Team for Bournemouth (A)

[Ian Royal]

Don't think Cummings is fit and even though I disagree I can't see the stand in captain getting dropped. He's been poor but apart from one, maybe two, games a while back he hasn't been calamitous. Which is what I think it'd take.

I'd consider bringing in Cooper for Hector to push him into midfield. Or switching Hector and Pearce, so Gunter has more experience next to him as both Gunter and Hector can be rather error prone.

I'd consider bringing Akpan back in, or padding out the midfield to three with Norwood, Kuhl and Taylor. That would mean going with three of Murray, Mackie, Cox, HRK and Blackman. Probably the first three.

I'd consider putting Taylor back on the left. He doesn't create a lot (although he does pop up with goals still) but he tends to pull his weight there defensively better than the likes of HRK, Blackman or Edwards.

Too many suboptimal options to decide which one to go with really.

[Ian Royal]

For the life of me I just can't understand why anyone would ever choose to play HRK. He's a tryer, but dear god he is low on quality.

I think I'd have it exactly the other way round. Has innate quality but rarely seems to apply it when (and where) it matters.

Agreed on quality.
I can't see how you can call a midfielder who scored 7 goals in a Premier League season, despite only starting 13 games, "low on quality". That simply does not happen unless you have a certain quality.

But he's also a tryer imo.
He's inconsistent but a large part of the reason for this surely has to be down to injuries. He rarely gets a run of games going before picking up the next injury.

Terrible decision maker in my opinion. Also at his best, he does what attackers should do and forces defenders to make decisions and commit themselves. At his worst, he waits for them to make a mistake and hands the initiative to them.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Cummings is injured. There no options to change the back 4 at all other than to switch Pearce or Hector for Cooper unless there is a miracle in the loan market for Reading before noon (I think) tomorrow.

Best we can hope defensively is Akpan back in midfield.

He's an attacking midfielder.

Read Aaron Kuhl's interview in Saturday's programme to see what Akpan's role is. He may well be an attacking midfielder but that does not mean that is the role he plays in this team.

Yeh cheers for that

[Royals and Racers]

TEAM NEWS: Two changes to the side that lost on Saturday. Akpan and Blackman in for Taylor and the injured Murray.
Reading: Federici, Gunter (C), Obita, Hector, Pearce, Norwood, Akpan, Robson-Kanu, Cox, Mackie, Blackman
Subs: Andersen, S Kelly, Cooper, Kuhl, Taylor, Stacey, Pogrebnyak

[leon]

We need to set ourselves up to defend through the team not just the defence.

If that means using Akpan in a midfield holding role and going to a 442 - with the emphasis on the wide players tucking in and defending then drop Mackie and HRK and put in more defensive minded players. We're far too open and Adkins has got to fix that - even if it is at the loss of some creativity.

[Ian Royal]

We need to set ourselves up to defend through the team not just the defence.

If that means using Akpan in a midfield holding role and going to a 442 - with the emphasis on the wide players tucking in and defending then drop Mackie and HRK and put in more defensive minded players. We're far too open and Adkins has got to fix that - even if it is at the loss of some creativity.

Agree with the theory. The problem is that Akpan isn't actually very good in a holding role. But yes, he is a better option defensively than the others, although overall a less good player.

Not sure I agree with dropping Mackie, he's one of the hardest working and defensively capable attackers we've got.

[3points]

Didn't think Murray would play. Clearly had a hamstring issue just after the triple substitution and couldn't then be subbed off. He kept going but was feeling his hamstring on a regular basis