What the Papers Say: Season 09/10 Previews

[brendywendy]

I wonder if Royalee realises Harper has a far superior scoring record to Matejovsky...

id say he s probably got a much better tackling record than marek too,
and thats really saying something

[Ian Royal]

I wonder if Royalee realises Harper has a far superior scoring record to Matejovsky...

id say he s probably got a much better tackling record than marek too,
and thats really saying something

I'm sure I've seen him make several successful tackles, so yes, I'd agree.

[brendywendy]

add to that a much better pass completion rate, and far less goals gifted to the opposition , and it makes you wonder if we are selling the right player!

[Royalee]

Matejovsky had the better goalscoring ratio last season and given the number of assists he got against Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and so forth, I bet he has a better assists to games ratio also. Neither can tackle, although I bet the ratio for that is similar as Harper can't even tackle an Asda fry-up. Hopefully he'll piss off to Wolves so we can free up some more funds for a striker as he's way down the pecking order behind Matejovsky, Davies, Karacan and Tabb and quite rightly so.

[papereyes]

Just some stuff I tapped out by mistake.

[Sarah Star]

Don't know who writes these things, but this one has us down at 12th

Championship - Countdown: Reading
Eurosport - Tue, 04 Aug 10:09:00 2009

Eurosport-Yahoo! continues its countdown to the Championship season with a look at Reading.

Reading fixtures 2009-10
Manager: Brendan Rodgers

Last 10 Seasons

(1999/2000 to 2008/2009): -/-/-/4/9/7/1/-/-/4

POSSIBLE STARTING XI:

Adam Federici

Andre Bikey - Ivar Ingimarsson - Liam Rosenior - Chris Armstrong

Stephen Hunt (pictured) - James Harper - Kalifa Cisse - Jimmy Kebe

Noel Hunt - Shane Long

BACK-UPS FROM: Mikkel Andersen - Ben Hamer - Alex Pearce - Julian Kelly - Brynjar Gunnarsson - Marek Matejovsky - Hal Robson-Kanu - Jem Karacan - James Henry - Michail Antonio - Gylfi Sigurdsson - Jay Tabb - Scott Davies - Mitchell Bryant - David Mooney - Simon Church - Nicholas Bignall

TRANSFERS:

In - Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea, loan)

Out - Kevin Doyle (Wolves, undisclosed) - Marcus Hahnemann (Wolves, free) - Michael Duberry (Wycombe, free) - Scott Golbourne (Exeter City, free) - Leroy Lita (Middlesbrough, free) - Sam Sodje, Graeme Murty, Alan Bennett (all released)

POSITIVES: Reading seem to be at home in this division and have not finished lower than ninth in their last five attempts. The Royals have managed to retain most of the core of the side which was playing Premier League football two seasons ago and last season proved they are well equipped for promotion back to the top flight.

NEGATIVES: The departures of key duo Kevin Doyle and Marcus Hahnemann, along with the resignation of long-serving manager Steve Coppell, are likely to result in a tough season for the Royals. New manager Brendan Rodgers is relatively inexperienced and it remains to be seen if he is capable of filling in the void left by his predecessor.

VERDICT: In the post-Coppell era, it is likely to take some time before Reading can achieve anything like the success they experienced under their former boss. 12th.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/04082009/ ... ading.html

[papereyes]

Mark McGhee and Alan Pardew both did more for the club's long term progress than Coppell also.

What a tiresome individual this guy is.

I think in terms of long term progress, then he may have a point. They didn't achieve half as much as Coppell, but both put the stones in place upon which our successes 2005-2007 were built.

But that's what I liked about the last decade and a half. From McGhee through TBs through Pardew and onto Coppell, the club had a plan. I just want to see the next one taking shape.

[PEARCEY]

On Pardew he has a point of sorts but not with McGhee. When he left halfway through the season Gooding and Quinn took over a squad with a whole host of players coming to the end of their contracts. It wasn't great long-term planning on McGhee's part.

[papereyes]

Ok, did my research.

Leeds relegated from Prem 2003/4 season.
1st season in Championship finished 5th, followed by relegation the next season.

Leicester relegated from Prem also in 2003/4 season.
1st season finished 16th, then 19th, followed by relegation the next season.

Southampton relegated from Prem in 2004/5 season.
1st season finished 12th, then 6th, then 20th, followed by relegation the subsequent season.

Norwich also relegated from Prem in 2004/5 season.
1st season finished 9th, then 16th, then 17th, followed by relegation the subsequent season.

Charlton relegated from Prem 2006/2007 season.
1st season finished 11th, followed by relegation the next season.

Yes nobody is immune, but struggling in the first season is quite rare (even though I am surprised only Leeds managed a top six finish in their first season down!)

Didn't Leeds finish 14th in 2004/2005?

Noticeable that not one made an immediate return to the top flight (and we are now included in that stat). A second season at least in the Championship awaits the Barcodes.

But they weren't all the sides that went down, are they? Also relegated in 04/05 were Crystal Palace. The whole of 05/06 isn't included (Birmingham, West Brom, Sunderland - all three have returned to the Premiership since).

[papereyes]

On Pardew he has a point of sorts but not with McGhee. When he left halfway through the season Gooding and Quinn took over a squad with a whole host of players coming to the end of their contracts. It wasn't great long-term planning on McGhee's part.

I think McGhee convinced Madejski that we didn't have to be a little provincial club. The stadium plans were pushed forwards, the club aimed skywards thereafter.

As ever, its a decent point for the most part and then it gets silly towards the end. I tend to agree with the decent parts so I guess I merely ignore the silliness.

[readingbedding]

I think we'll go up.

[PEARCEY]

On Pardew he has a point of sorts but not with McGhee. When he left halfway through the season Gooding and Quinn took over a squad with a whole host of players coming to the end of their contracts. It wasn't great long-term planning on McGhee's part.

I think McGhee convinced Madejski that we didn't have to be a little provincial club. The stadium plans were pushed forwards, the club aimed skywards thereafter.

As ever, its a decent point for the most part and then it gets silly towards the end. I tend to agree with the decent parts so I guess I merely ignore the silliness.

Yep fair point about convincing Madejski the club could aim much higher.

[Nezhen]

Note to all:

It's Parjudas, not Pardew when refering to the cretin.

[Vision]

On Pardew he has a point of sorts but not with McGhee. When he left halfway through the season Gooding and Quinn took over a squad with a whole host of players coming to the end of their contracts. It wasn't great long-term planning on McGhee's part.

I think McGhee convinced Madejski that we didn't have to be a little provincial club. The stadium plans were pushed forwards, the club aimed skywards thereafter.

As ever, its a decent point for the most part and then it gets silly towards the end. I tend to agree with the decent parts so I guess I merely ignore the silliness.

Yep fair point about convincing Madejski the club could aim much higher.

Shame for him he couldn't convince JM/The Board to splash out on Paul Williams on loan back in the day. He may have stuck around a little while longer.

With McGhee it was more the fans opinions he transformed I think rather than JM as he didn't know any better really.

[PEARCEY]

Took an extent Vision although average gates in 1994/95 were extremely modest given where the team finished and the brand of football being played.

[Vision]

Took an extent Vision although average gates in 1994/95 were extremely modest given where the team finished and the brand of football being played.

To be fair I'm thinking more in terms of the belief amongst even the most cynical of die-hards that his team had something special and would actually deliver. It was a different mood from previous regimes and even afterwards.

Pardew never quite managed to win over the faithful in the same way. Even 2005/06 it took some time before people would accept and believe what was really an inevitability.

I'm not sure JM quite realised what a great job McGhee had actually done until it all went tits up for a few seasons afterwards.

[PremAddict]

Don't know who writes these things, but this one has us down at 12th

Championship - Countdown: Reading
Eurosport - Tue, 04 Aug 10:09:00 2009

Eurosport-Yahoo! continues its countdown to the Championship season with a look at Reading.

Reading fixtures 2009-10
Manager: Brendan Rodgers

Last 10 Seasons

(1999/2000 to 2008/2009): -/-/-/4/9/7/1/-/-/4

POSSIBLE STARTING XI:

Adam Federici

Andre Bikey - Ivar Ingimarsson - Liam Rosenior - Chris Armstrong

Stephen Hunt (pictured) - James Harper - Kalifa Cisse - Jimmy Kebe

Noel Hunt - Shane Long

BACK-UPS FROM: Mikkel Andersen - Ben Hamer - Alex Pearce - Julian Kelly - Brynjar Gunnarsson - Marek Matejovsky - Hal Robson-Kanu - Jem Karacan - James Henry - Michail Antonio - Gylfi Sigurdsson - Jay Tabb - Scott Davies - Mitchell Bryant - David Mooney - Simon Church - Nicholas Bignall

TRANSFERS:

In - Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea, loan)

Out - Kevin Doyle (Wolves, undisclosed) - Marcus Hahnemann (Wolves, free) - Michael Duberry (Wycombe, free) - Scott Golbourne (Exeter City, free) - Leroy Lita (Middlesbrough, free) - Sam Sodje, Graeme Murty, Alan Bennett (all released)

POSITIVES: Reading seem to be at home in this division and have not finished lower than ninth in their last five attempts. The Royals have managed to retain most of the core of the side which was playing Premier League football two seasons ago and last season proved they are well equipped for promotion back to the top flight.

NEGATIVES: The departures of key duo Kevin Doyle and Marcus Hahnemann, along with the resignation of long-serving manager Steve Coppell, are likely to result in a tough season for the Royals. New manager Brendan Rodgers is relatively inexperienced and it remains to be seen if he is capable of filling in the void left by his predecessor.

VERDICT: In the post-Coppell era, it is likely to take some time before Reading can achieve anything like the success they experienced under their former boss. 12th.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/04082009/ ... ading.html

I can't take seriously any journalism that doesn't really do decent analysis on a club. "Most of the core side which was playing PL football..." hmmm. I'd say the majority of this season's starters were either on the reserve team or on the bench during the 07/08 PL season.

[PremAddict]

Don't know who writes these things, but this one has us down at 12th

Championship - Countdown: Reading
Eurosport - Tue, 04 Aug 10:09:00 2009

Eurosport-Yahoo! continues its countdown to the Championship season with a look at Reading.

Reading fixtures 2009-10
Manager: Brendan Rodgers

Last 10 Seasons

(1999/2000 to 2008/2009): -/-/-/4/9/7/1/-/-/4

POSSIBLE STARTING XI:

Adam Federici

Andre Bikey - Ivar Ingimarsson - Liam Rosenior - Chris Armstrong

Stephen Hunt (pictured) - James Harper - Kalifa Cisse - Jimmy Kebe

Noel Hunt - Shane Long

BACK-UPS FROM: Mikkel Andersen - Ben Hamer - Alex Pearce - Julian Kelly - Brynjar Gunnarsson - Marek Matejovsky - Hal Robson-Kanu - Jem Karacan - James Henry - Michail Antonio - Gylfi Sigurdsson - Jay Tabb - Scott Davies - Mitchell Bryant - David Mooney - Simon Church - Nicholas Bignall

TRANSFERS:

In - Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea, loan)

Out - Kevin Doyle (Wolves, undisclosed) - Marcus Hahnemann (Wolves, free) - Michael Duberry (Wycombe, free) - Scott Golbourne (Exeter City, free) - Leroy Lita (Middlesbrough, free) - Sam Sodje, Graeme Murty, Alan Bennett (all released)

POSITIVES: Reading seem to be at home in this division and have not finished lower than ninth in their last five attempts. The Royals have managed to retain most of the core of the side which was playing Premier League football two seasons ago and last season proved they are well equipped for promotion back to the top flight.

NEGATIVES: The departures of key duo Kevin Doyle and Marcus Hahnemann, along with the resignation of long-serving manager Steve Coppell, are likely to result in a tough season for the Royals. New manager Brendan Rodgers is relatively inexperienced and it remains to be seen if he is capable of filling in the void left by his predecessor.

VERDICT: In the post-Coppell era, it is likely to take some time before Reading can achieve anything like the success they experienced under their former boss. 12th.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/04082009/ ... ading.html

I can't take seriously any journalism that doesn't really do decent analysis on a club. "Most of the core side which was playing PL football..." hmmm. I'd say the majority of this season's starters were either on the reserve team or on the bench during the 07/08 PL season.

[SCIAG]

It's a terrible formation too... Rosenior at centre back, the wingers the wrong way around, and BR very much a 4-3-3 manager?

Oh, and SHunt in the team. Says it all.

[Thaumagurist*]

Finally, the Daily Mail has done the next ten in their top 50 players......and there are no Reading players in that ten!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... 40-31.html