Team v Arsenal

[Royal With Cheese]

I'm not a big fan of ML - but thought he was decent against Utd.

Heres his passing...

I'm not knocking him but that doesn't show the proximity of defenders/midfielders to either himself or the Reading players he passed to. What were his stats for the Wigan game?

[Royal With Cheese]

Interesting - just downloaded the app and run for the Wigan game. Only 43 passes, 30 completed. A lot more spread out and more defensive. All failed passes were forward.

[Maguire]

Best available keeper

Kelly Mariappa and Pearce Shorey


McCleary Leigertwood Karacan Kebe

McAnuff

Pogrebnyak

[BraisingsteakRoyal]

Looking at these probable teams is depressing. Without a rare performance from Kebe we have absolutely no creativity in open play.

[The Rouge]

Best available keeper

Kelly Mariappa and Pearce Shorey


McCleary Leigertwood Karacan Kebe

McAnuff

Pogrebnyak

This, although undecided between McCleary or HRK. I would play Jimmy on the right though, McCleary/HRK left.

[Maguire]

Best available keeper

Kelly Mariappa and Pearce Shorey


McCleary Leigertwood Karacan Kebe

McAnuff

Pogrebnyak

This, although undecided between McCleary or HRK. I would play Jimmy on the right though, McCleary/HRK left.

Yeah I'm not particularly fussed about which winger plays - prob pick Kebe and HRK but thought McCleary did ok on Sat and needs game time

[Sanguine]

GK: Federici
RB: Kelly
LB: Shorey
CB: Pearce
CB: Mariappa
DM: Guthrie
DM: Akpan
AM: McAnuff
RM: Kebe
LM: Robson-Kanu
ST: Pogrebnyak

This, but McCleary to start ahead of Kebe.

[AJ_urz9]

GK: Federici
RB: Kelly
LB: Shorey
CB: Pearce
CB: Mariappa
DM: Guthrie
DM: Akpan
AM: McAnuff
RM: Kebe
LM: Robson-Kanu
ST: Pogrebnyak

This, but McCleary to start ahead of Kebe.

Leigertwood for Akpan, purely on merit because of his very good performance at United. Would also go for Mccleary who had a good game too. Best available keeper in goal.

[TheWhisper]

After Saturday, Leigertwood is the first name on the teamsheet for me

[RoyallyFcuked]

Assuming everyone is fit apart from Kebe, Federici and Carrico

==============Taylor=================


Kelly====Pearce=====Mariappa====Shorey


===Guthrie====Karacan=====Akpan===


McCleary=======Pog===========HRK


McCarthy, Morrison, Harte, McAnuff, L,wood, Blackman, Le Fondre

Would love to see this but would never happen unfortunately. That formation would really suit HRK and McCleary, and Pogrebnyak and Le Fondre. McAnuff wont ever get dropped though, and to be fair he could also be used in that system. Dont think there is much between Legs and Karacan at the moment , and I doubt Guthrie will start. Hope McCarthy will though.

[P!ssed Off]

Of our four wingers, HRK has to be first choice for me. He offers the biggest threat to goal out of all our wingers, biggest threat from open play out of anyone except the strikers really, and he can create chances to. Most games he seems to get a chance to score every 20 mins; this cannot just be due to luck, he's consistently getting forward and in the right positions.

[BenSmith91]

3-5-2

Best keeps'

RCB - Mariappa
CB - Morrison
LCB - Pearce

RWB - Kelly
LWB - Shorey

RW - Kebe
CM - Leigertwood
LW - McAnuff

F - Hal
F - Pogrebnyak

^ I know this has absolutely no chance of happening. But just for S's and G's, I'd be intrigued.

[Ian Royal]

Assuming everyone without a long-term injury is fit I'd make quite a few changes although the overall approach would be the same. Personally I'm not keen on the Legs - Karacan partnership but it did alright against Utd so I would expect Dolan to stick with it. I'm pretty torn over what the best combination might be.

GK: Federici
RB: Kelly
LB: Shorey
CB: Pearce
CB: Mariappa
DM: Guthrie
DM: Akpan
AM: McAnuff
RM: Kebe
LM: Robson-Kanu
ST: Pogrebnyak

Subs: McCarthy, Morrison, Cummings, Leigertwood, McCleary, ALF, Hunt

Harsh on Blackman, Taylor, Karacan and Legs. But hopefully Akpan and Guthrie can retain and use the ball even better, offer more in attack and not to be too much weaker in defence. Of course, this won't be the team. Legs and Jem'll probably retain their places and it would be hard to complain if they did after their good showing against Utd.

Edit: if Carrico is fit and up to it, him in for Guthrie probably to offer us better defensive qualities. In which case Karacan and Guthrie on the bench instead of Cummings and Leigertwood. Use the game against Arsenal to pick the team and system we'll play for the rest of the season (assuming no managerial changes) to bed it in.

Guthrie is not a DM

He's a deep lying playmaker. Close enough. He's certainly not an attacking midfielder.

[P!ssed Off]

3-5-2

Best keeps'

RCB - Mariappa
CB - Morrison
LCB - Pearce

RWB - Kelly
LWB - Shorey

RW - Kebe
CM - Leigertwood
LW - McAnuff

F - Hal
F - Pogrebnyak

^ I know this has absolutely no chance of happening. But just for S's and G's, I'd be intrigued.

Sounds like 5-3-2 to me but anyway I remember Coppell going for 5 at the back for Arsenal away a few years ago. I think we could have experimented with 5 at the back this season, especially in the series of games when we were particularly getting raped down the wings.

[Royal With Cheese]

Sounds like 5-3-2 to me but anyway I remember Coppell going for 5 at the back for Arsenal away a few years ago. I think we could have experimented with 5 at the back this season, especially in the series of games when we were particularly getting raped down the wings.

We lost that game too.

I'm not holding out much hope TBH.

[RoyalX]

3-5-2

Best keeps'

RCB - Mariappa
CB - Morrison
LCB - Pearce

RWB - Kelly
LWB - Shorey

RW - Kebe
CM - Leigertwood
LW - McAnuff

F - Hal
F - Pogrebnyak

^ I know this has absolutely no chance of happening. But just for S's and G's, I'd be intrigued.

If you're going to play 3-5-2/5-3-2 against anyone (especially Arsenal) you can't play wingers in the 3. That leaves the middle way too open. If you want to play 3 at the back I think we'd be more suited to a 3-4-3/5-4-1, something like:

RB/RWB Kelly
CB Morrison
CB Pearce
CB Mariappa
LB/LWB Shorey

RW/RF Kebe
MC Karacan/Akpan
MC Leigertwood
LW/LF McAnuff

FC Pog

All academic as I doubt we'll go down that route anyway.

[Royal Dee]

------------ McCarthy -------------------


Kelly---Pearce---Mariappa---Shorey


--------Karacan-----LWood----


McCleary-----Guthrie--------HRK


-------------Pog------------------


Taylor, Morrison, Harte, McAnuff, Akpan, Blackman, Le Fondre


and hope for the best...

[Arch]

May I be the first to say it doesn't really matter.

Reading are playing Arsenal in a league match and you don't care what the team is? Do you actually support this club?

[ZacNaloen]

RD,


Guthrie should not be playing that far forward

Would like to see HRK there though...

[Woodcote Royal]

May I be the first to say it doesn't really matter.

+1 Makes a change to agree with you.

Frankly, I'm really struggling to care very much and doubt that I'm alone in this respect.

When you pick the team, Anton, why not give your self a game?