MATCHWATCH : Bournemouth (h) sponsored by preseason apathy

[ayjaydee]

Two things apparent from the commentary

1. Norwood is having a blinder
2. van den Berg is a one man fouling machine

Agree with both, if Ollie was auditioning for Eddie Howe he could well be on the way.

VDB has some nice touches but Trieste overplay too much, gets himself and team mates in trouble and in a real game he would have seen red quite early on.

Liked the look of Behrens, not blessed with pace but can beat a player with a trick or drop of the shoulder. Only got two crosses in though. Can see why he has played at a decent standard though.

Swift showed good awareness and a lot of ability but not everything came off for him. Hope he is not another Piazon.

Dennis chased around a lot but is not a striker in a 451 which is pretty much what we were tonight.

Williams was excellent and frustrating in equal proportion, some headless runs but chased 60 yards to win a tackle late in the game.

Nice little cameos from Tanner, Watson and Kelly.

McShane was steady and won his headers and Gunter and Obita were, well, Gunter and Obita.

As only a friendly cba to give markings or start a BFTG thread.

[CountryRoyal]

other than a scoring chance for them

But you obviously saw the goalkeeping "shortfall" tho'

That was there only effort that I saw - came in a few minutes before their goal.

Didn't pay much attention to the second half but when I did we looked bereft of attacking threat, guilty of playing into trouble in our own half (often in and around the box). Passes looked unnecessarily wayward, too many fouls (looking at you VDB) and still not enough pace in the team.

It's only pre season but I didn't see a lot to leave me filled with too much optimism.

[Ian Royal]

Thanks for the ... I suppose commentary is the best word.

Still seems pretty fooking hard to work out what our starting XI is. Obviously McShane, Gunter and Obita, though two of them are by default rather than desire. Otherwise I'm unsure.

I'd probably go with

Al-Habsi
Gunter, McShane, Cooper, Obita
Norwood, van den Berg, Quinn
Beerens, Rakels, Swift

but not particularly confidently and I doubt Stam will.

[Lower West]

Was strong Bournemouth team tonight. The team matched them well. For a team a few games in. The work on the training field is paying off.

[TFF]

Berg getting a slating from BBC Berks about him NOT being a central defender

He deserves it. Absolute liability in central defence.

Impressed (again) with Swift - he looks like the best signing of the summer. Don't know why we persisted with Rakels up top - he's not a target man and he can't hold the ball up. I really like the look of Kelly - he's good enough to be around the first team but I'd like to see him go out on loan to a Div 1 or 2 side and get a run of games under his belt. Tanner and Watson looked comfortable.

Just like in the Swindon game we played out from the back all night. I hope it's just extended training drills and that come the league games we mix it up a little. If the keeper isn't ever allowed to bypass the back four we'll get caught out time and time again.

[Lower West]

on't know why we persisted with Rakels up top - he's not a target man and he can't hold the ball up.

Possibly no other options tonight. No striker on the bench either.

[royalp-we]

on't know why we persisted with Rakels up top - he's not a target man and he can't hold the ball up.

Possibly no other options tonight. No striker on the bench either.

It's ok. Denniss knows people.

[Bob1871]

Sensible pricing from the club meant that it wasn't actually a bad crowd for a pre-season friendly!

If we play it around that much at the back in the league then we will concede some silly gifted goals.

VDB looked pretty no nonsense in tackles and will get sent off a few times this year, probably for persistent fouling. He's not a CB in my opinion and was badly caught out for their goal.

Swift showed glimpses of being fantastic and followed it up with cheaply giving the ball away 2/3 times. Took his goal well.

It was obvious that we are stick lacking a Centre Forward to lead the line. It's not a roll that is natural to Rakels.

Roy Bereens looked very comfortable on the ball, good quick feet and always looked to take on his man.

I was really impressed with Tennai Watson when he came on, looked very assured and comfortable with the ball at his feet.

[LWJ]

It was obvious that we are stick lacking a Centre Forward to lead the line. It's not a roll that is natural to Rakels.

Samuel, Mendes, Kermogant all injured..

[Nameless]

Didn't pay much attention to the second half .......

It's only pre season but I didn't see a lot to leave me filled with too much optimism.

If you can't be bothered to watch why on earth bother to offer an opinion then ?

Our main defensive problem was a player out of position, playing against higher standard players than he is used to. Joey won't play there in league games.

[winchester_royal]

I think what became clear last night was our need for someone in defence capable of bringing it out and finding accurate forward passes. Too often we just stuck with VDB and McShane passing it to each other, steadily going backwards, because they were unable to see/play the forward pass.

Hopefully Moore will be that player.

Aside from that there was plenty to like about our movement when we did make it into the opposition half. Swift looks a class act and will be more comfortable once he moves into a central role. Felt sorry for Rakels as he didn't really have a chance against two big centre backs but from the options we had on the bench there wasn't really much choice.

Tanner and Watson both looked very tidy when they came on.

[3points]

I think what became clear last night was our need for someone in defence capable of bringing it out and finding accurate forward passes.

Michael Hector perhaps?

[Royal Rother]

Having now seen the move leading to Reading's goal last night I am somewhat surprised that Dellor and Dillon didn't give it more praise - probably still too busy cleaning themselves up after jizzing over Bournemouth's goal to notice tbf.

[Nameless]

I think what became clear last night was our need for someone in defence capable of bringing it out and finding accurate forward passes.

Michael Hector perhaps?

McShane was doing it pretty well second half, but I'd rather Norwood was getting the ball off the defenders. We don't expect Norwood to win headers against 6'4" centre forwards, I'm not sure expecting our central defenders to be ball players is ideal.

[winchester_royal]

I think what became clear last night was our need for someone in defence capable of bringing it out and finding accurate forward passes.

Michael Hector perhaps?

McShane was doing it pretty well second half, but I'd rather Norwood was getting the ball off the defenders. We don't expect Norwood to win headers against 6'4" centre forwards, I'm not sure expecting our central defenders to be ball players is ideal.

Well that's my point really. I'm not asking for our defenders to be playing 60 yard passes, far from it, just someone able to spot Norwood in a pocket of space and play the ball forward to him so that he's then able to spread the play.

[moo]

I didn't even we were playing those tinpot League 2 Cherries !

[JC]

Just a small beef. Paid £1.50 for a programme to find no team details. Could have at least put the squad numbers in. Team came out - no names on shirts. Scoeboard had nothing except the clock. Why not put the team names up there. I spent ages trying to work out who was who. It wasn't helped by the fact that some of the existing players were unrecogniseable!

Did they not want us to know who the players were?

[Ian Royal]

Just a small beef. Paid £1.50 for a programme to find no team details. Could have at least put the squad numbers in. Team came out - no names on shirts. Scoeboard had nothing except the clock. Why not put the team names up there. I spent ages trying to work out who was who. It wasn't helped by the fact that some of the existing players were unrecogniseable!

Did they not want us to know who the players were?

Programmes tend to be written and produced about a week before. Dunno if this was the same as a matchday programme but i doubt stam knew his line up that far in advance. Were the squad numbers ready that long ago?

[JC]

Just a small beef. Paid £1.50 for a programme to find no team details. Could have at least put the squad numbers in. Team came out - no names on shirts. Scoeboard had nothing except the clock. Why not put the team names up there. I spent ages trying to work out who was who. It wasn't helped by the fact that some of the existing players were unrecogniseable!

Did they not want us to know who the players were?

Programmes tend to be written and produced about a week before. Dunno if this was the same as a matchday programme but i doubt stam knew his line up that far in advance. Were the squad numbers ready that long ago?

No it wasn't a proper programme but they did not tell me that when they sold it to me. Surely they could have done something to tell us who the players were. It was made worse because the PA was vitually inaudible at the top of the East

And the squad numbers were published am Tuesday

[Nameless]

I'd have thought the price was a clue it was not a 'proper' programme , although I'd question if normal programmes have the starting line up in.
It would have been useful if both team details had been on the scoreboard, for all Iknow Ted McDougal was playing no 9for Bournemouth....