Back from the Bristol City Game

[Schards#2]

Six syllables

Dull....And....Un....In......Spire.....ing

[woodley_royal_124]

statto said

Kebe did OK today I thought, made some good yards.

Well I must have popped out to the loo or gone to the kiosk or something because I missed this........Kebe was dreadful IMO and I think Coppell should place Tabb there; Kebe just didn't want to run with the ball like he normally does, and whenever challenged, he kept losing it. I rated him at one point but now i am not so sure. A bad day at the office, it happens, doesnt it ?

[Tony Le Mesmer]

My main observations from today:

1. What on earth has Leroy Lita done to justify being picked ahead of Noel Hunt?

2. What has Andre Bikey done to be left out in favour 2 mediocre defernders? He's fit again isn't he?

3. Jimmy Kebe is Retarded. Anyone note his 'Air Header' in the 1st half?

4. Harper is Sh1t.

[Alan Partridge]

Yet another dirty team that had a fat lump playing up front on his own.

I'm fed up with this division, and quite frankly i'm bored of the current team. Harper was yet again shite, Marek must, must, must start the next game....he looked 100x better than anyone else on the pitch when he came on today....pure class. Shunt looked better as well when Marek was on.....coincidence?

Oh, and something is up with Doyle at the moment, he has turned into the selfish player he was last season.

Which is exactly what Reading need if they are going to play this agricultural prehistoic long ball game. I too probably would have played Noel Hunt (would definitely play him next week) but in all honesty I doubt he'd have done much more than Lita or Doyle today. Reading can't pass the ball, and can't seem to play against 4-5-1. Coppell would have known they'd set up that way so why not go like for like? We have the personell to do it. Worth a shot.

I thought Doobs had a decent game at the back, Armstrong never gives things up but he could have done better with a few things in an attacking sense today, everyone else though should seriously be worrying for their place....well they would at any other club.

Just think looking at Reading this season but more from around Xmas time onwards we are a team of tryers but lack any real decent quality. Doyle is the only real proper footballer who players regularly. Matejovsky is another one but we only see him for 15mins every week. The others, they give what they have I don't think I have ever questioned this squad's commimtent or effort, even today they tried. They just aren't that good. Crossing, passing, shooting, everything from an attacking sense was poor today and in recent weeks. Cisse doesn't convince me, I've not been at his better games this season I must say, when I've seen him at home games his passing is that of a central defender. Which is probably where he is best. Harper is typical Harper from the last 9 years, an easy scapegoat for lots of people but that's because he offers extrmely little in the game. He's not that great defensively and he offers next to nothing from an attacking sense, like Cisse, another trier. I know Harper will run around for 90minutes.

Hunt on the left, trier. Runs his guts out, up and down the flank but again today embarassing in the attacking sense. Summed up by his laughable Ronaldo style free kick over the bar, from the same position, Bristol City put a quick slick move together for the 2nd. But as ever there is absolutely no chance that despite another woeful performance he won't be replaced by someone Coppell has just signed. In fact I full expect him to sign a new inflated deal in the week, that seems to be how we reward poor performance.

Kebe, the enigma. Again end product is what i would seriously question. He did have a few good runs with the ball, but his crossing or final pass is just so so poor. Summed up by an fluffed cross in the 2nd half which was just cringeworthily bad.

This is the area of the team that must be changed. I expect it to be but he'll take Cisse out and play Marek. That's the only change Coppell will make and we all know it. He will replace Lita with Noel Hunt I'd have thought but it's the midfield that's causing these recent problems for me.

[winchester_royal]

Yet another dirty team that had a fat lump playing up front on his own.

I'm fed up with this division, and quite frankly i'm bored of the current team. Harper was yet again shite, Marek must, must, must start the next game....he looked 100x better than anyone else on the pitch when he came on today....pure class. Shunt looked better as well when Marek was on.....coincidence?

Oh, and something is up with Doyle at the moment, he has turned into the selfish player he was last season.

Which is exactly what Reading need if they are going to play this agricultural prehistoic long ball game. I too probably would have played Noel Hunt (would definitely play him next week) but in all honesty I doubt he'd have done much more than Lita or Doyle today. Reading can't pass the ball, and can't seem to play against 4-5-1. Coppell would have known they'd set up that way so why not go like for like? We have the personell to do it. Worth a shot.

.

You've hit the nail on the head there. We can't play a direct, long ball system without a big striker. It worked earlier in the season because teams were playing a high line which allowed doyle and Nhunt to work the channels behind, teams have us figured out now, and we need a plan B. A 4-5-1 formation has been mentioned and it could work:

Fed

Rosenior------------BK-----------Doobs-------------Armo

---------------------------Cisse-----------------------------

Kebe/Noel-----Tabb-------------Marek------------Shunt

--------------------------Doyle------------------------------

[Man Friday]

My main observations from today:

1. What on earth has Leroy Lita done to justify being picked ahead of Noel Hunt?

2. What has Andre Bikey done to be left out in favour 2 mediocre defernders? He's fit again isn't he?

3. Jimmy Kebe is Retarded. Anyone note his 'Air Header' in the 1st half?

4. Harper is Sh1t.

SHunt is hardly justifying his place either.

[The Quiet Man]

It was blatently obvious after about 15 minutes that we were getting out played in midfield, like the previous 3 games and swansea (thats 4 out of five games) the opposition put three midfielders in the centre against our two and we were out played. You could go back to even the watford game and we were outplayed for a majority of that game, the only difference is their defence were epically rubbish. Even games like doncaster and southampton (both games) have put three in the middle and we have failed to put in a performance, although we did nick a few results against doncaster and away at southampton. But the fact remains if you want to have a chance of a good result against reading play 3 centre midfielders. Teams have worked out how to play against us by putting three in the middle this pushed the already defensive harper and cisse even further back and we are left to hoof the ball up to the front two.... Who if they do win the ball have 30 - 40 yards to cover to even get into a shooting position and are left isolated with no support from the midfield.

Well said richi Royal. If we could effectivey play against three in midfield we would still be in the premier league. Surely coppell knows that we do not have a Sidwell in midfield whose energy may negate a third player in the opposition midfield. Even if you line up with our current 442 then one of Doyle/Hunt or Lita have got to drop into midfield to even things up or we lose any momentum.

Equally IMHO doyle and Shunt on top form are what has separated us from being an average championship team, well hey both of them are way out of form and guess what we look very average.

I would suspect for Forest that we will see changes at centre back, cdentre forward and in central midfield (possibly also at goal keeper) but FFS steve coppell we need more tactical nous, if the opposition play five in midfield either match it or make your players keep the ball better and work the opposition.

PS I wouldn't bash Kebe too harshly I thought he was one of our better players today (not much competition) and if Tabb is to come in it should be for SHunt and I would lose Lita as soon as possible (I'd honestly rather see Long try hard and fail rather than watch that prima donna waster f*ck things up).

Things can only get better!!!

[North Somerset Royal]

I thought Doobs had a decent game at the back

You are joking? Doobs was beaten time and time again by Adebola and was responsible for giving away both goals. Whilst he may have had a marginally less shit game than the 4 who started in midfield by no stretch of the imagination can he be said to have had a "decent game"

[cmonurz]

Bikey has to feature in our next match. Imho one of the best defenders in the whole division, and he isn't even in our matchday squad (when Gunnarsson, who can play exactly the same roles, but half as well, is week in week out).

[Elm Park Old Boy]

I hate to over react. On another day we could have got something from the game; the first goal was really shoddy defending (and goalkeeping?) and the second was a mystery to me. The ref was also something of a mystery.

But what worried and disappointed me was the almost total lack of imagination and flair from our team. At time BC seemed to have almost effortless control of possession, but I lost count of the times when we had the ball only to give it straight back to them with a miscontrol, a poor pass, or an aimless ball forward. Lita and Doyle must have felt like weeping: how on earth they are expected to make anything from that kind of service is beyond me.

As others have said, I would defintely have Bikey back (and don't mind which of today's CBs makes way), and I can't understand why Noel Hunt is being left out. As for midfield, it certainly needs freshening up. I would certainly go with 5 in the middle (one of whom should be Marek) for away games. I'm not sure whether we should do that for Forest (you'd think we could score against them). But we should be prepared to change (and early) if they set up like BC and look like controlling the ball as much.

I think Federici has done well, but today he seemed uncertain (there was one spell of defending when I was willing him to leave his line and get the ball, but he never did) Maybe Marcus would bring some confidence back.

Most of all though, what has happened to the team spirit and enthusiasm of a couple of months ago?

[S09Royal]

I am going to write a letter, personally, to Steve Coppell about our recent dire performances-it's not fair on fans who have to pay so much every week only to come and watch utter shite.
Would anyone like to contribute to the letter?

[earleyroyal]

I am going to write a letter, personally, to Steve Coppell about our recent dire performances-it's not fair on fans who have to pay so much every week only to come and watch utter shite.
Would anyone like to contribute to the letter?

How about 'dear Steve, please stop holding a gun to our heads and making us pay for tickets every week, there's so much other stuff we'd rather do'?

Is this your first season by any chance (I'm guessing so from the name).

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

Yet another dirty team that had a fat lump playing up front on his own.

I'm fed up with this division, and quite frankly i'm bored of the current team. Harper was yet again shite, Marek must, must, must start the next game....he looked 100x better than anyone else on the pitch when he came on today....pure class. Shunt looked better as well when Marek was on.....coincidence?

Oh, and something is up with Doyle at the moment, he has turned into the selfish player he was last season.

Which is exactly what Reading need if they are going to play this agricultural prehistoic long ball game. I too probably would have played Noel Hunt (would definitely play him next week) but in all honesty I doubt he'd have done much more than Lita or Doyle today. Reading can't pass the ball, and can't seem to play against 4-5-1. Coppell would have known they'd set up that way so why not go like for like? We have the personell to do it. Worth a shot.

I thought Doobs had a decent game at the back, Armstrong never gives things up but he could have done better with a few things in an attacking sense today, everyone else though should seriously be worrying for their place....well they would at any other club.

Just think looking at Reading this season but more from around Xmas time onwards we are a team of tryers but lack any real decent quality. Doyle is the only real proper footballer who players regularly. Matejovsky is another one but we only see him for 15mins every week. The others, they give what they have I don't think I have ever questioned this squad's commimtent or effort, even today they tried. They just aren't that good. Crossing, passing, shooting, everything from an attacking sense was poor today and in recent weeks. Cisse doesn't convince me, I've not been at his better games this season I must say, when I've seen him at home games his passing is that of a central defender. Which is probably where he is best. Harper is typical Harper from the last 9 years, an easy scapegoat for lots of people but that's because he offers extrmely little in the game. He's not that great defensively and he offers next to nothing from an attacking sense, like Cisse, another trier. I know Harper will run around for 90minutes.

Hunt on the left, trier. Runs his guts out, up and down the flank but again today embarassing in the attacking sense. Summed up by his laughable Ronaldo style free kick over the bar, from the same position, Bristol City put a quick slick move together for the 2nd. But as ever there is absolutely no chance that despite another woeful performance he won't be replaced by someone Coppell has just signed. In fact I full expect him to sign a new inflated deal in the week, that seems to be how we reward poor performance.

Kebe, the enigma. Again end product is what i would seriously question. He did have a few good runs with the ball, but his crossing or final pass is just so so poor. Summed up by an fluffed cross in the 2nd half which was just cringeworthily bad.

This is the area of the team that must be changed. I expect it to be but he'll take Cisse out and play Marek. That's the only change Coppell will make and we all know it. He will replace Lita with Noel Hunt I'd have thought but it's the midfield that's causing these recent problems for me.

Excellently put AP. The only thing I would say about that Kebe cross - and I am in now way defending his overall woeful performance and fifth-rate end-product - is that the ball did bobble before he kicked it. Our pitch has to be among the worst in the division. God only knows what it will be like next Sat after London Irish play on the Friday.

Coppell has done wonders for RFC, but it's now almost without doubt that he won't - or can't - learn from his previous mistakes. Our midfield has been our problem for a season and a half. A centre pairing with almost zero creativity and hoof-ball mentality flanked by two wingers who on the rare occasion they actually beat their man have no end product at all. We could be playing Rooney and Ronlado up front and we still wouldn't score. I'll admit to being cynical about the hype surrounding Sidwell, but the hole he left is still there and getting bigger!

And what's up with the full backs? Why do they insist on pumping it up to the channels (for Doyle or Lita to chase) or to put high balls into the box (for Doyle and Lita to watch go over their heads) when there should be better and much simpler options. We seem to have forgotten how to build an attack, and this for me is the real worry as we had this cracked a few seasons back. It suggests Coppell knows we don't have the right formula and has no idea how to fix it.

[Tango Horribly]

crap game crap ref crap harper crap shunt crap kebe crap cisse crap atmosphere crap crap crap

[Jerry St Clair]

Richi Royal has hit the nail on the head.

It was blatently obvious that our midfield was struggling to, seemingly, everyone in the ground except the Reading bench. I'm mystified at the reasoning behind leaving things as they were for, what 60 minutes?

[Woodcote Royal]

It was blatently obvious after about 15 minutes that we were getting out played in midfield, like the previous 3 games and swansea (thats 4 out of five games) the opposition put three midfielders in the centre against our two and we were out played. You could go back to even the watford game and we were outplayed for a majority of that game, the only difference is their defence were epically rubbish. Even games like doncaster and southampton (both games) have put three in the middle and we have failed to put in a performance, although we did nick a few results against doncaster and away at southampton. But the fact remains if you want to have a chance of a good result against reading play 3 centre midfielders. Teams have worked out how to play against us by putting three in the middle this pushed the already defensive harper and cisse even further back and we are left to hoof the ball up to the front two.... Who if they do win the ball have 30 - 40 yards to cover to even get into a shooting position and are left isolated with no support from the midfield.

Well said richi Royal. If we could effectivey play against three in midfield we would still be in the premier league. Surely coppell knows that we do not have a Sidwell in midfield whose energy may negate a third player in the opposition midfield. Even if you line up with our current 442 then one of Doyle/Hunt or Lita have got to drop into midfield to even things up or we lose any momentum.

Equally IMHO doyle and Shunt on top form are what has separated us from being an average championship team, well hey both of them are way out of form and guess what we look very average.

I would suspect for Forest that we will see changes at centre back, cdentre forward and in central midfield (possibly also at goal keeper) but FFS steve coppell we need more tactical nous, if the opposition play five in midfield either match it or make your players keep the ball better and work the opposition.

+2

As frustrating as Coppell's refusal to depart from his treasured 4-4-2 might be (which is where all the lack of nous stems from) his refusal to react until it's too late is far worse.

That's why I left when the 2nd goal went in.

Defeats I can handle but a managers refusal to employ a plan "B" when Plan "A" is clearly going pear shaped for the 3rd match running, probably had a lot to do with his team finishing the game in an empty stadium.

Last season's relegation was avoidable as was/is this current slump. It's the same manager heading down the same blind alley and many of us are pig sick of what we're witnessing.

[PREMIERSHIP_ROYAL]

actully thought lita had a good game today compared to alot of others that started, doyle just seemed so lazy and uninterested. lita and nhunt next week please!

[John Peel]

No point in blaming the strikers (although Lita's touch at times was poor and should've hit the target on one occasion). Think it's slightly unfair to have a go at Doyle. I feel sorry for the guy - shit service and constant long balls. We miss Kitson a hell of a lot.

Defence also played well at times. The problem is that for the nth game our midfield and wingmen have been utter SH*TE! Totally inept. Harper can be a good player, so can Cisse, but at the moment it's just not working. Kebe has one or two great mazy runs, but doesn't bother half the time and is a fraction of the player he was earlier this season. Hunt - no comment!! Too many swear words.

[Jerry St Clair]

No point in blaming the strikers (although Lita's touch at times was poor and should've hit the target on one occasion). Think it's slightly unfair to have a go at Doyle. I feel sorry for the guy - shit service and constant long balls. We miss Kitson a hell of a lot.

It must be soul destroying being a Reading forward at the moment. You go out onto the pitch in the sure knowledge that you'll spend 90 mins chasing hopeful punts towards the corner flag. Just one decent through ball would panic most defenders in this division and that is what Matejovsky must start the next game.

[watfordroyal]

So we're all pi$$ed off coz we lost, but it's the Reading way, a roller coaster ride, we're still in a great position and a few changes and we can be on our way again!
But go up or stay down, not bothered! I'm Reading til I die! I'm not gonna slag off my team
If you're only in it for the glory, go and support Manure.