Tuesday nighs game in perspective !!!

[Royalwaster]

With Doyle, Hunt and Lita injured who are we going to have on the bench as a striker? Mooney, Church, ... ? Am I forgetting someone?

[RobRoyal]

With Doyle, Hunt and Lita injured who are we going to have on the bench as a striker? Mooney, Church, ... ? Am I forgetting someone?

Quite possibly Kitson or Long.

[Flip_Flop]

I hate Brian Jensen

[Millsy]

Reading can't continue to be as rancid at home as they have been, it HAS got to change soon.

I agree.

It just HAS to change.

Trouble is every game this year we've been saying "ok this is the one we can win and it'll all change". Every single time we've been let down. I think we'll fold in a horrible fashion yet again.

Having said that... seeing as it is now totally in our hands and there is nothing else left to play for (unlike Brum where it wasn't in our hands and there were potentially 3 games left) the players might finally just throw caution to the wind and produce something magical.

[rhroyal]

Sigh. It's not the pain and the disappointment that's killing me, it's the hope. Slowly diminishing as game by game, the flickering flames on candle by sodding candle on the premiership cake get blown out. But despite myself I shall be there on tuesday night!

Sums up second half of the season brilliantly. Candles of hope blown out 1 by 1 until we're now at the stage where all we have is a dim glimmer.

[Deathy]

We can still get through, reckon we will rise to the occasion, URZZZZZZZZZ

It's only 1-0 at half time so sure we can. I just can't see us keeping a clean sheet, and where do the goals come from?

[Wycombe Royal]

So with Doyle out and Long and Kitson being the only fit first team strikers, will Mooney make the bench? He should do.

Otherwise, Pearce in for Bikey, Kelly in for Rosenior, Karacan in for Gunnarsson, Kitson in for Doyle.

Back to a 442.

[Man Friday]

I really fear the worst on Tuesday night. I don't know if it's borne from expereince or natural pessimism but I really cannot see us getting a result. In live matches I've seen just one goal this year. Also, with Doyle and Bikey missing it just feels as though we're fated not to go up. I can almost hear the comments from the Club and playing staff now: "looking back the signs weren't good when we were outplayed by Southampton (twice)", etc.

[marysiaska]

I watched Shrewsbury Bury playoff semi final second leg today and I have to say it's made me feel more optimistic about Tuesday night..Shrewsbury had a one goal deficit from first leg after a mistake from their keeper....today they equalised in 88th min...played extra time with 10 men and won on penalties!!! Their away form had been preety bad too.Yes we are 1 0 down...but if we score early...we can win....my main worry is Doyle and dare I say it the absence of Bikey...we didnt desrve to lose on sat....so let's show some balls!!!

[Sun Tzu]

Pearce for Bikey is a pretty straight swap. More physical presence from Bikey (although not that much more) versus more discipline from Pearce. Probably the pace difference is the biggest concern but Burnley didn't have any pace up front....

[Archie's penalty]

I agree with Arch. There's nothing to lose in this game unlike Brum.

We either go through or not. Let's just hope we do.

And Ian don't be so negative. It was a great performance yesterday from the lads which suggests we can turn the score around on Tuesday.

[Ian Royal]

I see no reason to suspect we'll do anything more than normal and produce half hearted attempts that lack the necessary conviction to beat the keeper.

That doesn't describe the game yesterday.....

4 decent attempts, non 'lacking conviction' (as if that is what is needed to beat a keeper !) all stopped by either excellent saves or a fortunately / strategically placed defender....

Really? two great saves made because he happened to be standing where the players who shot put it almost straight at him. Admittedly the Tabb one was pretty excellent, but it was still almost right at him. Doyle put his straight at the defender on the line.

And besides, we're talking about a home game here. Not an away one where we've actually scored a few and won some games in the last 3 months.


Archie: may have been a good performance, but I suspect part of that was catching Burnley by surprise with the formation. Given our mental strength is piss poor, any good work we did by playing well has completely been undone by losing to a stupid penalty, seconds after failing to convert the easiest chance of the game. Oh and Moron boy being sent off.

[Archie's penalty]

I see no reason to suspect we'll do anything more than normal and produce half hearted attempts that lack the necessary conviction to beat the keeper.

That doesn't describe the game yesterday.....

4 decent attempts, non 'lacking conviction' (as if that is what is needed to beat a keeper !) all stopped by either excellent saves or a fortunately / strategically placed defender....

Really? two great saves made because he happened to be standing where the players who shot put it almost straight at him. Admittedly the Tabb one was pretty excellent, but it was still almost right at him. Doyle put his straight at the defender on the line.

And besides, we're talking about a home game here. Not an away one where we've actually scored a few and won some games in the last 3 months.

I really don't see how we could have done much more yesterday apart from score. Doyle maybe could have done better on the shot, Marek should have done better on the rebound from the Tabb shot and maybe Kebe could have crossed for Kitson. But to be honest none of those things were through lack of effort. We were really unlucky and for once I can't blame Coppell, or the team for the effort put in.

I think I am going to sign off from HNA until Tuesday so I get the build up from my own perspective. I bid you adieu for the moment lads and lasses...

[Ian Royal]

MAYBE!! MAYBE!? Kebe should have been shot for wasting that chance. Kitson was in acres with a tap in and he took half an hour to decide to pass, by which time he'd lost all momentum and given the defender an eon to stop him.

The fact is, we didn't score and we lost.

[Archie's penalty]

MAYBE!! MAYBE!? Kebe should have been shot for wasting that chance. Kitson was in acres with a tap in and he took half an hour to decide to pass, by which time he'd lost all momentum and given the defender an eon to stop him.

The fact is, we didn't score and we lost.

Stephen Hunt would probably not have found Kitson either.

Let's just think about Tuesday and if we don't go through the recriminations can start.

And for all those people who were being horrible to Kebe at the game you should be ashamed of yourselves. He is all about confidence and the fans roasting him is clearly having an effect on the guy. He didn't clap us when he went off? I wonder why that might be. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't abuse Kebe if he starts on Tuesday.

People need to get a bit of perspective on this whole shebang. After all it's only football...Ciao.

[Schards#2]

Has anyone said "we've got two cup finals left" yet?

Given recent home form, you wouldn't fancy us, given recent home form and 8-9 absentees, you wouldn't fancy us.

In conclusion, I don't fancy us and it'll back to back jubilant celebrations from the away fans as the team trudges off after yet another failure at home.

[Sarah Star]

We play better when people don't fancy us...so for that reason alone, I fancy us to win on Tuesday.

[Sun Tzu]

I see no reason to suspect we'll do anything more than normal and produce half hearted attempts that lack the necessary conviction to beat the keeper.

That doesn't describe the game yesterday.....

4 decent attempts, non 'lacking conviction' (as if that is what is needed to beat a keeper !) all stopped by either excellent saves or a fortunately / strategically placed defender....

Really? two great saves made because he happened to be standing where the players who shot put it almost straight at him. Admittedly the Tabb one was pretty excellent, but it was still almost right at him. Doyle put his straight at the defender on the line.

Um, yes really.

Your follow up bears no relation to your original point. The chances in question did not lack conviction, they were well saved. On reflection you may wish to acknowledge that Jensen was not where he was by some strange coincidence, neither did our players opt to shoot straight at him. He's a good keeper and made some cracking saves but that does not mean our attempts 'lacked conviction'

[RFCBoy]

Reading can't continue to be as rancid at home as they have been, it HAS got to change soon.

I agree.

It just HAS to change.

Trouble is every game this year we've been saying "ok this is the one we can win and it'll all change". Every single time we've been let down. I think we'll fold in a horrible fashion yet again.

Having said that... seeing as it is now totally in our hands and there is nothing else left to play for (unlike Brum where it wasn't in our hands and there were potentially 3 games left) the players might finally just throw caution to the wind and produce something magical.

We are long over due a home win and i feel it has to change somewhere. And i personaaly feel we will run all over Burnley on tuesday and progress to Wembley. Positivity is what is needed at this point in the season and we need to stay with the team and help them on tuesday.

The fans were fantastic yesterday as we outsung Burnley until there shock and undeserved goal put us back. We deserved to beat them yesterday and i'm being very optimistic that we will provail as justice will be served.

Come On Urz!

[The Cap]

That's right let's be optimistic.Game number sixty for the Clarets and, for me, it's about stopping Mr.Blake in his tracks. On his day he's still a very wily striker.