Reading (a)

[Rubadub]

It's nice to be able to talk about an upcoming game again, isn't it? International qualifiers don't do anything for me, just can't get into it. Neither does rugby union, for that matter.

Having said that, Reading away isn't a particularly inspiring game either! They must be one of our bogey teams, we won there at the end of the 15/16 season but other than that I can't remember a league victory there in recent times. Nicky Forster sticks in my mind as one who used to love a goal against us, as well as Dave Kitson for snubbing us and signing for the Royals (I think...blurred memories). It's a boring ground, difficult to get to, most have done it a few times over now, so I'm not surprised that we've only shifted 600 or so tickets so far.

This will throw up a few posers for Neil to deal with, as Sporting Director Mark Bowen relieved manager Jose Gomes of his job at the start of the international break, with Mark Bowen appointing Mark Bowen as the new manager a few days ago. Neil will now have to second guess Bowen's team/tactics, something that will be made harder by the fact that this is Bowen's first permanent managerial job. I suppose we could look at what Mark Hughes has done, I read that Bowen had accompanied him as assistant manager at Blackburn, Man City, Fulham, QPR, Stoke and Southampton. I wouldn't be surprised if Hughes turns up at Reading, should Bowen not do too well as manager.

Apparently they've been lining up in a 5-3-2/5-3-2, but with the wing-backs not pushing on as much as you'd expect, which means the play goes through the 3 midfielders and 2 central strikers a lot of the time. Big money signing Puscas hasn't hit it off really, but then again neither have any of their team. I like the look of Swift and Ejaria, but I think our midfield will be able to contain them.

You can't really make many changes to a team that's just won 5-1, however I'd bring Fisher back in for Browne. The old boys (Gallagher and Nugent) will have had a couple of weeks to rest, and hopefully Browne and Maguire can come through tonight's game with Switzerland unscathed. My team would be:

Rudd
Fisher Bauer Davies Rafferty
Pearson Gallagher
Barkhuizen Johnson Maguire
Nugent

Subs: Hudson (anyone know where Ripley is?), Hughes, Ledson, Browne, Bodin, Harrop, Stockley
​

That bench is extremely difficult to call, of the senior team Potts and Clarke don't make the bench, and then we've got Storey, Ginnelly, Green and Bayliss waiting in the wings.

I read a stat that this season Reading haven't won a game in which they've conceded a goal - so with us failing to score just once in the league this season, surely this is a home banker 🙂

 

[SF]

Rudd
Fisher, Bauer, Davies, Hughes
Pearson, Gallagher
Bodin, Johnson, Maguire
Barkhuizen​

 

[Regardless]

Reading looked good in defeat last week. Personally, I have some trepidation about this one. Scarred by previous treks to Elm Park (or whatever its new fangled name is!). Decent enough ground once you’re in. Bit soulless surroundings though.

 

[Jack Daniels]

@Rubadub

Kitson didn't snub us.

Martin Butler did to sign for them from Walsall whilst Forster turned us down.

As for your subs
Subs: Hudson (anyone know where Ripley is?), Hughes, Ledson, Browne, Bodin, Harrop, Stockley

I would have Hudson, Storey, Hughes, Ledson, Browne, Harrop, Bodin.

 

[Rubadub]

@Rubadub

Kitson didn't snub us.

Martin Butler did to sign for them from Walsall whilst Forster turned us down.

That'll be why I've bad memories of him - along with the time he scored a hattrick as we got thumped at the Madjeski.

 

[SF]

Was it their keeper Hanneman who went mental at one of our ball boys that time? maybe even pushed him over?

Doesn't help that they also had that big nosed twat, Glen Little. Kitson was a bell end too and not to mention king of the wankers, Pardew.

 

[ernest]

Rudd
Fisher, Bauer, Davies, Hughes
Pearson, Gallagher
Bodin, Johnson, Maguire
Barkhuizen​

There is no case for using Barkhuizen as a centre forward when Nugent and I would say Stockley as well are available - he just does not have the presence. Frankly Bodin looked better when used as a makeshift centre forward though I don't see what the case is for putting him straight back in the starting line-up - surely a few sub appearances would help him get back to full match effectiveness. Potts it is worth mentioning after a lamentable start to the season actually started to look his proper self again in the last match so right now he should be ahead of Bodin. So Barkhuizen on the right and Nugent upfront but does Fisher deserve to displace Rafferty. A lot of questions for AN to ponder.

 

[youngtommo]

Was it their keeper Hanneman who went mental at one of our ball boys that time? maybe even pushed him over?

Doesn't help that they also had that big nosed twat, Glen Little. Kitson was a bell end too and not to mention king of the wankers, Pardew.

Thought that was Tony Warner who was at Millwall at the time?

 

[No Danger]

Rudd
Fisher, Bauer, Davies, Hughes
Pearson, Gallagher
Bodin, Johnson, Maguire
Barkhuizen​

Was it their keeper Hanneman who went mental at one of our ball boys that time? maybe even pushed him over?

Doesn't help that they also had that big nosed twat, Glen Little. Kitson was a bell end too and not to mention king of the wankers, Pardew.

And Martin Allen who organised them warming up at the wrong end.
Remember Warner the Millwall keeper pushing a ball boy and later receiving a ban (3 games I think). Perhaps it also happened with the Reading keeper.

 

[SF]

There is no case for using Barkhuizen as a centre forward when Nugent and I would say Stockley as well are available - he just does not have the presence. Frankly Bodin looked better when used as a makeshift centre forward though I don't see what the case is for putting him straight back in the starting line-up - surely a few sub appearances would help him get back to full match effectiveness. Potts it is worth mentioning after a lamentable start to the season actually started to look his proper self again in the last match so right now he should be ahead of Bodin. So Barkhuizen on the right and Nugent upfront but does Fisher deserve to displace Rafferty. A lot of questions for AN to ponder.

Yes there is, his running consistently creates space and chances for the likes of DJ, Bodin, Maguire & Harrop. Nugent can't match his engine or pace.

Nugent is fine when were playing at home and on the front foot but against a side like Reading who focus on keeping possession and playing a patient game a re-think might be required.

It also means we can rotate the front three during a game which causes the opposition problems in itself.

So shove your arrogant 'there's no case for playing him' up your ass to be fair.

 

[ChuckD]

Reading are a shambles of a club. Four managers in 18 months then they appoint someone with no managerial experience.

Currently third from bottom and lost their last home game 1-4. This should be an easy 3 points although the players may be putting in extra effort to impress the new manager.

 

[ernest]

So shove your arrogant 'there's no case for playing him'.

Barkhuizen is wasted when played centrally and upfront - all I have ever seen when he has been played there is high balls pumped upfield that are just headed back by the opposition central defenders. His pace can be devastating when he picks up the ball in deeper positions and then runs at the opposition whether down a flank or through the centre - that is how to play him.

 

[SF]

Barkhuizen is wasted when played centrally and upfront - all I have ever seen when he has been played there is high balls pumped upfield that are just headed back by the opposition central defenders. His pace can be devastating when he picks up the ball in deeper positions and then runs at the opposition whether down a flank or through the centre - that is how to play him.

So Barkhuizen wasn't effective against Birmingham, Bristol City, Brentford & Stoke when playing up front?

He also had a good game against Man City up top.

 

[No Danger]

Reading are a shambles of a club. Four managers in 18 months then they appoint someone with no managerial experience.

Currently third from bottom and lost their last home game 1-4. This should be an easy 3 points although the players may be putting in extra effort to impress the new manager.

I'm always uncomfortable when the term 'easy 3 points' is used. Very rarely turns out that way.

 

[jfm509]

It was basically the same situation when we played Reading away last season, we were coming off the back of a good run of form and they were struggling and we put up a shocking performance (plus the beers in the away end tasted like washing up liquid).

 

[jakehake]

Reading are a shambles of a club. Four managers in 18 months then they appoint someone with no managerial experience.

Currently third from bottom and lost their last home game 1-4. This should be an easy 3 points although the players may be putting in extra effort to impress the new manager.

I go with this mindset every time I've been there since I moved down this way two decades ago yet they probably contain all my worst away day experiences without fail. Just always have dread ahead of this game

 

[ernest]

So Barkhuizen wasn't effective against Birmingham, Bristol City, Brentford & Stoke when playing up front?

He also had a good game against Man City up top.

The team was effective and Barkhuizen put some effort in but I still think he is wasted when played that way and that Nugent, Stockley and when fit Bodin are better options for the team and for Barkhuizen himself.

 

[SF]

The team was effective and Barkhuizen put some effort in but I still think he is wasted when played that way and that Nugent, Stockley and when fit Bodin are better options for the team and for Barkhuizen himself.

...'put some effort' in... haha

Says it all, you've talked shit about Barkhuizen for ages so i'm not even going to debate with you anymore.

In Neil's system, Barkhuizen is our best available option to lead the line.

 

[Delaney]

Barkhuizen is wasted when played centrally and upfront - all I have ever seen when he has been played there is high balls pumped upfield that are just headed back by the opposition central defenders. His pace can be devastating when he picks up the ball in deeper positions and then runs at the opposition whether down a flank or through the centre - that is how to play him.

If you weren't at the games he played up front you wouldn't have seen the way his pressing the defence and making headers hard for defenders created space for the three behind him, allowing them to pick up second balls, create chances, and score goals that won games when Barky played up front. Just one of the reasons that you can't state that "there's no case for playing him" based on only seeing a little online stream.

 

[ernest]

If you weren't at the games he played up front you wouldn't have seen the way his pressing the defence and making headers hard for defenders created space for the three behind him, allowing them to pick up second balls, create chances, and score goals that won games when Barky played up front. Just one of the reasons that you can't state that "there's no case for playing him" based on only seeing a little online stream.

It is a limited case and one that is even more limited now that Nugent looks to be able to play at least the greater part of matches. Can I point out that when Barkhuizen went through a poor patch last season that had quite a few people here saying he was just a lower league player who had enjoyed a brief initial spell of effectiveness that I defended him and said he had real attributes that we would see again so I am not in any sense against the fellow and can claim to be one of his supporters. I just think that when we have any other realistic options available for the central striking position that Barkhuizen is better used elsewhere. Anyhow let's see where he is played on Saturday.