Back from the game - D&R (A) Cup

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

A game that should have been killed off either by henry's pulled shot or hunts effort which hit the bar turned into a game which frankly we didnt deserve to win. As has been mentioned the pairing of cisse and harper was flat and ineffective to the extreme, but is that any suprise when they are both in effect holding midfielders.Without marek we have no creativity or flair in the middle,i fear we could get sucked into playing into opponents hands there if we are not careful.For the live of me i cant understand why karacan wasnt in the starting line up, ok so he is not massivly creative but he is far brighter and tidy than the other cm's at the mo.

I really cant understand why we dont have an 'understudy' for marek, we have for harper (karacan,cisse) but there is no one at cm with an eye for a pass/creative movement if marek is out injured/internationals etc-just plain daft.Ingi for me is rapidly on his way out, he hit the heights during our championship season but his lack of pace,decision making and distribution has been shown up time and again.I still felt he made several bad hashes when he got player of the year 2006/07 and now he is definately more of a liability- any occaision where he has to move with the attacker out wider and he gets turned time and again-last night was a prime example for their goal and it happened at the mk dons game when thye scored.For me it should be Doobs and Bikey at the back with Sonko and Pearce (who i thought emerged with credit) breathing down their necks.

The worry at RW continues, Kebe is largely untested as yet but is an obvious gamble and whilst Henry showed glimpses or promise it was nothing more and wouldnt entice me to include him in the starting line up. I really cant see what the harm is bringing a RW and CM in on loan from the prem till jan. Kelly at RB deserves a lot of praise, stuck to his task and laid ball of nicely with a few runs but will be behind the pecking order. Convey who i think is a very decent championship player was again off the pace,we need him up to speed as if he does he will deliver.Same commitment with S Hunt though sooner he gets back to the wing the better. I liked what i saw of his brother, again v industrious but a more trickier and creative player IMO with an eye for goal.Long needs to add the striking presence to his work rate and he could become a key part of reading-in many ways its a big year for him in terms of his future at the club. LOL at Roberts, great to be back on the terraces thank god it was only a short sharp shower!

[rfcjoe]

Still it was worth it. Nice, compact terrace, piss-ridden toilets, dodgy burger bar and friendly stewards. I'd be quite happy watching my football at places like this again. Only downside was no pubs (that I could see) anywhere near the ground...

If you turned right out of the station instead of left there was one almost immediately - a real East End boozer! Didn't think I'd be allowed in because I don't have any tattoos - and they even had Chas 'n Dave playing on the jukebox (honestly!!)

As to the match ..... well, you know me, I usually try to focus on the positives. So I've got absolutely nothing to say about it.

'greed, the pub was full of west ham i think.

[winchester_royal]

http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~1365113,00.html

Seems as if Coppell is pleaded with Pearce and Henry.

[cmonurz]

What's so frustrating about our football is that at even the simplest of levels it doesn't make sense. Long balls aren't great, but at least would have a target were Kitson in the side. Look at the team that played at Forest - Lita, Doyla, Convey, Harper, Marek - which one of those was going to win headers?

[Im Spartacus]

What's so frustrating about our football is that at even the simplest of levels it doesn't make sense. Long balls aren't great, but at least would have a target were Kitson in the side. Look at the team that played at Forest - Lita, Doyla, Convey, Harper, Marek - which one of those was going to win headers?

Although it was a poor performance I don't you can say we tried long ball against Forest. More like we managed to get it wide and then did nothing with it.

No difference in end result, but at least it looked like we had a strategy, we were just unable implement it.

I do agree that CM looks very poor.

[size 12]

Still it was worth it. Nice, compact terrace, piss-ridden toilets, dodgy burger bar and friendly stewards. I'd be quite happy watching my football at places like this again. Only downside was no pubs (that I could see) anywhere near the ground...

If you turned right out of the station instead of left there was one almost immediately - a real East End boozer! Didn't think I'd be allowed in because I don't have any tattoos - and they even had Chas 'n Dave playing on the jukebox (honestly!!)

As to the match ..... well, you know me, I usually try to focus on the positives. So I've got absolutely nothing to say about it.

'greed, the pub was full of west ham i think.

The pub was The Railway, and it was a cr@phole, but the beer was cheap, and the barmaid had nice tits

[Kes]

As said before, Readings philopshy seems to be having lots of work horses in the team but nobody with an ounce of technical ability.

If they don't bring in two or three decent signings before the transfer window they will struggle.

Birmingham City have managed to do good business in the summer bringing in Carsley, Phillips and Bent. They're the sort of players Reading should be looking at, as they'll do a good job in the championship. Birmingham still seem to have something Premiership about them. If I didn't know any better, its very hard to tell Reading were ever in the Premiership. They should be able to attract a better calibre of player now, but they don't. Its still back to the bargain basement ways. You can only be so lucky if finding cheap gems.

There is nobody in that side that the young players can look upto and aspire to.

[Big Ern]

Its still back to the bargain basement ways. You can only be so lucky if finding cheap gems.

Agree

The club seem to be lving off past gloroes with regards to it;s transfer record. Yes Stphen Hunt, Kevin Diyle and Sonko were great bits of business...however apart from that, all other signings have been crap.

[papereyes]

The ability of a team with a system and a game plan to overcome a lack of skill should not be underestimated.

We have neither a system in the manner we did 2005 through to 2007 nor good enough players to overcome that when we're playing better teams (such as Sidwell, Shorey and Little).

As ever, Kes is almost right but in the search for a cheap dig, misses the point a bit.

[rfc58]

As said before, Readings philopshy seems to be having lots of work horses in the team but nobody with an ounce of technical ability.

If they don't bring in two or three decent signings before the transfer window they will struggle.

Birmingham City have managed to do good business in the summer bringing in Carsley, Phillips and Bent. They're the sort of players Reading should be looking at, as they'll do a good job in the championship. Birmingham still seem to have something Premiership about them. If I didn't know any better, its very hard to tell Reading were ever in the Premiership. They should be able to attract a better calibre of player now, but they don't. Its still back to the bargain basement ways. You can only be so lucky if finding cheap gems.

There is nobody in that side that the young players can look upto and aspire to.

Agree with that Kes, we seem to be looking for the next "Kevin Doyle" and as you say, if it was that simple, every club would be doing it.

You need a blend of proven quality for the pups to look up to, to learn off in training etc, but for all the reasons sated before on here, we won't sign the proven players.

Get what you pay for normally in life.

It appears the squad needs a lift, a new life breathed into it, and buying a "one for the future" player I don't think is what we need right now.

I hope whoever we sign shows the fans, but more importantly the players we are as serious about going straight back up as the chairman says we are.

[Vision]

I think Coppell's view is that we have plenty of "proven quality" for this Division as it is. Certainly in terms of players that have got promotion then more than anyone else in the division (possibly Brum excepted).

We're a relegated side so we can't reasonably expect to attract players that on the face of it are better than the regulars from the last 3 seasons. I would however expect to at least have every position covered and equally if we're not going to be particularly active at least look to include some of our own youngsters to freshen things up.

Its still a bit early to make too many conclusive judgments but my biggest worry is similiar to papereyes.I would expect for us to have a shape and a system and players to fit that shape and system but the opening two games to my eyes indicate a side that really is unsure of what it is they are trying to do.

Odd really but the main advantage of keeping the bulk of the squad together (and the manager) is for continuity but on the evidence so far we look like a team that has barely been introduced to each other.

[earleyroyal]

somewhere along the line this has to become terrifying right. i mean, i know its very early on in the season to start carping on but, really, if this goes on things will start falling apart very quickly indeed.

Agreed. I mean, a win and a draw in our opening two games is shocking!!

Coppell out!

I'm assuming you didn't see either of the games. We lost our first game in 05/06 but saw enough to suggest that we would do well that season, we fortuitously won yesterday (against a team two divisions below, with us playing a strong team) and drew while playing badly on Sunday. We were better in 04/05 than we have been so far this season.

[madreadingfan]

TONY ROBERTS BARMY ARMY!!!!

ROBERTS IS A ROYAL NA NA NA NA

SIGN HIM UP SIGN HIM UP

SHEEP SHEEP SHEEPSHAGGER

etc

[earleyroyal]

There is a third way where we do nothing and are less likely to see any improvement.

So either you stick with what you've got. Its not great, its solid, it probably won't go down but it won't be pretty. Or you make a small risk, nothing big, just the right players for the job, and you are more likley to improve. IMO, it isn't 50:50 between success and failure there, not if we do it with a bit of deliberation, thought and effort

With the right scouting and right signings, we will improve our chances.

With doing nothing, we guarantee to ourselves that we won't.

Very true. Have I been hit on the head and woken up in January? We'll see if the staff really have learnt from their mistakes last season on 1st September.

[loyalroyal4life]

How was Griffiths?

I dont think it matters simple because if he is the person in question to be signed he s stepping up 2 divisions to play in the side.....

[Kevin Doyles Right Foot]

If we don't sign any decent signings, and I mean actual decent signings, not ones for the future or people from france we've never heard of, I am officially putting up a 'sack nicky hammond' thread, hes done fcuk all in the transfer market.

I predicted at the start of the season we would make 3 signings, one from scotland, one experienced crap player from england, and one player from france/africa we've never heard of. Well 1 down 2 to go ay.

[Southbank Old Boy]

If we don't sign any decent signings, and I mean actual decent signings, not ones for the future or people from france we've never heard of, I am officially putting up a 'sack nicky hammond' thread, hes done fcuk all in the transfer market.

I predicted at the start of the season we would make 3 signings, one from scotland, one experienced crap player from england, and one player from france/africa we've never heard of. Well 1 down 2 to go ay.

It's not Hammonds job.

Coppell decides who to sign and who not to. Hammond suggests players to Coppell and does the negotiations with other clubs and the players when Coppell needs to.

IF we've missed out on players because the negotiations have fallen through, not just that we can't afford said players, then by all means have a pop at Hammond. If, as it seems, Coppell just won't agree to sign anyway why is that Hammonds fault?

[weybridgewanderer]

I would expect for us to have a shape and a system and players to fit that shape and system but the opening two games to my eyes indicate a side that really is unsure of what it is they are trying to do.

Odd really but the main advantage of keeping the bulk of the squad together (and the manager) is for continuity but on the evidence so far we look like a team that has barely been introduced to each other.

Which is how we looked even at the Bolton away game early last season. Having kept the bulk of that team seems to have ensured that continuity!

[Scarface]

This is incredible, only 2 games and the anti Coppell brigade is growing in numbers rapidy. It was obvious this season was going to be absolute shite with him in charge, we can all blame the car park protest twits for this.

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

ohhh great, according to sky sports marek could be out for 2 months... surely we have to look to get a CM either on loan permanently now.....