Fantasy and Reality

By: Prederick | March 7th, 2008

FIFA 08 - Arsenal Liverpool

It’s a Saturday, late in the season. Reading are playing Tottenham. The game’s been back and forth, end-to-end stuff, with Paul Robinson and Marcus Hahnemann tested multiple times. As the game ticks past the 80 minute mark, a loose ball falls to the feet of Stephen Hunt, who confidently strides past Tom Huddlestone in midfield before chipping a beautiful pass over Ledley King’s head for Leroy Lita to run onto. Lita controls it with one touch, cutting inside his man and rifling a laser into the bottom corner to make it 2-1 and gift the team three points.

Problematically, the situation i’m describing here takes place in a game of Football Manager, and not in real life, where Mr. Lita has joined Charlton on a four-week loan. Assuming he manages to keep his cellphone (and penis) in his pants, it should give him a chance to get in some much needed match practice at a reasonable level and come back strong. Some people aren’t enthralled by the move, but given how well any of the strikers have been this season, Leroy might as well get the experience somewhere else where any profligacy in front of goal won’t cost the team points.

Until last weekend, it had all been quite frustrating for Reading. Hell, last I checked, they were even mired in the relegation zone in FIFA 08’s interactive leagues. The only place I ever saw Reading pulling off results was in said acclaimed Footy sim, albeit, in that they’d somehow managed to convince João Moutinho into a move to Berkshire. Their season had also been marked with a massive 4-1 thumping of Manchester City at the Madjeski.

Much as I do love the Royals, i’m not exactly putting my money on such a possibility tomorrow. City’s record in 2008 has been verging on schizophrenic (Win-Draw-Loss-Win-Draw-Loss-Draw-Loss-Win-Loss-Draw) and they did participate in that utter abomination of a match against Wigan last week (I’d rather have watched Sunderland-Derby, which was also, albeit marginally less abysmal).

So, with that god-awful monkey off the team’s back, Reading can actually go into this one thinking a point is realistic, three entirely possible. Luck isn’t with the team entirely quite yet, as it was recently revealed that Emerson Fae contracted malaria at the African Cup of Nations, and Graeme Murty’s knee isn’t up to snuff, while Elano should be fit for the match.

Assuming we can defend Nery Castillo without resorting to repeatedly kicking him and giving Elano multiple chances for another Goal-of-the-Season-style freekick, I think a point’s entirely realistic.

So, in the meantime, let’s hope Arsenal do us a favor and utterly obliterate Wigan, and perhaps we can clamber past Bolton, although I must admit, i’ll pay good money to see a team get relegated and yet still win the UEFA Cup. And perhaps a few kind souls will manage to tear themselves away from the big four and get Reading some needed wins in FIFA 08 as well.