MATCHWATCH : Stevenage (h)

[paultheroyal]

Looking forward to this - will attempt to get there early and sit behind dugouts for a new experience.

[ReadingGlasses]

This feels like a no pressure game. Given the injury list and small squad it's almost certain that the starting lineup will be mostly made up of young players. The team talk to them should just be "do your best, don't worry too much about the result, and use this game as an opportunity to demonstrate your talent and attitude".

It's effectively just another pre-season friendly.

[windermereROYAL]

It`s a shame we don`t take cup comps seriously anymore, we`ve reached the quarters of this a couple or three times and the semi final of the FA cup in modern times, Pauno didn`t care for either.
However Pince has little choice but to play the kids owing to our notorious injury issues that show no sign of letting up after 3 years.

[Nameless]

It`s a shame we don`t take cup comps seriously anymore, we`ve reached the quarters of this a couple or three times and the semi final of the FA cup in modern times, Pauno didn`t care for either.
However Pince has little choice but to play the kids owing to our notorious injury issues that show no sign of letting up after 3 years.

What sort of team did Coppell put out in the early rounds of cups ?

[Hendo]

It`s a shame we don`t take cup comps seriously anymore, we`ve reached the quarters of this a couple or three times and the semi final of the FA cup in modern times, Pauno didn`t care for either.
However Pince has little choice but to play the kids owing to our notorious injury issues that show no sign of letting up after 3 years.

Would argue that Pauno had the same problem.

[Nameless]

A Reading Fan - ‘why aren’t our youngsters given game time ?’

Same Reading fan ahead of cup games ‘why are we playing the youngsters ?’

[YorkshireRoyal99]

This feels like a no pressure game. Given the injury list and small squad it's almost certain that the starting lineup will be mostly made up of young players. The team talk to them should just be "do your best, don't worry too much about the result, and use this game as an opportunity to demonstrate your talent and attitude".

It's effectively just another pre-season friendly.

I've thought we should adopt cup rounds that are similar to that in Germany where the first round is played before the season starts, rather than a midweek during the season (albeit early doors). Did this happen a couple of seasons ago when we played Colchester?

It's a good chance for a lot of youngsters to impress as well as hopefully for other first team members to stay match fit and hopefully build some momentum.

[windermereROYAL]

It`s a shame we don`t take cup comps seriously anymore, we`ve reached the quarters of this a couple or three times and the semi final of the FA cup in modern times, Pauno didn`t care for either.
However Pince has little choice but to play the kids owing to our notorious injury issues that show no sign of letting up after 3 years.

What sort of team did Coppell put out in the early rounds of cups ?

He did the same but he had a much stronger squad of fringe players.

[Snowflake Royal]

It`s a shame we don`t take cup comps seriously anymore, we`ve reached the quarters of this a couple or three times and the semi final of the FA cup in modern times, Pauno didn`t care for either.
However Pince has little choice but to play the kids owing to our notorious injury issues that show no sign of letting up after 3 years.

What sort of team did Coppell put out in the early rounds of cups ?

Strong reserve sides that generally performed well.

[Snowflake Royal]

Reading v Swansea League Cup, August 2005.

Stack
Shorey
Ingimarsson
Sonko
Makin
Oster
Sidwell
Harper
Hunt
Kitson
Doyle

Basically same as the first team squad but with some subs playing

[Stranded]

This feels like a no pressure game. Given the injury list and small squad it's almost certain that the starting lineup will be mostly made up of young players. The team talk to them should just be "do your best, don't worry too much about the result, and use this game as an opportunity to demonstrate your talent and attitude".

It's effectively just another pre-season friendly.

I've thought we should adopt cup rounds that are similar to that in Germany where the first round is played before the season starts, rather than a midweek during the season (albeit early doors). Did this happen a couple of seasons ago when we played Colchester?

It's a good chance for a lot of youngsters to impress as well as hopefully for other first team members to stay match fit and hopefully build some momentum.

In the German model, there is also an expectation that the stronger club field their strongest side - hence why you see some stuffings. Was a 10-0 and a couple of 9-1's this year. Bayern won 14-0 in the 1st round last year.

Quite like the Scottish model of having a group stage in July though - 3 competitive games before the season proper starts but am happy enough for the kids to get a run. League Cup won't be around in a few years anyway - certainly in it's current format.

[andrew1957]

I hope a decent number of our fans turn up, as it will be a good chance to see how our U21's get on against an established league side. Assuming we do play an U21 side as I expect, I doubt we will win, but it might show us that two or three U21's can make the step up to the first team this season.

[Stranded]

Interestingly* the u21 side have their first league game at Sheffield United tomorrow which could add an intriguing slant to the line up.

[paultheroyal]

Stevenage started season well, scoring goals and will play a strong starting eleven tomorrow

[SCIAG]

Reading v Swansea League Cup, August 2005.

Stack
Shorey
Ingimarsson
Sonko
Makin
Oster
Sidwell
Harper
Hunt
Kitson
Doyle

Basically same as the first team squad but with some subs playing

Five members of the first XI out. The only reserve he didn’t use was Brynjar. At a stretch you could argue he could have given Long a debut. Our academy wasn’t really producing players of the required standard.

By his final season, he was typically making eight changes. Our FA Cup team that season contained ten changes on the previous match, and eleven on the next match.

It is unlikely we’ll have any academy debutants starting tonight.

[Hendo]

Stevenage started season well, scoring goals and will play a strong starting eleven tomorrow

Well they've won their first 2 games scoring twice each time, however in the 2nd game, that only came about because the oppo had a man sent off on 87' with the subsequent penalty being scored on 88' with the winner coming in added time - it was also against Stockport who got promoted last season.

Hardly an electric start.

[Sutekh]

A side not far off the one below perhaps (maybe McIntyre and/or Holmes will have to play)? It’s a real struggle to find any experience at all defensively without naming the players who start the league games.

Bouzanis
Abrefa
Abbey (if recovered sufficiently)
Stickland
Obi-Wan
Loum
Holzman
Melvin-Lambert
Camara (presuming he is fit as was not involved Saturday)
Clarke, Jahmari (presuming he is fit as was not involved Saturday)
Ehibhatiomhan

Subs

Boycie
Osorio
Leavy
Clarke, John
Craig
Fornah
Someone-Else

[paultheroyal]

Stevenage started season well, scoring goals and will play a strong starting eleven tomorrow

Well they've won their first 2 games scoring twice each time, however in the 2nd game, that only came about because the oppo had a man sent off on 87' with the subsequent penalty being scored on 88' with the winner coming in added time - it was also against Stockport who got promoted last season.

Hardly an electric start.

Only 7 clubs have a 100% record from 70 - one of them is Stevenage, beating Stockport who were the favourites to get promoted, id say that they have started the season well - you used the word electric not me!!

[Hound]

Bored so decided to go to this later

Hoping Loum plays more than anything, see if he’s any good

[Sutekh]

Steve Evans reported as saying he’ll make some changes as well.

Really highlights how utterly redundant this competition is these days.