Reading (H) Build Up

[slink]

Costa is still struggling with missing the whole of pre season and it's obvious he's not got full confidence in his ankle. Early on in Saturday's game he was fine but his end product wasn't quite there and he chose the wrong option. He then got a couple of kicks and it just seemed to knock him a bit and he went back to the Costa that came back from injury. To be fair though Jota was equally as poor when he came on, slow and half a yard behind and then missed the sitter.

I don't think Afobe has worked so far but mainly because Nuno has altered the formation every time he has brought him on however he looked sharp on Saturday and i would probably play him as Leo clearly isn't fit.

 

[Dinowolf]

My team to face Reading would be

---------------------Ruddy-------------------

----Bennett-------Boly--------Miranda-----

Coady------Saiss------N'Diaye------Douglas

---Cav-----------Bonatini-------Jota----

subs: Norris, Batth, Hause, MGW, Costa, Afobe, Doherty

I think Boly would be a good sweeper. Miranda is slightly better on the ball than Hause. Coady has played RB before and his passing has improved immeasurably this season.

 

[Lycan]

That's never going to happen.

 

[Kenny]

Coady would be useless as a RWB. As a right back he was fine defending but going forward he was shit

 

[pr0sl0]

Costa is still struggling with missing the whole of pre season and it's obvious he's not got full confidence in his ankle. Early on in Saturday's game he was fine but his end product wasn't quite there and he chose the wrong option. He then got a couple of kicks and it just seemed to knock him a bit and he went back to the Costa that came back from injury. To be fair though Jota was equally as poor when he came on, slow and half a yard behind and then missed the sitter.

I don't think Afobe has worked so far but mainly because Nuno has altered the formation every time he has brought him on however he looked sharp on Saturday and i would probably play him as Leo clearly isn't fit.

Yeah this is my feeling too - I need to watch the game back to check, but I did think Costa was fine for the first 15 minutes or so of the Fulham game until he got clattered a couple of times.

Last season he missed pre-season too, and it took until November for him to emerge as our best player. Could well have been a Zenga issue of course, but maybe he's also just a bit delicate and needs a longer-than-average run of games to get up to speed after time not playing? (This is me asking this question more in hope than anything...)

 

[Dinowolf]

Coady would be useless as a RWB. As a right back he was fine defending but going forward he was $#@!

Coady would be better than Doherty, who can't defend and is shit at passing. Time for a change IMO, and against Reading is the time.

 

[Kenny]

At home you need someone who can attack. You pop Coady there or Bennett and we effectively have 3 centre backs, LWB and a right back.

We won't be changing to a 4-4-2. So the only options we have when it comes to replacing Doherty are

1) Jordan Graham
2) Morgan Gibbs-White
3) Hope a Saint passes Compton and performs a miracle on German Phil.

Safe to say Doherty will start on Saturday.

 

[Dinowolf]

That's never going to happen.

I just imagined that Doherty was injured, and what I felt was the best way to deal with it.

 

[Langers]

Coady would be better than Doherty, who can't defend and is shit at passing. Time for a change IMO, and against Reading is the time.

Well he wouldn't be better than Doherty as he can't play there. And although I would agree that he's not played well recently, it's unfair to just disregard the form he showed for the vast majority of the season.

 

[Dinowolf]

I recorded the match with Fulham so have watched it back specifically watching Doherty.

IMO, it was the worst performance I have ever seen from him. He deserves to be dropped.

 

[Dinowolf]

Well he wouldn't be better than Doherty as he can't play there. And although I would agree that he's not played well recently, it's unfair to just disregard the form he showed for the vast majority of the season.

Who says he can't play there? He used to play RB and defended well. The only question mark was whether he could get forward and this season his passing has been superb. He's definitely worth a try against Reading IMO, and if successful would give Doherty a much needed kick up the backside.

 

[darlowolf64]

Who says he can't play there? He used to play RB and defended well. The only question mark was whether he could get forward and this season his passing has been superb. He's definitely worth a try against Reading IMO, and if successful would give Doherty a much needed kick up the backside.

I'm pretty sure we have a REAL right back/wing back in the U23's without totally unbalancing our entire team with players out of position...I would rather see Vinagre given a go at RWB because he at least is a wing back, all be it on the other side

 

[Johnny75]

IMO, it was the worst performance I have ever seen from him. He deserves to be dropped.

I agree with this, he was as poor as Bonatini for me. I disagree that Coady could play there and I think he's found his niche as a sweeper. Sadly we don't have a replacement for the irishman with the questionable attitude.

 

[Kenny]

I've seen Doc play worse than he did on Saturday, so still someway to go to reach worst performance.

I would hope this weekend we bin the 3 defenders option on the bench. If Bright is still crocked then put Graham on there. If we are struggling to score he will be a better option than Hause, unless Nuno is going to copy Johnson from Brizzle and put Batth up front for 15 mins. If Leo is not 100% then take him out of the squad and put Vinagre in as well. No idea if he can do a job at RWB but should certainly start ahead of Douglas

 

[Trips]

I think the only change we will see will be the front 3, Jota will come back in and it's who plays with him and Cav. I think Saiss/N'Diaye will be the pairing in midfield again, although wouldn't be disappointed if MGW got the chance.

Can't see anything changing with the keeper, back 3 or wing-backs.

I think we will start like this

------------------Ruddy-------------------

----Bennett-----Coady------Boly

Doherty----Saiss----N'Diaye----Douglas

----Costa-----Cavaleiro-----Jota----

 

[Derby Wolf]

If Coady played RWB he wouldn't have the engine to run up and down the wing all afternoon much less the skill to get into good positions and use the ball from the wing. What's more he never got passed halfway last season so he'd isolate his winger allowing Reading to totally isolate them.

Total non starter for me.

 

[b3h]

it's unfair to just disregard the form he showed for the vast majority of the season.

Pushing it!

 

[Carrotdude]

I have a friend who’s a big Reading fan and he reckons we’ll win comfortably as they make so many defensive errors. Fully expecting an impeccable defensive display from them now!

 

[AndyWolves]

I'm pretty sure we have a REAL right back/wing back in the U23's without totally unbalancing our entire team with players out of position...I would rather see Vinagre given a go at RWB because he at least is a wing back, all be it on the other side

I've thought the same but I don't think Vinagre is great defensively, but would he any worse than doc defensively?

 

[Kenny]

Generally our wing backs don't have to defend that much. Saturday was different as Fulham had a geniune threat out wide and that kept Doc back. At home, our wing backs should be spending more time in the other half of the pitch

Rubes did ok at Man City after the first 10 or 15 mins and there was a lot of defending to do in that game