Team for 1st day of 2011/12 season

[Big Foot]

McCarthy

A new left back
Pearce
Morrison
Cummings

Robson-Kanu
Elwood
Karacan
Antonio / a new winger

Church
Manset



A very, very young side but might just be energetic and dangerous enough to scrape a top half finish

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Where is Mikele Leigertwood in your team?

Your team does not allow for 2 or 3 other incoming players to better what we have already.

[Big Foot]

Where is Mikele Leigertwood in your team?

Your team does not allow for 2 or 3 other incoming players to better what we have already.

He's in there, look again


It does allow for 2 new players so don't know what you're on about?

I Think the likes of Morrison and Manset were signed believing this coming season would be when they'd make more of an impact

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

I see in disguise "Elwood"!!!

[roadrunner]

We need a decent striker to replace Longy. Church doesn't fill me with a great deal of confidence. Manset has potential but must come back fitter, and Hunt has to stay fit.

[Barry the bird boggler]

McCarthy

Harte
Pearce
Morrison
Cummings

Liegertwood
new winger
new winger
Karajan

new striker
Manset

Close season goodbyes to McAnuff, Kebe, Long, Mills and Federici

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

...rather Brett Williams in than Church......when Church has had his chance, he hasnt taken it ...I still think Noel Hunt will be around next season and I would pair Hunt with either Williams or Manset......

[The Prisoner]

Don't think McAnuff will go TBF

McCarthy

Cummings
Mills
Khiz/Pearce
Williams

McAnuff
Leigertwood
Karacan
New Winger

Hunt
New Striker

Decent side. I think Long, Kebe and Feds to go (maybe Karacan?).

[Royal Rother]

McCarthy

Harte
Pearce
Morrison
Cummings

Liegertwood
new winger
new winger
Karajan

new striker
Manset

Close season goodbyes to McAnuff, Kebe, Long, Mills and Federici

That's about £20m coming in. That'll float the boat / fill the whole for a few years.

[Handsome Man]

Long has left
Kebe is going to France
We don't want Federici anymore and can't afford Kish's wages
Mills could stay
MacAnuff should stay

MacCarthy

Cummings
Harte
Pearce
Mills

Karacan
Leigertwood
MacAnuff
Robson-Kanu

Hunt
Mackail-Smith

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

Long has left
Kebe is going to France
We don't want Federici anymore and can't afford Kish's wages
Mills could stay
MacAnuff should stay

MacCarthy

Cummings
Harte
Pearce
Mills

Karacan
Leigertwood
MacAnuff
Robson-Kanu

Hunt
Mackail-Smith

Dont see Mackail Smith coming now - Darren Ferguson was saying yesterday that a number of prem clubs have made enquiries and thats "whats turned his head"......

[Forbury Lion]

McCarthy

A new left back
Pearce
Morrison
Cummings

Robson-Kanu
Elwood
Karacan
Antonio / a new winger

Church
Manset



A very, very young side but might just be energetic and dangerous enough to scrape a top half finish

Subs
Nicky Hammond - 3rd choice keeper/DoF (second choice keeper out on loan)
Gunnarsson
Ingamarsson
Howard
Bas Savage (re-signed on a free)
Reading fans everywhere (mostly not at the game)

[Handsome Man]

Long has left
Kebe is going to France
We don't want Federici anymore and can't afford Kish's wages
Mills could stay
MacAnuff should stay

MacCarthy

Cummings
Harte
Pearce
Mills

Karacan
Leigertwood
MacAnuff
Robson-Kanu

Hunt
Mackail-Smith

Dont see Mackail Smith coming now - Darren Ferguson was saying yesterday that a number of prem clubs have made enquiries and thats "whats turned his head"......

You are probably right. Sometime soon we will buy a player for a few million again. It is nearly two years since we bought Mills or went after Tommy Smith

[Big Foot]

^ I wonder whether yesterday's game will have a similar impact on SJM's spending as seeing Wigan promoted when we play at theirs last day of the 04/05 season

Fast forward a few months and we'd spunked £1M on Lita, a signing of intent

The time is right for another signing of intent

[Wycombe Royal]

Shane Long will have to weigh up being a regular for us or a bit part player in the Premiership. He knows what it is like sitting on the bench all season as he did it for us for a long time before finally gettinghis chance this season to be the first choice striker. Will he want to go back to being an impact sub again? It's a big choice for him to make.....

Jimmy Kebe will probably go, and probably to France. He has spoken of his desire to have another go in France. I'm not sure we will miss him too much. Yes he does great runs, yes he scores a few goals, but far too often he has no end product and at his age he is unlikely to improve now. HRK can run at players, can cross better than Kebe, scores goals and is still improving. So get him in on the left and move McAnuff to the right.

Jobi McAnuff - I doubt a Premiership team will be interested in him and unless we get a silly offer from an ambitious Championship club he will be going nowhere.

Adam Federici is the one player we can afford to sell without impacting our team much. Most of our run of wins was with McCarthy in goal and I have no doubts he can make the step up on a permanent basis.

Jem Karacan could possibly be snapped up by one of the lesser Prem teams. It will be a shame if he goes, but he is young and ambitious. I think he will still be here next season.

Matt Mills I'm not too bothered if he stays or goes as it is Pearce who I think is the better defender.

So in summary I can see us losing 2, maybe 3 players from our first team plus maybe a couple more like Marcus Williams & Brian Howard, along with Ingi and maybe Gunnarsson (but I would like to see him get another year plus some coaching duties).

To comein, well we don't have a s big a black hole as last summer to fill so I cna see McD getting a large chunk of monies received to spend on a couple of decent acquisitions. I can see a new striker and a new centre back coming in (I hope it isn't Khiz becaiuse I don't think he is worth the high wages) and maybe a new central midfielder (if Karacan goes) and a winger (if Kebe goes).

Most important though is a striker - we need a hardworking goalscorer to replace Long if he goes and top of my list would be McKail-Smith, but I think there will be bigger clubs in for him.

[Mr Angry]

As with most people, I am assuming that the following players will DEFINITELY be going before 1st September;

Long (nailed on - even SJM said he was going)
Feds
Kebe

Khis will go back to Blackburn; we couldn't afford his salary to sign him permanently.

We may lose:

Jobi
Mills
Jem

Therefore, we will need the following as potential 1st team players (as opposed to "players for the future"):

At least 1 left back.

A right back.

At least 1 central defender.

A striker.

We may also need another wide man, even if Jobi stays, another central midfielder, and a 2nd new striker.


As it stands today, the team to start our first match (assuming NO-ONE comes in, and assuming the 3 departures as above) is:

McCarthy
Harte
Cummings
Mills
Pearce
Jobi
Jem
Legs
HRK
Hunt
Church

[Royal Rother]

Wycombe, I assume you mean "no doubts" about McCarthy...?

[Mr Angry]

Can everyone PLEASE forget about MacKail-Smith? Peterboro have had 2 offers from Premiership clubs, and anyway, if the lad wanted to play in the Championship, he would stay with Peterboro, wouldn't he?

Do any of us think that Long would leave us to join another team in the Championship?

[Wycombe Royal]

Wycombe, I assume you mean "no doubts" about McCarthy...?

I did - fixed it now.

[Fezza]

McCarthy

Harte
Pearce
Morrison / Mills
Griffin (one bad game in a whole season? Harte likewise)

Robson-Kanu
Elwood
Karacan
Jobi

Taylor

Manset

Think we definately need a replacement for Shane and a winger, however, that may be it.