Shane Long

[RoyalBlue]

Precisely how many gilt edged chances has Lita missed recently Woodcote?

The problem is that others make their own guilt edged chances in a way that he can't and they also tend to be less selfish, too.

As I've said elsewhere, he needs service whereas Doyle and Hunt can often get by without it.

Look at the goals the others have got and ask yourself how many of those Leroy would have scored.

Quite unbelievable!!!

Unable to pursue you campaign against Lita by offering any evidence of gilt edged chances that he has missed recently, you now resort to the laughable suggestion that we should try to imagine him missing chances that others have taken!!

[Alivey]

The only answer for the Long v Lita debate is to get rid of both of them. It is like arguing which is better aids or hiv. Lita in his career with Reading has only one good season. The same one Convey did. He doesn't look likely to come back to that form, and the less said about Long's career with Reading the better. They both are poor players and if Reading have sights set on the Premier League we will need to get at least two strikers that can actually challenge Doyle for his spot.

The issue of service has been mentioned and that is another spot we are complete shambles. Our last season in the Premier League our midfield was ran over more times than I wish to remember. We have good wing play that provides service. Since Sidwells departure I have not seen a midfield player take up the same position as he did.

Harper = a shell of his former self
Marek = overrated
Cisse = not impressed
Boris = decent but aging
Jem = promising

I can only hope that Coppell & Co are reading this so they know how to improve the team. Because as much as I wish to see the mighty Royals back into the Premier League I have some fears that it will be a short stay, coupled with the fact Coppell may be off and Madejski tightening on spending. We have too many passengers and still haven't replaced the ones that left.

[Southbank Old Boy]

Bearing in mind you usually need to score more than two goals to win a game, how many times Since Christmas have we scored one than just a solitary goal?

/quote]


Someone should tell Sir Alex that

22 Nov 08 Aston Villa 0 - 0 Manchester Utd
30 Nov 08 Manchester City 0 - 1 Manchester Utd
6 Dec 08 Manchester Utd 1 - 0 Sunderland
13 Dec 08 Tottenham 0 - 0 Manchester Utd
26 Dec 08 Stoke City 0 - 1 Manchester Utd
28 Dec 08 Manchester Utd 1 - 0 Middlesbrough
11 Jan 09 Manchester Utd 3 - 0 Chelsea
14 Jan 09 Manchester Utd 1 - 0 Wigan Athletic
17 Jan 09 Bolton 0 - 1 Manchester Utd
27 Jan 09 West Bromwich 0 - 5 Manchester Utd
31 Jan 09 Manchester Utd 1 - 0 Everton
08 feb 09 West Ham 0-1 Man utd

Usually being the key word in that

United have just broken a record of not conceding thats stood for what, 30 years?

Under normal circumstances they'd have needed to have scored a few more goals along the way to win as many games as they have. Why didnt you bring up Liverpool, Villa or Chelsea's results over the same time? Because they've had to score more goals because they've not been on a very abnormal run of keeping clean sheets perhaps?

[Snowball]

Precisely how many gilt edged chances has Lita missed recently Woodcote?

The problem is that others make their own guilt edged chances in a way that he can't and they also tend to be less selfish, too.

As I've said elsewhere, he needs service whereas Doyle and Hunt can often get by without it.

Look at the goals the others have got and ask yourself how many of those Leroy would have scored.

Quite unbelievable!!!

Unable to pursue you campaign against Lita by offering any evidence of gilt edged chances that he has missed recently, you now resort to the laughable suggestion that we should try to imagine him missing chances that others have taken!!

Lita was through on goal twice v Preston and missed both. (One was offside anyway)

BTW Kebe's first chance from a defender's error and then Kebe totally skinned him
only for the keeper to make a good save... was on Goals on Sunday.

Birmingham's goal was a complete gift from the opposition

[Southbank Old Boy]

[quote="Alivey"]Since Sidwells departure I have not seen a midfield player take up the same position as he did.

quote]

Your right in that we have never replaced Sidwell with another box to box midfielder

We have changed our style a bit because of it though, unfortunately it means we are more one dimensional than we ever used to be, and probably less effective because of it

[Snowball]

Bearing in mind you usually need to score more than two goals to win a game, how many times Since Christmas have we scored one than just a solitary goal?

/quote]


Someone should tell Sir Alex that

22 Nov 08 Aston Villa 0 - 0 Manchester Utd
30 Nov 08 Manchester City 0 - 1 Manchester Utd
6 Dec 08 Manchester Utd 1 - 0 Sunderland
13 Dec 08 Tottenham 0 - 0 Manchester Utd
26 Dec 08 Stoke City 0 - 1 Manchester Utd
28 Dec 08 Manchester Utd 1 - 0 Middlesbrough
11 Jan 09 Manchester Utd 3 - 0 Chelsea
14 Jan 09 Manchester Utd 1 - 0 Wigan Athletic
17 Jan 09 Bolton 0 - 1 Manchester Utd
27 Jan 09 West Bromwich 0 - 5 Manchester Utd
31 Jan 09 Manchester Utd 1 - 0 Everton
08 feb 09 West Ham 0-1 Man utd

Usually being the key word in that

United have just broken a record of not conceding thats stood for what, 30 years?

Under normal circumstances they'd have needed to have scored a few more goals along the way to win as many games as they have. Why didnt you bring up Liverpool, Villa or Chelsea's results over the same time? Because they've had to score more goals because they've not been on a very abnormal run of keeping clean sheets perhaps?

Usually? Rubbish. 1-0 not at all uncommon

BIRMINGHAM CITY THIS YEAR HAVE WON SEVEN GAMES 1-0, LOST 4 GAMES 1-0

THAT IS OVER A THIRD OF BIRMINGHAM'S GAMES HAVE FINISHED 1-0

BIRMINGHAM HAVE SCORED ONE GOAL OR ZERO GOALS IN 23/31 LEAGUE MATCHES THIS SEASON, AND THEY LIE THIRD.

H 1-0 Sheffield Utd
H 1-0 Doncaster
H 1-0 QPR
H 1-0 Crystal Palace
A 1-0 Plymouth
A 1-0 Ipswich Town
H 1-0 Derby County


H 0-1 Blackpool
A 0-1 QPR
H 0-1 Coventry City
A 0-1 Preston

THEY HAVE ALSO HAD EIGHT 1-1 DRAWS AND ONE 0-0 DRAW

Manchester United this year loads 1-0's

Leeds United many moons ago when it was 2 pts a win and 1 for the draw

had plenty of 1-0s at home and 0-0 away

Bill Shankly would say, when they had defended for their lives and got a 0-0
that "football is about defence too"


And if you don't think sides do VERY well from 1-0s how come Arsenal did it so much
they were known as boring-boring Arsenal and the Arsenal fans had a chant "One-Nil to the ARSE-EN-AL"?

[AthleticoSpizz]

Since Sidwells departure I have not seen a midfield player take up the same position as he did.

quote]

Your right in that we have never replaced Sidwell with another box to box midfielder

We have changed our style a bit because of it though, unfortunately it means we are more one dimensional than we ever used to be, and probably less effective because of it

Sidders was one of the most complete central midfielders that we have ever had..............and i wont (despite his reasons for leaving) hear a bad word said against him.....but he aint coming back (to coin a phrase).

Getting back to the thread title

I always saw Shane as a makeweight/stablemate brought over alongside Doyler to help him settle in. Both from the same Irish team......... it made sense.


Shane has served his purpose and has added his name to our moments of "history making" success, however, he has not been given the opportunity to progress further (due to KD's meteoric rise and despite his reserve team performances), it is surely time to loan him out (give him the chance of "toughing it out") or sadly get rid

[Southbank Old Boy]

Usually? Rubbish. 1-0 not at all uncommon

BIRMINGHAM CITY THIS YEAR HAVE WON SEVEN GAMES 1-0, LOST 4 GAMES 1-0

THAT IS OVER A THIRD OF BIRMINGHAM'S GAMES HAVE FINISHED 1-0

How many 1-0's have Wolves been involved in this season?

3

[AlexY25]

If Long and Lita both play or come on against Brizzle, it'll be both of their 100th appearances for Reading.

[Snowball]

Two goals in two seasons, still remains the goal-count

Lita 2 x 90 minutes = 2 x Nil-Nil

Your stats would have more credibility if they weren't so selective.
How about 'Doyle 2 x 90 minutes = 2 x Nil-Nil'? Or '1 = goals scored by Doyle in his last 585 minutes of football', or '2 = goals scored by Doyle in his last 1,154 minutes of football'.
They look poor in isolation, but the bigger picture is that Doyle is generally our biggest goal threat, and has 17 league goals this season. As for Lita, I would argue his best two Reading performances of the season have been in our last two games, and certainly against Preston, he was our best attacker. So as I said above, you can make yourself look rather stupid criticising Lita after yesterday's performance.

It's not selective when I refer to four season's (which I have done)
It's not selective when I refer to the last three seasons (which I have done)
It's not selective to refer to the last TWO season (which I have done)
It's not selective to refer to Lita-for-Reading in ALL this season (which I have done)

Doyle, BECAUSE he always fights and runs his heart out
Doyle, BECAUSE he has scored 17 goals this season, "gets some slack"

He gets some slack because you DON'T judge a striker over 2 games, or 4 games, or 6 games, but over a season.


I'm judging Lita, not just over THIS season, but last season too. TWENTY games and 7 as a sub for TWO 90th minute meaningless goals

That's an average of one goal every 10.35 league games for Reading. LONG is almost four times more prolific for Reading

TWO SEASONS

15 (07) = 15.7 games = 2 goals = 1 goal every 8.85 games = LITA
10 (44) = 14.4 games = 6 goals = 1 goal every 2.40 games = LONG

2008-9

5 (03) = 5.3 games = 1 goals LITA
3 (22) = 5.2 games = 3 goals LONG

2007-8

10 (04) = 10.4 games = 1 goal LITA
07 (22) = 09.2 games = 3 goals LONG

[Snowball]

If Long and Lita both play or come on against Brizzle, it'll be both of their 100th appearances for Reading.

I ignore cup games as they are Mickey-Mouse

LITA v LONG League Starts, Subs, Goals

2005/06 2006/07 2007/8 2008/9
22 (04) - 22 (11) - 10 (04) 05 (03) = 59 Starts 22 sub = 61.2 games 20 goals (11-7-1-1) one goal every 3.06 Reading League Games
01 (10) - 09 (12) - 07 (22) 03 (22) = 20 starts 61 sub = 26.1 games 11 goals (03-2-3-3) one goal every 2.37 Reading League Games

[Snowball]

Precisely how many gilt edged chances has Lita missed recently Woodcote?

The problem is that others make their own guilt edged chances in a way that he can't and they also tend to be less selfish, too.
As I've said elsewhere, he needs service whereas Doyle and Hunt can often get by without it.
Look at the goals the others have got and ask yourself how many of those Leroy would have scored.
Perhaps another way of looking at this is that we've missed Noel Hunt in the last 2 games.
This is the guy that most fans wanted in the team at the start of the season but we had to wait for both Lita and Long to have 3 games with Doyle before he got his chance and we haven't looked back since.
Coppell has used injury to sideline 10 goal Hunt and Lita has produced not one goal to justify this.....................the selection for our next match will be "interesting" to say the least

Good post. When you watch Doyle & N Hunt together they look a genuine PAIR
and they have that instinct for where the other will be. They TRUST each other.

Saturday DOYLE punted a long ball from our half, to Lita who was way upfield on his own
so Lita (actually winning a header) nodded it forward (to whom?)

As for players making their own chances etc. The OG we got from Wolves was made by the Hunt Brothers

Saturday Kebe made his first on target (very good save as seen on Sky) by skinning the defender.

He made the second by challenging the keeper and causing him to fluff the catch.

Both Lita's chances (one offside) Saturday were good through balls I could have latched on to.

Yes he WAS quick and alert (but he didn't score) but to me he mostly looked like a loner on the pitch

[Snowball]

1-0 occurs 09.71% of games
0-1 occurs 08.50% of games
0-0 occurs 10.90% of games
1-1 occurs 09.31% of games

So a team wins 1-0 home or away 18.2% of the time, virtually one game in 5

Games finish 1-0 or 0-0 a staggering 29% of the time, so much for high-scoring huh?





79% of games are covered by the scores below

2 - 1 29 11.7 %
0 - 0 27 10.9 %
1 - 0 24 9.71 %
1 - 1 23 9.31 %
0 - 1 21 8.50 %
2 - 0 17 6.88 %
2 - 2 15 6.07 %
1 - 2 15 6.07 %
3 - 0 14 5.66 %
0 - 2 10 4.04 %

[Woodcote Royal]

Precisely how many gilt edged chances has Lita missed recently Woodcote?

The problem is that others make their own guilt edged chances in a way that he can't and they also tend to be less selfish, too.

As I've said elsewhere, he needs service whereas Doyle and Hunt can often get by without it.

Look at the goals the others have got and ask yourself how many of those Leroy would have scored.

Quite unbelievable!!!


Unable to pursue you campaign against Lita by offering any evidence of gilt edged chances that he has missed recently, you now resort to the laughable suggestion that we should try to imagine him missing chances that others have taken!!

I would agree that this is unbelievable.

After 2 league goals in 2 years Lita gets 2 starts and neither he nor the team get a goal between yet somehow I'm supposed to be running out of material to make my point

Had we won 10-0 with every other player getting a goal apiece we would now be getting "We've hammered Preston and it was Leroy who made the difference"

Just as an example,

Would Lita have scored Noel Hunt's goal from the freekick at Brum?

Would Lita have scored Doyles header at Brum?

Would Lita have got his head to any of Hunt's corners from which others have scored this season?

Had he been on the pitch at St Andrews he might have gone the whole game without missing a gilt edged opportunity and we would have lost.

The fact is, Lita is STILL scoring less goals than 3 other strikers at this club and his fan club stamp their feet all they like but all Leroy has to do is produce what he's paid for..............and that's goals.

[RoyalBlue]

Precisely how many gilt edged chances has Lita missed recently Woodcote?

The problem is that others make their own guilt edged chances in a way that he can't and they also tend to be less selfish, too.
As I've said elsewhere, he needs service whereas Doyle and Hunt can often get by without it.
Look at the goals the others have got and ask yourself how many of those Leroy would have scored.
Perhaps another way of looking at this is that we've missed Noel Hunt in the last 2 games.
This is the guy that most fans wanted in the team at the start of the season but we had to wait for both Lita and Long to have 3 games with Doyle before he got his chance and we haven't looked back since.
Coppell has used injury to sideline 10 goal Hunt and Lita has produced not one goal to justify this.....................the selection for our next match will be "interesting" to say the least

Good post. When you watch Doyle & N Hunt together they look a genuine PAIR
and they have that instinct for where the other will be. They TRUST each other.

Saturday DOYLE punted a long ball from our half, to Lita who was way upfield on his own
so Lita (actually winning a header) nodded it forward (to whom?)

As for players making their own chances etc. The OG we got from Wolves was made by the Hunt Brothers

Saturday Kebe made his first on target (very good save as seen on Sky) by skinning the defender.

He made the second by challenging the keeper and causing him to fluff the catch.

Both Lita's chances (one offside) Saturday were good through balls I could have latched on to.

I suspect you know that statement is complete and utter BS! Unless you are a very good athlete there is no way that you would have had the pace to have got anywhere near the second - and probably the first too for that matter.

As for flick ons, Doyle isn't always the only player pushing on and who can therefore get onto the end of them. However, I suspect you are too blind to notice!

The problem is that others make their own guilt edged chances in a way that he can't and they also tend to be less selfish, too.

As I've said elsewhere, he needs service whereas Doyle and Hunt can often get by without it.

Look at the goals the others have got and ask yourself how many of those Leroy would have scored.

Quite unbelievable!!!


Unable to pursue you campaign against Lita by offering any evidence of gilt edged chances that he has missed recently, you now resort to the laughable suggestion that we should try to imagine him missing chances that others have taken!!

I would agree that this is unbelievable.

After 2 league goals in 2 years Lita gets 2 starts and neither he nor the team get a goal between yet somehow I'm supposed to be running out of material to make my point

Had we won 10-0 with every other player getting a goal apiece we would now be getting "We've hammered Preston and it was Leroy who made the difference"

Just as an example,

Would Lita have scored Noel Hunt's goal from the freekick at Brum?

Would Lita have scored Doyles header at Brum?

Would Lita have got his head to any of Hunt's corners from which others have scored this season?

Had he been on the pitch at St Andrews he might have gone the whole game without missing a gilt edged opportunity and we would have lost.

The fact is, Lita is STILL scoring less goals than 3 other strikers at this club and his fan club stamp their feet all they like but all Leroy has to do is produce what he's paid for..............and that's goals.

Repeating the argument with examples doesn't make it any less stupid!

And our strikers aren't just paid to score goals, otherwise Doyle would have been out of the team for a lot of last season.

[Snowball]

I still find it amazing that people can defend a record of

Played 20 + 7 sub appearances, for two meaningless goals in 2 seasons.


As for "quick" well I bet I was quicker than Lita. I used to run for fun.

I'm 61. I can still out-run a whole lotta youngsters. I was a crap footballer but I was bloody fast
which is why I got games. I always said I'd jack it in when more than one of the team could
beat me for speed. It never happened so I jacked in age 38.

Last time I ran competitively I clocked 12.5 for the hundred metres. AGED 45

[Schards#2]

If Long and Lita both play or come on against Brizzle, it'll be both of their 100th appearances for Reading.

I ignore cup games as they are Mickey-Mouse

LITA v LONG League Starts, Subs, Goals

2005/06 2006/07 2007/8 2008/9
22 (04) - 22 (11) - 10 (04) 05 (03) = 59 Starts 22 sub = 61.2 games 20 goals (11-7-1-1) one goal every 3.06 Reading League Games
01 (10) - 09 (12) - 07 (22) 03 (22) = 20 starts 61 sub = 26.1 games 11 goals (03-2-3-3) one goal every 2.37 Reading League Games

Err......wasn't your argument that the standard of the championship this year wasn't crap, built entirely on the record of cup results between championship and premiership teams?

[Hoop Blah]

1-0 occurs 09.71% of games
0-1 occurs 08.50% of games
0-0 occurs 10.90% of games
1-1 occurs 09.31% of games

So a team wins 1-0 home or away 18.2% of the time, virtually one game in 5

Games finish 1-0 or 0-0 a staggering 29% of the time, so much for high-scoring huh?





79% of games are covered by the scores below

2 - 1 29 11.7 %
0 - 0 27 10.9 %
1 - 0 24 9.71 %
1 - 1 23 9.31 %
0 - 1 21 8.50 %
2 - 0 17 6.88 %
2 - 2 15 6.07 %
1 - 2 15 6.07 %
3 - 0 14 5.66 %
0 - 2 10 4.04 %

Out of interest Snowball what set of games does this cover?

RFC games? Championship games? Football League games? All English league games?

I would've agreed with SOB that you generally have to score more than 1 goal to win a game. What't the stat for that?

In how many games do teams keep a clean sheet?

[Snowball]

If Long and Lita both play or come on against Brizzle, it'll be both of their 100th appearances for Reading.

I ignore cup games as they are Mickey-Mouse

LITA v LONG League Starts, Subs, Goals

2005/06 2006/07 2007/8 2008/9
22 (04) - 22 (11) - 10 (04) 05 (03) = 59 Starts 22 sub = 61.2 games 20 goals (11-7-1-1) one goal every 3.06 Reading League Games
01 (10) - 09 (12) - 07 (22) 03 (22) = 20 starts 61 sub = 26.1 games 11 goals (03-2-3-3) one goal every 2.37 Reading League Games

Err......wasn't your argument that the standard of the championship this year wasn't crap, built entirely on the record of cup results between championship and premiership teams?

Sorry, I should have been clear.

I meant I ignore READING cup games, because it's clear Coppell isn't interested,
the teams are hardly comparable.

Also, (not the case with RFC this year) but scoring stats including cups can be misleading
if a side gets a couple of minnows and scores a few big scores


So I stick to the league which is clear.


BTW when I checked other years, this year is NOT exceptional for beating Prem sides

[Huntley & Palmer]

I still find it amazing that people can defend a record of

Played 20 + 7 sub appearances, for two meaningless goals in 2 seasons.


As for "quick" well I bet I was quicker than Lita. I used to run for fun.

I'm 61. I can still out-run a whole lotta youngsters. I was a crap footballer but I was bloody fast
which is why I got games. I always said I'd jack it in when more than one of the team could
beat me for speed. It never happened so I jacked in age 38.

Last time I ran competitively I clocked 12.5 for the hundred metres. AGED 45

Even more irrelevant than most of your stats