First BFTG?

Well, I'm in a Stevenage Holiday inn.

First half was desperate at time, just bodies in the way stopping Stevenage. Slightly shitty goal but who cares?

Second half was an epic. Just so much desire to NOT give in, not concede.

Loved it. Absolutely loved it.

Yeah a real desire to win, not seen in a few years. I wrote this on the selles in thread but will put it here also.

‘Turning point was the pitch for invasion imo. Players, staff, everyone, was just feeling sorry for ourselves just watching the club die in front of us. The pitch invasion made everyone think, no enough is enough if we are going to go we are going to go kicking and screaming. We are going to fight. And it’s galvanised everyone. fans are behind the players, the players are putting shifts in on the pitch. The fans are backing selles. It really does feel we have everyone facing in the same direction now. There is a passion there not seen for a number of years’

Not pretty, but still beautiful. A properly gutsy win with 12 players who left it all out there. Freely admit I had my doubts about Mbengue but he was (relatively) imperious at times in that second half. Easily Mola's best game for us so far, and WiFi ran himself into the ground forward and back which is something Mukairu can't seem to do.


The occasions we were 4v3 and 3v2 in their half can be overlooked because we got the three points.

Reading fans fighting a couple of Stevenage fans after the game. Dicks

Absolute cowards, fighting at a football match is twatish enough, outnumbering 2 guys and acting tough is a whole other level.

As much as it's not good to see these scenes the Stevenage fans who were chanting about wanting us to go bust were asking for it. They came looking for a fight and were stood outside the away end after the game.

About time we won away at a club not beginning with B in midweek. That was one depressing monkey we got off our backs.

Ruben Selles deserves a statue if we survive this season.

What a night! Wet but worth it

Just watched the highlights on Sky and literally all their chances seem to come from long kicks from their goal keeper or corners ... I guess that's their tactic. Lucky it didn't work for once!

Read reports of local scrotes causing problems for Cambridge fans after their games was postponed late on due to a power outage, so they have history.

Let’s face it, not much going on in Stevenage, so they have to amuse themselves somehow, utter hole of a town.

Yeah they were comical - just big hoofs up.

Great win in dreadful conditions. Fantastic to come away with a clean sheet as well

Yeah they were comical - just big hoofs up.

Great win in dreadful conditions. Fantastic to come away with a clean sheet as well

Yep they know their limitations and look to exploit their height and strength or just cause complete chaos in the penalty area hoping something will drop. It's quite satisfying that the winner came from one of their own tactics, long throw towards a big man causing a defender to mistime his header and only succeed in knocking it in to his own net. (How many points has OG won us this year? - 5 at least).

Their limited tactic turned to desparation as the game wore on but the determination by the defence and midfield to stand firm is something we have not seen by a Reading team in quite some time, it was a joy to behold. The only small complaint would be that we didn't take advantage of the many opportunities to break on them or that we created ourselves. Smith will have nightmares of a sliding defender blocking a certain goal after he had done everything right but he also put in a great shift up top.

Ehibihatihoman was also excellent in a kind of Meite role off the left - you could tell (in the 1st half certainly) that the Stevenage defence were wary of him - great win.

Real chance now in the next 2 to string some wins together and open up a gap to a number of teams. Charlton is a real six pointer and a win will put us 3 points above them - which given after Shrewbury we were 15 points behind them is an amazing turnaround in 14 games.

10 game form now sees us 7th and then only on goals scored - no-one will be looking forward to playing us at the moment.

Did really well to grind out a win in the end, conditions were really poor but we were very much up against it in the first half but we have come away with a very good result, lifts us out of the bottom 4 as well.

A real chance to kick on now with some vey winnable fixtures coming up, especially at home. A lot of credit goes to Selles for giving us some hope and turning this around on the field at least.

Carbooter will soon be calling for him to be our next manager probably

With things improving on the pitch, we need improvement off it too. The bones of a squad that can win promotion in the next couple of years is there; even Mola looks like we could go on to be a good signing. We need stability, the ability to offer contracts and plan our squad. If Dai doesn't sell up, we'll be back in a shit position next season.

If Dai doesn't sell, we don't see next season.

If Dai doesn't sell, we don't see next season.
I agree

Re: Mola - think he got a lot of unfair abuse for a couple of poor games. He’s barely played for a few years and thrown into a really difficult situation

Turning point was that move to RB against Charlton where he was suddenly excellent and he’s been fine since

I think he’s fine. Not amazing, but good enough to do a job

Yep, I can see him being a useful player for us. Shaun Cummings played a big role in our 11/12 promotion season after a torrid start to his Reading career.

Mola is only on a 12 month contract. This is an example of why the off field situation needs to be resolved; get the likes of him, Mbengue, Bindon, Ehibhatiomhan and Azeez on longer term contracts. If we get taken over in July, it's too late and we're starting from ground zero again.

Ideally, we'd see the preferred bidder/exclusivity stage in February with a view to completion in April, so Bowen and Selles can plan for next season.

Out of the bottom 4 and 16 more games to ensure staying out.

Yep, I can see him being a useful player for us. Shaun Cummings played a big role in our 11/12 promotion season after a torrid start to his Reading career.

Mola is only on a 12 month contract. This is an example of why the off field situation needs to be resolved; get the likes of him, Mbengue, Bindon, Ehibhatiomhan and Azeez on longer term contracts. If we get taken over in July, it's too late and we're starting from ground zero again.

Ideally, we'd see the preferred bidder/exclusivity stage in February with a view to completion in April, so Bowen and Selles can plan for next season.

Mola was a punt and in all honesty if we weren't in this situation I don't think we would looked at him and if we did, we probably would have still given him 12 months - there may well be an option to extend if he performs. Few more performances like last night and if there is one, it will be used.

I'd rather NGW, but Mola has drastically improved and is now doing ok.

His defending was mostly very good last night. Still a bit daft and error prone, but it is L1

I'd rather NGW, but Mola has drastically improved and is now doing ok.

His defending was mostly very good last night. Still a bit daft and error prone, but it is L1

I prefer Mola, seems to have more in his locker than NGW who was and is pretty limited overall.

I'd rather NGW, but Mola has drastically improved and is now doing ok.

His defending was mostly very good last night. Still a bit daft and error prone, but it is L1

I prefer Mola, seems to have more in his locker than NGW who was and is pretty limited overall.
Well this a shocking and unpredictable state of affairs.

I prefer Mola, seems to have more in his locker than NGW who was and is pretty limited overall.
Well this a shocking and unpredictable state of affairs.

Indeed. Difference of opinion and that, I have just never rated NGW to be honest. Seen some decent traits in him, but it doesn't outweigh my thoughts that he's just not that good a player.

Another little fact from last night - the clean sheet was our first in 462 days away from home - since Luton 0 Reading 0 on 1st November 2022.

EDIT in bold

im guessing you mean away from home in the league?

You mean, away from home?

Well this a shocking and unpredictable state of affairs.

Indeed. Difference of opinion and that, I have just never rated NGW to be honest. Seen some decent traits in him, but it doesn't outweigh my thoughts that he's just not that good a player.
NGW was fcuking shit for us. Defensive liability who looked OK going forward but with minimal end product except winning a couple of penalties. We don't miss him at all. Mola seems more rounded and we're starting to see the player you would expect to see from the Chelsea academy.