Back from the Game, Northampton Town 24th August

[TFF]

4-4-2 isn't the answer some think it is.

We missed Gylfi, the injuries to Kelly and Antonio robbed McD the chance to change things.

The referee was shit.

Williams isn't good enough.

Their first two goals were gifts courtesy Ben Hamer and we shouldn't have been playing when they got the third.

Despite all of that I quite enjoyed my evening out. I thought HRK did OK but drifted out as the game went on. Antonio was unplayable at times and Jake Taylor impressed, the first time I've seen him in senior colours.

What's his natural position? Could he play left back?

[FiNeRaIn]

Absolute waste of an evening.

That reminded me of the old division 2 days, empty seats - awful standard of football and opposition fans celebrating a win like a cup final because we have a nice mostly empty ground.

Too many bad players out there to bother listing them. Special mention to Hamer and Williams for being simply awful. Hamer should be nowhere near the team for the forseeable future after fapping at crosses, fumbling for their goal and general indecision all over his area. Even their final penalty went straight through him. Williams is this seasons cummings - get him out and sign a serious left back please.

Our strikers are about as penetrating as a spoon trying to cut through Ice. Still no goals from a Reading Striker this seaosn, even against league two teams. Exceptionally worrying times. Hunt puts himself about but never looks a threat. We ended up with a centre mid playing right back - two goals came from that side. Enough said.

Mills did well, pearce wasn't too bad and antonio looked a threat first half - like a young jimmy kebe with some of his play. That was encouraging.

We all know the lack of the investment is killing the club and its becoming more evident as time goes on. I wonder if gunnarson can play both right back and centre mid at the same time on saturday?

[andrew1957]

I am normally one of the more positive ones on here but that was dire. Well done Northampton who looked the better side for most of the evening.

Few of our players come out with much credit. I think people are being a tad unfair to Taylor. He will go on to be a very good player but he was playing out of position. His defending was poor but he looked good going forwards a few times. For the Long knockers he certainly looked a lot better than either Hunt or Church who were both awful tonight.

If the club does not bring in additional defenders we are more likely to be fighting a relegation battle than a promotion one this season. I think we may have got a bit lucky last year and the club have been fooled into a false sense of security but if we carry on letting gaols like this at home we will struggle to win many games.

As for the referee he must have been born in Northampton! How he found 5 minutes of extra time after 15 minutes with just one injury is beyond me and the penalty shout was absolutely stone wall.

[Focher]

i thought Taylor aquitted himself well, but there is no way on this earth that bloke is a defender.

Antonio was the only player who looked championship standard, the rest, including Mills, were a total shower of shit.

[Silver Fox]

It wasn't great but I really didn't think it was as bad as others have said. My only real thought post-match was that we'd been utterly robbed by a ref who appeard to not give us a nailed on penalty because the game was over and then was about to blow up when williams (admittedly fooilshly) gave away a free kick they equlaised from

My biggest beef performance wise from us was an utter failure to defend a lead, apart from when we'd ust scored I didn't really see us conceding, however much possession we let Northampton have. Maybe that's why the ref gave them so much time to get the third, he figured it can't have been more than 5 minutes since we got ours. Hate to mention individuals in that but does anyone really think we can afford to sell Feds?

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Wish I hadn't bothered!

Have to say though - the ref lost that game for us regardless of performance. We were 3-2 up with about 3-4 mins of extra time left when standing a few yards away & looking directly at it he waves away a stonewall penalty. Then for some reason unknown to me plays 5-6 mins injury time.

WTF? No way was it even 2 min. Karacan was cramped up for a min or so but half of that the ball was stil in play. Cobblers used one sub & that was it - 2 mins max. Disgraceful refereeing & bit angry TBH.

Well done Northampton though - they were well organised & worked hard for it.

I do worry where we'll finish this season. Pearce just looked dreadful tonight. Always out of position.

[handbags_harris]

...Jake Taylor impressed, the first time I've seen him in enior colours.

What's his natural position? Could he play left back?

He looked composed on the ball but he is in no shape or form a defender. He was ripped a new arsehole far too often in a direct match up to his winger, and for the second goal he was nowhere. His preferred position is in a similar role to Gylfi.

[FiNeRaIn]

i thought Taylor aquitted himself well, but there is no way on this earth that bloke is a defender.

Antonio was the only player who looked championship standard, the rest, including Mills, were a total shower of shit.

I'd love to know what mills did wrong, he even scored two goals. Our defensive weaknesses were down the wings. Williams and Taylor were god awful - one is a centre mid so I don't attach any blame to him whatsoever. To say he did well though, what game were you at?

Forgot karacan, absolutely schooled by their number 4 all game who was the best player on the park by an absolute MILE. Three wasteful shots at goal - someone needs to tell him not to shoot anymre.

[Tamworth_Royal]

I wonder whether the miniscule crowd tonight reminded Madejski of those god-awful early years at the Madj where we could have opened just the one stand for most of the games and still had plenty of empty seats to spare. For that is where we are heading once again;, terrible games in front of terrible crowds against the likes of Northampton.

In 5 games, 10 hours of football, 4 of those hours against teams from the bottom division, not one striker currently on our books has managed a goal. If the future for RFC is Academy players of the standard of Pearce, Karacan, Robson-Kanu and Kelly spaffing the ball into the empty stands then that is a pretty dire effort from a club who nearly qualified for the UEFA Cup 3 years ago. Well run club.

Our tosser of a chairman at start of the season stated the club is premier bound once again............ and we all laughed ....... "in youth we trust" ? nope Madejski in you we don't trust either and I haven't since we got promoted the last time. Any doubters read my threads since 2006. Proved right 07 08 09 and now 2010 if you don't build year on year you don't even stand still you just keep going backwards. Well done Howe, Hammond and you Madejski you've fecked it up but then again none of you know anything about football least of all Hammond hence where we are now. It's all been fingers crossed since 2004

[Focher]

He was ripped a new arsehole far too often in a direct match up to his winger.

[Focher]

It's all been fingers crossed since 2004

i think that sums it up perfectly TR, well said.

[Silver Fox]

Any doubters read my threads since 2006.

I trust you won't be too offended if I don't bother yeah?

[Mr. Reading]

Can see Taylor isn't a right back.... to anyone who said he was ok: LOL - As has been said though, Williams has no excuse! What an awful signing... and why did we let Rasiak go if we only have players who are going to hoof it upfield everytime they get the ball?

Why didn't we put someone like Howard at right back in place of Kelly (who I thought looked OK - was it him who should have had a penalty before the first goal?), and Taylor in midfield? At least Howard has experience, and may even have known where a right back is meant to stand

[URZZ]

We had two amazing seasons, need I say which years I mean, and ...then we've fallen flat on our asses.

We're not a big club, and we never will be. We aren't a footballing city for starters. I'm just glad I made the most of the good days and they're living long in my heart.

[willz_royal]

fapping at crosses

cheeky vvanker!



Id say that was the most entertaining game ive seen in months. Obviously a godawful performance, Hamer, hoofing etc, but for £2, cant complain.

I dont think you can judge the whole season/future of Reading too much on a Carling cup match with a slightly weakened side.

3 points at Leicester and we'll all look like mugs.

[Davyc]

ok fair enough it was a bad preformance but cut the crap about hammond and madjeski out, you are jst picking some1 to blame no point in moaning about all the time. its only the start of the season, if we end up making it to the play off places who is gonna be moaning about being knocked out of the carling cup, last season we could hav got play offs nd we only started playin in january. i wish people would giv over with all the moaning

[joe999]

ok fair enough it was a bad preformance but cut the crap about hammond and madjeski out, you are jst picking some1 to blame no point in moaning about all the time. its only the start of the season, if we end up making it to the play off places who is gonna be moaning about being knocked out of the carling cup, last season we could hav got play offs nd we only started playin in january. i wish people would giv over with all the moaning

So you agree that our squad is good enough and we don't need to spend any money?!?

[URZZ]

I won't be worried if in 7 months some of my posts are mugworthy, I hope to god Reading do prove me wrong, I'll be the proudest mug in the world.

[floyd__streete]

In the words of Lt Columbo, just one more thing: Mills, liability. Jumped two footed into a rash tackle first half and was lucky to only get a yellow. Seen plenty of that kind of nonsense from the player over his last year with us and yet this hot-head is currently our captain? Sums the whole shambles up really.

Right, bed time now. I keep having recurring dreams about Alex Pearce winning the Rumbelows Sprint Challenge.

[Davyc]

i think its good enough to make a play off place