Steve Coppell has publicly said that he is to blame for the weekend defeat against Blackburn with his tinkering with the side, but Kevin Doyle (one who was left out of the starting eleven) has backed him.
Having failed to win on the road this season Coppell tried and experimental 4-5-1 formation, leaving Dave Kitson as the starting striker. By the time Leroy Lita was introduced at half time, and Doyle later Reading were already 3-0 down, however Doyle says that after playing two internationals for the Republic of Ireland in a week prior Coppell was right to name him on the bench, “Anyone who plays two internationals in a week starts on the bench,” Doyle told The Sun.
“That is the way it is at Reading and to be honest I would do the same thing if I was the manager.”
Much like Doyle says Coppell was probably right to put him on the bench, but personally I think that he should have still stuck with 4-4-2 playing Lita alongside Kitson, as the two up front is a system that we are better with as Doyle also told the Sun, “We know we are better when we play 4-4-2 and although I scored two goals when I came on, we were 3-0 down and never near a point at that stage of the game.”
After coming on to score two goals Doyle is a near certain starter against Newcastle next week with a crucial home match against Newcastle, with these home matches being so crucial to Reading this season, even more so if the away form isn’t sorted out.
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A change of formation was probably the wrong thing at the weekend, but leaving Doyle out of the starting eleven wasn’t really, although Lita should have started as Reading are much better with two forwards.