Sidwell's comments in the post today

[Only one Trevor Morley]

In summary this Sweden tour is a waste of time for the players.

Absolute rubbish.

The swedish pre season trip last year didnt do us any harm did it?

The players might be grumbling but I agree with coppell that these opportunities are to practice your shooting and attackign play under match conditions - the quality of opposition is irrelevant.

Had we been playing three similar sides of that standard it would be a waste of time - but we're not - the final team should give them a good test.

Part of these trips is to get away as a team - teamwork is key to readings success, rather than whether Sidwell get bored on 2 hour coach journeys.

[Gordons Cumming]

Whinging footballers get on my tits.

[papereyes]

Preseason is mostly about fitness and sharpness.

[retro royal]

In summary this Sweden tour is a waste of time for the players.

Absolute rubbish.

The swedish pre season trip last year didnt do us any harm did it?

The players might be grumbling but I agree with coppell that these opportunities are to practice your shooting and attackign play under match conditions - the quality of opposition is irrelevant.

Had we been playing three similar sides of that standard it would be a waste of time - but we're not - the final team should give them a good test.

Part of these trips is to get away as a team - teamwork is key to readings success, rather than whether Sidwell get bored on 2 hour coach journeys.

Spot on, apart from being unlucky against plymouth last year, how can the players question the managementa about pre-season after last season.

Pre-season is about sharpness, in 1985-86 we lost all our pre-season games and then look what happend, 13 straight wins

[bobby1413]

Why didn't we play more championship clubs? Coventry, Leeds, etc...

Is that allowed?

I don't know if you've noticed but the league season has already started. We're not going to get English league clubs playing friendlies during the first few weeks of their season. A week or so ago these games would've been a bit too much for us when we're gearing up for August 19th.

I did notice.

I meant earlier.

The whole point of my post, was why not start with sweden, then didcot, millwall, swindon, a championship side, then star the season.

Got some nice warm up games, can get into the swing of things before getting harder opposition and then really starting the season off.

However, avoiding injuries is important, and I think that in some ways you could be more vunerlable playing Leeds or someone as they will be more competitive and aggressive than perhaps a less strong swedish side.

[Alan Partridge]

In summary this Sweden tour is a waste of time for the players.

Absolute rubbish.

The swedish pre season trip last year didnt do us any harm did it?

The players might be grumbling but I agree with coppell that these opportunities are to practice your shooting and attackign play under match conditions - the quality of opposition is irrelevant.

Had we been playing three similar sides of that standard it would be a waste of time - but we're not - the final team should give them a good test.

Part of these trips is to get away as a team - teamwork is key to readings success, rather than whether Sidwell get bored on 2 hour coach journeys.

Had they played 3 teams capable of actually giving them some sort of game I would agree. Playing teams from the 6th division in Sweden is utterly ridiculous.

[Reading Abbey]

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/2002/2002999/sidwell__game_was_just_a_joke

Can't help but wonder if Sidwell would have made these comments in public if we was happy at the club. Can't see it going down well with the management !

I agree Sidwell would probably have kept his mouth shut had he's been on his new contract, but he spot on regarding the Swedish friendlies!

[Ian Royal]

In summary this Sweden tour is a waste of time for the players.

Absolute rubbish.

The swedish pre season trip last year didnt do us any harm did it?

The players might be grumbling but I agree with coppell that these opportunities are to practice your shooting and attackign play under match conditions - the quality of opposition is irrelevant.

Had we been playing three similar sides of that standard it would be a waste of time - but we're not - the final team should give them a good test.

Part of these trips is to get away as a team - teamwork is key to readings success, rather than whether Sidwell get bored on 2 hour coach journeys.

how do you know it didn't do us any harm. with a couple of vaguely testing games we might have beaten Plymouth

We can't afford to start slowly in the premiership and games against lwly oppersition and league 1 sides like Swindon are all very good to start, but to then move on to semi proffessional sides with only a couple of weeks to go and have only 1 meaningful friendly against Feyenord is ridiculous. Our players have to get used to fighting against poppersition that is superior to them, not wandering around at 10% pissing all over amatuers

Kitson said this last year and iirc the same people got on his back and started calling him arogant and calling for him to be dropped because he wasn't all that. I'd like to remind them that he was our top scorer and by the end of the season they all loved him again. The same is happening with Sidwell, and because he happens to have not signed a new contract people are getting all self rightuous and slagging him off because he wants a higher wage than they can dream of.

Get over yourselves footballers are payed extremely well, why should Sidwell humble himself and take a smaller wage when he can get better.

how many of you would accept a wage of several grand less than a person you know at another similar company when you do just as much work if not more. Regardless of whether you actually deserved that much money or not. You'd ask for the same and if you didn't get anything near it, then you'd wait and see what you're options were in terms of moving company, especially if others were head-hunting you.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

In summary this Sweden tour is a waste of time for the players.

Absolute rubbish.

The swedish pre season trip last year didnt do us any harm did it?

The players might be grumbling but I agree with coppell that these opportunities are to practice your shooting and attackign play under match conditions - the quality of opposition is irrelevant.

Had we been playing three similar sides of that standard it would be a waste of time - but we're not - the final team should give them a good test.

Part of these trips is to get away as a team - teamwork is key to readings success, rather than whether Sidwell get bored on 2 hour coach journeys.

Had they played 3 teams capable of actually giving them some sort of game I would agree. Playing teams from the 6th division in Sweden is utterly ridiculous.

Coppell disagrees with you completely and I know who I would prefer to listen to.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

In summary this Sweden tour is a waste of time for the players.

Absolute rubbish.

The swedish pre season trip last year didnt do us any harm did it?

The players might be grumbling but I agree with coppell that these opportunities are to practice your shooting and attackign play under match conditions - the quality of opposition is irrelevant.

Had we been playing three similar sides of that standard it would be a waste of time - but we're not - the final team should give them a good test.

Part of these trips is to get away as a team - teamwork is key to readings success, rather than whether Sidwell get bored on 2 hour coach journeys.

how do you know it didn't do us any harm. with a couple of vaguely testing games we might have beaten Plymouth

We can't afford to start slowly in the premiership and games against lwly oppersition and league 1 sides like Swindon are all very good to start, but to then move on to semi proffessional sides with only a couple of weeks to go and have only 1 meaningful friendly against Feyenord is ridiculous. Our players have to get used to fighting against poppersition that is superior to them, not wandering around at 10% pissing all over amatuers

Kitson said this last year and iirc the same people got on his back and started calling him arogant and calling for him to be dropped because he wasn't all that. I'd like to remind them that he was our top scorer and by the end of the season they all loved him again. The same is happening with Sidwell, and because he happens to have not signed a new contract people are getting all self rightuous and slagging him off because he wants a higher wage than they can dream of.

Get over yourselves footballers are payed extremely well, why should Sidwell humble himself and take a smaller wage when he can get better.

how many of you would accept a wage of several grand less than a person you know at another similar company when you do just as much work if not more. Regardless of whether you actually deserved that much money or not. You'd ask for the same and if you didn't get anything near it, then you'd wait and see what you're options were in terms of moving company, especially if others were head-hunting you.

I wasnt really having a go at Sidwell (although does he really need to say anything to the press).

If its like this now when we've won an easy match I dread to think whats going to happen when we actually lose a Premiership fixture...

[AJ~]

http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/pa ... 61,00.html

Seems like quite the occasion for them, so nice job being completely disrespectful towards their town, club, supporters and players Sidwell who have hosted us well.

[Hoop Blah]

I meant earlier.

The whole point of my post, was why not start with sweden, then didcot, millwall, swindon, a championship side, then star the season.

Got some nice warm up games, can get into the swing of things before getting harder opposition and then really starting the season off.

However, avoiding injuries is important, and I think that in some ways you could be more vunerlable playing Leeds or someone as they will be more competitive and aggressive than perhaps a less strong swedish side.

So by your pre-season planning we'd have had a tour at the start when we'd have had no new players to bed in and get to know (ok we've only got two so far but I'm sure Coppell would've hoped to have a couple of additional new faces on tour too). The rest of the squad you'd have taken with no fitness work under their belt to mainly do base fitness work instead of two sessions a day on building team play whilst they're away or whatever they're doing.

You'd then build up to playing your hardest pre-season game two weeks before the season starts because you're oppositon are busy after that. Then you'd give the players would have a nice rest for 14 days instead of continuing to sharpen and hit their peak fitness for the big kick off?

I'm being picky I know, and maybe the tour might appear more meaningful if the opposition were a llittle stronger, but I don't think the players have any right to moan.

IF Coppell comes out and says he would've wanted stiffer opposition and better surfaces to play on (this is my only gripe if true as this might be a risk with injuries) that don't involve a load of travel (wasn't there last minute venue changes?) then fair enough. However, the way I understand it the tour is about having the players together 24/7 for a few days and doing some more intensive training and bonding. The matches are just an pretty insignificant tip of the iceburg.

[Royal Lady]

Also in the article in the Evening Post:

"However, Royals' boss Steve coppell said " we always play this standard of opposition in our pre-season games. It's easy to be critical, but it gives us an opportunity to score lots of goals. many years ago the great Hungarian side used to play matches like these and win 30-odd nil, just because they wanted the scorers to score. At this stage it's ideal as far as I'm concerned. Sometimes you can question being away for a week at this time, but we'll realise it is all worthwhile a week Saturday when we play Middlesbrough in our first Premiership game."

So stick that in your pipes and smoke it!

[rabidbee]

ok fair point, i dont think its a waste of time though.

Plus liverpool played some tinpot outfit the other day and got stuffed so it just shows you have to be proffesional about it, thankfully our boys appear to be doing that even if there is a sense of "why are we here"

Wasn't that against Bundesliga club FSV Mainz 05?

[Shortbread]

Actually, Sweden is Coppell's favourite destination for pre-season friendlies because he used to go there with Palace too. In fact, one season when Palace were relegated he blamed the club's decision not to go to Sweden but to participate in a four-corner tournament instead.

As is pretty plain, the purpose of the tour is to give players the opportunity to get goals, and the boost to morale that always gives, whatever the standard of opposition. I can't see Seol (or Lita!) complaining about that so far. I think we'll be heading for Sweden every pre-season as long as Copps is in charge - and, if that don't suit you Sid, just console yourself with the thought that it's probably the last time you'll have to do it.

[Gordons Cumming]

Whinging footballers get on my tits.

I agree, nothing worse.

ditto

I must say it does my head in when this happens.

[URZZ]

Whinging footballers get on my tits.

I agree, nothing worse.

I can't dis-agree with either of you.

[Spirit of Elm Park]

Whinging footballers get on my tits.

I agree, nothing worse.

I can't dis-agree with either of you.

I think all three of you have it nailed.

[URZZ]

Whinging footballers get on my tits.

I agree, nothing worse.

I can't dis-agree with either of you.

I think all three of you have it nailed.

Make it four now.

[Drew_3]

Also in the article in the Evening Post:

"However, Royals' boss Steve coppell said " we always play this standard of opposition in our pre-season games. It's easy to be critical, but it gives us an opportunity to score lots of goals. many years ago the great Hungarian side used to play matches like these and win 30-odd nil, just because they wanted the scorers to score. At this stage it's ideal as far as I'm concerned. Sometimes you can question being away for a week at this time, but we'll realise it is all worthwhile a week Saturday when we play Middlesbrough in our first Premiership game."

So stick that in your pipes and smoke it!

spot on agree wholeheartedly with coppel the man can do no wrong after what he has achieved here!!