Royals v Sunderland match thread

[Platypuss]

I think Platypuss hit the nail on the head two weeks ago. Our strength is wing play and we've played this season without wings. You'd think SC of all people would recognize that, but there's a hint of going into a shell here. I hope his mythical psychological frailty doesn't rear its head.

we only have one fully fit winger. Kind of makes it harder to play with two wingers.

The only one whose condition has got worse since pre-season is Oster, so how on earth can that be used a justification?

And if we were/are relying on Oster to supply the ammunition to keep us up then we are fuct.

[Tilehurst Mike]

motd made it clear

our defence looked dreadfuly average

BUT

we shoudlve had atleast 2 penalties, and thier keeper shoudlve recieved ATLEAST a yellow card


poor show referee

One point noone has mentioned and not wishing to make excuses for a poor Reading display, this was probably the worst time we could have played Sunderland away. Not content with yet another long haul up North after the Internationals (Coppell does have a valid point about the fixtures list), the sad death of Ian Porterfield had the team really fired up to impress woth so many of the old players from the cup final winning team present. Sunderland will probably do a Reading this season and finish in the top half of the table.

Royals problem is that they have not effectively replaced Sidwell or Little and the blame for this must be attributed to either Madjeski for his stubborness to offer a realistic wage structure or Coppell/Hammond's influence over Madjeski that the squad needed strenthening. If we can beat Wigan (without Heskey) and Derby then I will feel a lot happier but if we don't get results from these games then I really will begin to worry!

[papereyes]

Shall I kill one of our ex-players and managers to get us really fired up?

[Tilehurst Mike]

Shall I kill one of our ex-players and managers to get us really fired up?

a bit drastic but it would probably do the trick!!

[If you still hate Futcher]

As people are always saying, they should be willing to die for the cause

[handbags_harris]

Shall I kill one of our ex-players and managers to get us really fired up?

Porterfield was one of our players/managers though...altho admittedly not as high profile as he was at Sunderland...

[Behindu]

Shall I kill one of our ex-players and managers to get us really fired up?

Porterfield was one of our players/managers though...altho admittedly not as high profile as he was at Sunderland...

I'm sure the whooosh is on it's way !!

I don;t think Porterfield managed Sunderland so the comment had to be about us....

[handbags_harris]

Shall I kill one of our ex-players and managers to get us really fired up?

Porterfield was one of our players/managers though...altho admittedly not as high profile as he was at Sunderland...

I'm sure the whooosh is on it's way !!

I don;t think Porterfield managed Sunderland so the comment had to be about us....

Just keepin' you on yer toes matey, just keepin you on yer toes

That's my excuse anyway!

[Wycombe Royal]

Royals problem is that they have not effectively replaced Sidwell or Little and the blame for this must be attributed to either Madjeski for his stubborness to offer a realistic wage structure or Coppell/Hammond's influence over Madjeski that the squad needed strenthening. If we can beat Wigan (without Heskey) and Derby then I will feel a lot happier but if we don't get results from these games then I really will begin to worry!

I don't think any blame, if there is any can be aimed at Madejski. Hammond and Coppell have both stated that Madejski will not stand in their way of big signings - it is their CHOICE and they have stated their reasons for that on numerous occasions.

[Royal Rother]

Ignoring transfer fees I doubt that Coppell and Hammond have any control on the size of the actual budget available to them so it will always come down to wages.

I suppose JM might sanction the signing of a £10m player because in his mind there is a fair chance that Coppell and Hammond have sufficiently good judgment that he will be likely to recoup the investment with a future sale, but if the wage structure is basically unbreakable they're still buggered as you are hardly likely to get a £10m player for £25k per week.

[Royal Lady]

I am starting to wonder whether the players realise quite how little they are paid in relation to other teams and whether this is having an effect on their performances on the pitch. Probably not. But you never know.

[brendywendy]

another terrible performance,and more than a few worries for us including:
ingimarrson-not up to last years performances yet.perhaps the chopping and changing around has affected his confidence.
murty-looks slow, and not influencing the game like he did last year, confidence taken a battering
shorey-not up to last years heroics, perhaps its the team as a whole effecting him-perhaps he wants out, perhaps billys bollox are growing, perhaps we all just need 1 good result and performance to settle th enerves
marcus-looked very wobbly yesterday-maybe the wobbles in the defence are affecting him
no wingers that can get consistent dangerous ball into the centre-giving us no outlet at all.
no bite in the middle of the park-harper was never going to be crunching into the tackles, and brynn hasnt recaptured the form from the last two years that saw him become so popular here.
strikers short of confidence, and getting no service to enable them to build any.

generally though i think its just a confidence thing for all of the above.


some positives to take:

1:rosenior had a decent 1st game out of position, can do a job there, at least equally as well as the oyster IMHO until january.
very impressed with his attitude, comments, and general bustle.
2:convey looked a handfull when he came on,again, dont know if hes ahead of hunt yet, but he needs to play to give us the outlet we need out on the wings.
4:long looked quite dangerous when he came on, and looks an improved player from what i saw last year
5:kitson scored, and looked pretty decent, albeit against a bottom tier club
6:fae looked pretty accomplished when he came on ,again. and will give us the creativity there, that we have been missing for years.
7:sonks is on his way back
8:bikey looks a decent prospect
9:cisse can add the bite in the centre we need
10:our academy, youth and reserve sides will provide us with some very decent prospects over the next couple of years, and will mean if relegation happens, we wont need to buy a whole new team.
11: we are loaded

[Only one Trevor Morley]

Its a simple problem - we dont have anyone to do the unexpected. little does that, and sometimes Kitson and Lita. but who else?

On Saturday i can predict that

hunt will run around a lot and get in peoples faces but not create a decent cross

Doyle will chase everything

murty will overlap with rosenior but wont receive the ball

Harper will follow the ball in a manner reminscent of a kids kickabout

Lita will fall over and claim a penalty

its just predictable. Any manager worth his salt will say 'stop the supply lines to their wingers, watch the overlaps with the full backs and dont conceed too many free kckcs in our own half'.

Defensively we're just a bit out of form and that will improve - but whether or not we stay up depends on creating more chances.

Doesnt this remind you of that spell in janaury and February 2005 when we just suddenly turned awful for two months - to me its very similar,

[Behindu]

I am starting to wonder whether the players realise quite how little they are paid in relation to other teams and whether this is having an effect on their performances on the pitch. Probably not. But you never know.

I'd guess the players have always known how they are paid in relation to other clubs. They've all played for other clubs and all have friends at other clubs and all have agents.

[Platypuss]

another terrible performance,and more than a few worries for us including:

no wingers that can get consistent dangerous ball into the centre-giving us no outlet at all.

1:rosenior had a decent 1st game out of position, can do a job there, at least equally as well as the oyster IMHO until january.
very impressed with his attitude, comments, and general bustle.

[brendywendy]

another terrible performance,and more than a few worries for us including:

no wingers that can get consistent dangerous ball into the centre-giving us no outlet at all.

1:rosenior had a decent 1st game out of position, can do a job there, at least equally as well as the oyster IMHO until january.
very impressed with his attitude, comments, and general bustle.

yes youre right, that is a slight contradiction
i meant

we have no recognised quality wingers playing 1st team football so far
convey can come back though, and both oster and rosenior have shown signs in their games this year that they can do a good job out there
and rosenior looks a good prospect for murtys place.

or something

[brendywendy]

another terrible performance,and more than a few worries for us including:

no wingers that can get consistent dangerous ball into the centre-giving us no outlet at all.

1:rosenior had a decent 1st game out of position, can do a job there, at least equally as well as the oyster IMHO until january.
very impressed with his attitude, comments, and general bustle.

yes youre right, that is a slight contradiction
i meant

we have no recognised quality wingers playing 1st team football so far
convey can come back though, and both oster and rosenior have shown signs in their games this year that they can do a good job out there
and rosenior looks a good prospect for murtys place.

or something