Penalties

[Gordons Cumming]

I think Murty v QPR is the best penalty I've seen a Reading player take in years, top right hand corner. Keeper can't reach that even if he guesses right. In fact this bemuses me about penalty takers, the often try and outwit the keeper and things like that. Learn to smash it into the top corner from 12 yards and keeper isn't able to reach up there in that sort of time.

Or just hit it low and hard in the bottom corner.

.......or chip it down the middle.

[10539.4 Miles Away]

Hunt's penalty against Villa was rubbish. I sincerely hope that Coppell has got him practising penalties or strips him of the priveledge of being penalty taker.

[Agent Balti]

Stuart Beavon - he rarely missed.

[rg6royal]

I say let Marek Matejovsky have a go.

[Thomas L'Heureux]

and where did I limit that record to one season?

Well, perhaps we should find the stats for penalties over the last, perhaps, 3-4 seasons to see if your statement is actually correct?

To be fair, our record over three or four seasons is pretty bad. I haven't done any research to back this up, but off the top of my head I seem to remember Lita missing a penalty, as well as Little missing one in the same game at the Madejski in our Promotion season. I think it may have been against Palace.

In the same season, Kitsons missed one at Milwall and Doyle missed one against Luton. That's four straight away.

Add to that Shorey's against Portsmouth and Doyle's against West Ham in the season just gone. I also seem to vaguely remember a miss in our debut Premiership season but can't recall it. I may be wrong.

I swear, despite his reputation, Kitson missed a few for us. I remember him scoring away at Sunderland a few years ago but can't recall many others. My memory is bad though.

I echo the shout for Marek to ahve a go. His technical ability is unrivalled at this club, and to a certain extent, the division.

[SpaceCruiser]

but off the top of my head I seem to remember Lita missing a penalty, as well as Little missing one in the same game at the Madejski in our Promotion season. I think it may have been against Palace.

I'm sure that was a re-taken penalty, so that only counts as one missed penalty, rather than 2.

In the same season, Kitsons missed one at Milwall and Doyle missed one against Luton. That's four straight away.

Add to that Shorey's against Portsmouth and Doyle's against West Ham in the season just gone. I also seem to vaguely remember a miss in our debut Premiership season but can't recall it. I may be wrong.

So you think you remember 5 penalties (not including the first missed penalty against Crystal Palace). I have just looked at my score sheets for the last three seasons, we have scored 10 penalties (2 last season, 3 the debut Premiership season and 5 the Championship winning season).

So probably a ratio of 1 in 2 penalties have been missed.

I swear, despite his reputation, Kitson missed a few for us. I remember him scoring away at Sunderland a few years ago but can't recall many others. My memory is bad though.

Well, you remember wrong, he was our main penalty taker during the Championship winning season.

Having said that, the number of penalties we got awarded last season was pitifully low. 4, wasn't it?

[Southbank Old Boy]

So probably a ratio of 1 in 2 penalties have been missed.

So, do you think that's a good approximate conversion rate?

[SpaceCruiser]

So probably a ratio of 1 in 2 penalties have been missed.

So, do you think that's a good approximate conversion rate?

Well, it's not as bad as you make out.

Surely not every club has a 100% record in taking penalties?

[Thomas L'Heureux]

I swear, despite his reputation, Kitson missed a few for us. I remember him scoring away at Sunderland a few years ago but can't recall many others. My memory is bad though.

Well, you remember wrong, he was our main penalty taker during the Championship winning season.

You may roll your eyes but you are wrong. Kits missed a penalty at Milwall, which was probably around Christmas time considering we beat them 5-0 on the opening day (which he scored from the spot in). After that, Doyle took one against someone in the cup - Villa I think, and put it away. As a result, he became our new taker, which culminated in him missing against Luton Town.

He may have started off as our main penalty taker, but did he actually score many that season? He wasn't playing in the Palace game, missed one at Milwall, and that was about it really wasn't it?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think he is as formidable from the spot as you are making out.

Further more, missing 50% of penalties in the last four seasons is a woeful record in all honesty. You should be looking at 70-80% from the spot, surely?!

[Southbank Old Boy]

So probably a ratio of 1 in 2 penalties have been missed.

So, do you think that's a good approximate conversion rate?

Well, it's not as bad as you make out.

Surely not every club has a 100% record in taking penalties?

How bad did I make out it to be?

I think missing somewhere around 30-50% of your penalties is pretty much what I said, a "not so great record."

I'd hope to score at least 7 out of 10 penalties and in the days of Caskey I'm sure it was probably more like 9 in 10.

[SpaceCruiser]

I swear, despite his reputation, Kitson missed a few for us. I remember him scoring away at Sunderland a few years ago but can't recall many others. My memory is bad though.

Well, you remember wrong, he was our main penalty taker during the Championship winning season.

You may roll your eyes but you are wrong. Kits missed a penalty at Milwall, which was probably around Christmas time considering we beat them 5-0 on the opening day. After that, Doyle took one against someone in the cup - Villa I think, and put it away. As a result, he became our new taker, which culminated in him missing against Luton Town.

He may have started off as our main penalty taker, but did he actually score any that season? He wasn't playing in the Palace game, missed one at Milwall, and that was about it really wasn't it?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think he is as formidable from the spot as you are making out.

You are SO wrong. He scored 4 penalties that season and probably only missed one that season. Doyle's penalty that season was against West Brom in the FA Cup, only because Kitson wasn't playing on that day. And I recollect that Kitson's penalty against Millwall was saved rather than missed and he slipped up trying to follow up on the rebound. The first season in the Premiership, he didn't really get much of a chance to take a penalty considering that he was out injured for the majority of that season!

Oh, and can I just point out that one of Kitson's penalties was against Cardiff, 5 games after the miss at Millwall - don't think he was actually taken off the penalty taking duties....

Further more, missing 50% of penalties in the last four seasons is a woeful record in all honesty. You should be looking at 70-80% from the spot, surely?!

Kitson's record in the Championship winning season was 1 miss in 5. And I've just realised that I probably have done the ratio wrong - 5 penalties missed + 10 penalties scored = 15 penalties. 5 penalties missed in 15 penalties = 1 in 3 missed. About 66%, which is not far off from the percentage you're demanding....

[Thomas L'Heureux]

You are SO wrong. He scored 4 penalties that season and probably only missed one that season. Doyle's penalty that season was against West Brom in the FA Cup, only because Kitson wasn't playing on that day. And I recollect that Kitson's penalty against Millwall was saved rather than missed and he slipped up trying to follow up on the rebound. The first season in the Premiership, he didn't really get much of a chance to take a penalty considering that he was out injured for the majority of that season!

Further more, missing 50% of penalties in the last four seasons is a woeful record in all honesty. You should be looking at 70-80% from the spot, surely?!

Kitson's record in the Championship winning season was 1 miss in 5. And I've just realised that I probably have done the ratio wrong - 5 penalties missed + 10 penalties scored = 15 penalties. 5 penalties missed in 15 penalties = 1 in 3 missed. About 66%, which is not far off from the percentage you're demanding....

I always assumed that 'missing' a penalty was missing the chance to put it in the back of the net rather than missing the target all together. I admit, it was saved, but I don't think my use of the word 'missed' should be picked at.

Fair enough, I said that I stood to be corrected and admitted my memory was not like clock work. He scored four that season, well done to him. But our record hasn't be tremendeous and you yourself even skewed my answer by incorrectly stating we only scored 1 in 2 spot kicks. I'm not going to go and do any research on this, especially after you've given me a ratio, so you can't blame me for stating 50% of penalties scored is a bad return after you've given me that figure.

[floyd__streete]

You are SO wrong. He scored 4 penalties that season and probably only missed one that season.

Two. One against Millwall as already mentioned, the other in the last minute at Brammall Lane in a 1-1 draw.

You are SO wrong.

[SpaceCruiser]

You are SO wrong. He scored 4 penalties that season and probably only missed one that season.

Two. One against Millwall as already mentioned, the other in the last minute at Brammall Lane in a 1-1 draw.

You are SO wrong.

Thanks for correcting me, Floyd. So, that's 2 misses in 6. i.e. a 1 in 3 miss ratio.

[floyd__streete]

Thanks for correcting me, Floyd. So, that's 2 misses in 6. i.e. a 1 in 3 miss ratio.

66% conversion rate with just the keeper to beat isn't sensational. Although Paul Brayson would be delighted.

[Alan Partridge]

Thanks for correcting me, Floyd. So, that's 2 misses in 6. i.e. a 1 in 3 miss ratio.

66% conversion rate with just the keeper to beat isn't sensational. Although Paul Brayson would be delighted.

Noel Hunt is currently at 0% as well . Apprantly he takes pens though? So shirley he has to be a candidate..if he's on the pitch of course.

[Southbank Old Boy]

Just noticed this story on the EP's site

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/readingfc/s/2033233_royals_pair_share_spotkick_duty

With our not so great penalty record I'm not sure it really matters who takes them, but surely there comes a point where the manager has to put his foot down and make sure our best penalty taker is going to be taking the penalties.

This just seems a little amateurish to me.

Amatuerish and costly perhaps?

[Rex]

At least S Hunt has the balls to retake the penalty after the first was saved by weaver. Nicely slotted to his left and this time sending the keeper the wrong way. The way he deliberatly placed the ball,shrugged off others wishing to take it, and not being put off by the baying royals support, says it all.

[juanpablo]

95 percent sure Doyle would miss
95 percent sure Hunt would miss

really didnt know who i would rather take the pen .... maybe Harper?

[Rex]

Marcus, the way he kicks a ball straight it will easily slot into the top corner every time.