Charlie Adam

I think he could still do the business in this league, he turns 35 in December but he can still bloody pass a ball, and from what I've seen he doesn't look to have slowed down too much (I also think it'd be a great marketing tool for Sadler, his signing would generate such a buzz).

With that being said though, I wouldn't lose any sleep if his fabled return on the pitch never happens. I think we're moving forward as a club and it is a new era, we should be looking to the future and the creation of new heroes, rather than going back to the old ones!
 
He'd have to massively bring his wages down Reading where paying him 20k a week!
Would it work maybe but NC let Spearing go who is younger and all the players he has brought are all apparently quick not sure its the type of player he wants.
 
I’d definitely have him back for one last season with us. Finish off his career at a club that adored him and then go into coaching. He’s exactly the type of experience we need to help coach these younger players. I’d love to see him back in tangerine, but as stated above, wouldn’t lose any sleep over it if he didn’t come back.
 
They're releasing him. Talks of a player/coach role but likely they'll release him. They need to reduce their wage bill significantly.
 
Here we go again!

I'd like to see him back if we think we can build a team that he'll be any use to. It's not like he did a lot of running about in his younger days. If we get the right balance in midfield and allow him to get on the ball and run things he could still be good. If Critchley has a totally different vision for how he wants to set up, fair enough.

Take emotions out of it and if the money's right, why not?
 
A year is a long time in football and I was all for a CA last season but not at 20 grand a week. At this moment in time, I am not too sure and I don't think Critchley would want to bring in someone who could potentially put him out of a job. We also don't know if CA wants to into coaching he might prefer doing media stuff.
 
I would hate to see him come back and not live up to a lot of peoples expectations. It's better that we have the memories of the great Charlie Adam than to have the man come back and not be up to scratch. NB I'm not saying he wouldn't be up to scratch, but there is always the possibility of a returning star embarrassing himself, it happens all too often. 😟
 
Surely if he really loves the club and it’s between us and retirement he’d come back on peanuts for one last season.

Wouldn’t be bothered if not, but it would be quite a nice send off
 
This time last year I didn't want him, too much money. In hindsight I'm glad as under grayson we wouldn't have got the best out of him anyway.

I'm going to completely reverse now and looking at the players we have brought in he would be perfect and could be the the last permanent signing we need (we have 6 loans available).
 
People forget just how good he was in the air and he would be best in the division at dead balls ...I doubt we will get him but would be happy if we did...I trust NC and the first problem he has addressed was a lack of pace...very happy with the squad we are building but still room for Charlie
 
basilrobbie said:
I wouldn't want him back. He's a sad shadow of the player he was for us, and I wouldn't want anything to spoil the memories I have of him.
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I'm neither for or against him returning, that's up to Critchley, but I do find your comments unfair. You say he's a "sad shadow of the player he was" but let's face it we're a "sad shadow" of the team we were back then when we were fighting for promotion from the Championship and then competing in the PL. That's the Championship where he's been currently plying his trade and where he won over the Reading fans and their upturn in form coinciding with Charlie establishing his place in their team and no doubt pulling the strings. Lest you forget we are currently a L1 team!
 
20togo said:
I'm neither for or against him returning, that's up to Critchley, but I do find your comments unfair. You say he's a "sad shadow of the player he was" but let's face it we're a "sad shadow" of the team we were back then when we were fighting for promotion from the Championship and then competing in the PL. That's the Championship where he's been currently plying his trade and where he won over the Reading fans and their upturn in form coinciding with Charlie establishing his place in their team and no doubt pulling the strings. Lest you forget we are currently a L1 team!
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Whether you think my comments are unfair or not is irrelevant. They are on topic, they are my own and were actually toned down considerably because of my strong affection for him. I hadn't forgotten that we are currently a L1 club - I though the whole point of our summer recruitment was to try and construct a squad that will take us up. My view is that we can, and should, do much better than sentimental acquisitions of dubious value.

As for "pulling the strings" at Reading - please. He started 15 games this season.
 
I think people forget how much of a gap there is between league one and championship calibre midfielders generally. Even a half fit Adam is unlikely to have lost the skill in his boots and vision and instincts especially with young energetic players buzzing around to ping the ball too.

I guess many are looking at it from Bobs someone romantic:nostalgic/can’t bear to see him fail if he came back point of view and I can understand that.
 
basilrobbie said:
Whether you think my comments are unfair or not is irrelevant. They are on topic, they are my own and were actually toned down considerably because of my strong affection for him. I hadn't forgotten that we are currently a L1 club - I though the whole point of our summer recruitment was to try and construct a squad that will take us up. My view is that we can, and should, do much better than sentimental acquisitions of dubious value.

As for "pulling the strings" at Reading - please. He started 15 games this season.
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Your comments were unfair on him. As for your last para what part of my post of him establishing himself in the team do you not understand? I think that is highly relevant to the 15 games he started and Readings upturn in from when he did that..
 
20togo said:
Your comments were unfair on him. As for your last para what part of my post of him establishing himself in the team do you not understand? I think that is highly relevant to the 15 games he started and Readings upturn in from.
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You said I was being unfair once already. I said I didn't care what you thought. We should call it a draw.

As for his impact, he played in 21 league games as a starter or sub, and their record was W7 D6 L8. It's not much of an upturn.
 
When we were relegated to the second division in 1967 I don't recall my Dad and the others around him in the South bleating about getting Stan Matthews back out of retirement. Or in '78 when we went down to the 3rd did I hear anyone around me pleading for the return of Tommy Hutchison. Times move on. The only way I could see Adam back at Bloomfield Road would be in a future management role.
 
basilrobbie said:
You said I was being unfair once already. I said I didn't care what you thought. We should call it a draw.

As for his impact, he played in 21 league games as a starter or sub, and their record was W7 D6 L8. It's not much of an upturn.
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Oh I don't know. He established himself in the team on 30/11/2019. Readings record prior to that was W5 D3 L9. For a team near the bottom of the table I think that's a decent upturn in form. I could highlight wins at highflying Fulham and Preston too if you wish. But hey, you carry on knocking him if you wish.
 
1966_and_all_that said:
When we were relegated to the second division in 1967 I don't recall my Dad and the others around him in the South bleating about getting Stan Matthews back out of retirement. Or in '78 when we went down to the 3rd did I hear anyone around me pleading for the return of Tommy Hutchison. Times move on. The only way I could see Adam back at Bloomfield Road would be in a future management role.
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Stan was 52 at the time though 😀 and Tommy Hutch was playing in the top tier of football still, i don't think it was a similar situation - although at 34 his role would be bit part if he did return(which he won't)
 
133HSL said:
Stan was 52 at the time though 😀 and Tommy Hutch was playing in the top tier of football still, i don't think it was a similar situation - although at 34 his role would be bit part if he did return(which he won't)
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Yes, I was being a tad ironic but the principle's the same - move on. With the honourable exception of Brett O, of course.
 
20togo said:
Oh I don't know. He established himself in the team on 30/11/2019. Readings record prior to that was W5 D3 L9. For a team near the bottom of the table I think that's a decent upturn in form. I could highlight wins at highflying Fulham and Preston too if you wish. But hey, you carry on knocking him if you wish.
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Hes started 15 games out of 46 scoring 2 goals. Your seriously bigging him up for the season on those stats?
 
There are always exceptions, and Adam would be exceptional to orchestrate a promotion for us. The Reading fans thought he’d improved their team having been sceptical that he was capable. I think that plus the stats presented by 20s make a good argument. I also think Sadler might make an exception to bring him in as a Captain Marvel figure. We won’t be using him all over the pitch so he’d easily last 90mins in league one once playing regular.
 
PNENIL said:
Hes started 15 games out of 46 scoring 2 goals. Your seriously bigging him up for the season on those stats?
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Oh come on nil, read my post properly. Read the points I make. I make it pretty clear it's not about the season and 46 games. They are about Adam establishing himself in the team and when he did how Readings results improved.
And let's get it straight, I'd rather "big up" a former legend of ours than call him a "sad shadow" of his former self. That is a truly derogatory remark for a player who was still playing a division higher than ourselves and a player who once he got into Readings team won the fans over.
 
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20togo said:
Oh come on nil, read my post properly. Read the points I make. They are about Adam establishing himself in the team and when he did how Readings results improved.
And let's get it straight, I'd rather "big up" a former legend of ours than call him a "sad shadow" of his former self. That is a truly derogatory remark for a player who was still playing a division higher than ourselves and a player who once he got into Readings team won the fans over.
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Maybe you should be his agent but judging by the last few years he's already got a good one !
 
PNENIL said:
Reading.....a fool and his money and all that.
He's contributed virtually nothing all season and they've paid him what to most of us is a fortune. He was never in shape in the first place and got nowhere near to changing that all season.
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He was in great shape at the start of the season but never got any game time until the manager got replaced
 
I think he’d do well in this league.

Yeah he may have lost some pace but he won’t have lost his vision and the ability to move the ball quickly which someone like Hamilton would thrive upon.
 
PNENIL said:
What's that based on, looking at him? How can you tell if someone's in great shape or not if they don't play?
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On fitness he was in great shape - played for Blackburn pre-season and ran the show in the games he played
It wasn't his fault he didn't play after joining Reading
The owner bought him and the manager didn't want him and told him that he wouldn't play as long as he was manager
Manager sacked and he's playing - and well
 
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