given a long run in team. For whatever reason he's the new hate child like karacan is the new love child...yet the only thing karacan does is run around in the middle of the park. He can't pass, he can't shoot, he never creates and is easily bypassed by the top ball playing midfielders in this division yet he's exempt from any of that because he has a good engine. Why is it that only centre mids are allowed one attribute in the eyes of Reading fans yet church who apparently seems to only run around a lot... seems prone to the biggest slating each week.

I'm not "knocking" Church as a "hate figure" I dislike that kind of fanning.


I simply think, at the moment, he is our weakest player by some degree.

[RoyalJames101]

Yet despite your opinion, he worked the hardest of all our players.

This. Even when he's not in great goal scoring form he will always work hard for the team, just like Long did in the early parts of last season.

[Franchise FC]

Yet despite your opinion, he worked the hardest of all our players.

Do you really think he worked harder than Tabb & Karacan ?
Not in the game I watched he didn't

[Snowball]

Yet despite your opinion, he worked the hardest of all our players.

This. Even when he's not in great goal scoring form he will always work hard for the team, just like Long did in the early parts of last season.

I think the comparison with Long is simply WRONG (or shows Churchy to be a pale shadow of Long)


Long was always ridiculously DANGEROUS.

Compared to Church..
How often did Long clatter a defender or get clattered?
How often did a defender need treatment or Long need treatment?
How many penalties did Long win?
How many reds and yellows did Long win?
How many reds and yellows did he GET?

Long won the ball at least twice as often as Church does.

I can think of just ONCE that Church has needed a quick rub from the trainer.
How many yellows has he won?
How many reds has he won?
How many yellows has he HAD?
How many reds?
Long's wing play was very good and so were his crosses.

[Snowball]

Last season Long "put it about"
(and won penalties, got players booked, players sent off)

85 Fouls 05 Yellows 00 Reds 2010-11 LONG

20 Fouls 01 Yellows 01 Reds 2009-10 Church (The Red was for celebrating, second yellow?)
12 Fouls 01 Yellows 00 Reds 2010-11 Church
13 Fouls 00 Yellows 00 Reds 2011-12 Church

45 Fouls 02 Yellows 01 Reds Reading Career Church


So in one season, Shane Long as well as getting those 26 goals and another 6-7-8 penalties
also got players booked and sent off, and clearly "dished it out" (part of strong strikers job)

In THREE Seasons, Church has barely managed half of a single Long season)

Doesn't that tell you something?



I don;t dislike the guy, I really don't. I wish I had a tenth of his talent. But he has to become NASTY, and much braver.

[Snowball]

Hunt, Tabb, Karacan did more miles than Church and more effectively

[RoyalJames101]

Yet despite your opinion, he worked the hardest of all our players.

This. Even when he's not in great goal scoring form he will always work hard for the team, just like Long did in the early parts of last season.

I think the comparison with Long is simply WRONG (or shows Churchy to be a pale shadow of Long)


Long was always ridiculously DANGEROUS.

Compared to Church..
How often did Long clatter a defender or get clattered?
How often did a defender need treatment or Long need treatment?
How many penalties did Long win?
How many reds and yellows did Long win?
How many reds and yellows did he GET?

Long won the ball at least twice as often as Church does.

I can think of just ONCE that Church has needed a quick rub from the trainer.
How many yellows has he won?
How many reds has he won?
How many yellows has he HAD?
How many reds?
Long's wing play was very good and so were his crosses.

Never said anything about them being similar apart from the fact they work very very hard for the team...

[rfc2001]

If church had one stand out ability I'd be happy for Mcd to persist with him but he doesn't.

Long was equally useless, but he was always rapid, strong with good heading ability.

Church will not get any better!!

[Rex]

Serious!!

Perhaps he will - perhaps he won't. Fcuk me some of you guys were caning Long in such a similar way. Shane clicked into play. Something was missing but eventually that impact player went from derision to fairytale career progression as a result of 3/4 to 1/2 a season out of his career with us.

Church might never get to the target player and confidence levels of Shane and he does need to strengthen up, gain confidence, sharpen up his ability if he is to make it work at this club but maybe, just maybe, he could prove some of you wrong.

[West Stand Man]

If church had one stand out ability I'd be happy for Mcd to persist with him but he doesn't.

Long was equally useless, but he was always rapid, strong with good heading ability.

Church will not get any better!!

Another village searching for its idiot I see.

[bigmike]

If church had one stand out ability I'd be happy for Mcd to persist with him but he doesn't.

Long was equally useless, but he was always rapid, strong with good heading ability.

Church will not get any better!!

Another village searching for its idiot I see.

Well I hope the village finds you West stand man as rfc2001 is almost correct in his statement about church. He does have a stand out ability.. The ability to go missing when hes on the pitch. Hunty worked his ass off on saturday in the first half he was doing the job of 2 men. The sooner we start with ALF and Hunty the better. Church is a poor mans Defoe he scores 3 goals then he goes missing for the next 20 to 30 games. I hope church comes good but I think we all know he couldnt find the goal with a satnav.

[Royal Rother]

I guess he can't be our leading goalscorer this season then.

[Lydia Dustbin]

I really really like Simon Church.

[Wimb]

Somebody needs to call my doctor because I'm finding myself agreeing with Snowwy....

[Snowball]

Somebody needs to call my doctor because I'm finding myself agreeing with Snowwy....

Don't panic. It will pass.