BFTG - Arsenal

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Ian Royal
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Re: BFTG - Arsenal

by Ian Royal » 20 Apr 2015 18:10

Sanguine I'd agree to an extent that the subs did little or nothing to aid our cause.

Might have been me imagining it but it seemed that when Jem came on for Hal, Mackie started sitting deeper, and our attacking threat diminished - in fact our great spell after half-time seemed to last right the way up to that substitution, after which we looked tired very quickly, even with Jem's fresh legs.

But I don't really blame Clarke. He didn't have many cards to play on the bench. I'd have had Cox on sooner, but Pog worked admirably and Clarke probably thought we needed his presence up there.

Feds mistake was just one of those things. We weren't perfect but we were pretty damn good. Most important part of the summer is hanging on to Michael 'Bobby Moore' Hector.

This.

Live, I got the impression Mackie went out left from having been playing upfront, watching later on TV I think he dropped back and left a bit, but not quite into left back.

Once Mackie was no longer chasing everything from the front in the same way we disappeared until it was kitchen sink time. I don't think Clarke had great options off the bench, but I don't think he made good calls there either and did leave them late. But given he set us up perfectly against them to start with, I'm not going to hold it against him that I think he left us too tired in the middle and weakened our best outlet by moving Mackie.

I'd probably have brought Jem on for Chalobah as I thought he'd gone quiet and was looking the more leggy. I think I'd have probably left on Hal - because we didn't have an alternative - hence Jem for him, and pulled Pog for Cox or maybe Yak, because I thought he was also tiring more than the others.

Lets face it though, there's not much chance anything would have changed the eventual outcome.

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Re: BFTG - Arsenal

by No Fixed Abode » 20 Apr 2015 18:17

Five football fans were arrested at Reading’s FA Cup clash with Arsenal.

Metropolitan Police arrested two fans for on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs and one for possession of class B drugs.

Another fan was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated section five public order offence and another supporter was arrested on suspicion of aggravated bodily harm.

The police force has not revealed which clubs the supporters are linked to.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... ts-9082743

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Ian Royal
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Re: BFTG - Arsenal

by Ian Royal » 20 Apr 2015 18:22

I think we've got a quality spine to the team when all are fit, just lacking most the extremities.

...............Federici
.........Hector, Pearce
.......Williams, Karacan
McCleary..Mackie

Are as good as pretty much anything in this league.

Obita'll do fine at left back, but we need cover there.
Gunter's a weak spot, but with a solid midfield and Hector backing him up his athleticism should just about make up for his poor defending and lack of end product.
We're absolutely desperate for a left winger (or two) (what's that Jobi lad doing?)
And a goalscorer.

Cooper, Akpan, Kuhl, Tshibola, Norwood, Cox & Tanner round out most of the cover pretty well.

Although I don't think Clarke rates Cox and Blackman's contributions look numbered.

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Ian Royal
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Re: BFTG - Arsenal

by Ian Royal » 20 Apr 2015 18:24

No Fixed Abode Five football fans were arrested at Reading’s FA Cup clash with Arsenal.

Metropolitan Police arrested two fans for on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs and one for possession of class B drugs.

Another fan was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated section five public order offence and another supporter was arrested on suspicion of aggravated bodily harm.

The police force has not revealed which clubs the supporters are linked to.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... ts-9082743


I think I might recognise the racially aggravated s5 PO and aggravated bodily harm, if I saw photos. If the two are linked as I'm guessing they might be then the former deserved being on the receiving end of the latter.

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Re: BFTG - Arsenal

by Royalclapper » 20 Apr 2015 18:38

Have to say I found the game entertaining enough, apart from the obvious and perhaps inevitable deep wound of the goal that won it.

Funny as fcuk to see Giroud being sent on with deliberate instructions to "put himself about" as you would most relate this to some crude old skool type managers who are at opposite ends of the philosophy spectrum to a Wenger type. To think we reduced the technical coaching methods and refined skill they're renowned for to a "get stuck in" was par excellence.

It was also most amusing at times to see our players knocking Arsenal players down like skittles, then stealing the ball of them and looking dangerous in attack - they'd definitely not prepared for this happening and neither had I tbh.


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Ian Royal
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Re: BFTG - Arsenal

by Ian Royal » 20 Apr 2015 18:41

Royalclapper Have to say I found the game entertaining enough, apart from the obvious and perhaps inevitable deep wound of the goal that won it.

Funny as fcuk to see Giroud being sent on with deliberate instructions to "put himself about" as you would most relate this to some crude old skool type managers who are at opposite ends of the philosophy spectrum to a Wenger type. To think we reduced the technical coaching methods and refined skill they're renowned for to a "get stuck in" was par excellence.

It was also most amusing at times to see our players knocking Arsenal players down like skittles, then stealing the ball of them and looking dangerous in attack - they'd definitely not prepared for this happening and neither had I tbh.

They'd watched a lot of videos of us this season apparently, so I expect they anticipated a default kick off and 3-0 win as we failed to turn up.

Our intensity was orders of magnitude higher than normal. It was insane.

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Re: BFTG - Arsenal

by genome » 20 Apr 2015 18:49

A 13 pager. Pretty pleased with that.

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Re: BFTG - Arsenal

by Winston Smith » 20 Apr 2015 19:10

Ian Royal ...............Federici
.........Hector, Pearce
.......Williams, Karacan
McCleary..Mackie

Are as good as pretty much anything in this league.


Personally i disagree. I dont r8 Pearce at all and it is waaaaay too early to be saying these things about Hector. Karacan also needs to prove himself, though injuries have been unkind to him and there have been numerous signs he can be a very good player.

Federici, Williams, McCleary & Mackie yeah, but they have shown (Federici aside) that they can easily lack enthusiam and not perform well time after time.

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Re: BFTG - Arsenal

by howser » 20 Apr 2015 19:16

Wow back home to the land with men in skirts, what a weekend, fantastic to see the guys put on such a performance, hugely proud to be a Reading supporter after that amazing 120 minutes on Saturday. For sheer effort, passion and desire, everyone deserves 10 out of 10. But one player, for me, stood out even more than that was Michael Hector, much praised when he was up here at Aberdeen last season, this guy looks real class, his improvement this year has been outstanding, I fear however that his time at the Mad Stad is going to be short lived, the Prem clubs are going to be looking seriously at him now after that perfromance, a top player in the making.


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Re: BFTG - Arsenal

by bcubed » 20 Apr 2015 21:05

bcubed Had a fantastic day out as I thougt I would - many funny moments
Trying to get " Jamie Mackies having a party" started in the tube full of Arsenal fans, on the way to the game was a highlight

The game itself was much much better than I expected and to take such a strong team to extra time was a brilliant effort
In a game of many stars, Williams and Hector stood out and I lost count of how many times I shouted out well played Michael

The winning goal seemed to happen in unreal slow motion.

The anti climax was huge but curiously didn't seem to last long. It was more the next day when it sunk in just how close we had come and how we might not get there again and then how we would definitely have taken Villa!

Great day out, so proud but ultimately disappointed


Strangely I now feel an even greater sense of anti climax today - the what might have been, and the sense that the season is over ( I probably won't get to any more games) feels more pronounced
Or maybe it was just a shit day at work?

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Ian Royal
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Re: BFTG - Arsenal

by Ian Royal » 20 Apr 2015 21:12

Winston Smith
Ian Royal ...............Federici
.........Hector, Pearce
.......Williams, Karacan
McCleary..Mackie

Are as good as pretty much anything in this league.


Personally i disagree. I dont r8 Pearce at all and it is waaaaay too early to be saying these things about Hector. Karacan also needs to prove himself, though injuries have been unkind to him and there have been numerous signs he can be a very good player.

Federici, Williams, McCleary & Mackie yeah, but they have shown (Federici aside) that they can easily lack enthusiam and not perform well time after time.

Karacan, Pearce, Federici and Mackie have all played major parts in winning the league. Provided Jem can stay fit, that's all the proof anyone should need that they're as good as most at this level. I don't think any one of them has shown they lack enthusiasm. They may shown weaknesses in a flawed team or struggled to hit form after an injury, but that's a different thing entirely

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