MATCHWATCH : Shrewsbury Town (a)

[Snowflake Royal]

Just to give a tiny bit of balance to the pile on....

The coaching isn’t all bad.

We keep getting in front in games.

It’s the mental frailty that is the real problem. That’s still largely down to the manager of course, but the combination of inexperienced players and (however much you want to dismiss it) the dire situation at the club, are contributory factors that should not be underestimated.

Just to be clear though.

Button - 345 league starts
Yiadom - 429 league starts
Hutchinson - 208 league starts
Wing - 162 league starts
Smith - 134 league starts
Knibbs - 81 league starts

Subs
Dean - 413 league starts
NGW - 87 league starts

Not in the squad
Tom Holmes - 99 league starts

People talk like none of the squad have ever played a game before. Half the team had practically two full season’s worth of games and above behind them, with another two on the bench.

[Royal_jimmy]

We had plenty of experience today. The problem is the tactics and formation that Selles is setting the side up as and to be honest I'm not sure these players are good enough.

Dean is finished as a professional footballer. Hutchinson isn't far behind. Bindon isn't great, but raw. Dorsett isn't a left back, Abbey is overrated, Yiadom is a serial loser, Azeez should be playing for Maidenhead and Knibbs is a huge underwhelmer.

[Crowbar6753]

We had plenty of experience today. The problem is the tactics and formation that Selles is setting the side up as and to be honest I'm not sure these players are good enough.

Dean is finished as a professional footballer. Hutchinson isn't far behind. Bindon isn't great, but raw. Dorsett isn't a left back, Abbey is overrated, Yiadom is a serial loser, Azeez should be playing for Maidenhead and Knibbs is a huge underwhelmer.

I love playing with wingers however, Knibbs and Azeez have both been poor so far and really don't bring anything to the table!! Maybe a 5-3-2 formation might be the way to go? Throw in that extra defender, do away with the wingers and throw in two wing backs and adding that extra player into midfield where we seem to get overrun so often.
I don't like this formation as a whole but it might solve a few areas that need fixing.

Button

Yids Holmes Hutchinson Abbey NGW

Elliot Craig Wing

Smith Ballard

Yids and NGW can play the full back positions ok, and i would put Holmes and Hutch back in defense for experience along with Abbey for that extra pace.
That gives Elliot and Wing as midfield creators and Craig for a bit of bite. Up top Smith has to stay and i think Ballard is better than Kelvin.E.
Bindon, Azeez, Knibbs and Savage to the bench where they can be used as impact subs i guess.

[karbota]

[u]Meanwhile, Parkys Wrexham won again[/u], but of course, he is not good enough for RFC!

And are now in 2nd place.

[CountryRoyal]

I don’t really like hutch tbh.

[skipper]

We had plenty of experience today. The problem is the tactics and formation that Selles is setting the side up as and to be honest I'm not sure these players are good enough.

Dean is finished as a professional footballer. Hutchinson isn't far behind. Bindon isn't great, but raw. Dorsett isn't a left back, Abbey is overrated, Yiadom is a serial loser, Azeez should be playing for Maidenhead and Knibbs is a huge underwhelmer.

I love playing with wingers however, Knibbs and Azeez have both been poor so far and really don't bring anything to the table!! Maybe a 5-3-2 formation might be the way to go? Throw in that extra defender, do away with the wingers and throw in two wing backs and adding that extra player into midfield where we seem to get overrun so often.
I don't like this formation as a whole but it might solve a few areas that need fixing.

Button

Yids Holmes Hutchinson Abbey NGW

Elliot Craig Wing

Smith Ballard

Yids and NGW can play the full back positions ok, and i would put Holmes and Hutch back in defense for experience along with Abbey for that extra pace.
That gives Elliot and Wing as midfield creators and Craig for a bit of bite. Up top Smith has to stay and i think Ballard is better than Kelvin.E.
Bindon, Azeez, Knibbs and Savage to the bench where they can be used as impact subs i guess.

Im down with that formation and squad.

I think going back a step and makinf us hard to break down and score against should be our first task.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Ok, assuming that the “dressing room has been lost”

Who is our modern day Colin Gordon/Arthur Scargill within the playing staff?

[windermereROYAL]

Goals conceded 80+ this season
Exeter (93)
Cambridge (83)
Northampton (96)
Orient (90)
Charlton (94)
Fleetwood (92)
MK Dons (93)
Shrewsbury (92) (96}

Add to that Portsmouth (54)
And the nailed on Pen for Bristol rovers (91)

Only against the Swindon kids have i missed on this list. in the last 9 games

[Uke]

Dellor spoke to Hutch after he did his Selles interview. Not sure why but seems it can't be played until Monday.

Simple answer: Because it's Dellor.

bs, it was because their show slot was ending in favour of some networked BBC crap.

He talked to Dellor and Earnshaw at the same time

Dellor is pissed off because he said you’ll probably all have seen the content before he could air it

[AthleticoSpizz]

Simple answer: Because it's Dellor.

bs, it was because their show slot was ending in favour of some networked BBC crap.

He talked to Dellor and Earnshaw at the same time

Dellor is pissed off because he said you’ll probably all have seen the content before he could air it

All due to Richard Latto

bs, the brilliant Stereo Underground (Richard Latto) was axed from its Saturday after the game analysis slot weeks ago….in favour for the aforementioned “networked (including poetry and Justin Timberlake) crap”

[Uke]

bs, it was because their show slot was ending in favour of some networked BBC crap.

He talked to Dellor and Earnshaw at the same time

Dellor is pissed off because he said you’ll probably all have seen the content before he could air it

All due to Richard Latto

bs, the brilliant Stereo Underground (Richard Latto) was axed from Saturday after the game analysis slot weeks ago….in favour for the aforementioned “networked (including poetry and Justin Timberlake) crap”

Hence my edit as I realised I was unfairly blaming Richard Latto instead of Leo Ulph

Latto would have understood


Interview is posted on Twitter by RFC
https://x.com/readingfc/status/17234152 ... tSqepu5mUQ

[windermereROYAL]

Did find it grimly amusing after 20 minutes how Mick and Dim were commenting how poor Shrewsbury were and we could win by 3 or 4, Where the fuck have they been for the last year?

[CountryRoyal]

Goals conceded 80+ this season
Exeter (93)
Cambridge (83)
Northampton (96)
Orient (90)
Charlton (94)
Fleetwood (92)
MK Dons (93)
Shrewsbury (92) (96}

Add to that Portsmouth (54)
And the nailed on Pen for Bristol rovers (91)

Only against the Swindon kids have i missed on this list. in the last 9 games

The phrase gets used far too often in football but that really is oxf*rd embarrassing.

[leon]

Goals conceded 80+ this season
Exeter (93)
Cambridge (83)
Northampton (96)
Orient (90)
Charlton (94)
Fleetwood (92)
MK Dons (93)
Shrewsbury (92) (96}

Add to that Portsmouth (54)
And the nailed on Pen for Bristol rovers (91)

Only against the Swindon kids have i missed on this list. in the last 9 games

The phrase gets used far too often in football but that really is oxf*rd embarrassing.

That’s lack of fitness and basic focus.

They’ve become serial losers thanks to Selles.

[CountryRoyal]

Goals conceded 80+ this season
Exeter (93)
Cambridge (83)
Northampton (96)
Orient (90)
Charlton (94)
Fleetwood (92)
MK Dons (93)
Shrewsbury (92) (96}

Add to that Portsmouth (54)
And the nailed on Pen for Bristol rovers (91)

Only against the Swindon kids have i missed on this list. in the last 9 games

The phrase gets used far too often in football but that really is oxf*rd embarrassing.

That’s lack of fitness and basic focus.

They’ve become serial losers thanks to Selles.

Yep. Mental fragility, we all believe we will oxf*rd it up, they do too.

The problem is now it gives otherwise tiring teams, motivation and belief they can score late goals against us.

[morganb]

What I don't understand is if you hadn't won away in 364 days and after 90 minutes you were winning 2-1, why didn't you do everything in your power to preserve that lead?

Take it into the corner. Draw a foul. Flick it off a player to win a throw. Put your body on the line. Keep possession as without the ball they can't score. Anything.

We couldn't do that though could we. Some blame must lie with Selles but there were 11 professional footballers out there on the pitch and none of them could think independently enough to do any of the above? Why not?!?

[Bristol Paul]

As Hutchinson said in his interview, they are inexperienced and some of the team aren’t learning. Bit hypocritical given he admits he lost his man for one of the goals.

[Hound]

As Hutchinson said in his interview, they are inexperienced and some of the team aren’t learning. Bit hypocritical given he admits he lost his man for one of the goals.

Not like he said the experienced players have been good though

[Brogue]

As Hutchinson said in his interview, they are inexperienced and some of the team aren’t learning. Bit hypocritical given he admits he lost his man for one of the goals.

Yeah that was my take when he said he lost his man. But I think what he was saying was he post one of his runners. I.e a team mate who should have covered his position.

[WestYorksRoyal]

As Hutchinson said in his interview, they are inexperienced and some of the team aren’t learning. Bit hypocritical given he admits he lost his man for one of the goals.

Yeah that was my take when he said he lost his man. But I think what he was saying was he post one of his runners. I.e a team mate who should have covered his position.

In terms of "experience", Kelvin got the ball at 2-1 and ran into the corner to tick the clock down. He gained territory and we had possession until it worked it's way back to Yiadom who tried to pump it over the top to a runner. Shrewsbury got the ball, Hutchinson lost his man.

But it's these kids without the express who are the issue? Fcuk off Hutch!

I know burning everything to the ground is not a solution, but I'd happily kick out Yiadom, Hutchinson and Dean today and replace them with Abrefa, Craig and Holmes. It's not our kids letting us down; it's the senior pros offering nothing.