Pre-season friendlies 2014

[Will95]

Having been to every friendly, my thoughts are:

Edwards and Taylor are the absolute shining stars in every game bar yesterday where they were fairly anonymous.

Feds should be starting over McCarthy, no doubts from me on that one.

Pog still working hard and looking decent.

Kanu poor.

Happy with Hector though he was terrible yesterday.

The youth all look good (Kuhl especially) bar Long's horrific showing at Yeovil.

Obita started excellently but didn't look good at Stevenage and was anonymous like most of the team yesterday.

Blackman seems to have come on leaps and bounds.

Overall we're better than I thought we would be, midtable rather than a relegation scrap!

[Forest Gump]

Having been to every friendly, my thoughts are:

Edwards and Taylor are the absolute shining stars in every game bar yesterday where they were fairly anonymous.

Feds should be starting over McCarthy, no doubts from me on that one.

Pog still working hard and looking decent.

Kanu poor.

Happy with Hector though he was terrible yesterday.

The youth all look good (Kuhl especially) bar Long's horrific showing at Yeovil.

Obita started excellently but didn't look good at Stevenage and was anonymous like most of the team yesterday.

Blackman seems to have come on leaps and bounds.

Overall we're better than I thought we would be, midtable rather than a relegation scrap!

Sounds quite encouraging but tbh I think we will be in the bottom 6 or so most of the season unless through some miracle we are able to link up with Barcelona and take a few of their 4th team in on loan during the winter window.

Sorry - but it is going to be a scrap.

[chilipepper91]

Hector was fcuking awful yesterday and hasn't impressed me any time I've seen him. If he hadn't come through the youth setup he would be harangued as much as Hope Akpan. But, you know, he's "one of ours" so he's allowed to make killer through balls for the opposition.

Reading were abysmal. Described it to a mate as like a lap dance - all foreplay and no penetration. Lots of nice passing, between the back four. Get near the goal, and it's anyone's guess. Fair play to Blackman for actually having a go as it was the only way we were going to score, I don't remember any other shots we had.

It's going to be a long, frustrating season with small fleeting moments where players actually decide to "have a go" and break the mould that's thrust on them in training.

[JakeTheRoyal]

After preseason performaces I want to see Federici start in goal over McCarthy

[tmesis]

LOL @ the East Stand shirter who got a bit emotional right at the end. Ran onto the playing surface in the corner gesturing at Swansea. Dragged out and ejected by the stewards - probably nicked outside.

That'll be a short season for him

Really? At a pre season friendly? Wowzers

Yes, really embarrassing!
Almost as bad as the group of children giving it the hard man routine!
About 6-8 of them, about 16-17 yrs old, easy to spot with the ginger kid!!!
There parents must be so proud.
Saw them whilst waiting in the car, think if you said boo to them loudly they may run off crying!!!
Kids today!!!!!

I think a couple got thrown out. One was drunk, and another broke a seat, after surprisingly founding out that they aren't meant to be stood on and jumped on.

[handbags_harris]

16-17? They're only 14-16, you give them too much credit! Complete and utter tossers as well (bar one) who would run if a mouse attacked them, pathetic lot.

You may be right.......sad little boys.
I think there was a pic of them on here the other week, from a friendly.
Poor fashion sense, and I seem to recognise the ginger kid.
Next home game, just point and laugh at them!!!!!

That ginger kid is really starting to become infamous. First noticed him last season, oxf*rd loudmouth imbecile who absolutely must be the centre of attention with nothing of note to say despite the number of words that come out of his oxf*rd gob. If this is the future of Reading fans, God help us. Embarrassing.

[kwik-silva]

In retrospect I feel maybe I was a little harsh on Hector and Edwards. Neither did anything wrong and they were playing against a good Swansea team so deserve the benefit of the doubt. Kuhl is a massive talent though and if we're looking to play it out from the back we need him in for one of the two lanky guys currently playing there as they don't have his awareness or ability to dict8

I actually thought that Edwards played quite well yesterday, although Hector had an atrocious game. With Blackman I think he's had that potential for ages, but something seems to have clicked in pre-season and I'm really excited to see him this year. Looks like a slightly better HRK, and in that respect it's probably good that he's out for a while. We still have loads of guys to come back in, especially the middle of the midfield although I'm worried that we'll try and rush them back if our options are going to be Hector and Akpan. I'd be tempted to throw Kuhl in instead of Hec, but I'm worried he's still a bit small and will just be bullied. Shelvey yesterday played that role rather well even if it was just a friendly.

My Report of Yesterday

[P!ssed Off]

Think I spotted Will95 amongst his 'crew' at Wycombe.
Were you wearing a tshirt with 'Forever Can Wait' written on it?

[Will95]

I was indeed.

[P!ssed Off]

+1 to the (k)Nobbers Spotted list.