The Reading Rainbow 8.28
By: Rob | August 28th, 2007
Welcome to what will (hopefully) be the regular Tuesday news post: the Reading Rainbow. This week’s headlines: Sonko Trains, Sodje Limbos, Shorey Hobbles, Coppell Complains, Everybody’s Injured, Who…Is…The Triallist?!?, and the debut of ShoreyLitaWatch.
The Reading Evening Post hasn’t updated its website since the Reading Festival; hopefully the powerful 90s nostalgia combo of Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails didn’t burn down the city. Here’s the latest from a hodgepodge of other sources:
- The official Reading site reports that Ibrahim Sonko is back in training , which is good news for an ailing defense. Michael Duberry and Andre Bikey filled in admirably during that brutal first week, but as I’ve said before, Sonko is really the linchpin of the Royal defense, and having the Senegal native back there should tighten things up and allow a more characteristically open style of play. His return target remains mid-to-late September.
- In other African central defender news, Reading accepted a transfer bid from Sheffield Wednesday (not Sheff United, as I had previously mentioned) for Sam Sodje last week, but deliberations continue. Sodje hasn’t done much for the team that I’ve seen in my long thirteen months of ardent Reading fanship, going out on loan to West Brom last year, and appearing only twice in the royal blue hoops. With Andre Bikey on the rise, Sodje is little more than deep cover for the central defense, and the fact that he hasn’t gotten in the lineup with both Sonko and Duberry down is a sure sign that he’s expendable. A little bank for the winter transfer window will come in handy.
- Nicky Shorey’s injury that kept him out of the Bolton match was apparently a knee tweak suffered in the friendly with Germany. So now us Reading fans can join the big boys to bitch and moan about the silliness of midweek friendlies! Yargggh! Gahhh! Bleaaggghh! And so forth. (Note: I kind of like international friendlies, but what do I know, I’m American.)
Steve Coppell is doing likewise, though in that understated way of his, referring to the midweek matches as “Mickey Mouse international games.” I think that’s about as close to a swear-filled hissyfit as we’ll ever get out of him, though if Reading lose a couple more games three-nil, maybe he’ll upgrade to “goshdarn.”
- That injury list? It also includes Sonko, Duberry, skipper Graeme Murty, John Oster, Glen Little, and Seol Ki-Hyeon. Those last three? All of our right wingers. I now understand why there were three central midfielders in our 4-4-2 on Saturday; Emerse Fae played on the right in his Reading debut. There has lately been a mystery Triallist in the Reading camp, so mysterious he’s even listed only as “Triallist” in this match report of a closed-door friendly with Blackburn. Here’s hoping it’s actually the elusive Brazilian striker Triallisto.
- ShoreyLitaWatch: the weekly installment of unfounded rumors as to whether Shorey and Leroy Lita will re-sign with Reading or bail to richer pastures. This week’s rumors have Shorey going to West Ham or Newcastle, with Lita suitors presumably waiting to see if there are any more bed-stretching injuries on the horizon. All rumors false or your money back.
- Finally, a plug for the other Reading blog on the internet boulevard: Kingsley’s Reading FC Blog. I don’t think it’s actually Kingsley the Reading mascot doing the blogging, as those big lion paws don’t work the keyboard too well, but I like to pretend it is. In reality, Terry does the writing over there, and he actually goes to Reading games, so he’s got that advantage on me. Check it out.
Category: Team News
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