Back from the Game - Coventry (H)

[Maguire]

Karacan - don't hate him or anything but he's not great going forward, doesn't create a great deal for me.

POTS so far is Gorkss IMHO. Our success has been based on a solid defence (to which I appreciate Karacan contributes) and he's been outstanding. I also think he's brought the best out of Alex Pearce who looks a much better player than last season.

Kebe - needs to stop trying to dribble out of our defensice third IMHO. Cost us in the p/o final, cost us against Cardiff at home, and nealry cost us yday when it took a great save from Fed to deny the Cov striker.

[Focher]

I thought the atmosphere was absolutely spot on yesterday, well done all

[Tony Le Mesmer]

I thought the atmosphere was absolutely spot on yesterday, well done all

'greed. Total Carnage for the 2nd goal. I smashed my headstick with excitement.

[chilipepper91]

Karacan - don't hate him or anything but he's not great going forward, doesn't create a great deal for me.

POTS so far is Gorkss IMHO. Our success has been based on a solid defence (to which I appreciate Karacan contributes) and he's been outstanding. I also think he's brought the best out of Alex Pearce who looks a much better player than last season.

Totally 'greed. A player that cannot pass the ball forwards is not my POTS. He runs around a lot, and makes a couple of tackles, but not much else. He and Ledge let Coventry dominate us for most of the second half yesterday.

anyway, r8ings...

Feds - 8 - some great saves including a couple from long range and one 1-on-1
Connolly - 7 - a great tackler, played the ball well, didn't look a "natural" wing back but is an effective one. Great assist for the goal
Gorkss - 7 - let in a few long range shots and Nimely got in a couple of times but otherwise solid
Pearce - 7 - as above
Harte - 7 - some wicked deliveries (eg Roberts goal) and solid defensively
Kebe - 8 - first half he was back to the Jimmy of old. then he got marked out of the game
Karacan - 7 - did what was expected of him, but why can't he bloody play the ball forward???
Ledge - 7 - gave the ball away a couple of times but otherwise, did his job
Mills - 6 - only because he's not a left winger, he didn't once take his man on or get a decent cross in
Hunt - 6 - I don't see what others see in Hunt, he runs a lot but not much else for me
Roberts - 7 - another classy performance, always willing to hold up play and bring others in (Kebe's goal)

Cywka looked tidy when he came on, good dribbler and nice touches.
Church missed a sitter from 2 yards, I really do despair. It's got so bad it's almost amusing now.
Tabb got a good reception from the Cov fans

Ref - 2 - bottled at least two stone wall penalty shouts for us (Roberts and Mills I think) and generally made a few odd decisions
Weather - minus 3 (at least)

[Focher]

whilst i take on board the comments on Karacan, i thought he was absolutely awesome yesterday, surely there cant be another player in the country who covers as much ground

After a slightly shaky start you can see why Connelly has come to us with a very good reputation, and it really makes you wonder what on earth QPR are doing letting him and Gorkss come to us.

[floyd__streete]

Just a few points:

ANOTHER goal from a Harte set piece that will soon be forgotten by most
Mills is just plain shit. but still marginally better than Antonio
Good to see Roberts score but very little else was good about his performance
Some good camera saves by Fed

Overall, a pretty dreadful footballing spectacle. yet again.

Only really agree with the first and last point. Roberts holds the ball up so much better than any of our current crop of forwards. And Federici's one-handed save from Nimely was out of this world.

Coventry fans were pathetic. Protest? A few balloons, a bed sheet with SISU OUT drawn on it and some half-hearted chanting. Having been to the Ricoh arena as well I can positively say that everything about that club screams mediocrity. The chav army posturing at the end in the face of a little gentle taunting from the East Stand was embarassing: if you can't handle getting beat, don't go and watch Coventry City.

[floyd__streete]

Yes but Reading fans are notoriously idiotic - remember when they voted Harper player of the season in 02-03 when Nicky Forster had carried the entire side into the play-offs?

+1. And Kerr getting player of the season in 93/94 when Quinn scored 40 goals

POTS so far:

Pearce
Federici
Gorkss

In that order.

[chilipepper91]

whilst i take on board the comments on Karacan, i thought he was absolutely awesome yesterday, surely there cant be another player in the country who covers as much ground

I think he's a good player but so many times he takes away the momentum of our attacks by passing to the defence rather than out wide to the wingers or forward to Roberts/Hunt. Clearly he's under instruction to do this, and he does it very well, but it's frustrating to watch. It's an effective system though.

[Archie's penalty]

Yes but Reading fans are notoriously idiotic - remember when they voted Harper player of the season in 02-03 when Nicky Forster had carried the entire side into the play-offs?

+1. And Kerr getting player of the season in 93/94 when Quinn scored 40 goals

POTS so far:

Pearce
Federici
Gorkss

In that order.

And then Karacan?

[rfc2001]

whilst i take on board the comments on Karacan, i thought he was absolutely awesome yesterday, surely there cant be another player in the country who covers as much ground

After a slightly shaky start you can see why Connelly has come to us with a very good reputation, and it really makes you wonder what on earth QPR are doing letting him and Gorkss come to us.

Fake Hoops are going back down. Look at Norwich and Swansea they kept a lot of their players. Fake Hoops ruined their squad. If Reading get promoted we will keep the nucleus and for that reason I believe we would do well. Defensively that is

[rfc2001]

Also want to say it's just poor management from Fake hoops. Warnock letting Gorks, L,wood and Connolly go and then fake hoops letting Warnock go.

Consistency the key!!

[dogzbollox]

Jimmy Kebe first half >Messi

Joseph Mills first half > Mess

[Snowball]

whilst i take on board the comments on Karacan, i thought he was absolutely awesome yesterday, surely there cant be another player in the country who covers as much ground

After a slightly shaky start you can see why Connelly has come to us with a very good reputation, and it really makes you wonder what on earth QPR are doing letting him and Gorkss come to us.

Fake Hoops are going back down. Look at Norwich and Swansea they kept a lot of their players. Fake Hoops ruined their squad. If Reading get promoted we will keep the nucleus and for that reason I believe we would do well. Defensively that is

If QPR come down, they might take Connolly back

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Yes but Reading fans are notoriously idiotic - remember when they voted Harper player of the season in 02-03 when Nicky Forster had carried the entire side into the play-offs?

+1. And Kerr getting player of the season in 93/94 when Quinn scored 40 goals

POTS so far:

Pearce
Federici
Gorkss

In that order.

Yep, that still grates me. total one man team in 02/03.

Gorkss has it by a mile so far. Pearce has done very well, but for me, only because he has Gorkss next to him. His performances improved almost to the day he arrived.

[Ian Royal]

Karacan would usually be in my top 5 over the course of the season, but I don't think he's been as good this year as last (hence getting dropped earlier on). I'd agree our contenders should mainly be defenders / Fed, though I'd chuck McAnuff & Kebe into the mix around the same level as Karacan. And ALF if he can start getting games again and scoring / assisting.

[Jerry St Clair]

+1. And Kerr getting player of the season in 93/94 when Quinn scored 40 goals .

I voted for Kerr.

Mainly for buying me a pint in Utopia.

[FiNeRaIn]

People talking sense about karacan on this thread? good god, well I never. I've been saying he's been average for months yet all you'll see after every thead is " karacan mom best player ever in world" or some nonsense like that. He's average, not shit, not great at this level. Covers a lot of ground and hassles the opposing team well, hasn't got the intelligence or composure to distribute the ball properly or a good enough first touch to be more than a championship player.

[robbieroyal]

Karacan would usually be in my top 5 over the course of the season, but I don't think he's been as good this year as last (hence getting dropped earlier on). I'd agree our contenders should mainly be defenders / Fed, though I'd chuck McAnuff & Kebe into the mix around the same level as Karacan. And ALF if he can start getting games again and scoring / assisting.

Jem was dropped for "off the field reasons". He, Feds and Pearce have easily been our three best players this season IMO. I'm not saying Gorkks has been rubbish quite the opposite but those 3 for me.

[Simon's Church]

Karacan is player of the year for the whole Championship.
.

Agreed.

I don't believe that there can be a single other player in the division that can both run AND tackle a lot. It's incredible.

[Elm Park Old Boy]

Karacan would usually be in my top 5 over the course of the season, but I don't think he's been as good this year as last (hence getting dropped earlier on). I'd agree our contenders should mainly be defenders / Fed, though I'd chuck McAnuff & Kebe into the mix around the same level as Karacan. And ALF if he can start getting games again and scoring / assisting.

That's some 'if' there....