RFC vs Derby - Result papers over some very serious cracks

[londinium]

Message for Blue_Elm who felt he had to create a new thread that has rightly been locked....

You are a TOTAL PLANK.

If you think Derby could have been 4 up by half time I think you was watching the wrong game.

If you said that Reading could and should have been leading 4-0 by half time then it would make sense.

2 decent Hunt chances, 1 decent header from Doyle, 2 penalty shouts of which one was so blatant I almost laughed that it wasnt given.

IDIOT

[Wycombe Royal]

Would you rather have Koumas on the wing, or Leroy Rosenoir?

Koumas prefers central midfield and is also left footed.

So, still infinitely better than our right wing options, then?

What is it with you and Koumas!? We were in no position to buy him when we needed a right winger. He may be marginly better than Oster and Seol, but thats hardly going to improve the team a great deal so why waste lots of money on a guy who is barely better than what we have. Oh and I say again, he;d already gone elsewhere.

Are you his freaking mother or something?

Just an example of a player we could have realistically signed, but ended up at a club of similar stature to ours.

Considering our total absence of a right winger in our team I don't think it is stupid.

Just a point of view Ian, no need to aggravate your ulcer about it FFS. Chill out

Yes I am his mum

This a comment from Wigan fan on the excellent Jason Koumas:

Instead of spending in quality we are forced to bring in the likes of Koumas who is finally starting to show his true colours - three times he gave the ball away today and three times it lead to a United goal. Not ONCE did he even attempt to track back and win the ball back.

That is what £6m gets you.

[RobRoyal]

Just a question.

If last season hadn't happened and this was our first in the Premier Division, would those people ringing their hands in dismay now, actually be commending us on our fine start to the season.?

Absolutely. And to put it in context, we're ahead of all this season's promoted teams (with pundits generally agreeing that Sunderland, at least, will be fine...)

Oddly, not that many people outside Reading fans themselves particularly think we're in trouble. With the bookies, for instance, we're between 100/30 and 6/1 for relegation, which puts 7 teams more likely to go down (everyone currently below us, minus Spurs).

Even Lawro reckons we'll be ok.

[brendywendy]

Message for Blue_Elm who felt he had to create a new thread that has rightly been locked....

You are a TOTAL PLANK.

If you think Derby could have been 4 up by half time I think you was watching the wrong game.

If you said that Reading could and should have been leading 4-0 by half time then it would make sense.

2 decent Hunt chances, 1 decent header from Doyle, 2 penalty shouts of which one was so blatant I almost laughed that it wasnt given.

IDIOT

i thought that

was gutted it got locked so i couldnt give him a piece of whats left of my mind

[SpaceCruiser]

Message for Blue_Elm who felt he had to create a new thread that has rightly been locked....

You are a TOTAL PLANK.

If you think Derby could have been 4 up by half time I think you was watching the wrong game.

If you said that Reading could and should have been leading 4-0 by half time then it would make sense.

2 decent Hunt chances, 1 decent header from Doyle, 2 penalty shouts of which one was so blatant I almost laughed that it wasnt given.

IDIOT

i thought that

was gutted it got locked so i couldnt give him a piece of whats left of my mind

And that I didn't get a chance to point out that he should have used "have" instead of "of" in his thread title!

[Yorkshire Royal]

Er.. we weren't that bad... Just low on confidence and a non existent midfield. But are people remembering the last season with RTG on.. We weren't amazing all the time. Not everyweek was a 6-0 win...

Although despite not being to down about yesterday (if Hunt was any good, he would have had at least 1 goal to his name from the match), and Kitson is pure class, but I cannot fathom why Coppell played that team. He has always been about "not changing a winning team", which gives your reserve players a steady message. However to play the same team that lost 7-4 just suggests to our reserves that they are never going to get a game. What exactly was Gunnarson picked for?

[Dirk Gently]

What exactly was Gunnarson picked for?

To not completely destroy his confidence and to make him playable in future games when needed.

And for SC to show he won't follow the crowd.

[Huntley & Palmer]

What exactly was Gunnarson picked for?

His heading ability at set pieces

[Royal Rother]

Blue Elm is that fan of Atomic Kitten isn't he? He's always been hard to take seriously so I wouldn't do so now.

[sheshnu]

Keep music snobbery off the Team board

[BR2]

There's no way Reading put out their best 11 players yesterday but the team is still ticking over and picking up important points against the likes of Derby. I'm hoping that once the starting 11 contains more of the best players at the club we'll start to see a few more positive results, and fingers crossed that'll be sooner rather than later.

Still, 3 points away from the top half ain't too bad considering the stuttering start..!

Not too sure who "more of the best players at the club" are.
I can only think of Sonko and we have to pray that he returns as good as he was.
Little? Is he likely to play this season?
Convey? Unproven at this level and seemingly prone to niggly injuries.
Have I missed somebody?

This is going to be a long slog at least until January when we are due to bring in a number of new players (as presumably will the likes of Derby,Birmingham and so on).
We have 3 decent strikers and have to make sure that we get the best out of them rather than playing Wimbledon football where they have to chase everything and try to make their own chances.They should be able to rely on decent chances being created by crosses from out wide and by interpassing through central midfield.
Reading players,the idea is to try to keep the ball rather than welly it away as soon as you get it.
As leading coaches have often said in the past,treat the ball as precious,make it belong to you and do your best not to let opponents get anywhere near it-if you keep the ball more not only does it deprive the opposition from creating anything but it improves your own chances.

So Marcus,Duberry,Ivar et al don't let the opposition have the ball so easily without earning it-simple really.

[Top Flight]

The Derby result buys us some more time.

Obviously we are not as convincing as last year. Obviously we are weaker than we were last year and obviously there are problems.

Coppell knows exactly what the problems are and he will attempt to rectify those in January.

It is pretty pointless having these ridiculous threads after every game between now and January.

Everybody knows that there are issues that need to be sorted out. Coppell knows himself and has already admitted that we have shortcomings.

We have 2 gaping holes in our midfield that is leaving the defence more exposed and vulnerable to opposition attacks and that same lack of quality in midfield since Sidwells departure and Little's injury problems have taken away a certain edge in our attacking play which is creating less chances for the likes of Doyler, Lita & Kitson which is then leading to in my opinion unjustified criticism of our defenders and strikers who are quite frankly not doing anything different to last year.

Only in January can Coppell solve those problems. So what is the point discussing the same issues after every game. We've already thrashed this one out after the Wigan game.

The result doesn't paper over the cracks. Everyone knows that there are cracks. Most importantly Coppell knows. He will sort it out when the transfer window allows.

As long as we can keep picking up the odd result between now and January to keep us clear of the drop, that buys us time. If we can be above the drop come January then we can hopefully strengthen, pull away and march to safety. That is the most we can expect from this season. Losing a player like Sidwell was always going to be a setback and it will take us some time to recover to where we were before his departure. Making things even harder is that so many other clubs have invested considerably and moved ahead.

[RoyalBlue]

What exactly was Gunnarson picked for?

His heading ability at set pieces

In which case Shorey and Rosenior need to improve their delivery from set pieces!

I've lost count of how many freekicks we were awarded to us within 30 yards of the Derby goal. All were wasted. One of the players mentioned that they were having double training sessions ever since the Portsmouth fiasco. This may be true but they certainly can't have been practising set pieces in our favour!

Everybody knows that there are issues that need to be sorted out. Coppell knows himself and has already admitted that we have shortcomings.

Only in January can Coppell solve those problems. So what is the point discussing the same issues after every game. We've already thrashed this one out after the Wigan game.

The result doesn't paper over the cracks. Everyone knows that there are cracks. Most importantly Coppell knows. He will sort it out when the transfer window allows.

Some of the problems can and must be sorted out now. For example our wage structure. We need to pay sensible PL wages if we really wish to compete and survive at the top level. If we don't, not only will SC stand little chance of attracting all of the players we need come January but our existing squad are likely to be pretty peed off knowing that they are paid well below those they are expected to compete against week in week out and also knowing that a good number of them could move elsewhere for better money.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Message for Blue_Elm who felt he had to create a new thread that has rightly been locked....

You are a TOTAL PLANK.

If you think Derby could have been 4 up by half time I think you was watching the wrong game.

If you said that Reading could and should have been leading 4-0 by half time then it would make sense.

2 decent Hunt chances, 1 decent header from Doyle, 2 penalty shouts of which one was so blatant I almost laughed that it wasnt given.

IDIOT

4-0 to Derby at half time???!!! How on earth can anyone come to that opinion, they barely had 4 shots all game!

[Top Flight]

What exactly was Gunnarson picked for?

His heading ability at set pieces

In which case Shorey and Rosenior need to improve their delivery from set pieces!

I've lost count of how many freekicks we were awarded to us within 30 yards of the Derby goal. All were wasted. One of the players mentioned that they were having double training sessions ever since the Portsmouth fiasco. This may be true but they certainly can't have been practising set pieces in our favour!

Everybody knows that there are issues that need to be sorted out. Coppell knows himself and has already admitted that we have shortcomings.

Only in January can Coppell solve those problems. So what is the point discussing the same issues after every game. We've already thrashed this one out after the Wigan game.

The result doesn't paper over the cracks. Everyone knows that there are cracks. Most importantly Coppell knows. He will sort it out when the transfer window allows.

Some of the problems can and must be sorted out now. For example our wage structure. We need to pay sensible PL wages if we really wish to compete and survive at the top level. If we don't, not only will SC stand little chance of attracting all of the players we need come January but our existing squad are likely to be pretty peed off knowing that they are paid well below those they are expected to compete against week in week out and also knowing that a good number of them could move elsewhere for better money.

Of course.

[retro royal]

After reading the first few pages of this thread the only things that I would like to see in the coming weeks is

Hunt CM with Harper
Convey on the left
Try Henry on the right

It's got to be worth a go at blackburn, not expecting to get anything there

[Royal Rother]

Who to play behind Henry on the right?

[Denver Royal]

Just a question.

If last season hadn't happened and this was our first in the Premier Division, would those people ringing their hands in dismay now, actually be commending us on our fine start to the season.?

I doubt it. It wouldn't have taken long for the pi$$ing and moaning to start in earnest. The 'Coppell out!' brigade would have been in full force by Xmas.

[RoyalBlue]

Just a question.

If last season hadn't happened and this was our first in the Premier Division, would those people ringing their hands in dismay now, actually be commending us on our fine start to the season.?

I doubt it. It wouldn't have taken long for the pi$$ing and moaning to start in earnest. The 'Coppell out!' brigade would have been in full force by Xmas.

I'm not sure they would have been moaning at Sir Steve. If we had started our first season (i.e 2006/07) in the manner we have this, I think the flack would have been justifiably aimed at the Chairman for hitting us with absolutely exhorbitant increases in season ticket prices (86% in the case of my family) to 'enable us to compete effectively at this level, whilst still maintaining a Championship wage structure.

People seem to have short memories and this year's freeze in season tickets appears to have pacified most, despite the fact the club should be considerably better off thanks to the increase in TV money coming into the PL.

[brendywendy]

Just a question.

If last season hadn't happened and this was our first in the Premier Division, would those people ringing their hands in dismay now, actually be commending us on our fine start to the season.?

I doubt it. It wouldn't have taken long for the pi$$ing and moaning to start in earnest. The 'Coppell out!' brigade would have been in full force by Xmas.

I'm not sure they would have been moaning at Sir Steve. If we had started our first season (i.e 2006/07) in the manner we have this, I think the flack would have been justifiably aimed at the Chairman for hitting us with absolutely exhorbitant increases in season ticket prices (86% in the case of my family) to 'enable us to compete effectively at this level, whilst still maintaining a Championship wage structure.

People seem to have short memories and this year's freeze in season tickets appears to have pacified most, despite the fact the club should be considerably better off thanks to the increase in TV money coming into the PL.

the increase in TV money we dont get till this year ?