Team for QPR

[Ferris]

Any news on Long's fitness?

My guess is that they'd keep it quiet as long as possible so QPR are kept on the hop.

Have you not spoken to him about it?

[Snowball]

Any news on Long's fitness?

My guess is that they'd keep it quiet as long as possible so QPR are kept on the hop.

Have you not spoken to him about it?

Of course. He winked and said, "My guess is that we'll keep it quiet as long as possible so QPR are kept on the hop."

[rhroyal]

Karacan definitely works better alongside another hard working central midfielder. Tabb for me. Other than that, the same as before. Manset in for Long if injured.

[Z175]

I think Church just needed a run in the side. He had that last year at the end and came on well. This season results weren't so good at the beginning so he was under pressure and Noel came in and scored v Cardiff at home and Church just really dipped, being played on the flank perhaps didn't help. But he has had a few games now and is under pressure from Manset, so its not surprising he turned in a superb perfromance v Cardiff.

He actually helped make the first goal as he wriggled through the defence and kept strong with several men on him, got a good shot off (on target) which was blocked and looped back to Kebe to set up Legs.

The contrast between him and Hunt was clear all night - Hunt couldn't keep the attacks going, lacked pace and Church jsut drove forward all night. It was a possible mistake to off church and not Hunt but as Hunt has come off the bench Brian couldn't really haul him off and maybe church's effort had drained him- It nearly paid off but Hunt missed his sitting header - normally the very sort of chance you want to fall for him and that you would expect Church to miss.

Hunts always going to be a useful player but he looked like a man who missed a years football to me. Yes he crossed it for Manset but as he was played through on goal one on one and took about 30 seconds to control it and pull it back I'm not going give him too much credit! That said its a mark of the man's genes that he can have a poor game, look tired and yet set up a goal and be in a position to grab a winner.

Basically, I'm sure Church will start tonight and for those other than the 400 fans at Cardiff believe me he deserves too.

The big debate is centre midfield, I originally felt gunnarson would come in as he is a terrific bit part cameo man and you could see him totally dominating a one off game. However, the suspension means we need three games and we can't play box to box in CM as Brian likes. Gunnarsson can't play all three games and might be lucky to manage two, so naturally we then turn to Tabb. But good player that Tabb is, he doesn't quite hold or create in the manner that is so effective for Karacan and is obviously tiny so you can't see him and Karacan starting together. Might we change shape then? Possibly 4-5-1 for QPR would be possible, or even 4-3-3 that saw us draw 1-0 at home to Cardiff. That would mean maybe Howard and Tabb coming into the fray but then thats a massive overhaul to a team on a good run.

Therefore I would go for Gunnarsson perhaps coming in to start v QPR but perhaps shifting at 60 mins to Tabb Howard on for Guns and Karacan and Church/McAnuff switching to the Sig role with Long alone up front , bringing the beast on for 10 mins at the end to hold the ball up. If this works we oculd then use this for 2 games until we go back to "box2box".

[Wycombe Royal]

Therefore I would go for Gunnarsson perhaps coming in to start v QPR

The club have said that tonight has probably come too soon for him......

[andrew1957]

I am wondering if Brian might bring Armstrong back in central mid to man mark Taarabt.

I really think we need to go 4-5-1 for this game as otherwise QPR might dominate us in midfield with their 4-5-1.

If someone like Armstrong can frustrate Taarabt enough - he will probably stop trying and hopefully be taken off and then we can revert to 4-4-2.

[rhroyal]

There are issues with fitness for Howard and Bryn; fully expect Tabb to start. I can't even remember our best midfield combo pre-Leigertwood he's been such a revelation.

[Super Kevin Bremner!]

I'd be surprised if neither of the American lads started tonight

[Forest Gump]

No ambition in the boardroom and the same on the pitch. Far too negative tactics; trying to play on the break and therefore not able to capitalise on the extra man. True Legertwood was absent but the R5L commentary team summed Readinf up as lacking skill and cohesion.

We haven't won against a team above us and as we slide down the table that statistic becomes more and more daunting. we should have had at least 4 points from the last two fixtures; 1 out of 6 is simply not good enough.

We belong no higher than mid-table and that is where we are heading.

[Einstein agogo]

we'll lose 0-1 against 10 nmen , is my prediction

[leww_rfc]

even so, it's the wrong thread