Team v Reading

[Toby Ward-Smith]

What would your team be for the first leg?

Mine would be:
Bettinelli
Fredericks, Kalas, Ream, Malone
McDonald, Johansen
Aluko, Cairney, Kebano
Ayite

Subs: Button, Odoi, Sessegnon, Parker, Piazon, Martin, Cyraic

[dannyboi-ffc]

Sess for Kebano i reckon

[Barry White]

Think mine would be the same except maybe play Sessegnon instead and have Kebano come on as the impact sub, he seems to relish a goal off the bench!

[fulhamben]

Think mine would be the same except maybe play Sessegnon instead and have Kebano come on as the impact sub, he seems to relish a goal off the bench!

yes I'll go with that. Reading generally go 3 at the back and sess and malone have a good understanding and can get a lot of joy down that flank. Plus sess gives us added protection at the back if malone gets caught out of position in a quick turn around

[nose]

What would your team be for the first leg?

Mine would be:
Bettinelli
Fredericks, Kalas, Ream, Malone
McDonald, Johansen
Aluko, Cairney, Kebano
Ayite

Subs: Button, Odoi, Sessegnon, Parker, Piazon, Martin, Cyraic

I think he will go with what you have said but replace sess for kebano.

[Burt]

Pretty much spot on I reckon.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Yes I agree, but he might just start with Sess instead of Kebano, either way, I fancy our chances. 👍⚽️

[twang]

Bettinelli
Fredericks - Kalas - Ream - Malone
Cairney - McDonald - Johansen
Aluko - Martin - Ayité

Subs: Button, Odoi, Sessegnon, Parker, Piazon, Kebano & Cyriac

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

Bettinelli
Fredericks - Kalas - Ream - Malone
Cairney - McDonald - Johansen
Aluko - Martin - Ayité

Subs: Button, Odoi, Sessegnon, Parker, Piazon, Kebano & Cyriac

This is not the time to rest players and play with just 10 men and a useless lump.  :005:

[grandad]

I would start Odoi over Fred for this match & either bring him on in last 30 mins to frighten tired Reading  or save him for 2nd leg & bring on Odoi after 60 mins. Sess for Kebano in 2nd leg. Martin I don´t want anywhere a start. Maybe on the bench.

[dhowells21]

Bettinelli
Fredericks - Kalas - Ream - Malone
Cairney - McDonald - Johansen
Aluko - Martin - Ayité

Subs: Button, Odoi, Sessegnon, Parker, Piazon, Kebano & Cyriac

This is it for me. +1

[grandad]

Bettinelli
Fredericks - Kalas - Ream - Malone
Cairney - McDonald - Johansen
Aluko - Martin - Ayité

Subs: Button, Odoi, Sessegnon, Parker, Piazon, Kebano & Cyriac

This is it for me. +1

I do not want Martin to be part of our Glory.Both Kebano & Piazzon have earned a place due to their committment & passion for the club. Martin now offers nothing.

[LVBPTS]

how many of us would have thought we would all be calling for Ream to be a starter in the play-off semi final! i love how he has turned opinions and really become integral over the past couple of months

[dhowells21]

Bettinelli
Fredericks - Kalas - Ream - Malone
Cairney - McDonald - Johansen
Aluko - Martin - Ayité

Subs: Button, Odoi, Sessegnon, Parker, Piazon, Kebano & Cyriac

This is it for me. +1

I do not want Martin to be part of our Glory.Both Kebano & Piazzon have earned a place due to their committment & passion for the club. Martin now offers nothing.

Don't be guilty of chopping off your nose to spite your face.

I don't particularly like the guy, but I do think he's a good enough footballer. He won't be here next year, which I am all for, but I definitely think he should start.

He offers us something different, and keeps the offensive shape well due to being a natural striker (compared to Aluko/Ayite/Kebano, who will like to drift and get on the ball and running at people). Using him as the base to feed the quick players on the wings is something I like.

If Reading counter this threat easily, you have the luxury of bringing someone liek Kebano off the bench, who you can almost guarantee will have an impact.

If you start Kebano, you can't bring someone like Martin off the bench, as he won't make a difference against tiring legs. That's why I'd start him. He also has that bit of grit and character you need in a battle.

If we win the first leg, I'd not start Martin, play counter attacking football and just get the quickest front 3 you can (Aluko, Ayite, Kebano, Sess - pick 3).

[Arthur]

For most supporters, I imagine, the same 10 players are definite starters - it's that final place in the XI that's up for grabs.

Although I see the advantages of playing (as has been suggested) Sessegnon or Kebano, I wonder whether the more subtle passing skills of Piazon would serve us better around the edge of the penalty area in the first-half as we try to unpick (what will likely be) our opponents' well-organised defence.

I am less enamoured at the thought of Martin's inclusion - my much preferring him as an option from the bench if we are struggling to carve out chances - and, for the home leg, at least, I see no benefit in selecting Odoi ahead of Fredericks .

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

Bettinelli
Fredericks - Kalas - Ream - Malone
Cairney - McDonald - Johansen
Aluko - Martin - Ayité

Subs: Button, Odoi, Sessegnon, Parker, Piazon, Kebano & Cyriac

This is it for me. +1

I do not want Martin to be part of our Glory.Both Kebano & Piazzon have earned a place due to their committment & passion for the club. Martin now offers nothing.

Don't be guilty of chopping off your nose to spite your face.

I don't particularly like the guy, but I do think he's a good enough footballer. He won't be here next year, which I am all for, but I definitely think he should start.

He offers us something different, and keeps the offensive shape well due to being a natural striker (compared to Aluko/Ayite/Kebano, who will like to drift and get on the ball and running at people). Using him as the base to feed the quick players on the wings is something I like.

If Reading counter this threat easily, you have the luxury of bringing someone liek Kebano off the bench, who you can almost guarantee will have an impact.

If you start Kebano, you can't bring someone like Martin off the bench, as he won't make a difference against tiring legs. That's why I'd start him. He also has that bit of grit and character you need in a battle.

If we win the first leg, I'd not start Martin, play counter attacking football and just get the quickest front 3 you can (Aluko, Ayite, Kebano, Sess - pick 3).

Offering something different is simply not good enough when what is offered is poorer than the alternatives. I would be delighted to have a goal scoring centre forward as first choice but Martin does not match those requirements. Martin is not effective as a target man, he doesn't get on the end of crosses, he doesn't make runs, he can't beat a defender for speed or with skill, he rarely wins an attacking header and he has stopped scoring.

We should not be frightened of starting with Sessegnon, Piazon or Kebano, whichever SJ prefers, who have all proved effective and then you still have the other two to bring on if we need a change

[westcliff white]

Betts

Fred
Kalkas
Ream
Malone

McDOnald
Cairny
Johansen

Aluko
Ayite
Martin

Subs
Button
Odoi
Parker
Kebani
Piazon
Cyriac
Sessegnon

[J.Perkins]

Bettinelli

Fredericks Kalas Ream Malone

Cairney McDonald Johansen

Aluko Ayite Kebano

Button
Odoi
Madl
Parker
Sessegnon
Piazon
Martin

[BestOfBrede]

Having lost 5-0 last time they came to our place, and having the home advantage next leg, I'm confident Reading will come for a draw or narrow defeat, not a win. They'll sit back and having likely spent a whole week watching videos of us, they'll double up on our wide players whenever possible. IMO we need someone in the middle who can exploit that. Maybe Cairney and Johansen offer that to some extent but I can see Martin starting because he'll give more in that area than sessegnon or kebano.

As someone else said the other 10 players pick themselves. 

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[AlexW132]

Fredericks is much more of an attacking threat than Odoi (although tbf Odoi got an assist on Sunday) whereas Odoi is a better defender. Therefore, as I agree with what someone above said that Reading will play for the draw, play Fred first leg to exploit their cautiousness and assert our attacking dominance and then play Odoi away if we have the aggregate lead.