thats th eworst article ive seen this season
lazy and dull
What the pundits think about Reading this season
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brendywendy
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So, according to The Times, if Doyle scores lots of goals we have a "fighting chance" of staying up.
The guy writing that article must have given, oooooh, minutes of thought to it - for example, suggesting that because we let Halford go we are significantly weaker than last season (er.......tell me Mr Times man, exactly HOW many games did Halford play for us??).
Whilst frankly being really annoyed at that sort of lazy and formulaic journalism, part of me is REALLY pleased, cos YET AGAIN, it would appear that we are going to be underestimated; more talk of 2nd Season Syndrome, "doing" a Wigan etc etc and our opponents will begin to believe it - whilst Sir Steve will ensure that the players' focus will be on stuffing rubbish like that article back down the throats of the ill informed metropolitan based authours with a vengence!
The guy writing that article must have given, oooooh, minutes of thought to it - for example, suggesting that because we let Halford go we are significantly weaker than last season (er.......tell me Mr Times man, exactly HOW many games did Halford play for us??).
Whilst frankly being really annoyed at that sort of lazy and formulaic journalism, part of me is REALLY pleased, cos YET AGAIN, it would appear that we are going to be underestimated; more talk of 2nd Season Syndrome, "doing" a Wigan etc etc and our opponents will begin to believe it - whilst Sir Steve will ensure that the players' focus will be on stuffing rubbish like that article back down the throats of the ill informed metropolitan based authours with a vengence!
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premiership_bound
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strap Since when did lefties learn to read instruction manuals?!?! Haven't you heard the latest drivel from these idiots destroying the education system? "We can't teach 'young adults' structured lessons. They must work on project based topics that explore wider social issues so they can learn for themselves (as long as it's the good socialist claptrap we feed them)".
You couldn't make it up! Where's the revolution when you really need it???
So you'd prefer they learned by rote? What exactly is the problem with encouraging students to develop independent learning skills?
Speaking as somebody who has to teach them once they leave school, one of the biggest problems of teaching at a uni in the post-league table era is that the kids can no longer find information for themselves, or formulate their own arguments. Schools are under such pressure to produce high-grades that they are teaching to the test, with a consequent narrowing of the curriculum. Worse, in bad schools the focus is simply on ensuring that the students learn good answer to the probable questions, rather than an emphasis on teaching the student the subject (broadly) and giving them the mental faculties to approach any question with equal confidence. The disparity in ability between A grade students is really striking sometimes.
Reading preview on About a Ball web site.
In: Kalifa Cisse (Boavista), Emerse Fae (Manchester City)
Out: Greg Halford (Sunderland), Jonathan Hayes (Leicester), Steve Sidwell (Chelsea)
After last season’s sensational Premiership debut Steve Coppell’s Reading are under pressure to follow up the first season with another campaign of steady improvement. Riding as high as 5th at one stage Reading eventually finished an impressive 8th last season just one point and one position off a European cup spot.
Of course such impressive first seasons are recently nothing new, just ask Ipswich, Bradford and Wigan, who have all had great first seasons but then failed to follow it up at the second time of asking. In many respects Coppell will probably be quite pleased to have avoided the UEFA Cup and his lack of interest in applying to the Intertoto Cup signalled his intention of keeping it simple for the coming season.
Reading achieved such a good finish courtesy of some excellent football impressing everyone with their fluid style of play which had won them so many plaudits in the Championship the season before. ‘Keeping it simple’ was very much the ethos of Reading last season this no more typified than in their 6-0 mauling of West Ham, after The Hammers did just about everything wrong they could have done by trying to play over elaborate football..
Looking at the seasons of Wigan and West Ham both of whom struggled last season after good debut/return to the Premiership will no doubt give Coppell and excellent insight into what Reading have to avoid if they are to avoid the same fate.
First Reading have avoided signing too many more players potentially destabilising the club. Steve Sidwell and Greg Halford have both left the club so in come two replacements in the shape of Emerse Fae and Kalifa Cisse. There has been no news of the imminent arrival of a Brazilian international at the Madejski or talk of who they will meet in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Instead there has been talk about the lack of signings smartly quelled by Coppell insisting that new boss money transfers would destabilise the club.
Secondly Reading have avoided spending money of the sake of it. Coppell is right to maintain that he would have been unwise to overhaul the squad as it sends out the wrong message. Furthermore the presence of big names such as Tevez or Landzaat added pressure to the team to improve on an over-achievement the previous season. Essentially Reading start from the same position they did last season; giving the players who achieved such great things the season before (winning The Championship at a canter) the chance to show that last season was no fluke.
Thirdly Reading resisted the temptation to change to a more complicated system when the one that has worked so well continues to do the job. Reading were one of the few teams to play from the outset with a 4-4-2 formation so why complicate things with an extra midfielder or trying to accommodate two Argentine internationals when things are going just fine as they are? The contrast of approaches couldn’t have been more evident when Reading thrashed West Ham, so just stick to what you are good at.
Although little is known about the two new arrivals, Fae is reputed to be an excellent midfielder and should have no trouble filling the boots of the departed Sidwell. He was chased by several clubs including Manchester City, who were rumoured to have signed him and he will settle in well at the modest club and could be on his way to becoming the next Patrick Vieria.
Coppell will also be comforted in the knowledge that at least on paper there are several squads weaker than his in the Premiership after all how many Premiership team aside from Chelsea can call upon a left back that is on the verge of the England squad?
The major area of concern in the squad is at the back in the centre; although Sonko and Ingimarrson did well enough last season it could be tougher next time around. The reserves are Michael Duberry and untested at Premiership level, Alex Pearce. In most other areas despite the paucity of reserves Reading are well stocked and keeping the squad injury free will be a major boost. Reading look potent up front with Leroy Lita in particular after excelling at the recent U-21 Championships with England and the whole club is ready to put the best the Premiership has to offer to the sword once again.
Reading may not finish as high as 8th this coming season and they may not do well in the cups, although naturally Coppell will be keen to try and advance in some way, but simply avoiding the fate that has befallen the likes of over ambitious clubs such as Bradford, Wigan and West Ham will already count as a step in the right direction.
Posted by Walter Townsend on Monday, 6th August 2007
(Average rating 9 from 1 votes. Vote)
(0 Comments)
Not bad - they seem to have missed the fact that Bikey is another centre back option but a nice comparison with Wet Scum...
In: Kalifa Cisse (Boavista), Emerse Fae (Manchester City)
Out: Greg Halford (Sunderland), Jonathan Hayes (Leicester), Steve Sidwell (Chelsea)
After last season’s sensational Premiership debut Steve Coppell’s Reading are under pressure to follow up the first season with another campaign of steady improvement. Riding as high as 5th at one stage Reading eventually finished an impressive 8th last season just one point and one position off a European cup spot.
Of course such impressive first seasons are recently nothing new, just ask Ipswich, Bradford and Wigan, who have all had great first seasons but then failed to follow it up at the second time of asking. In many respects Coppell will probably be quite pleased to have avoided the UEFA Cup and his lack of interest in applying to the Intertoto Cup signalled his intention of keeping it simple for the coming season.
Reading achieved such a good finish courtesy of some excellent football impressing everyone with their fluid style of play which had won them so many plaudits in the Championship the season before. ‘Keeping it simple’ was very much the ethos of Reading last season this no more typified than in their 6-0 mauling of West Ham, after The Hammers did just about everything wrong they could have done by trying to play over elaborate football..
Looking at the seasons of Wigan and West Ham both of whom struggled last season after good debut/return to the Premiership will no doubt give Coppell and excellent insight into what Reading have to avoid if they are to avoid the same fate.
First Reading have avoided signing too many more players potentially destabilising the club. Steve Sidwell and Greg Halford have both left the club so in come two replacements in the shape of Emerse Fae and Kalifa Cisse. There has been no news of the imminent arrival of a Brazilian international at the Madejski or talk of who they will meet in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Instead there has been talk about the lack of signings smartly quelled by Coppell insisting that new boss money transfers would destabilise the club.
Secondly Reading have avoided spending money of the sake of it. Coppell is right to maintain that he would have been unwise to overhaul the squad as it sends out the wrong message. Furthermore the presence of big names such as Tevez or Landzaat added pressure to the team to improve on an over-achievement the previous season. Essentially Reading start from the same position they did last season; giving the players who achieved such great things the season before (winning The Championship at a canter) the chance to show that last season was no fluke.
Thirdly Reading resisted the temptation to change to a more complicated system when the one that has worked so well continues to do the job. Reading were one of the few teams to play from the outset with a 4-4-2 formation so why complicate things with an extra midfielder or trying to accommodate two Argentine internationals when things are going just fine as they are? The contrast of approaches couldn’t have been more evident when Reading thrashed West Ham, so just stick to what you are good at.
Although little is known about the two new arrivals, Fae is reputed to be an excellent midfielder and should have no trouble filling the boots of the departed Sidwell. He was chased by several clubs including Manchester City, who were rumoured to have signed him and he will settle in well at the modest club and could be on his way to becoming the next Patrick Vieria.
Coppell will also be comforted in the knowledge that at least on paper there are several squads weaker than his in the Premiership after all how many Premiership team aside from Chelsea can call upon a left back that is on the verge of the England squad?
The major area of concern in the squad is at the back in the centre; although Sonko and Ingimarrson did well enough last season it could be tougher next time around. The reserves are Michael Duberry and untested at Premiership level, Alex Pearce. In most other areas despite the paucity of reserves Reading are well stocked and keeping the squad injury free will be a major boost. Reading look potent up front with Leroy Lita in particular after excelling at the recent U-21 Championships with England and the whole club is ready to put the best the Premiership has to offer to the sword once again.
Reading may not finish as high as 8th this coming season and they may not do well in the cups, although naturally Coppell will be keen to try and advance in some way, but simply avoiding the fate that has befallen the likes of over ambitious clubs such as Bradford, Wigan and West Ham will already count as a step in the right direction.
Posted by Walter Townsend on Monday, 6th August 2007
(Average rating 9 from 1 votes. Vote)
(0 Comments)
Not bad - they seem to have missed the fact that Bikey is another centre back option but a nice comparison with Wet Scum...
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papereyes
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Hmmmmm - if I remember correctly, Bradford survived on the last day of their first season in the prem; also, I must have forgotton how over elaborate West Ham were on New Years' Day - there was me thinking they were simply shockingly poor and we ripped them to shreds - but obviously I missed the nuances of their over elaborate play that day......
Finally, was Laandzat a big name for Wigan??? I thought Heskey was a bigger name, but again, its easier to think of a name to illustrate an point rather than rely on facts (that losing Bullard, Roberts and Chimbonda did Wigan far more than bring in Laandzat).
Nice effort though Walter.
Finally, was Laandzat a big name for Wigan??? I thought Heskey was a bigger name, but again, its easier to think of a name to illustrate an point rather than rely on facts (that losing Bullard, Roberts and Chimbonda did Wigan far more than bring in Laandzat).
Nice effort though Walter.
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papereyes
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Mr Angry Hmmmmm - if I remember correctly, Bradford survived on the last day of their first season in the prem; also, I must have forgotton how over elaborate West Ham were on New Years' Day - there was me thinking they were simply shockingly poor and we ripped them to shreds - but obviously I missed the nuances of their over elaborate play that day......
Finally, was Laandzat a big name for Wigan??? I thought Heskey was a bigger name, but again, its easier to think of a name to illustrate an point rather than rely on facts (that losing Bullard, Roberts and Chimbonda did Wigan far more than bring in Laandzat).
Nice effort though Walter.
To be fair, when West Ham attacked that day, they didn't actually look that bad. They had chances at 0-0, 1-0 and 2-0.
It was when we dared float in any cross that they rather self-destructed
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frenchroyal
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From todays Guardian
Reading aim to sidestep peril of not-so-new boys
Steve Coppell's side are desperate to recreate the adrenalin rush of their first season.
Stuart James
August 7, 2007 12:30 AM
Around the turn of the year, Reading carried out research into what happens after a team has survived its first season in the Premier League. Their findings were worrying, and by the time the campaign ended there was plenty more supporting evidence. West Ham and Wigan's struggle last term means only four promoted teams have managed to stay up in the first season and improve their finishing position in the second, spelling out the sizeable task Steve Coppell's side face.
Finishing eighth last season and missing Europe by three points exceeded all expectations but Reading are fully aware the greatest test is still to come. Steve Sidwell may be Reading's only significant departure from the squad that surprised many last season but Nicky Hammond, the club's director of football, knows there are plenty of pitfalls ahead.
"The statistics show that the second season is potentially a much more difficult one and there are probably a number of reasons for that," explained Hammond. "Firstly, other players and other clubs know your team. In the first instance you are a little bit new but after a season in the Premiership, with all the analysis that goes with that, other teams know you. They know you as a team; they know you as individuals and know your strengths and weaknesses.
"Also, with the first season there are players going into a new division and there is that massive adrenalin rush week-in, week-out. Somehow as a club you have to try to recreate that every week in your second season in the league. Another factor is that you have potential problems with your players in that they're now perceived as being Premiership players, and with that comes interest from other clubs that can be unsettling."
Wigan can relate to that given that 12 months ago Paul Jewell's squad was torn apart as Pascal Chimbonda, Jason Roberts and Jimmy Bullard were lured to other Premiership clubs. Replacements arrived but the formula could not be recreated, causing Wigan to slip into freefall before they salvaged their Premier League status on the final day. The slump followed the euphoria of their first-season top-10 finish and a place in the League Cup final.
"Everybody is so focused and excited in the first season," recalled Arjan de Zeeuw, who endured difficult second campaigns with Portsmouth and Wigan after winning promotion. "It's so fresh being new to the Premiership after winning promotion and that pulls people through; people are looking forward to the challenge and can't get enough of it. But when it's the second season, everyone has seen everything.
"We lost three players at Wigan and we got players in to replace them but it took us quite a while to get going, to find the right team and right shape. But I think Reading will start with more or less the same squad - I like that. It shows Steve Coppell has confidence in his team."
Indeed little has changed at Reading in terms of both the club's personnel and their immediate ambitions. That was not the case at Ipswich six years ago when, after finishing fifth and qualifying for Europe, there was an influx of new players which, according to Marcus Stewart, "disrupted the team spirit". Ipswich finished 18th the following May, slipping into the second tier - one of four clubs to have been relegated from the Premiership after surviving the first season.
Reading have approached their second term in more measured fashion with Kalifa Cissé and Emerse Faé the only signings so far. "For us, the group is always the most important thing," added Hammond. "That's what's brought us success so we have tried to be very careful in the way we've recruited. It's a difficult balancing act because you have to move forward. We are not being naive in thinking we were OK last year so we will be OK this year."
The four teams that have managed to find a remedy for the affliction that has come to be known as "second-season syndrome" include Derby, who improved their league position two years in succession in the late 1990s, Birmingham, up from 13th to 10th in 2004, and Blackburn, winners of the Premiership in 1995 after climbing from fourth to second the previous two years. Blackburn were later relegated but returned to the top flight to finish 10th in 2002 and sixth a year later.
"I can remember Graeme Souness saying that he wasn't satisfied after finishing 10th," said Craig Short, who was part of the Blackburn side that re-established their place in the Premiership. "In pre-season Graeme told us: 'We had a good season last year, we had just got promoted and we did very well but I really do believe, with the players that we have got here and one or two signings that I am going to bring in, that we can do better this season.'"
That is not quite the message at Reading although Hammond is optimistic Reading will pull through. "I think our philosophy going into this season has been very clear," he added. "We are not looking at it as our second season in the Premiership. We are looking at it as our second first season in the Premiership because our targets haven't changed. It's about being competitive and trying to establish ourselves in this division and we're still trying to do that."
Reading aim to sidestep peril of not-so-new boys
Steve Coppell's side are desperate to recreate the adrenalin rush of their first season.
Stuart James
August 7, 2007 12:30 AM
Around the turn of the year, Reading carried out research into what happens after a team has survived its first season in the Premier League. Their findings were worrying, and by the time the campaign ended there was plenty more supporting evidence. West Ham and Wigan's struggle last term means only four promoted teams have managed to stay up in the first season and improve their finishing position in the second, spelling out the sizeable task Steve Coppell's side face.
Finishing eighth last season and missing Europe by three points exceeded all expectations but Reading are fully aware the greatest test is still to come. Steve Sidwell may be Reading's only significant departure from the squad that surprised many last season but Nicky Hammond, the club's director of football, knows there are plenty of pitfalls ahead.
"The statistics show that the second season is potentially a much more difficult one and there are probably a number of reasons for that," explained Hammond. "Firstly, other players and other clubs know your team. In the first instance you are a little bit new but after a season in the Premiership, with all the analysis that goes with that, other teams know you. They know you as a team; they know you as individuals and know your strengths and weaknesses.
"Also, with the first season there are players going into a new division and there is that massive adrenalin rush week-in, week-out. Somehow as a club you have to try to recreate that every week in your second season in the league. Another factor is that you have potential problems with your players in that they're now perceived as being Premiership players, and with that comes interest from other clubs that can be unsettling."
Wigan can relate to that given that 12 months ago Paul Jewell's squad was torn apart as Pascal Chimbonda, Jason Roberts and Jimmy Bullard were lured to other Premiership clubs. Replacements arrived but the formula could not be recreated, causing Wigan to slip into freefall before they salvaged their Premier League status on the final day. The slump followed the euphoria of their first-season top-10 finish and a place in the League Cup final.
"Everybody is so focused and excited in the first season," recalled Arjan de Zeeuw, who endured difficult second campaigns with Portsmouth and Wigan after winning promotion. "It's so fresh being new to the Premiership after winning promotion and that pulls people through; people are looking forward to the challenge and can't get enough of it. But when it's the second season, everyone has seen everything.
"We lost three players at Wigan and we got players in to replace them but it took us quite a while to get going, to find the right team and right shape. But I think Reading will start with more or less the same squad - I like that. It shows Steve Coppell has confidence in his team."
Indeed little has changed at Reading in terms of both the club's personnel and their immediate ambitions. That was not the case at Ipswich six years ago when, after finishing fifth and qualifying for Europe, there was an influx of new players which, according to Marcus Stewart, "disrupted the team spirit". Ipswich finished 18th the following May, slipping into the second tier - one of four clubs to have been relegated from the Premiership after surviving the first season.
Reading have approached their second term in more measured fashion with Kalifa Cissé and Emerse Faé the only signings so far. "For us, the group is always the most important thing," added Hammond. "That's what's brought us success so we have tried to be very careful in the way we've recruited. It's a difficult balancing act because you have to move forward. We are not being naive in thinking we were OK last year so we will be OK this year."
The four teams that have managed to find a remedy for the affliction that has come to be known as "second-season syndrome" include Derby, who improved their league position two years in succession in the late 1990s, Birmingham, up from 13th to 10th in 2004, and Blackburn, winners of the Premiership in 1995 after climbing from fourth to second the previous two years. Blackburn were later relegated but returned to the top flight to finish 10th in 2002 and sixth a year later.
"I can remember Graeme Souness saying that he wasn't satisfied after finishing 10th," said Craig Short, who was part of the Blackburn side that re-established their place in the Premiership. "In pre-season Graeme told us: 'We had a good season last year, we had just got promoted and we did very well but I really do believe, with the players that we have got here and one or two signings that I am going to bring in, that we can do better this season.'"
That is not quite the message at Reading although Hammond is optimistic Reading will pull through. "I think our philosophy going into this season has been very clear," he added. "We are not looking at it as our second season in the Premiership. We are looking at it as our second first season in the Premiership because our targets haven't changed. It's about being competitive and trying to establish ourselves in this division and we're still trying to do that."
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Royal Lady
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Friday's Child
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Friday's Child That article in the Guardian is excellent, given that they actually bothered to comment on Reading and interview around the football world a little. (albeit some quotes are taken from the past - at least they have made an effort)
Not sure the diagram is completely correct - see Bradford. The point they don't make is how much more dangerous the first season is compared with the second season.
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mzungu_royal
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Friday's Child That article in the Guardian is excellent, given that they actually bothered to comment on Reading and interview around the football world a little. (albeit some quotes are taken from the past - at least they have made an effort)
Agreed the Guardian have some very good switched on journalists in the sport section e.g. Marina Hyde and a few others. I just want to get the season started to prove the w*****s who can't write properly (Conservative journos at THe Times) that we are here to stay.
Mr Angry So, according to The Times, if Doyle scores lots of goals we have a "fighting chance" of staying up.
The guy writing that article must have given, oooooh, minutes of thought to it - for example, suggesting that because we let Halford go we are significantly weaker than last season (er.......tell me Mr Times man, exactly HOW many games did Halford play for us??).
Whilst frankly being really annoyed at that sort of lazy and formulaic journalism, part of me is REALLY pleased, cos YET AGAIN, it would appear that we are going to be underestimated; more talk of 2nd Season Syndrome, "doing" a Wigan etc etc and our opponents will begin to believe it - whilst Sir Steve will ensure that the players' focus will be on stuffing rubbish like that article back down the throats of the ill informed metropolitan based authours with a vengence!
NOW I understand you're NHA name!! And I thought it was just me that had a reputation for being strappy! 100% agreement BTW.
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Top Flight
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WhistleFriday's Child That article in the Guardian is excellent, given that they actually bothered to comment on Reading and interview around the football world a little. (albeit some quotes are taken from the past - at least they have made an effort)
Not sure the diagram is completely correct - see Bradford. The point they don't make is how much more dangerous the first season is compared with the second season.
Exactly, just ask Sheffield United, Watford and Sunderland from the last 2 seasons.
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