U18 Rfc vs Liverpool

[McClearyChops]

Best moment of the night seeing someone in a Swindon shirt

[P!ssed Off]

Assistants 9- truly excellent performances, particularly from the guy on the near side with the yellow flag who got the two big decisions (our second and third goals) absolutely right. Only miss out on 10s because of a few questionable throw in decisions (mostly in our favour).

For the 3rd goal I remember thinking at the time "that must have been a tight call for the lino".
But as seen in my screenshot towards the bottom of page 7 it was miles onside due to one of their players being down claiming cramp. Decision for the linesman was therefore a lot easier than it first appeared.

And don't you dare accuse me of presenting a misleading picture!

[SCIAG]

Yeah, it was definitely onside.

In fairness to the Liverpool player, he seemed to genuinely be suffering - but he was definitely risking playing someone on.

[The Cube]

So why are we home in the 1st leg? seems a little unfair. just like when we played Fulham last season in that final at Craven cottage

Luck of the draw.

Not really sure how it is "unfair". But to make windermere feel better, we will be at home in the second leg of the final should we get that far.

[comeonthebiscuitmen]

Our opponents in the semi will be Fulham or Huddersfield who play at Craven Cottage on Tuesday 18th March (7pm).
Let's hope its Fulham so we get a local 2nd leg.

[Kitsondinho]

Our opponents in the semi will be Fulham or Huddersfield who play at Craven Cottage on Tuesday 18th March (7pm).
Let's hope its Fulham so we get a local 2nd leg.

Rather it was Huddersfield, as that is local to me......

[peterroyal76]

It's being shown again on lfc tv again at 10:00.

[madstadblues]

I did enjoy their No. 10 missing the penalty after walking up to the spot doing keepy uppy's

[maffff]

What a game, this team has made Reading FC history!

Quick! To Wikipedia!

[Royal Rother]

Here's a question. Would we rather go up via the play-offs and struggle away in the prem next season with a bunch of mercenaries that aren't up to the task like last season, or stay down and try and bring through a few more of the younger guys into the first team squad and build from there?.

The latter.

It could take 2 or 3 years but we could have a very exciting young team coming through at Reading.

Their wages won't be huge so giving them opportunities would help the club to get its finances back on an even keel.

Even if they struggled initially I think watching a team of largely home grown young players would bring the club and fans more together.

Although that's probably naive of me as those who have only really experienced the relative success of the last 10 years or so may well be more motivated by winning games (whoever's in the team) than the longer term development. Whatever happened to patience?

[Maguire]

Here's a question. Would we rather go up via the play-offs and struggle away in the prem next season with a bunch of mercenaries that aren't up to the task like last season, or stay down and try and bring through a few more of the younger guys into the first team squad and build from there?

The former. The Championship is a bad enough standard of football to watch as it is, without shelling out hundreds of pounds to watch teenagers get turned over by grown men.

If they're good enough then there's nothing stopping youth players progressing into the first team even when we're in the Prem.

[TFF]

The former.

Watching these kids play is great fun but if they're good enough to get us promoted the club will cash in or they'll piss off for higher wages elsewhere - see Long, Sigurdsson

If they're good enough to play in the Championship then Reading will be playing in the Championship - see Pearce, Karacan

[HoneyRoastHoax]

I had written them off once it went 2-2 fair play lads, fair oxf*rd play.

[Vision]

Speaking as one who's more than happy to see an Academy heavy side play Championship football I'd still take promotion every time. Are we really so spoilt that we can take it for granted and pick and choose the perfect moment? Football doesn't work like that.

It's an odd notion to me to suggest that we can't develop youngsters on the back of promotion success. It just takes the will to do it and a set up that isn't terrified of Premiership relegation. There's nothing wrong with the Championship btw it's just we want to play as high as possible surely.

[Ouroboros]

without shelling out hundreds of pounds to watch teenagers get turned over by grown men.

Indeed, especially as you can see that for free online.

[winchester_royal]

Speaking as one who's more than happy to see an Academy heavy side play Championship football I'd still take promotion every time. Are we really so spoilt that we can take it for granted and pick and choose the perfect moment? Football doesn't work like that.

It's an odd notion to me to suggest that we can't develop youngsters on the back of promotion success. It just takes the will to do it and a set up that isn't terrified of Premiership relegation. There's nothing wrong with the Championship btw it's just we want to play as high as possible surely.

Of course. Like I said the two scenarios I picked were obviously exaggerated for effect. We could go up and do a Hull and then build from there. Or we could stay down, struggle, and find the academy lads aren't really all that. But either way it would be nice to think that whichever division we find ourselves next season we continue to take a long term approach. There's no point in having a successful academy if you don't bring them through, and despite what Mags says I do think it is that much harder for a manager to take a punt on an academy player in the Prem, especially if he's fighting for his job in a relegation scrap.

[Royal Rother]

So people are saying they would rather go up, and struggle in the PL with a bunch if mercenaries who aren't good enough, than stay down and build with our own youngsters.

That surprises me but fair enough. Short-termism and quick-hit glory hunting is alive and well at RFC I guess.

[Pepe the Horseman]

This guy seems to be a bit of a sore loser https://twitter.com/M_Sweeting

[sandman]

So people are saying they would rather go up, and struggle in the PL with a bunch if mercenaries who aren't good enough, than stay down and build with our own youngsters.

That surprises me but fair enough. Short-termism and quick-hit glory hunting is alive and well at RFC I guess.

Well it's very pious of you but that's not really what people are saying. Personally I want them to be good enough not to be put in the team merely because they were in the Academy.

As for Glory hunting, why would you support Reading if you were glory hunter?

[sandman]

This guy seems to be a bit of a sore loser https://twitter.com/M_Sweeting

Aww poor baby. Never their fault is it?