BFTG villa

[mr_number]

At no point did I say "anyone can play up front in 4-5-1, it doesn't matter"

Absolute nonsense.

LOL, Zac having a shocker.

[ZacNaloen]

Its' important if you build up play is limited to playing 40 yard passes from your defensive line. Which obviously is Mcdermotts preferred tactic. But even Pog was shit at that, how many contested headers did he win again? In terms of holding the ball up we were still awful, but at least we had men behind the ball defensively and had the option to switch a more defensive or attacking shape depending how how the game was going.

With the players we have playing 4-4-2 our options are extremely limited and more importantly we are completely open defensively.

[BR2]

Ludicrous stuff about the systems being so important-decent players will do o.k. in any system but we regrettably don't have decent players and that is why we are at the bottom,not because of any system.

Watching Benteke on Saturday I thought it was a marvellous display of hold-up play,as it was a couple of years ago when Bothroyd did the same against us.
Brian,The Pog and the rest of the side could do worse than see the video of how, if the guy up front gets the right type of ball and the right support from midfield runners,the so-called "one up front" works best.
It's no good just smashing the ball to a front man and hoping something will happen which is what we generally do and the same comment applies if there are two up front.

Despite doing a lot of running our players are lazy mentally-they don't concentrate at the back and when they welly the ball forward they think their job is done-when it goes wrong they just point fingers at each other or the ref or the lino.
They need to sharpen up and it would be handy if the captain set a better example than just pointing or jumping up and down when things go wrong.

[Tilehurst End]

Not had time to read through the rest of this but for what it's worth:

Can't fault the players for effort, which is something that could possibly have been levelled against them after the Wigan game where the real damage was done, but they are just not good enough.

Not happy with the booing of the manager's decisions or players, have we really been dragged down to the level of clubs like Wolves where the fans turn on the team at any opportunity. I seem to remember SSC being critisized for being too loyal to certain players at times but he was not treated with such derision.

The bottom line is that the starting 11 on Saturday, for whatever reason, was probably no better than the one that finished last season. Yes we should probably have spent more and brought in more quality during the windows but it didn't happen and we have the basis of a competetive squad for next year in the championship. I'm sure there will be departures ( Feds, McCarthy, Pearce, Guthrie, Pog, Roberts spring to mind ) but they will be replaced and we build again.

For one who stood on the terraces at Elm Park watching us struggle to beat Woking in an FA cup second replay getting wetter than I had ever been, or have been since, these are good times to be a Reading fan.

[maffff]

For one who stood on the terraces at Elm Park watching us struggle to beat Woking in an FA cup second replay getting wetter than I had ever been, or have been since, these are good times to be a Reading fan.

The future is exciting. Even if the short term feels a little at times

[Biscuit_Boy]

For one who stood on the terraces at Elm Park watching us struggle to beat Woking in an FA cup second replay getting wetter than I had ever been, or have been since, these are good times to be a Reading fan.

The future is exciting. Even if the short term feels a little at times

Would have to agree. However, the frustrating thing is that the staff at he club have made a very poor effort at the Premier League this season, especially telling us that lessons had learnt from our last relegation. Does anyone know what they were?

[maffff]

Would have to agree. However, the frustrating thing is that the staff of at he club have made a very poor effort at the Premier League this season, especially telling us that lessons had learnt from our last relegation. Does anyone know what the were?

The important thing for me is AZ learns from it this time around. Madejski's fingerprints are all over the club but his influence will hopefully wane once the club is completely Antons. That's already been eluded to in a few of the Madejski interviews about the "reading way" going but he doesn't want to see that whilst he's at the club. Sounds like there are conflicted priorities at the top.

[Wycombe Royal]

Can't fault the players for effort,

Are you serious? The period of passing that Villa did leading up to their second goal was just ridiculous. We made very little effort to close them down and get a tackle in. We were just more intent on sitting back and hoping they made a mistake. It was Wigan all over again.

I can;t fault their effort second half but it was too late then, the amage had been done. Villa's defence was pretty rubbish as we showed with our early pressure and again in the second half, so why we didn't keep up the tempo in the first half and keep pressing then I just don't understand.

[BR2]

Can't fault the players for effort,

Are you serious? The period of passing that Villa did leading up to their second goal was just ridiculous. We made very little effort to close them down and get a tackle in. We were just more intent on sitting back and hoping they made a mistake. It was Wigan all over again.

I can;t fault their effort second half but it was too late then, the amage had been done. Villa's defence was pretty rubbish as we showed with our early pressure and again in the second half, so why we didn't keep up the tempo in the first half and keep pressing then I just don't understand.

Good to see somebody else recognising that the effort is not as great as the managers and players think it is.

[melonhead]

Glad to see a few posts having a go at the fans yesterday - what an absolute shower of thick pcunts you are.

Yes things weren't really coming off for Jobi yesterday but the guy never ever gives up and for all the abuse he created two goals (one disallowed). The guy captained the club to a wholly unexpected and brilliant Championship last season and he gets that in return?

And Leigertwood? The same people who chaired him off the pitch after the Forest match last year now go to games actively looking to criticise him (and Jobi). They're just waiting to leap on the first mistake either of them make. Mind blowing.

For anyone who wasn't at the game, let me tell you got rightly bollocked after the second Villa goal - Hope Akpan. Just stood around doing nothing and failed to follow the world's most obvious run which allowed them a free cross. He might be a good player in the future but he's far too raw at this level and it was fair enough to take him off the pitch.

And why is Guthrie such a saviour all of a sudden? The bloke's played better than everyone else for, oh, 45mins all season - on the occasions when he's actually bothered to turn to a game, of course. And yet you sing this guy's praises at the expense of people who played out of their skin to get us to the Prem in the first place.

Oh and Blackman - he actually played pretty well when he came on. Yes he should've done better with his header but overall his touch and movement were good. No worse than Noel Hunt.

HRK probably our MOTM but more than anything I just wanted to say that I actively dislike Reading supporters as a whole. Maybe other sets of fans are as bad but yesterday was fukking ridiculous.

Having steeled myself to trawl through the usual shite of the BFTG thread with contributions from those that aren't actually back from the game, I can only concur with everything Mags has said above.

its a oxf*rd great post.
100% spot on

[Wycombe Royal]

Can't fault the players for effort,

Are you serious? The period of passing that Villa did leading up to their second goal was just ridiculous. We made very little effort to close them down and get a tackle in. We were just more intent on sitting back and hoping they made a mistake. It was Wigan all over again.

I can;t fault their effort second half but it was too late then, the amage had been done. Villa's defence was pretty rubbish as we showed with our early pressure and again in the second half, so why we didn't keep up the tempo in the first half and keep pressing then I just don't understand.

Good to see somebody else recognising that the effort is not as great as the managers and players think it is.

Unfortuntely my opinion doesn't count for much though.

[melonhead]

He refuses to point the finger of blame ay anyone or accept its burden for himself and the board are silent, so who can the fans blame?

apart from in at least two interviews ive seen of him where he says he accepts the abuse, and the responsibility for it,

[melonhead]

i think the fans have got confused. yes it was bitterly frustrating, yes the result was about as bad as it could be, and yes it is another nail in our coffin which even now is being lowered into the grave.
but it wasnt a terrible performance.
for the most part we dealt with them brilliantly, and fashioned quite a few decent chances, and with a bit more luck would have at least got a 2-2 draw.
just two periods of defensive abomination, full of individual errors lost us that game, not the tactics, formation or team selection.
and i thought the subs worked pretty well. blackman in particular did well, mc;eary played well, and the change of mcanuff into the middle had a positive impact.


worse than the performance, result and consequences of it was having to listen to the shocking abuse of two players who never stop working, are probably our two most consistent and experienced midfielders, and have achieved miracles for us in the past.

[loyalroyal4life]

Lol at anyone who thinks Harte should be in the team instead of Shorey!!

LOL at anyone who thinks having Shorey in will make any difference at all at left back

Not sure how many games you have watched this season, very evident it would make a difference, for one you won't catch shorey being tripped up by himself like a helpless donkey!

[BR2]

i think the fans have got confused. yes it was bitterly frustrating, yes the result was about as bad as it could be, and yes it is another nail in our coffin which even now is being lowered into the grave.
but it wasnt a terrible performance.
for the most part we dealt with them brilliantly, and fashioned quite a few decent chances, and with a bit more luck would have at least got a 2-2 draw.
just two periods of defensive abomination, full of individual errors lost us that game, not the tactics, formation or team selection.
and i thought the subs worked pretty well. blackman in particular did well, mc;eary played well, and the change of mcanuff into the middle had a positive impact.


worse than the performance, result and consequences of it was having to listen to the shocking abuse of two players who never stop working, are probably our two most consistent and experienced midfielders, and have achieved miracles for us in the past.

Maybe not a terrible performance but once again not a good enough performance against a club in the bottom 4 and we were at home.
It was also known to be a Must-win" game but we didn't.
You sound a bit like Brian when you talk of a couple of defensive mistakes and with a bit of luck it could have been 2-2.
Villa might argue that following their "unlucky" own goal and the dreadful misses by Weimann and Nzogbia they might,with a bit of luck ,have won 5-0 especially having so much more possession.

As for the booing some of you lot are too sensitive for your own good.
This was mild stuff-it is what happens at professional football and always has done.
If you don't like it go and follow netball.
BTW I read a report that Port Vale,who are 2nd in Div2,were booed off at half-time on Saturday-it happens,get over it.

[melonhead]

i think the fans have got confused. yes it was bitterly frustrating, yes the result was about as bad as it could be, and yes it is another nail in our coffin which even now is being lowered into the grave.
but it wasnt a terrible performance.
for the most part we dealt with them brilliantly, and fashioned quite a few decent chances, and with a bit more luck would have at least got a 2-2 draw.
just two periods of defensive abomination, full of individual errors lost us that game, not the tactics, formation or team selection.
and i thought the subs worked pretty well. blackman in particular did well, mc;eary played well, and the change of mcanuff into the middle had a positive impact.


worse than the performance, result and consequences of it was having to listen to the shocking abuse of two players who never stop working, are probably our two most consistent and experienced midfielders, and have achieved miracles for us in the past.

Maybe not a terrible performance but once again not a good enough performance against a club in the bottom 4 and we were at home.
It was also known to be a Must-win" game but we didn't.
You sound a bit like Brian when you talk of a couple of defensive mistakes and with a bit of luck it could have been 2-2.
Villa might argue that following their "unlucky" own goal and the dreadful misses by Weimann and Nzogbia they might,with a bit of luck ,have won 5-0 especially having so much more possession.

As for the booing some of you lot are too sensitive for your own good.
This was mild stuff-it is what happens at professional football and always has done.
If you don't like it go and follow netball.
BTW I read a report that Port Vale,who are 2nd in Div2,were booed off at half-time on Saturday-it happens,get over it.

never said you didnt have the right to boo
already said it was frustrating, and shit, and probably means we are down

just pretty sure it will only have a negative effect on our players, and a positive one on theirs, and isnt going to help matters in any way for us trying to win a game of football, so in that respect im just not sure its what we need

[Ian Royal]

Even then, I still wouldn't start him.

I'd go so far as to say he looks so out of his depth starting that it might be enough to put Premiership teams off him in the summer.

I wouldn't start Alf or Noel Hunt either. Most suited striker we have this point of time in terms of raw attributes is Blackman He;s not good enough either. Our transfer policy this year has been bloody awful.

I want to see Hal in the most advanced midfield position, Blackman to start up front. Mcleary and Mcanuff out wide.

The other 3 midfielders have to be Akpan, Guthrie and Leigertwood. It still won't be good enough to keep us up but it will be more solid.

You're not helping yourself by naming a four man three man midfield.

[MouldyRoyal]

I actively tried to crawl inside my seat at the reaction to the subs. Brings a whole new meaning to cringe-worthy.

Feel most sorry for Hope Akpan who got booed off. Yes, it was that ML was staying on and he was going off but a young player only having played a couple of games for us leaves the pitch to boos, that's going to hurt his confidence.

[LoyalRoyal22]

i think the fans have got confused. yes it was bitterly frustrating, yes the result was about as bad as it could be, and yes it is another nail in our coffin which even now is being lowered into the grave.
but it wasnt a terrible performance.
for the most part we dealt with them brilliantly, and fashioned quite a few decent chances, and with a bit more luck would have at least got a 2-2 draw.
just two periods of defensive abomination, full of individual errors lost us that game, not the tactics, formation or team selection.
and i thought the subs worked pretty well. blackman in particular did well, mc;eary played well, and the change of mcanuff into the middle had a positive impact.


worse than the performance, result and consequences of it was having to listen to the shocking abuse of two players who never stop working, are probably our two most consistent and experienced midfielders, and have achieved miracles for us in the past.

I assume you mean Ledge has been consistantly poor all season yes?

He has been terrible for most of it, and Brian should have replaced him in either of the last 2 transfer windows

If he thinks Ledge and Harte are cut out for Premier League football then he needs to walk

[melonhead]

he hasnt been terrible for the whole season. hes been below the required standard for some of it