RFC vs Derby - Result papers over some very serious cracks

[Crowthorne Royal]

What another horror show today....Those with RTG's will of course say we are 12th (or similar) and x places behind a UEFA spot, but that frankly is bollo*ks. Quite why we look so bad with the same players this year is puzzling. Not 1 player IMO today deserved the Reading shirt (maybe a bit harsh on Hunt) and that more than anything is what's missing for me.......NO DESIRE. Bad performances I can just about put up with, but we were gutless today and showed nowhere near enough appetite if we are to survive this season. How many times in midfield did the worst team in The Premiership just pick up loose ball and run 10-25 yards with it unchallenged? Far too many is the answer. I am a great fan of Coppell who has been superb for us, but you have to question how he could play the same 11 this week. He will of course say he was justified, but I'm sorry a 1-0 win against Derby is a poor result. Gunnarsson was AWOL again and the right hand side players Rosenior & Oster were pathetic. Our anticipation of where 50/50 balls may land and the winning of the 'second ball' were non existent. Doyle still looks off the pace and Kitson was poor today...I can't remember him winning 1 header all game. Duberry is not Prem' standard and I could go on. It's a long wait until January to bring in some desparately needed quality. Coppell also needs to be consistent, he talked about rewarding winners after Wigan....and then Pompey happens, then by definition he rewards losers!!
A win before a 2 week break is the only silver lining and that looks more like a streak of 'grey', like the skies that lay ahead of this poor current team.
NB - And by the way, Shorey.......could he get in to any international team on current form??!!

[Chaney]

Kitson poor? dear oh dear

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Not 1 player IMO today deserved the Reading shirt (maybe a bit harsh on Hunt) and that more than anything is what's missing for me.......NO DESIRE.

Oh behave mate. Kitson was quality again today in terms of holding up the ball and laying it off/turning his man.

And he and Doyle were looking better and better as a pair as the game went on

[Crowthorne Royal]

What did he contribute ?
Oh and by the way closing down a defender with his long legs about 6 times in 90 minutes doesn't constitute much of a contribution...

[Kevin Doyles Right Foot]

Confidence > Crap Play

[Alan Partridge]

What did he contribute ?
Oh and by the way closing down a defender with his long legs about 6 times in 90 minutes doesn't constitute much of a contribution...

A forward can only contribute as much as he is allowed to or as much as the midfield creates for them.

Sadly 2 of the 4 chances we created all day fell to Hunt.

[Hampshire Royal]

You being a bit harsh on Kitson, I thought he was good today. Doyle's goal was sheer class errrrrr.....Hahnemann didn't let in a single goal today (out of a total of zero shots on target).

I disagree that we only won against Derby. The point is that Derby will be at or near the bottom all season, and if we beat them it's a direct result against one of our rivals against relegation. In that respect, it is a far more important result than the result aginst Pompey. We ain't going to be competing with them for anything this year.

And we are 12th!! I know that a week of bad results after the break could see us in the relegation zone, but a win could see us in the top half. In other words it is far too early to start saying things must change dramatically. Our league position will change this season on almost a week by week basis. Unfortunately we will be bouncing between mid-table and relegation, unlike last season.

But we will stay up!!

[Dirk Gently]

In an interview on BBCRB just before 5 Kits said that Derby's rigid system meant that he wasn't able to track back for the ball as much as he liked, and the way they played meant he got very little of the ball. Only when they went to 4-4-2 was there more space for him, but by then Derby were pressing and we were forced to concentrate on defence.

How anyone who saw him chase down the keeping 5 minutes from the end and throw himself in the way can possible say :

Not 1 player IMO today deserved the Reading shirt (maybe a bit harsh on Hunt) and that more than anything is what's missing for me.......NO DESIRE

is beyond me!

[Royal Rother]

Things aren't clicking properly at the moment for sure and today was not great but I'm sorry CT, the fact that we are 12th and beating the teams we should be beating is hugely relevant and good enough for the moment.

Every team has its bad patch during a season - I think the last 6 has been ours yet we have won 2 of them. Not a bad start to the season in my eyes.

[Denver Royal]

The point is that Derby will be at or near the bottom all season, and if we beat them it's a direct result against one of our rivals against relegation. In that respect, it is a far more important result than the result aginst Pompey. We ain't going to be competing with them for anything this year.

I agree, although when we came up Pompey were one of the teams we would supposedly be able to compete with. It was the Top 4 that would be out of reach.

[Ian Royal]

Kitson showed he was class today in a team low on confidence. A team that put in a gritty but patchy performance and ground out a win. Two weeks to work on the problems, 3 points, Doyle scoring, a winger fit and Sonko and COnvey hoepfully ready to play by the next game.

Certainly looking a hell of a lot better than when we lost to West Ham.

[Ian Royal]

The point is that Derby will be at or near the bottom all season, and if we beat them it's a direct result against one of our rivals against relegation. In that respect, it is a far more important result than the result aginst Pompey. We ain't going to be competing with them for anything this year.

I agree, although when we came up Pompey were one of the teams we would supposedly be able to compete with. It was the Top 4 that would be out of reach.

I'm sorry but one extremely successful season does not mean we should be competeing in the top 10 year in year out.

[Geekins]

I'm sorry but one extremely successful season does not mean we should be competeing in the top 10 year in year out.

Really

UNITED UNITED UNITED! (sh!t sh!t sh!t)

[shadesrwrf]

Good grief.

[Jeffers217]

I think if we continue to play the same team we will get relegated no doubt. The annoying thing is just because we won Coppell will keep the same team and very few teams are going to find us a test. Coppell is superb burt I am really questioning his selection. How Duberry has held down his place is beyond me,Bikey is miles ahead of him. And how Murty has hed onto his place is also mesmorising, Rosenior needs to be right back and afraid to say Oster right wing. And get Gunnarsson out of the squad.

Derby were better than us today, if the strikers were given decent service, no doubt the rsult would have been different.

[Royal Rother]

Derby were better than us today, if the strikers were given decent service, no doubt the rsult would have been different.

Laugh or cry? Help me out here guys...

[Daniella]

Crap performance good result. Gunnarsson needs to be dropped, im sorry..he's terrible every week.
Derby were the worst side i've seen play at the madejski the last 3 years or so, they were appauling. No clue what to do in possesion, how to attack, or even how to defend properly. What makes it worse is the fact we struggled, huffed and puffed and barely beat them. I can see why they've been spanked more or less every away game this season.

Im happy for the 3 points but if we had been playing pompey again we'd of conceded another 7 today, we just look poor as a unit and as individuals.

[Alan Partridge]

I think if we continue to play the same team we will get relegated no doubt. The annoying thing is just because we won Coppell will keep the same team and very few teams are going to find us a test. Coppell is superb burt I am really questioning his selection. How Duberry has held down his place is beyond me,Bikey is miles ahead of him. And how Murty has hed onto his place is also mesmorising, Rosenior needs to be right back and afraid to say Oster right wing. And get Gunnarsson out of the squad.

Derby were better than us today, if the strikers were given decent service, no doubt the rsult would have been different.

This is a terrible post tbh.

Murty - lucky to stay in the side, played very well today.
rosenior - has done absolutely nothing to warrant starting in any position.
Oster - LOL
Duberry - Ok he shanked a few balls out of play in the first half, watch the game again without 'De La Cruzitis' ** and you'll see he had an excellent game and didn't lose a single header or challenge in 93mins. To say Bikey is MILES better than him is absolutely False.
Bryn- for me isn't good enough at the minute, but fae is the only other option and Coppell doesn't thik he's up to it, which sort of questions the signing in the first place.

Oh and we won 1-0, that's 1-0 and Derby didn't have a shot on target or create a proper chance all day. So our defenders today must have been shit.

Anyone thinking Derby were the better side today isn't worth talking to.

** DeLaCruzitis

an amazing thing actually. It's where Reading fans decide that players are rubbish before they've actually seen them play. These players then can NEVER do anything right and are the first players that get criticised even though they've done well. Ulises or *Useless* appararantly was the innovator of these phenemenon.

[Denver Royal]

Derby were better than us today

And thats who we now compare ourselves to...the bottom club and by far the worst team in this division...Derby. The Pompey's of this world are now out of our reach, apparantly. We can't compete.

Ian, do you disagree?

[Arch]

Setting aside the abomination of the West Ham game, we're doing the job at home. No one's saying we're playing well, but we're grafting points despite playing badly. However, we're going top have to find a way to get some points away and I don't feel a lot of confidence about that against any opposition.