BFIT - Wycombe (H)

[Sanguine]

Didnt realise how many enemies Wycombe have from League 1 clubs because of their promotion. They got proper trolled last night.

It's a shame for Wycombe - terrific that a relatively tiny club has reached this level, but last night they looked like a club that 'finished' 8th in League One last season.

[Millsy]

Sure, there wasn't a trip but if that had happened anywhere outside the penalty box and it would have been a free kick to us. 5 minutes after that Rinomhota did the exact same thing to a Wycombe player in the centre circle.

Exactly, this is not a question of analysing players' souls and spiritual progress it's what is and isn't allowed in football and defenders know the score 100%. You make contact like that, a player might fall. If they do it's a foul. In the penalty box multiply that by a million. If you don't know that you have no business being a professional footballer. Ejaria's tricky run and sprint past him drew that defender's error to make contact.

To me it was definitely enough to knock lanky speeding Ejaria over, not just a dive, but as above it is irrelevant. Cast iron penalty.

You know that shoulder to shoulder is fine. Contact =/= foul.

Obviously. (Although Rino and/or Moore were penalised for simple shoulder barges last night IIRC)

My recollection was that the Ejaria incident wasn't a shoulder barge though.

[windermereROYAL]

I`ll be surprised if Wycombe get 25 points this season, they don`t have much about them do they apart from lots of effort. looks a step too far.

[andrew1957]

Much better after the double substitution, both players look very good. Esteves looks like a proper attacking right back. I've liked Holmes, but when you see the comparison it's not hard to appreciate who is better in the position.

I thought Holmes had a solid game, didn't appear to me at least that he did anything wrong. But on this showing, Esteves needs to start.

I’d rather have Esteves in for Meite. Meite offers oxf*rd all unless he scores I think he’s a better option off the bench tbf.

I was thinking the same. Esteves looks class going forwards and could well solve our lack of width problem. So keep Holmes at right back as he is an excellent defender and play Esteves in front of him - sadly Meite (much as I like him) on the bench as you say. Plan B if we are struggling in a game could then be to bring a fresh Meite on when he is likely to do more damage late in a game.

That way we keep Holmes in who has very much been part of three consecutive clean sheets and have the clear attacking skills of Esteves.

[paultheroyal]

Can we all take a moment to laugh at Derby County. I hate this team with a passion. With Rooney self isolating thats at least another 2 games Cocu has got guaranteeing 2 more defeats!!

[Hound]

I think if Esteves can get in some of the positions Holmes has found himself in as an advanced fullback, he'll create us a lot. Holmes has been fine, but he really is no more than a short term fill in there.

[Hound]

Can we all take a moment to laugh at Derby County. I hate this team with a passion. With Rooney self isolating thats at least another 2 games Cocu has got guaranteeing 2 more defeats!!

oh I have been regularly, dont need another reminder to do so

dislikable team with probably the most dislikable player (Tom lawrence) in the whole division playing for them

[URZZZZ]

Much better after the double substitution, both players look very good. Esteves looks like a proper attacking right back. I've liked Holmes, but when you see the comparison it's not hard to appreciate who is better in the position.

I thought Holmes had a solid game, didn't appear to me at least that he did anything wrong. But on this showing, Esteves needs to start.

I’d rather have Esteves in for Meite. Meite offers oxf*rd all unless he scores I think he’s a better option off the bench tbf.

I was thinking the same. Esteves looks class going forwards and could well solve our lack of width problem. So keep Holmes at right back as he is an excellent defender and play Esteves in front of him - sadly Meite (much as I like him) on the bench as you say. Plan B if we are struggling in a game could then be to bring a fresh Meite on when he is likely to do more damage late in a game.

That way we keep Holmes in who has very much been part of three consecutive clean sheets and have the clear attacking skills of Esteves.

Perhaps against the better teams in the league it could work

But in games like last night and Saturday where we really need to look to take the initiative and attack, we need a lot more going forward than Holmes at RB

Would be surprised if it isn’t Esteves behind Meite/Olise on Saturday

[Millsy]

I can't really argue against Ian's response re Meite. He has a decent goals record, and does more than his fair share of work. I think for me though, a bit like the criticisms levelled at Ejaria this morning, Meite just doesn't seem to be improving. He has been at Reading for over four years now and whilst still only 24, isn't getting more clinical or more productive in the final third.

17 goals last season. 13 goals season before. 1 goal previous 2 seasons combined when he was deemed good enough to start.

I remember when he signed a 4 year contract most people were quite bemused.

Now I think most people agree that was a very good deal indeed and wouldn't mind tying him down for another 4.

That's quite a change of perception, which only comes about through improvement.

[LUX]

Didnt realise how many enemies Wycombe have from League 1 clubs because of their promotion. They got proper trolled last night.

It's a shame for Wycombe - terrific that a relatively tiny club has reached this level, but last night they looked like a club that 'finished' 8th in League One last season.

srsly, that is a ridiculous (and patronising) statement. I mean, we were only marginally better than them over the 90 minutes and yet we are three points clear at the top of the Championship.

[LUX]

read what Pauno said about them for a start.

[Hound]

Didnt realise how many enemies Wycombe have from League 1 clubs because of their promotion. They got proper trolled last night.

It's a shame for Wycombe - terrific that a relatively tiny club has reached this level, but last night they looked like a club that 'finished' 8th in League One last season.

srsly, that is a ridiculous (and patronising) statement. I mean, we were only marginally better than them over the 90 minutes and yet we are three points clear at the top of the Championship.

patronising as it may be suspect Wycombe will have to get used to it this year.

I can't see how they expect to score goals tbh. Had very little threat and bringing on a 38 year old who has spent his career knocking about the lower divisions as their attacking sub is scarily bad

[Sanguine]

Didnt realise how many enemies Wycombe have from League 1 clubs because of their promotion. They got proper trolled last night.

It's a shame for Wycombe - terrific that a relatively tiny club has reached this level, but last night they looked like a club that 'finished' 8th in League One last season.

srsly, that is a ridiculous (and patronising) statement. I mean, we were only marginally better than them over the 90 minutes and yet we are three points clear at the top of the Championship.

It's not patronising. They offered next to nothing going forward. We were awful, but still found a way to win. They have lost all six of their games, and all they could do to try to change the course of the game last night was bring on one of the most immobile strikers ever to play in the EFL, nevermind the Championship.

I hope they improve, but as it stands they might threaten Rotherham's miserable 23 points a few years back.

[LUX]

Pauno:

"This was without doubt the hardest challenge so far for us this season. Keeping our good run going and after drawing at Middlesbrough, we were anxious to get a win.

"The first half, it didn't work well for us, they were the better team and they worked harder than us and we have to say that we picked up these three points by fighting hard.

"Wycombe fought hard and made it challenging for us."

he may be new, but he knows what he sees.

[windermereROYAL]

Meite admitted on his twitter account he had a stinker last night.

[Hound]

Pauno:

"This was without doubt the hardest challenge so far for us this season. Keeping our good run going and after drawing at Middlesbrough, we were anxious to get a win.

"The first half, it didn't work well for us, they were the better team and they worked harder than us and we have to say that we picked up these three points by fighting hard.

"Wycombe fought hard and made it challenging for us."

he may be new, but he knows what he sees.

he is being pretty political tbf and rightly so. They did work hard, and fair play for that but realistically they are rubbish.

I'm sure he was a lot less polite when he had the team in the changing room at h/t

[Hound]

Meite admitted on his twitter account he had a stinker last night.

yeah not going to argue with him on that

[andrew1957]

Didnt realise how many enemies Wycombe have from League 1 clubs because of their promotion. They got proper trolled last night.

It's a shame for Wycombe - terrific that a relatively tiny club has reached this level, but last night they looked like a club that 'finished' 8th in League One last season.

srsly, that is a ridiculous (and patronising) statement. I mean, we were only marginally better than them over the 90 minutes and yet we are three points clear at the top of the Championship.

Wycombe gave 100% but just don't have any obviously quality players who can do something unexpected to win a game. There was nothing to choose between the sides except that Reading have Olise, jaoa, Ejaria - who all look like they can do the unexpected at any minute. On this occasion it just took one moment of superb quality from Jaoa - who apart from that had a pretty ordinary game - for Reading to take the points. Plus an excellent defensive performance of course.

[Simon's Church]

Not sure I'd fancy Esteves defensively against many teams at the moment, Onyedima went past him about 4 times in the space of 20 minutes yesterday, and he rarely looked in line with the rest of the back 4.

Thought Semedo looked very good though, high tempo, a few decent passes and won a lot in the air.

[Millsy]

I think both things can be true.

They put in a great shift and while we were better and deserved the win, it could have easily been 1-1 or 0-0.

There is no doubt they have quite a humble squad and resources, but it doesn't mean they can't put up a great challenge.

If we play Liverpool I'm sure we'll treat it as a cup final and give them a difficult challenge, making it a scrappy game like Wycombe did, but it doesn't mean we are anywhere near as good as LIverpool.