Well done Leroy

[Alan Partridge]

Not going to read the whole thread because there will be inflated opinions all over the place both pro and against.

All IMO of course

Lita is just a better player and better goalscorer than Long, for that alone I'd rather have him as the 3rd choice putting pressure on the front two and as we saw the other day perfectly capable of coming off the bench to have an impact in the game. It was absolutely freezing friday, game was going through the motions, Reading scored 2 neat goals in no time. So it's 3-0 game over, but the intorduction of Lita still gave the crowd a buzz and a lift that Long isn't capable of doing. The sheer presence of having Lita back got that anticipation factor up again and made his goal which would normally not matter much, meaningful.

The arguement has always been that Long offes more as sub, I don't believe this to be true in all honesty. Lita hasn't regularly been used in that role, ever yet has still managed to score on those rare occassions as sub. If the team can create chances, Lita will put them away more than Long will IMO. He did miss that header but he didn't shirk, didn't get annoyed with himself, his teammates or anyone, he was ready for the next one, and scored.

If we have a fit, firing, hungry and determined Lita from now until the end of the season who is happy trying to force his way into the team but happy putting in sub cameo's then we don't need anyone else. Lita is still young, he's still improving and he can do it for this club.

Welcome back Leroy, keep it going!

[SLAMMED]

He says himself he has come back a much more mature player, and he doesnt plan to go anywhere at the moment.

[West Stand Man]

He says himself he has come back a much more mature player, and he doesnt plan to go anywhere at the moment.

..but not that he plans to sign a contract extension to stay beyond the summer.

[readingbedding]

I wouldn't sign anything either, the last couple of years has hardly been a great time for Lita's footballing career with Reading has it.
He's just keeping his options open, which is fair enough.

[Alan Partridge]

I wouldn't sign anything either, the last couple of years has hardly been a great time for Lita's footballing career with Reading has it.
He's just keeping his options open, which is fair enough.

Agreed

I am amazed at those intent at putting a 24 year old with a proven goalscoring track record on the scrapheap. As for the couple of posts I read criticising him celebrating a goal just that's really scraping the barrell!

Fingers x'd Lita has come back a more mature player/person who just wants to get on with things and help the club out. Time will tell but early signs are there.

[loyalroyal4life]

I wouldn't sign anything either, the last couple of years has hardly been a great time for Lita's footballing career with Reading has it.
He's just keeping his options open, which is fair enough.

Agreed

I am amazed at those intent at putting a 24 year old with a proven goalscoring track record on the scrapheap. As for the couple of posts I read criticising him celebrating a goal just that's really scraping the barrell!

Fingers x'd Lita has come back a more mature player/person who just wants to get on with things and help the club out. Time will tell but early signs are there.

Agreed cant see how anyone can say Lita doesnt merit at least being our 'impact' striker. I am sure he will score more goals for us for the rest of the season and prove many on here WRONG

[rhroyal]

People must be convinced about his heart now. Only gets put on with a few minutes left, he still chases things down and tried to help the team. Dislocates his shoulder in the process, he just allows Fearn to pop it back in and gets on with it.

[Millsy]

People must be convinced about his heart now. Only gets put on with a few minutes left, he still chases things down and tried to help the team. Dislocates his shoulder in the process, he just allows Fearn to pop it back in and gets on with it.

Absolutely.

But Lita-haters will never be convinced about anything other than they don't like him. Even idiots on the chatroom last game cheering when we were losing and he didn't score in the few minutes he was on. Is it his fault he has the wrong colour skin?

He and Long seemed to change the game tonight. It seemed we went from a team looking to defend and hold out for a 1-0 win, to a team battering them like we were 1-0 down in a cup final.

THIS is the sort of spirit I have always been banging on about.

NICE ONE LEROY.

(and Long).

[Ups and Downs]

Sure, there's the odd few twats that think Leroy isn't up for playing for Reading but then there's the vast majority of fans, as we heard tonight, who want to see him perform to the standard we all know he's capable of and he's only ever going to be able to do that with a good run out.

I've doubted Leroys dedication in the past but you only have to look at the goals he's scored for us to realise he brings to the team something that no other striker we have has.

what we saw tonight, with a few minutes left to play, was very encouraging.

[Royal Monk]

As could be seen (and heard) tonight the fans want Leroy here ... but the question is does Coppell see him as a player for us next season ?

[Horsham Royal]

As could be seen (and heard) tonight the fans want Leroy here ... but the question is does Coppell see him as a player for us next season ?

I think that would depend on the division we're in, so wouldn't expect Coppell to be deciding till the summer (or Leroy for that matter).

[Focher]

Far from slagging off Doyle he has been great for us this season, but Leroy did twice the positive things that he did tonight in under 10 mins. I was close to him when his shoulder popped, he was in agony but from what i lip read said 'fuk it im staying on' i think. You cant ask for better committment than that and it wouldnt suprise me if he becomes our biggest asset for the run in. He looks fresh, lively, and hungry, and i hope his shoulder doesnt end his season which it could.

[Rex]

Lets hope he doesn't need his shoulder pinning to keep the shoulder from popping out again. Well done for showing the commitment that others could have bottled at a time when he was killing the game in the corner.

[Rawlie19]

My estimation of the lad has gone up 1000% in recent weeks. HE's come back determined to do a job here and I totally agree with the post about him doing more in 10 mins last night than Doyle in the 80 he was on. Long may this attitude continue.

[loyalroyal4life]

All the Lita haters are starting to open there eyes a bit now and actually giving the guy a chance!!

He WILL PROVE to be decent (if he plays)

Cant understand how so many people dislike him when he seems to be our most popular player, judging from the reception he gets when he comes onto the pitch

[Nezhen]

I just wish that Coppell would see the light and start playing Lita and Doyle as starters up front, with the inconsistent Noel Hunt on the bench. If I remember rightly, we did'nt get out of this division last time by not playing our best front partnership (Coppell alternated between Doyle, Lita an Kitson regularly depending on who was fit and in form) without being afraid to change it when it was not working. N. Hunt has had a long run now in the team and his 'fits and starts' performances are starting to irritate me big time (e.g. great free-kick in the first half, but what then last night?)

Lita literally changed the game when he came on (oh and don't tell me Long made any difference!).

[ZacNaloen]

Really impressed with Lita and Long last night.

Doyle and Hunt were quite frankly knackered. They'd done a lot of running last night and really the substitution could have done with being 5 minutes earlier.
But hey ho.

Bringing on Lita and Long got the team in a position where the strikers could hassle the back line effectively, which essentially got us back in the game.

[loyalroyal4life]

Really impressed with Lita and Long last night.

Doyle and Hunt were quite frankly knackered. They'd done a lot of running last night and really the substitution could have done with being 5 minutes earlier.
But hey ho.

Bringing on Lita and Long got the team in a position where the strikers could hassle the back line effectively, which essentially got us back in the game.

its got to be lita and doyle to start against QPR, In some respects this is as big a game if not bigger than Wolves!!

Hope Lita is ok for saturday but it will be a nice excuse for SSC to stick him on the bench again!!

[Ginger Ninjas]

Really impressed with Lita and Long last night.

Doyle and Hunt were quite frankly knackered. They'd done a lot of running last night and really the substitution could have done with being 5 minutes earlier.
But hey ho.

Bringing on Lita and Long got the team in a position where the strikers could hassle the back line effectively, which essentially got us back in the game.

Quite right. Can't believe some people are criticising Doyle and NHunt based on last night. They were both superb in closing down the opposition and chasing down every ball, and were unsurprisingly knackered by the time they went off. Having Lita to bring on for the last half hour is a great position as NHunt's usually run himself into the ground, and Leroy is perhaps better at exploiting the extra spaces in a tiring defence.

[Snowball]

I just wish that Coppell would see the light and start playing Lita and Doyle as starters up front, with the inconsistent Noel Hunt on the bench.


I sometimes wonder what some listers are on!!

Hunt has played 23 (5) and scored 10 that's INCONSISTENT? (And he's got 2 goals from 2 starts in cups) 25/12 is bad?

He worked his socks off yesterday and shots-wise, he did better than Doyle and had a brilliant free kick denied by a great save, plus a nice header stopped by a fingertip save