Wednesday Match Thread (A) Sponsored by £30 Match Tickets

[paultheroyal]

I know this is all massively upsetting and after dominating the game it's gut wrenching to let in a 90th minute equaliser to another goal keeping howler, but I hope you can all take some solace in the fact that I cashed out after 79 mins and got £148 and I was lying about lumping half of it on 2-0.

Good night folks. URZ and all that.

Eat well

[Crowbar6753]

Sh_t happens, we'll get over it and Bond will become a better keeper for that error....gotta give Clarke at least 10 games until the table starts to tell the truth.

[Ouroboros]

Reading have good history with goalkeepers, Sal Bibbo gone and the donkey Beasant in and look what has happened.

The days of McCarthy, Federichi & USA seem light years ago.

Bond's goalkeeping >>>>> your understanding of units of space and time.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

The reason Clarke is somewhat to blame is one error cost us two points. There is always a chance of an individual error costing us a game. If you don't score enough goals in 90 minutes to mitigate against that error, you're gambling.

[strap]

Reading have good history with goalkeepers, Sal Bibbo gone and the donkey Beasant in and look what has happened.

The days of McCarthy, Federichi & USA seem light years ago.

If it ain't broke why fix it?

Because Ego Man can't abide previous regime's staff - in case they show him up to be what he actually is.

If I recall, Sir Steve Coppell made it very clear he worked with the staff that were in place when he arrived, and only gradually, (very gradually), made changes he thought approriate. This imposter clearly has no faith in anyone's ability other than his own.

Of course the season is only 4 games old, and once these new "wonder signings" are fit, and have the relevant permits in place etc, they may come good - Frankly I am not holding my breath.

I haven't mentioned the new 1st team coach who has ZERO experience, having been fast-tracked through his badges, together with the new keeping coach, (remind me again just how bad Sal Bibbo was as a keeping coach?), and then there's journeyman Mike Keen as another coach of some description - what is he to Reid??

I really hope Clarke makes me eats my words - but at the moment he reminds me far more of another failed Scottish manager of ours. Tommy Burns was also infamous doing an impression of a kid in a sweetshop around the time of transfer windows, just like the current Scottish manager of ours. I wonder how we would have fared had Adkins been given this kind of support from the then owners? Just saying, that's all.

[Ian Royal]

The only criticism of Clarke here is that we went 4-5-1 with 6 mins left to play. It invites them to have a go.

I think we're playing so much better than under Adkins but just need that win to push on.

You can't blame him for Bond dropping the ball. You can blame him for settling for 1-0 and not fielding a team capable of scoring more than one goal in a game.

1-0 is never safe.

[sandman]

Reading have good history with goalkeepers, Sal Bibbo gone and the donkey Beasant in and look what has happened.

The days of McCarthy, Federichi & USA seem light years ago.

If it ain't broke why fix it?

Because Ego Man can't abide previous regime's staff - in case they show him up to be what he actually is.

If I recall, Sir Steve Coppell made it very clear he worked with the staff that were in place when he arrived, and only gradually, (very gradually), made changes he thought approriate. This imposter clearly has no faith in anyone's ability other than his own.

Of course the season is only 4 games old, and once these new "wonder signings" are fit, and have the relevant permits in place etc, they may come good - Frankly I am not holding my breath.

I haven't mentioned the new 1st team coach who has ZERO experience, having been fast-tracked through his badges, together with the new keeping coach, (remind me again just how bad Sal Bibbo was as a keeping coach?), and then there's journeyman Mike Keen as another coach of some description - what is he to Reid??

I really hope Clarke makes me eats my words - but at the moment he reminds me far more of another failed Scottish manager of ours. Tommy Burns was also infamous doing an impression of a kid in a sweetshop around the time of transfer windows, just like the current Scottish manager of ours. I wonder how we would have fared had Adkins been given this kind of support from the then owners? Just saying, that's all.

[strap]

Played 4, won 1, lost 1, drew 2.
Get a Fukcing grip you moaning Bastards!

May we extrapolate that into a full season? That would be 57 points from 46 games - and a lower midtable if we are lucky.

Oh, and let's take away the LC win against lower league oppo shall we? That means we have 2 draws in 3 league games - or 2 points form 9, which equates to a massive 31 points over a 46 game league season.

Please tell me how many teams in a 24 team league have escaped relegation with 31 points in the 3 points for a win era?

[Ian Royal]

Played 4, won 1, lost 1, drew 2.
Get a Fukcing grip you moaning Bastards!

May we extrapolate that into a full season? That would be 57 points from 46 games - and a lower midtable if we are lucky.

Oh, and let's take away the LC win against lower league oppo shall we? That means we have 2 draws in 3 league games - or 2 points form 9, which equates to a massive 31 points over a 46 game league season.

Please tell me how many teams in a 24 team league have escaped relegation with 31 points in the 3 points for a win era?

Come on strapalicious, you damn well know 3 is not a big enough sample size to extrapolate from.

It's worrying that the first 3 games haven't shown a great many signs of there being anything different to last season, but fair's fair. Clarke's had his chance to work on the squad and now he deserves the time to prove if he's up to it or has failed miserably. By all means we can speculate and talk about the problems that appear clear to see, but lets hold on judgement until the League table actually has meaning.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

I'm bemused by the love for Clarke, in the same way I've never really got the hate for Adkins.

You don't score goals and you're one mistake away from disaster.

You can sign lots of good players, but if you can't organise them to play well together you're looking at the wrong end of the table.

Anyone is entitled to be optimistic - good luck to you in whichever way you persuade yourself that Clarke is better than Adkins or than things are OK - but there are no facts to support your view point.

[RoyallyFcuked]

Played 4, won 1, lost 1, drew 2.
Get a Fukcing grip you moaning Bastards!

May we extrapolate that into a full season? That would be 57 points from 46 games - and a lower midtable if we are lucky.

Oh, and let's take away the LC win against lower league oppo shall we? That means we have 2 draws in 3 league games - or 2 points form 9, which equates to a massive 31 points over a 46 game league season.

Please tell me how many teams in a 24 team league have escaped relegation with 31 points in the 3 points for a win era?

In another life though, we deservedly won 3-2 at Birmingham and Bond's mistake didn't happen and we won 1-0 tonight.

That would put us joint top on 7 points...

Not saying we have been outstanding so far, far from it. But, we have been unlucky and there are some signs of improvement.

Also agree with you on Adkins, it certainly wasn't all his fault. More the fact he had next to no money and a bunch of players who were either underperforming, over the hill or that were simply not good enough. He never got the chance to build his own team here, so we will never know.

Now its Clarke who has that chance and he has earned our backing, for the next few months at least.

[sandman]

Statistically no but you can't look with your eyes and not say, keeper aside, we don't look stronger in central defence and McShane looks to be a very good signing so far. Goal scoring is still a problem but his more attacking signings and, thanks to the "Reggae Boyz", our potentially most dangerous winger are not yet available to him.

He needs to start winning because, as Adkins might have said, "it is a results business" and personally I've had enough of taking positives from games we should have won.

As for the hate for Adkins, people don't like phonies, Adkins was a phony.

[Ian Royal]

Played 4, won 1, lost 1, drew 2.
Get a Fukcing grip you moaning Bastards!

May we extrapolate that into a full season? That would be 57 points from 46 games - and a lower midtable if we are lucky.

Oh, and let's take away the LC win against lower league oppo shall we? That means we have 2 draws in 3 league games - or 2 points form 9, which equates to a massive 31 points over a 46 game league season.

Please tell me how many teams in a 24 team league have escaped relegation with 31 points in the 3 points for a win era?

In another life though, we deservedly won 3-2 at Birmingham and Bond's mistake didn't happen and we won 1-0 tonight.

That would put us joint top on 7 points...

Not saying we have been outstanding so far, far from it. But, we have been unlucky and there are some signs of improvement.

Also agree with you on Adkins, it certainly wasn't all his fault. More the fact he had next to no money and a bunch of players who were either underperforming, over the hill or that were simply not good enough. He never got the chance to build his own team here, so we will never know.

Now its Clarke who has that chance and he has earned our backing, for the next few months at least.

Clarke deserves the chance at backing as all manager's do. I can't see how he's earnt anything at all though.

[Esteban]

Clarke's been backed to the hilt this summer. Futile to call for his head now. He's made us a lot stronger in defence and has attacking options on the way. Still time in the transfer window to improve the squad.

Meanwhile, Sa, Hector and Bond have made costly errors. You can argue that Clarke should have bought in a better keeper, but every manager makes dodgy signings.

If by December we're bang in trouble, he'll lose his job. We're not good enough to go up this season anyway, top 10 is our target.

[loyalroyal4life]

Clarke's been backed to the hilt this summer. Futile to call for his head now. He's made us a lot stronger in defence and has attacking options on the way. Still time in the transfer window to improve the squad.

Meanwhile, Sa, Hector and Bond have made costly errors. You can argue that Clarke should have bought in a better keeper, but every manager makes dodgy signings.

If by December we're bang in trouble, he'll lose his job. We're not good enough to go up this season anyway, top 10 is our target.

Not with a keeper who makes school boy errors, only issue for us we have just as big a liability on the bench! 2 points dropped for sure!

[paddy20]

Just waiting for Clarke's excuses again. If we'd had had a striker worth the name, we'd have been home free well before the clanger.

Oh well, "we take the point and move on" - tell me again how Clarke is SO different from Adkins??

Get a grip.

Can't blame Clarke for that. We were well worthy of a win.

Keeper howler. Striker and wingers are coming. We will get stronger.

^ this x 100

It's a howler. We of all clubs know it happens.

I just feel for the travelling support.

Time for Al Habsi?

[winchester_royal]

My word there's a lot of shite in the last couple of pages of this thread.

Anyway who was at the game tonight will tell you that it was the most controlled and disciplined away performance a Reading side has put together in a long time, that was punished by an individual error that a manager can do nothing about.

We also had a few chances to extend the lead so I'm not getting the no goals abuse being directed towards Clarke either.

We were unlucky tonight, lots of positives, and the wins will come once we get a smidgen of luck and some of our attacking players back to give more cutting edge.

[Lower West]

By God this team tests your mental fortitude , it's going to be a bloody long season , a goalie who couldn't catch a cold don't help ,he looked shite Saturday better learn quick or else

I'll be glad what the schools go back. The constant moaning on here is so boring....................

Still 43 games to go. Get a grip.

[scumbag]

Lots of positives.

[Ouroboros]

My word there's a lot of shite in the last couple of pages of this thread.

Anyway who was at the game tonight will tell you that it was the most controlled and disciplined away performance a Reading side has put together in a long time, that was punished by an individual error that a manager can do nothing about.

Well, our management of the game from 75 mins on revolved around making the ball go as far away as possible as quickly as possible, so let's say there's room for improvement.

We played well for 10 mins, Wednesday were awful for 90.

It would be churlish to criticise our best centre-mid for not also being our best winger but, god, please let's have an end to Williams on the right. He can't cross the ball. Nice finish though.

Tshibola was ok, but that's making allowances for his inexperience. He was generally tidy but put us into trouble on 2 or 3 occassions.

Taylor looked competent, I guess, without doing much more. Ferdinand and McShane looks a perfectly good pairing for this level.

So yeah, we did enough to win and Wednesday got away with a very poor showing. Bond though, FFS