this is football?

[Royal@Norwich]

Reading's first ever game against the most decorated team in English football's history and we field a team of reserves. I am aware of the need to rest players for the league games as that has to be the priority.

The aim of football is to win both games and trophies and the Carling cup represented the best chance for us to do so this season - not a good chance but a decent one. We rejected that chance tonight by fielding the side we did. We lost by 1 goal, had we played our normal back 4 we probably would not have leaked 4 goals and therefore had a better chance of winning, Coppel exhibited no desire to win tonight and I just think it is a shame.

This is a problem in football that makes a mockery of cup competitions, which should be the most exciting spectacle football. Tonight we forfeited the opportunity to add to that tradition.

[Big Ern]

The moment other teams start taking the competition seariously, then we should. Until then, we need to concentrate on the league.

[Royalee]

F*ck off, name another team who didn't forfeit the so-called pride of this competition apart from Chesterfield dickhead.

[MC ROYAL]

To say we played a reserve side is a joke. TBH, I would have the same midfield and strike force for the Pompey game minus Long for Doyle. Murty is injured, so Halls had to play, and Shorey and Sonko were rested. We put out a pretty strong side tonight I thought, although maybe we should have played Sonks as well.

[alad]

The moment other teams start taking the competition seariously, then we should. Until then, we need to concentrate on the league.

Take a look at the last few winners of the competition.

2001 Liverpool
2002 Blackburn
2003 Liverpool
2004 Boro
2005 Chelsea
2006 United

4 out of the last 6 winners have been top 4 clubs. They might not field first choice sides (United 11 changes from Sundays game) but they have the quality to get away with it.

It's clubs like Reading who make a mockery of it by fielding a reserve team who are frankly woeful. A first choice side could have got the result tonight. Theres EIGHT less league games this season, so I don't buy the rubbish about resting players.

Same thing happened last season in both cups, Coppells antics in the FA Cup were nothing short of disgraceful.

[Big Ern]

The moment other teams start taking the competition seariously, then we should. Until then, we need to concentrate on the league.

Take a look at the last few winners of the competition.

2001 Liverpool
2002 Blackburn
2003 Liverpool
2004 Boro
2005 Chelsea
2006 United

4 out of the last 6 winners have been top 4 clubs. They might not field first choice sides (United 11 changes from Sundays game) but they have the quality to get away with it.

It's clubs like Reading who make a mockery of it by fielding a reserve team who are frankly woeful. A first choice side could have got the result tonight. Theres EIGHT less league games this season, so I don't buy the rubbish about resting players.

Same thing happened last season in both cups, Coppells antics in the FA Cup were nothing short of disgraceful.

Very poor alad, even for your low standards

[Royalee]

The moment other teams start taking the competition seariously, then we should. Until then, we need to concentrate on the league.

Take a look at the last few winners of the competition.

2001 Liverpool
2002 Blackburn
2003 Liverpool
2004 Boro
2005 Chelsea
2006 United

4 out of the last 6 winners have been top 4 clubs. They might not field first choice sides (United 11 changes from Sundays game) but they have the quality to get away with it.

It's clubs like Reading who make a mockery of it by fielding a reserve team who are frankly woeful. A first choice side could have got the result tonight. Theres EIGHT less league games this season, so I don't buy the rubbish about resting players.

Same thing happened last season in both cups, Coppells antics in the FA Cup were nothing short of disgraceful.

So resting players for a potential 5th of a season is disgraceful? You're just bitter because we let Liverpool win a game. You and Spacey should team up and form an idiots who hate big English teams society.

[alad]

No come back from Big Ern, very predictable.

Reading will stay up, 12th or 17th it makes very little difference apart from a couple of million. The chance to win something means more than finishing a few league places higher.

Even the likes of Spurs put out a strong side tonight against MK Dons, yet look at the side Reading put out, laughable.

[alad]

The moment other teams start taking the competition seariously, then we should. Until then, we need to concentrate on the league.

Take a look at the last few winners of the competition.

2001 Liverpool
2002 Blackburn
2003 Liverpool
2004 Boro
2005 Chelsea
2006 United

4 out of the last 6 winners have been top 4 clubs. They might not field first choice sides (United 11 changes from Sundays game) but they have the quality to get away with it.

It's clubs like Reading who make a mockery of it by fielding a reserve team who are frankly woeful. A first choice side could have got the result tonight. Theres EIGHT less league games this season, so I don't buy the rubbish about resting players.

Same thing happened last season in both cups, Coppells antics in the FA Cup were nothing short of disgraceful.

So resting players for a potential 5th of a season is disgraceful? You're just bitter because we let Liverpool win a game. You and Spacey should team up and form an idiots who hate big English teams society.

To be honest it's a good job Reading played Liverpool, against another team it would have been a complete rout.

[Royalee]

Take a look at the last few winners of the competition.

2001 Liverpool
2002 Blackburn
2003 Liverpool
2004 Boro
2005 Chelsea
2006 United

4 out of the last 6 winners have been top 4 clubs. They might not field first choice sides (United 11 changes from Sundays game) but they have the quality to get away with it.

It's clubs like Reading who make a mockery of it by fielding a reserve team who are frankly woeful. A first choice side could have got the result tonight. Theres EIGHT less league games this season, so I don't buy the rubbish about resting players.

Same thing happened last season in both cups, Coppells antics in the FA Cup were nothing short of disgraceful.

So resting players for a potential 5th of a season is disgraceful? You're just bitter because we let Liverpool win a game. You and Spacey should team up and form an idiots who hate big English teams society.

To be honest it's a good job Reading played Liverpool, against another team it would have been a complete rout.

You mean like another English team who have won the European Cup five times? You should be a comedian.

[alad]

Did they win those cups by fielding reserve sides so they could concentrate on the league?

Keep bowling under arm and I'll keep knocking them for six

[MC ROYAL]

The moment other teams start taking the competition seariously, then we should. Until then, we need to concentrate on the league.

Take a look at the last few winners of the competition.

2001 Liverpool
2002 Blackburn
2003 Liverpool
2004 Boro
2005 Chelsea
2006 United

4 out of the last 6 winners have been top 4 clubs. They might not field first choice sides (United 11 changes from Sundays game) but they have the quality to get away with it.

It's clubs like Reading who make a mockery of it by fielding a reserve team who are frankly woeful. A first choice side could have got the result tonight. Theres EIGHT less league games this season, so I don't buy the rubbish about resting players.

Same thing happened last season in both cups, Coppells antics in the FA Cup were nothing short of disgraceful.

Reserve team? LOL

I would field the same side v Pompey except USA, Shorey, Sonko and Doyle back in TBH.

[Big Ern]

No come back from Big Ern, very predictable.

Reading will stay up, 12th or 17th it makes very little difference apart from a couple of million. The chance to win something means more than finishing a few league places higher.

Even the likes of Spurs put out a strong side tonight against MK Dons, yet look at the side Reading put out, laughable.

No proper comeback as I can't be bothered to bite.

[Royalee]

Did they win those cups by fielding reserve sides so they could concentrate on the league?

Keep bowling under arm and I'll keep knocking them for six

Man Utd seemed to do well at winning the Carling Cup by fielding reserve sides in the early rounds last season. Those leg byes are going to be caught out every so often...

[alad]

Would you rather finish 13th and win nothing or finish 16th and win the Carling Cup?

Reading had a good chance of winning it IMO.

[alad]

Did they win those cups by fielding reserve sides so they could concentrate on the league?

Keep bowling under arm and I'll keep knocking them for six

Man Utd seemed to do well at winning the Carling Cup by fielding reserve sides in the early rounds last season. Those leg byes are going to be caught out every so often...

So you're comparing United reserves with Reading reserves?

Now that really is laughable. What was it you said about being a comedian?

[Royal@Norwich]

"Reserve team? LOL

I would field the same side v Pompey except USA, Shorey, Sonko and Doyle back in TBH"

Starting
21 Graham Stack - no
23 Ulises de la Cruz - yes
22 Andre Bikey - no
16 Ivar Ingimarsson - yes
14 John Halls - no
7 Glen Little - no
6 Brynjar Gunnarsson - no
11 John Oster - no
10 Stephen Hunt - yes
8 Leroy Lita - yes
24 Shane Long - mmm

I shall be very suprised if this is the squad to face portsmouth.

Not as strong as it could have been. No Sidwell, no Harper... that seems to me like a reserve midfield.

[Cavaman]

If we want to stay in the premiership, we have to keep our 'reserves' happy or we won't have the depth of squad we need to complete the season effectively. So i back Coppell's judgement about who ti pick anytime, even if we lose!

[Farnborough Royal]

Would you rather finish 13th and win nothing or finish 16th and win the Carling Cup?

Reading had a good chance of winning it IMO.

I don't know about winning the cup, but I feel we would have beaten Liverpool with a full strength team.