Villa Game

[Bluey]

So there you go, Sportinglife says ' Shorey move is imminent ', back to the Prem within days, can't come quick enough, now we'll get more possesion and I won't have to cringe everytime he walks towards the corner spot. Lets hope a new blood LB is on the cards, out with the deadwood and in with the new.
Get behind the lads and help them to a memorable season.

' GO HARD YOU ROYALS '

[rg6royal]

I think N Hunt may well prove a few of his doubters wrong this season.

He finds the space before the ball, all we need is someone that can give it to him. RIP Glen Little

Matejovski and Karacan.

Karacan today seems to have proved he has vision as well as able to track back and tackle.

Something what Haper doesn't do enough...But I wouldn't take Harps out the team. Would love to see Karacan getting in the team alot next season though.

[Friday's Child]

Karacan seems highly rated by all, Coppell included judging by his interview on the Villa game. Millwall fans compared his game to Tim Cahill, but with better passing but less heading ability.

As things stand today, I would take that.

[bootboy]

Great to see the young players play today. Karacan impressed and surely showed us a glimpse of what the young lads can do if given enought of an opportunity and time on the pitch to grow into the game. Henry, not given enough pitch time to show what he can do, did attack his full back and cross well with the one opportunity he had. Good corner take too. Pearce was assured when he came on winning several headers and looking confident on the ball, but like Henry did not have enough time. Kelly not really tested, but looked confident, perhaps needs regular reserve team football or a loan now to progress his game. Overall encouraging to see them being capable to challenge.

[Drew_3]

very much a training ground exercise yesterday.

kebe has done nothing to make me believe he has learned how to play football over the summer!

Doobs still gets too close to his man, or worse the wrong side of him, fouls far to much (alot of it was not picked up yesterday with it only being a friendly)that said he does have a wiley old pro's head the way he can draw a foul or make the most of a situation like when herewood pushed him!

Karacan for me was a delight to watch he only showed glipses of what i think he is capable of, but as a few have said on here he looked like a young sidders for spells of the game, good vision, not afraid to tackle. nice to see a young lad get the chance, i know he is turkish but does anyone know if that is a result of decendency i only ask because i want to know if he is a local lad?

hunt proved he is no left back and if shorey leaves he needs to be replace quick smart!

[Basingstoke Royal]

An attendance of 7000?

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PLASTICS GONE? And before you ask -I had a ticket but sold it to a friend as am poorly in bed

Remember when we used to sell out for the friendlies

Sounds to me like most of the plastics are here.

I cannot understand why our 'supporters' didnt show up today - apart from the 7,000 real ones.

Good performance. Really impressed with Kebe, Lita and Karacan. Worst game I have seen from Convey.

Lita ran Curtis Davies ragged and Championship defences are going to have a torrid time this year.

Looking forward to the new season!

[Bowman's Quiver]

An attendance of 7000?

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PLASTICS GONE? And before you ask -I had a ticket but sold it to a friend as am poorly in bed

Remember when we used to sell out for the friendlies

Sounds to me like most of the plastics are here.

I cannot understand why our 'supporters' didnt show up today - apart from the 7,000 real ones.

Tosh!

I've yet to go to a friendly (aka a glorified training session) in 35 years of supporting Reading. It doesn't make me a better or worse supporter than anyone else for not doing so.

FYI, Paul Black doesn't do friendlies either. Does that make him a "plastic"?

[From Despair To Where?]

An attendance of 7000?

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PLASTICS GONE? And before you ask -I had a ticket but sold it to a friend as am poorly in bed

Remember when we used to sell out for the friendlies

Sounds to me like most of the plastics are here.

I cannot understand why our 'supporters' didnt show up today - apart from the 7,000 real ones.

I can, it's a pre season friendly FFS. It has negligible import or relevance to what is going to happen over the next 9 months. Supporting the team over the course of the season is an expensive enough business without pissing away good money on a glorified training session designed largely as a marketing device to show off the new kit.

[EastStandRoyal]

Completely agree with the previous two comments, I think its very unfair to say the 7,000 who turned up yesterday were only the "real" fans. I'd rather save my money from yesterday and spend it on the Dag & Red match in 10 days time.

[Jerry St Clair]

I cannot understand why our 'supporters' didnt show up today - apart from the 7,000 real ones.

Au contraire. I don't understand why anyone would want to hand over their hard-earned, on a precious day off work to watch a training session.

Mowing the lawn > pre-season friendlies.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

I cannot understand why our 'supporters' didnt show up today - apart from the 7,000 real ones.

Au contraire. I don't understand why anyone would want to hand over their hard-earned, on a precious day off work to watch a training session.

Mowing the lawn > pre-season friendlies.

This friendly wouldn't of happened if we kept ourselves in the Premier League.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

I cannot understand why our 'supporters' didnt show up today - apart from the 7,000 real ones.

Au contraire. I don't understand why anyone would want to hand over their hard-earned, on a precious day off work to watch a training session.

Mowing the lawn > pre-season friendlies.

One of the good things about pre-season friendlies is the chance to see teams you don't usually play, and maybe go to grounds that you don't normally go to. That fact that we'd played Villa 4 times in two years is probably why the crowd was so crap. I think that might be the lowest ever crowd at the madejski for a friendly.

Treat a friendly as a social thing - a bit of day out, with a bit of football thrown in, and it can be quite pleasant. If you go just for the football and want something to get your pulse racing, then yes, friendlies are a load of crap.

[RoyalBlue]

An attendance of 7000?

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PLASTICS GONE? And before you ask -I had a ticket but sold it to a friend as am poorly in bed

Remember when we used to sell out for the friendlies

Sounds to me like most of the plastics are here.

I cannot understand why our 'supporters' didnt show up today - apart from the 7,000 real ones.

Tosh!

I've yet to go to a friendly (aka a glorified training session) in 35 years of supporting Reading. It doesn't make me a better or worse supporter than anyone else for not doing so.

FYI, Paul Black doesn't do friendlies either. Does that make him a "plastic"?

Agreed. I used to go to friendlies but then realised what a waste of time and money it was. Enough of my hard earned cash finds its way into the club's coffers without paying to attend a glorified training session.

A couple of decent signings to offer evidence of the 'real ambition' that Madejski and Howe spout on about, as opposed to speculation of who next from our quality stars is out of the door in return for another massive lump of cash into the bank account, might have increased the gate.

[Royal Lady]

I didn't hear it, but Schards said the North East corner were booing Sonko - can anyone confirm this and perhaps explain why?

[Alan Partridge]

I didn't hear it, but Schards said the North East corner were booing Sonko - can anyone confirm this and perhaps explain why?

I haeard that too, If I had to hazard a guess it would probably have something to do with SOnko on the back of one of the worst seasons from a Premiership player ever refusing to play a game for our reserves.

[brendywendy]

Sat in the ne corner i did not hear any boos. Thought he and doobs and ivar looked good.kebe and convey were decent.karacan looks good enough.strikers looked good. even harps made 3 tackles!and we carved alot of very good.chances Good game.enjoyed being back.bring on forest and our new lb.

[LoyalRoyal22]

It all sounds positive. I really hope this karacan is a decent as he sounds. Cant wait till the Forest game.

[rhroyal]

An attendance of 7000?

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PLASTICS GONE? And before you ask -I had a ticket but sold it to a friend as am poorly in bed

Remember when we used to sell out for the friendlies

People are saving their money for games that matter as opposed to spending on seeing a big Premiership in a meaningless friendly instead. That doesn't sound like plastic behaviour to me.....

[rhroyal]

Karacan seems highly rated by all, Coppell included judging by his interview on the Villa game. Millwall fans compared his game to Tim Cahill, but with better passing but less heading ability.

As things stand today, I would take that.

I think anybody in their right mind would.

[rfc58]

I agree with the comment that the crowd would have been more sizable if we'd have had "quality new signings" to view instead of a new shirt sponsor.