Back From The Game. Southampton Away

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Think McD will quit if we lose the next 2 TBH.

[Big Ern]

I am amazed at how "all of a sudden" we were lucky last season.

I kept saying we were lucky and a side maybe worth 4-5-6-7th
and for that I got loads of stick and was told the table doesn't lie.

We don't remotely have the quality of the other two promoted sides
or QPR (who will finish ten points or more above us)

That hurts, but what saddens me is that we seem to be losing our fighting spirit
and the behind the scenes stuff is now very, very worrying.

If McD wanted Pog and - he's rubbish, or doesn't train hard,
or doesn't want to play for McD, then McD is in trouble

Same for Guthrie.

Add in the Pearce issue and a keeper whose confidence is very low
and IMO, sentiment aside, that surely means the manager, at this time, for this club
isn't cutting it.

As much as I think Snowball is a complete penis, I must agree with him

[Snowball]

Surely a complete penis is a good thing?

[RoyalBlue]

Think McD will quit if we lose the next 2 TBH.

Do you think there will be a parking space campaign?

[Big Ern]

Surely a complete penis is a good thing?

In your sad little world maybe.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Think McD will quit if we lose the next 2 TBH.

Do you think there will be a parking space campaign?

No

[LightwaterRoyal]

Only players who deserved their place in the team were Cummings who was outstanding, Federici, Morrison, Shorey and Tabb.

Desperately wanted to see Samuel but it wast to be.

[RoyalBlue]

Think McD will quit if we lose the next 2 TBH.

Do you think there will be a parking space campaign?

No

I think you're right and I believe that is because people do see a difference in the manner in which we went up and down under SSC and what is happening to us now. Maybe my memory has corrupted with time but I did think that SSC at least tried to change things a bit.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Only players who deserved their place in the team were Cummings who was outstanding, Federici, Morrison, Shorey and Tabb.

Desperately wanted to see Samuel but it wast to be.

I thought Fed still looked dodgy yesterday TBH. At one point he mis kicked it & the ball nearly went over the line. Agree about the others though - thought Cummings & Shorey were the best 2 on the pitch.

Hopefully this puts to bed the Gunter v Cummings argument (not heard a peep out of the pro Gunter lot for a while). Cummings is better IMO & should never have been dropped.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

RB - People blamed the players more that time around for sure as they did have the ability to stay up. I.e. big egos, heads turned by other clubs, Stephen pikey too good for Reading Hunt etc etc. Looking back, we were definitely good enough to stay up that year & completely threw our PL status away.

Plus Steve was the first person to achieve it so he had almost god like status at that point.

This time just feels a lot different. Everyone knows the team (and the club in general) isn't PL quality at the moment.

[ZacNaloen]

I knew we'd struggle due to not being good enough, but that doesn't make it anymore disheartening to watching your team lose through mistakes brought on by tiredness because you spend too long chasing the ball.

[windermere_royal]

BMs statement "I am happy with the group I have here" pre=season is getting more laughable following every defeat.

[Snowball]

I expected to struggle


but didn't expect our two "star buys"(Pog & Guthrie) to be kept out of the squad

or Gorks to fall apart

or Pearce to be dropped

or our new LB upgrade to appear not quite good enough

or Roberts to start injured and not look quite so keen any more

or last year's excellent keeper to gain weight and lose confidence
and then our up and coming star to get injured for a whole season

or Karacan to get injured

or Kebe to leave (he has left, hasn't he?)


We counter that by Morrison stepping up.

So we are WEAKER at keeper, both CBs, have been in-and-out at RB, weaker in midfield

It's a miracle we have 9 points.

[loyalroyal4life]

IN for Crawley

Its about our level of football to be honest

[windermere_royal]

I expected to struggle


but didn't expect our two "star buys"(Pog & Guthrie) to be kept out of the squad

or Gorks to fall apart

or Pearce to be dropped

or our new LB upgrade to appear not quite good enough

or Roberts to start injured and not look quite so keen any more

or last year's excellent keeper to gain weight and lose confidence
and then our up and coming star to get injured for a whole season

or Karacan to get injured

or Kebe to leave (he has left, hasn't he?)


We counter that by Morrison stepping up.

So we are WEAKER at keeper, both CBs, have been in-and-out at RB, weaker in midfield

It's a miracle we have 9 points.

Add to that we have a CM who couldn`t get a game last year who is now a regular in the PL.

[Snowball]

True, but I have always rated Tabby.

It was just that Karacan and Elwood kept him out

[ZacNaloen]

If Karacan were fit, he'd still be keeping him out.

[handbags_harris]

Personally I accepted as soon as we were promoted that we were going to struggle this season, there was absolutely no way we were the best side in the division last season. It was painfully obvious that we lacked Premier League quality at times, the number of ground-out 1-0's against the likes of Burnley, Bristol City and Ipswich Town suggested as much. It would have taken wholesale changes across the board to ensure that we had any hope of staying up this year and there was no question of us doing that, it isn't the Reading way. So this season I accept that we will struggle, we were obviously going to add to the squad with Premier League quality and we have attempted to do that to varying degrees of success with the acquisitions of Shorey, Pogrebnyak, McLeary, Gunter, Mariappa and Guthrie. If we can get the best out of those that clearly are Premier League quality, add to them in January and by hook or by crook stay up, we should be in a position to be able to further strengthen in the summer. Unfortunately at the moment we are not seeing anything of Guthrie, very little of Pogrebnyak, sporadic bursts of quality from McLeary, a horribly out of his depth Gunter and an unfortunate Mariappa who did nothing wrong IMO in his spell in the side. The only consistent performer is Shorey who we knew about anyway. So given the personnel on offer, I'll settle for a competitive side which is why you won't hear me moaning about the team or management not being good enough, you'll not hear me calling for McDermott's head or certain players to be shifted out of the side. I may pick up on their all-too-obvious weaknesses but it'll be in a matter-of-fact tone rather than a . I expected this season to pan out as it has, I can't see how anybody else could predict differently and then whinge about it.

I stand by the main sentiment but having witnessed the performances against Wigan, Villa and now Saints I am now of the opinion that Guthrie needs to be given the opportunity in his favoured position. There are only so many poor performances you can have before something has to change and that, for me, is the style of play. That much is obvious as many have pointed out, and to do that you need different personnel with different footballing qualities. Unfortunately this means that, in a standard 4-4-2, my gut feeling is that Tabb would need to be shifted out because otherwise we'd be ridiculously lightweight in the centre of the park. Up front the most effective pairing has been Pogrebnyak and Hunt, and McLeary also needs to come in because McAnuff is so way off form.

Not sure what McAnuff adds in the middle either, Compo had it absolutely right yesterday when he said McDermott has absolutely no faith in Guthrie. McAnuff over Guthrie in the middle? Sorry Brian, I back you all the way, but on this one I seriously question your judgement.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

The style of play needs to change, that much is obvious as many have pointed out, and to do that you need different personnel with different footballing qualities. Unfortunately this means that, in a standard 4-4-2, my gut feeling is that Tabb would need to be shifted out because otherwise we'd be ridiculously lightweight in the centre of the park. Up front the most effective pairing has been Pogrebnyak and Hunt, and McLeary also needs to come in because McAnuff is so way off form.

So in a 442 you would ship out the most attacking of our 2 midfielders, who is often getting in and around the box..... in favour of a midfielder who sits incredibly deep, doesnt tackle, and only plays short passes (who is he going to pass to if Legs is sat deep with him?)

[West_Reading]

My fourth away game of the season and performances have got gradually worse since that promising start at Stamford Bridge. Yesterday was on a par with Villa, it was throughly miserable. What has really annoyed me over these last couple of games is McD's reluctance to use Guthrie, despite us being completely devoid of any ideas. Taking Tabb off yesterday (who was one of our better players by far) and putting Hunt on the left wing and McAnuff in the middle was a disgusting move. How we are a better side with those two playing in those respective positions, I will never know. Our lack of footballing or technical ability in the side is painful to see. Shorey and Tabb aside, no one seems to be composed on the ball and capable of retaining possession. I've always been behind McD but he's letting personal differences (Guthrie) ruin his decision making.

On a more positive note, Cumings was excellent defensively and Fed made two/three real good saves. We need Guthrie and Kebe back asap to at least have something to get excited about.