How the opposition fans view us.....

[brendywendy]

agree about matejovsky
did something similar with defenders in close attendance, in front of the north east corner
seems to be so good, you can give him th eball when hes being marked and hell still manage to do something with it

[Alan Partridge]

Reading have got 3 or 4 Premiership players, combined with 2 or 3 steady eddies and at this level that is more than enough to be a top side in this league. I must agree with the consesus re Matejovsky, he was absolutely mustard when he came on. They must be itching to get him back in the side because we look a class apart when this man is on the field.

[winchester_royal]

It says alot about our strength in depth that a player with the quality of Marek can't get onto the field atm.

However we have to be careful, we don't want him leaving in Jan after getting fed up with life on the bench.

[Alan Partridge]

It says alot about our strength in depth that a player with the quality of Marek can't get onto the field atm.

However we have to be careful, we don't want him leaving in Jan after getting fed up with life on the bench.

Well it's not because he's been bad, he's been injured. Coppell has rotated his midfield in recent weeks, he's easing Marek back and in due course will take his rightful place in the team. He's our best midfielder and we need him in the side.

[Im Spartacus]

It says alot about our strength in depth that a player with the quality of Marek can't get onto the field atm.

However we have to be careful, we don't want him leaving in Jan after getting fed up with life on the bench.

Well it's not because he's been bad, he's been injured. Coppell has rotated his midfield in recent weeks, he's easing Marek back and in due course will take his rightful place in the team. He's our best midfielder and we need him in the side.

I like the look of a Cisse, Marek cm.

[londinium]

It says alot about our strength in depth that a player with the quality of Marek can't get onto the field atm.

However we have to be careful, we don't want him leaving in Jan after getting fed up with life on the bench.

Well it's not because he's been bad, he's been injured. Coppell has rotated his midfield in recent weeks, he's easing Marek back and in due course will take his rightful place in the team. He's our best midfielder and we need him in the side.

I like Matty and think he should be a first choicer when he finally gets back to full fitness my only concern is how the centre of midfield will cope when defending>

At the moment I would say that at centre midfield is more defensive minded than attack which matters not as a lot of our creativity comes from the wings and long may that continue.

The problem may be when Matty gets back in that our middlefield will have even more of a threat going forward but suffer defensively as Matty cannot tackle and is not particularly fast either, although his reading of the game is good.

Any thoughts on how we would line up with Matty back,, and would it have enough balance and steel??

[Great Knolly]

Agreed that if Marek comes in the rest of the team will have to adjust a little bit. At the moment we have 4 CMs who all play in a similar way: Harps / Cisse / Gunnar / Karacan, and they're all pretty much interchangable. The other 8 players can just carry on doing what their doing. On previous evidence, Marek doesn't offer as much cover. Maybe he can work on that. I'd like to think our best side has Marek in it.

With Marek in the middle, I think he'd need to play with Cisse, Gunnar or Bikey, [ and Gunnar might be too slow. He would have to just sit in front of the back 4 ]. I think Marek with Harps or Karacan might be a bit lightweight.

[Alan Partridge]

Matejovsky is just our best passer, most creative player and just on a different game to some of our players who haven't got the nouse to get on the end of some of his through balls. In all honesty they probably aren't used to having CM's at this club who have been capable of doing it!

The obvious person to put next to him would be Cisse in terms of having a bit of size and pwer next to him, but he's not as lightwieght himself as some point out, he's a bit like Scholes just clumsy and rash with challenges. But get the ball to his feet and he'll make opposition in this league look silly as he did in that 15minute cameo saturday.

It's a very healthy position of the team for Reading and I hope they don't just forget about Karacan now Marek is back because that young man will be a very good player for this club.

[1960]

agree about matejovsky
did something similar with defenders in close attendance, in front of the north east corner
seems to be so good, you can give him th eball when hes being marked and hell still manage to do something with it

When I watch Arsenal games I am always astounded how they can pass to people who are under pressure and they still come out with the ball. Hleb used to be excellent at collecting balls under pressure, for instance. If Marek can do that, then we'll be on the ladder to Arsenal heights!

[SpaceCruiser]

agree about matejovsky
did something similar with defenders in close attendance, in front of the north east corner
seems to be so good, you can give him th eball when hes being marked and hell still manage to do something with it

When I watch Arsenal games I am always astounded how they can pass to people who are under pressure and they still come out with the ball. Hleb used to be excellent at collecting balls under pressure, for instance. If Marek can do that, then we'll be on the ladder to Arsenal heights!

However, I don't want us to be forever passing the ball and getting nowhere near the opposition box. OverpaZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzing.

[rabidbee]

Yes spacey, I agree with you - I hope we play more like Wenger's teams than we did under Burns.

[ayjaydee]

At the risk of mixing 2 threads ....

Chatting down the pub with mates and the concensus was that the player who would benefit most from Marek being in the side is currently out on loan. With Marek's eye for a pass and Lita playing right on the last defender it could be a match made in heaven (although I feel we will never see it in operation).

[Vision]

At the risk of mixing 2 threads ....

Chatting down the pub with mates and the concensus was that the player who would benefit most from Marek being in the side is currently out on loan. With Marek's eye for a pass and Lita playing right on the last defender it could be a match made in heaven (although I feel we will never see it in operation).

'greed, been saying this for ages. Certainly would make a helluva Plan B.

[Top Flight]

I think Paul Jewell is a superb manager and he will eventually get Derby back in the Premier League where they belong!

The Derby fans just need to be patient with the guy. It takes time to build any football team and club.

When we eventually lose Coppell, I would be more than happy with Jewell as a replacement.

[Bill Oddie's Beard]

At the risk of mixing 2 threads ....

Chatting down the pub with mates and the concensus was that the player who would benefit most from Marek being in the side is currently out on loan. With Marek's eye for a pass and Lita playing right on the last defender it could be a match made in heaven (although I feel we will never see it in operation).

'greed, been saying this for ages. Certainly would make a helluva Plan B.

Yeah, pretty much my thoughts last year. Prob won't ever happen, but you never know.

[loyalroyal4life]

i know he isnt exactly a fan but didnt paul jewell say something similar about him thinking we would go up the season we went on and got 106 points?

[FiNeRaIn]

get Derby back in the Premier League where they belong!

Under what grounds do they belong in the prem?

[Top Flight]

Under the grounds of their history and traditions.

[brendywendy]

get Derby back in the Premier League where they belong!

Under what grounds do they belong in the prem?

bacause of their history making, and record breaking ways

[Big Bears Blouse]

Re: Matejovski... where does everyone get the idea that he isn't that good at defending? He's got so much tenacity and flair, goes in for 50 50s full on and half the time comes out with the ball. He's also always hassling for it when he hasn't got it. I don't know how much you need to do to become good at defending.

Secondly, why does everyone insist on a 'defensive midfielder' and an 'attacking midfielder'. Why can't they both be up and down, it's not like we're playing 4 1 2 1 2 is it? Cisse is always up and down the pitch, and from what i've seen of Marek, he is too. Furthermore, i was listening to the radio a while back and they asked this question referring to the old times when they just looked to the two best players in the middle of the park that do all duties. We can't be having that can we? Oh no.

My opinion? I feel Matejovsky and Cisse would be an excellent pairing, because they're both the best we've got in the middle of the park, and more importantly, they're currently performing well.