Bournemouth v Reading

[andrew1957]

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.

Depends which Kebe you are talking about. Kebe prior to the 2010-11 season was very average at best. Then McD seemed to get the best out of him and he was excellent in the 2010-11 season.

Last season however, he was largely dire before Christmas. I remember wondering why on earth we were persevering with him. He seemed far more concerned with his contract situation than playing for RFC.

After he got his new contract he improved a bit and put in a few good performances before injury set in last season. Overall he had relatively little impact compared to McAnuff and even HRK.

Time will tell whether he can recapture past form in the PL. I hope he does and that I am proved wrong but IMO he is too lightweight and McClealry will, therefore, be more likely to be our first choice on the right – although I would agree with an earlier post that HRK might be an even better option.

[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.

Depends which Kebe you are talking about. Kebe prior to the 2010-11 season was very average at best. Then McD seemed to get the best out of him and he was excellent in the 2010-11 season.

Last season however, he was largely dire before Christmas. I remember wondering why on earth we were persevering with him. He seemed far more concerned with his contract situation than playing for RFC.

After he got his new contract he improved a bit and put in a few good performances before injury set in last season. Overall he had relatively little impact compared to McAnuff and even HRK.

Time will tell whether he can recapture past form in the PL. I hope he does and that I am proved wrong but IMO he is too lightweight and McClealry will, therefore, be more likely to be our first choice on the right – although I would agree with an earlier post that HRK might be an even better option.

I'll agree that Kebe didn't look astounding last season but as you've said he was carrying injuries for most of it, even in the first half of the season.

He was also excellent in patches under Coppell in 2008/09 and when Brian took over in 2009/10.

Despite injury problems he had 3 goals and 10 assists in 33 games, hardly a bad record, especially in a down season. Robson-Kanu meanwhile had 4 goals and 4 assists in 38 games, 20 of which were starts and looked fairly average on the occasions he did make the starting XI.

Kebe is one of very few genuine match winners we have in the team, and if he gets back to full fitness I'd say he's our second most important player behind Pogrebnyak.

[ZacNaloen]

Hal is an enigma for me, sometimes looks a cut above and super quick. Sometimes looks too heavy (I don't mean fat) for football and can't seem to beat his man, usually within a week of each other.

[winchester_royal]

He has all the physical and technical attributes to be a fantastic winger. Sadly he doesn't seem to have the mental strength/ability to put them all together consistently.

[Big Foot]

Hal is an enigma for me, sometimes looks a cut above and super quick. Sometimes looks too heavy (I don't mean fat) for football and can't seem to beat his man, usually within 5 minutes of each other.

corrected it for you m8

[RockheadRumple]

Well I think Hal is brilliant.

[Cypry]

I assumed he meant Guthrie.

Yep - not properly awake.... Guthrie

[Compo's Hat]

Got to Bournemouth and just went drinking. I now see the benefit of a two hour break from booze on an all dayer.








Visiting old pub landlords is not a good idea!

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

Given Kebes growing susceptibility to injury, I doubt he will play even half the games next season....Mcleary may be playing more games than he expected next season ,imo

[leww_rfc]

Friendlies really don't matter against whom or the score.. I doubt the Chelsea glory supporters are crying over their 3-1 defeat to Brighton, actually they may be. But the point is, it's how trainings going and the chemistry is, I'm still confident going into this season.

[Colin Cheeselog]

if you look at the other two promoted sides, their pre-seasons have included games vs.

so'ton: evian

wet spam: dynamo dresden, cottbus

these are quality sides

Yes, high quality.

[SpaceCruiser]

They're friendly's, I don't care!

I agree with you, but not with your grammar. Friendlies!

[harryroyal]

I think we're f/ucked

[jazz]

You too. In the head.

[Libertine]

We're doomed because of the preseason we're having? I guess Chelsea will be going down with us at the end of the season then.

[Z175]

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.

And this is why we have had over a decade of unprecedented success.

The number of points gained towards the end of matches and number of matches won towards the end of the season tell you we have superior fitness.

Too many English clubs are stuck in the dark ages of playing proper 11 aside full tilt matches at all levels.

Its possibly also why we are slow starters...

[Reading4eva]

Bournemouth were good... they werent the team I was expecting, they seem organised and hard working and to be fair deserved to win that game. However these were two teams approaching the game in different ways. Bournemouth seemed to have a fairly fixed squad, whereas we played with a right mix. Of the new boys, Guthrie is by far head and shoulders above the rest. Pogrebnyak suprisingly hasnt impressed me so far, and seemed to get knocked off the ball a bit too easily. McLeary looks decent, end product looks good, positioning was shocking though at times. Shorey as expected was good, but lacked the pace. However he positions himself well enough to make sure it isnt a negative. Mariappa looked decent but for that first goal, I felt both he and Cummings got lost in translation, and both were to blame.

Lets say this though, lets hope Gunter comes back quickly... and starts well as Cummings is not upto the job. He got tore into by AFC Bournemouth, so playing Manchester United & City means he is going to be walked over 100 times worse. I fear for us if he doesnt pick up pace and Gunter doesnt come back before the start of the season