Back from the game - Bristol City (H)

[Spud Gun]

Watched the highlights on Teev

McAnuff gets kudos for a great challenge after the Bristol overhead kick. Probably saved us conceding

This, plus the two late attempts on target refered to by Ian Royal above, are why people should stop getting on Jobi's case and actually start supporting the lad. [/url]

I completely disagree with this. McAnuff gave the ball away with his first 5 touches against City, his 6th was a shot off target and then he gave the ball away again for his seventh touch. This is poor by any player's standard, nevermind the captain of Reading Football Club.

McAnuff only came into the game late on, a long time after the sending off, when the City players were tiring. The McAnuff debate is the same as the Andy Hughes and Stephen Hunt debates ... some fans see a player who runs around as being a good thing ... some fans see a player who is very inconsistent.

[1871 Royal]

Personally I don't think you can put Hughes in the same category as SHunt and Jobi. Both SHunt and Jobi divide fans opinions, I thought it was universally accepted that Hughes was a bit shit.

Staying with Hughes, I still think getting £500k for him was the best bit of business the club ever did!

[Royal Prince]

Watched the highlights on Teev

McAnuff gets kudos for a great challenge after the Bristol overhead kick. Probably saved us conceding

This, plus the two late attempts on target refered to by Ian Royal above, are why people should stop getting on Jobi's case and actually start supporting the lad. [/url]

I completely disagree with this. McAnuff gave the ball away with his first 5 touches against City, his 6th was a shot off target and then he gave the ball away again for his seventh touch. This is poor by any player's standard, nevermind the captain of Reading Football Club.

McAnuff only came into the game late on, a long time after the sending off, when the City players were tiring. The McAnuff debate is the same as the Andy Hughes and Stephen Hunt debates ... some fans see a player who runs around as being a good thing ... some fans see a player who is very inconsistent.

I get frustrated that he never puts a ball in early, and I think his set piece delivery is woeful, however this is the Championship and not every player can be like Messi. He's a threat to any defence in this league and was unlucky not to score (TWICE!) this weekend. He tracks back and supports the full back better than any other winger we have.

I know he's not perfect, I know he can be frustrating, but my point is we should be getting behind him and try to bring out the best in him. What does berating his every touch from the stands achieve?

[Cypry]

Like I said a few pages ago, it looked to me as though Jobi was still feeling his injury, or lacking a bit of match fitness. He normally would back himself to beat the full back for pace, but none of this at the weekend, particularly late on, and he looked really tired towards the end.

Surprised not many have commented on how unlucky Antonio was in the first half, great save by James with his feet all that denied a cracking volley....

[westendgirl]

It didn't really matter to the outcome but ...


After about 6 mins of the game the ball was threaded through to Roberts, who was clearly in an offside position. as the ball went past him he turned to chase it. The instant he turned and moved the flag went up for the offside. So where, pray tell, was the FIFA/FA guidance about the player having to touch the ball?

The truth is that yesterday's assistant got it spot on, Roberts was offside and he was interfering with play; last weeks referee and assistant need re-educating

I believe that immediately after the incident you refer to, McDermott went over to the 4th official and had a lengthy debate. I suspect that he was referring to the mysterious directive that the ref in charge of the Hull game quoted to defend the appalling mistake he and his assistant had made.

Sitting where I do I can tell you that he said (as all around us did in unison) "he didn't touch the ball"

[westendgirl]

this is a funny one - from just behind the goal in the north stand it was laughable. Absolutely not a penalty. I've watched it again on the TV and it is definitely a penalty.

Trust your eyes bro, not the machine.

Agree with whoever ^^^ that McAnuff did well after Adomah's overhead was saved. Said that at the time - good defending. I like McAnuff as a player, one of my favoured players if you will. Get why he frustrates but he's been good for us.

Talked the missus just now and her old man apparently said "never a penalty" from his seat in the UW so I guess he's a twit as well.

agree to an extent on McAnuff...he annoys me because he doesn't always attack the full back and get the ball in to the box - but when he plays, he supports his full back very well.

The one thing about Jobi that frustrates me is that when he is robbed of the ball he tends to do a little jump of frustration rather than trying to get the ball back.

[Maguire]

Talked the missus just now and her old man apparently said "never a penalty" from his seat in the UW so I guess he's a twit as well.

How can we judge if we've never seen him? Do you have a link to some video of him?

He doesn't post on HNA, which I think we can all agree is to his great credit.

[Silver Fox]

...we were almost pleased James made such a great save....

Couldn't believe the number of Reading fans who appeared pleased by it, and actually applauded the save

The Arsenal syndrome.

So you can't appreciate a bit of skill if it's the opposition who provide it? That's a shame for you

[floyd__streete]

I'm surprised with some of the negativity

Don't be mate. It was absolutely mince as usual, with precious little entertainment value or skill on show.

[melonhead]

for once i agree with floyd

it was very poor

i think(or it may have just looked that way-even when they had one sent off) brizzle may have had an extra man in the middle and as usual this meant we struggled

[FiNeRaIn]

Agreed with the above two. Its not just the football which quite frankly is dull and uninspiring, but the whole occasion seems to annoy me these days. Flat atmosphere's, being stuck in the carpark 30 mins after the game...awfully expensive food/drink which is completely tasteless. I ordered a coffee on saturday and not a clue what was actually in it, tasted like water with a bit of coffee. The catering is the worst i've experienced in a football ground its completely dull...just like our midfields creativity.

[melonhead]

i never said it was that bad!

dont know why you bother to be honest.

[FiNeRaIn]

i never said it was that bad!

dont know why you bother to be honest.

Me neither, I've dodged a few games this season where I wouldn't have dreamt years ago. I just don't find out football that enjoyable currently but the russian investment has upped that a bit. Lets face it, we've sold the majority of our good players in the last few years it was always going to end up like this. Hopefully now we'll get in a few more who like to knock it about a bit and we can push on.

[melonhead]

i think we could play like brazil in 1970 and youd still find something to whinge about




tbf for me, football and specifically reading FC has always been about watching drab games in the cold,and embracing the failure, pain and suffering.
think youve just been spoiled recently.

[Maguire]

tasted like water with a bit of coffee

tbf that's actually what a cup of instant coffee is

[FiNeRaIn]

i think we could play like brazil in 1970 and youd still find something to whinge about




tbf for me, football and specifically reading FC has always been about watching drab games in the cold,and embracing the failure, pain and suffering.
think youve just been spoiled recently.

I never moaned before we started flogging all our players and taking away the spectacle of the Reading team for the fans. You might have enjoyed that...I didn't. When you are watching other clubs like WBA and Birmingham for instance keep their players despite similar average attendances and get back to the prem...its frustrating to see your club not match their ambition when you are in the same boat. We went from being a club moving forward which should have capitalised on that to a club flogging everyone and somehow managing to stay in and around the play-offs due to some terrific management skills form BMD and coppell to some extent. A lot of you have defended this approach, but from waht BMD said last week about " its clear what happens when you sell your best players each season" he seemed to take the opinion of us " stg's" and he wasn't happy with losing sig/long at all. I am looking forward to this new regime though. Even if we suck this season it might be a good summer with exciting players coming in.

[Wimb]

i think we could play like brazil in 1970 and youd still find something to whinge about




tbf for me, football and specifically reading FC has always been about watching drab games in the cold,and embracing the failure, pain and suffering.
think youve just been spoiled recently.

I never moaned before we started flogging all our players and taking away the spectacle of the Reading team for the fans. You might have enjoyed that...I didn't. When you are watching other clubs like WBA and Birmingham for instance keep their players despite similar average attendances and get back to the prem...its frustrating to see your club not match their ambition when you are in the same boat. We went from being a club moving forward which should have capitalised on that to a club flogging everyone and somehow managing to stay in and around the play-offs due to some terrific management skills form BMD and coppell to some extent. A lot of you have defended this approach, but from waht BMD said last week about " its clear what happens when you sell your best players each season" he seemed to take the opinion of us " stg's" and he wasn't happy with losing sig/long at all. I am looking forward to this new regime though. Even if we suck this season it might be a good summer with exciting players coming in.

I don't think any RTG was happy with the policy of selling off our best players. The majority of us just understood the situation that Madejski couldn't fund the club himself anymore and therefore to survive we'd either have to fill the black hole with player sales, or risk financial ruin by turning down those bids, keeping players and hoping to get promoted.

Judging by the comments coming out from Sir John our financial prudence and well run nature helped attract the new investors so in the long run the 2/3 seasons of black hole filling might just pay dividends in the long run.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Agreed with the above two. Its not just the football which quite frankly is dull and uninspiring, but the whole occasion seems to annoy me these days. Flat atmosphere's, being stuck in the carpark 30 mins after the game...awfully expensive food/drink which is completely tasteless. I ordered a coffee on saturday and not a clue what was actually in it, tasted like water with a bit of coffee. The catering is the worst i've experienced in a football ground its completely dull...just like our midfields creativity.

With you on a lot of that. It's pretty much anodyne, turgid and passionless - on and off the pitch.

[Royal Lady]

To be perfectly honest, if it wasn't for the fact that we've already paid up front for our tickets - I'd not bother going to many games at the moment. I never get the buzz I used to get - win, lose or draw - don't why and don't know what's happened to change it but now, if the weather looks a bit inclement, I decide not to go. Went Saturday and I was bloody freezing though.

[Vision]

i think we could play like brazil in 1970 and youd still find something to whinge about




tbf for me, football and specifically reading FC has always been about watching drab games in the cold,and embracing the failure, pain and suffering.
think youve just been spoiled recently.

I never moaned before we started flogging all our players and taking away the spectacle of the Reading team for the fans. You might have enjoyed that...I didn't. When you are watching other clubs like WBA and Birmingham for instance keep their players despite similar average attendances and get back to the prem...its frustrating to see your club not match their ambition when you are in the same boat. We went from being a club moving forward which should have capitalised on that to a club flogging everyone and somehow managing to stay in and around the play-offs due to some terrific management skills form BMD and coppell to some extent. A lot of you have defended this approach, but from waht BMD said last week about " its clear what happens when you sell your best players each season" he seemed to take the opinion of us " stg's" and he wasn't happy with losing sig/long at all. I am looking forward to this new regime though. Even if we suck this season it might be a good summer with exciting players coming in.

You think anyone was happy we lost Sig/Long?

Just because you accept that doing things a certain way is the right thing doesn't mean you're happy about it. McD has always moaned about selling players but he's always qualified it with "we do things the right way here and I accept it". It seems that the circumstances are different now and we have money to stop it being a necessity from a financial point at least.

I'm not happy about paying taxes but I accept that its the right thing to do