Mikele Leigertwood

[Elm Park Old Boy]

Really can't understand the criticism. I thought he looked competent, and added some strength and height to our midfield, as well as the insttinct to try to get the ball down and pass, which others have remarked on. Lacking a bit of match fitness and sharpness, but he didn't look bad.

I am getting so sick of the instant dismissal of our players by some on here. It's amazing they aren't working in football, so good are they at spotting in minutes that our players will never amount to anything and should be got rid of at once (no doubt to be replaced by one of the many world class footballers in our price range who are queuing up to play for us). Kebe, as we well know, will never be a footballer. Federic is shit. Griffin is a has-been with the pace of a sloth and a turning circle of an oil tanker. And so on, and so on.

[Row Z Royal]

I think he's here because we are going 4-4-2

we've already gone 4-4-2.

Which part of Latvia are you from?

Yesterday was 4-4-2 with Church on the left.

[Ian Royal]

As was Watford and the last 20 of Norwich from what I could see.

[Snowball]

My point is "We are going 4-4-2" means WHAT exactly?


The OS actually SAYS we played 4-4-2.


And YES we have switched to 4-4-2 against Donny and Norwich WHEN WE WERE CHASING THE GAME and we went 4-4-2 at Bristol.


But to play 4-4-2 if other sides have a good 3 man central midfield you need two very good ball-winning solid players.

Hence why we now have the QPR man and why he's playing him straight away. We take the risk of him not
being 100% match-fit and match-sharp because we need a block of games to decide whether to buy him or not

[Snowball]

Really can't understand the criticism. I thought he looked competent, and added some strength and height to our midfield, as well as the insttinct to try to get the ball down and pass, which others have remarked on. Lacking a bit of match fitness and sharpness, but he didn't look bad.

I am getting so sick of the instant dismissal of our players by some on here. It's amazing they aren't working in football, so good are they at spotting in minutes that our players will never amount to anything and should be got rid of at once (no doubt to be replaced by one of the many world class footballers in our price range who are queuing up to play for us). Kebe, as we well know, will never be a footballer. Federic is shit. Griffin is a has-been with the pace of a sloth and a turning circle of an oil tanker. And so on, and so on.

Well said

[Maguire]

Really can't understand the criticism. I thought he looked competent, and added some strength and height to our midfield, as well as the insttinct to try to get the ball down and pass, which others have remarked on. Lacking a bit of match fitness and sharpness, but he didn't look bad

Personally it's because:

1) He barely got in the game. I was cringeing in the first half at how much he was struggling. Sure the fitness was probably a big factor but the Leeds players ran rings round him

2) His touch was poor. Also down to fitness in part, undoubtedly, but poor nonetheless

3) He was pretty shit in the air as well.

I'd be amazed if that isn't the worst game he ever has for Reading.

[Snowball]

I'd be amazed if that isn't the worst game he ever has for Reading.

= he will be better next game

[Maguire]

I'd be amazed if that isn't the worst game he ever has for Reading.

= he will be better next game

Precisely, well done.

[The Rouge]

As was Watford and the last 20 of Norwich from what I could see.

Eh? Watford was more 4-3-3..

[BR2]

I believe that central midfield is the most difficult area to come into a new side.
If you are a full-back or a centre-back you are generally facing the play but in the most congested area of the pitch (central mid) a player needs to be sharp and have awareness of the runs of players up front and out wide.
As Royal Lady said earlier we always used to wait ages before including a new player and I think it was a panic move by Brian to throw him in on Saturday.
If his job is to tidy up and move the ball on to more creative players (our wingers)he will probably do o.k but don't expect dribbling and lavish through balls to our strikers.

[ZacNaloen]

I didn't think he was all that bad, he started poorly but grew into the game.

Did a few good interceptions and the like in second half. And once he went off we did seem to lose our grip in the middle of the park.

[Elmer Park]

I cannot see how a guy who appeared so far from match fitness like Leigertwood is going to be much fitter next week and barely in the period of his loan. I was also concerned that McDermott described him as a box to box player in his post match interview on Radio Berkshire on Saturday. That is not what Leigertwood has been about in the matches I have seen him play. More of a player who can break up attacks and give the ball to the more skilful players which he occasionally did on Saturday but I think for now I would have to start with Tabby next week and replace him with Ledge when he tired as it seems he does at the moment. That won't really help with his match fitness though.

By the way, despite the fact that we have been fielding three specialist strikers recently, I think Ian Royal is correct in that we have gone to 4-4-2 although Church does play further up the pitch than our wingers normally do making it a bit of a lop sided three at times I suppose. Noel Hunt has definitely been playing as a central striker though so it is intended to be a 4-4-2 in my view. We changed to this system later in the Norwich match and have played the system ever since.

[Forbury Lion]

I forgot we'd signed him from QPR and assumed he was a youth player who was making his debut so I gave him some slack for the headless chicken performance and guessed the manager would keep him on a bit longer to avoid knocking his confidence. I can't see him getting a game ahead of Jay Tabb, at least not until he's settled in and understands the Reading way of playing.

[Snowball]

I cannot see how a guy who appeared so far from match fitness like Leigertwood is going to be much fitter next week and barely in the period of his loan. I was also concerned that McDermott described him as a box to box player in his post match interview on Radio Berkshire on Saturday.

I must have missed that bit

I got the distinct impression that Leigertwood was the solid force behind Tabb or Karacan who
would be the box to box player. I took a look at Mac's comments on the signing and couldn't
find anything suggesting he'd be box to box

[Wycombe Royal]

I cannot see how a guy who appeared so far from match fitness like Leigertwood is going to be much fitter next week and barely in the period of his loan. I was also concerned that McDermott described him as a box to box player in his post match interview on Radio Berkshire on Saturday.

I must have missed that bit

I got the distinct impression that Leigertwood was the solid force behind Tabb or Karacan who
would be the box to box player. I took a look at Mac's comments on the signing and couldn't
find anything suggesting he'd be box to box

He said it in a radio interview. He basically admitted to trying to rebuild the squad make-up of 05/06 with two box to box midfielders. Leigertwood is part of that plan.

[Snowball]

He said it in a radio interview. He basically admitted to trying to rebuild the squad make-up of 05/06 with two box to box midfielders. Leigertwood is part of that plan.

Oh cool. Bit late for a 106 point season though.

Even allowing for his obvious lack of match fitness he didn't look
like that kind of hard-running player. And aren't Tabb-Karacan
that already?

[Wycombe Royal]

He said it in a radio interview. He basically admitted to trying to rebuild the squad make-up of 05/06 with two box to box midfielders. Leigertwood is part of that plan.

Oh cool. Bit late for a 106 point season though.

Even allowing for his obvious lack of match fitness he didn't look
like that kind of hard-running player. And aren't Tabb-Karacan
that already?

Karacan potentially yes, Tabb no. He plays accross the width of the pitch but doesn't go box to box much.

[Snowball]

Karacan potentially yes, Tabb no. He plays accross the width of the pitch but doesn't go box to box much.

All you have to do is turn him through 90 degrees

[Wycombe Royal]

Karacan potentially yes, Tabb no. He plays accross the width of the pitch but doesn't go box to box much.

All you have to do is turn him through 90 degrees

[Shinfield Park Royal]

He was lucky to be on the pitch for as long as he was imo. He looked less agile than a double decker bus throughout! Also, not sure if anybody else picked up on him pointing up the pitch whenever any of our back four got the ball, telling them to play the ball long to our strikers. As a central midfielder you should never shy away from wanting the ball, and in my eyes shows that he either seriously lacks confidence on the ball or was too unfit to do any hard work himself. He'll have to seriously sort himself out before next saturday or i cant see him getting much more playing time than he was getting at QPR!