NO LONGER A RUMOUR - Bikey signs for Burnley

[Archie's penalty]

You'd rather have Adam "I'll just turn my back like an idiot while Nolan runs along to grab the ball and create the goal" Pearce start?
Or what about Kalifa "Beckenbauer" Cissé?

Well you could at least get Pearce's first name right

For that goal he deserved to be called Adam........

[Southbank Old Boy]

Massive difference between passing a medical and being match fit for a league game.

Harper played about an hour of pre-season in the end didn't he? That's not enough build for high intensity league football.

Yet it was enough for him play the full 90 in a cup game with not a hint from any of the management to suggest he's not ready to play a full game in the league.

In fact, Dean Austin went as far as to say after Tuesday night that it was a chance for those who didn't make the league side to impress. He never went on to say " and it was nice to see Harps get as full a 90 on his way back to fitness"

Not one report suggested that Harper struggled with his fitness in the cup game...........................if Rodger's had wanted him to start at Newcastle he was clearly fit enough to play and could always have been replaced after an hour like Bignall was on Tuesday.

This is all a figment of the imagination from those who should know better without a shread of evidence to support it.

I wouldn't mind seeing Harper start tonight in place of Tabb but surely the way we seem quite prepared to allow him to become yet another experienced departure is yet more evidence that BR has been quite happy leaving him on the bench

I think Harper is probably close to match fitness after the run out against Burton, but that doesn't mean he was fit and ready for the Forest game.

Did Matejovsky play the full 90 agains Burton? Yes he did.

Was there any mention of him not being fit or any sign from the management that he wasn't 100% and needed to be withdrawn because of it? Not that I've seen.

He still isn't fit to play in the league tonight though!

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~1758124,00.html

Marek is not 100%, he's fighting for his condition and is a wee bit of time away. He's working well but not 100%, and Noel is the same, he's getting bits of games here and there but is not fully ready.

By the sounds of that Harper is probably now fit. Has he done enough to win his place or those with the shirt done enough to be dropped yet? Probably not, although if I were picking the side he'd be back in if fit.

Armstrong played against Burton as well and is seeing a specialist about a a knee injury that means he isnt back to full fitness yet