Blakey must be due a start

Norfolk Royal · by **Norfolk Royal** » 23 Oct 2006 09:29

Very noticeable when Glen came on yesterday that we started holding the ball up better.

OK it was 4-0 at the time but he remains one of our few players who can put his foot on the ball and hold play up.

It is also true that he was arguably our best player last season. I'd like to see him start against Liverpool and hopefully hold onto his place.

SouthDownsRoyal · by **SouthDownsRoyal** » 23 Oct 2006 09:30

I agree.

Farnborough Royal · by **Farnborough Royal** » 23 Oct 2006 09:31

I agree

Gordons Cumming · by **Gordons Cumming** » 23 Oct 2006 09:32

I think I agree

Royal Fleet · by **Royal Fleet** » 23 Oct 2006 09:33

I think Kits coming back will be key to whether Blakey gets a start. Those two combined so well and so often last year, and I think that Blakey will miss a target man without him.

I think the main reason is the type of cross Blakey puts in, which tend to be very accurate rather than very quick, and you need an easier (read taller) target for them.

Agree Seol has looked lacklustre in the last couple of games though. He always seems to stop when he gets the ball rather than use the first touch to knock the ball into space to run onto. He has pace after all.

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 23 Oct 2006 09:34

Yep, think Saturday could see him start in the League.

Personally, I'd be tempted to play Seol either up top or just off Doyle and bring Little in.

Top Flight · by **Top Flight** » 23 Oct 2006 09:36

I agree

Seol never has the greatest work rate at the best of times. But during a game of football, the longer the game goes on the more Seol's effort detioriorates....

Maybe Seol isn't fit enough to be effective for more than 30 minutes but he vanished completely in the second half.

I believe that there has to be a place in the team for Blakey. He is first choice wide man in my opinon.

If Seol is second only to Blakey then we should have Blakey on the right and Seol on the left. Room has got to be made for Little. He is pure class. We play our fluent football with Little because he draws players in, can't be tackled, buys enough time for Midfield marauders like Sidwell and Harper to get up in support and allows our Strikers to find positions in the box.

Either go Little and Convey, Or Little and Seol. Hunt has the tenacity but lacks the cutting edge that Little, Convey, Seol and Oster all possess.

Platypuss · by **Platypuss** » 23 Oct 2006 09:40

Norfolk Royal wrote:Very noticeable when Glen came on yesterday that we started holding the ball up better.

The fact that we brought Little on for Long and thus had 5 in midfield might also have had something to do with it.

Gordons Cumming · by **Gordons Cumming** » 23 Oct 2006 09:40

I thought Oster was excellent when he came on.

I'm not his greatest fan but he showed a real hunger and looked quite classy.

He'll definately start against Liverpool in my view.

Gordons Cumming · by **Gordons Cumming** » 23 Oct 2006 09:46

On the other hand De la Cruz was the worst player i've seen play for Reading for a very long time.

A very poor international player.

Rhys The Royal · by **Rhys The Royal** » 23 Oct 2006 09:48

Gordons Cumming wrote:On the other hand De la Cruz was the worst player i've seen play for Reading for a very long time.

A very poor international player.

He was playing against Arsenal

Top Flight · by **Top Flight** » 23 Oct 2006 09:51

Gordons Cumming wrote:On the other hand De la Cruz was the worst player i've seen play for Reading for a very long time.

A very poor international player.

De La Cruz was awful, made some near fatal errors in the first half. He made three disgraceful errors for an experienced Premiership campaigner that let Arsenal in on some major opportunities. We were just so lucky the Arse failed to take advantage of those ones. It could have been 7-0.

Gunnarsson looked far more assured than Cruz when he was replaced.

Huntley & Palmer · by **Huntley & Palmer** » 23 Oct 2006 09:51

He was also far better than Boris at right back.

Reading Abbey · by **Reading Abbey** » 23 Oct 2006 09:52

Rhys The Royal wrote:
Gordons Cumming wrote:On the other hand De la Cruz was the worst player i've seen play for Reading for a very long time.

A very poor international player.
He was playing against Arsenal

He hasn't looked very good at all, yet! Very clumsy and his first touch is poor, not to mention his passing.

Top Flight · by **Top Flight** » 23 Oct 2006 09:53

Rhys The Royal wrote:
Gordons Cumming wrote:On the other hand De la Cruz was the worst player i've seen play for Reading for a very long time.

A very poor international player.
He was playing against Arsenal

De La Cruz also looked dodgy against West Ham as well. And also Villa weren't too impressed by his performances either. I don't think I would feel comfortable with De La Cruz even if we were playing in the Championship.

Huntley & Palmer · by **Huntley & Palmer** » 23 Oct 2006 09:54

That'll be the West Ham game where we didn't concede a goal?

Gordons Cumming · by **Gordons Cumming** » 23 Oct 2006 09:59

Huntley & Palmer wrote:That'll be the West Ham game where we didn't concede a goal?

I can only comment from what I saw yesterday.

Oh and Rhys, other players didn't look as bad and they were playing Arsenal too.

How odd.

Alan Partridge · by **Alan Partridge** » 23 Oct 2006 10:01

Gordons Cumming wrote:
Huntley & Palmer wrote:That'll be the West Ham game where we didn't concede a goal?
I can only comment from what I saw yesterday.

Oh and Rhys, other players didn't look as bad and they were playing Arsenal too. How odd.

Not all of them had to try and deal with Henry and van Persie down the left with Seol as your only help down that side. Not trying to make excuses for him cos he was bobbins but little bit of perspective is needed. Gunnarsson as much as I like Boris faired little better.

Ian Royal · by **Ian Royal** » 23 Oct 2006 10:02

I winced every time De La Cruz got the ball. He gave Arsenal their 4 on 2 chance which van Persie ruined, and made several other appauling mistakes in his 45 mins.

I'd like to see Seol given a try on the left seeing as Hunt is a tryer but doesn't have the class, and Convey has been rather less than wonderful. Though I hope he is back fit soon. I'd be more than happy to try Seol just off Doyle as well if Little and Convey play as wingers. At least it's a bit of height upfront.

Lita must have been fuming at not getting on the pitch. Can't say we looked much better with Long than with Lita.

Huntley & Palmer · by **Huntley & Palmer** » 23 Oct 2006 10:05

Exactly, Seol does not offer the cover down the right side of midfield. Murty gets on with it and is a better player than UDLC which is obvious, but when you come up against an on fire Van Persie what do you expect? I think Murty would have really struggled today as well and to bring on a player that doesn't even play in that position was a mistake. I would have rathered we switched to 3-5-2 and Boris played as a third centre back.