Charlton - Back From The Game...

[Alan Partridge]

That's false Royalee.

Oh come on AP, I know you're a Duberry fan but even you have to admit he's been shocking recently and deserves to be dropped. I lost count of the number of times he went through the back of players and totally mistimed headers last night. Then to put the icing on the cake he completely lost his man for the second goal.

I said on either this thread or another one I thought he had his worst game for us last night, he was awful in all honesty. I know he isn't the greatest footballer but when it comes to defending I back him over anyone else in the squad, yesterday he didn't do it. To say he can't head a ball though is frighteningly wrong though.

For the 2nd goal I think Federici has to come and deal with that cross, once he doesn't Duberry has to defend it better, he got the wrong side of Hudson meaning he couldn't even properly challenge him, that's basic rank bad defending.

I would also be pro Bikey for a return but I'm nos ure I'd replace Duberry on the back of this performance, especially after this time last week wherehe was outstanding at Sheffield Wednesday and in the main this season I'd say he's been very good.

[Scarface]

I've been saying this for weeks that Coppell needs to start playing his best players, so now is the time for Marcus and Bikey to come back.

IMHO Duberry and Fed have been at fault against Bristol City, Plymouth and now Charlton so I'd drop both of them.

[Schards#2]

As far as formations go, I would have thought a side chasing promotion playing at home to the bottom side shouldn't need to adapt its formation to accomodate how they are going to play.

We should be confident that we playing our favourite formation will be enough.

[Royalee]

He has the odd decent game, like at Birmingham and so forth, but he makes far too many basic mistakes for someone with so much 'experience' for me. His timing's usually out and he's very clumsy indeed. The worrying thing is that he made exactly the same defensive error on Saturday for Plymouth's first goal but hasn't learned. He's okay as a squad player until the end of the season, but Bikey wins far more in the air, possesses far more pace, is stronger in the tackle and will generally be able to bully strikers.

When you combine Pearce's reading of the game, organisational skills, timing of the tackle and aerial ability with Bikey's attributes I think you have a bit of everything and can't go far wrong. Duberry's been getting found out much like Ingimarsson was beginning to and although there's no arguing that both are top pros, they are both past their sell-by dates IMO and are no good if the club is looking to go forward. In Pearce and Bikey you have the future, which is what Coppell should be looking at.

[Snowball]

He has the odd decent game, like at Birmingham and so forth, but he makes far too many basic mistakes for someone with so much 'experience' for me. His timing's usually out and he's very clumsy indeed. The worrying thing is that he made exactly the same defensive error on Saturday for Plymouth's first goal but hasn't learned. He's okay as a squad player until the end of the season, but Bikey wins far more in the air, possesses far more pace, is stronger in the tackle and will generally be able to bully strikers.

When you combine Pearce's reading of the game, organisational skills, timing of the tackle and aerial ability with Bikey's attributes I think you have a bit of everything and can't go far wrong. Duberry's been getting found out much like Ingimarsson was beginning to and although there's no arguing that both are top pros, they are both past their sell-by dates IMO and are no good if the club is looking to go forward. In Pearce and Bikey you have the future, which is what Coppell should be looking at.

SMACK ON!

The players who have been chomping at the bit should be given a try. USA can't be a bad move. We know him, does exactly what it says on the tin. Bikey we know and overall, I agree, better than Doobs (certainly the recent Doobs)... Tabb looked better than the SHunt-Since-Xmas and (so far) Long almost looks like a new signing.

[howser]

I have always had serious doubts as to the ambitions of the club to go back up, we are not a club that will "speculate to accumulate" in the Premiership, this was plain to see when after a brilliant first season last time round we failed to capitalise in the transfer market, after all finishing eighth and just outside the euro places would have made us an attractive proposition to players we were interested in. So that lack of investment cost us then, as now, the return of Little and Kitson makes me question why it has taken so long for the management to come to terms with fact that we are and have not been playing well for a while, and why it wasnt addressed during the "January Window" and now it smacks of a desperate attempt to solve that problem. As was asked here earlier, do we want promotion ? for the sake of the support probably yes, as for the financial implications I doubt it. Will be interesting to see the line up on Saturday, if Harper is still out, and after Hunts substitution tonight, it would seem that the "untouchables" are now being targeted, or with leaving out the most prominent names, in relation to leaving, during then transfer window are they just preparing the ground for another championship season next year.

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

That was as poor a game of football as I've seen all season. Not a great advert for the Championship.

I do wish we would playing sodding head tennis and look to keep the ball on the deck more. When a high ball comes to one of our players in space, he should be given a shout that he's got time to control it & hit it to one of our players, instead of just knocking back up again, turning possession into another 50/50 ball.

It was, though, good to see Blakey back and showing Marek what a decent pass looks like.

[North Somerset Royal]

I've been saying this for weeks that Coppell needs to start playing his best players, so now is the time for Marcus and Bikey to come back.

IMHO Duberry and Fed have been at fault against Bristol City, Plymouth and now Charlton so I'd drop both of them.

I agree and would add Sheff Wed to that list as far as Duberry is concerned. He loses his man too often and its hard to believe he is an experienced pro who has played at the top level. I made the point on another thread that when behind the goal at away games I have not heard Feds talking to the back four in the way that USA does and a number of goals conceded recently have been down to poor communication/understanding IMHO.

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

...we were shit.

We could not string many passes together .

Marek started again, then I see.

[brendywendy]

its a shame, as hed been playing well, deserved a run, was responsible for a great defensive run with lots of clean sheets, is a crowd favourite etc
but the mistakes have crept in,and cost us and he need his arse kicked back into form

bikey please

[Royalee]

...we were shit.

We could not string many passes together .

Marek started again, then I see.

That's funny, he's made three passes which have led to goals in his last three games.

[CMRoyal]

...we were shit.

We could not string many passes together .

Marek started again, then I see.

Another two goals scored in which he played at least some part.

[brendywendy]

there are even more goals hes played a part in if you count the oppositions!

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

Well I suppose the law of averages has to kick in some time. Marek's great if your gameplan is tire the opposition out by constantly giving them the ball.

[CMRoyal]

there are even more goals hes played a part in if you count the oppositions!

Can't think of any offhand myself. It certainly wasn't the case last night or on Saturday.

[brendywendy]

last few games hes been "responsible" for giving the ball away and letting the player run past him in on goal, resulting in goals being scored against us

i love marek, think hes a great footballer, but im just saying that if youre going to list goals hes played a part in you should try to be balanced

[CMRoyal]

last few games hes been "responsible" for giving the ball away and letting the player run past him in on goal, resulting in goals being scored against us

i love marek, think hes a great footballer, but im just saying that if youre going to list goals hes played a part in you should try to be balanced

Agree, but "balance" is a good word to use because what team expects a player whose assets are best employed in hurting the opposition to have to put in an equal shift defensively? It's crazy, and it's making him look at fault when there's a massive gap between him and the defence and he's the one "letting the player run past him" (eg the Forest goal). Quite frankly, at the moment Reading football club and many Reading fans don't deserve him because tactically he's being made to look poor and so many people can't see it.

[brendywendy]

doesnt matter what kind of player he is, we expect the CMs to not give the ball away in dangerous positions, and to track a player and tackle when it does happen

[Dulwich Royal]

Midfield is the root of our problems - as last season, teams have quite easily worked out that with only two effective midfielders, ie our widemen dont really fill in, we can be outnumbered and outplayed both on the break against us and when we are pressing when balls come back out from their box. Teams also close very tight on our widemen now so that advantage is lost. If our midfield two are static as they tend be, we have no support for the front men so Doyle has to hold on to it for too long and gets crowded out and the defence is exposed when teams break on us. Sidwell was so effective because he was three men in one, he was in the box scoring goals, protecting the back line and going from side to side closing down and has never been replaced. Marek, as part of a narrower midfield or five man midfield perhaps just behind the front man would be outstanding in this league.

[Harry Carry]

LOL @ the bLOLame cuLOLture amongst Reading fans.