by handbags_harris »
14 Aug 2012 21:42
1. How do you think Reading will do this season, and where do you think you will finish in the premier league table ?
Not entirely sure anybody knows how we'll do this season. The obvious dream is to be as good as we were last time around where we ended up finishing a quite incredible 8th position and, in the last game, just one goal away from Europe (it's still quite inexplicable why we didn't apply for the Inter-two-bob because we'd have qualified). Any Reading fan with half a brain cell will snap your hand off for 17th place though which, incidentally, we could have grabbed off Fulham in 2008 despite Fulham's win at Fratton Park (did know know Fratton Park backwards is Krap Nott Arf?) had we scored just 3 more goals. Sounds a fruitless task, but against Derby on the last day of the season it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility. Seriously.
2. Who is your star man at the moment ? anyone we should watch out for ?
That''s just the thing with this side, up until recently it has had no outstanding player since Shane Long left. It has some fairly well known names if you know your football such as Leigertwood, Noel Hunt, McAnuff etc but if you were to ask me to pick out a single outstanding player then I'd struggle. That said, the signings of Guthrie and Pogrebnyak are possibly the biggest signings this club has ever made but it remains to be seen how they do here.
3. What are your views on Stoke City ?
Never had a problem with them personally. Knew a couple of Stoke fans at University which, considering I went to Staffs is, I suppose, to be expected. Pulis sides are always physical bruisers, he's moulded numerous teams in that fashion whenever he's had time. Stoke are the richest club he's been at so no surprise that he's managed to bring in the physical bruisers with the technical ability to go with the brawn - see Kenwyne Jones as the prime example. Very similar to us, mOst of your attacking play comes in the form of either wing play, mainly through Etherington (always a must in any fantasy team) and set pieces. Very surprising Pulis hasn't managed to establish a method of getting consistent results away yet though which bodes well for us.
4. Which (if any) Stoke player(s) would have at Reading?
I'd like to say Matthew Etherington but we have a dearth of wingers and he'd struggle to fill the cult-hero status held by Jimmy Kebe - he does what he wants, just ask West Ham. Your central defensive partnership of Huth and Shawcross is one to envy , and I'd actually like to see Peter Crouch in a Reading shirt. Gets an unwarranted bad press I think.
5. What is your score prediction ?
Don't do predictions I'm afraid, I always jinx it.