Bournemouth v Reading

[Gordons Cumming]

Does our choice of friendly opponents harp back to our lower league days.......?

That sort of mentality?

Or are these better teams not interested in playing us?

[Ian Royal]

I think we historically see pre-season as more of a fitness exercise and re-familiarising our team with itself rather than about the quality of opposition, at least up until the last couple of games.

[phil in cornwall]

It could be worse. Chelsea lost to Brighton, Villa lost to Forest and Wet Sham lost to Ipswich.

[Victor Meldrew]

Today reminded me why I don't normally go to friendlies but as it was on my doorstep I really had to go.
Good turn out by us.
Shorey,Guthrie ,Mariappa,Ledge and Pog were quite impressive but Church and Hunt weren't.
Why are we persevering with Church and HRK?

Their second goal was reminiscent of some goals last season where Pearce,Gorkss and Feds look at each other while their player has a free header,as if they have never played together before.

The starting eleven is beginning to look at bit like this unless we get another striker and centre-back:-
Fed
Gunter Mariappa (one of Gorkss or Pearce) Shorey
Ledge Guthrie
McCleary Pog Le Fondre Jobi

At last we do have a midfielder who can see a pass and make it in Guthrie and a very mobile centre-back in Mariappa but I don't see a lot of goals in our team so Shorey free-kicks and (if ever fit) Jimmy's pace and unpredictability could be very important.

[Royal With Cheese]

Yeah, I mean, Sheffield Wednesday lost 14-0 to Alfreton in a friendly last season, and look how bad their season turned out.

Let us all hope our campaign doesn't end up with Championship football next season like theirs has this.

[PieEater]

Today reminded me why I don't normally go to friendlies but as it was on my doorstep I really had to go.
Good turn out by us.
.

I thought in the first half only Shorey and Ledge were any good, the rest were just dire. Second half after the subs it looked like the first team was coming on but we were pretty hopeless. We're in for a long depressing season if that's the best we can muster. Maybe the fitness got better but our play was woeful or non existent, I can't recall their keeper making a save.

I'm also worried what BMcD thinks the starting line up will be, but we certainly don't seem to be trying to gel a team together.

[andrew1957]

It is really difficult to judge the team in a friendly game - especially as McD is still mixing it up and trying different combinations.

I thought the first 60 minute team was a bit average. I was impressed with Ledge (good to see as he started last season slowly), McCleary was ok - an improvement on Kebe in my book, Mariappa is mobile and scored a good goal, Jobi did ok - gets a hard press on here but is consistently one of our best players. I also thought Morrison looked pretty comfortable. He shows a lot of promise although he might yet need a Championship loan. Shorey could yet be an important player for us this season.

For a while the last 30 minute team looked good when they came on. More purpose and effort - until the game became a farce as even Bournemouth made loads of subs.

Obita looks an outstanding prospect to me and I assume this is why we are probably letting Antonio go. I thought HRK did well - won and converted the penalty well. Pog will be a threat up front and it was good to see Jem back for a few minutes - although he looked way short of match fit.

Guthrie was outstanding – by far the best player on the park IMO.

All in all a good run out. I think the Brighton game will tell us more - I would expect to see something nearer the expected starting PL team for 60 minutes but we will see. I will be there.

[Barry the bird boggler]

My only question is how have Soton managed to get a line up of interesting friendlies while we've got a line up of well nothing very much other than training games for the boys.

This just isn't good enough in my opinion, next week we see our final game v Palace and quite possibly an attendance struggling to anywhere near 10k.

Still I suppose as long as Brian gets what he wants out of them and the team get fit and and a good understanding of each other then what does it matter whether we play Brazil or the Kwik Fit Fitters Sunday League 2nd XI

[PremAddict]

Today reminded me why I don't normally go to friendlies but as it was on my doorstep I really had to go.
Good turn out by us.
.

I'm also worried what BMcD thinks the starting line up will be, but we certainly don't seem to be trying to gel a team together.

You mean the same BMcD that pulled us out of the pit in 09-10 season? The same BMcD that rebuilt a team to get to the playoff final in 10-11 season? Or the same BMcD that gave us the C'ship trophy again with a rebuilt squad? Yes the PL is a major step up, but when you look at our manager's record, his thinking and ability to adjust tactics, and his ability to get the best out of the entire squad, I don't really have the same concern. He'll figure-out his starting line-up. And it will work.

[Rex]

The last point is the whole point of friendlies. Get a modicum of gelling within the team, mix and match and a little bit of observation and assessment in a semi competitive arena. A loss or a win do not mean anything at this point. Match fitness and lack of injury mean far more than thumping a team or getting thumped.

[Royal Bahamas]

Today reminded me why I don't normally go to friendlies but as it was on my doorstep I really had to go.
Good turn out by us.
.

I'm also worried what BMcD thinks the starting line up will be, but we certainly don't seem to be trying to gel a team together.

You mean the same BMcD that pulled us out of the pit in 09-10 season? The same BMcD that rebuilt a team to get to the playoff final in 10-11 season? Or the same BMcD that gave us the C'ship trophy again with a rebuilt squad? Yes the PL is a major step up, but when you look at our manager's record, his thinking and ability to adjust tactics, and his ability to get the best out of the entire squad, I don't really have the same concern. He'll figure-out his starting line-up. And it will work.

100% agree! So many "RFC Supporters"(? on HobNob) appear too quick to forget how we got here in the first place. I trust that our Team has more back-bone, than these supposed supporters do.

[PieEater]

I'm not doubting McD, his record or how we got here, I was just offering an opinion from someone that actually saw the game.

It was a friendly but apart from Mariappas free header from a free kick we pretty well only managed to come close when Pog hit the post, and Church fluffed what should have been a good chance. I'd hope to at least test their keeper but I can't recall him making a save.

Their goals were a good low cross and finish getting ahead of Morrison, and a free header that left Gorkss and Pearce looking at each other. Our wingers were crowded out, our attackers were pretty well non existent. Midfield was OK but did little more than stifle play and try to break up their passing. Hal looked brilliant for about 5 mins just before winning the penalty (which looked soft), Obita looks the part but their right back (who looked decent) pretty well had him in his pocket.

I'm sure McD will turn it around when the games count, but from what I saw yesterday there was nothing to inspire that we'd get anything from any PL match. We need to get a result from Brighton and Palace if only to get the attackers scoring and some confidence in the team.

It was good to see Jem back what looked like his old self for the last 15mins.

[winchester_royal]

It's important to remember that:

a) McD started with quite a few players who won't be starting come the 18th so difficult to really judge how thing's are going to shape up.
b) We play best on the counter when the game has a high tempo. Our style doesn't really suite friendlies.

[Ian Royal]

Pieater, we absolutely do not need to get something out of the friendlies. What we absolutely need to do is get at least one win in our first three PL games.

[Wimb]

McCleary was ok - an improvement on Kebe in my book.

You have got to be kidding? I seem to remember one brief run at the start of the second half and otherwise he looked no more threatening than Hal Robson-Kanu does. Not that I'm writing him off on the basis of one game, I don't even think he was poor, but to say he's an improvement on Kebe is utterly laughable.

[Man Friday]

so what was the final score?

[Wimb]

so what was the final score?

2-2

[Cypry]

McCleary was ok - an improvement on Kebe in my book.

You have got to be kidding? I seem to remember one brief run at the start of the second half and otherwise he looked no more threatening than Hal Robson-Kanu does. Not that I'm writing him off on the basis of one game, I don't even think he was poor, but to say he's an improvement on Kebe is utterly laughable.

Indeed, Cummings and Mariappa really struggled on the right side in the first half, but think this was largely down to Cummings getting absolutely no support from McLeary whatsoever - believe it or not Kebe does a hell of a lot defensively - didn't see any effort to get back at all from McLeary and in honesty he didn't offer much gong forward either - very disappointed.

Mariappa actually looked a bit better when he went to right back for a period, but then HRK was tracking back to help out - bit disappointed with their second, expected Pearce and Gorkks to cope with that, but the cross should never have been allowed by Mariappa in the first place....

Shorey did well, great free kick for our first, and looked a threat from set pieces - should be interesting to see how the competition between him and Harte pans out at left back.

Pog looked a threat, could've laid off the ball quicker a couple of times, but unlucky with his attempt that hit the post.

Of the players from last season, probably the most disappointing was Hunt - I can't remember anything of significance that he did in the game, save win a header from the kickoff - looked short of fitness too. Church was far more involved, and won the free kick from which we scored our first - might've converted a chance early in the second, but it was far from easy - of the two starting strikers Church had the better game...

HRK and ALF both looked hungry, and I thought HRK did enough to really push McLeary down the pecking order on the right....wouldn't be surprised to seen him start against Stoke ahead of McLeary (assuming Kebe is still injured)...

Leigertwood, Jobi, Harte, Pearce, Gorkks all looked OK - Obita has obvious potential (needs to have a bit more faith in his ability to hit the byline though), and I thought Morrisson showed that he has a great deal of potential - he might have been at fault for their first, but he looks a great prospect for the future...

Interesting to see Niall Keown feature - he seems to have rocketed from the youth team, right into the fringes of the squad in no time - suspect he could be very good in years to come...

Nice to see Jem play, unsurprisingly looked a long way from match fitness.

Finally, Gunter was the stand out for me - played several very clever through balls looks to offer us some intelligence from the middle in attack. Quite excited about this signing having seen him....


All in all, a good run out, and Bournemouth offered enough threat to make it interesting.....a good afternoon out...

[Linden Jones' Tash]

[quote="Cypry"]

Finally, Gunter was the stand out for me - played several very clever through balls looks to offer us some intelligence from the middle in attack. Quite excited about this signing having seen him....

I thought he was injured and didn't play....

[Platypuss]

I assumed he meant Guthrie.