I thought we had a MASSIVE squad

[Lord Howe-Howe]

Then why does it feel during these preseason games that the subsitutes are nowhere good enough to be competing for positions. The day Long gets a starting spot on his own merit instead of the poor performances of others I will be in awe. The season we went up we had players who were nearly on par with the starting eleven, now it just seems when we are throwing youth contracts around instead of getting anyone who is proven at this level.

[Ian Royal]

Do you mean the subsitutes like Karacan who scored within 3 minutes of coming on and Hunt who almost scored with his first touch?

[Lord Howe-Howe]

Simon Cox scored against Lyon

[Alan Partridge]

Do you mean the subsitutes like Karacan who scored within 3 minutes of coming on and Hunt who almost scored with his first touch?

You make it sound that Hunt was somewhat unlucky or that it was good play, it was a comedy of errors with a truly abysmal bit of finishing in all honesty.

[Ian Royal]

Do you mean the subsitutes like Karacan who scored within 3 minutes of coming on and Hunt who almost scored with his first touch?

You make it sound that Hunt was somewhat unlucky or that it was good play, it was a comedy of errors with a truly abysmal bit of finishing in all honesty.

Well, the way it was described it sounded pretty impressive. I posted that pretty much straight after that shot.

[TVPRoyal]

Do you mean the subsitutes like Karacan who scored within 3 minutes of coming on and Hunt who almost scored with his first touch?

You make it sound that Hunt was somewhat unlucky or that it was good play, it was a comedy of errors with a truly abysmal bit of finishing in all honesty.

Must say I didn't think it was "truly abysmal" finishing - from where I was sitting in line with action on the Lower West side - Friedel (who was excellent) had narrowed the angle well and Hunt with pretty much his first touch clipped it around Friedel and was a couple of inches away an excellent finish. Maybe my glass is more than "half full" however

[Alan Partridge]

Do you mean the subsitutes like Karacan who scored within 3 minutes of coming on and Hunt who almost scored with his first touch?

You make it sound that Hunt was somewhat unlucky or that it was good play, it was a comedy of errors with a truly abysmal bit of finishing in all honesty.

Must say I didn't think it was "truly abysmal" finishing - from where I was sitting in line with action on the Lower West side - Friedel (who was excellent) had narrowed the angle well and Hunt with pretty much his first touch clipped it around Friedel and was a couple of inches away an excellent finish. Maybe my glass is more than "half full" however

8 yards out, under no pressure with just the keeper to beat, got to score. Technically didn't get it on target, that's poor.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Do you mean the subsitutes like Karacan who scored within 3 minutes of coming on and Hunt who almost scored with his first touch?

You make it sound that Hunt was somewhat unlucky or that it was good play, it was a comedy of errors with a truly abysmal bit of finishing in all honesty.

so we have a player who within about 10 seconds of coming on creates an opening for himself with his first touch, and sees his shot come off the inside of the post with his second, and you are moaning about it being "abysmal play"?

But yes, I can imagine a number of our fans determined to maintain their summer mood, going to the game really looking to pick up the negatives, and moaning at Hunt for missing when everyone else was applauding the move.

Yes, the goal is pretty big, and yes, technically it counts as a shot off target, but the thing is Villa have developed this new tactic called "having a goalkeeper", and it means you have to aim for a much smaller area than the total size of the goal. I think it might catch on.

[Alan Partridge]

He didnt' really carve out an opportunity though did he really? It was a long punt which he and the defender missed, it then bobbled off the defender into his path and he missed a pretty big target while unmarked from 8-10 at most yards out. Reading Fans accepting Mediocrity since 1871.

Other than this one incident I don't remember N Hunt touching the ball, not judging him solely on 15 mins of a friendly or anything just saying what i saw today, and that was a striker missing a great chance. Had that been Lita he'd have been crucified on these boards.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

He didnt' really carve out an opportunity though did he really? It was a long punt which he and the defender missed, it then bobbled off the defender into his path and he missed a pretty big target while unmarked from 8-10 at most yards out. Reading Fans accepting Mediocrity since 1871.

did it? shit, my eyesight really is getting worse.

I saw the replay of the shot though on the screen, and it was a good effort to push it round Friedel, but just an inch or two too far right. You make it sound like he shinned it a yard wide. Hardly "abysmal".

[North Somerset Royal]

We must have a big squad because after the game when asked about Hunts not liking playing at left back SC said on BBCRB that even so he would rather "mix and match from what we have" than replace Shorey with "a big time Charlie"

[brendywendy]

funny that the STGB heard coppell saying that when i definately took from that that there are targets lined up as soon as shorey goes-but we dont want to be stuck with both on our books

agree the squadd looks small-but judging by karacan im not too unhappy.
on the whole way more positives from the game and the gossip than negatives
but i guess thats why im in the RTGB

[Ian Royal]

I actually think our squad is pretty good tbh. It does have a couple of areas where we're lacking, buton the whole there is quite a lot of strength in depth.

GK: Hahnemann & Federici - probably better than last time we were here. Fed has improved a bit, USA is about the same as ever
RB: Murty & Rosenior - probably a touch stronger than last time. Murts is older but will have learnt a lot in the prem. If Rosenior can sort out his passing he could be very good.
LB: *cough* less said the better right now.
CB: Bikey, Ingimarsson, Duberry, Sonko, Pearce, Cisse - Way stronger than before.
RM: Kebe & Henry - significantly weaker, but if Kebe can replicate his preseason form then not too bad.
LM: Convey & Hunt - about the same. Bobby is less reliable, but to counter that Hunt is a much improved player.
CM: Harper, Matejovsky, Cisse, Bikey, Gunnarsson & Karacan - about the same, more players but Gunna and Cisse have big question marks and Bikey's more of a defender.
ST: Doyle, Lita, Hunt, Long - a bit less good. Long is better, but Hunt is not likely to be up to Kits standard.

[North Somerset Royal]

funny that the STGB heard coppell saying that when i definately took from that that there are targets lined up as soon as shorey goes-but we dont want to be stuck with both on our books

agree the squadd looks small-but judging by karacan im not too unhappy.
on the whole way more positives from the game and the gossip than negatives
but i guess thats why im in the RTGB

Well as usual SC included enough contradictory statements to satisfy all. For example at the beginning when talking about Shorey he said that we dont need to sell but would not want to keep an unhappy player. By contrast when it was put to him that Hunt is unhappy at left back he said well if we have to have an unhappy player so be it.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

funny that the STGB heard coppell saying that when i definately took from that that there are targets lined up as soon as shorey goes-but we dont want to be stuck with both on our books

agree the squadd looks small-but judging by karacan im not too unhappy.
on the whole way more positives from the game and the gossip than negatives
but i guess thats why im in the RTGB

Well as usual SC included enough contradictory statements to satisfy all. For example at the beginning when talking about Shorey he said that we dont need to sell but would not want to keep an unhappy player. By contrast when it was put to him that Hunt is unhappy at left back he said well if we have to have an unhappy player so be it.

Not really contradictory unless you take the statements out of context.

We don't need to sell players from a financial point of view, so the point was that even if a player wants to leave, and we've decided to let the player leave, we aren't going to let him go unless we get what we consider a fair price.

As for Hunt being unhappy, he was unhappy about playing left back as he'd rather play left wing, as opposed to Shorey, who is just unhappy about be at Reading.

[North Somerset Royal]

Ah the classic RTGB defence of "out of context" to explain away critical in depth analysis exposing a collection of meaningless sound bites designed to disguise the grim reality. Pity Coppell isnt playing Mornington Crescent. He would get home every time.

[brendywendy]

bet you a tenner we replace shorey if he goes.

[Royalee]

bet you a tenner we replace shorey if he goes.

I bet you a tenner the replacement is shit.

[Dirk Gently]

bet you a tenner we replace shorey if he goes.

I bet you a tenner the replacement is shit.

That's a given, in comparison with NS - unless you want us as a CCC club to miraculously find someone who is better than the player who was an England international 12 months ago.

[cmonurz]

bet you a tenner we replace shorey if he goes.

Within this transfer window?