MATCHWATCH : Swansea City Reserves (h) still looking for a sponsor

[Sutekh]

Next up is the battle of two largely "reserve" teams in the next round of the league cup

As we know the FL allows teams to play weakened teams in this competition with no fear of punishment. Therefore the chances are that while Reading will field a stronger starting XI than previous rounds there should still be a good chance to see the younger players getting some pitch time. Think the only certainties to start are Jaakkola and Gunter though I suspect those that haven't played recently like Obita, Popa, Beerens and Evans will also be in the starting line up.

Referee for the night is Hampshire's Andy Davies who will be going his 5th Reading game in just over a year. They've all been at home and there have been 3 wins, draw and a defeat.

[John Smith]

I think this will all boil down to who Swansea choose to play. Anyone with any idea of their likely lineup? I can imagine if Bony features he will cause us a lot of trouble

[tidus_mi2]

Next up is the battle of two largely "reserve" teams in the next round of the league cup

As we know the FL allows teams to play weakened teams in this competition with no fear of punishment. Therefore the chances are that while Reading will field a stronger starting XI than previous rounds there should still be a good chance to see the younger players getting some pitch time. Think the only certainties to start are Jaakkola and Gunter though I suspect those that haven't played recently like Obita, Popa, Beerens and Evans will also be in the starting line up.

Referee for the night is Hampshire's Andy Davies who will be going his 5th Reading game in just over a year. They've all been at home and there have been 3 wins, draw and a defeat.

We've lost 3 times at home in that space of time and he reffed one of them? The bastard!

EDIT: Never mind, looks like that defeat came the last season we were shit game in question was the 0-1 against Derby two years ago.

[Hound]

Sky preview reckoned Bony and Renato Sanches would get minutes. Apparently they only made a couple of changes last round

[Brum Royal]

I just hope it's a better game than the last time we played a league cup tie against Swansea, albeit away - a god awful 0-0 draw at 90 minutes, which we may have won late on in extra time from memory.

EDIT:
2nd round, August 2007, a Lita winner on 105 minutes the only goal. Not much of a match report...

Reading narrowly claimed a League Cup second round victory at Swansea City with an extra-time Leroy Lita goal. The Royals, who fielded a strong line-up, looked in trouble after losing Sam Sodje before the hour mark. Sodje picked up a second yellow card and left Reading playing with ten men for a long period of the fixture. Reading had to hang on at times with Swansea creating several first half chances, before Kitson's cross at the end of the first half of extra time found Lita who scored his first goal of the season. Coppell gave starts to Federici, Halls and Sodje but still played several first team regulars with Kitson back from suspension and Convey getting a start.

[Snowflake Royal]

Team News: Jaakkola, Gunter, Ilori, Moore, Obita, Bacuna, Evans, Swift, Beerens, Popa, Clement.
Subs: Berg, Bod, Blackett, Kelly, Rinomhota, Smith, Legg

Strong starting XI

[Sutekh]

2 strikers on the bench (Bodvarsson and Smith) none in the starting XI

Jaakkola, Gunter, Ilori, Moore, Obita, Evans, Popa, Clement, Beerens, Bacuna, Swift

[CountryRoyal]

Commentator: "No one in the box for Reading there"

Oh, you mean like a striker?

[seahawk10]

What is that Wild, Wild, Wild chant I keep hearing? Come on ...

[Hound]

Commentator: "No one in the box for Reading there"

Oh, you mean like a striker?

Arrgghh, please not another match thread of this

[strap]

2 strikers on the bench (Bodvarsson and Smith) none in the starting XI

Jaakkola, Gunter, Ilori, Moore, Obita, Evans, Popa, Clement, Beerens, Bacuna, Swift

Yep, yet another 4-6-0 line-up, this time against a Swansea "reserve" XI that cost £46,530,000, and a bench costing £19,400,000. To be fair, our starting XI cost £9,860,000 with the bench costing £4,000,000. Anyone interested in the highest value bench we have ever fielded?

[CountryRoyal]

Giving away possession far too easily.

[Snowflake Royal]

Didn't get to see much of the match so far as I didn't realise there'd be a stream. Swift stood out to me as particularly unhelpful in the couple of good moments we had. Took the ball and turned 270 degrees inside into a congested midfield, rather than leave it or touch it on for Clement who was heading into space towards goal (ish). Then a really lazy and soft pass to Obita which completely lost all impetus and chance to push on and back we had to go.

Didn't seem to be able to keep the ball. Sloppiness. Jaakkola looks really uncomfortable and confused about what to do with the ball.

Swansea pressing high around our goal. And we've got no long outlet as all our forwards are tiny tricky fancy dans.

On the plus side, in the 10 - 15 minutes I saw, Swansea didn't look at all threatening and we're not losing yet.

[seahawk10]

What is that Wild, Wild, Wild chant I keep hearing? Come on ...

It's a Wilfred Bony chant so I no longer am interested in learning the words.

[Snowflake Royal]

FFS

[CountryRoyal]

Nice one Ilori you useless pcunt.

How did we go from dangerous possession in and around the Swansea box, then we pass it back to our own half and lose it.

oxf*rd me.

[Sutekh]

Nice one Ilori you useless pcunt.

How did we go from dangerous possession in and around the Swansea box, then we pass it back to our own half and lose it.

oxf*rd me.

That's the style Stam likes - open attacking football while keeping possession and using the whole pitch. Players are told if they can't create anything at one end then pass it back and try and create somehing at the other.

[Snowflake Royal]

We're doing really badly at offering options and also ignoring lots of possibilities for safety sake, only to end up getting squeezed into more danger.

We keep only having about one player showing for a forward or sideways pass.

[CountryRoyal]

Nice one Ilori you useless pcunt.

How did we go from dangerous possession in and around the Swansea box, then we pass it back to our own half and lose it.

oxf*rd me.

That's the style Stam likes - open attacking football while keeping possession and using the whole pitch. Players are told if they can't create anything at one end then pass it back and try and create somehing at the other.

[CountryRoyal]

We're doing really badly at offering options and also ignoring lots of possibilities for safety sake, only to end up getting squeezed into more danger.

We keep only having about one player showing for a forward or sideways pass.

At times there's some really nice play and the pressing has been good, but just let down by silly things.

Oh sweet. Here's is our goal scoring hero to come on and win the game for us.