Two Teams!

[Glen Little's Nose]

After Tuesday nights win I reckon we have two very good Championship Teams this season;

Hahnemann/Federici

Rosenior/Murty/Kelly
Armstrong/Goldbourne

Sonko/Bikey
Ingi/Bennett/Pearce

Kebe/Henry
Hunt/Convey
Harper/Karacan
Cisse/Marek/Gunnarsson

Doyle/N Hunt
Lita/Long/Mooney

which was roughly where we were last year! A very well balanced squad though.

I would like to think the majority of Fans would not be concerned if any of the above were in the starting XI on Saturday.

[winchester_royal]

After Tuesday nights win I reckon we have two very good Championship Teams this season;

Hahnemann/Federici

Rosenior/Murty/Kelly
Armstrong/Goldbourne

Sonko/Bikey
Ingi/Bennett/Pearce

Kebe/Henry
Hunt/Convey
Harper/Karacan
Cisse/Marek/Gunnarsson

Doyle/N Hunt
Lita/Long/Mooney

which was roughly where we were last year! A very well balanced squad though.

I would like to think the majority of Fans would not be concerned if any of the above were in the starting XI on Saturday.

Completely 'Greed.

[rg6royal]

After Tuesday nights win I reckon we have two very good Championship Teams this season;

Hahnemann/Federici

Rosenior/Murty/Kelly
Armstrong/Goldbourne

Sonko/Bikey
Ingi/Bennett/Pearce

Kebe/Henry
Hunt/Convey
Harper/Karacan
Cisse/Marek/Gunnarsson

Doyle/N Hunt
Lita/Long/Mooney

which was roughly where we were last year! A very well balanced squad though.

I would like to think the majority of Fans would not be concerned if any of the above were in the starting XI on Saturday.

Completely 'Greed.

+1

[brendywendy]

me three

[andrew1957]

After Tuesday nights win I reckon we have two very good Championship Teams this season;

Hahnemann/Federici

Rosenior/Murty/Kelly
Armstrong/Goldbourne

Sonko/Bikey
Ingi/Bennett/Pearce

Kebe/Henry
Hunt/Convey
Harper/Karacan
Cisse/Marek/Gunnarsson

Doyle/N Hunt
Lita/Long/Mooney

which was roughly where we were last year! A very well balanced squad though.

I would like to think the majority of Fans would not be concerned if any of the above were in the starting XI on Saturday.

I totally agree but suggest you now put your tin hat on and wait for a good slagging off from the STG's.

My view is that the "squad" is now much stronger than 2005/6 - all that is lacking is the motivation, organization and consistency that we achieved then. The problem is that it took the 2005/6 team about 4 years to evolve and play the great football they did, so it will be much harder to blend the right team together this time in one season. Nothing is impossible however and we only need 85/90 or so points for outright promotion - not 106.

[PEARCEY]

After Tuesday nights win I reckon we have two very good Championship Teams this season;

Hahnemann/Federici

Rosenior/Murty/Kelly
Armstrong/Goldbourne

Sonko/Bikey
Ingi/Bennett/Pearce

Kebe/Henry
Hunt/Convey
Harper/Karacan
Cisse/Marek/Gunnarsson

Doyle/N Hunt
Lita/Long/Mooney

which was roughly where we were last year! A very well balanced squad though.

I would like to think the majority of Fans would not be concerned if any of the above were in the starting XI on Saturday.

I totally agree but suggest you now put your tin hat on and wait for a good slagging off from the STG's.

My view is that the "squad" is now much stronger than 2005/6 - all that is lacking is the motivation, organization and consistency that we achieved then. The problem is that it took the 2005/6 team about 4 years to evolve and play the great football they did, so it will be much harder to blend the right team together this time in one season. Nothing is impossible however and we only need 85/90 or so points for outright promotion - not 106.

Cant agree that its much stronger Andrew but I do think its now on a par but still unconvinced about the ball winning capabilities or lack of them in midfield. I guess Karacan may prove to be the best longer term bet in the tackling/winning 50/50 balls stakes....but he needs to improve his passing

[Kevin Doyles Right Foot]

Have we signed a new left back called Goldbourne then Is he as good as Golbourne?

[Old Biscuitman]

Have we signed a new left back called Goldbourne then Is he as good as Golbourne?

Back in the Dark Ages, before most on here were born, we had a left back called Goldberg, but he changed his name to Gaunt. Fact.

[YateleyRoyal]

So Doobs doesnt figure in either of your 2 XI's?

Interesting

[Gordons Cumming]

I think they're all a pile of sh*t.

No-hopers

Middle table has-beens.

[RoyalBlue]

After Tuesday nights win I reckon we have two very good Championship Teams this season;

Hahnemann/Federici

Rosenior/Murty/Kelly
Armstrong/Goldbourne

Sonko/Bikey
Ingi/Bennett/Pearce

Kebe/Henry
Hunt/Convey
Harper/Karacan
Cisse/Marek/Gunnarsson

Doyle/N Hunt
Lita/Long/Mooney

which was roughly where we were last year! A very well balanced squad though.

I would like to think the majority of Fans would not be concerned if any of the above were in the starting XI on Saturday.

I totally agree but suggest you now put your tin hat on and wait for a good slagging off from the STG's.

My view is that the "squad" is now much stronger than 2005/6 - all that is lacking is the motivation, organization and consistency that we achieved then.

Oh so we're not missing that much then!!! You RTG's really do deserve the stick you get sometimes. You chose to ignore all of the alarm bells/warning signs last season and repeatedly assured the rest of us that we were panicking without any reason. Now Ego Madejski is repeating the sale of the century we witnessed after the Bolton playoff defeat complete with cut price replacements and still everything in the garden is rosey.

The 'squad' might be stronger in depth but what about the quality?!!! Gone are real quality players like Sidwell, Kitson, Shorey and Little. Other former gems like Convey and Doyle are shadows of their former selves. Then add to that age catching up with some of our other former greats. Would anyone seriously argue that our first choice 16 of 2008/9 would stand a prayer against our first choice 16 from 2005/6?

You can talk about allowing time to evolve and develop as a team but don't forget that earlier this summer Ego Madejski was giving it all his usual big talk about an immediate return to the PL.

[andrew1957]

After Tuesday nights win I reckon we have two very good Championship Teams this season;

Hahnemann/Federici

Rosenior/Murty/Kelly
Armstrong/Goldbourne

Sonko/Bikey
Ingi/Bennett/Pearce

Kebe/Henry
Hunt/Convey
Harper/Karacan
Cisse/Marek/Gunnarsson

Doyle/N Hunt
Lita/Long/Mooney

which was roughly where we were last year! A very well balanced squad though.

I would like to think the majority of Fans would not be concerned if any of the above were in the starting XI on Saturday.

I totally agree but suggest you now put your tin hat on and wait for a good slagging off from the STG's.

My view is that the "squad" is now much stronger than 2005/6 - all that is lacking is the motivation, organization and consistency that we achieved then. The problem is that it took the 2005/6 team about 4 years to evolve and play the great football they did, so it will be much harder to blend the right team together this time in one season. Nothing is impossible however and we only need 85/90 or so points for outright promotion - not 106.

Cant agree that its much stronger Andrew but I do think its now on a par but still unconvinced about the ball winning capabilities or lack of them in midfield. I guess Karacan may prove to be the best longer term bet in the tackling/winning 50/50 balls stakes....but he needs to improve his passing

Then and now

Goalkeeper was USA/Stack now USA/Fed/Andersen/Hamer - stronger
LB- was Shorey/Makin/Golbourne now Armstrong/Golbourne/Kelly - probably weaker
CB - was Ingi/Sonko/Gunnar now Ingi/Sonko/Bikey/Pearce/Duberry/Cisse - def stronger
RB- was Murty/Halls now Rosenior/Murty/Kelly - stronger
LW - was Convey/Hunt now Hunt/Convey/Robson-Kanu - as Hunt has improved - stronger
CM - was Sidwell/Harper/Gunnar now Matejovsky/Harper/Gunnar/Cisse/Karacan - little in it
RW - was Little/Oster - now Kebe/Henry - little in it
Attack was Kitson/Doyle/Lita/Long now Doyle/Lita/Long/Hunt/Mooney - time will tell

Overall much more strength in depth. Before anyone says it I have excluded the inward loan players from 2005/6 as none of them ever started a league game for us and they only made a handful of sub appearances.

[PEARCEY]

Yes I would RB. You have been a bit one-sided in your appraisal.
What about quality signings like Bikey and Matejovsky to counter-balance a loss of a couple of our star acts?? Noel Hunt also looks very promising too.
What about the promise of Pearce and Karacan??
Sure Doyle, Convey, Lita and Harper are out of form at the moment. I would expect some but perhaps not all of them to return to form at some stage though. Besides one of the class acts now no longer with us in Glen Little would not have made much of an impact this season IMO.
I certainly would not go along with Andrew and say this squad is much stronger but it should be a match though....with the exception of central midfield. If we had a box to box central midfielder to add to what we already have I would be happy.

[RoyalBlue]

I totally agree but suggest you now put your tin hat on and wait for a good slagging off from the STG's.

My view is that the "squad" is now much stronger than 2005/6 - all that is lacking is the motivation, organization and consistency that we achieved then. The problem is that it took the 2005/6 team about 4 years to evolve and play the great football they did, so it will be much harder to blend the right team together this time in one season. Nothing is impossible however and we only need 85/90 or so points for outright promotion - not 106.

Cant agree that its much stronger Andrew but I do think its now on a par but still unconvinced about the ball winning capabilities or lack of them in midfield. I guess Karacan may prove to be the best longer term bet in the tackling/winning 50/50 balls stakes....but he needs to improve his passing

Then and now

Goalkeeper was USA/Stack now USA/Fed/Andersen/Hamer - stronger
LB- was Shorey/Makin/Golbourne now Armstrong/Golbourne/Kelly - probably weaker
CB - was Ingi/Sonko/Gunnar now Ingi/Sonko/Bikey/Pearce/Duberry/Cisse - def stronger
RB- was Murty/Halls now Rosenior/Murty/Kelly - stronger
LW - was Convey/Hunt now Hunt/Convey/Robson-Kanu - as Hunt has improved - stronger
CM - was Sidwell/Harper/Gunnar now Matejovsky/Harper/Gunnar/Cisse/Karacan - little in it
RW - was Little/Oster - now Kebe/Henry - little in it
Attack was Kitson/Doyle/Lita/Long now Doyle/Lita/Long/Hunt/Mooney - time will tell

Overall much more strength in depth. Before anyone says it I have excluded the inward loan players from 2005/6 as none of them ever started a league game for us and they only made a handful of sub appearances.

But strength in depth counts for bugger all if you are lacking the true quality needed in your first choice 16. Coppell himself has always stressed how important that quality is, as did many of the RTGs when the miserable barstewards amongst us used to moan about us lacking true strength in depth!! Difference was, we were asking for further true quality backup to our first choice quality 16, not the production of two teams of good/average players.

[moo]

RW - was Little/Oster - now Kebe/Henry - little in it

Can't agree with that... Little/Oster was a much more proven strong side.

[winchester_royal]

RW - was Little/Oster - now Kebe/Henry - little in it

Can't agree with that... Little/Oster was a much more proven strong side.

Proven does not mean better.

Kebe IMO is a quicker version of Little.

[RoyalBlue]

Yes I would RB. You have been a bit one-sided in your appraisal.
What about quality signings like Bikey and Matejovsky to counter-balance a loss of a couple of our star acts?? Noel Hunt also looks very promising too.
What about the promise of Pearce and Karacan??
Sure Doyle, Convey, Lita and Harper are out of form at the moment. I would expect some but perhaps not all of them to return to form at some stage though. Besides one of the class acts now no longer with us in Glen Little would not have made much of an impact this season IMO.
I certainly would not go along with Andrew and say this squad is much stronger but it should be a match though....with the exception of central midfield. If we had a box to box central midfielder to add to what we already have I would be happy.

Glen Little not having much of an impact was the very reason that us STG's have been screaming out for a quality replacement for him for over a year!! But that would cost too much money (in wages, if not transfer fee), of course. Far better we take the 'cheaper option' of throwing away our PL status.

Bikey and Matejovsky are good acquisitions but would you seriously have swapped any of an in-form, fit, Sidwell, Kitson, Shorey or Little for them? And what about the other players we have who are underperforming/past their best by date?

Yes, future promise is great and fingers crossed the youngsters do come good in the future but Madjeski was talking achievement this season. If he, the management and team fail to deliver on that, then he really will reap what he has sown in terms of all his big talk.

[rg6royal]

RW - was Little/Oster - now Kebe/Henry - little in it

Can't agree with that... Little/Oster was a much more proven strong side.

Proven does not mean better.

Kebe IMO is a quicker version of Little.

'greed

Just lacks the final ball at times which Glen would produce. I do believe though that over the course of this season are right hand side will go from strength to strength.

[Xavier Onassis]

You haven't been listening to Streets. Our first eleven is amazing but the rest of the squad is piss poor. Get with the program.

[Blue and White Toucan]

CM - was Sidwell/Harper/Gunnar now Matejovsky/Harper/Gunnar/Cisse/Karacan - little in it

You are having a laugh here. Harper and Sidwell worked together, as it did Gunnar when stepped in most games, that season.

Matejovksy, Cisse are still not proven and Karacan has yet to play against a decent side.

And on another point how on earth can you use Tuesday night against Luton as a yardstick

Look at the games vs Forest and Charlton and open your eyes!!!