Team for Boro

[Big Ern]

USA

Rosenior
Inga
Doobs
Shorey

Coney
Gunna
Harps
Kebe

Kits
Lita


Subs
Fed
Hunt
Doyle
Marek
Bikey

[Wycombe Royal]

For those suggesting Gunnarsson - he's still injured isn't he and hasn't rejoined training yet?

[rg6royal]

Hahnemann
Murts Bikey Cisse Shorey
Kebe Marek Harps Hunt
Lita Kitson

Subs :
Fed
Ingi
Convey
Fae
Doyle

[Seal]

Hahnemann
Rosenier Ingi Bikey Shorey
Kebe Harper Marek Hunt
Lita Kitson

Subs: Fed, Doyle, Long, Cisse, Murty


Can't see us keeping a clean sheet mind. The fact that Boro have a striker that cost £11m shows you the difference in ambition between clubs who really want to be in the premiership, and those who just talk about it.

[CMRoyal]

We need a ball-winner in midfield, and Bikey is the nearest we have to that. We also need some better movement up front so that Metjovsky's passing abilities can be fully exploited.

So, in a Mourinho-era Porto 4-5-1 with two holding/ball-winning midfielders style (Harper/Bikey), and Hunt/Kebe (who I have serious doubts about, but what the hey) free to support Lita with pace, I’d go for:-

USA
Rosenior
Ingimarsson
Sonko
Shorey
Harper
Bikey
Matejovsky
Hunt
Kebe
Lita


Subs:-

Fed
Murts
Cisse
Long
Kitson

[Jerry St Clair]

GK - Hahnemann

RB - DLC
CB - Ingimarsson
CB - Bikey
LB - Shorey

RW - Kebe
CM - Harper (much as it pains me to persist with him)
CM - Matejovski
LW - Hunt

CF - Kitson
CF - Lita

The irony being that the area of the field where we have the biggest problems (midfield) is also the area where I've made fewest changes. We just don't have many other options in CM particularly.

[Top Flight]

This has to be the team for Boro.......

GK: Hahnemann
RB: Rosenior
LB: Shorey
CB: Sonko
CB: Bikey
RM: Oster
LM: Hunt
CM: Harper
CM: Gunnarsson
CF: Doyle
CF: Long

SUB: Kitson
SUB: Lita
SUB: De La Cruz
SUB: Cisse
SUB: Ingimarsson

--------------------------------------------------

Kebe looks useless........ He is skin and bones.

Matejovsky could be good but he seems a way off the pace at the moment

I don't even know if Bryn is fit but we are missing even him now.....

Cisse & Sonko are useless together. Cisse defended badly against Villa. I said Bikey should have played against Carew. He sorted Carew out last season. If he played on Sunday Villa would have been toothless against us.

Murty aint got the pace or the quality....

Come on Coppell, put the best 11 out. The players have tested your loyalty enough now. You got to do whats right for Reading FC. Not whats right for Murty, Ingimarsson and the other lads who are starting to look seriously out of their depth in the Premier League.

Bikey is the best Centre Back at the club, he has got to start playing. Rosenior is the best right back, he needs to play as well.....

For the first time this season, I am now starting to feel worried about our situation. Now I don't know if we are gonna be alright this year.

Villa are a class side, but we are looking really bad in all areas at the moment. We are not even close to the standards of last season and that is a real shame. We are not solid, we are defensively poor and we are no longer creative.

SIDWELL was an RFC legend....... The best midfield player Reading have ever had. We are sorely missing him right now.....

[Huntley & Palmer]

USA
Murty (seemed to pick up a knock as well at the end of the Villa game, so DLC or Rosenior if not fit)
Ivar
Bikey
Shorey
Hunt
Gunnar
Harper
Kebe/Rosenior (unless he is playing right back)
Kitson
Lita

subs

AFed
Sonko
Cisse
Long
Marek/Oster

[Wycombe Royal]

Hahneman
Rosenior Ingimarsson Sonko Shorey
Doyle Metejovsky Bikey Hunt
Long Lita

Subs: Federici, Kitson, Harper, Kebe, Cisse

[Leamington Royal]

USA

Rosenior Ingi Sonko Shorey

Kebe Bikey Harper Hunt

Marek

Lita

Subs
Fed
Kitson
Cisse
Long
Murty

Rosenior has far more chance of coping with Downing's pace
Bikey in CM will give Harper and especially Marek and the wingers more freedom to support on the break.
Doyle really really needs to be dropped and I for one was very dissappointed to see him picked ahead of Lita yesterday.

If we are going to stay up then we need to start getting some smash and grab points away from home.

[brendywendy]

marcus
rosenior, bikey, ingimarrson/sonko, dela
fae cisse
kebe marek hunt
lita

both full backs out, shiny new ones in
bikey in, cant see why he hasnt played, hes looked great everytimne ive seen him, compared to the rest anyway
cisse and fae to protect our leaky defence, and move the ball to the front
marek behind lita to create, hunt and kebe to try and get a ball over the 1st defender into a box with some attackers in it

[brendywendy]

marcus
rosenior, bikey, ingimarrson/sonko, dela
fae cisse
kebe marek hunt
lita/kitson

both full backs out, shiny new ones in
bikey in, cant see why he hasnt played, hes looked great everytimne ive seen him, compared to the rest anyway
cisse and fae to protect our leaky defence, and move the ball to the front, harps out, needs a kick up the arse
marek behind lita/kitson to create, hunt and kebe to try and get a ball over the 1st defender into a box with some attackers in it

doyle not even on the bench

and can we stop sending both centre backs up for corners-too easy to hit on the break

[Man Friday]

Marcus

(SSC won't drop Marcus and neither would I)

Rosenior Bikey Sonko Shorey

(SSC will go with Inga and Graeme instead. Coppell doesn't take risks like dropping his captain. It just isn't in his make up. )

Kebe Marek Harper Hunt

(SSC won't drop Harper - it just won't happen )

Kitson Lita

(We'll need Kitson's height, so he'll play in spite of a clear issue with his attitude to the game and taking instruction from the bench. )

Agree with this except Duberry for Sonko (esp if Sonko is under ban) and Ingimarsson or Cisse for Harper.

[Archie's penalty]

I would play:

Hahnemann

Rosenior Bikey Ingimarrsson Shorey


Kebe Harper (C?) Matejovsky Hunt


Kitson (C?) Lita


Subs: Doyle, Cisse, De la, Afed, Gunnar

In goal:

I think Hahnemann had a good game on sat.

Regarding our defence:

Rosenior HAS to come in for Murty - too often Murty was
caught out by Villa's quick forwards on the break. Bikey looked good for Cameroon and if we play him then we need the solidity of Ingi or Duberry with him to look out for mistakes (Cisse can still play at CB in future but after sat's performance he needs to be dropped). Shorey HAS to stay in. He is our main creative influence. He needs to beware of people getting beyond him on the break.

As for the midfield:

Imho Oster playing on saturday was the main reason for our negative start and the fact we lost. He miscontrolled the ball, played bad passes and was slow. I used to like him and I'm not fond of knee-jerk reactions but he should NEVER start a premier game for us again. Kebe changed the game when he came on and I like the guy. He allowed an outlet for us on the right, Villa had problems with him and it was no surprise that both Harper and especially Matejovsky played an awful lot better when Kebe came on. This fact alone means I would give Matejovsky another chance against Boro (with Gunnarrsson and Cisse ready to replace him if Boro sweep through us). Hunty was good second half - you can't drop him.

As for the strikers:

Doyle put his heart and soul into the game on saturday but NO-ONE was there to support him when he made runs. He held the ball up against two great centre-backs well. It is no surprise the guy isn't scoring when we are not helping him. I would drop him for the next game but have him as an impact sub. He still has a LOT to give for the club. I think others are letting him down to be honest. Kitson was not the best on saturday (Doyle was better imho) but he helps defend and gives us an outlet. I would thus play Lita as he could just get us the goal that matters. If he doesn't play well Doyle gives us an option from the bench

Ok those are my two cents worth. We are in a right pickle but Coppell needs to be strong and make important decisions. If he makes those we can still stay up.

Oh and one of Harper and Kitson to be captain...

God I needed to get all of that out...

[silas]

Hahnemann
Rosenior Bikey Sonko De La Cruz
Hunt Matejovsky Harper Convey
Lita Kitson

Federici
Ingimarsson
Oster
Doyle
Long

[Archie's penalty]

Hahnemann
Rosenior Bikey Sonko De La Cruz
Hunt Matejovsky Harper Convey
Lita Kitson

Federici
Ingimarsson
Oster
Doyle
Long

Sonko is suspended...

[Huntley & Palmer]

Why is everyone still obsessed with Bikey being a central midfielder, if he was then he would have played there for us on a more regular basis.

[Archie's penalty]

Why is everyone still obsessed with Bikey being a central midfielder, if he was then he would have played there for us on a more regular basis.

Exactly. He was terrible there against Blackburn away...

[Platypuss]

Hahnemann
Rosenior Bikey Sonko De La Cruz
Hunt Matejovsky Harper Convey
Lita Kitson

Federici
Ingimarsson
Oster
Doyle
Long

Sonko is suspended...

I thought a suspension for five yellows kicks in on the 7th day after - he would therefore be free to play on Saturday.

[Huntley & Palmer]

When is Doobs back, we could do with an experienced head like him in the centre currently