• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

***Tottenham Hotspur v Reading OMT***

billyiddo said:
Arsenal have been trying to sign him for a couple of years now - looks like they've finally given up and moved on. Red Bull been dingdonging them around from what I can gather
Click to expand...
Tbf they have been looking at Gyokeres for some time too and still even now not closed the deal. Perhaps the issue is the Goons as much as anyone else....
 
Wonder if Frank will give Johnson a go on left. It was a typical first preseason game, don't think we'll see much tactically until we go on tour, is all about fitness at this stage. What a horrible journey over 3 hours to go 80 miles, I'm sure it would have been quicker going through London even with over a couple of hundred set of traffic lights.
 
Bullet said:
My observations from the stadium:

First half we were very comfortable and played the game in their half; Udogie was always free down the left, but Romero repeatedly refused to pass out to him which was odd as it was an easy pass.
Towards the end of the first half I realised we were playing 442 with Devine alongside Solanke. It didn't look good for Devine, he had a poor game.
Kinsky is reassuringly comfortable on the ball, but too short to be an elite keeper; at one set piece the ball was bouncing around the box and Kinsky couldn't be seen behind the towering defenders and attackers, as he flailed to get sight of the ball.
You can really see that Porro Romero Udogie Bentancur Solanke etc are top, top players whereas Moore/Devine want an extra second, get knocked over and need to mature.


Second half was very different, Reading pushed us back and at times we played a lot more in our own half. Vic looks really shaky on the ball, he has to concentrate massively to control it, then has to refocus and concentrate massively to kick the thing. I thought we had seen the back of this with Lloris, but he is really weak on the ball, in stark contrast to Kinsky. Made some good saves though of course.
Kudus looks excellent so far, but is very short, no use in our own box.
At the corner I told my wife to watch out for Vuskovic and Lankshear as they are potent and bish bash bosh they scored. I'm a legend, me.

Son looked dreadful. What else...hmmm... Sarr got spoken to at half time by a coach. Bergvall tried to dribble in his own box and got the ball robbed, at which point Frank went back to the bench to say something.

VdV always seems to be wrestling and writhing on the floor and fouling and fighting, doesn't seem to be as strong and elite as you would think, from looking at him.

George Abbott was there doing some passing drills but didn't get on. Likewise Phillips.

Surprised Scarlett / Richie weren't around?

PS. That stadium is TOILET. I hope everyone that went now realises just how brilliant a designer Daniel Levy is. Reading is just breeze blocks, spit and pain.
Click to expand...
Great write-up.
Thanks.
 
Bullet said:
My observations from the stadium:

First half we were very comfortable and played the game in their half; Udogie was always free down the left, but Romero repeatedly refused to pass out to him which was odd as it was an easy pass.
Towards the end of the first half I realised we were playing 442 with Devine alongside Solanke. It didn't look good for Devine, he had a poor game.
Kinsky is reassuringly comfortable on the ball, but too short to be an elite keeper; at one set piece the ball was bouncing around the box and Kinsky couldn't be seen behind the towering defenders and attackers, as he flailed to get sight of the ball.
You can really see that Porro Romero Udogie Bentancur Solanke etc are top, top players whereas Moore/Devine want an extra second, get knocked over and need to mature.


Second half was very different, Reading pushed us back and at times we played a lot more in our own half. Vic looks really shaky on the ball, he has to concentrate massively to control it, then has to refocus and concentrate massively to kick the thing. I thought we had seen the back of this with Lloris, but he is really weak on the ball, in stark contrast to Kinsky. Made some good saves though of course.
Kudus looks excellent so far, but is very short, no use in our own box.
At the corner I told my wife to watch out for Vuskovic and Lankshear as they are potent and bish bash bosh they scored. I'm a legend, me.

Son looked dreadful. What else...hmmm... Sarr got spoken to at half time by a coach. Bergvall tried to dribble in his own box and got the ball robbed, at which point Frank went back to the bench to say something.

VdV always seems to be wrestling and writhing on the floor and fouling and fighting, doesn't seem to be as strong and elite as you would think, from looking at him.

George Abbott was there doing some passing drills but didn't get on. Likewise Phillips.

Surprised Scarlett / Richie weren't around?

PS. That stadium is TOILET. I hope everyone that went now realises just how brilliant a designer Daniel Levy is. Reading is just breeze blocks, spit and pain.
Click to expand...
Frank out?
 
My opinions...

Overall some match-fitness rust which is to be expected, and a few really encouraging performances, not the least of which was Kudus and (of course) Vuskovic. I think we're going to have to make some tough calls with regards to loans and who is in need of upgrading...I so want Donely and Devine to work out, alas I am not sure they will for us if we want to win things. Donley feels like the one who 'could' still with another loan, I'd be looking to move Devine on if we can get decent money for him (good player, etc).

I think Mikey Moore needs a really good load in the championship to build on the ball strength. I love the look of Lankshear and it is that time of the year where my emotions tell me he can do it, truth is he also should go back on a good loan and maybe WBA with Mason is the move. We will need to move one of Biss or Bentancur IMO, especially if we bring one or two in (which we should - we need more creativity) and each has their strengths/weaknesses. I find Bentancur more consistent, however it comes down to who we could get the best fee for (again providing we are serious on getting an upgrade like a Palinha - Wharton appears to be out of our price range)...Bergy (as mentioned here) needs to get up to speed, but I am super confident that we have a top first-team player there, so just ring-rust. Sonny is a conundrum. He very obviously has only just come back to pre-season so unfair to judge, and I am one of the people earlier who said I could not see the sense in moving him on this season; then you start looking at the squad numbers, etc, and you start to wonder. It's a tough tough call because he was scoring and assissiting last season AND not playing very well too. Who'd be a manager?!!!!!

In short, I think by the time we line-up for Burnley home, this squad will have undergone several more key changes. Right now, Kudus walks into the starting line-up as would MGW. I think Johnson can function on the right of Maddison in a 4-2-3-1 (Kudus the other side, both obviously narrower and allowing them to take inside channels). I think CF is a massive question too. Are we OK with Solanke, who is a very decent CF that does a lot of work, or do we want to bring in an absolute machine for big money with whom Solanke can compete? Questions questions...
 
Aside from the game itself, my main observation is that even in 2025 a lot of total pricks attend football matches. Trying to fight opposing fans at an important game is bad enough, but at a friendly it’s absolutely pathetic. I feel sorry for all the parents that took their kids and had to put up with that. Grown adults lobbing plastic bottles at each other (and in the case of one home fan ‘pretending’ to throw a Child) and yelling all sorts of pointless abuse and posturing. And yet all these ‘hard as nails’ Alpha Males baying for blood were held apart by about 8 stewards and a microscopic fence. Truly pitiful.
 
stratnumberone said:
Aside from the game itself, my main observation is that even in 2025 a lot of total pricks attend football matches. Trying to fight opposing fans at an important game is bad enough, but at a friendly it’s absolutely pathetic. I feel sorry for all the parents that took their kids and had to put up with that. Grown adults lobbing plastic bottles at each other (and in the case of one home fan ‘pretending’ to throw a Child) and yelling all sorts of pointless abuse and posturing. And yet all these ‘hard as nails’ Alpha Males baying for blood were held apart by about 8 stewards and a microscopic fence. Truly pitiful.
Click to expand...
Pathetic. Can I ask why you say 'even in 2025' though? Seems to me that in modern day society this sort of ridiculous behaviour is as rife as in any other era....
 
thfcsteff said:
My opinions...

Overall some match-fitness rust which is to be expected, and a few really encouraging performances, not the least of which was Kudus and (of course) Vuskovic. I think we're going to have to make some tough calls with regards to loans and who is in need of upgrading...I so want Donely and Devine to work out, alas I am not sure they will for us if we want to win things. Donley feels like the one who 'could' still with another loan, I'd be looking to move Devine on if we can get decent money for him (good player, etc).

I think Mikey Moore needs a really good load in the championship to build on the ball strength. I love the look of Lankshear and it is that time of the year where my emotions tell me he can do it, truth is he also should go back on a good loan and maybe WBA with Mason is the move. We will need to move one of Biss or Bentancur IMO, especially if we bring one or two in (which we should - we need more creativity) and each has their strengths/weaknesses. I find Bentancur more consistent, however it comes down to who we could get the best fee for (again providing we are serious on getting an upgrade like a Palinha - Wharton appears to be out of our price range)...Bergy (as mentioned here) needs to get up to speed, but I am super confident that we have a top first-team player there, so just ring-rust. Sonny is a conundrum. He very obviously has only just come back to pre-season so unfair to judge, and I am one of the people earlier who said I could not see the sense in moving him on this season; then you start looking at the squad numbers, etc, and you start to wonder. It's a tough tough call because he was scoring and assissiting last season AND not playing very well too. Who'd be a manager?!!!!!

In short, I think by the time we line-up for Burnley home, this squad will have undergone several more key changes. Right now, Kudus walks into the starting line-up as would MGW. I think Johnson can function on the right of Maddison in a 4-2-3-1 (Kudus the other side, both obviously narrower and allowing them to take inside channels). I think CF is a massive question too. Are we OK with Solanke, who is a very decent CF that does a lot of work, or do we want to bring in an absolute machine for big money with whom Solanke can compete? Questions questions...
Click to expand...

I have this vision that we loan all of Lankshear, Moore and Donely to WBA, and they win the league with the greatest front 3 the Championship has ever seen, surpassing even Brentford's BMW (Benrahma, Mbeumo and Watkins).
 
stratnumberone said:
Aside from the game itself, my main observation is that even in 2025 a lot of total pricks attend football matches. Trying to fight opposing fans at an important game is bad enough, but at a friendly it’s absolutely pathetic. I feel sorry for all the parents that took their kids and had to put up with that. Grown adults lobbing plastic bottles at each other (and in the case of one home fan ‘pretending’ to throw a Child) and yelling all sorts of pointless abuse and posturing. And yet all these ‘hard as nails’ Alpha Males baying for blood were held apart by about 8 stewards and a microscopic fence. Truly pitiful.
Click to expand...

Totally agree, was a shame as there were so many families at the game, it was strange to see quiet a few parents wearing Reading shirts and their kids in Spurs kit. Must have been a chance for the Reading hardmen to have a go against a PL club rather than the likes of Walsall, Doncaster etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back