Marek Pleased With Coppell Staying

[rg6royal]

I am not certain marek will be with us next season

i mean the guy is going to be playing at euro 2008 and will prob start in place of rosicky.

we all know what he is capable of and if he does shine, sure a few clubs will come in for him

He will be with us next season.

[Ian Royal]

Czech Republic seem to have plenty of midfield options and are under a fair amount of pressure to do well. If they perform badly or someone else stakes a bigger claim on the place he could be over looked quite easily.

They also have a newish striker coming through I think which could easily distract attention.

[PremAddict]

Just saw this post. If Marek does do well, it will be considered a "shock". Frankly I know how good he is and would appreciate it if he got missed somehow.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... 13&cc=5901

Czech Republic facing up to a midfield minefield

Updated: June 2, 2008, 7:03 AM ET

VIENNA, June 2 (Reuters) - Czech Republic go into Euro 2008 without the main midfield ingredients that have given the team a stylish flavour at previous championships.


Captain and playmaker Tomas Rosicky will miss the trip to Austria and Switzerland through injury while their golden group, including mainstays for over a decade such as Pavel Nedved and Karel Poborsky, have retired from the international stage.


Next to the flair of a midfield that used to feature a former European Player of the Year and others who plied their trade at some of the world's top clubs, those trying to fill their shoes at this tournament are distinctly ordinary.

Coach Karel Brueckner has deemed 27-year-old Rosicky to be irreplaceable but the team are nevertheless going to have to find a way of plugging the gap.

'There is no replacement (for Rosicky),' Czech sports Web site sport.cz quoted Brueckner as saying.

The coach seems likely to adopt a more defensive approach, possibly by using a five-man defence and a lone striker.

'It seems we will play three central defenders,' he said.

He has hinted that lofty 35-year-old Jan Koller could play up front, with Milan Baros dropping back to a supporting role on the left.

'The fact that I could use him (on the left) ... is nothing unusual,' Brueckner said of Baros. 'Today nobody plays two out-and-out strikers anymore. And for Milan this role is no worse or more exacting.'

Whereas the Czechs previous regular midfielders played for big clubs like Juventus and Manchester United, the current crop turn out for less glamorous teams.

Marek Matejovksy is at Reading, who were relegated from the English Premier League last season, Libor Sionko plays for FC Copenhagen, Jan Polak is with Anderlecht and 35-year-old defensive midfielder Tomas Galasek wears Nuremberg's colours.

Nedved, Poborsky, Vladimir Smicer and Patrik Berger were regulars during a golden age for Czech players who enthralled the fans and put themselves on the best clubs' shopping lists with their Euro '96 performances.

Several of the team that reached the final in England that year were still in the side that became favourites to win the title four years ago in Portugal before a Greek 'silver goal' ended their hopes in the semi-finals.

Nedved and Poborsky were still directing the midfield at the 2006 World Cup in Germany before they decided to make way for a new generation. Media rumours of a possible comeback by Nedved in Rosicky's absence came to nothing.

Brueckner has been criticised in the media for not allowing young players to break into the team, preferring instead to stick with tried and tested but sometimes unremarkable players.

One big source of comfort while the Czechs try to resolve their midfield conundrum is that in Petr Cech they have one of the world's best goalkeepers.

Czech Republic kick off their Euro 2008 campaign against co-hosts Switzerland in the tournament opener on June 7 and are joined in Group A by Portugal and Turkey.

[PremAddict]

Happy to hear it Seahawk. Your positivity on here lightened up the darkest times of last season. One question though. Where are you going to watch the matches next season? It's gonne be more difficult for all of us who can't get to games all the time but it's a little different for our US fans...

That's a tough one. I have a subscription to Setanta Broadband. They show CCC games on there but with more teams and only a handful of games per week reading will not always be featured. So I am hoping to watch maybe 15-20 games next year including cup ties. And even though that seems like a low total, I just have to imagine what it was like being a supporter in the 1990's and back. There wasn't the flood of games on the TV or Interweb back then. How did everyone follow the club? They read about it and listened to the radio. Well, I can do those things now. So I will read the Post and official website online, listen to BBCRB and read on Hobnob. It's not all that bad. I should finally break down and subscribe to Reading World as well to get archived highlights and such.

Now let me ask you guys, how many games will be on TV if you live in Reading and have all the Sky/Setanta subscriptions? Are you able to watch nearly every game on TV? In the States they sell these packages for MLB, NFL and NBA where you can get almost every game on TV on what's called a 'Season Ticket'. The only times you wouldn't see a game is when it is blacked out (no tv coverage) in the area you live. Is something similar available in the UK? Can you get a subscription to watch all the CCC games you like? Or get one to watch all the Prem games you like? Or are you still limited to whatever the network that holds the contract elects to show?

Seahawk, do you think you'll see even 15? In the promotion year, I think I caught all of about 10 matches on Setanta - hopefully the coverage has gotten better in the last two years (I haven't been paying too close attention! ). Looking for highlights on the FL Review is sketchy as they cover all divisions in 1 hour so it's a review in the loosest sense. So I ended up getting a world subscription. The video files have improved quite a bit.

Regardless, just as you, if I have to listen online, use the likes of Sopcast, and pray for the odd game on Setanta, I'll do it.

I'm hooked too.

Signed,

Plastic Royal from Denver.

PS - Everton are here playing the Rapids on August 3rd. I'll go just to try to give AJ some grief.

[papereyes]

Libor Sionko, btw, looks pretty decent.

[chandog]

Good news.

It also says a lot about our squad that, despite only recently learning English, he is our second most eloquent player.

Bikeys first

[Royalshow]

Good news.

It also says a lot about our squad that, despite only recently learning English, he is our second most eloquent player.

Bikeys first

Economics should take priority

[seahawk10]

Seahawk, do you think you'll see even 15? In the promotion year, I think I caught all of about 10 matches on Setanta - hopefully the coverage has gotten better in the last two years (I haven't been paying too close attention! ). Looking for highlights on the FL Review is sketchy as they cover all divisions in 1 hour so it's a review in the loosest sense. So I ended up getting a world subscription. The video files have improved quite a bit.

Regardless, just as you, if I have to listen online, use the likes of Sopcast, and pray for the odd game on Setanta, I'll do it.

I'm hooked too.

Signed,

Plastic Royal from Denver.

PS - Everton are here playing the Rapids on August 3rd. I'll go just to try to give AJ some grief.

Good info Denver. I am hoping it gets bumped up a bit due to us having a higher profile now. We shall see, I think a Reading World sub is in the offing then. The cool thing about Setanta Broadband, as opposed to Setanta on your cable subscription, is that they archive contests. Even now I can go back and watch games from our run in which is nice. (Aside from the results that is. )

I am still wondering if us being able to watch 10-15 games is that much different than a UK Reading fan? Apart from their ability to actually get to the MadStad how much coverage is available for CCC games? Can you buy a package that will get you all Reading games?

[chandog]

Good news.

It also says a lot about our squad that, despite only recently learning English, he is our second most eloquent player.

Bikeys first

Economics should take priority

Yes indeed
Supply and demand v hob nob

[Archie's penalty]

Seahawk, do you think you'll see even 15? In the promotion year, I think I caught all of about 10 matches on Setanta - hopefully the coverage has gotten better in the last two years (I haven't been paying too close attention! ). Looking for highlights on the FL Review is sketchy as they cover all divisions in 1 hour so it's a review in the loosest sense. So I ended up getting a world subscription. The video files have improved quite a bit.

Regardless, just as you, if I have to listen online, use the likes of Sopcast, and pray for the odd game on Setanta, I'll do it.

I'm hooked too.

Signed,

Plastic Royal from Denver.

PS - Everton are here playing the Rapids on August 3rd. I'll go just to try to give AJ some grief.

Good info Denver. I am hoping it gets bumped up a bit due to us having a higher profile now. We shall see, I think a Reading World sub is in the offing then. The cool thing about Setanta Broadband, as opposed to Setanta on your cable subscription, is that they archive contests. Even now I can go back and watch games from our run in which is nice. (Aside from the results that is. )

I am still wondering if us being able to watch 10-15 games is that much different than a UK Reading fan? Apart from their ability to actually get to the MadStad how much coverage is available for CCC games? Can you buy a package that will get you all Reading games?

Hi Seahawk. The way it works in England is nothing like what it is in the States.

In the promotion season there were about 8 games live on telivision. For the other games it was the highlight reel. One could watch the Championship review on Sky which would show a bit of highlights if it was a featured match but other than that just the goals.

The life of a Championship fan is much slower and less media based than the life of a premiership fan. HTH.

[seahawk10]

Seahawk, do you think you'll see even 15? In the promotion year, I think I caught all of about 10 matches on Setanta - hopefully the coverage has gotten better in the last two years (I haven't been paying too close attention! ). Looking for highlights on the FL Review is sketchy as they cover all divisions in 1 hour so it's a review in the loosest sense. So I ended up getting a world subscription. The video files have improved quite a bit.

Regardless, just as you, if I have to listen online, use the likes of Sopcast, and pray for the odd game on Setanta, I'll do it.

I'm hooked too.

Signed,

Plastic Royal from Denver.

PS - Everton are here playing the Rapids on August 3rd. I'll go just to try to give AJ some grief.

Good info Denver. I am hoping it gets bumped up a bit due to us having a higher profile now. We shall see, I think a Reading World sub is in the offing then. The cool thing about Setanta Broadband, as opposed to Setanta on your cable subscription, is that they archive contests. Even now I can go back and watch games from our run in which is nice. (Aside from the results that is. )

I am still wondering if us being able to watch 10-15 games is that much different than a UK Reading fan? Apart from their ability to actually get to the MadStad how much coverage is available for CCC games? Can you buy a package that will get you all Reading games?

Hi Seahawk. The way it works in England is nothing like what it is in the States.

In the promotion season there were about 8 games live on telivision. For the other games it was the highlight reel. One could watch the Championship review on Sky which would show a bit of highlights if it was a featured match but other than that just the goals.

The life of a Championship fan is much slower and less media based than the life of a premiership fan. HTH.

Thanks Archie! So we are all in the same boat then, fair enough. I am not sure who is in charge of these things, but this seems like a wasted opportunity to me. I bet this changes within the decade. I can picture a time when you could your team's on the tele for a yearly fee no matter which division they were in.

[loyalroyal4life]

I am not certain marek will be with us next season

i mean the guy is going to be playing at euro 2008 and will prob start in place of rosicky.

we all know what he is capable of and if he does shine, sure a few clubs will come in for him

He will be with us next season.

Hope so!!

[Southbank Old Boy]

Thanks Archie! So we are all in the same boat then, fair enough. I am not sure who is in charge of these things, but this seems like a wasted opportunity to me. I bet this changes within the decade. I can picture a time when you could your team's on the tele for a yearly fee no matter which division they were in.

Never say never, but there just isn't that much demand outside of the Premiership and you have to remember out sports are run slightly differently over here. We have on big pyramid system and not just a small elite split into regional groups which I think means our support is more localised and less media driven.

I might be mis-reading the amount of coverage and exposure the likes of your minor league baseball gets, but that's almost a better comparison to football outside of the Premiership.

[Archie's penalty]

Thanks Archie! So we are all in the same boat then, fair enough. I am not sure who is in charge of these things, but this seems like a wasted opportunity to me. I bet this changes within the decade. I can picture a time when you could your team's on the tele for a yearly fee no matter which division they were in.

Never say never, but there just isn't that much demand outside of the Premiership and you have to remember out sports are run slightly differently over here. We have on big pyramid system and not just a small elite split into regional groups which I think means our support is more localised and less media driven.

I might be mis-reading the amount of coverage and exposure the likes of your minor league baseball gets, but that's almost a better comparison to football outside of the Premiership.

I'd pretty much agree with that Southbank, Have family in the states and so I know how the system works. Your comparison of minor league baseball is probably about right regarding League 2. I do think the championship has enough interest for something akin to what Seahawk has suggested to happen in the future...

[Arch]

Thanks Archie! So we are all in the same boat then, fair enough. I am not sure who is in charge of these things, but this seems like a wasted opportunity to me. I bet this changes within the decade. I can picture a time when you could your team's on the tele for a yearly fee no matter which division they were in.

Never say never, but there just isn't that much demand outside of the Premiership and you have to remember out sports are run slightly differently over here. We have on big pyramid system and not just a small elite split into regional groups which I think means our support is more localised and less media driven.

I might be mis-reading the amount of coverage and exposure the likes of your minor league baseball gets, but that's almost a better comparison to football outside of the Premiership.

Except in some fairly major-league sport deprived areas, minor league baseball is almost exclusively on radio. I think the web broadcast MiLB TV may be changing that.

[Southbank Old Boy]

Thanks Archie! So we are all in the same boat then, fair enough. I am not sure who is in charge of these things, but this seems like a wasted opportunity to me. I bet this changes within the decade. I can picture a time when you could your team's on the tele for a yearly fee no matter which division they were in.

Never say never, but there just isn't that much demand outside of the Premiership and you have to remember out sports are run slightly differently over here. We have on big pyramid system and not just a small elite split into regional groups which I think means our support is more localised and less media driven.

I might be mis-reading the amount of coverage and exposure the likes of your minor league baseball gets, but that's almost a better comparison to football outside of the Premiership.

Except in some fairly major-league sport deprived areas, minor league baseball is almost exclusively on radio. I think the web broadcast MiLB TV may be changing that.

I think that's kind of what I was getting at.

Apart from a few games a season the lower leagues just aren't on TV apart from to show the goals. Sky have changed that a little over the last few seasons, so I might be exaggerating the point a little, but basically lower league football is only live on the radio with local tv stations showing goals and interviews.