Did Marek Matejovsky...

[Pseud O'Nym]

I still think he is shit.

Sorry but that's just silly. Did you watch any of his games for the Czech Republic? He's so not shit it's untrue.

If you want to say he'll never integrate into a Reading side, I'll give some respect to that opinion.

[Millsy]

Yes Marek had a fantastic game today.

And I think he is a definite starter for the playoffs.

But...

He came on into a 3-4-3 (or so) system going all out.

He has NEVER shown himself to be a worthy midfielder in a 4-4-2 system. Passes are great but tackles too weak.

But RIGHT NOW he is in top form and top confidence and should start in the playoffs.

[Pseud O'Nym]

should start in the playoffs.

Mateonsky? I'll get me coat...

[AthleticoSpizz]

Passes are sometimes great

[Thomas L'Heureux]

Passes are sometimes great

Very few players have anything above a 70-80% passing success rate, and the ones that do are the very best to have ever played the game.

The difference with Stephen Hunt, Gunnarsson, Harper, or Kebe giving possession away to Marek giving possession away, is that for the most part they are doing something fairly routine or non-ambitious, whereas Marek is trying to play a forward pass or spread the play to get us moving and open up the opposition.

If Stephen Hunt's crosses landed on the edge of the six yard box eight times out of ten, then he would not be criticised for the two that end up in Row Z. Unfortunately this isn't the case, and it is far more typical for one of his crosses to be cut out by the first man or sail out of play that it is for one of our strikers to get on the end of one.

I agree, Marek does sometimes play the ball directly to our opponents, or sometimes misjudge the pace and roll one out of play, but that is because the bloke is capable of eye-of-a-needle stuff that can damage the opposition. Surely you can appreciate that?

[AthleticoSpizz]

Passes are sometimes great

Very few players have anything above a 70-80% passing success rate, and the ones that do are the very best to have ever played the game.

The difference with Stephen Hunt, Gunnarsson, Harper, or Kebe giving possession away to Marek giving possession away, is that for the most part they are doing something fairly routine or non-ambitious, whereas Marek is trying to play a forward pass or spread the play to get us moving and open up the opposition.

If Stephen Hunt's crosses landed on the edge of the six yard box eight times out of ten, then he would not be criticised for the two that end up in Row Z. Unfortunately this isn't the case, and it is far more typical for one of his crosses to be cut out by the first man or sail out of play that it is for one of our strikers to get on the end of one.

I agree, Marek does sometimes play the ball directly to our opponents, or sometimes misjudge the pace and roll one out of play, but that is because the bloke is capable of eye-of-a-needle stuff that can damage the opposition. Surely you can appreciate that?

No Tom, he has done it once too often for my liking (and obviously Mr Coppells too).

Today, I was willing him to win the game for us, he scored, he passed ,but then he did what he normally does.

Whilst I will never boo him, nor hold him solely responsible for a defeat....I will never suck c09ck like some on here do for him.



The eye-of-a-needle stuff is great....but he has to find the cotton reel first

[Thomas L'Heureux]

No Tom, he has done it once too often for my liking (and obviously Mr Coppells too).

Today, I was willing him to win the game for us, he scored, he passed ,but then he did what he normally does.

Whilst I will never boo him, nor hold him solely responsible for a defeat....I will never suck c09ck like some on here do for him.

The eye-of-a-needle stuff is great....but he has to find the cotton reel first

I kind of appreciate where you are coming from, but I'm not going to agree with you. Marek is a player who looks to get on the ball and make things happen, not go hiding like some of the other players who, sometimes unfortunately, wear our shirt.

Today his first two passes fell straight to Birmingham players, but once he found his rhythm and got up to speed with the game, he was instrumental in everything good we did towards the end of the game. He dropped two perfect balls in at the back stick, and although nothing came from them, there is no way he can be criticised for that. Better anticipation from those in the box and they would've scored the easiest goals of their careers.

He played some nice, quick passes into feet, and fed his team mates the ball in some dangerous positions. They failed to do anything of note with it, but once again, that's no fault of Marek's.

In the last five minutes, a fairly routine pass out to Rosenior was over-hit and rolled out of play, but that's why the bloke is playing at this level at the moment and not in European competition.

I wouldn't claim he's our best player like some on here, because I don't think he's come close to realising his potential yet. He has bags of ability, a calmness on the ball that very few players have, and is arguably a step-ahead of the rest of the division. However, until he proves it consistently then those like yourself will always be entitled to your negative views.

Personally though, I could never shoot down a player for trying to make things happen and playing with positivity. Some passes will go astray, but some will create chances. You take the rough with the smooth, which you are not willing to do by the looks of things.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Believe me Tom. in the past 39 years I have taken plenty of the rough supporting Reading.

Thanks for your rational reply to my post tho'.

However, my annoyance is the way that he is bulled up in the local press, and adored by the majority on here....to me personally, he hasn't done enough to enjoy that adulation and to gain the immunity from criticism yet.

In a lot of games, (the Notts Forest introduction for example) its' the contrary.

[Millsy]

Passes are sometimes great

Agreed, thanks for the correction.

Agree with Tom too in that you're never going to get a 100% pass rate.

My point is probably that his sometimes great passing, when balanced with his inability to tackle (without getting yellow carded) overall has not warranted a starting role.

It's ok when we're going all out attack i a freak game like today, but I've not seen any evidence yet that he's a decent midfield starter.

Perhaps for the playoffs only. In fact I'd say he HAS to start for the playoffs.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Hey, he's a Reading Player

May all of his games be starts

May all of his passes be accurate and fruitful

And may all of his shots be goals


And may the lord have mercy on our souls ...amen

[Royal Rother]

Whilst I will never boo him, nor hold him solely responsible for a defeat....I will never suck c09ck like some on here do for him.

Is that really necessary?

[Pseud O'Nym]

Whilst I will never boo him, nor hold him solely responsible for a defeat....I will never suck c09ck like some on here do for him.

Is that really necessary?

Ditto that.

I'm a bit of a sweary mary myself, but that really is beyond acceptable.

[Cookie]

Yes Marek had a fantastic game today.

And I think he is a definite starter for the playoffs.

But...

He came on into a 3-4-3 (or so) system going all out.

He has NEVER shown himself to be a worthy midfielder in a 4-4-2 system. Passes are great but tackles too weak.

But RIGHT NOW he is in top form and top confidence and should start in the playoffs.

I guess Coppell doesn't trust him defensively in atight game like today, but he should re-examine that thought.
Marek was superb when he came on and with Tabb dropping back to cover I think we have discovered the perfect mid-field pair.

[Southbank Old Boy]

No Tom, he has done it once too often for my liking (and obviously Mr Coppells too).

Today, I was willing him to win the game for us, he scored, he passed ,but then he did what he normally does.

Whilst I will never boo him, nor hold him solely responsible for a defeat....I will never suck c09ck like some on here do for him.

The eye-of-a-needle stuff is great....but he has to find the cotton reel first

I kind of appreciate where you are coming from, but I'm not going to agree with you. Marek is a player who looks to get on the ball and make things happen, not go hiding like some of the other players who, sometimes unfortunately, wear our shirt.

Today his first two passes fell straight to Birmingham players, but once he found his rhythm and got up to speed with the game, he was instrumental in everything good we did towards the end of the game. He dropped two perfect balls in at the back stick, and although nothing came from them, there is no way he can be criticised for that. Better anticipation from those in the box and they would've scored the easiest goals of their careers.

He played some nice, quick passes into feet, and fed his team mates the ball in some dangerous positions. They failed to do anything of note with it, but once again, that's no fault of Marek's.

In the last five minutes, a fairly routine pass out to Rosenior was over-hit and rolled out of play, but that's why the bloke is playing at this level at the moment and not in European competition.

I wouldn't claim he's our best player like some on here, because I don't think he's come close to realising his potential yet. He has bags of ability, a calmness on the ball that very few players have, and is arguably a step-ahead of the rest of the division. However, until he proves it consistently then those like yourself will always be entitled to your negative views.

Personally though, I could never shoot down a player for trying to make things happen and playing with positivity. Some passes will go astray, but some will create chances. You take the rough with the smooth, which you are not willing to do by the looks of things.

I think thats a pretty fair assessment of Marek, problem is that today was one of his best performances and thats why he hasnt been in the side. His played a lot worse and done it more often

It doesnt help him that he seems to be the wrong player for the football we play as well. Coppell wants two central midfielders who will do the graft, cover the ground and protect the back four. He doesnt want a player to be leaving more gaps in the middle because the way our wingers play we have enough of them already which the two in the middle need to cover

It begs the question why we bought him in the first place of course, but its pretty obvious why he hasnt played much this season, he just doesnt really fit in well enough with the way the manager has us playing

As for his passing being better than anyone elses, I cant see it. He definately has greater vision than anyone else on the pitch, bar perhaps Kitson, and can thread those 10% balls through the eye of a needle, but he has been so wasteful this season when making simple 99% balls its just criminal to see how often he fails with the simple stuff

I dont think he should start in the away game, but he should definately get a decent run out unless we are a couple of goals to the good by the 60 minute mark

[Snowball]

How many actual shots on target did we have yesterday?

I think it was three, two by Matejovsky (one goal, one great double save) and one by Kebe.

The diagonal cross-field ball to Kebe from Bikey was as good as anything in the top four of the Premiership

Matty has real class, REAL class and IMO we should have built a team around him.

He DOES give ball away, he isn't great defensively, but he makes things happen (eg at Norwich)

The only other player that creates is Kebe.

[Southbank Old Boy]

How many actual shots on target did we have yesterday?

I think it was three, two by Matejovsky (one goal, one great double save) and one by Kebe.

The diagonal cross-field ball to Kebe from Bikey was as good as anything in the top four of the Premiership

Matty has real class, REAL class and IMO we should have built a team around him.

He DOES give ball away, he isn't great defensively, but he makes things happen (eg at Norwich)

The only other player that creates is Kebe.

Come on Mr Stat Man, are you saying our leading assist man doesnt create anything? I thought a man with 18 club stat assists would have you salivating

Are you saying that Roseniors cross in the first half wasnt asking for someone to have a 3 yard tap in?

Are you saying that Kitson doesnt create anything with his little touches and flick? (tell me who won and retained possesion before slipping the ball to Marek for his goal)

I am sure there is a thread around here somewhere in which you support Longs claim to be in the side because he makes things happen and has a number of assists as well as goals

Marek has masses of potential but try and keep some perspective man, your just making knee jerk sensationalist statements here backed up with no facts!!!

[79Royal]

Right from his first appearance in a Reading shirt it was pretty clear that he was a class above the rest of the squad in certain aspects of the game - nothing he has done since has disproved that.

Unfortunately the things he isn't so good at have convinced Coppell that he is not the name around which the whole team should be built, which is what I would have liked to have seen - if for nothing else so that I could have reason to applaud a Reading pass every now and then.

When he gives the ball away needlessly it is usually when trying to be inventive whilst threading the ball through a gap that wasn't really there, when our other players give the ball away it is generally because they have booted it in the general direction of a Reading player who was never likely to get anywhere near it.

100% agreed. He is, unfortunately, too good for this Reading team. That said, I'd much rather Marek in alongside a couple of holding midfielders than have Kebe and Shunt in who seem to have only put in 10 good crosses between them in the past 5 games.

[Snowball]

How many actual shots on target did we have yesterday?

I think it was three, two by Matejovsky (one goal, one great double save) and one by Kebe.
The diagonal cross-field ball to Kebe from Bikey was as good as anything in the top four of the Premiership
Matty has real class, REAL class and IMO we should have built a team around him.
He DOES give ball away, he isn't great defensively, but he makes things happen (eg at Norwich)
The only other player that creates is Kebe.

Come on Mr Stat Man, are you saying our leading assist man doesnt create anything?

YES I AM. I don't call corners "creativity" and we have had more corners than any other club in this league.

I don't call free-kick crosses "creativity" either.

By creating, I mean that brilliant diagonal ball from Bike, or when a player beats 1-2-3 men and creates space

I thought a man with 18 club stat assists would have you salivating

almost all SHunt's assists are from before Xmas. And I quite like SHunt's overall game.

Are you saying that Roseniors cross in the first half wasnt asking for someone to have a 3 yard tap in?

Maybe we need a different word but I don't call that "creating". I like Rosy and I think he could be a future captain
though like the rest of the team he lacks confidence right now, but such crosses from overlaps, or inter-passing
with the winger, isn't "special", isn't out-of-the-blue, it's routine, mechanical, what we should expect.

I would expect both wingers to manage 2-3-4 good crosses per game and the FBs, 1-2. That's routine (or should be)
and can come from "stock" play.

The Marek stuff, Kebe when he has a good one, that's different. That's where they beat the odds and do something special.

Are you saying that Kitson doesnt create anything with his little touches and flick? (tell me who won and retained possession before slipping the ball to Marek for his goal)

That in my book isn't "creativity". It's not special. It's just the minimum we have a right to expect.


Incidentally, Kitson's so-called diving header was a deliberate cheat. He was miles away from the ball and the dive was after it had passed. Watch the replay.

I am sure there is a thread around here somewhere in which you support Longs claim to be in the side because he makes things happen and has a number of assists as well as goals

Maybe so, but I wouldn't call him CREATIVE. He's a power-player, a runner, a hard-worker, full of guts
and spirit, but he is hardly an intricate, weave his way through player is he?

Do we expect him to try an amazing overhead or something similar? No. That's not his game.

Marek has masses of potential but try and keep some perspective man, your just making knee jerk sensationalist statements here backed up with no facts!!!

[/quote][/quote]


Marek had three shots yesterday, two on target, one goal. AS A SUB and that's more than the rest of the team in 90 minutes. That's a stat.

We were drawing 0-0 at Norwich. Marek came on and we scored 2 goals. That's a stat.

If he has potential we need to develop it by playing him.

[Southbank Old Boy]

What you mean is a bit of flair and unexpected then, not creating. You dont have to do anything 'special' to create a chance you just have to play half decent football, pass the ball properly and work well off it

We dont have much in the way of flair, not that many teams do these days really, but we have plenty of players who have the capabilty to control, pass and move to create both space and chances for themselves and teammates our problem is that they havent done that very well for most of the season

[RoyalBlue]

Very few players have anything above a 70-80% passing success rate, and the ones that do are the very best to have ever played the game.

The difference with Stephen Hunt, Gunnarsson, Harper, or Kebe giving possession away to Marek giving possession away, is that for the most part they are doing something fairly routine or non-ambitious, whereas Marek is trying to play a forward pass or spread the play to get us moving and open up the opposition.

If Stephen Hunt's crosses landed on the edge of the six yard box eight times out of ten, then he would not be criticised for the two that end up in Row Z. Unfortunately this isn't the case, and it is far more typical for one of his crosses to be cut out by the first man or sail out of play that it is for one of our strikers to get on the end of one.

I agree, Marek does sometimes play the ball directly to our opponents, or sometimes misjudge the pace and roll one out of play, but that is because the bloke is capable of eye-of-a-needle stuff that can damage the opposition. Surely you can appreciate that?

No Tom, he has done it once too often for my liking (and obviously Mr Coppells too).

Today, I was willing him to win the game for us, he scored, he passed ,but then he did what he normally does.

Whilst I will never boo him, nor hold him solely responsible for a defeat....I will never suck c09ck like some on here do for him.



The eye-of-a-needle stuff is great....but he has to find the cotton reel first

He scored & he passed - so considerably more than most then!!

What's more he very nearly scored a second. I think most managers would happily accept that sort of contribution.