The official Portugal 2012 thread - Sponsored by Nando's

[royalp-we]

looks like during the 3rd game Brian will have to try out his intended starting line up against stoke. fitness permitting.

Really? Pretty sure we've still got 3 weeks till Stoke

It's all about the fitness.

[windermere_royal]

looks like during the 3rd game Brian will have to try out his intended starting line up against stoke. fitness permitting.

Really? Pretty sure we've still got 3 weeks till Stoke

It's all about the fitness.

how many more friendlies have we got?..genuine question.

[royalp-we]

looks like during the 3rd game Brian will have to try out his intended starting line up against stoke. fitness permitting.

Really? Pretty sure we've still got 3 weeks till Stoke

It's all about the fitness.

how many more friendlies have we got?..genuine question.

First team still to play Olahanense, Bournemouth, Brighton and Palarse

[Blakey's Right Peg]

Couldn't listen to the game and the website is a joke. Did it finish 2-0? Any standout performers for us?

How did Pogrebnyak get on?

[chilipepper91]

Couldn't listen to the game and the website is a joke. Did it finish 2-0? Any standout performers for us?

How did Pogrebnyak get on?

2-0 FT. BBC Berks coverage was amusing, not one Wednesday player named all game and an interesting interlude involving a group of Wednesday fans who moved to their position specifically to annoy Dellor

Sounded like a pretty poor performance but Guthrie was the standout of the new boys, in this game and the last one. Sounded as though Pog's gameplan was "win ball, pass to winger, get into box" but he didn't get too many chances.

[Blakey's Right Peg]

Much obliged.

Was the infamous Tango Man one of the reprobates irritating dear ol' Tim?

[Avon Royal]

Although you can't read too much into pre-season games, it will be interesting to see when we step it up.

We won't get away with our trademark crap start this year.

[Royal Lady]

This is a good omen. When we've had a crap pre-season, we've done well in the league - I'm sure of it!

[Ian Royal]

This is a good omen. When we've had a crap pre-season, we've done well in the league - I'm sure of it!

Didn't we have really good pre-season's for 05/06 & 06/07?

[retro royal]

Remember us losing all our pre-season games, and then winning 13 on the bounce, just glad I've not bothered with Portugal, only 200 miles away, be the closest I get to see the first team this year

[Tinrib]

This is a good omen. When we've had a crap pre-season, we've done well in the league - I'm sure of it!

Didn't we have really good pre-season's for 05/06 & 06/07?

IIRC we lost to Farnborough pre season in 05

[Royal Rother]

13 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Staines Town........... A 6-3 - Kitson(3), Hughes, Blaha, Muldowney
14 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Didcot Town............ A 7-0 - Doyle(2), Blaha(2), Hunt, Hayes, OG
16 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Farnborough Town..... A 1-2 - Little
21 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Eneryda IF.............. A 6-0 - Lita(3), Cox, Hunt, Doyle
23 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Holmalunds IF.......... A 8-0 - Doyle(3), Lita(2), Hunt, Kitson, Murty
26 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Ljungfkile SK........... A 2-1 - Sonko, Little
30 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Tottenham Hotspur.... H 0-2 -
2 Aug 05 FRIENDLY Dorchester Town....... A 1-2 -

[pea]

Whose Blaha?

[Simon's Church]

Whose Blaha?

Dunno, is it your Blaha?

[sandman]

Meanwhile, Reading have taken Lubo Blaha and Luke Muldowney on trial.

Blaha is looking for a new club after being released by Aberdeen at the end of last season and Muldowney is currently at Brentford.

Blaha scored twice for Reading in Thursday's friendly against Didcot Town.

[Big Foot]

Whose Blaha?

You're joking right?

Should've signed him purely for the chant of

Knowing me, knowing you
BLAHA

[SCIAG]

23 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Holmalunds IF.......... A 8-0 - Doyle(3), Lita(2), Hunt, Kitson, Murty

Clearly there has been some kind of mistake...

[Elliott]

13 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Staines Town........... A 6-3 - Kitson(3), Hughes, Blaha, Muldowney
14 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Didcot Town............ A 7-0 - Doyle(2), Blaha(2), Hunt, Hayes, OG
16 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Farnborough Town..... A 1-2 - Little
21 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Eneryda IF.............. A 6-0 - Lita(3), Cox, Hunt, Doyle
23 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Holmalunds IF.......... A 8-0 - Doyle(3), Lita(2), Hunt, Kitson, Murty
26 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Ljungfkile SK........... A 2-1 - Sonko, Little
30 Jul 05 FRIENDLY Tottenham Hotspur.... H 0-2 -
2 Aug 05 FRIENDLY Dorchester Town....... A 1-2 -

[PremAddict]

This is a good omen. When we've had a crap pre-season, we've done well in the league - I'm sure of it!

Didn't we have really good pre-season's for 05/06 & 06/07?

Remember we beat Feyenoord in 06-07 preseason.

[reading_fan]

Back this afternoon having been out for the first two games.

Sat, v Quarteirense
First half good in patches, Shorey looking like his old pre-England call up self - good going forward, solid defensively. Mariappa looked fairly solid. Guthrie the stand out performer by a mile, pinging balls from wing to wing (especially to Kebe) and some nice through balls to play in Roberts, and was well complemented by Tabb doing his dirty work for him. Second half, Hartey scored a wonderful free kick, just off the right edge of the D looking at the goal, and swung it round the wall in to top corner - unstoppable. We looked good then, a bit of confidence, and created all the chances but it wouldn't quite fall for us. Hunty looked lively when he came on, and Jobi was quite effective through the middle with Ledge. The goal we conceded was a ball swung round the back of the back four from our right back position and a combination of slow to come out, their guy a mile offside (quote from BMc after the game) put him in one on one and he slotted in bottom corner. D'Ath looked quite good as the game went on and he got a bit of confidence from game time, could be quite a good player potentially.

The trouble came from a group of pissed up youfs who tried to hop the fence before the match (10 euros in...), then spent most of the half time trying to get down the tunnel to chat to the subs, a couple invaded the pitch after we scored, and were a general nuisance to the local coppers for the whole game. When the one copper had enough as one lad tried to hop the fence onto the pitch again and fairly forcefully ushered him back, the youf in question shoved the copper in the face. The stuff outside was a continuation of that inside the ground, and was ignited when one of the lads threw a plastic cup of beer at the team coach and the coppers then took exception to that so batton charged them. Shocking and embarrassing doesn't even come close to how moronic they were.

Tues, v Sheff Wed
Two halves, two teams, two formations. Chatting to Tim Dellor before the game, Fedders was knackered after a particularly over zealous game of tennis with Anton in the morning and a half hour outfield cameo in the staff v press match at lunchtime. As for the game itself, Mariappa was probably the pick of the new guys, although McCleary looked useful supporting the front three of Hunt, Roberts and Church. Hunt looked a little lost as to whether he was supposed to be playing as part of a front three or a midfield four, worked hard, but was our most effective wide man, putting in some good crosses. Guthrie again looked good, but not quite to the same extent as in the previous match. Wednesday's goal came with literally the last kick of the first half, and the best move of the half to switch the ball from right wing through the middle and some neat interplay put in their centre forward to score low in the bottom left corner. Second half was nearly all Sheff Wed and we only had sporadic patches of the game. Not much really happened second half, barring Morrison (I think) dawdling on the ball facing his own goal as last man, having the ball nicked off him and their centre forward going through one on one - Andersen making a good first save to nick the ball off the guy's foot as he tried to round him but a supporting Wednesday player rattled the ball into the bottom corner with about 3 mins left. Pretty disjointed performance overall, neither eleven really looked settled with the mix of formations and personnel. Stand out player second half was the Pog, who has the proverbial "good feet for a big man" and looks a real touch of class when he gets the ball to feet - big, strong, good link up with Alfie at times.

Overall from the two games I was impressed by Pog and Guthrie, and Mariappa looks good too. Sharpness looks pretty good, but just lacking a little bit round the box. Two good tests for the boys as well, a slower physical game against the locals, and then an obviously more English style kick and rush game against Sheff Wed, but we tried to rise above it and pass through them, but as previously mentioned a bit more composure round the box needed.