BFTG - The Goon Show

[sandman]

A 451 where Guthrie is expected to do the work of the TWO defensive midfielders. Brilliant.

Guthrie is expected to do his job. Some of that will be defensive, most of it will be creative - when I've seen him I'm not sure he's done either.

Ok one last word.

He's also ex-Liverpool so not surprising that Cmonurz a Liverpool cult member is defending him. Criticise one of them or even make a joke at their expense and they are all over it

Now definitely done and I hope RFC take the same view in the Summer.

[floyd__streete]

What a dreadfully insipid performance which demonstrated the full spectrum of our ability and potential, with performances on the day ranging from 'ordinary' to 'pitiful'.

[paddy20]

Anybody think Taylor has been pretty poor? Makes routine saves but nothing exceptional that Feds or Macarthy can pull off.

[RockheadRumple]

Anybody think Taylor has been pretty poor? Makes routine saves but nothing exceptional that Feds or Macarthy can pull off.

Really should have at least touched Giroud's shot. I'm think McCarthy or Federici probably would have saved it.

[paultheroyal]

Anybody think Taylor has been pretty poor? Makes routine saves but nothing exceptional that Feds or Macarthy can pull off.

Yep agree and that will be his last game in a Reading shirt.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Seeing as he started this season as our third (maybe fourth) choice keeper, I find your analysis of his performances quite accurate Paddy.

[leon]

Seeing as he started this season as our third (maybe fourth) choice keeper, I find your analysis of his performances quite accurate Paddy.

chuckle

[savage 4 england]

I wish I was more surprised at the amount of rubbish being posted here about Guthrie/Shorey combining to lose possession 100 yards from goal being Guthrie setting up a tap in for Arsenal!

He also played an important pass to put McAnuff free to set up the goal. He also worked pretty hard in a ineffectual midfield that still, along with our back four, spends far too much time marking space and dropping deeper and deeper instead of closing teams down and stopping the opposition play.

Guthrie isn't the answer to everything we've got wrong this season and I've not read anyone say he is. He is a player that can perform reasonably well at this level in the right midfield, we've never put that right midfield together though and he's suffered perhaps more than others because of it.

Agreed.

[sandman]

Yet if it was McAnuff/Harte and Leigertwood they'd be criticise just as much if not more.

[Snowball]

So far Guthrie has been

1 An expensive failure

2 A disruptive influence lowering team morale


Far better to get rid in the summer and develop Akpan plus A N Other

[ManchesterRoyals]

Well QPR losing 3-0

[Skin]

3-1 now. Cosmic.

[CayeneMatt]

Yet if it was McAnuff/Harte and Leigertwood they'd be criticise just as much if not more.

Harte would've been flamed to death on here. For those of us there, we could see Shorey made no attempt to get back up field after the cock up with Guthrie. At least Guthrie made an attempt to get back although he was arguably more at fault. Or maybe it was Shorey's inability to read the game ....

It amazes me how many on here continue to give Shorey such an easy ride. He was simply shite on Saturday backing off continually, getting caught completely out of position time and time again, and at times get fleeced so badly he didn't even know where he was.

Leigertwood was comical, and so was Karacan to a lesser degree (negated by his effort), but Shorey continues to get judged by Harte's performance in the previous games and his apparent speed superiority (although slight) appears to be the single most important factor. He should be judged against how he plays against the opposition not the perception of his overall ability against the guy he replaces. Harte can offset his serious lack of pace, with a better reading of the game. Shorey doesn't seem to possess any reading ability.

Harte is shot. Shorey has gone downhill. We need a replaceement here for both of them next season.

And as for McAnuff, I actually thought he tried his heart out. He realised we were ineffective in the final third and at least kept wandering in field looking for variation. The pass to Pog being a key example.

[thirtyyarder]

A special mention has got to go to Samba.

At least after his performance no one will be talking about us anymore.

[ManchesterRoyals]

A special mention has got to go to Samba.

At least after his performance no one will be talking about us anymore.

Worth every penny lol

[Run Run Run Run Gilkesy]

The most impressive thing yesterday was the padded seats.

F@ck new players... I shall be writing to Mr Anton demanding he spend his hard earned cash on replacing every seat in the Mad Stad with beautiful cushioned ones so we can watch our 23 championship games next season in comfort.

Lovely stadium but dull, dull fans most of whom are there for a day out. Was warned about the lack of atmosphere but was still shocked. If that's what you have to become if you get to be a top 4 club then I wouldn't want that week in week out.

[Millsy]

That would be spot on if they were talking about someone like Karacan or Tabb or whoever else. Someone relatively modest, on relatively modest wages who just gets on does their job and plays of they're picked and doesn't if they're not.

The trouble is we're talking about a mouthy little so and so likely (I'm guessing) to be on significant wages, who believes he's better than all our other midfielders, has a divine right to play, has a strop and doesn't turn up to games that he's not starting in ( then blames his wife's SPD, stupid excuse, the second time) and has destroyed any team spirit as a result. THis attitude continued even after he was regularly picked by saying something like "well it's no surprise that as soon as I start playing we start doing well" for all to hear on BBC Radio Berkshire. If that's what he constantly chugging out, picked or not, imagine what he's doing to the dressing room.

This little oik really believes he's the bee's knees and is letting everyone know it at every opportunity whether he plays or not, either verbally or with stupid actions not turning up to games.

HE is obsessed with HIMSELF and leaves us no choice but to be respond. If he claims he's so frikking good then he has to be able to perform or it's only natural that we will comment on him.

He has brought this on himself. Don't make this out like a few obsessed people have decided to talk about him for no reason.

I sit on the fence on this btw. I think he's a dick, but I think he's a good player. Not amazing, just good. I can see both sides of the argument, but the argument has been brought on by him, and deserves to be had.

Normally, I would agree with you. In previous years we have had great team morale and a character such as Guthrie may well have been a threat to this. However, this season the team morale and man management has been a complete joke.

McDermott had busts up, (some real, some just rumoured) with numerous members of the squad. Also fringe players, such as Le Fondre and McCleary have spoken many times to the media about 1st team football, it was not just Guthrie. To blame Guthrie alone for the behaviour of the whole squad is unrealistic; was Guthrie's attitude to blame for the early season bust up with Federici and McDermott as well?
McDermott's favouritism of certain players was blatantly obvious, it pissed off many fans so it's unsurprising that it pissed off players.

Obviously Guthrie should have traveled to Sunderland, but if anybody truly thinks that him refusing to do so was the significant moment in our season then they were not watching very closely.
How about Pogrebynak's indiscipline forcing us to play almost half a match with ten men against Wigan, followed by a three match ban. Was this less destructive than Guthrie deciding not to sit on the bench?

It's been a shite season, if you want to blame people there are plenty more deserving targets than Guthrie. Even if you do think Guthrie is a pariah, chances are he'll be off in the summer, so seriously don't worry about it

Your point is basically reasonable, that Brian was at least partly to blame as evidenced by other possible bust ups and Guthrie wasn't the only one to behave badly. But the point is that what Guthrie did stands head and shoulders and several skyscrapers higher than anything anyone else has allegedly done. Others' actions were the background noise of irritated players thanks to poor performances, and *possibly* Brian not having full control. The only interviews I have heard with Alfie for example are full of respect for Brian's selection process, and if he did at some point complain then it certainly didn't leave a mark on me or most fans and it certainly doesnt even begin to compare to Guthrie's antics. Yes Feds didn't control his girlfriend but that's all water under th bridge. Pog losing it could've happened to anyone and he's been a model pro. Etc etc.. With respect I think those examples are scraping the bottom of the barrel to find vague similarities to try and water down Guthrie's behaviour, but I'm afraid there are none. Background noise only, which might have been dealt with a bit better yes, but still minimal background noise/rumour nevertheless.

Guthrie not travelling because he wasnt starting is several orders of magnitude worse, as evidenced by him agreeing to a fine and apologising. When Brian starts him and all seems to be well, he THEN goes on to make the bizarre statement on radio, effectively "we've only been winning because I'm in the team" having a blatant uncalled for nasty swipe at Brian for no reason. Then when he's dropped he doesn't travel again, with the pathetic excuse that his pregnant wife has some routine mild pregnancy pains, a complete excuse. Nothing any other player has done even comes close to his past actions, his persisting attitude and his repeated actions. A one off is acceptable, but persisting bad attitude over several months whether he's played or not is a little more serious. This is why he is talked about so much.

As I say though I think hes not a bad player and would like to see him start but I can't pretend to like him. On balance id like to see him as far from RFC as possible, unless he grows up over the summer and learns to STFU and just get his head down and play if Adkins wants him to. Oe more word out of him and he HAS to go.

[Sanguine]

So how many times should he be punished for not travelling? Seriously, your post reads like he murdered someone.

[soggy biscuit]

then blames his wife's SPD

If she wants to join the Social Democratic Party of Germany that is her right though I don't see how that affects his ability to kick a football

[Tommy Youlden's Ears]

Comment from a season ticket holding Gooner at work. 'Bloke behind me said; "They should never have sacked McDermott, he must have been a miracle worker to get 23 points with this lot"'.

He proceeded to explain that "You and QPR are definitely down, you should have gone for De Can...". He was loudly told to F off and not come back. I am now in Ostrich mode.

I feel sorry for my poor mother. In her 70s, she listens to Dellor every week, and I persuaded her weeks ago to come to the Southampton game - it was "Reading Time back then...the spring weather would have arrived...Saints looked beatable post Adkins...

Sorry mum.