Back from the Arsenal game/TV

[West Stand Man]

Perspective folks. We have just seen one of the most dramatic football games of all time in HISTORY and RFC played a big part in that.

Yes, by being incredibly shit.

From now on any team blowing a massive lead will be said to have "done a Reading".

A bit like Arsenal last year would that be?

It happens, live with it.

Even the R5Live commentator said that Reading were 'excellent throught the 120 minutes'. The trouble was that after a very poor 45 minutes Arsenal were outstanding.

[Very near...far away]

I'm sure this thread will be laughed about come the end of the season, when we've finished 12th.

[Snowball]

Even the R5Live commentator said that Reading were 'excellent throught the 120 minutes'.

The trouble was that after a very poor 45 minutes Arsenal were outstanding.

Well said.

And what heart does it take to lose a 4-0 lead, go 4-5 behind and then equalise?

[retro royal]

Arsenal were not excellent Gorkss/Gunter were fing useless, more so Gorkss. End of the first half Leigertwood and Tabb tired after 40 minutes or so, but they put in a hell of a load of work in that time, and fair play to both to get through the hole game.

On to QPR, come on you royals

[facaldaqui]

Even the R5Live commentator said that Reading were 'excellent throught the 120 minutes'.

The trouble was that after a very poor 45 minutes Arsenal were outstanding.

Well said.

And what heart does it take to lose a 4-0 lead, go 4-5 behind and then equalise?

Absolutely. I can't believe the horrific things people are saying on this thread. I think it must be snarling caused by humiliation, because it was undoubtedly grotesquely humiliating and I still do not feel all right.

If we'd've won, though, the response would have been very different. We'd still be quaking about the defensive problems, but we'd be proud. We nearly won in normal time, and bloody well should've done if the timekeeping had been right. Even in extra time we were at 5-5 for a long time. The last goal is the risk you take when you throw everything forward.

Yes, the goal Martinez threw in the net was lucky for us, but I don't count the own goal as lucky because the defender was the victim of a brilliantly unexpected move. Koscielny (was it?) should also quite clearly have been sent off, which would have given us a big advantage.

My worst moment was when Church came on for a supposedly brief appearance, to boost his morale. We could've done with Le Fondre on for extra time, instead of a non contributor.

[facaldaqui]

Playing Tabb is like having a Greggs outlet in the middle of Fortnum and Mason.

Playing Jay Tabb is a bit like buying a hamper from Fortnum and Masson, falling out with the hamper because it passes the ball too much for your shit hoof-it tactics and eating a Greggs cheese and onion pasty which lets the opposition stroll through it like it was Patrick Swayze in f/cking Ghost.

Playing Tabb is like dating a short nurse who is enthusiastic but limited in bed. Speaking from experience.

(Not that I've dated Tabb.)

[mr_number]

Playing Tabb is like having a Greggs outlet in the middle of Fortnum and Mason.

Playing Jay Tabb is a bit like buying a hamper from Fortnum and Masson, falling out with the hamper because it passes the ball too much for your shit hoof-it tactics and eating a Greggs cheese and onion pasty which lets the opposition stroll through it like it was Patrick Swayze in f/cking Ghost.

Playing Tabb is like dating a short nurse who is enthusiastic but limited in bed. Speaking from experience.

(Not that I've dated Tabb.)

And runs out of energy when you're only two-thirds of the way there.

[Libertine]

There was kind of a symmetry for me yesterday. Where I live got hit by a natural disaster and the team I follow got hit by the equivilant of a footballing natural disaster later in the day. For me the bad karma yesterday all seemed strangely natural...

[Hampshire Royal]

I haven't read all of this thread. Yesterday was my second game this season, the first was Newcastle.
I have never been at a game like last night's. The nearest thing to it I can think of was when Liverpool came back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan in the Champions League. That game had similarities to yesterday's game: In the first half Milan and ourselves were ripping the opposition apart, only to allow the opposition back into it in the second half. Why did this happen? Well, the big difference between the two games was that Arsenal got a goal back right on half time. The main similarity was that both losing teams looked like they thought they'd won the game and took their foot off the gas. Although this is not a wise thing to do, I believe that it's perfectly reasonable for teams to think like this when they were so far in front of the opposition both in the way they played and in the scoreline. It was made worse for us bcause of the gift of a goal given to Arsenal by Gorkss right on half-time. This just boosted Arsenal's confidence!! The pattern of play last night was reversed: in the second half it was Arsenal who were playing the fast, flowing football with us on the back foot. Arsenal are a good team who play good football!! In the first half we didn't let them get into thir stride, because it was us playing the good football!! I know they put out a load of youngsters, but these youngsters are as good as any team's youngsters in the country.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the game (apart from the result, obviously) and feel sort of privileged to have been there last night to actually witness it.

Is this Reading team good enough to stay up? After seeing the two games I have, plus others on TV, I would say that there is no doubt that we will. In the games I saw, I saw very little evidence of the much debated hoofball that people on here say we play. Sure, in the second half there were a few desparate clearances out of defence, but hoofball? No!! We do need more quality in the side. We need a Gylfi-type midfielder, and we need a replacement for Gorkss. What's happened to last year's player of the year, Pearce? Unfortunately, Feds showed why McCarthy is now first choice keeper.

I brought a mate of mine last night, who is a Leyton Orient fan (before anyon sniggers at that, remember that it wasn't that long ago that we were a similar team to them). He said that he had never seen a game like it, not just in the result, but in the standard of football on display, and he went on to say that we should have no trouble staying up.

[andrew1957]

I haven't read all of this thread. Yesterday was my second game this season, the first was Newcastle.
I have never been at a game like last night's. The nearest thing to it I can think of was when Liverpool came back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan in the Champions League. That game had similarities to yesterday's game: In the first half Milan and ourselves were ripping the opposition apart, only to allow the opposition back into it in the second half. Why did this happen? Well, the big difference between the two games was that Arsenal got a goal back right on half time. The main similarity was that both losing teams looked like they thought they'd won the game and took their foot off the gas. Although this is not a wise thing to do, I believe that it's perfectly reasonable for teams to think like this when they were so far in front of the opposition both in the way they played and in the scoreline. It was made worse for us bcause of the gift of a goal given to Arsenal by Gorkss right on half-time. This just boosted Arsenal's confidence!! The pattern of play last night was reversed: in the second half it was Arsenal who were playing the fast, flowing football with us on the back foot. Arsenal are a good team who play good football!! In the first half we didn't let them get into thir stride, because it was us playing the good football!! I know they put out a load of youngsters, but these youngsters are as good as any team's youngsters in the country.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the game (apart from the result, obviously) and feel sort of privileged to have been there last night to actually witness it.

Is this Reading team good enough to stay up? After seeing the two games I have, plus others on TV, I would say that there is no doubt that we will. In the games I saw, I saw very little evidence of the much debated hoofball that people on here say we play. Sure, in the second half there were a few desparate clearances out of defence, but hoofball? No!! We do need more quality in the side. We need a Gylfi-type midfielder, and we need a replacement for Gorkss. What's happened to last year's player of the year, Pearce? Unfortunately, Feds showed why McCarthy is now first choice keeper.

I brought a mate of mine last night, who is a Leyton Orient fan (before anyon sniggers at that, remember that it wasn't that long ago that we were a similar team to them). He said that he had never seen a game like it, not just in the result, but in the standard of football on display, and he went on to say that we should have no trouble staying up.

Spot on - well said.

[Royal Biscuitman]

Hopefully lessons will be learn't, hopefully in how to defend at the back but failing that not taking our foot off the pedal in attack might see us outscore opponents.

There are parallels to the 7-4 defeat away to Portsmouth, following that we also lost a later game away to Spurs 6-4..... I may take up spread betting and buy goals high for our next game.

[lolwut]

Gunter was poor defensively, adds more going forward than Cummings IMHO.

great

Swings and roundabouts.

[sputnik]

There was kind of a symmetry for me yesterday. Where I live got hit by a natural disaster and the team I follow got hit by the equivilant of a footballing natural disaster later in the day. For me the bad karma yesterday all seemed strangely natural...

Are you saying we're all paying for your sins ?

[Libertine]

There was kind of a symmetry for me yesterday. Where I live got hit by a natural disaster and the team I follow got hit by the equivilant of a footballing natural disaster later in the day. For me the bad karma yesterday all seemed strangely natural...

Are you saying we're all paying for your sins ?

No! And I sure as hell hope not or we might be falling through the leagues. I have a lot of sins on my resume.

All I am saying is from my point of view the game seemed to be part of a natural progression of my day.

[RobRoyal]

and he went on to say that we should have no trouble staying up.

Yeah. Remember Sir Alex Fergusson saying this of us in 2007/8. Was bollocks then and is bollocks now.

[Vision]

and he went on to say that we should have no trouble staying up.

Yeah. Remember Sir Alex Fergusson saying this of us in 2007/8. Was bollocks then and is bollocks now.

Yeah but that was Fergie wtf does he know. This is Hampshire Royal, he's seen a few relegations in his time.

[Snowball]

Staying up is about the upcoming QPR, Norwich, Villa, Wigan games, and then Saints in December
and possible the Sunderland games and Stoke away.

The rest (apart from the return matches) barely matters

Take six points each of those five clubs (while doing them damage), plus four you already have
and you need, 3-4 points from anywhere and you stay up.

BTW I am NOT saying that'll happen, I'm chitting myself over the QPR game now,
but OUR league is QPR, Saints, Villa, US, Norwich, Wigan with Sunderland and Stoke the likely top two.



You can't outrun the tiger
but you can run faster than the other bloke

[Hampshire Royal]

The big difference between 2007/08 and now, was that then we had good players who didn't want to play for us. Now we have players who may be less skilled, who do want to play for us. Fergie (bless him) can't see beyond the cash value of individuals. His way of doing things will always be successful while there is no limit to the money you can spend on your players.

[Hampshire Royal]

and he went on to say that we should have no trouble staying up.

Yeah. Remember Sir Alex Fergusson saying this of us in 2007/8. Was bollocks then and is bollocks now.

Yeah but that was Fergie wtf does he know. This is Hampshire Royal, he's seen a few relegations in his time.

I've seen every relegation we've had. Believe me, the relegation to the Championship in 07/08 doesn't even begin to compare with the relegation to Div 4 in 70/71.

Those were the days, eh?

[3 veesinarow]

Even in extra time we were at 5-5 for a long time.

4 minutes is a long time?