Pre-season friendlies

[LoyalRoyal22]

Look you bell ends, there's another game tomorrow.
I admit, the scoreline is concerning, but we still haven't fielded our strongest XI yet, and no doubt we'll improve throughout the season as Adkins' tactics become more familiar with the players.
I assume our strongest XI will be something like this;
McCarthy/ Feds
Kelly
Bridge
Marriappa
Pearce
Williams/ Karacan
Guthrie
Kebe
Drenthe
McAnuff
Le Fondre


Which leaves a very strong bench. Just a matter of getting games under the belt and gelling and we should be fine.

Le Fondre is yet to prove he can play up front on his own. So why the positivity with that line up? I doubt it will work.

[One8Seven1]

Look you bell ends, there's another game tomorrow.
I admit, the scoreline is concerning, but we still haven't fielded our strongest XI yet, and no doubt we'll improve throughout the season as Adkins' tactics become more familiar with the players.
I assume our strongest XI will be something like this;
McCarthy/ Feds
Kelly
Bridge
Marriappa
Pearce
Williams/ Karacan
Guthrie
Kebe
Drenthe
McAnuff
Le Fondre


Which leaves a very strong bench. Just a matter of getting games under the belt and gelling and we should be fine.

Le Fondre is yet to prove he can play up front on his own. So why the positivity with that line up? I doubt it will work.

Who else do you throw up front? Pog looks like he can't get away quick enough, so there's no point starting with him. Blackman? Really?

[sandman]

I'd say Nicky Forster or Shane Long.

Alf can't play it effectively imo. You either need a tall player with strength to hold the ball up or you need someone with bags of pace, like the two players above had when they played for us in a similar role, something which Alf doesn't have.

[winchester_royal]

What Nige would give to have Fozzy at his peak now...

[marlowuk]

Look you bell ends, there's another game tomorrow.
I admit, the scoreline is concerning, but we still haven't fielded our strongest XI yet, and no doubt we'll improve throughout the season as Adkins' tactics become more familiar with the players.
I assume our strongest XI will be something like this;
McCarthy/ Feds
Kelly
Bridge
Marriappa
Pearce
Williams/ Karacan
Guthrie
Kebe
Drenthe
McAnuff
Le Fondre
Which leaves a very strong bench. Just a matter of getting games under the belt and gelling and we should be fine.

Apart from Marriappa and Kebe that was pretty much the team we played. But Swansea looked in a different league to us - which, of course, they are! They looked like a team that had played together and every time they attacked they looked dangerous with excellent one-touch, fast football. There was not much in it in terms of possession (I would estimate) but we seemed to run out of ideas towards the end.

McCarthy - probably heresy but he didn't look particularly confident despite a few good saves.
Karacan - candidate for MOTM. He did little wrong and was always in the game.
Drenthe - frustrating. Obviously a talented player but lost the ball a lot and wasted several free kicks which he ballooned over in good positions.
Guthrie - played well and was always looking for the ball.

But 3-0 does our confidence no good at all. The last goal was particularly galling. We had a throw but none of our players supported the thrower or put themselves into a position to receive it. The thrower (I couldn't see who it was) was barracked for taking so long over the throw so tried a longish throw which they easily cut out and two passes later it was in our net!

[joeroyal]

Attendance: 6,810

Find it very sad it was no go from the start 6,810 what a sad place the Mad has become no wonder all our signings are freebies there is no cash in the till , half the silly xxxxxxx's would prefer to stay at home and post on what they hear on that amateurish bbc Berkshire and that disgusting commentator who goes by the name of dollar or something like that absolutely dreadfull

[fruits]

half the silly xxxxxxx's would prefer to stay at home and post on what they hear on that amateurish bbc Berkshire and that disgusting commentator who goes by the name of dollar or something like that absolutely dreadfull.

BBC is anything but amateurish, their programmes are first class. Tim Dellor is extremely passionate about Reading F.C. he calls it as he sees it. He is nervous about how the season is going to go, as everyone should be. Ok Swansea are a good side,but from what Glenn Little said Swansea could have had plenty more goals.Bridge should be a great signing, Drenthe could go either way everyone goes on about his playing for Real Madrid,his form there was pretty poor and Mourinho gave up on him. he was nothing but trouble at Hercules of Alicante,Spain and had big problems with Moyes at Everton. Ok he may be a reformed character, let´s hope so but it could all go pear shaped in a little time. Then there is sick note Kebe,Roberts will he come back to be half as good as he was?

Senior career* Royston Drenthe
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2005–2007 Feyenoord 29 (0)
2007–2012 Real Madrid 46 (2)
2010–2011 → Hércules (loan) 17 (4)
2011–2012 → Everton (loan) 21 (3)
2013 Alania 6 (3)
2013– Reading 0 (0)

I have great respect for Nigel Adkins, his record speaks for itself. What we have to remember is that he took over a crap team and any manager would need time to turn it around. I think everyone has got a bit carried away, Steve Coppell took over a really good side from Alan Pardew but he still needed 2 or 3 seasons to gain promotion. Nigel could well need at least two. We may be lucky to finish in the top ten this season, a good start is very important, we have a really tough first ten games. I think very few supporters realised how bad a team we were in the Premiership. Perhaps two regulars from the team last year might interest a Premiership side McCarthy and possibly Marriapa, the rest were in well over their heads.

I think Tim Dellor and Mick Gooding make a great team, if you listen to commentators from other clubs then you knockers would realise we have a real gem in Tim.

[LoyalRoyal22]

Look you bell ends, there's another game tomorrow.
I admit, the scoreline is concerning, but we still haven't fielded our strongest XI yet, and no doubt we'll improve throughout the season as Adkins' tactics become more familiar with the players.
I assume our strongest XI will be something like this;
McCarthy/ Feds
Kelly
Bridge
Marriappa
Pearce
Williams/ Karacan
Guthrie
Kebe
Drenthe
McAnuff
Le Fondre


Which leaves a very strong bench. Just a matter of getting games under the belt and gelling and we should be fine.

Le Fondre is yet to prove he can play up front on his own. So why the positivity with that line up? I doubt it will work.

Who else do you throw up front? Pog looks like he can't get away quick enough, so there's no point starting with him. Blackman? Really?

Which is why we need to sign a forward that can play upfront on his own.

[joeroyal]

half the silly xxxxxxx's would prefer to stay at home and post on what they hear on that amateurish bbc Berkshire and that disgusting commentator who goes by the name of dollar or something like that absolutely dreadfull.

BBC is anything but amateurish, their programmes are first class. Tim Dellor is extremely passionate about Reading F.C. he calls it as he sees it. He is nervous about how the season is going to go, as everyone should be. Ok Swansea are a good side,but from what Glenn Little said Swansea could have had plenty more goals.Bridge should be a great signing, Drenthe could go either way everyone goes on about his playing for Real Madrid,his form there was pretty poor and Mourinho gave up on him. he was nothing but trouble at Hercules of Alicante,Spain and had big problems with Moyes at Everton. Ok he may be a reformed character, let´s hope so but it could all go pear shaped in a little time. Then there is sick note Kebe,Roberts will he come back to be half as good as he was?

Senior career* Royston Drenthe
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2005–2007 Feyenoord 29 (0)
2007–2012 Real Madrid 46 (2)
2010–2011 → Hércules (loan) 17 (4)
2011–2012 → Everton (loan) 21 (3)
2013 Alania 6 (3)
2013– Reading 0 (0)

I have great respect for Nigel Adkins, his record speaks for itself. What we have to remember is that he took over a crap team and any manager would need time to turn it around. I think everyone has got a bit carried away, Steve Coppell took over a really good side from Alan Pardew but he still needed 2 or 3 seasons to gain promotion. Nigel could well need at least two. We may be lucky to finish in the top ten this season, a good start is very important, we have a really tough first ten games. I think very few supporters realised how bad a team we were in the Premiership. Perhaps two regulars from the team last year might interest a Premiership side McCarthy and possibly Marriapa, the rest were in well over their heads.

I think Tim Dellor and Mick Gooding make a great team, if you listen to commentators from other clubs then you knockers would realise we have a real gem in Tim.

That Moron Dwellor is the most amateurish patronising ball dog licker I have ever heard on the airways in my life the idiot is just so sickly to listen to I can go 5 min and that's my time done and it seems like 5 hours of absolute torture what a knob

[AthleticoSpizz]

joeroyal

our latest sex-toy

put your mummy back in the box joe

[joeroyal]

joeroyal

our latest sex-toy

put your mummy back in the box joe

With a name like spizz i am suprised you come out of your box but you have to get your kick's some where or some how, by the way how is your boy friend i thought he referd to you as jizz but obviously i did not hear him right with his lisp and and what ever else he had in his mouth at the time. dream baby and cream

[AthleticoSpizz]

you little tease you

nighty nights Joe

[Royal Ginger]

Look you bell ends, there's another game tomorrow.
I admit, the scoreline is concerning, but we still haven't fielded our strongest XI yet, and no doubt we'll improve throughout the season as Adkins' tactics become more familiar with the players.
I assume our strongest XI will be something like this;
McCarthy/ Feds
Kelly
Bridge
Marriappa
Pearce
Williams/ Karacan
Guthrie
Kebe
Drenthe
McAnuff
Le Fondre


Which leaves a very strong bench. Just a matter of getting games under the belt and gelling and we should be fine.

Le Fondre is yet to prove he can play up front on his own. So why the positivity with that line up? I doubt it will work.

He can't. We desperately need Roberts or a Roberts replacement.

[super darren caskey]

Dunno if its been posted and i cba to check but heres some highlights of yesterdays game from Swans TV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqGBqoGtpP4

[Royal91]

Le Fondre cannot play up front on his own, McAnuff should NOT be capt and we need 3 more players (ST, LB cover and CAM)7

Le Fondre does not have the presence or physicality to link play or hold it up.

McAnuff being capt means simply he cannot be subbed, so we lack the ability to be more dynamic when changing formations later on in matches. ect.

Need a new Roberts have pointed. Big powerful striker.

Need someone who can play centrally in front of Guthrie/Karacan/Williams/Akpan/L,wood

And someone as cover to Bridge because Kelly isn't good enough at LB.

[TBM]

Dunno if its been posted and i cba to check but heres some highlights of yesterdays game from Swans TV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqGBqoGtpP4

8 mins of Swansea passing it around and us chasing shadows

[NewCorkSeth]

8 mins of Swansea passing it around and us chasing shadows

Swansea look sweet! First goal was weak by us tho...

[super darren caskey]

It shows some of our chances.Im guessing we didnt get many.

[One8Seven1]

Having just looked at Instagram, Feds is apparently in Windsor. Looks like, and quite rightly, McCarthy is number one this season! Otherwise you'd have expected Feds to get 90 mins today.

[sandman]

Having just looked at Instagram, Feds is apparently in Windsor. Looks like, and quite rightly, McCarthy is number one this season! Otherwise you'd have expected Feds to get 90 mins today.

Not on his pre-season form. The mistake in Portugal in the lead up to the penalty was awful and he looked very uncomfortable yesterday in particular an awful throw out that went straight to a Swansea player which he should've been punished for.