Is Bikey on his bikey?

[PEARCEY]

i think 2.5 million for the best prospect weve ever had at CB IMO is a frickin piss take

Agree and whats the point having more money in the bank and getting rid of the one centre half the club has who can cut it in the Prem...just in case we do go up.

[JC]

Is there any significance in the fact that the club have suddenly recalled Pearce from Southampton when they had already announced an extension to his loan. I find it difficult to believe the OS version that he is needed for the FA Cup game.

[SCIAG]

£8m, min. Thanks.

[Factfinder]

Is there any significance in the fact that the club have suddenly recalled Pearce from Southampton when they had already announced an extension to his loan? I find it difficult to believe the OS version that he is needed for the FA Cup game.

Huge significance ~ probably.

[Woodcote Royal]

Note the use of the word "rarely".

That goal had nothing to do with lack of pace either.Ingimarsson mistimed a tackle and Duberry backed off. A mistake obviously but you talk as if Bikey has been totally faultless. Before getting himself sent off against Cardiff he was hardly perfect and frankly getting a bit of a runaround. Not knocking him of course as i think at his best he's the best we've got but its not always that simple and straightforward especially with someone as temperamental as he can be.

The stats quoted still point that there is very little difference between when Bikey plays and when he doesn't from a defensive standpoint and given that there is just the solitary goal extra scored i'm not sure theres any conclusive proof that its only because we dont attack as much with Duberry & Ingimarrsson that they have a comparative defensive record.

All I'm saying is I can understand why keeping continuity whilst bedding in a new keeper makes sense to Coppell. But then i don't see everything as black & white as you do obviously.

I agree that these things are rarely black and white but it just isn't true that Brums goal had nothing to do with pace.

I'm sure you know enough about this game to know why defenders back off.............................to give themselves an extra yard or two to react, especially when they know they won't be able to catch the striker they're up against if he goes past them.

Even against 34 year old Phillips, this is how Ingimarrson and Duberry have to play.

There's no way that Bikey (or Sonko before his injury) would have given Phillips, a striker 10 years his senior, the same amount of space because he knows he doesn't need to.

I also agree that the stats for goals for and against here are inconclusive, but being vulnerable to pace does effect a teams confidence going forward and I thinks it no coincidence that the opposition has had the upper hand for much of the last 2 games, with us having to come from behind to get a point...........................I really do hope that Bikey is not on his way.

[Mr Angry]

Bikey at times seemed to believe his own hype; so he has tried to be clever and has got caught out.

At times, he is a liability.

IF he defends simply, and concentrates for the whole 90 mins, then he is our best CB.

Doobs generally doesn't muck about - if in doubt, stick it in row Z. Sure, its not as exciting as doing a dummy on the edge of our area as last man, nutmegging the on-rushing opposing striker than hitting a 60 yard diagonal pass, but to be honest, I don't want my CB's doing that thank you very much!!!

If Bikey goes in jan, I would be pretty disappointed with him; lets not forget that SSC rescued him from his "hell" in Moscow, that he got a red card for violent conduct in his first trial game in Sweden and no-one would have blamed SSC for saying no thanks - then he starts to play Billy Big B*ll*cks with all the "I don't want to play in the Championship" cr*p. NONE of our players do, but most of them know that they have a good chance of getting back to the Prem by staying with Reading.

Knuckle down Bikey, and play for the team rather than for yourself!

[Southbank Old Boy]

I'm sure you know enough about this game to know why defenders back off.............................to give themselves an extra yard or two to react, especially when they know they won't be able to catch the striker they're up against if he goes past them.

Even against 34 year old Phillips, this is how Ingimarrson and Duberry have to play.

I don't think Duberry backing off was anything to do with pace, or lack of

Duberry can keep up with Phillips, what caused him to back off was the way the move had panned out and the movement off the ball by the other Brum forward

Because Ivar had dived in, again not due to lack of pace but because he felt he could win the ball, there was a bigger gap for Phillips to move into and he had more time than he should to get the ball under and pick his next move, ie the pass, to work a shooting opportunity or to take Duberry on

As it worked out he spanked it in from the best part of 30 yards. In hindsight perhaps Doobs should've closed him down, but I think the chances on Phillips scoring from where he did are greater than the odds of the runner getting a better scoring chance is Doobs had committed himself and left a bigger gap behind him for Phillips to pick his team mate out

[Gordons Cumming]

Billy Big B*ll*cks

[Woodcote Royal]

I'm sure you know enough about this game to know why defenders back off.............................to give themselves an extra yard or two to react, especially when they know they won't be able to catch the striker they're up against if he goes past them.

Even against 34 year old Phillips, this is how Ingimarrson and Duberry have to play.

I don't think Duberry backing off was anything to do with pace, or lack of

Duberry can keep up with Phillips, what caused him to back off was the way the move had panned out and the movement off the ball by the other Brum forward

Because Ivar had dived in, again not due to lack of pace but because he felt he could win the ball, there was a bigger gap for Phillips to move into and he had more time than he should to get the ball under and pick his next move, ie the pass, to work a shooting opportunity or to take Duberry on

As it worked out he spanked it in from the best part of 30 yards. In hindsight perhaps Doobs should've closed him down, but I think the chances on Phillips scoring from where he did are greater than the odds of the runner getting a better scoring chance is Doobs had committed himself and left a bigger gap behind him for Phillips to pick his team mate out

Neither Duberry nor Ingimarsson can keep up with Phillips let alone the vast majority of much younger strikers, even at this level, whereas Bikey can.

Once Ivar missed his tackle he was out of the game and Doobs was on his own . Again, Bikey's extra pace would have given him a fighting chance of getting back.

Slower defenders have no choice but to make allowances for their handicap, and experience can help a great deal, but having 2 slow centre halves in the same team puts the back line at a serious dis-advantage, especially at the higher levels of the game.

[Southbank Old Boy]

Neither Duberry nor Ingimarsson can keep up with Phillips let alone the vast majority of much younger strikers, even at this level, whereas Bikey can.

They're not the quickest, but I'm pretty sure Phillips didn't out pace them once

I can see the merit to having Bikey and his pace in the back four, but your exaggeration of their lack of pace really doesnt add any weight to your arguement

[Woodcote Royal]

I'm not exagerating.

On the one occasion we were left exposed Philips made it count as Duberry failed to close him down.

I'm not suggesting that Bikey is perfect, just that one centre half needs to have some pace.

[Alan Partridge]

Well Reading haven't lost since Ivar and Duberry became the regular 2 and Coppell has just got manager of the month. so they must be doing something right.

[Southbank Old Boy]

I'm not exagerating.

On the one occasion we were left exposed Philips made it count as Duberry failed to close him down.

I'm not suggesting that Bikey is perfect, just that one centre half needs to have some pace.

That one occassion was not Phillps out pacing either of the two centre backs though

[Alan Partridge]

Duberry's backing off was nothing to do with pace, he wasn't afraid of Phillips going around him. In all honesty it was a misjudgement. He wanted him to shoot. Shoot from outside the box? Yeah go for it mate, sooner have that than you beating me from an over enthusiastic challenge and getting into the box, it was a very good hit that would rarely be hit as sweet in all honesty.

One thing I've noticed recently is Ivar panicking in posession. Not saying he's ever been Franco Baresi but in recent weeks he's been woeful in posession, whereas in previous years he's been better than he's shown.