[prvev]

Tomorrow is the draw for the third round of the FA Cup, the round when Premiership and Championship clubs enter. I think we're ball 32, if I remember correctly. Not that it really means anything. Lets hope we can avoid anyone..good.

[prvev]

The draw has been made, and the Third Round game will be against Burnley, at the Mad Stad. Burnley are 6th in the Championship. Not a bad draw.

[ChancellorElmer]

Not too bad of a draw considering that Arsenal plays Liverpool. & Man U. plays Aston Villa.

[mschofield]

This might be Convey's best chance to break back into the lineup. The non-starters will, as usual, get the cup game. I'd suggest they take advantage of the chance.

[RichardL]

Damn. I was hoping for a home tie v Aldershot (or Basingstoke). It would have been nice to have given our old rivals a good lumping. I still have nightmares about the last time Reading played at Aldershot's (w)rec(k).
We played them in the autoglass trophy preliminary round gorup stage. The top two went through from a round robin group. aldershot were abysmal and heading fast towards financial oblivion. In their first game, away to Southend, they lost 10-1. Reading only had to draw, but lost 3-1 in perhaps the worst, most embarrassing defeat I've ever seen. The only consolation was being there to witness one of the most magnificent headed goals I've ever seen. I just remember a deep curling cross and there was martin hicks, Reading's record holder for appearances, rising up majestically to meet it, just a bit further out than the penalty spot. He headed it with such power and precision that it flew as hard as if had been kicked, unstoppably, into the top corner. The keeper didn't even move. The crowd, what there was of it, erupted and cheered. It was magnificent, a thing of beauty. And had he not put it past his own keeper, it would have been perfect.


I don't think there can be any rivalry in world football as distant in terms of league divisions are the one's Reading have. Swindon are 3 divisions lower, while Oxford & Aldershot are 4 divisions lower, and considered by many to be truer rivals than Swindon.


Can't think of much to say about Burnley. It's dark. Always. Even when the sun is shining.

[olegunnar]

Atleast its at home. What do you expect Coppell to do here? If safety from relegation is relatively certain at that point I would expect a full strength team, a Reading cup run has been a rare thing. If not he will probably play the reserves as is his track record with us.

[mschofield]

Originally Posted by olegunnar

Atleast its at home. What do you expect Coppell to do here? If safety from relegation is relatively certain at that point I would expect a full strength team, a Reading cup run has been a rare thing. If not he will probably play the reserves as is his track record with us.

My guess, if they're safe from relegation, he'll play the reserves. If they're struggling, he'll play the reserves. If the sun rises that morning, he'll play the reserves.

[rms5555]

Originally Posted by olegunnar

Atleast its at home. What do you expect Coppell to do here? If safety from relegation is relatively certain at that point I would expect a full strength team, a Reading cup run has been a rare thing. If not he will probably play the reserves as is his track record with us.

If we are over 40 points by January 6th, that would mean that we have taken 15 out of a possible 21 points in the upcomming matches. That would require us to beat Newcastle, Watford, Blackburn and Everton(making 8 wins in a row) to give us a chance. Then we would need 3 more points out of Chelsea, ManU(both away) and West Ham, and we play West Ham two days after playing ManU. If they can pull that off I would have to believe that Europe would be on Coppell's radar at that point, in which case he would probably rest the starters to save them for Premiership matches.

[Postmaster]

Originally Posted by mschofield

This might be Convey's best chance to break back into the lineup.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/re...een_on_halford

Coppell is also without the services of Dave Kitson, who is recovering from an operation to remove his appendix, and Bobby Convey (knee).

Both, though, are expected to return in Saturday’s FA Cup third-round clash at home to Burnley.

http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content....e=news&id=2583
"Bobby returned to full training towards the end of last week," Reading FC press officer Andy West told YA. "He will hopefully be back in action soon, but whether that is this Saturday's game or a reserve game later this month I am not sure yet."

[Katsbox]

It would be surprising to see Kitson play this Saturday - great, but surprising. The Official Site (in last Friday's injury update) said that he was hoping to get back to training in early January.