Friendly; Palace (H) - The final countdown

[moo]

It's the final countdown...

[genome]

*keyboard*

[windermere_royal]

Feds, Gunter, Pearce, Gorkks, Harte, HRK Ledge, Guthrie, McCleary, Pog, Alf.

subs. McCarthy, Tabb, Marriapa, Obita, Church, Hunt.

a bench to strike fear into the PL there..we really do have strength in depth don`t we?

[Ian Royal]

Feds, Gunter, Pearce, Gorkks, Harte, HRK Ledge, Guthrie, McCleary, Pog, Alf.

subs. McCarthy, Tabb, Marriapa, Obita, Church, Hunt.

a bench to strike fear into the PL there..we really do have strength in depth don`t we?

McAnuff, Kebe, Roberts and Karacan not in the squad. Four of our best players from last year.

[Pseud O'Nym]

Feds, Gunter, Pearce, Gorkks, Harte, HRK Ledge, Guthrie, McCleary, Pog, Alf.

subs. McCarthy, Tabb, Marriapa, Obita, Church, Hunt.

a bench to strike fear into the PL there..we really do have strength in depth don`t we?

McAnuff, Kebe, Roberts and Karacan not in the squad. Four of our best players from last year.

Shorey and Karacan playing at Eastliegh apparently.

[windermere_royal]

Pog 1-0

[blueroyals]

ALF 2-0

[Libertine]

Pog 1-0

ALF 2-0

[phil in cornwall]

Commentary by Radio Berkshire on Reading Player is terrible. Keeps getting people chatting in the studio over it. I hope they get it sorted by next week.

[blueroyals]

Commentary by Radio Berkshire on Reading Player is terrible. Keeps getting people chatting in the studio over it. I hope they get it sorted by next week.

You can listen on the BBC Berks website for pre-season games.

[phil in cornwall]

Thanks. I found it there. But how can Reading Player just abandon the commentary half way through the second half?

[Emmer Green Royal]

[quote="phil in cornwall"]Thanks. I found it there. But how can Reading Player just abandon the commentary half way through the second half?[/quote]

I contacted Reading Player - they said everything was working ok. Which it wasn't. I hope this is not a sign of what to expect this season.

[phil in cornwall]

It certainly wasn't working properly. For the time the commentary was working the volume was very low. Then the studio people cut in at full blast and the commentary ceased. It was working fine and at full volume on Radio Berks.

[chilipepper91]

Quick thoughts (left at start of injury time, pLOLastic etc)

Guthrie a class above, great range of passing. Pog works very hard, his finish was good for the first goal. Him and ALF combined well, likely those two will start against Stoke. McCleary did nothing first half but was excellent second half, pacey and skilful. We pressed the ball higher up than any time last season, which generally worked well except twice when Palace broke past the defence.

[Emmer Green Royal]

[quote="phil in cornwall"]It certainly wasn't working properly. For the time the commentary was working the volume was very low. Then the studio people cut in at full blast and the commentary ceased. It was working fine and at full volume on Radio Berks.[/quote]

Not in Austria

[blueroyals]

Reading Player was shit last season, and will always be shit. Wish I cancelled my subscription this season....

[Pseud O'Nym]

Reading Player was shit last season, and will always be shit. Wish I cancelled my subscription this season....

It's certainly been a technical disaster since BBC Berks took it back over.

[Man Friday]

Score?

[Barney]

Score?

2-0. Pog and ALF.

[Royal Farmer]

Reading 2-0 Crystal Palace

First half was a typical pre-season game with not much to really report. Palace had one chance when a cross swung to the back post was headed just over, whilst the Pog dinked our best opening over the bar after a great ball from one of our midfielders, can't remember which! During the second half we were much better, with the Pog scoring his first goal for Reading after a McCleary was put through down the right by Guthrie and then cut it back well. Alf then scored minutes later after sliding home a great low cross form the left by Hal.

The most noticeable thing I took from the game was the quality of our new signings:

Guthrie stole the show for me, seamlessly spreading the ball from side to side and never scared to send it forward. If he keeps performing like today he'll be one of the best passing midfielders I've ever seen at Reading and will make it tough for Jem to get back in the side. He is certainly the creative midfielder we were all asking for last season and was great to watch I now expect many more chances to come through the middle of the park this season, besides our standard wing play.

McCleary was a bit sloppy during the first half but persisted and ran his man into the ground during the second with superb pace and trickery. We certainly have adequate cover on the wings if he can keep doing that, and Jimmy will have a tricky time regaining his place when he gets back.

Pogrebnyak strikes me as a Roberts that can head the ball when it is pumped long! Big guy who is also technically proficient and brings others into play too. Works hard and will be an asset.

Gunter looked capable and linked up well with McCleary, clearly they have an understanding from their Forest days. Also saw him covering well when required, and for his first game back was generally encouraging. Don't know whether Cummings will come back for Stoke but we again now have decent cover down the right at least.

As for Mariappa, he didn't have much to do when he came on but as he did nothing wrong I'll deem him amazing for optimisms sake.

Otherwise our old hands seemed to be reaching match sharpness and I've been left feeling pretty confident about this season to come! I think we've added well and we might even surprise those who have decided little old Reading are shoe ins for relegation.