Calling Bruce Arena...

You're entitled to your opinion of course.

I hope we can both assume that Beasley is ahead of Convey on the depth chart. Why is it so hard to see Lewis ahead of Convey on the depth chart?
Until this season, Convey WAS behind Lewis on the depth chart at left mid.

What has changed?
Convey has had a very good year.
Lewis hasn't exactly been a slouch.
Just because he doesn't have the love on BigSoccer Boards doesn't mean he hasn't had a good season and isn't just as good as he was.

Before saying Convey has been one of the best players in the league - go back and do some checking.
Convey is one of the better players at Reading, but most polls of Reading fans put Little, Kitson, Sonko ahead of him (Hahnemann too). Convey started out the season on fire. But check his recent games and he's tapered off. He is NOT doing as well right now as he was at hte beginning of the season. That's not puttin g him down (he's still been darn good), it's just pointing out that he's not been as good recently (on average) as he was during the first couple months of the season.

So, if we can say that Marcus will be behind Keller even though Marcus has been magnificent this year.... why is it so terrible to suggest that even though Convey is having by far his best year as a pro that he might not still be behind Lewis?

After all, Convey has only done this for this season - Lewis has been a top notch left winger for his club for years and has done better for the US national team at that position. Convey is good and if he hasn't overtaken Lewis he should do so in a year at the latest - but I'm not sure he's done it yet.

 

If we were in any other group I might agree.......

 

Because Keller is a walking god-man; Lewis is just a good colaship winger. I can think of 50 left wingers in the world that I'd want before Lewis, while I struggled to pick 5 keepers better than Keller. Convey doesn't exactly have the same competition for a spot that Marcus has.

You've consistently said that Convey hasn't been as highly regarded as 3-5 other Reading players this year. While I think your right about this (as you mention, Convey hasn't been utterly lights out like he was in the first months of the season), you have, with Little and Convey tying for third, maybe, behind Sonko and Kits in the Reading fan pecking order, three more players thought to be playing some of the best football in the division at their positions. Oh, and Marcus, maybe one of the top ten keepers in english football. Reading isn't 25 points or whatever clear of Leeds for nothing.

Since its not controversial, really, that Convey is playing better than Lewis right now, we ought to be done. I don't think you really believe that Lewis, at 30, is going to improve more before Germany than Convey, who is 22 and still not at all a finished product. All of this doesn't mention that Convey is considerably more inately talented than Lewis; that Lewis is a superb crosser, while Convey is almost as good, and naturally better at most other techniques and skills; and that Bobby is just as comfortable at central attacking midfielder as anywhere on the left wing, something Lewis can't say. You can't dismiss Bobby's greater popularity as "hype" or "love" from mere Big Soccer fans, notoriously fickle, in love with the clean, handsome white kid from anywhere USA. The love, the hype, actually grows from something real: the talent, the obvious potential, the promise of ability much greater than Lewis can offer.

Now Convey is coming good, and people in England are noticing. Lewis, a good player but limited, couldn't find a Premiership team after last season's desperately close call. Presumably if Reading should somehow follow Preston's road, Bobby at least will avoid Lewis' fate.

All this is to say that, in so many words, by any reasoning Convey is a different class of player to Lewis, and hes showing it this season, and Arena will hand Rossi the start at GK before he forgets his boy Convey.

 

We actually agree on a lot more than it may seem.
Believe me, at present I'd play Convey before Lewis too. I think he's been better (based on 2nd hand information) this season than Lewis and I think he has more upside. Lewis has one thing going for him...... consistency. You know exactly what you're going to get from him every time out.

All I was saying is that Convey is a VERY popular topic on these boards - and it's easy to assume he's easily better Lewis because of the love he gets and to forget that Lewis has been one of the better wingers in the 2nd tier of England for years and probably fully capable of playing in the Premiership.

Now back to Hahnemann which is what the original poster brought up.
Marcus is a huge favorite of mine and in any other situation, he would probably have a real chance at the #1 keeper job. However Keller is also in great form and has a ton of experience and public support (granted Arena really doesn't care about puclib opinion) and like it or not, the goalkeeping job is not up for grabs.

 

as a former history major, and current fan of trivia...

I salute you

 

Kahn is not the same keeper he was in 2002. The way he has played this season from the few times I've seen him (and from what I've heard about him) + the fact Keller is 9 spots ahead of him in Kicker's goalkeeper rankings. I'd take Keller.

 

Lewis also seems to have a knack for knocking in goals from around the 18, something that didn't seem to be in Convey's toolbox last I knew.

 

Seven Reading players in the top 10!! I hope Reading can retain all their players before they go up next year. I can see a lot of the bigger teams wanting to poach Readings players. Going back to Hahnemann, I think he should be #2 for the U.S. in the World Cup with out a doubt. BTW Four Four Two had a good article about him last month.

 

Thanks for those, but please remember the bias that goes into these ratings.
(I'll have to review it myself)...
But if youreally and truly think that 7 of the best 9 players in the entire Championship League are on the same team, then that's up to you..

Note that Andrew Johnson from Crystal Palace isn't in the top 10, and not a single player from Sheffield Utd or Leeds is in the top 10.
Point is these kind or ratings can be a good reference point, but get highly slanted based on team performance.
.

 

I read someone saying this before too, but I think this would depend on a few circumstances - primarily the timing of any injury (heaven forbid/knock on wood) for Keller. if Keller were to be injured early, at around now and definitely not available for the summer, then Arena may be tempted to ask if Friedel would be willing to consider it as Friedel would have time to play with the current selection of players. But if he were to be injured (Keller) late in the season or on the eve of the Cup, Arena would probably go with Hahnemann instead with Reis and Howard as back-ups as I don't see Friedel coming out of retirement to sit on the bench behind Keller after un-retiring.

As far as him saying 'no' to un-retiring though, I really think Friedel would do it - the opportunity to play in another World Cup and make another potentially good run for the USA would be difficult to turn down for him - too difficult, IMO and he's a better keeper, to me, than Hahnemann.

 

I'm just really interested in this goalkeeper called Death they were talking about in the other thread.

http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LegendsDetail/0,,10306~68590,00.html

 

Now what important phone number or errand I had to run will fall out of my head with that very cool fact just added in?

Funny and very clever post.

 

I'm much more interested in what Marcus is doing this year, but I see Keller play all the time. Tough to avoid (well, if you're a total geek and keep premiere game reruns going all day long in the office). Keller is pretty amazing this season, and while Marcus is a big part of Reading, they'd probably still be in first without him, though it would be a bunch closer.
I'm not so sure where glad\bach would be without KK. I don't know how many times i've watched them this year where they're completely under siege and KK stonewalls for a half, or an hour, or 88 minutes and then they break and take their first shot on goal in their first foray towards goal, and score, and game is over. I'd love to see marcus play a game in this cup, but hope he has a great experience regardless.