BFTG - Luton

[NewCorkSeth]

Coming off the bench really doesn’t seem to suit Meite tbh. As said many times, he needs a run in the side

I think I’d rather Joao over him on the bench most of the time

I'm half with you there. Part of me thinks Meite has everything needed to be good off the bench. Hes fast, strong and desperate to score.

[URZZZZ]

I can see Meite going in January at this rate. He hasn’t looked anywhere near as happy as last season and I think a big reason is Barrow leaving

[Royal Monkey]

Made it down for this one , a fantastic team performance against one of the worst sides I have seen in a long time. As others have mentioned Swift and Richards were outstanding.
I left Nottinghamshire at 3am straight after a night shift to come down to Reading. I left Reading at 7pm to go home I’m am currently sat on the A34 just b4 the Abingdon turn off and it’s 10.20 pm been sat here nearly 3 hours cos of accident shutting the road and I’m still about 140 mile from home!!! I left my house over 29 hours ago all I can say is I’m bloody glad it was a good game

Was sat in that jam as well for 4 hours and I was only 5 minutes from home!

Yeah same 4 hours before it started moving got home at 2am!

[Royal Monkey]

Add me to the Swift love-in.
On days like that you can see how much players with classy backgrounds like Swift and Ejaria enjoy playing together as they are so aware of where each other is on the pitch.
A very good performance on a day when fans were bound to get wet at some stage and I feel for Royal Monkey and his ludicrously long day-have been there in the past but it is bearable because of the win and how we played..

As this board is for honesty as well as giving praise (and yesterday was praiseworthy) I would just like to add a couple of things.
Puscas is clearly lacking confidence (what a shame the header didn't go in where he did the right thing by heading the ball back in the direction it came) and really should have taken on the shot early on in the game from the edge of the area especially in view of the conditions.
The other thing was that he messed up twice by bringing the ball back onto his right foot and losing possession when he should have had a go with his left foot.
His effort can't be faulted and we all like a trier.

Looking at Richards, he has such a brilliant touch for a full-back but whereas he looks quite quick he was outpaced a couple of times when defending.
His overall defending and timing of tackles has got better as he matures I think this apparent like of pace may stop him going higher in the game but I badly want him to do well and I suppose players like Rose and Chilwell aren't that quick when defending, nor was Shorey so maybe he is quick enough to be a Premier League player.

BTW, the day was even better because I backed Morrison to be first goalscorer and to score at any time so, kushty.

Thanks Victor nothing will ever put me off supporting my team especially after 40 years and performances like that, onwards and upwards the future is bright don’t stop believing

[Ranty McRantface]

We were actually very good today against a side above us in the table, we made them look ordinary. Great goals and we could of had more, no last 20min hanging on, we dominated what looked like a relegation side.

I have to say Bowen had worked out how to play a 4-4-2 diamond and Luton had no answer. The weather and the wider pitch helped, they seemed to swarm players around the ball so there was always space out wide.

I bumped into some Luton fans in the pub (early leavers) who said they had lost by the odd goal but today just didn't turn up and were picked off.

4-4-2 with 3 centre backs and 2 wing backs?

Bowen has worked out how to get the best out of a very talented group of players. 5 - 3- 2 is working wonders for us and with almost all the players being able to play in a position best suited to their strengths. Long may it continue.

[UpThePrem]

Thought it was interesting that Howe was on the bench as Right back sub. With Bowen saying that those that work hard during training will get selected, does that mean that Gunter isn't training well or even interested? I don't think he's injured. Baldock and McCLeary are getting selected as they are supposed to be training well but why no Gunter?

[Stranded]

Thought it was interesting that Howe was on the bench as Right back sub. With Bowen saying that those that work hard during training will get selected, does that mean that Gunter isn't training well or even interested? I don't think he's injured. Baldock and McCLeary are getting selected as they are supposed to be training well but why no Gunter?

It's possible but also Gunter has the added problem of not really fitting into the way Bowen wants us to play. With Yiadom, Richards and Obita there are 3 full backs who could cover both flanks with Blackett and Howe in reserve meaning Gunter has to be better than all of those. It is arguable whether McCleary would have found his way back into the 18 if Joao and Boye were fit given that Bowen sees him as offering an option at No 10.

He clearly trained well enough to be offered the chance and has now taken it. I think Gunter might be waiting until 3rd Round day (at certainly near Xmas) and may well head off in Jan as his route back is much harder based on the form of those ahead of him.

[paultheroyal]

Great win, great performance, signs of decent continued atmosphere coming back to games. Great to see the players appearing united in celebration etc.

Maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something.

[muirinho]

Thought it was interesting that Howe was on the bench as Right back sub. With Bowen saying that those that work hard during training will get selected, does that mean that Gunter isn't training well or even interested? I don't think he's injured. Baldock and McCLeary are getting selected as they are supposed to be training well but why no Gunter?

It's possible but also Gunter has the added problem of not really fitting into the way Bowen wants us to play. With Yiadom, Richards and Obita there are 3 full backs who could cover both flanks with Blackett and Howe in reserve meaning Gunter has to be better than all of those. It is arguable whether McCleary would have found his way back into the 18 if Joao and Boye were fit given that Bowen sees him as offering an option at No 10.

He clearly trained well enough to be offered the chance and has now taken it. I think Gunter might be waiting until 3rd Round day (at certainly near Xmas) and may well head off in Jan as his route back is much harder based on the form of those ahead of him.

Would he even be played on 3rd Round Day? He'd then be cup-bound which would complicate his exit a bit.
I reckon his best chance of playing again for Reading is injury/suspension to Yids - Bowen might not want to risk Howe - i.e., he'd be happy for Howe or Rinomhota to see out a game in RB but wouldn't necessarily want either as starters.

[Lower West]

Thought it was interesting that Howe was on the bench as Right back sub. With Bowen saying that those that work hard during training will get selected, does that mean that Gunter isn't training well or even interested? I don't think he's injured. Baldock and McCLeary are getting selected as they are supposed to be training well but why no Gunter?

Howe would only have come on if Yiadom had incurred an injury. Just being involved in the match day routine is good experience. Some way off being first choice.

[Forbury Lion]

Swift is not the player Stam bought, he is certainly not the player of the last two seasons. In the last 2/3 games he’s played at the highest level and been effective, it’s like a new signing. And when he doesn’t work there’s Ejaria.... bit difficult for opposition to shutdown both of these players and not leave space elsewhere...

Maybe it's having Ejaria there that's spurred Swift on? Maybe it's just because the new manager has given him belief and freedom to play the way he is playing.

[Lower West]

Swift is not the player Stam bought, he is certainly not the player of the last two seasons. In the last 2/3 games he’s played at the highest level and been effective, it’s like a new signing. And when he doesn’t work there’s Ejaria.... bit difficult for opposition to shutdown both of these players and not leave space elsewhere...

Maybe it's having Ejaria there that's spurred Swift on? Maybe it's just because the new manager has given him belief and freedom to play the way he is playing.

Freedom may well account for the improved performances across the team. Play to strengths rather than coach a system. Rafael's distribution is actually very good when allowed to make his own decisions.

[Vision]

Thought it was interesting that Howe was on the bench as Right back sub. With Bowen saying that those that work hard during training will get selected, does that mean that Gunter isn't training well or even interested? I don't think he's injured. Baldock and McCLeary are getting selected as they are supposed to be training well but why no Gunter?

Howe would only have come on if Yiadom had incurred an injury. Just being involved in the match day routine is good experience. Some way off being first choice.

I think Howe has started the last 2 U-23 games too.

Bowen took over when we were in the relegation zone and has only 6 months to prove himself in a job he clearly wants permanently. Totally understandable that he can only focus on the here and now but I'd like to think that if it came down to simply a couple of games to cover injury/suspension then we'd give the youngster a chance to develop rather than someone who's out of contract at the end of the season and hasn't featured all year.

You've only got to go back a year on here to see people marking Omar Richards as not being up to it yet here we are in a situation where the same people questioned him being left out for a player who was considered one of our key players before a serious injury.

[Vision]

Swift is not the player Stam bought, he is certainly not the player of the last two seasons. In the last 2/3 games he’s played at the highest level and been effective, it’s like a new signing. And when he doesn’t work there’s Ejaria.... bit difficult for opposition to shutdown both of these players and not leave space elsewhere...

Maybe it's having Ejaria there that's spurred Swift on? Maybe it's just because the new manager has given him belief and freedom to play the way he is playing.

Freedom may well account for the improved performances across the team. Play to strengths rather than coach a system. Rafael's distribution is actually very good when allowed to make his own decisions.

I think one of the issues Gomes had in my view was that he seemed to micromanage the players to the point that they didn't seem able to work things out for themselves on the pitch. The Fulham game after Swift was sent off springs to mind. Bowen himself has admitted that he feels there have been times when he's bombarded the players with too much information.

Swift has been playing well all season, in general I think it's simply because he's playing injury free for the first time since he first joined us.

However he's stepped it up to a new level since Bowen took over and I think a few factors are in play. Firstly he has two forwards ahead with clever movement. Baldock is permanently on the move and Puscas is always looking to get in behind defenders. His best spell last season was when Oliveira was playing.

Also I don't think it's a coincidence that Miazga returning from injury and the Miazga/Morrison/Moore back 3 gives the midfield a bit more freedom to take risks . Miazga getting injured derailed the Gomes momentum. I suspect if you look at the PPG when those 3 start together as opposed to not then it will be a stark contrast.

I also think Bowen pulled off a masterstroke at QPR. He made a substitution which for a time meant Swift was our deepest lying midfielder and effectively told him he was good enough to run the game for us. He took a risk and put his trust in a player whose defensive workrate has often been questioned (unfairly in my opinion) at a crucial stage of the game.

A lot of talk was that Ejaria and Swift in the same midfield was a luxury but in reality with the preferred defensive trio back it's a no brainer really. We've still only had one away game under Bowen and we conceded twice so it remains to be seen whether it's going to be an issue on our travels but early signs are that we're going to be a real threat in most games.

[Hound]

yep agreed. Fair to say Swift was good pretty much all the time under Gomes last season, but has certainly stepped it up a level this year.

Fitness, confidence, correct system, Ejaria, responsibility? Its probably a bit of all of those things combined.

[Maneki Neko]

Swift is not the player Stam bought, he is certainly not the player of the last two seasons. In the last 2/3 games he’s played at the highest level and been effective, it’s like a new signing. And when he doesn’t work there’s Ejaria.... bit difficult for opposition to shutdown both of these players and not leave space elsewhere...

Maybe it's having Ejaria there that's spurred Swift on? Maybe it's just because the new manager has given him belief and freedom to play the way he is playing.

just having ejaria there means theres always an option who can recieve the ball and keep it under pressure. that makes swift less desperate/pressured when he gets the ball

[From Despair To Where?]

It's having the right players in the right set up that is helping Swift.

3 solid CBs and a DM, allow Yiadom and Obita/Richards to get forward without leaving us short handed at the back. In Baldock and Puscas we have two forwards who make the defence work and Ejaria always draws defenders to him because of his close control and ability to go past players.

So whether he's playing behind the forwards or dropping into a deeper role Swift has more options and more time and space and given time and space, he can pick a pass as well as anyone in this league.

It worked at times with Gomes but I do think having the solid defensive diamond of CB and DM who's job is to keep it tight defensively, play as a unit and feed uncomplicated balls quickly to the playmakers is key to making it all work.

We also seem to be decluttering the tactics and keeping it simple. As Bowen keeps saying, doing the simple, nasty stuff well and working hard wins us the right to play our game.

[Snowflake Royal]

Swift is not the player Stam bought, he is certainly not the player of the last two seasons. In the last 2/3 games he’s played at the highest level and been effective, it’s like a new signing. And when he doesn’t work there’s Ejaria.... bit difficult for opposition to shutdown both of these players and not leave space elsewhere...

Maybe it's having Ejaria there that's spurred Swift on? Maybe it's just because the new manager has given him belief and freedom to play the way he is playing.

just having ejaria there means theres always an option who can recieve the ball and keep it under pressure. that makes swift less desperate/pressured when he gets the ball

The entire teams shape and movement is better giving him multiple options. Rino is also really good at showing for passes. And now Yiadom and Richards/ Obita aren't pushed right up to the full back they're more open to receive a pass too. Then there's the afore mentioned Ejaria, Puscas and Baldock.

But Swift's decision making has come on leaps and bounds. He's doing the right things in the right areas, on and off the ball. He wasn't before IMO.

The difference a well drilled, happy, team that is told to attack at pace makes is astonishing.

Bowen is making this management lark look a piece of piss.

[URZZZZ]

Maybe it's having Ejaria there that's spurred Swift on? Maybe it's just because the new manager has given him belief and freedom to play the way he is playing.

just having ejaria there means theres always an option who can recieve the ball and keep it under pressure. that makes swift less desperate/pressured when he gets the ball

But Swift's decision making has come on leaps and bounds. He's doing the right things in the right areas, on and off the ball. He wasn't before IMO.

His injury in 2016 ruined him for a long time. He was playing so well before then and he couldn't reach the same standards after, meaning he ended up trying too hard to impress. His performances in the three PO games were pitiful too which wouldn't have helped. He needs to keep working hard to maintain the same standards

[Hound]

Yes - and then had the recurring hamstring injuries the season after

That was a horror season for him tbh. Just handed a big 5 year deal, team playing crap, and clueless medical staff not having a clue how to treat it. Think he basically said in the end it just sorted itself out - all a bit weird