Oh dear.....

[Wycombe Royal]

Deja vu time.

Latest comment from Coppell on the OS:

If we go into the season with three happy forwards then I'd be fine with that because I think we'd be alright

[Alan Partridge]

WR, the whole summer has been deja vu.

Interesting that Coppell says that as i seem to recall last summer him telling us that our 4 forwards were our strongest suit, they then didn't muster 20 goals between them.

Utterly embarassing quotes from someone who is supposed to be an experienced top class manager. Coppell really has been replaced by Stevie Wonder it seems either that or he's actually an agent on a self implode mission....he's succeeding if that's the case.

[papereyes]

Maybe we'll play Long on Doyle's shoulders to get one striker over 6 foot.

[EastStandRoyal]

Does Coppell not learn from his mistakes? I swear this time last year he was saying that the right of midfield was our healthiest position? Look what happened there..

[Royalee]

It amuses me that he's looking at attacking options (and yes, we're one short now Kitson's gone), but after 2 years he's still yet to bring in a proven right winger and also hasn't learnt that our central midfield is incredibly weak.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

Surprised he's taking this long to say it really.

How can he still come out with this bollox? Make do, make do, make do, always make do.

But why would he learn his lesson now, when he didn't learn them in January.

[Big Ern]

This quote if further evidence that the Kiston money will dissapear without trace. We obviously don;t need a Striker according to Coppell, so whats the point of spending money.

Reading FC = Joke.

[Vision]

Interesting that Coppell says that as i seem to recall last summer him telling us that our 4 forwards were our strongest suit, they then didn't muster 20 goals between them.
.

Spacey Mode On >>> Yes they did <<< Spacey Mode Off.

[SpaceCruiser]

Interesting that Coppell says that as i seem to recall last summer him telling us that our 4 forwards were our strongest suit, they then didn't muster 20 goals between them.
.

Spacey Mode On >>> Yes they did <<< Spacey Mode Off.

Correct:

Kitson = 10
Doyle = 6
Long = 3
Lita = 2

TOTAL = 21 goals.

AP murked....

[Winchester Royal]

Interesting that Coppell says that as i seem to recall last summer him telling us that our 4 forwards were our strongest suit, they then didn't muster 20 goals between them.
.

Spacey Mode On >>> Yes they did <<< Spacey Mode Off.

Correct:

Kitson = 10
Doyle = 6
Long = 3
Lita = 2

TOTAL = 21 goals.

AP murked....

Wow, truly fruitful seasons all round then.

[SpaceCruiser]

Not exactly, no. I'd expect a top quality strike partnership (that's two players) to notch up 30 goals.

We haven't had that for two seasons, but I'd let them off cos we were in the Premiership.

[tee peg]

I hope Long plays better than he did on Saturday and Lita sorts out his attitude.

[SteveRoyal]

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... irish_pair

Hmmmmmmmm. Now I know this is a paper, so it's classed a rumour.
Even still, I don't feel comfortable relying on 2 unproven blokes. One of whom is brother to our good ol' Huntie.

[Royalee]

One of whom is brother to our good ol' Huntie.

What's 'good' about him?

[SteveRoyal]

I hope Long plays better than he did on Saturday and Lita sorts out his attitude.

We say this every season.

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

Just another example of the short termism the club has adopted. we sell our leading scorer and then say we can cope with what we have - Im happy with my squad - blah bloody blah!

Coppell was asked after MK Dons how he would be spending the £5.5m - he said dourly- "I don't know we will have to discuss that with the chairman"

I think Madejski is stifling our objective of getting back first time - he is fattening up the club for a sale at the expense of the football side.

Meanwhile we are looking around for £200k bargains - i know Coppell has had success in part in these finds but he's also fouled up a few times

[Toadie]

I reckon Noel Hunt will be in a Reading shirt by the beginning of the season....and he will be our only buy. Looks like Hammond didn't get such a cracking deal after all!

When you look at the squad number changes, HRK (the left winger, NOT the striker ), Karacan and Church etc will all get run-outs next year.

Mid-table mediocrity anyone???

[SteveRoyal]

One of whom is brother to our good ol' Huntie.

What's 'good' about him?

I'm not actually sure.
Certainly not his hair.

[papereyes]

I don't think 10 goals is all that bad a tally.

The issue there is that most of his goals were from distance, or tight angles. Where we weren't scoring was from closer in - the goals I'd expect Lita and Doyle to score. Their totals show where we were let down - in terms of creativity and in terms of the tap-ins, the close range efforts.

Which is why I find it very hard to attach any blame or fault to Kitson for last season. He did his job and more.

Not exactly, no. I'd expect a top quality strike partnership (that's two players) to notch up 30 goals.

How many teams in the Prem actually achieve that?

What people forget (and I forgive them for it) is that most of the Premiership is actually quite average and the Top 4 distort things by a very large amount. Take the teams just outside the Top 4 last season. Everton (taking a strike force of Yakubu, Johnson, Osman and Anichebe) tallied 26, Villa (Carew, Agbonlahor, Moore and Harewood) tallied 30 and Blackburn (Santa Cruz, McCarthy, Roberts and Derbyshire) tallied 33.

Its the same level of numptiness that suggests 20 goals is a good tally in the Prem. It is 'good' for a Top 4 side. It is absolutely amazing for a player in any other team in the league.

As a comparison, we got 20 Prem goals from our front four last season and 24 the previous season.

[rfcjoe]

Can't say I'm surprised by sir steve. I've come to expect it now tbh. Little old reading get mugged off and then doing fook all about it.
Well done, well done indeed!