James Harper

[Sun Tzu]

We let him leave and so did the Blades....

Players leave clubs all the time. It doesn't make em rubbish !!

As for your team sport ideas - players get injured all the time, formations shift, new managers have different ideas - god forbid opponents sussing out your weaknesses. Players that need other players are by definition a liability waiting to happen.

So football isn't a team sport in which you seek a blend of players who by working together produce something bigger than the sum of it's parts ?

It's just about a load of individuals running around on their own ?

Don't think so.....

Sorry but as much as you might like picking an argument with everyone SZ - JH's critics pick up on the same points.

Those who think Harper had something to offer also pick up on the same points. So does thatmake it stale mate ?

You've not managed to counter the points that Pardew and Coppell both clearly rated Harper, and that he was a key part of a very successful side. I guess we just go with your view that we carried a passenger for 5 or 6 seasons....

[Sun Tzu]

oh of course its only you and Sun Tzu that can unravel the mysteries of the game whilst the rest of us dullards watch the game as mere mindless morons before your towering intellect

Don't think Ian or myself have ever claimed that.

We're both more than happy to argue our corner. You should try the same.

No sorry we tell it as we see it which is mainly based on watching the game and tracking individual players contributions. Examples are...........

John Osler was quite good in some games but most of the time put in terrible crosses
Jimmy Kebe was mostly awful in the Coppell years but last year has has had some Pele like transformation
Matt Mills got boo'ed for hitting the same mong like diagonal ball 12 times in a row
Stephen Hunt was the hardest working player we had but now is abused by Reading fans as the Gypo
Federici makes showboat saves but elementary errors

Are those just what you've picked up off HNA. They are hardly world shakingly original or insightful

[Ian Royal]

I've never claimed to be some sort of genius football analyst, but I do know I'm generally pretty analytical and perfer to look at the evidence dispassionately and objectively. Given what some people say about games I've been to, I generally know who's opinion to completely discount whether I know much about the subject in question or not.

The only other thing I'd say is - if you think the cap fits zummer, you may as well wear it. Personally I don't think you're a dullard. Just not right about this one.

[FiNeRaIn]

Know a few STH's at Brammall Lane and none of them rate Harper at all

never wanted to go there, never wanted to leave us, never wanted to live oop north.
was bound to affect his game

+1

Will always remember harps and remember what he contributed to Reading. He was no worse than the rest of them when we went on a slump to eff up promotion and he takes the most stick.

[zummerset]

John Osler was quite good in some games but most of the time put in terrible crosses
Jimmy Kebe was mostly awful in the Coppell years but last year has has had some Pele like transformation
Matt Mills got boo'ed for hitting the same mong like diagonal ball 12 times in a row
Stephen Hunt was the hardest working player we had but now is abused by Reading fans as the Gypo
Federici makes showboat saves but elementary errors

Are those just what you've picked up off HNA. They are hardly world shakingly original or insightful[/quote]

No they are all my own opinions formed by paying for many match tickets and thus earning the right to have an opinion. In the 106 season I could see some point in Harper providing a link in midfield although he seemed to be more of a decision maker then. In recent years JH seems to have suffered from a lack of willingness to take risks hence the arm waving, crabbing and safe balls.

The reason why the consensus of opinion may be against you (Ian and Sun) on all of the above as that the majority of people that post on here and the blades forum are avid fans and we seem to have agreed on some aspects of the team. Of course you can still disagree and still argue that bears definately do not shit in the woods

[zummerset]

Apologies for the above - I messed up the quotes (but Ian and Sun are still wrong!)

[Mike Hunt]

I've never claimed to be some sort of genius football analyst, but I do know I'm generally pretty analytical and perfer to look at the evidence dispassionately and objectively. Given what some people say about games I've been to, I generally know who's opinion to completely discount whether I know much about the subject in question or not.

The only other thing I'd say is - if you think the cap fits zummer, you may as well wear it. Personally I don't think you're a dullard. Just not right about this one.

I think that you are a genius football analyst.

[Big Foot]

Know a few STH's at Brammall Lane and none of them rate Harper at all

never wanted to go there, never wanted to leave us, never wanted to live oop north.
was bound to affect his game

+1

Will always remember harps and remember what he contributed to Reading. He was no worse than the rest of them when we went on a slump to eff up promotion and he takes the most stick.

You said on another thread that Scott Murray wouldn't have been affected by moving away from home, yet when it suits you use it to aid your argument?

[brendywendy]

Know a few STH's at Brammall Lane and none of them rate Harper at all

never wanted to go there, never wanted to leave us, never wanted to live oop north.
was bound to affect his game

+1

Will always remember harps and remember what he contributed to Reading. He was no worse than the rest of them when we went on a slump to eff up promotion and he takes the most stick.

agreed - he just didnt have it in him to turn games and a seasobn around single handedly when the rest of the team were malfunctioning too.
not many players could imo

[brendywendy]

In recent years JH seems to have suffered from a lack of willingness to take risks hence the arm waving, crabbing and safe balls.

lol- he was always the crab - nuffink to do with recent years, what soem people find hard to credit is that sometimes you need someone to just do the simple stuff,passing sideways, keeping the ball cycling out to the wings, creating space, filling holes etc.

sidwell and harps are the best midfield pairing this club ever had. end of.
the thought that it was all sidwell and harps was just carried is utterly laughable, and renders the person saying so a total eedjit.

[Ian Royal]

I've never claimed to be some sort of genius football analyst, but I do know I'm generally pretty analytical and perfer to look at the evidence dispassionately and objectively. Given what some people say about games I've been to, I generally know who's opinion to completely discount whether I know much about the subject in question or not.

The only other thing I'd say is - if you think the cap fits zummer, you may as well wear it. Personally I don't think you're a dullard. Just not right about this one.

I think that you are a genius football analyst.

Sadly you go to fewer games than me, so I don't think you'll be persuading many.

[andrew1957]

In truth both sides of the debate about Harper are true. In my opinion he was superb up until part way through the second season in the PL. He then seemed to go completely off the boil and lose something and we did well to get shot of him when we did. Howard was much better last season than Harper was the one before. Reading seem to be very good at seeing when a player has reached his sell by date - as apart form arguably Doyle (who we had to let go in any case) no one has really gone on to greater things.

It does not sound as though he got any better at Sheff Unt either.

[Always_Royal]

Sounds like he could be off to Crystal Palace.

[Upper West Ginger]

Sounds like he could be off to Crystal Palace.

Palace fans generally quite keen on the idea ...
http://www.cpfc.org/forums/showthread.php?t=202583

[Wycombe Royal]

Sounds like he could be off to Crystal Palace.

Palace fans generally quite keen on the idea ...
http://www.cpfc.org/forums/showthread.php?t=202583

They are thinking of the player he was and not the one he is now.

[Muskrat]

Someone on the CPFC forum wrote:

"Superb player who will get better offers from elsewhere."

[Ian Royal]

In the right system with the right types of players around him he's easily good enough to still excel at this level.

[Maguire]

Harper is shit and has an IQ of about 3.

Done.

[Royalee]

In the right system with the right types of players around him he's easily good enough to still excel at this level.

A cliched defence of shit players. Reading and Sheffield United can't both be wrong in one season. Name me another player 'easily good enough to excel at this level' who can't anticipate, tackle, head, shoot or position himself properly.

[Ian Royal]

Blah blah blah. Same old tired blinkered shit.