Back from the game

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

Stuck with the squad so change the f2ck'ing management. Even though that's also another post.

since when has a change of management given an automatic blueprint for success in recent years ??? Sheff Utd,Wolves,Southampton,Newcastle,Norwich,Charlton i could go on.....

[Sir Rodger Doyle]

They have better players than we do. As with virtually all games we play at this level, we have to perform well above average to simply compete. We do not have players of Premiership quality. Next time before we play have a little game of top trumps with the opposition players against our own. Which would you swap?

Carson V USA = Carson
Murty V Gardner = Gardner
Shorey V Bouma = Shorey
Sonko V Laursen = Laursen
Cisse V Davis = Davis
Harper V Coker = Coker
Matejovski V Barry = Barry
Hunt V Maloney = Hunt
Oster V Young = Young
Kitson V Carew = Carew
Doyle V Agbonlahor = Agbonlahor

2:1 loss not that bad really.

[bobby1413]

Anyone who still thinks "we''ll be ok and not get relegated" should visit their Doctor asap imho

I think it's OK for me to have that opinion as I don't have a season ticket, and haven't been to a game since Fulham away. So I am choosing to bury my head in the sand, and go along the lines of - we played really well, but narrowly lost out.

We'll be ok though.

[Daniella]

Big LOL@ all the people who suggested " second season syndrome". Its just a myth, We're reading we're not going down.

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

I guess "disappointing" would be an understatement.

First half, woeful. Second half, a bit more passion and commitment, lots of huff and puff, lots of possession. No guile, cunning, skill, speed.

I refer Nobbers to my post of a couple of weeks ago. There is just no slickness of pass, no-one available. We're just too bl00dy ponderous.

And we are now a long ball team. Leroy is going to love that against 'Boro.

Sonko and Cisse? Who? Where?

Not good. Villa won at a canter - but could easily have thrown away two points.

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

Big LOL@ all the people who suggested " second season syndrome". Its just a myth, We're reading we're not going down.

its never really been a question of second season syndrome, we over achieved massively last season and are currently in a situation which a majority of fans would have expected having got promoted.Whilst i agree that in some ways we have not gone forward or continued to improve our playing staff, this alone isnt enough to suggest that second season syndrome has come into play, its a lazy journalistic term.

[Platypuss]

"The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

And you don't even need to be Einstein to work that one out, Steve.

[Platypuss]

Big LOL@ all the people who suggested " second season syndrome". Its just a myth, We're reading we're not going down.

its never really been a question of second season syndrome, we over achieved massively last season and are currently in a situation which a majority of fans would have expected having got promoted.

And how is that different from the previous cases of Wigan and Ipswich etc in the past?

The first season of overachievement is the very reason we do get "SSS".

[topfuller]

"The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

And you don't even need to be Einstein to work that one out, Steve.

Post of the day so far !!

[frimleygreen_shotspur]

feed the goat......

[readingbedding]

Football is a game of mistakes, this season we have made lots of mistakes, Coppell has to work out how his team makes less mistakes.

It's going to be tight, but I am still optimistic that we'll stay up.
In fact, I have a great feeling about Boro away.

[readingbedding]

Football is a game of mistakes, this season we have made lots of mistakes, Coppell has to work out how his team makes less mistakes.

It's going to be tight, but I am still optimistic that we'll stay up.
In fact, I have a great feeling about Boro away.

I applaud you for having found such great optimism when there is absolutely nothing to inspire anyone with confidence.
But you are bound to be disappointed.

I don't think I'll be only person disappointed if we go down, just because I think we can get a result at Boro, or just because I think we can stay up.
Fans confidence in the team is low, that's what happens losing 8 games in a row, what is more important is that the players confidence in themselves must be turned around, it can happen next game.

Football is football.

Teams have turned it around before in the past when it looked like they were finished, and some of them were in worse positions than ourselves.

[RoyalBlue]

Well before Xmas Coppell admitted that he had perhaps been too loyal to his existing players and that as they weren't getting the results he would have to make some changes. Did he the stick by what he said? Did he ****!

So the players he continued to be loyal to and pick week in, week out, continued to fail to get the results week in, week out, to the extent that they have now set a club record for successive defeats. After yesterday's game Coppell again says he has been too loyal and will make changes.

Will he? Or will the current failures remain in the team and extend our record of successive defeats?

MOTD2 pinned the blame for our current predicament firmly on our dreadful defence and analysed how badly the central defenders in particular played yesterday. So maybe the wholesale change SC really needs to make relates to the defensive coach.

[readingbedding]

Well before Xmas Coppell admitted that he had perhaps been too loyal to his existing players and that as they weren't getting the results he would have to make some changes. Did he the stick by what he said? Did he ****!

So the players he continued to be loyal to and pick week in, week out, continued to fail to get the results week in, week out, to the extent that they have now set a club record for successive defeats. After yesterday's game Coppell again says he has been too loyal and will make changes.

Will he? Or will the current failures remain in the team and extend our record of successive defeats?

MOTD2 pinned the blame for our current predicament firmly on our dreadful defence and analysed how badly the central defenders in particular played yesterday. So maybe the wholesale change SC really needs to make relates to the defensive coach.

We'll have to see.

[bigmike]

On that performance I think that the players should have their wages stopped... they had no tpassion or effort appart from maybe Hunt no one seemed to care.

[Schards#2]

On that performance I think that the players should have their wages stopped... they had no tpassion or effort appart from maybe Hunt no one seemed to care.

I really don't think that's fair.

God know there's an awful lot wrong at the moment but I don't think a lack of effort or commitment is one of them.

[Man Friday]

With the risk of being slated on here I though that kebe upped the pace and played ok, must start with him at least next week, Cisse not great today but why take him off for Ingi, and leave Sonko on he was truly awful today and looks slow cumbersome and a sending off waiting to happen.

Watch MoTD2.

[southbank1871]

Can't be bothered to read the who thread, so apologies if this has already been said.

Laursen and Davis can't have had many easier games than yesterday, with us constantly knocking long balls up to Kitson and Doyle which they easily dealt with in the air. The only way we were ever going to get any joy yesterday was by in getting behind their full backs, particularly their right-back who Hunt seemed to have the beating of, but we just didn't do this enough.

The fact is, the team just isn't good enough at the moment. I always thought that if we were ever in a position in the Premier League where the likes of John Oster were starting games, we'd be in big trouble and this has proved to be the case. Also, there's just no bite in centre midfield. Whereas we had Sidwell breaking up play and mopping up in front of the back four last season, Harper and Matejovsky (as composed on the ball as he often looks) are unable to do this.

I also can't understand what Kitson was doing yesterday when he kept dropping deep and onto the wing. The few times that Doyle managed to hold the ball up and get a cross in, Kitson was nowhere to be seen. Even when Shorey's shot was saved in the second half, Hunt was the only player in the box looking for the rebound.

Coppell talks about making wholesale changes, but sadly we don't have any real quality to bring in. I personally would give Lita another shot as he can't be any worse than what's happening at the moment. I'm pretty resigned to relegation now as I can't see where our next points are coming from. We need to pick up a really unlikely victory away at somewhere like Boro now to kick-start the season again.

[Royal Lady]

On that performance I think that the players should have their wages stopped... they had no tpassion or effort appart from maybe Hunt no one seemed to care.

I really don't think that's fair.

God know there's an awful lot wrong at the moment but I don't think a lack of effort or commitment is one of them.

Oh yeah? I give you Oster and Matejovsky. None of them looked like they wanted to be on the pitch.

Oh yeah? Matejovsky tried his best imho, I'll give you Oster though.

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

Shorey was terrible yesterday - even allowing for his goal at the death. He must practise his right foot more - he keeps getting into trouble because he won't risk kicking the ball with his right peg. Marek doesn't look like he's adjusted to the pace of the English game yet - got caught in position a couple of times when it looked like he expected to have more time to look for a pass. Kitson has looked really lethargic in the last 3 games - talk of an England call-up for him now sounds absolutely laughable.
Whilst I can understand some of the criticism of Murty here, I thought of the two full-backs yesterday he was the better of them.