positives

[roland*]

Game taught us that perhaps it would be wise to make Bikey pretend the game kicks off 10 minutes before it actually does.

There is a trend developing where the guy grows and grows over the 90 minutes until he looks like a very handy player... Just need him to be switched on from the get go.

[Cemy Junction Expat]

Not just No 13 seeing the huge positives out of tonight either

5 live afterwards took calls from a number of Man U fans ... unanimously praising the Royals and the support. I imagine call-ins and reports up and down the land were the same.

I particularly liked the Man U fan who had just come away from the Mad Stad and said he was "humbled" by the display the Royals had put on ... then words to the effect of "the atmosphere made by the Reading fans were just incredible ...I've been a Man U fan all my life and I have never experienced anything like that"

Likewise the 5 live host (paraphrased again): "what a performance ... what a fightback .. what a season Reading are having"

Tonight has done us no dishonour whatsoever

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Likewise the 5 live host (paraphrased again): "what a performance ... what a fightback .. what a season Reading are having"

Don't forget the 5live host's comment of "Reading probably deserve an award for services to football for what they've done this season"

[Tamworth_Royal]

Likewise the 5 live host (paraphrased again): "what a performance ... what a fightback .. what a season Reading are having"

Don't forget the 5live host's comment of "Reading probably deserve an award for services to football for what they've done this season"

Yes was txt that by a mate who heard that on the radio, he added "chin up" you must feel like Jimmy Hill after this season

[Archie's penalty]

My mate who's a United fan texted me after the game saying we deserved to win...As Arch said Ferguson was preparing for E-T - he was gonna put on Scholes. If only Bryn's shot was a couple of inches lower...

Also all the papers unanimously praised us. To be honest am very proud of the lads tonight. What a brilliant season this has been

[Tankman]

Also all the papers unanimously praised us.

I await the Daily Mirror's take on tonight's game with interest...

[Archie's penalty]

Also all the papers unanimously praised us.

I await the Daily Mirror's take on tonight's game with interest...

LOL

[Huntley & Palmer]

I'll only be happy if we refuse to grant Arsenal the same capitulation we offered at their altar at home. There is no point in sticking it to a team like Utd if you aren't going to do it against a team even more ripe to a good jossling all over the pitch on their own turf. That home game and Liverpool away have been the only two games this season that have made me angry about watching my team.

[Archie's penalty]

I'll only be happy if we refuse to grant Arsenal the same capitulation we offered at their altar at home. There is no point in sticking it to a team like Utd if you aren't going to do it against a team even more ripe to a good jossling all over the pitch on their own turf. That home game and Liverpool away have been the only two games this season that have made me angry about watching my team.

I was VERY angry after the first 20 minutes today but we pulled a great performance out of the hat in the end. But you're right - I hope we give it a good go on saturday I don't want Coppell at the end of a 3-0 loss saying 'Well you know they're just so good'....

[Huntley & Palmer]

I don't want to hear Reading fans around me telling me how great Arsenal played, we handed it to them on a plate that game. Screw this supposed aura of perfect football and passing game they adhere to, teams that have got a result against them have done so by means of hard graft for 90 mins and hassling them all over the pitch. Much as Chelsea and their style of football grinds on me for a team with such riches, it certainly worked perfectly on Sunday.

[Royalee]

I don't want to hear Reading fans around me telling me how great Arsenal played, we handed it to them on a plate that game. Screw this supposed aura of perfect football and passing game they adhere to, teams that have got a result against them have done so by means of hard graft for 90 mins and hassling them all over the pitch. Much as Chelsea and their style of football grinds on me for a team with such riches, it certainly worked perfectly on Sunday.

Well, if you take away the offside goal, total Arsenal domination of the first 45 minutes and then the diving, cheating and timewasting all over the place in the second half, it was hard graft...

[Huntley & Palmer]

I take anything you say with a JCB's worth of salt. We didn't get anywhere close to Arsenal that day, nor Liverpool either. Our players were stuck in some sort of trance, which I hope now with the four results against Utd and the two against Chelsea will make them think otherwise on Saturday,

[Royalee]

I take anything you say with a JCB's worth of salt. We didn't get anywhere close to Arsenal that day, nor Liverpool either. Our players were stuck in some sort of trance, which I hope now with the four results against Utd and the two against Chelsea will make them think otherwise on Saturday,

We didn't get anywhere near Arsenal that day because they played the best football seen in the division this season - Chelsea didn't get anywhere near them in the first half on Sunday but that doesn't mean they were in some kind of 'trance'. As people like Coppell say, if the big teams play to their best and everything clicks, they are going to beat us, however unfortunate that fact is.

[Archie's penalty]

I take anything you say with a JCB's worth of salt. We didn't get anywhere close to Arsenal that day, nor Liverpool either. Our players were stuck in some sort of trance, which I hope now with the four results against Utd and the two against Chelsea will make them think otherwise on Saturday,

I agree H&M. I thought we did try against Arsenal but most of the match passed by with a kind of open-mounthed appreciation of the skills of the sublime and sublimely arrogant Henry and Fabregas...

I think we can do one over Arsenal with hard graft and the 'Reading' way of playing that the press is now appreciating ie determination and skill in equal balance...

[retro royal]

Game taught us that perhaps it would be wise to make Bikey pretend the game kicks off 10 minutes before it actually does.

There is a trend developing where the guy grows and grows over the 90 minutes until he looks like a very handy player... Just need him to be switched on from the get go.

Sorry but it suggests Coppell not to play 4-5-1 again, totally put us on the back foot, and Coppell admitted as much post match conference

(sorry second edit to drunk_

[Huntley & Palmer]

I take anything you say with a JCB's worth of salt. We didn't get anywhere close to Arsenal that day, nor Liverpool either. Our players were stuck in some sort of trance, which I hope now with the four results against Utd and the two against Chelsea will make them think otherwise on Saturday,

We didn't get anywhere near Arsenal that day because they played the best football seen in the division this season - Chelsea didn't get anywhere near them in the first half on Sunday but that doesn't mean they were in some kind of 'trance'. As people like Coppell say, if the big teams play to their best and everything clicks, they are going to beat us, however unfortunate that fact is.

But we didn't do anything to push them out of their stride, no hard tackles, no harrassment all over the pitch. We simply allowed them to play around us, we adopted the tried and tested zonal 11 man defense that we used to slip into when our confidence was low. Chelsea got plenty near them on Sunday in the first half, in fact their ability to recognise Toure and Senderos playing a high line at the back meant that the ball over the top to Drogba got them an equalising goal.

[roland*]

Game taught us that perhaps it would be wise to make Bikey pretend the game kicks off 10 minutes before it actually does.

There is a trend developing where the guy grows and grows over the 90 minutes until he looks like a very handy player... Just need him to be switched on from the get go.

Sorry but it suggests Coppell not to play 4-5-1 again, totally put us on the back foot, and Coppell admitted as much post match conference

(sorry second edit to drunk_

Yes that was a contributory factor as well. But it is hard to deny that Bikey has a tendency to be slightly slow out of the blocks.

[retro royal]

Game taught us that perhaps it would be wise to make Bikey pretend the game kicks off 10 minutes before it actually does.

There is a trend developing where the guy grows and grows over the 90 minutes until he looks like a very handy player... Just need him to be switched on from the get go.

Sorry but it suggests Coppell not to play 4-5-1 again, totally put us on the back foot, and Coppell admitted as much post match conference

(sorry second edit to drunk_

Yes that was a contributory factor as well. But it is hard to deny that Bikey has a tendency to be slightly slow out of the blocks.

I Thought Bikey was playing CM, for a while after the first goal, shorey looked like he was right back, it was all over the place at the back SC deceision i don't know (well confused though)

[Platypuss]

I take anything you say with a JCB's worth of salt. We didn't get anywhere close to Arsenal that day, nor Liverpool either. Our players were stuck in some sort of trance, which I hope now with the four results against Utd and the two against Chelsea will make them think otherwise on Saturday,

We didn't get anywhere near Arsenal that day because they played the best football seen in the division this season - Chelsea didn't get anywhere near them in the first half on Sunday but that doesn't mean they were in some kind of 'trance'. As people like Coppell say, if the big teams play to their best and everything clicks, they are going to beat us, however unfortunate that fact is.

No, we made them look good because we gave them yards of space and too much respect all over the pitch. That can, of course, be partly excused by the hangover from the Hunt/Cech incident, but we really stood off them too much.

[Scarface]

Was such a shame the start, gutted for Federici as he's been fantastic for us before tonight and he'll be distraught at the 1st goal.

Fed was great at Old Trafford, but in only a few starts Fed has already made about as many blunders as USA has all season.