Will Pauno start Joao on Monday.

CountryRoyal · by **CountryRoyal** » 02 Apr 2021 19:28

Not whether or not he should, but if we he will. Clear to everyone Joao should be dropped he’s a waste of a shirt, but any money you want clueless Pauno starts him.

Snowball · by **Snowball** » 02 Apr 2021 20:59

I would play him against a (slightly) easier side
hoping he can get at least one goal, regain his
confidence. I think he could still win us top six
and once there he's a match-winner.

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 02 Apr 2021 21:12

He'll play. He actually had a decent game except for that miss. He'll have nightmares about that for years.

SouthDownsRoyal · by **SouthDownsRoyal** » 02 Apr 2021 21:14

I’d just to know who it is who wears Joao’s shirt and plays for us now, and where has the real Joao gone?

Royal_jimmy · by **Royal_jimmy** » 02 Apr 2021 21:14

Despite his cock up he's still our best forward so yes he'll play.

WestYorksRoyal · by **WestYorksRoyal** » 02 Apr 2021 21:16

Put yourself in his shoes. You have a top class striker in dire form who already has 19 goals this season. Pauno will back himself to support Joao and bring him back to form - his interview tonight makes that clear. You may disagree, but I can't see him being dropped

Doolittle · by **Doolittle** » 02 Apr 2021 21:21

I think he will start. But he has developed a mental block about his finishing, since he missed those penalties.

Royal Rother · by **Royal Rother** » 02 Apr 2021 21:24

No. He’ll be dropped.

Even if Paunovic is unsure I suspect other players will demand it now.

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 02 Apr 2021 21:28

Royal Rother No. He’ll be dropped.

Even if Paunovic is unsure I suspect other players will demand it now.

I really doubt that and if they do, we're oxf*rd and all progress from this season is wasted.

The miss has overshadowed what was a pretty decent performance from him.

windermereROYAL · by **windermereROYAL** » 02 Apr 2021 21:30

I would think the players told him in no uncertain terms what they thought of him behind the dressing room door, but it can`t be disputed we wouldn`t be anywhere near the top 6 without his goals.
I suspect he may be on the bench Monday.

WestYorksRoyal · by **WestYorksRoyal** » 02 Apr 2021 21:34

windermereROYAL I would think the players told him in no uncertain terms what they thought of him behind the dressing room door, but it can`t be disputed we wouldn`t be anywhere near the top 6 without his goals.
I suspect he may be on the bench Monday.

Equally, there is quite a tally now of points he has cost us. Birmingham, Preston, Wycombe, QPR and today are worth 10 - 12 points between them, and you'd expect an average Championship striker to have converted at least 4 out if 5.

skipper · by **skipper** » 02 Apr 2021 22:05

He's going to be our first 20+ striker for years, chill brothers.

royalstevep68 · by **royalstevep68** » 02 Apr 2021 22:50

Are you deluded, of course you would play him, he’s scored 21 goals and gets and creates chances. He’s just on a bad run like all strikers, but you’d have to be mental to drop him.

Lower West · by **Lower West** » 02 Apr 2021 23:05

He'll play. There's no direct replacement in the squad, i.e. target man. As much as I like Puscas. Seems he was bought without any thought as to how he would fit into the team formation. Typical money rich owner playing Championship Manager.

Sutekh · by **Sutekh** » 02 Apr 2021 23:14

Snowflake Royal · by **Snowflake Royal** » 02 Apr 2021 23:16

Missing good chances. Something is wrong upstairs and has been for a while. Work rate at times poor but always was, touch less good. Seems totally out of sorts.

I think Pauno will persist with our talismanic top scorer that largely enables the way we play, certainly more than anyone else.

I'd be seriously considering dropping him, but I'm not sure how much that actually helps. Might ruin him further and I'm not sure our alternatives are great. Puscas looked thoroughly blunt a few weeks back. Meite has failed to put away at least as many sitters as Joao in the last two games as well.

The idea he's started his last game for us as RR suggested is mindbogglingly stupid though.

JR · by JR » 02 Apr 2021 23:57

He’ll give him a rest and give Puscas a shot.

Can use the 3 games in 7 days as a justification to take him out of the firing line.

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 03 Apr 2021 00:10

JR He’ll give him a rest and give Puscas a shot.

Can use the 3 games in 7 days as a justification to take him out of the firing line.

I'd do that v Watford on Friday esp. as Puscas started and scored against them in the game back at the start of the season.

leon · by **leon** » 03 Apr 2021 00:21

Stranded He'll play. He actually had a decent game except for that miss. He'll have nightmares about that for years.

Hmmm I’d disagree. He didn’t hold the ball up at all and really wasn’t a presence against Barnsley’s (Barnsley’s) defence.

Meite was poor as well. We needed balls today.

Both the 2006 and McDermotts would have battled them in the first 20-30 minutes and then 2nd half dictated the game.

We lacked steel and we lacked leaders. Why weren’t we going in on them studs up after 15 minutes? Match them.

Tbf Moore was excellent and was the only one showing the kind of spirit required. And Laurent was class, very clever.

Sutekh · by **Sutekh** » 03 Apr 2021 07:37

leon
Stranded He'll play. He actually had a decent game except for that miss. He'll have nightmares about that for years.

Hmmm I’d disagree. He didn’t hold the ball up at all and really wasn’t a presence against Barnsley’s (Barnsley’s) defence.

Meite was poor as well. We needed balls today.

Both the 2006 and McDermotts would have battled them in the first 20-30 minutes and then 2nd half dictated the game.

We lacked steel and we lacked leaders. Why weren’t we going in on them studs up after 15 minutes? Match them.

Tbf Moore was excellent and was the only one showing the kind of spirit required. And Laurent was class, very clever.

Because Reading don’t play like that and probably consequently still haven’t had a player sent off this season as a result - out of interest when did Reading last go through a season without having a player dismissed?