View From The Town End: Sone Aluko

What can Reading FC expect to see form new record signing Sone Aluko? We spoke to our chums from Fulham site Cottagers Confidential to find out.

Are you sad to see Sone go?

A little bit. Aluko was a player who always gave 100% and as sad as that sounds to say, you don't always get that from every player out there.

What's his best position?

Ideally he's probably best as a withdrawn striker, paired with a traditional number 9. He's creative enough to give you assists from there, but it doesn't take him too far away from goal. With Fulham, the team is usually playing a very fluid front three and he's more than capable of fitting in to any of the three forward positions.

What are his main strengths?

He has an outstanding work rate. He is unselfish enough to create a lot of chances for others. He will create a lot of chances for himself as well. He's also a decent defender from high positions.

Any key weaknesses?

I have been accused many times of saying that finishing really isn't a skill. When you break it all down, there is very little difference between players at the same position and the rate at which they finish their chances. However, I still believe there is a certain kind of player that might be a poor finisher. If a player is athletic and fast and shows moments of brilliance, he might continue to get chances as a forward where a less athletic player is moved further back on the pitch. Aluko might just be the kind of player who is always going to struggle to finish.

What's he been like off the pitch?

Everyone who has interacted with him has liked him. He never did anything embarrassing to the club. It's possible he's really good at hiding it, but he seems like a great guy.

Do you think he'll fit in with Stam's style?

Fulham and Reading were two possession dominated teams last year, so he will be able to fit into a style that controls the ball. However, Reading did struggle at times this year to create a ton of chances from all that possession. Aluko will help in that regard quite a bit

Speculation suggests a record breaking fee for Reading, so at least £3.5m. Do you think he's worth it?

Honestly, it depends. If you are ok with his output last year being the height of what you will get from him going forward, and you realize there is little sell on value to him, he's a good pickup. He's very unlikely to be a bust. But on the other hand, last year was about as good as you could expect and if you don't think that production is worth the fee, than he's unlikely to please you.