Back from the Southampton game...

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Yesterday was very bad in my opinion.If any other club scored in the 57th minute,eg 33+ minutes to go the crowd would be willing them on for an equalizer.Not the case at yesterday.Is is possible that the majority of reading fans simply turn up and expect a convincing win week in week out.Deep down whenever someone said are fans were awful i would disagreed.Now i'm starting to realize that sitting in silence quietly conforming to the unspoken laws of public gatherings is the way forward.

well said, or it would be if you ignore the fact that the crowd did lift hugely after pulling one back and there was a buzz about the place at least until the disallowed "goal" went in. After that everyone just seemed to lose heart. You just didn't get the sense that we would equalise.


By the way, I take it all those moaning about the lack of songs are regularly trying to start their own.

[Royalshow]

Yesterday was very bad in my opinion.If any other club scored in the 57th minute,eg 33+ minutes to go the crowd would be willing them on for an equalizer.Not the case at yesterday.Is is possible that the majority of reading fans simply turn up and expect a convincing win week in week out.Deep down whenever someone said are fans were awful i would disagreed.Now i'm starting to realize that sitting in silence quietly conforming to the unspoken laws of public gatherings is the way forward.

well said, or it would be if you ignore the fact that the crowd did lift hugely after pulling one back and there was a buzz about the place at least until the disallowed "goal" went in. After that everyone just seemed to lose heart. You just didn't get the sense that we would equalise.


By the way, I take it all those moaning about the lack of songs are regularly trying to start their own.

We have started so many songs with out any kind reaction that its gone well beyond the point of caring.

[TheRealRoyal]

I think the team felt they were allowed a day off. Normally this doesnt matter when its only one person. But when you have 11......

Worst thing about the day was Dyer and Wright-Philips stealing my bag

[lovetoscore]

Can't belive that was the same team that went to Bristle Shity.Was it coppells birthday and the whole team celebrating by going on the piss on friday night?

Usa- 7 deserves a lot of credit-brilliant stops in both halves and would have been a massacre without him but yes he should come for more crosses and stop punting it to our strikers when they can't win it against average cbs

Rosenior- 3 constantly out of position and gave their left side of midfield a complete free reign so Bikey had to keep playing right back.

Armstrong- 4 normally v reliable but out of sorts bar good pass for our goal

Ivar- 6 I thought he had quite a good game and looked our most solid defender

Bikey 4- normally a class act but far to casual today especially with his passes

Harper 0- utter toilet yet again-is he bribing Coppell to get in the team? Is he the world's first human helicopter? or is he trying to compete with the wind turbine? Did feck all

Cisse 6-did ok-some good tackles but no chance with lack of support from helicopter man

s Hunt- 4-plenty of effort unlike some others but woeful passing and crossing again-please try and clear the first man with your corners for once!

Kebe 5-a few decent runs and good strike for the goal but falls over too easily and keeps forgetting to take ball with him. did look like the only player who might create something apart from Marek

Doyle 6- actually did battle as best he could but did not get any service

n Hunt 5- anonymous due to no service

subs

Long 3-ran about but contributed nil else
Marek 5-some decent passes but a lot of misplaced ones too. far too easily bypassed once we lose posesion but heaps better than Harper
Gunnarson 3-gave the ball away a lot but don't understand why a defensive midfield player was brought on when we were losing

[jack_symmons]

can anyone explain Harpers reason for being on the pitch ?
doesnt make any defence splitting passes and constantly passes it sideways,...get marek in there when he's 100% fit

anyone agree ?

[AlexY25]

can anyone explain Harpers reason for being on the pitch ?
doesnt make any defence splitting passes and constantly passes it sideways,...get marek in there when he's 100% fit

anyone agree ?

Coppell is loyal to players that have been with the club for ages. No matter how poor they are.

[Ian Royal]

can anyone explain Harpers reason for being on the pitch ?
doesnt make any defence splitting passes and constantly passes it sideways,...get marek in there when he's 100% fit

anyone agree ?

Coppell is loyal to players that have been with the club for ages. No matter how poor they are.

Football involves much more than defence splitting passes and passing forward.

[pearcetom]

didnt watch the chumpionship highlights, got up too late

was the other goal offside?
was marcus awful for their first?

the highlights were awful as usual. Didn't even show the disallowed goal, and still haven't made my mind up about marcus with the first goal.

[SCIAG]

Rosenior- 3 constantly out of position and gave their left side of midfield a complete free reign so Bikey had to keep playing right back.

Every full back at every level knows that marking your winger when the ball is on the other flank is a bad idea.

If the winger beats the left back, one of the centre backs will go over to tidy up. The other centre back will normally drift over too, just in case. If he doesn't, then the first centre back's man will be unmarked. If he does, the second man will be unmarked. It's the right back's job to pick up the spare man, and his winger should take the opposition's winger. Otherwise, this will happen:

Left back beaten. Centre back moves across. Opposition left winger hugs left touchline. Right back marks him. Two strikers and an attacking midfield get in box, marked by a single CB.

Which is better, a CB marking three players or a CB and a full back marking two with a winger marking the wide man?

[Handsome Man]

USA- 8 Saved us from a thrashing
Rosenior- 3 desperately needed substituting: if a striker was having a game like that, the manager would have put him out of his misery
Armstrong- 6 ok
Ingi- 5 not bad. Some good tackles
Bikey 1- Just shockingly casual today.
Harper 5- Not too bad
Cisse 4- looked out of his depth
S Hunt- 3-was still playing for Ireland. Didn't seem to realise that he was playing against opponents who could tackle and intercept.
Kebe 6-a hit and miss player who was mostly miss, but at least he scored
Doyle 7- below par
NHunt 0- I don't know how a striker can play worse than this. He should go back to Scotland.

subs

Long 5-improved things
Marek 4- one of his better Reading performances
Gunnarson 0- the least effective and maddest substitution since that bloke pretended to be George Weah and recommended his mate to Graeme Souness

[winchester_royal]

can anyone explain Harpers reason for being on the pitch ?
doesnt make any defence splitting passes and constantly passes it sideways,...get marek in there when he's 100% fit

anyone agree ?

Coppell is loyal to players that have been with the club for ages. No matter how poor they are.

Football involves much more than defence splitting passes and passing forward.

Its also more than running about like a chicken, waving your hands in the air, and passing sideways.

[Forbury Lion]

can anyone explain Harpers reason for being on the pitch ?
doesnt make any defence splitting passes and constantly passes it sideways,...get marek in there when he's 100% fit

anyone agree ?

Coppell is loyal to players that have been with the club for ages. No matter how poor they are.

Football involves much more than defence splitting passes and passing forward.

Agreed, but it involves alot more than waving your arms about, running and passing the ball sideways.

[Readingfanman]

Harper 5- Not too bad
Cisse 4- looked out of his depth
Doyle 7- below par
NHunt 0- I don't know how a striker can play worse than this. He should go back to Scotland.
Long 5-improved things
Marek 4- one of his better Reading performances
Gunnarson 0- the least effective and maddest substitution since that bloke pretended to be George Weah and recommended his mate to Graeme Souness

These ratings must surely be taking the piss?

[BarryWhiteRFC]

LOL @ anyone who said Kebe > Little. That is all.

[punkindrublic]

simply out played on and off the pitch. they passed better and retained possesion. bad day at the office.credit to the southampton fans - good atmosphere. east stand atmosphere was oxf*rd.
need to step up away to cardiff and forget about this saturday! Urz.

[Sun Tzu]

USA- 8 Saved us from a thrashing

How so ?
He didn't exactly have to make a lot of saves.....

[Wycombe Royal]

I would just like to see, that I never got back from the game because I wasn't there. I have only missed two home games and the other was the 0-0 draw with QPR. So that is 7 wins from 7 when I have been in attedance.

All being well I should hopefully not be missing any more home games (although there is some doubt over the Blackpool game).

[rabidbee]

He didn't exactly have to make a lot of saves.....

There was that treble save in the first half, although the last two shots from that were from an offside position. Not that he knew that at the time, of course.

[CMRoyal]

Dear oh dear, that was rotten. Hard to see any progress for the foreseeable future playing like that.

Saints had us completely sussed, really pushing the 3-3 part of their progressive 4-3-3 formation on to our back four, knowing that we haven’t exactly got the best wide midfielders defensively and that when pushed back we tend to leave our front men isolated. Expect more of this at home, especially from the weaker teams (another mental block to get over – the nervy approach to games we’re expected to walk).

It feels like we need to freshen things up a bit – Bikey has taken the casual attitude too far (now taking 21 of the 20 seconds he needs, rather than the 19 SC talked about), S Hunt has run out of ideas, Kebe needs a rest (despite the goal) and N Hunt could do with a re-boot (I’d like to see Lita back and straight in the team, with Noel starting 2 or 3 games on the bench, just to give his legs a rest).

Marks:-

USA – 7 - made some very good saves, thought he might have come for the first goal, but maybe not

Rosy – 4 – every so often he has a stinker against a player he just can’t seem to work out. Made the by no means bad but not exactly great Wright-Phillips look like a world-beater

Bikey – 5 – far too casual in every respect

Ivar – 6 – a bit shaky but as he was playing against three players (their two forwards and Andre) did OK

Stretch – 5 – little chance to do much going forward and the nerves spread to him as the game wore on

Kebe – 5 – scored at last but failed to put the defensive shift in that Liam desperately needed

Harps – 5 – anonymous till late on

Cisse – 6 – our only decent player 1st half, but partly at fault for the 2nd goal when giving the ball away cheaply

S Hunt – 5 – hustled and bustled to absolutely no effect. Again.

Doyle – 6 – worked hard, but lacked edge

N Hunt – 5 – seems to be wearying, although lack of support didn’t help


Marek – 6 – creatively good (started the move that led to the goal), but tends to get overrun
Long – 5 – back to trying too hard, needs to get the simple things right first
Bryn – 5 – a pointless substitution

Number 13 – 1 – at least, that’s all that those around me deserve. I can’t believe how negative people get so early in a game. That must transfer to the pitch, surely? At the moment, away games are infinitely more enjoyable, in my opinion.

[rabidbee]

I think Boris was brought on to increase our cabativity in midfield, but he actually just looked tired and leggy. It's a shame Karacan wasn't on the bench instead of Boris, as his energy might have been a positive influence.