What the pundits think about Reading this season

[Mr Loyal Royal]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11673_2643429,00.html

Last season's surprise packages Reading will have their work cut out if they are to avoid suffering the same fate as Wigan.



The Latics took the Premier League by storm in their first season, however they failed to match their exploits in their second campaign - only avoiding relegation in their final match.


The lesson is there for The Royals to learn - however, even the most ardent of Reading fans must have their concerns over what lays ahead.


Steve Coppell has again opted to slightly tinker with his squad, rather than make wholesale changes, with only two players arriving at The Madejski Stadium in the close season.


Emerse Fae has joined in a club record £2.5million deal from Nantes, while Kalifa Cisse has switched from Estoril.


Both players have arrived to bolster the midfield - however, they have a large hole to fill, with last season's star man Steve Sidwell lured to the bright lights of Chelsea.


A lot of Reading's hopes will rest on Reading's attacking options - and the return to full fitness of Dave Kitson will be a huge fillip for the side.


A knee injury ruled the powerful forward out for a large slice of last season, however with a full pre-season now under his belt, Kitson will be back to menace the Premier League defences.

Fellow forwards Leroy Lita and Kevin Doyle provided plenty of ammunition last season, while Shane Long will look to build on his promising start to life in the top flight.


Pre-season has been encouraging for Reading, with wins in the Peace Cup over Lyon and Shimizu - while Lita hit a late hat-trick in the victory over Brighton.


However tougher tests lie ahead in the Premier League - and it is difficult to see anything other than a tough campaign for The Royals.


With a lack of recruitment, Reading will struggle to match the rest of the league's big-spenders - and Coppell will have to hope his side can continue to defy the odds.


READING 2007/08
Predicted Position: 15th

Star Man: Leroy Lita - The forward is bursting with confidence and has pace to burn. Expect him to really find his feet in the Premier League this season after bagging 14 goals in all competitions last term.

One To Watch: Shane Long - The Irish forward has been limited to bench duty so far for The Royals, however he could easily match the exploits of compratiot Kevin Doyle.

Manager: Steve Coppell - Coppell has proved himself a good man-manager who likes to play free-flowing football, however he could pay for his lack of activity in the transfer market.

INS: Emerse Fae (Nantes, £2.5m), Kalifa Cisse (Estoril, £600k)

OUTS: Greg Halford (Sunderland £2.5m), Jonathan Hayes (Leicester)

Best signing: Emerse Fae

Sky Bet Odds: 1000-1

Likely top scorer: Kevin Doyle

Possible best XI (Hahnemann, Murty, Bikey, Duberry, Shorey, Oster, Hunt, Cisse, Fae, Doyle, Lita.)

[FinchOwl]

Possible best XI (Hahnemann, Murty, Bikey, Duberry, Shorey, Oster, Hunt, Cisse, Fae, Doyle, Lita.)

Er, Ingi, Sonko, Harper, Little and Convey?????

[ScottishRoyal]

A very good article by the Guardian, though I don't think Hunt supplanted Seol as they play on different sides of the pitch.

I don't think that matters tbh as Hunts work on the left supplanted and balanced the work of Seol (and moreso Little) on the right.

Very good and factually correct report by The Guardian that showed decent research, if only other papers weren't so lazy!

[SpaceCruiser]

while Kalifa Cisse has switched from Estoril.

I thought we signed him from Boavista?

[ScottishRoyal]

while Kalifa Cisse has switched from Estoril.

I thought we signed him from Boavista?

Yeah we did? So many issues with inacuracies in that report?

[loyalroyal4life]

Possible best XI (Hahnemann, Murty, Bikey, Duberry, Shorey, Oster, Hunt, Cisse, Fae, Doyle, Lita.)

Er, Ingi, Sonko, Harper, Little and Convey?????

well done sky sports, spot on with that

[SWLR]

A very good article by the Guardian, though I don't think Hunt supplanted Seol as they play on different sides of the pitch.

I don't think that matters tbh as Hunts work on the left supplanted and balanced the work of Seol (and moreso Little) on the right.

Very good and factually correct report by The Guardian that showed decent research, if only other papers weren't so lazy!

I love my club
I love my daily paper

[ScottishRoyal]

A very good article by the Guardian, though I don't think Hunt supplanted Seol as they play on different sides of the pitch.

I don't think that matters tbh as Hunts work on the left supplanted and balanced the work of Seol (and moreso Little) on the right.

Very good and factually correct report by The Guardian that showed decent research, if only other papers weren't so lazy!

I love my club
I love my daily paper

... and i'm a Times and occasional Telegraph reader. I can't believe I just said that.

[retro royal]

Sunderland raid reading again, look at the one to watch

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 44,00.html

[It's the round thing]

Not exactly an expert, but Bet365 has us with a higher chance of making the top half of the table then being relegated, and more of a chance of a top six finish then ending up bottom

[Mr Angry]

I can't find an electronic copy, but the Racing Post has us down to finish 12th.

They also recommend Doyle as a good each way bet at 100/1 to be the top goalscorer.

[daswonder]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 67,00.html

Views from the team @ Sky's Soccer Saturday.

So far...

Charlie Nicholas thinks we will go down with Fulham and Sunderland and Paul Walsh thinks we are doomed too.

[JC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_2653067,00.html

Views from the team @ Sky's Soccer Saturday.

So far...

Charlie Nicholas thinks we will go down with Fulham and Sunderland and Paul Walsh thinks we are doomed too.

Yes, but there are 8 out of 10 who don't think we'll go down

[spike25]

I don't know who any of those people are, but just from the one page, Paul Walsh seems like an idiot.

[glosson]

How're we doomed if we've barely changed anything about the squad that finished 8th last year?
If anything, it's a better side now than it was at the end last season. Steve who?

[Dirk Gently]

In today's Guardian, their seven football writers forcast us to finish 14th, 10th, 14th, 13th, 12th, 12th and 15th.

I'd feel so much happier if people were tipping us to go down like they did last season.

We're doomed! Doomed, I tell you.....

[papereyes]

How're we doomed if we've barely changed anything about the squad that finished 8th last year?
If anything, it's a better side now than it was at the end last season. Steve who?

Staying the same doesn't move you forward in any way, and as everyone else strengthens, you move back.

OK, we have chnaged some things, but ... well ... you should understand.

[papereyes]

From a Portsmouth fan on football.guardian

I can't help but think Reading are brilliant. A proper English football club playing football the way it should be played, not afraid of the "big boys". A carefully-assembled squad of players that, because of a lack of big names, people are all too ready to write off, plus a quiet genious of a manager. A completely refreshing change from a world of hype and tedious ego-fuelled managerial conflicts. Reading are about the football, and the football alone. Personally, I hope they reach Europe this season, although preferably one or two places below Pompey, and that people will soon stop being so condescending as to think of Reading as a little club. The way I see it, they're one of the most important teams to the English game.

[Royal Rother]

Staying the same doesn't move you forward in any way, and as everyone else strengthens, you move back.

But too many changes and vast outlay on new players seldom works either. Young players improve with experience, and we are giving ours their opportunity to do just that, rather than bringing in new players with bigger egos and higher wages as all that does is unsettle the unit.

Anyway I don't believe we have stood still at all. Cisee and Fae appear to me to be a step forward. Bikey, Lita, Doyle and Long are certain to improve on last year's performances and Shorey, Harper, Sonko, Seol and Kitson are highly likely to. (I'm not sure Hunt can do much better than he did last year, but a repeat performance would be okay for me!)

In Pearce, Cox, Federici et al we have a selection of decent young players who have already shown they have distinct promise and they will be desperate for opportunities to advance their claims for 1st team places.

Murty, Ingi, Hahnemann, Little, Oster, Duberry and De La Cruz are no youngsters and unlikely to improve but if they remain generally fit are not going to let us down.

As a group of players they share common attributes that put us ahead of most of our competition; attitude, integrity and intelligence. The fact that none of those will have been destabilised with the introduction of a load of Billy Big Bollox players leads me to look forward to this season with a lot of confidence.

[papereyes]

But too many changes and vast outlay on new players seldom works either. Young players improve with experience, and we are giving ours their opportunity to do just that, rather than bringing in new players with bigger egos and higher wages as all that does is unsettle the unit.

So you pick a path between the two, choosing where you strengthen the team and how you strengthen it. We've reacted to things (ie Sidwell) and bought, rather than looking to improve areas of the squad.

Anyway, the post was in response to someone saying that 'we've barely changed anything'. My fear is that other teams will improve around us in a tight league. We're not doomed, but things could get sticky.

Anyway I don't believe we have stood still at all. Cisee and Fae appear to me to be a step forward. Bikey, Lita, Doyle and Long are certain to improve on last year's performances and Shorey, Harper, Sonko, Seol and Kitson are highly likely to. (I'm not sure Hunt can do much better than he did last year, but a repeat performance would be okay for me!)

I said this once. Still think its valid. Its not guaranteed. Players, sometimes for really odd reasons, sometimes fail to follow up one season with another good one.

In Pearce, Cox, Federici et al we have a selection of decent young players who have already shown they have distinct promise and they will be desperate for opportunities to advance their claims for 1st team places.

Hopefully. But certainly not guaranteed. Only A-Fed has more than a couple of games under his belt. Again, I am sure they're talented players - I've only seen glimpses of Cox and Pearce - but I hope we don't have to reply on them.

Murty, Ingi, Hahnemann, Little, Oster, Duberry and De La Cruz are no youngsters and unlikely to improve but if they remain generally fit are not going to let us down.

Yup, agree. Might add some from the top group into here.

As a group of players they share common attributes that put us ahead of most of our competition; attitude, integrity and intelligence. The fact that none of those will have been destabilised with the introduction of a load of Billy Big Bollox players leads me to look forward to this season with a lot of confidence.

I agree, but the main thing this ignores is that we haven't strengthened that much while teams around us have. And that's why barely moving from one season to the next is seen as risky. Some players have to repeat performances, not just in one game, but in 30+. Its happened before and it'll happen again, when someone hits their Perfect Season and cannot quite replicate it.

Although I have this as a minute chance of happening to enough of our players to make a BIG effect, it is, imo, very likely to happen to some of them. And that's enough reason for me to be a bit reserved in my optismism .