Marek Matejovsky

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Ray Houghton - at his peak, maybe. with us, no.
Neil Webb. Maybe
Jamie Cureton. No
Darren Caskey. No.
Glenn Little. Maybe.
Dave Kitson. No.
Scott Taylor. No.
Simon Osborn. No.
Mick Gooding. No.
Jimmy Quinn. No.
And although I've never actually seen him play, I am sure Robin Friday was much more talented.

I'm sure that given a bit more thought the list could be much bigger. Let's not kid ourselves here, he's not that special.

How special are those players listed above who spent virtually their entire careers in the lower divisions?

Caskey (some of the time), Osborn and Friday (definitely).

I am sure after a preseason that next season MM will look only second behind Friday.

Caskey could barely make an impression in England's second tier, as was patchy in the third.

Osborn only had one succesful season in his entire career, and we were lucky enough to see it. I think it's fair to say Marek might find things a little easier if he was up against 94/95 Div 1 midfielders.

I wouldn't have Friday as a definite, personally, purely because I've never seen him play, nor seen even a second of footage of him playing. By all accounts he was outstanding - I was quite amazed to see him getting a namecheck in Jimmy Greaves' autobiography as being one of the outstanding flair players of the 70s - but the only question would be the opposition he played against. Could he have done the same at the highest level? My guess is probably, yes, and I'd have him at the top of my list.

[Ian Royal]

I'm still trying to get over Ray "pile o' shite" Houghton being better than Marek.

For me Houghton wins hands down the best player to come to Reading and be utter dogshit award.

Beats the arse off Ferdinand and Goater for example, and Keown didn't actually get on the pitch nough to qualify.

[winchester_royal]

Ray Houghton
Neil Webb
Jamie Cureton
Darren Caskey
Glenn Little
Dave Kitson
Scott Taylor
Simon Osborn
Mick Gooding
Jimmy Quinn
And although I've never actually seen him play, I am sure Robin Friday was much more talented.

I'm sure that given a bit more thought the list could be much bigger. Let's not kid ourselves here, he's not that special.

Jamie Cureton????
Mick Gooding?????

Can i assume you are joking?

Ideal...i know you have this personal hatred towards the czech maestro but really

[SWLR]

I commented after the first yellow that he is picking up cards on a regular basis, so was not surprised by the 2nd (debatable) yellow.

It has settled into the English game/ RFC very quickly - but two things.

1. I think he is trying to over compensate to establish himself in the 'physical' English League
2. Premier League players are very adept at drawing a foul... and some will demonstrate their full range of acting skills in order to engineer a booking.

He will learn

[SirGarth]

Friday was without a doubt a couple of classes above anything else Reading have every had.

He was skillful, hard, loved to entertain and could get off the pitch after a game and into the pub before most of the crowd!!!

[Tails]

Friday was without a doubt a couple of classes above anything else Reading have every had.

He was skillful, hard, loved to entertain and could get off the pitch after a game and into the pub before most of the crowd!!!

I wont believe it until its on the OS.

[Turns8]

I love Marek. I think he gives us a bit more pace and vision, reminds me of a nicer ME.

[Platypuss]

Personally I thought it was a red. I thought it was silly to go in the way he did when he was on a booking. Roberts was free down the wing, Marek took him out. Whether or not it was deliberate in today's game the result of a foul like that is a yellow card. That doesn't excuse the complete inconsistency of Clattenberg though. IMO Ryan Nelsen should have been sent off for two bookings, firstly for bringing down Doyle in almost exactly the same scenario as Marek's 2nd booking, and then for the petulant tug at Marcus when he's about to launch the ball. but hey, you almost accept that referee's are going to be shit these days.

Not sure how the logic follows (and Coppell was just as guilty of it) - who's to say Nelsen would still have impeded Marcus if he had already been given a yellow?

[brendywendy]

Ridiculous sending off today

Wrong.

Also, Seol's skill > Matejovsky's

MM's passing and vision, tackling, workrate, class>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Seol's

therefore=better player

[cmonurz]

My first impression watching a live stream was that Marek’s second booking was harsh but fair, and I haven’t changed my mind seeing the replay. He arrived at speed, Roberts nicked the ball passed him, and Marek took him out. Harsh when you are already on a yellow, but I wouldn’t have been surprised with a first booking for that challenge and so can’t complain about a second and a dismissal.

I disagree that Matejovsky has been ‘brilliant since he got here’, BUT there is little doubt that his performances have been improving in the last few weeks and that this has coincided with our better run of form. Looks like a good signing, so far.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

I commented after the first yellow that he is picking up cards on a regular basis, so was not surprised by the 2nd (debatable) yellow.

he only had one yellow before the blacburn game

[West Stand Man]

My first impression watching a live stream was that Marek’s second booking was harsh but fair, and I haven’t changed my mind seeing the replay. He arrived at speed, Roberts nicked the ball passed him, and Marek took him out. Harsh when you are already on a yellow, but I wouldn’t have been surprised with a first booking for that challenge and so can’t complain about a second and a dismissal.

I disagree that Matejovsky has been ‘brilliant since he got here’, BUT there is little doubt that his performances have been improving in the last few weeks and that this has coincided with our better run of form. Looks like a good signing, so far.

I am not as convinced as you that the second offence warranted a booking, but it is an offence that has drawn bookings before - so perhaps not too much of a surprise that it did. Whjat really wound me up was that Nelsen got away with a blatant professional foul in the first half when Mr Clattenburg decided it was accidental crossing behind the Reading player (matejovsky again, I think?). That was such a poor example of consistency.

Agree with you that MM has not 'brilliant' since he got here, but he does look a very good buy at the type of price that we pay.

[Platypuss]

I commented after the first yellow that he is picking up cards on a regular basis, so was not surprised by the 2nd (debatable) yellow.

he only had one yellow before the blacburn game

Soccerbase says Villa and liverpool.

In addition in the Bolton game we had the clumsy challenges for the (missed) penalty and the freekick for their first goal

Hopefully it's something he can eradicate from his game, else we'll just have to bear the risk (as per Paul Scholes).

[brendywendy]

Can I assume you a very, very new to watching Reading?

Name those you consider more talented than MM then.

Ray Houghton
Neil Webb
Jamie Cureton
Darren Caskey
Glenn Little
Dave Kitson
Scott Taylor
Simon Osborn
Mick Gooding
Jimmy Quinn
And although I've never actually seen him play, I am sure Robin Friday was much more talented.

I'm sure that given a bit more thought the list could be much bigger. Let's not kid ourselves here, he's not that special.

funniest post ever

almost as good as the one saying seol was much better

now i loved caskey and houghton as much as the next man,
but they hardly ever performed consistently for us week in week out

personally id be willing to bet that MM is better than both were at their peak, let alone when they played for us.

personally id put osborne and little ahead of him so far

(and i think that marek played for the proffesional foul by crossing in front of the man-but that said it was no less of a foul than mareks 2nd yellow)

[Gordons Cumming]

Friday was without a doubt a couple of classes above anything else Reading have every had.

He was skillful, hard, loved to entertain and could get off the pitch after a game and into the pub before most of the crowd!!!

For pure entertainment Friday is way out on top, with only Little coming near...............Percy Freeman was fun.

Though I digress......................Marek needs to improve his timing with tackles.Reminds me a bit of Paul Scholes!!!

[CMRoyal]

All these comparisons with past players, but very few of them operated at the top level after leaving us (or before joining us, in the case of Houghton). Neil Webb definitely bears comparison, but I'm struggling to think of others. I was sure Osborn would go on to greater things at the time, but he didn't so it would suggest that he was more at the Convey level, ie excellent by second tier standards but unable to take it to the higher level. Given Marek's relative newness to the Prem, I'd say he's already an established top division talent, albeit one that needs to sharpen his tackling. I genuinely think that - assuming we stay up and he stays fit next season - we'll have next to no chance of keeping hold of him. He's going to go down as one of the best ex-players we've ever had.

[East Stand Royal 500]

I think the sending off was probably the best thing that could have happened to Marek. He is one of the most exciting palyers to wear a Reading shirt in recent years and he has bags of potential but he is still learning the English game. Yes, he made some rash challenges and paid for them but he's a very quick learner and intelligent so I suspect we will not see a repetition of those mistakes.

The sending off didn't cost us 3 points. It may even have salvaged one because we didn't look remotely like scoring before that and played much better in the final 15 minutes. If anyone cost us points it was Hunt. He could and should have scored at least one but wasted his chances.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Friday was without a doubt a couple of classes above anything else Reading have every had.

He was skillful, hard, loved to entertain and could get off the pitch after a game and into the pub before most of the crowd!!!

Though not most of the pubs near the ground as he was barred for being a nasty, p*sshead pikey tw*t

[brendywendy]

Friday was without a doubt a couple of classes above anything else Reading have every had.

He was skillful, hard, loved to entertain and could get off the pitch after a game and into the pub before most of the crowd!!!

Though not most of the pubs near the ground as he was barred for being a nasty, p*sshead pikey tw*t

you really hate him dont you

[readingbedding]

We haven't had too many players with the same footballing ability as Marek, all of them left, he'll leave too.

They all do...