Injured Players

[PEARCEY]

Jay Tabb to have surgery on his ankle on Monday and will be out for 6 weeks.

Not good news.

[Archie's penalty]

We seriously need to sign some players!

How have we go to this position after such an impressive second half of the season?

[howser]

Simple Archie, most teams that have a good season or second half, like we did would evaluate that they need a bit more to go the final hurdle, where as Madejski looks at it and thinks "bugger me that was close" ! lets tell the fans we have a big financial deficit and we cant buy anybody and just get rid of a few.....................they will understand.

[Royal Lady]

Unless we get in some cover and quickly, we're fooked. I cannot believe that we can't afford to loan or buy ANYONE.

[Ian Royal]

We seriously need to sign some players!

How have we go to this position after such an impressive second half of the season?

We massively over achieved in the second half of last season. We weren't genuinely that good. It just came together for a while. That sort of form and play is as much about luck and confidence as it is about quality.

If we click again at some point this season we'll get another good run together. Until we do we'll plug along in lower midtable form.

[Royal Lady]

Sorry Ian, but I have to disagree with you.

When the players were playing to their best with McD at the helm- getting a run of results and gelling as a team, we deserved to be where we finished. We've lost a couple of key players from last year in Bertrand and Zurab and we have a number of injuries currently. If we could have kept the team from the second half of last season, with a couple of additions, we could be enjoying some wonderful football at the moment, imo.

[Ian Royal]

Sorry Ian, but I have to disagree with you.

When the players were playing to their best with McD at the helm- getting a run of results and gelling as a team, we deserved to be where we finished. We've lost a couple of key players from last year in Bertrand and Zurab and we have a number of injuries currently. If we could have kept the team from the second half of last season, with a couple of additions, we could be enjoying some wonderful football at the moment, imo.

There is the key. We got where we did because Kebe played the best he ever has for us. Because Long went on a scoring run that was unprecidented for him. Because Sigurdsson had an amazing break through season. And there were others playing at the very top of their game.

That isn't likely to happen over the course of a whole season. We'll probably get a good run at some point, like I said. But our centreback combination and keeper aren't as reliable as they need to be and our strikers and wingers are not reliable enough goalscorers unless they are playing at the very top of their game.

We don't quite have the player combination to make the system really work.

Of course you don't have to agree, that's fine.

[Hoop Blah]

Does anybody know what's happened with Armstrong.

All I've seen or heard was that he still wasn't fit to return to the squad for the last game, but I've no idea what it was that kept him out. There isn't anything on the OS about it either. Hopefully that means he's back in contention this week.

Anyone know?

[Barry the bird boggler]

As far as I am aware there is nothing wrong with him. Heston dropped him to give him a rest after playing 4 games in a short period after 18 months more or less out of the game. I believe he was on the bench v Doncaster.

[Vision]

Does anybody know what's happened with Armstrong.

All I've seen or heard was that he still wasn't fit to return to the squad for the last game, but I've no idea what it was that kept him out. There isn't anything on the OS about it either. Hopefully that means he's back in contention this week.

Anyone know?

He was on the bench for Doncaster so assume he's fit. McD is saying that only Kebe and Bryn are not available for tomorrow

[Hoop Blah]

Was he? That's good then, I thought I heard them say on the radio that he hadn't got back to fitness in time.

I didn't pay too much attention to who was on the bench so hopefully that's not him picking up more problems.

[Snowball]

Was he? That's good then, I thought I heard them say on the radio that he hadn't got back to fitness in time.

I didn't pay too much attention to who was on the bench so hopefully that's not him picking up more problems.

He was

Reading: Federici; Griffin, Harte, Khizanishvili, Mills (c); Karacan, Howard, McAnuff, Robson-Kanu (Antonio 82), Tabb (Church 55); Long (Hunt 55)
Subs: McCarthy, Cummings, Pearce, Armstrong

[RoyalBlue]

Does anybody know what's happened with Armstrong.

All I've seen or heard was that he still wasn't fit to return to the squad for the last game, but I've no idea what it was that kept him out. There isn't anything on the OS about it either. Hopefully that means he's back in contention this week.

Anyone know?

He was on the bench for Doncaster so assume he's fit. McD is saying that only Kebe and Bryn are not available for tomorrow

What's happened to Ivar? Surprised he can't even get on the bench if he's fit.

[Elmer Park]

[/quote]What's happened to Ivar? Surprised he can't even get on the bench if he's fit.[/quote]

According to Jonny Fordham on his webchat Ivar is fully fit. Pearce seems to be preferred as sub at the moment.

[Wimb]

What's happened to Ivar? Surprised he can't even get on the bench if he's fit.[/quote]

According to Jonny Fordham on his webchat Ivar is fully fit. Pearce seems to be preferred as sub at the moment.[/quote]

And rightly so, Ivar's a great backup player and perhaps right now he's a better option then Pearce to start a game but it's better for Pearce to stay in and around the squad as much as possible given the long term prospects of the two.

[working class hero]

What's happened to Ivar? Surprised he can't even get on the bench if he's fit.

According to Jonny Fordham on his webchat Ivar is fully fit. Pearce seems to be preferred as sub at the moment.[/quote]

And rightly so, Ivar's a great backup player and perhaps right now he's a better option then Pearce to start a game but it's better for Pearce to stay in and around the squad as much as possible given the long term prospects of the two.[/quote]

At RFC I cannot see either having a long term future. I hope I'm wrong, but Pearce doesn't seem to have progressed at all over the past season.