"A Team so Starstruck............."

North Somerset Royal · by **North Somerset Royal** » 21 Jan 2008 15:01

"that they appear more intent on swapping shirts with opposition players than securing points"

That is how Reading are described in todays Daily Mail. The Mail concludes that this means that trouble can only be just around the corner. Do they have a point? I understand that Roy Keane prohibits Sunderland players from seeking shirts of the superstars.
Should Coppell follow his example? My view is that we do show the top teams too much respect.

Wycombe Royal · by **Wycombe Royal** » 21 Jan 2008 15:03

North Somerset Royal Should Coppell follow his example? My view is that we do show the top teams too much respect.

We didn't show Man Utd too much respect, and we certainly didn't show Liverpool to much respect.

North Somerset Royal · by **North Somerset Royal** » 21 Jan 2008 15:07

But maybe with less respect we would have beaten Man U and won by a wider margin against Liverpool!

AF1 · by **AF1** » 21 Jan 2008 15:08

Slightly off topic but a massive LOLZ @ Adebayor being murked by Niemi post game this weekend. When they shook hands Adebayor gestured to ask if he wanted his shirt and Niemi was 'Nah - you're alright'

TFF · by **TFF** » 21 Jan 2008 15:20

North Somerset Royal "that they appear more intent on swapping shirts with opposition players than securing points"

That is how Reading are described in todays Daily Mail. The Mail concludes that this means that trouble can only be just around the corner. Do they have a point? I understand that Roy Keane prohibits Sunderland players from seeking shirts of the superstars.
Should Coppell follow his example? My view is that we do show the top teams too much respect.

I shouldn't worry what it says in the Daily Mail if I were you.

Silver Fox · by **Silver Fox** » 21 Jan 2008 15:22

North Somerset Royal The Mail concludes that this means that trouble can only be just around the corner.

Can someone from the Daily Mail advise how this attitude worked out for us last year?

Also, I'm sure that our players are only concerned with swapping shirts after the game, they don't go knocking on the opposition dressing room door with "Please, Mr Ronaldo sir. You're so great can I have you r shirt after the match"

There was trouble just around the corner for these no marks apparently

Vision · by **Vision** » 21 Jan 2008 15:33

They've got it wrong anyway it was Ronaldo who was quite literally begging for the shirt of Scotland's 4th choice right back .

Northern Git · by **Northern Git** » 21 Jan 2008 16:35

"all I was doing was expressing my relief at winning one of the hardest matches of the season" - Sir Alex Ferguson (talking about his gesture after the second UTD goal)
"that was the hardest match of the season" Wayne Rooney on MOTD
and
"Reading a team so starstruck that trouble can only be just round the corner" Neil Ashton (who?) Daily Mail, January 21st

Think I know out of those three the views I think are more accurate.

Pity as normally the Mail sports reporters are pretty unbiased and objective.

The Cube · by **The Cube** » 21 Jan 2008 16:49

I was going to post a spoof journalist piece about the shirt incident - should have guessed that the Mail would beat me to it.

The thing is that it's easy for any Reading fan to imagine exactly how Murty sounded and looked when he mentioned it, and to know that it was all a bit tongue-in-cheek. However, the journalists who are so poor that they only get the job of sitting in a newsroom and regurgitating press releases or other people's stories completely miss all the nuances.

Drew_3 · by **Drew_3** » 21 Jan 2008 16:53

yeah last year the players were prohibited from swapping shirts i think?obviously they are able to do that this year i cant see as it has an effect to be honest!

Smoking Kills Dancing Doe · by **Smoking Kills Dancing Doe** » 21 Jan 2008 16:56

I'm 100% sure at the start of last season Murty said the players would not swap shirts.

You have to love The Mail.

Tommy Youlden's Ears · by **Tommy Youlden's Ears** » 21 Jan 2008 17:33

Straight off, I might as well get this in first myself...

...F off Newbie...

That over with, a coupla comments.

First, What does the Daily Mail know about anything. Ever?

Second, seems to me that our lot are about the most grounded and sane players in the Prem. So what if they want a shirt - maybe it's to be auctioned off for the wives' charity? Maybe it's to keep for fifty years to bring the memories back?

Who cares as long as they give it all on the green stuff. In fact it seems to me the opposite is the problem. This season we're clearly far more motivated when playing the 'star' teams that our fellow mortals. If we could show that energy against Bolton I'd be delighted. Bet we don't.

wolsey · by **wolsey** » 21 Jan 2008 17:59

Drew_3 yeah last year the players were prohibited from swapping shirts i think?obviously they are able to do that this year i cant see as it has an effect to be honest!

second season syndrome strikes again! WE'RE DOOMED

papereyes · by **papereyes** » 21 Jan 2008 18:05

Its like they wrote the article without watching the game.

There's a lot of journalists who seem to really resent us being in that division.

floyd__streete · by **floyd__streete** » 21 Jan 2008 18:49

I think I'd rather read an article written by Hilary Scott than anything churned out by the droning Daily Mail.

Y21_Royal · by **Y21_Royal** » 21 Jan 2008 19:28

Ffs, just another piece of lazy journalism. One Reading player makes an off topic comment and some journo desperate to make a name for himself jumps on it. First it was Kitson's 'two shits' comment and now Murty's about Ronaldo's shirt.

I don't see how playing 3 forwards is showing a team too much respect. Last season SC prohibited the swapping of shirts but I don't see that there's any harm in it. Every other club seems to do it. Besides, some of those shirts could fetch a pretty penny for charity.

Forbury Lion · by **Forbury Lion** » 21 Jan 2008 19:34

North Somerset Royal "that they appear more intent on swapping shirts with opposition players than securing points"

That is how Reading are described in todays Daily Mail. The Mail concludes that this means that trouble can only be just around the corner. Do they have a point? I understand that Roy Keane prohibits Sunderland players from seeking shirts of the superstars.
Should Coppell follow his example? My view is that we do show the top teams too much respect.

Rubbish

A team more intent on taking the game to United than holding on for a point more like.

Victor Meldrew · by **Victor Meldrew** » 21 Jan 2008 19:38

I read the same story in The Independent where Murty said that it was the first time he had played against Ronaldo and that is why he asked for the shirt.
IIRC Ronaldo waltzed round him last season to score or is my memory worse than Murts'.
What do these players do with the shirts?
What is the point?

Platypuss · by **Platypuss** » 21 Jan 2008 20:12

Victor Meldrew I read the same story in The Independent where Murty said that it was the first time he had played against Ronaldo and that is why he asked for the shirt.
IIRC Ronaldo waltzed round him last season to score or is my memory worse than Murts'.
What do these players do with the shirts?
What is the point?

Never mind last season - he played against him first game of this season!

bobby1413 · by **bobby1413** » 21 Jan 2008 23:51

North Somerset Royal "that they appear more intent on swapping shirts with opposition players than securing points"

That is how Reading are described in todays Daily Mail. The Mail concludes that this means that trouble can only be just around the corner. Do they have a point? I understand that Roy Keane prohibits Sunderland players from seeking shirts of the superstars.
Should Coppell follow his example? My view is that we do show the top teams too much respect.

The biggest bull sheet post of the year.

Reading have a name for themselves for being plucky, rule breakers, and not rolling over. Even in the cup matches when we put out a "weakened" side, we still fight and fight. We do respect teams, but we give them a bloody good match. The two are not mutually exclusive.

- Chelsea beat Reading 1-0 and celebrated like they had one the league in 06-07
- Manchester United beat Reading 3-2 in the league game in 06-07
- Manchester United beat Reading 3-2 at the Madstad in the cup game last season. That was after being 3-0 up and being absolutely drilled by Reading for the remaining 84 minutes.
- Manchester United held to a 0-0 draw at home in Old Trafford (the threatre of dreams) this season
- Liverpool beaten 3-1 by Reading this season
- Reading finishing 8th in their first ever season in the premier league. Having spent less than £2 million (or similar) on players.

Asking for a players shirt, or offering to swap is kind of an etiquette, tradition. As I said in another thread. If I was a player, I would want the shirts as a momento, a souvenir to keep for the next 50 years. Especially if it was Ronaldo's or a similar player's. Murty and Ronaldo are both in the same business, but it doesn't mean Murty can't appreciate having the shirt of a bloody good player to remember the occasion by.

"A Team so Starstruck............."

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