MATCHWATCH : Birmingham City (a)

[Sutekh]

A lot of sides won't go to Birmingham and play football like we did. They'll put 10 men behind the ball, foul and frustrate. For an hour we gave them a good run for their money, tried to score and were pegged back due to a fairly harsh penalty. Not many teams will take points at St Andrews in this league.

And the next league away game will be just as intense and knackering for the players. Let's hope Parky does us a favour and gets Hollywood to leave a few holes in their defence.

[Gunny Fishcake]

Tremendous team performance, could have won 3-0 , great point , shame we couldn’t hang on , only good things about that game , Brum grossly overrated

[windermereROYAL]

According to the Brum fans we have no fitness issues and were just faking going down with cramp.

Might not be far wrong there tbf

Selles a class act as always with the interviews. Can see clubs starting to circle him if we keep playing like that

Yes that`s a real concern, as soon as a championship side sack their manager this season he`s sure to be on their radar.

[blythspartan]

I was so oxf*rd proud of that performance yesterday. They were sublime in the first half and fought really hard in the second half. Honestly, I don’t know if it was a penalty to Brum, but nothing can take away that performance.

With the way we finished last season I always thought we’d be competitive in this one. We just need the takeover to happen and to add a bit more depth to the squad. I put us to finish pretty low in my predicted league table, but I thought we’d lose key players.

[South Coast Royal]

A well deserved point that was close to being three.
The commentator made a good point that Reading looked more of a team that has played together whereas Birmingham were just a group of players.

I agree with Spizz that if we are going to play this full-on pressing game it is vital that we have 5 players ready to come on from around the 60 minute mark onwards to keep it going as so many were knackered late on.

As for Birmingham they seem to have done what so many clubs do in bringing in attacking players when their defence is much the same as last season, got them relegated and remains dodgy.

[Snowflake Royal]

Was surprised Selles went with 4 defenders on the bench. I know Craig was RB, which gives an extra option, and alternatives were limited, but Sackey looked good when he came on in pre-season and could have offered fresh legs further forward.

Both Osho and Garcia seemed a bit unnecessary with Dorsett coming straight back in and Abrefa favoured on the left over either.

I think we definitely needed some fresher legs up top a bit earlier. Yes we wouldn't have had the same threat,but when that threat is running on empty and you're dropping deeper and deeper, I'm not sure it matters.


Saying that, Brum looked like a penalty was the only chance they would really take.

They looked like they barely knew each other, I expect they'll improve considerably over the next 10 games. But classic arrogant big spending, rebuilt team under estimating the league below where they had been playing.

[Mr Optimist]

What a whopper Alfie May is though. Finally gets a move to a big club (Charlton don’t count) at the age of 31 after years of scuffing around non-league and the lower leagues and looking forward to a season where he thought he could be a flat-track bully and he needs a penalty to emerge from 19 year old Bindon’s pocket to get off the mark. Didn’t even realise he was playing until an hour of the game had gone.

Should’ve been more interested in retrieving the ball to get the game restarted asap then running off to give it the biggun to us. You can take the player out of small-time, but you obviously can’t take the small-time out of the player.

[stealthpapes]

Enjoyed that, duff red decision aside. Packed st Andrews. Some great passing play by RFC. A tiny bit of poo came out when Jutkewitz came on for 6 minutes of added time.

Tired at the end, understandable given we looked short of squad depth and that match conditioning takes time to build up.

[windermereROYAL]

. A tiny bit of poo came out when Jutkewitz came on for 6 minutes of added time.
.

[Mr Optimist]

Definitely the best time to play them and they looked disjointed and will need time to gel as a team with so many new players. They probably don’t know their best team yet. They also looked like the weight of expectation is weighing heavy with the number of passes that were over hit and just went out.

I couldn’t understand their obsession with playing it out from the goal kicks when a pass or two later they try and play it long. Sanderson doesn’t look comfortable playing it around the back and the system they are looking to play. The right back Ethan Laird was shocking for most of the game. The sub no.7 looks like he will be a decent signing and likewise was waiting for Jutkiewicz to get his usual goal against us at the end!

We couldn’t have put any more in to that but Kelvin mom for me, what an athlete, he was defending at left back more than once and then leading the line the next, amazing energy. Michael Craig a close second, playing out of position, Ben Elliott was great especially first half and Garcia’s cameo, I fear he is sadly not going to be with us for long, at 16 years old, to come on and play like that, he must have ice in his veins!

[Royal_jimmy]

A lot of sides won't go to Birmingham and play football like we did. They'll put 10 men behind the ball, foul and frustrate. For an hour we gave them a good run for their money, tried to score and were pegged back due to a fairly harsh penalty. Not many teams will take points at St Andrews in this league.

And the next league away game will be just as intense and knackering for the players. Let's hope Parky does us a favour and gets Hollywood to leave a few holes in their defence.

I don't think Wrexham are all that. Don't see why we can't go there and win.

[Clyde1998]

I think we played very well, simply tiring towards the end. The lack of depth was a problem and I maintain we need about four players to be signed to seriously compete for the play-offs.

Penalty was soft; Wing's arm looked like it was by his side. Disappointing not to win because of it. Although we should've been at least two up before it.

At the end of the day, getting a point away at Birmingham is a point gained and is a good start to the season.

[ILoveMoonPig]

To be fair to Birmingham, they did probably deserve a goal, nice set up play, but appalling finishing. Their manager looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel at times. I'd be disappointed too if we spent £14 million and looked as vulnerable as they did for the first 45 minutes.

We played some very slick passing football at times, we looked really good. A lot of teams won't be able to deal with the high press. But of a shame to drop off the way we did after the hour mark though. Hopefully fitness to improve a bit now the competitive games have started.

[WestYorksRoyal]

According to the Brum fans we have no fitness issues and were just faking going down with cramp.

Might not be far wrong there tbf

Selles a class act as always with the interviews. Can see clubs starting to circle him if we keep playing like that

I would expect many Championship clubs to be keeping tabs on Selles. All I'd say is football is very fickle, and if his next job goes badly he'll need to step backwards to rebuild his career again, just as Nathan Jones is back in L1.

Selles has a particular style of play which takes time to implement, and at the vast majority of clubs his start here would have seen him gone. He needs to join a club that is a good fit, ideally where a manager has left for better things due to their success. Not a chaotic club in hire and fire cycles like Stoke, Watford, Cardiff or Blackburn.

[The Cap]

According to the Brum fans we have no fitness issues and were just faking going down with cramp.

Might not be far wrong there tbf

Selles a class act as always with the interviews. Can see clubs starting to circle him if we keep playing like that

Yes that`s a real concern, as soon as a championship side sack their manager this season he`s sure to be on their radar.

Personally, I'd say that it feels as though Selles has got a real connection with the club and even more so after the events of last season. I'd also say that he has a point to prove. And that point is with Reading. When you look at the connection he has with the fans and particularly towards the end of last season. He is a very humble and patient man, and knows that once the ownership issue is sorted, all will be well.

[On Strings]

Those Neanderthalic Birmingham fans do seem to be a bit rattled at only taking a point off of us.

They're in for a shock soon when they come up against the 90% of sides who hoof it long and love a physical game!

[WestYorksRoyal]

Might not be far wrong there tbf

Selles a class act as always with the interviews. Can see clubs starting to circle him if we keep playing like that

Yes that`s a real concern, as soon as a championship side sack their manager this season he`s sure to be on their radar.

Personally, I'd say that it feels as though Selles has got a real connection with the club and even more so after the events of last season. I'd also say that he has a point to prove. And that point is with Reading. When you look at the connection he has with the fans and particularly towards the end of last season. He is a very humble and patient man, and knows that once the ownership issue is sorted, all will be well.

He's an ambitious man, so will definitely see us as a stepping stone. If you asked him now without solid interest, I think he would say he wants to finished what he's started here and get us into the Championship before moving on to bigger things, and I think that would be genuine.

But, of course, his head could be turned if an exciting opportunity comes along.

[Brogue]

Let’s not go overboard had a poor run at Southampton a shit start with us. He’s had half a season where he worked wonders. But in a weird way our struggles probably helped him. The fans rallied against the efl and dai and the players and manager rode the crest of that wave. For him to be classed as hot property he needs more than a half season of ok results.

[Brogue]

Reading fans with villa shirts on? that’s some shit banter lads

Or villa fans in our away end with us? that’s some shit banter lads

[The Cap]

Let’s not go overboard had a poor run at Southampton a shit start with us. He’s had half a season where he worked wonders. But in a weird way our struggles probably helped him. The fans rallied against the efl and dai and the players and manager rode the crest of that wave. For him to be classed as hot property he needs more than a half season of ok results.

Ah come on Brogue, he's the best thing since sliced bread mate. Hovis, Warburtons...?