RoyaleeAlan Partridge He was better than Pearce last season and the season before.
He was consistantly ok for us doing what he does, he was never a ball playing centre half but he was superb in the air, a good member of the squad and he did a decent job for a couple of years. 34/35 now? Clearly passed his best wasnt' the future to keep him on.
He clearly splits opinion but the guy in his career played in the CHampions LEague I believe he won a UEFA cup and a cup winners cup while also playing the vast majority of his career playing in the Premiership. £800,000 he was a decent enough signing for the club.
When you consider Mills was £2million shows you don't get much for your money these days.
Interesting of note that Pearce is the one being looked at as this saviour held back by Duberry playing almost. Almost identical type of players, just that Duberry at 34 is still quicker than him.
Pearce plays the simple pass and looks to keep the ball a lot more than Duberry ever did. He also reads the game better than Duberry and both are slow. Mills will come good also, but both are far better than Duberry - no coincidence that his signing coincided with our collapse, or that Stoke went from strength to strength once he left them.
Stoke had the best defensive record in the division when he was captain there and had played every game, when we signed him. It had more to do with the fact Stoke signed some strikers.
Pearce is the guy that almost fell over his own feet while attempting a booted clearance against Leicester?
Duberry played either a simple square pass or he generally just aimed it forward, i wouldn't dispute that. But he was ok in the main for Reading. I don't agree in what (limited albeit) amount I've seen of Mills he is significantly better than Duberry, who was 10 years his senior and not even half the price tag.