Stephen Reid

I know he got some reasonable post match reports but I have to say i was bitterly disapointed in him again. Not that he was a disaster or anything, but i really thought this was the time for him to live up to the impression he made in '02.

I expected a tenacious, energetic, box to box display with a couple of efforts from distance. Especially given that there was a holding midfielder in Holland/O'Shea. But, as with the last few times I've seen him for club and country he looked like he couldn't get out of first gear. I've wondered for a while now if he's just paying the price of over catious tactics from managers, I honestly don't know.

He looked wary on the ball and low on confidnce which is strange since he finnished last season and started this as first choice for his club. Plus I felt he went down too easy a number of times searching for the free.

For an athletic player with his physique and raw abillities he should be making his presence felt at both ends of the pitch. I felt he was annonomous for alot of the game last week. I seen more bottle in him when he stood up to a Burnley fan who invaded the pitch to get at Robbie Savage last season. He really needs to apply that to his game.

I think it's mainly confidence. It took him a long while to bed in at Blackburn for the same reason. I think he was more intent on doing nothing wrong than actually being proactive. Think about it: you haven't been given a chance for a while so if you make mistakes it could be another long while. If you play it safe you remain an option. But, as you suggest, maybe that's the way he was encouraged to play.

From the brief highlights I saw on MOTD at the weekend, he appears to be playing quite far up the pitch for Blackburn.

You would also have to consider that at crucial parts of his career he has had long periods out with injury after injury.

I've always liked Steven Reid, I hope he fulfills his potential to become a top-notch midfielder. Perhaps in a few years an O'Shea/S.Reid partnership in midfield might be a fearsome prospect!

chants of "reid!reid!", kill two birds with one stone!

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Originally Posted by ZoolEire

i think the fans at landsdown could do more to boost the confidence of certain players, chanting keano, keano, only boost's the ego of a certain striker who's head is already big enough

surly its time for some new chants around landsdown

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Somebody should shooot Robbie Keane for been confident How date he be confident he has only become our top scorer ever at the age of 25