What the Papers Say: Season 09/10 Previews

[brendywendy]

in which case-to general football with you!!

[RoyalBird]

Finally, the Daily Mail has done the next ten in their top 50 players......and there are no Reading players in that ten!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... 40-31.html

Can't really take the Daily Mail seriously, but I do find it odd that they have lower league players in there, despite never playing in League 1. I'm not doubting whether Magnus Okuonghae is a very good talent, but to say he's better than Jonathan Greening, a proven Premiership player, when he's never even played in League 1 doesn't seem right imho.

[rabidbee]

Perhaps they mean 50 to watch, or perhaps they're evaluating them according to their impact at their level. Or possibly they just had to include L1 & L2 players for 'balance'.

[Thaumagurist*]

Just looked on Daily Mail again, the next ten (i.e. 30 to 21) doesn't feature any Reading players either.

[CMRoyal]

This is all good news - last time we were competely ignored, records ended up being broken.

[winchester_royal]

Finally, the Daily Mail has done the next ten in their top 50 players......and there are no Reading players in that ten!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... 40-31.html

Massive LOL @ Lee Johnson at 31. Brizzle fans think he's feckin awful.

[Sarah Star]

Finally, the Daily Mail has done the next ten in their top 50 players......and there are no Reading players in that ten!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... 40-31.html

Massive LOL @ Lee Johnson at 31. Brizzle fans think he's feckin awful.

I think sometimes these articles suffer from being one persons "list of all the players wot I've ever heard of" rather than a real reflection of their skill/talent. On the other hand, if he's heard of them, then there must have been some reason for it.

[Ian Royal]

Perhaps they mean 50 to watch, or perhaps they're evaluating them according to their impact at their level. Or possibly they just had to include L1 & L2 players for 'balance'.

Yeah, I'm not reading it as a list of steadily improving league players, but instead a list of names worth watching who are capable of progressing and causing a stir at a higher level.

[rabidbee]

Yeah, I'm not reading it...

!00% 'greed.

[Ian Royal]

Yeah, I'm not reading it...

!00% 'greed.

I don't usually mind the Mail sports section, but if I read anything else in it I tend to start feeling violent. And I've only looked at the first 10 Spacey posted. Can't be arsed with any more.

[Terminal Boardom]

With McGhee it was more the fans opinions he transformed I think rather than JM as he didn't know any better really.

Very true. IIRC someone said in earshot of SJM that Martin Hicks should leave as he was a donkey. SJM is alleged to have aked if that was good. What the FSB gave us was hope and a vision of what was possible. We pissed the third division in 93/94 even though we only won the league by 1 point. Anyone remember the way we completely outplayed brighton in front of 300,000 (sic) at the Goldstone to win 1-0? Since then it has been almost non-stop progress.

As for this season, I am starting to get really good, positive vibes. Saturday cant come soon enough and I am tempted to have a punt on us to go up / make the play offs.

[Jeffers217]

Coppell may have given starts to players like Karacan but then seemingly dropped them for no apparent reason. I've been looking through some of last years programs which suggest that we won a lot of games when Karacan was in the team, however when he was dropped we didnt perform.
Contrast that with Rodgers who is placing all his faith in these talented youngsters and the 2 managers look very different. Pearce was also clearly up to it last season and should've been playing alongside Bikey instead of the "hoof-ball" Duberry. Unf this style of play also rubbed off on players like Rosenior who did play some nicer stuff in the first half of the season and on the basis of saturday was back to playing the way he can play.

My only worry is that forward line. I'm happy with the defence and have faith that after the start of the season the midfield should be correct (IMO Karacan and Tabb DM with Marek AM, Henry and Robson-Kanu wide) but there is no one to bang goals in up there. Which is why it's baffling to see how we are prepared to spend a lot of money on a CB when we have 4 who are good enough already but not prepared to spend that on a striker which we DESPERATELY NEED

[Terminal Boardom]

Coppell may have given starts to players like Karacan but then seemingly dropped them for no apparent reason. I've been looking through some of last years programs which suggest that we won a lot of games when Karacan was in the team, however when he was dropped we didnt perform.
Contrast that with Rodgers who is placing all his faith in these talented youngsters and the 2 managers look very different. Pearce was also clearly up to it last season and should've been playing alongside Bikey instead of the "hoof-ball" Duberry. Unf this style of play also rubbed off on players like Rosenior who did play some nicer stuff in the first half of the season and on the basis of saturday was back to playing the way he can play.

My only worry is that forward line. I'm happy with the defence and have faith that after the start of the season the midfield should be correct (IMO Karacan and Tabb DM with Marek AM, Henry and Robson-Kanu wide) but there is no one to bang goals in up there. Which is why it's baffling to see how we are prepared to spend a lot of money on a CB when we have 4 who are good enough already but not prepared to spend that on a striker which we DESPERATELY NEED

WTF is it about Bikey being banned and Ivar injured that you dont understand? Pearce is still learning the ropes. Who is the 4th?

For what it's worth, I saw Bikey hoof the ball far more than Doobs last season.

[PEARCEY]

Coppell may have given starts to players like Karacan but then seemingly dropped them for no apparent reason. I've been looking through some of last years programs which suggest that we won a lot of games when Karacan was in the team, however when he was dropped we didnt perform.
Contrast that with Rodgers who is placing all his faith in these talented youngsters and the 2 managers look very different. Pearce was also clearly up to it last season and should've been playing alongside Bikey instead of the "hoof-ball" Duberry. Unf this style of play also rubbed off on players like Rosenior who did play some nicer stuff in the first half of the season and on the basis of saturday was back to playing the way he can play.

My only worry is that forward line. I'm happy with the defence and have faith that after the start of the season the midfield should be correct (IMO Karacan and Tabb DM with Marek AM, Henry and Robson-Kanu wide) but there is no one to bang goals in up there. Which is why it's baffling to see how we are prepared to spend a lot of money on a CB when we have 4 who are good enough already but not prepared to spend that on a striker which we DESPERATELY NEED

WTF is it about Bikey being banned and Ivar injured that you dont understand? Pearce is still learning the ropes. Who is the 4th?

For what it's worth, I saw Bikey hoof the ball far more than Doobs last season.

I guess the 4th he is alluding to is Cisse.

[Jeffers217]

Coppell may have given starts to players like Karacan but then seemingly dropped them for no apparent reason. I've been looking through some of last years programs which suggest that we won a lot of games when Karacan was in the team, however when he was dropped we didnt perform.
Contrast that with Rodgers who is placing all his faith in these talented youngsters and the 2 managers look very different. Pearce was also clearly up to it last season and should've been playing alongside Bikey instead of the "hoof-ball" Duberry. Unf this style of play also rubbed off on players like Rosenior who did play some nicer stuff in the first half of the season and on the basis of saturday was back to playing the way he can play.

My only worry is that forward line. I'm happy with the defence and have faith that after the start of the season the midfield should be correct (IMO Karacan and Tabb DM with Marek AM, Henry and Robson-Kanu wide) but there is no one to bang goals in up there. Which is why it's baffling to see how we are prepared to spend a lot of money on a CB when we have 4 who are good enough already but not prepared to spend that on a striker which we DESPERATELY NEED

WTF is it about Bikey being banned and Ivar injured that you dont understand? Pearce is still learning the ropes. Who is the 4th?

For what it's worth, I saw Bikey hoof the ball far more than Doobs last season.

I guess the 4th he is alluding to is Cisse.

Bikey is banned for 5 games, Ivar is injured well done- that doesn't warrent £2 million spent on a doncaster rovers centre back. What does warrent money spent is: a striker where mooney is too slow, Church is inexperienced, Noel can't play up top on his own and a Shane Long who quite frankly has a touch of a rapist.
And yes I saw a very decent centre back display from Cisse at the weekend. Pearce is still learning the ropes?! LOL. Duberry was still learning the ropes after 10 years of football

[Thaumagurist*]

My only worry is that forward line. I'm happy with the defence and have faith that after the start of the season the midfield should be correct (IMO Karacan and Tabb DM with Marek AM, Henry and Robson-Kanu wide) but there is no one to bang goals in up there. Which is why it's baffling to see how we are prepared to spend a lot of money on a CB when we have 4 who are good enough already but not prepared to spend that on a striker which we DESPERATELY NEED

Not prepared to spend? Eh? Wot you on?

If you're referring to Tommy Smith, consider his age and remaining contract length. And consider Mill's age.

Tommy Smith is 29, do you really want to spend more than a million on somebody who is likely to finish his career in 2 or 3 years time and probably wouldn't get much money back if we ever were to sell him. Whereas Mills is about 23, we could get quite a few years out of him and the possibility of getting our money back if we sell him.

You must play a lot of Championship Manager on the computer.

[Jeffers217]

My only worry is that forward line. I'm happy with the defence and have faith that after the start of the season the midfield should be correct (IMO Karacan and Tabb DM with Marek AM, Henry and Robson-Kanu wide) but there is no one to bang goals in up there. Which is why it's baffling to see how we are prepared to spend a lot of money on a CB when we have 4 who are good enough already but not prepared to spend that on a striker which we DESPERATELY NEED

Not prepared to spend? Eh? Wot you on?

If you're referring to Tommy Smith, consider his age and remaining contract length. And consider Mill's age.

Tommy Smith is 29, do you really want to spend more than a million on somebody who is likely to finish his career in 2 or 3 years time and probably wouldn't get much money back if we ever were to sell him. Whereas Mills is about 23, we could get quite a few years out of him and the possibility of getting our money back if we sell him.

You must play a lot of Championship Manager on the computer.

It has nothing to do with age it is to do with position. I view us as adequate in the defence, yes a centre back loan would suffice. But you could clearly tell on sat where we are lacking and that is firepower up top. I would prefer to see Nugent than Smith but I just want to see bloody someone signed in that position

[Thaumagurist*]

Well, you need to be patient, because I'm sure Brendan is very much aware of the problem and has been working all summer to bring in a forward! I don't think he's going to stop looking once the season has started.

[W&E Royal]

My only worry is that forward line. I'm happy with the defence and have faith that after the start of the season the midfield should be correct (IMO Karacan and Tabb DM with Marek AM, Henry and Robson-Kanu wide) but there is no one to bang goals in up there. Which is why it's baffling to see how we are prepared to spend a lot of money on a CB when we have 4 who are good enough already but not prepared to spend that on a striker which we DESPERATELY NEED

Not prepared to spend? Eh? Wot you on?

If you're referring to Tommy Smith, consider his age and remaining contract length. And consider Mill's age.

Tommy Smith is 29, do you really want to spend more than a million on somebody who is likely to finish his career in 2 or 3 years time and probably wouldn't get much money back if we ever were to sell him. Whereas Mills is about 23, we could get quite a few years out of him and the possibility of getting our money back if we sell him.

You must play a lot of Championship Manager on the computer.

It has nothing to do with age it is to do with position. I view us as adequate in the defence, yes a centre back loan would suffice. But you could clearly tell on sat where we are lacking and that is firepower up top. I would prefer to see Nugent than Smith but I just want to see bloody someone signed in that position

Have you not thought that we will sell Bikey now that we have a new centre back?

After last Saturday i thought that Bikey's cameo was awful, worse than awful, sell him for £2.5 million and get in someone for £2 million, great bit of business.

Cisse isn't a centre back at this level, he looked ok on Saturday but he looked ok against Man Utd last year but the next game against Villa he was dreadful, we can't put our season hopes on him.

Ivar is injured, how long will it take him to get back to match fitness?

Pearce was brilliant on Saturday but he needs a proper partner. Up steps Matthew Mills, welcome aboard!!

We will sign a striker but have you never heard the term "build from the back?"

[BR2]

What fans take so much to heart is that writers away from Reading have an opinion-that's all that it is,an opinion.
Somebody thinks Sheff Utd will finish top so the keyboard warriors go into overdrive with everything negative about Sheff Utd, a club that always seems to be up there every season.
IMHO too many people are already expecting too much of Rodgers and too much of our young players.

As with all new seasons,apart from a few of the lower division ones where we thought that we had a side ready for promotion and justified that belief,none of us have much idea about how it would pan out.
It depends so much on the impact of any new signings and we supposedly haven't finished yet.
Sporting Index make us finishing 5th.