According to the article in the Guardian, the team used a diamond formation vs. the Wolves, with Bobby playing in the hole behind the strikers and apparently playing very well. (got an 8) As to Reading staying up, if JMad spends a portion of what Dave Whelan or al Fayed have spent ...
Well, like I said, I'd love a link to that site so I could do some objective research. Leicester were another Sunderland, just trying to right the financial ship.
Madejski is one of the richest men in England (worth about $600M), whereas Ipswich, Sunderland and the other bouncers do not such financial clout. I wouldnt be surprised that he dig pretty deep into his pockets - something he's said numerous times he'd do if they went up - to get some decent names to have a run ala Fulham or this latest Manchester City that's been up for a few years now
I see Reading being somewhere between Wigan this year and Crystal Palace in 2003/2004 should they get promoted. They have a very sophisticated team in Championship terms and have the ability to win games against many Premier League teams simply by playing their most comfortable style. The teams that win the Championship and then flop do so because they have to go ultra-conservative as soon as they get to the Premiership since they are out-manned at so many positions. This is not a disparagement, because CP was awfully close to staying up and Wigan is obviously going to be comfortably mid-table even if they are not in contention for European football by the end of the season. There are a lot of parallels between Reading and CP, especially. Kitson plays a sort of AJ role. They have very strong and dynamic wing play from Little and Convey (like Routledge and that Finnish guy). They have a solid goalkeeper (who has a decent pedigree due to his success with the above-mentioned Fulham squad) and good, though not spectacular, defenders who work together well as a unit. Actually, I rate Reading a bit better defensively. The ownership situation is similar to CPs as well. Thankfully Reading don't have such a miserable ground (or at least a ground with such a miserable situation as Selhurst Park). Hopefully they will be a bit more prudent then CP in signing a bit more quality than quantity upon their eventual (knock on wood) promotion. Jordan was a bit too stubborn regarding the terms on which he would sign players for the club. I can only imagine what CP would be doing now if he had okayed the Tim Cahill signing when he had the chance. In the even that they are promoted, I think that Reading would be wise to make an imposing defensive midfielder (someone like Legwinski or Diop from Fulham if they do not survive the drop) with an EPL pedigree a top priority. Also, full-back play is an underrated (and affordable) way to get a lot of game-changing players on the field. One only needs to look at the impact that the Chimbonda (sp) guy at Wigan is having on both ends of the field.
Hard to say quite what we'd need, but two full-backs would probably be first on the list. Too many sides that go up try and sign a star attacker, but a solid defence is what wins games. If you are letting in twos and threes every game then you have no chance. I don't think there's a right number of players to sign. Getting the right players is more important. I don't think Harpers good enough in the middle, even though he's had a good season. He's gets bypassed too easily, and he just isn't creative enough. He plays a kind of fetcher-carrier role, giving the ball to those who create the openings rather than creating them himself. That can be good - Ray Houghton was similar and he played for one of the best Liverpool sides ever - but we do need a player in the middle with the vision to create openings, especially through the middle, that we don't have currently. I'm not sure if Sidwell will make it other than as a bit-part player either. He's still a very good player, but rather like Shorey, hasn't progressed quite as well as hoped. He does admit his form hasn't been what it was though, so there's still a chance. When it comes down to it though, the more good players we can sign the better. I think this is actually one of the better times to get promoted for quite a while. The wind of financial prudence is sweeping through the premiership of late, and the excessive spending of the boom years is taking its toll, with clubs realising that there probably won't be another huge hike in TV money to pay off the debts. Still, nothing's won yet. It's a bit like being 3-0 up at half time. You know you ought to win, but there's still a job to do. Keep focussed over the next 10 games though and would could be eyeing the football league record for the earliest ever promotion. Currently held by Notts County, who went up on March 31st a few years back. To beat that we'd have to be 22 points clear of 3rd after 39 games. I think that's unlikely, as we have a tricky set of games in Jan/Feb, but you never know.
Well, I'm supposed to be at a conference in Sheffield the first week in April...was gonna check out Man City at Tottenham, but if Reading can clinch it may be worth taking the train down to Cardiff
Anyone who posts video of Convey's goal gets rep from me, and I will sacrifice three virgins in your honor.
Thanks for that. If anything, BC's backheel pass on the disallowed Kitson header may have been better than his goal. Good to see him doing well, and enjoying himself - a far cry from the sulking petulant Bobby his last year in DC.
Thanks a ton for posting the highlights. Nice goal by Bobby... not anywhere near the highlight reel goal I was led to beleive but a good one nonetheless. Well done Bobby those are the ones we need you to make.
looked like one hell of a match.. How on earth did Kitson hit the bar twice in the 2nd minute.. Little made a mess out of those Wolves defenders on that first goal.. Then delivered a beautiful free kick which should have been headed down in the near corner for a goal.. That Convey backheel was the best thing about the highlights, and that goal was fantastic.. Kitson may be the best and ugliest striker in the CCC.. By the way, if you can order Setanta, Reading will be on this Saturday..
Marcus couldn't reach on the first crossbar bound point-blank header ... but the 2nd shot, off the turnover, left him completely stranded. That's not solid goalkeeping.
You don't go 24 league games without defeat without solid goalkeeping. It sounds like we're running out of things to say about this team and looking for stories that aren't there.
very nice goal from bobby...doesn't appear to lack confidence by the looks of things. Here you go BC, you earned it Now go get us one tomorrow
I presume you saw the relevant part of the clip. Marcus observed the shot all the way, yet was clearly beaten after misreading the trajectory of the ball. That was a very poor play on his part.
What he said. Did you see the Chelsea v. Fulham game? Is Peter Czech now a shaky goalkeeper after what transpired in that game? I don't think so.
Convey doesn't have to be a great finisher, but he can be a very good penetrator and provider if he is a decent finisher. That's what it looks like he has become for Reading - not a great goal scorer, just scores enough so that the other team has to respect that he can. That forces the other teams not to leave him alone and over-mark the finishers that he makes his living passing to. Obviously, the better of a finisher that he becomes, the better it is for the other parts of his game but how great of a finisher do you expect for a guy that is blind in one eye to become? I am satisfied with decent. For the first time in a while, I am actually happy with the progress that Convey is making in his game. He really appears to be playing well within both himself and the team structure - primarily because he knows he won't be on the pitch if he doesn't.
Cut the crap. He's clearly using it as an example to show every goalkeeper makes mistakes once in a while.
I agree completely. That's why I was very happy to see the goal. It's the kind of goal I think the USA team needs more of, or at least players to take the shot. I like the run he made, it was simple and straightforward. he didn't try to do to much with it, just got to the ball first, headed toward goal, stayed away from the defender and when he was getting closed down, he took the shot. I am very pleased with the way Bobby is playing this year.