Reading vs. liverpool - carling cup - 25/09/2007 - The madejski stadium – 7.45 pm
Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 12:54 pmThe Carling Cup is always good fun and an opportunity for some of the squad and youth players to get some first team action. It would have been nice to avoid the Premiership teams to begin with but Reading didn’t take the competition seriously last season and I think it will be the same this year.
We should get our first look at back up goalkeeper Itandje, along with centre back this is the one other position were we lack proven Premiership quality back up.
Aurelio will be able to make his come back from injury and hopefully push on in the coming weeks for a first team spot. Arbeloa is thriving this year and considering he is young and does not play for Spain we should continue to play him, and I’m sure he will relish the opportunity to get another game at right back. This is an excellent opportunity to have a look at Hobbs against some decent opposition, when he came we were told he had so much promise but so far we haven’t had a chance to see him. In a straight choice between Hyypia and Carragher and would go for the latter, he doesn’t waste his time linking up for international football anymore and doesn’t suffer physically like Hyypia when he has to play regularly.
We should get a chance to see our South American signing start a game, and considering Sissoko was on the bench on Saturday and Benayoun didn’t even make the squad, I would suspect both would start.
Babel hasn’t impressed much since he has been here and when he arrived he clearly stated he fancied himself as a striker rather than a winger so I would give him the chance to prove himself upfront. Crouch has hardly featured so far so it makes sense to start him.
Itandje
Arbeloa Carragher Hobbs Aurelio
Benayoun Sissoko Leiva Leto
Crouch Babel
Subs
Andriy Voronin
Jermaine Pennant
Jay Spearing
Emiliano Insua
David Martin
We should get our first look at back up goalkeeper Itandje, along with centre back this is the one other position were we lack proven Premiership quality back up.
Aurelio will be able to make his come back from injury and hopefully push on in the coming weeks for a first team spot. Arbeloa is thriving this year and considering he is young and does not play for Spain we should continue to play him, and I’m sure he will relish the opportunity to get another game at right back. This is an excellent opportunity to have a look at Hobbs against some decent opposition, when he came we were told he had so much promise but so far we haven’t had a chance to see him. In a straight choice between Hyypia and Carragher and would go for the latter, he doesn’t waste his time linking up for international football anymore and doesn’t suffer physically like Hyypia when he has to play regularly.
We should get a chance to see our South American signing start a game, and considering Sissoko was on the bench on Saturday and Benayoun didn’t even make the squad, I would suspect both would start.
Babel hasn’t impressed much since he has been here and when he arrived he clearly stated he fancied himself as a striker rather than a winger so I would give him the chance to prove himself upfront. Crouch has hardly featured so far so it makes sense to start him.
Itandje
Arbeloa Carragher Hobbs Aurelio
Benayoun Sissoko Leiva Leto
Crouch Babel
Subs
Andriy Voronin
Jermaine Pennant
Jay Spearing
Emiliano Insua
David Martin
