My thought as a RBNY fan is he should have tried for a move to another RB club Leipzig or Salzburg. Germany would have been a good place to actually work on skills and play in a high level league. If he’d gone that route he’d be in the EPL right now.
How are you so certain that he wouldn't have benched at Leipzig? It's not impossible for him to improve while in the Championship. He appears to be highly rated.
Because RB clubs don’t load up on players for “depth.” If he could have made the move 2-3 years ago, they would have developed him. Like it or not the English clubs don’t develop. From the Championship he can win promotion or jump to an EPL club but I don’t see him making a meaningful move to a Continental club. That ship has sailed. FWIW , I’ve yet to hear of an EPL club sniffing around. Given his age experience and physical tools that’s a little surprising / disappointing.
On the bench: 🚨 TEAM NEWS 🚨#Royals unchanged from victory on Boxing Day- 1️⃣ hour until kick-off!#PNEvREA pic.twitter.com/WeAVupFJpe— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) December 29, 2019
In January 2016, when Miazga transferred to Chelsea, Leipzig were still in the 2.Bundesliga. That's why I floated the supposition that either Leipzig or Salzburg may have been on equal footing to acquire him. The fact that neither seems to have made a serious inquiry is rather telling. It may be that his asking price was too high, especially if Chelsea were already interested. OTOH, in joining a club that was about to win promotion, and continue rising to the top of the 1.Bundesliga, he would have done well, if he performed well. There are other factors, too. There was a certain amount of Agudelo-stink that spread like a virus to some of the younger players, a perception that Juan wasn't treated fairly, true or not. I would look at the trajectory of Juan's career and surmise that maybe he overplayed his hand. Regardless, Matt seemed eager to bolt the club, and Chelsea offered him a tidy sum. My point is that his long term career prospects and earnings potential were hindered by joining an "end-user" club, rather than one with a track record of developing players that matches their climb up the tables. In general, the English clubs are end-users. They pay top dollar, but don't seem to be much interested in helping a non-English player improve.
the challenge is that MLS may be pricing its established players at a point where the only likely buyers are the “end-user” clubs who are willing to pay that kind of money for MLS players given those player’s developmental needs.
Underrated away day moment of 2019: when Matt Miazga wound up Boro fans by popping an inflatable dinosaur that had been floating around the Riverside. Great sh*thousery. https://t.co/5AbY00uduS pic.twitter.com/zZN3bZecEq— The Tilehurst End (@TheTilehurstEnd) December 30, 2019
But even if (and it's a huge hypothetical with little support) he had joined Leipzig in Jan 2016, what could/would they have paid to/for him? I have no idea. In 15/16 they brought in 4 or 5 defenders from 6 mill to 600k, it looks like. The year before they mostly spent on middies/attacker including 2 million for Terrance Boyd. I don't know what kind of money MM is on at the moment, or what kind of raise for promotion he would have been able to negotiate, but I find it hard to imagine his salary would have been higher from D2 Leipzig. But sure, if he had picked, stayed with and was still a starter for RBLeipzig, that might be the one or two outliers. But overall, choosing the big club, especially a Chelsea, who are good about finding loan options, makes good sense.
I freely acknowledge that Matt would not have made as much. But as I was saying, maybe he doesn't take the Chelsea contract then, transferring for half, making 1/4, etc. We've seen what performing well for a German club can do for your career prospects. There's no guarantee any of it would have worked out. I just think having a workable development progression not only means greater future earnings potential, it also builds up a player on a foundation of success. MM may have still developed in spite of his travails, yet he's missed out on a lot of high level exposure by being mired in the lower leagues. Club like Reading get to rent Miazga with no obligation, and he seems to have been laboring under the impression that he'll someday play for Chelsea. If there was a season when he should have played for them, this is the one, he'd have been like a free transfer for them.
You guys seem to overlook he's doing well for a mid-table at best Championship side. He'll continue to prove himself. Maybe he gets bought as depth for a relegation fodder PL side next Fall or Fall 2021 but I feel he has the talent to make it into a top 5 side though perhaps he should try a French or Spanish side.
I guess Matt must have said something to Bowen to get dropped like this to the bench, after being arguably their best CB.
On the bench: 🚨 TEAM NEWS 🚨#Royals remain unchanged for @FulhamFC clash 🔵⚪Sam Baldock returns to the squad after recovering from injury#FULvREA pic.twitter.com/aDZCWw9RaB— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) January 1, 2020
Miazga on at 68', Fulham 1-2 Reading, subbed in shortly after the Fulham goal. Final score: Fulham 1-2 Reading. Reading, now 14th, is the only team in the Championship that has won its last three matches.
Or a tactical adjustment against a fairly dominant opponent. More likely, IMO, is the simplest: the English Xmas schedule is insane and the Championship is crazy anyway. He may have picked up a minor knock or strain and rotated/rested
He missed the Stoke and Derby games due to a hamstring injury. He had a late fitness test for the QPR game - since he didn't make the squad I assume he failed that assessment. Next three games he has been on the bench. Reading has four straight wins beginning with the Derby game (and 13 out of 15 points since his injury). I'd say it's a combination of injury and not messing with a winning formula.
Yes, but these are facts, and reasoned supposition, not rampant speculation. Don't forget this is BS, after all.
"Not messing with a winning formula" is another way of saying he got benched. Doesn't square. When a guy is on the bench, it's because he's ready to play. So the "he was injured last month" thing doesn't fly. Miazga got pulled out at the half in the Birmingham game. When everybody was saying he was the best CB and Morrison (who even had an own goal) should be the one taken out. After that, Matt got injured. After that, bench and sub role. Doesn't add up.
So your claim is he said something at the HT of the Birmingham game that got him benched? Anyone out there heard similar?