Reading V River plate...Match thread

[papereyes]

Ref blows up!

good, deserves it for that bizarre booking of oster...

If its explicitly against the rules of the competition, which it appeared to be, then its fault of no-one but Oster.

[Royalwaster]

in that sort of heat, against that sort of oppo you can't afford to give the ball away as easy as Reading did, that's the main lesson. Still it's far more valuable than beating the cast of Abba in Sweden as we have for the last 2 years.

Agree with that but I think we'd have been better off playing River after a couple of games against Abba .... to get the fitness up.

[wolsey]

in that sort of heat, against that sort of oppo you can't afford to give the ball away as easy as Reading did, that's the main lesson. Still it's far more valuable than beating the cast of Abba in Sweden as we have for the last 2 years.

Agree with that but I think we'd have been better off playing River after a couple of games against Abba .... to get the fitness up.

So, bearing in mind that this tournament was a fixed date, when should the players have started pre-season training? Early/Mid June?

[Victor Meldrew]

in that sort of heat, against that sort of oppo you can't afford to give the ball away as easy as Reading did, that's the main lesson. Still it's far more valuable than beating the cast of Abba in Sweden as we have for the last 2 years.

Agree with that but I think we'd have been better off playing River after a couple of games against Abba .... to get the fitness up.

In fairness I think our fitness level was good,especially after all the chasing that we had to do in the first half when River Plate kept the ball for long periods.

[Royal Rother]

Where is this in Argentina's football calendar?

(July won't suffice.)

[papereyes]

Between the Clausura and Apertura

(preseason)

[RG30]

Thought Robson-Kanu looked a bit light on the wings, but good touches in part. Halls did ok I thought, doesn't have the natural pace but some neat touches. Cisse looks a bit light but given a few months he could be a real tank.

[Deadlock]

first game of preseason
river just finished season

im surprised we have had any chances whatsoever

They havent even finnished their season, they are only half way through it

I thought it had just finished.

There are two League tournaments in the Argentine Primera Division each calendar year. The Clausura season (closing) runs from February to June, and the Apertura (opening) season runs from August to December.

[Stranded]

Between the Clausura and Apertura

(preseason)

Only two months between those though, Clausara finished in June, Apertura starts in August.

[Alan Partridge]

Thought Robson-Kanu looked a bit light on the wings, but good touches in part. Halls did ok I thought, doesn't have the natural pace but some neat touches. Cisse looks a bit light but given a few months he could be a real tank.

I agree with Halls, i think he's a good player, i like the fact he nearly always looks for the positive option, likes to run at players, passes forwards, looks to create. He just doesn't have the pace to get back and defend afterwards, may have been the heat and the opposition? maybe.

Wouldn't mind seeing him in the middle of midfield to be honest.

[Stranded]

Where is this in Argentina's football calendar?

(July won't suffice.)

River Plate's last competitive fixture was on 15th June.

[Garry Mann]

How to watch football, beer in hand.

Matching shirts and shorts, how sweet.

GIMPS

[Arch]

Quite a work out for the second week of training. It'll be interesting to see how this approach to preseason works out. Stuffing 13 past FC Bennibjorn seemed to do wonders for our teamwork the last couple of years.

[Victor Meldrew]

Thought Robson-Kanu looked a bit light on the wings, but good touches in part. Halls did ok I thought, doesn't have the natural pace but some neat touches. Cisse looks a bit light but given a few months he could be a real tank.

I agree with Halls, i think he's a good player, i like the fact he nearly always looks for the positive option, likes to run at players, passes forwards, looks to create. He just doesn't have the pace to get back and defend afterwards, may have been the heat and the opposition? maybe.

Wouldn't mind seeing him in the middle of midfield to be honest.

I think Halls only position is wing-back because he is a poor defender,positionally and tackling.
As we don't play with wing backs I can't see a great future for him with us behind Hoyte,Murty and DLC.
Don't think he is agile enough to play in central midfield.
For those that thought Halford was slow in getting back to defend away at Spurs get a tape of this game and you will see that Halls is significantly slower.

[Behindu]

No matter the opposition we need some creativity in the middle of the park, not at any point in the game did we play a penetrative pass through the midfield, everything comes down the flank

It did, for the most part, last season.[/quote]

And even more so the season before that - it's the way we play !

But I wouldn;t disgaree that a creative midfielder who could play those sort of passes would be a great addition to the side...

[Skyline]

I think Halls only position is wing-back because he is a poor defender,positionally and tackling.
As we don't play with wing backs I can't see a great future for him with us behind Hoyte,Murty and DLC.

But the club have denied any interest in Hoyte, haven't they?

[brendywendy]

I think Halls only position is wing-back because he is a poor defender,positionally and tackling.
As we don't play with wing backs I can't see a great future for him with us behind Hoyte,Murty and DLC.

But the club have denied any interest in Hoyte, haven't they?

i think the club have denied interest in absolutely everyone

[swansea jack]

Thought Robson-Kanu looked a bit light on the wings, but good touches in part. Halls did ok I thought, doesn't have the natural pace but some neat touches. Cisse looks a bit light but given a few months he could be a real tank.

I agree with Halls, i think he's a good player, i like the fact he nearly always looks for the positive option, likes to run at players, passes forwards, looks to create. He just doesn't have the pace to get back and defend afterwards, may have been the heat and the opposition? maybe.

Wouldn't mind seeing him in the middle of midfield to be honest.

I think Halls only position is wing-back because he is a poor defender,positionally and tackling.
As we don't play with wing backs I can't see a great future for him with us behind Hoyte,Murty and DLC.
Don't think he is agile enough to play in central midfield.
For those that thought Halford was slow in getting back to defend away at Spurs get a tape of this game and you will see that Halls is significantly slower.

Have you ever played wing back?? It is a much harder position to play, especially if you are poor at getting back, and you need to be a hell of a lot fitter!!! If he can't play right back, which along with left back is the easiest position on the pitch, then there is little hope at wing back!

[Victor Meldrew]

It's not a hard position.
The covering is either done by the defensive holding midfielder or the right side of the back 3.
Halls has a decent touch but can't tackle-he has always been the same at Arsenal and Stoke and I doubt that he can change now-you either can tackle or you can't.

[Wycombe Royal]

In the other match Lyon beat Smizu S-Pulse 2-0.