Sidwell's comments in the post today

Jez · by **Jez** » 07 Aug 2006 16:30

Royal Lady well, he should have realised that anything negative that he says will get repeated - so perhaps he should be careful what he says, and to whom. I hope he tells Finch and the others out there how he feels.

come off it, he's got every right to be negative. weve got 2 week tell boro and were playing teams below the standard of the ryman league! stop looking to jump on the guys back because he sees himself as a top level performer

All the guy has done is turn down a contract with his current employer ffs. Its a known fact Man City were after him, they are a club 3 or 4 times the size of Reading.

Hoop Blah · by **Hoop Blah** » 07 Aug 2006 16:36

Jez come off it, he's got every right to be negative. weve got 2 week tell boro and were playing teams below the standard of the ryman league! stop looking to jump on the guys back because he sees himself as a top level performer

We have a pretty successful formula for preparing for a new season that's worked quite well over the last few years.

Our management team are happy to stick to their proven methods and that is their choice to make. Sidwell should accept that that is their call and not his, even if the players don't like it, the managment deem it the best way to prepare.

Even if the players don't like it they should keep their concerns behind closed doors instead of trying to tell Coppell how to do his job.

wehateoxford · by **wehateoxford** » 07 Aug 2006 16:40

i dont think that many teams are upping there standards compared to ours, is a tour of SA that much better than us?

would you be satisfied if we played stronger european opposition and local opposition (basically just a step up from us) and lost like middlesborough?

or would you like us to do a tour of somewhere...say the USA where they (the opposition) feel they have something to prove and we pick up injuries?

IMO our pre season tour is alright

rabidbee · by **rabidbee** » 07 Aug 2006 16:46

Presumably, part of the point of playing Swedish teams, as opposed to most other European teams, is that they are in the middle of their league season now. So, even if their skill levels are down, their fitness levels should be high (or as high as they go). Aren't we finishing the tour with a game against Ã–rgryte, a top flight team? (Admitedly, they're bottom of the table, but still...)

Chaney · by **Chaney** » 07 Aug 2006 16:54

Shall we have another 49 pages on this subject????

Gav · by **Gav** » 07 Aug 2006 16:59

Chaney Shall we have another 49 pages on this subject????

Go for it.

Gordons Cumming · by **Gordons Cumming** » 07 Aug 2006 17:09

Chaney Shall we have another 49 pages on this subject????

This is HNA.

Anything is possible.

Victor Meldrew · by **Victor Meldrew** » 07 Aug 2006 17:34

No strong views either way on what Steve has said however................
Bournemouth beat Bashley (about the same level as this Swedish outfit) a couple of weeks before their season started 10-1.
On Saturday they lost their first home game against middle-of-the-road Chesterfield 3-0.
A week Saturday we play middle-of-the-road Middlesborough.

Still,what happens when you lose the first game of a season against a middle-of-the-road side (Plymouth)??

Bring it on,Sidwell or no Sidwell.

Arch · by **Arch** » 07 Aug 2006 17:38

Victor Meldrew middle-of-the-road Chesterfield 3-0.

Only won two games in 2006 before Saturday. Many people's strong tip for the drop.

Victor Meldrew · by **Victor Meldrew** » 07 Aug 2006 17:40

Arch,
You are so up to speed for a bloke so far away.

Arch · by **Arch** » 07 Aug 2006 17:42

Victor Meldrew Arch,
You are so up to speed for a bloke so far away.

Like RCFC, I have little better to do than trawl the media for info. It's one of the sad facts about being an exile.

floyd__streete · by **floyd__streete** » 07 Aug 2006 18:54

Jez come off it, he's got every right to be negative. weve got 2 week tell boro and were playing teams below the standard of the ryman league!

Yeah, and 1 week before Boro and we'll be playing Feyenoord (who incidentally did Boro over 2-0 this weekend). I can't really see the point you are making to be honest.

Jez Its a known fact Man City were after him, they are a club 3 or 4 times the size of Reading.

3 or 4 times bigger? What, with those crowds of between 60 and 80,000 that they get every week-in week-out then? I agree that this has turned into a bit of an excuse to have a pop at Sidwell, but to be fair we're playing a swedish top flight side tomorrow and a dutch top flight side on Saturday so we are beginning to step it up.

Roll on the start of the new season proper and then we won't have such non-story threads like this taking up 4 or 5 pages.

tink · by **tink** » 07 Aug 2006 20:57

im not gonna criticise the tour itself cos it obviously worked last season. as someone pointed out, the swedish league is mid-season so on tuesday night we'll be playing a fit, sharp team, and feyenoord will give us a strong test on saturday.

i will criticise sidders tho cos i think part of being a footballer, or any public figure, is knowing what to say and to who you say it. spouting off in the press about how much of a joke the tour is isnt doing anyone any favours.

and it was very disrespectful towards the swedish team who obviously made a big effort to make us feel welcome and it was a huge occassion for them.

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 08 Aug 2006 08:53

Could I just point out that Kitson has had a very similar moan in the Post today. He also states that he and room mate Convey have been bored to tears at times. Isn't sure about the effectiveness of the tour as a bonding issue and also raises concerns over the quality of opposition.

It would appear that Sidwell was the spokesman for at least some of the players yesterday. I assume he is still vice-captain and as Murty was not involved captain for the day, so would appear that he was speaking for some in that role.

TFF · by **TFF** » 08 Aug 2006 09:03

Reading's Steve Sidwell could face action from Royals' boss Steve Coppell after branding the club's pre-season preparations as "a joke". (Daily Star)

From the BBC gossip page http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 255050.stm

Platypuss · by **Platypuss** » 08 Aug 2006 09:06

For a bit of context, I reckon Lanna were still a tougher proposition than Manchester United's "opposition" tonight.

Reading Abbey · by **Reading Abbey** » 08 Aug 2006 09:07

That Friday Feeling Reading's Steve Sidwell could face action from Royals' boss Steve Coppell after branding the club's pre-season preparations as "a joke". (Daily Star)

From the BBC gossip page http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 255050.stm

Hit him in the pocket, Coppell. He doesn't get paid enough as it is!

Gordons Cumming · by **Gordons Cumming** » 08 Aug 2006 09:08

What is it with footballers that they must be entertained all the time?

"Oh dear, we're bored to tears"

FFS

Read a book, play a video game, go for a walk, surf the net..........use your f*cking imagination.

It's not a holiday.

I know, go practice working on your technical weaknesses.

Pllleeeaaasssseeee.............................

Wycombe Royal · by **Wycombe Royal** » 08 Aug 2006 09:10

How many people on here have been away on a business trip and have been stuck in their hotel bored?

Quite a few I would imagine.

.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:. · by **.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:.** » 08 Aug 2006 09:15

maybe sidewell should stop listening to his agent telling him how great a player he is and how somebody of his quality shouldn't have to dirty his boots for some lower leauge team and just get on with playing.
if someone payed for me to go to sweden and keept me in a nice hotel on the condition i have a kick about every few days i wouldn't be moaning about it.

Sidwell's comments in the post today

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