Wycombe RoyalpapereyesWycombe Royal THe thing that annoyed me most about our play last season was our tendancy to hit long balls to Kitson whenever he was on the pitch, and when he wasn't we generally kept the passes shorter and on the ground. I know which style of play I prefer to watch.
It is also a style that is more likely to be successful. If you can get it right.
Is it? West Brom were not a long ballside, and neither were Hull or Bristol City.
It is a style that is good if you are just an average team with big strong players but is awful to watch.
I'd much prefer us to go back to playing 442 with traditional wingers and getting the ball out wide at every opportunity and breaking with pace. IF you can get that working you will win most matches as we proved 3 seasons ago.
Totally agree with you-in your earlier post you spoke of the way we played in 2005 that would be the season when we had the tall Kitson as a central striker and two wingers in Little and Convey plus two Premiership groomed central midfielders in Sidwell and Harper.
If you have ever read any of my posts in the past you would know that I am all for the passing game and regularly criticised the long-ball game last season which we played whether Kitson was in the team or not.
My fear is that with the same coaching staff we will play long-ball again this season and that is the main reason why Harper will go because like you ,me and many others he is fed up with it.
Good luck to Hunt who will receive our support as a Reading player but in a side which lacks physical presence in most areas of the team I fear that we will greatly miss Kitson's strength at both ends of the pitch.