Matchwatch : Sparta Rotterdam (10am) & Cercle Brugge (midday)

[Sutekh]

Last two games being jammed in for the club in The Netherlands

As both have awkward kickoff times in relation to BBC Berks sports programming Id be surprised if either were covered with anything more than updates in other programmes, therefore presume the only way to keep up to date with them is via the OS

Team return later to the UK. Now i wonder if some will turn up at the kit launch

[Muskrat]

Love the look of Sparta's little stadium, can't be another one like it anywhere. Don't know if the games being played there though?

[tmesis]

Love the look of Sparta's little stadium, can't be another one like it anywhere. Don't know if the games being played there though?

We're playing their youth team, so unlikely.

The Cercle Brugge games is at the training ground in Oosterbeek, so I'd guess that game is there too.

[Muskrat]

Thanks for the info, didn’t realise we were playing Sparta yoof tbh tbf.

[Greatwesternline]

I've been to a Sparta match.

Cracking ground, bars at the bottom of the stands, which means you can still watch the match whilst waiting for your beer, and of course you can drink in the stand.

They have one song which would immediatley be dismissed in the UK for being too camp, which is basically a steady clap to some music, before culminating in chanting, S.P, A.R, T.A

Nice little crowd of 4,000 when i went.

[loyalroyal4life]

Scores?

[CountryRoyal]

0-0 and 1-1.

0W 3D 1L from the 4 games in the Netherlands, not like anyone really gives a shit though tbh.

[Hound]

Glorified training session really but second match suggests close to what our first 11 may be for QPR. But then we knew that anyway

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Slightly worried by our pre season games playing reserve Dutch & Belgian sides - how good a dress rehearsal is this for QPR/Fulham/Villa?

[Nameless]

Slightly worried by our pre season games playing reserve Dutch & Belgian sides - how good a dress rehearsal is this for QPR/Fulham/Villa?

Perfect for QPR.
We never play other Championship clubs preseason (oh, other than QPR twice this year !) so preseason games are never really a 'dress rehearsal'. Would getting beaten by Arsenal or thumping Swindon be any better than what we have had ?

[CountryRoyal]

Slightly worried by our pre season games playing reserve Dutch & Belgian sides - how good a dress rehearsal is this for QPR/Fulham/Villa?

Perfect for QPR.
We never play other Championship clubs preseason (oh, other than QPR twice this year !) so preseason games are never really a 'dress rehearsal'. Would getting beaten by Arsenal or thumping Swindon be any better than what we have had ?

Exactly. How good a preparation was a fairly full strength Fulham squad getting dicked 8-2 by Chelsea?

At the end of the day these matches are nothing much more then building up a bit of fitness.

[3points]

Seems like Danny Loader played a full game and then another 29 minutes in the second game when he came on for JDB. Is that a sign that Stam is looking at him for first team duties at some point? Seem to remember Kelly got quite a lot of game time last pre-season? Not so good to see that Quinn only came on as a sub though.

[Nameless]

I'd think Loader playing so much was down to Kingsley not being on tour and therefore we were short of any other options up front !
Quinn having restricted time might have been down to his having been out injured for a year and needing to be managed back carefully, coming on as a sub suggests he hasn't got injured again.

[Sutekh]

Actually looking forward to the Vitesse game next week now, hoping to see Danny Loader get a run as a sub more than seeing Mannone or Bodvarsson. Hoping Reading can add a couple more signings this week as well - don't think I'll hold my breath on that one though.