by Ian Royal » 11 Jan 2009 19:50
by bcubed » 11 Jan 2009 20:36
Ian Royal Under certain circumstances that's correct Brendy, defending corners and freekicks near our area. In normal play, it's utter bollocks.
Or he wouldn't have spent a fair amount of time infront of me in the first half, (Y25) sometimes challenging for the ball and sometimes doing sweet FA to help the defence.
by Ian Royal » 11 Jan 2009 20:43
bcubedIan Royal Under certain circumstances that's correct Brendy, defending corners and freekicks near our area. In normal play, it's utter bollocks.
Or he wouldn't have spent a fair amount of time infront of me in the first half, (Y25) sometimes challenging for the ball and sometimes doing sweet FA to help the defence.
I think you are being generous here IR
I watched out for him the whole game and saw someone who can't face the thought of a tackle and avoided them at all costs
I like him and think he adds loads to the team but he leaves us short in midfield beacuse of his lack of tackling
by JC » 11 Jan 2009 20:54
Mr Angry We won easily despite never getting out of 1st gear in the first half, and never out of 2nd gear in the 2nd half.
Watford - in common with so many teams in this Division - play pretty passing football with zero cutting edge. They also looked leggy in the last half hour - a result of having the majority of their first team play for 90 mins against Scunthorpe last week possibly? Interesting to note that NHunt commented after the game how much he needed the rest he got last week, whilst SHunt seemed to have more energy than recently as well....
At the end of the season this weekend might be looked at as being significant; we have pulled away from the team in third (who have another game to re-arrange) and are putting pressure on Wolves, who themselves have at least 1 more game to play before they play us (and whose defence look very susceptible to crosses played into their penalty area!). We have the momentum and I think Coppell knows what his starting 11 will be from now till the end of the season barring injuries/suspensions, which means that the central midfield debate is over, with Coppell favouring the Harps/Cisse partnership.
46 points and 43 goals in 19 games - is the 100/100 possible I wonder!
by eleventh earl of mar » 11 Jan 2009 22:45
JCMr Angry We won easily despite never getting out of 1st gear in the first half, and never out of 2nd gear in the 2nd half.
Watford - in common with so many teams in this Division - play pretty passing football with zero cutting edge. They also looked leggy in the last half hour - a result of having the majority of their first team play for 90 mins against Scunthorpe last week possibly? Interesting to note that NHunt commented after the game how much he needed the rest he got last week, whilst SHunt seemed to have more energy than recently as well....
At the end of the season this weekend might be looked at as being significant; we have pulled away from the team in third (who have another game to re-arrange) and are putting pressure on Wolves, who themselves have at least 1 more game to play before they play us (and whose defence look very susceptible to crosses played into their penalty area!). We have the momentum and I think Coppell knows what his starting 11 will be from now till the end of the season barring injuries/suspensions, which means that the central midfield debate is over, with Coppell favouring the Harps/Cisse partnership.
46 points and 43 goals in 19 games - is the 100/100 possible I wonder!
Don't forget that Wolves play Brum in the cup on Tuesday this week as well.
by Woodcote Royal » 12 Jan 2009 04:12
Ian Royal I thought that was a pretty typical Reading performance tbh.
We attacked hard and fast down the wings and created a shed full of chances and half chances, but the other team had the majority of possession. I couldn't understand people getting frustrated in the second half when we were 3-0 up and Watford had the ball in our half. They were never getting anywhere with it. We defend in numbers around our box and wait for the other team to cock up. It works pretty well. When we tend to conceed it's when we're hit quickly and the midfield haven't had time to join in the siege defence.
I thought that was a very exciting and inspiring game personally. And 4-0 didn't flatter us in the least. Watford are a team in trouble, and once we get our nose ahead against a team like that our entire style of play is such that we'll punish them. And punish them hard.
Federici:- 7 Not a lot to do, covered his posts well whenever Watford shot wide and his distribution was great, best for any Reading 'keeper I've ever seen. He came and claimed well at crosses and corners to. We've got a player with great potential there IMO.
Rosenior:- 7 Did everything he had to closing down crosses, tackling and going forward. Had Kebe not been so calmost totally incapable of producing a final ball, or releasing the ball before he ran into a defender I think he'd have done even better.
Armstrong:- 7 Solid, did everything you could ask and scored.
Ingimarsson:- 7 Again, solid. Had a nice shot at some point in the second half as well.
Duberry:- 7 A few mistakes here and there, but like a brick wall in general. These two aren't right for against a counter-attacking team with pace, but Watford despite their individual speed, seemed incapable of attacking quickly enough to cause problems.
Harper:- 7 Very good game. Whenever a defender stepped up to make a challenge, or was caught out of position, we still had a back 4, because Harper had read the danger early and dropped seamlessly back into their place. Awful tackle in the second half, but keep the ball moving well when we had it, and made several good attacking passes, including the assist for Lita.
Cisse:- 7 Didn't see as much of Cisse as I did of Harper, but then I always enjoying looking out for Harps. Tackled fairly well, and bar some occasionally awful passing did fairly well. Borke forward and had a decent shot at one point too.
Kebe:- 6 Player with great potential, but almost incapable of TRYING to play a final ball, let alone succeeding. Got an assist for NHunt, but that was only really a case of penalty area pinball, and the defender got almost as much on it as Kebe, from the replay. Causes problems, but needs to stop trying to "beat man repeatedly" and just get the ball in the box.
SHunt:- 8 Worked hard and created a lot, was all over the pitch. How anyone would be happy to see him go is beyond me. Crossed for both Doyle's goal and NHunt's. Could have had at least one himself as well. Did everything you could possibly ask of him.
NHunt:- 6 Did ok. Nothing spectacular, but didn't need to. Was a little anonymous, but scored a well taken goal. 6 is probably a little harsh.
Doyle:- 10 One hell of a striker. Works unbelievable hard, can bring the ball down and control it better than any Reading striker I've ever seen, and in very little space. Tireless and is massively important to our team. Terrifys defenders and rightly so.
Long:- 6 but not far from a 5. Didn't do a lot, except be petulant and run fast.
Lita:- 6 Did nothing apart from lose the ball, and give away nothing freekicks (probably more to do with the ref). That is apart from miss with a header when noone was within at least 5 yards of him. AWFUL. Made up for it with a well taken goal. I'll give him my full support during a game. But unless that goal spurs some sort of change in him. I'm not happy he's at the club.
Gunnarsson: - 6 Came on, kept the game from changing. Did well, nothing spectacular.
Very very pleased.
Oh and well done to the Watford fans for their support. Ours was pretty poor. But frankly, I don't give a damn.
by Hoop Blah » 12 Jan 2009 09:13
Woodcote Royal Only Reading fans could pick serious holes in a 4-0 victory, especially on a dire surface that made close control very hit and miss and led to many misplaced passes and several miss-kicks from both sides.
by Hoop Blah » 12 Jan 2009 09:25
by Nick Shorey my Lord! » 12 Jan 2009 09:38
readingbeddingNick Shorey my Lord! I'm surprised by the "we didn't deserve to win 4-0" comments because I thought we did. The second half performance was a good throw back to the 05/06 days where we bossed it. Our pass and move play, especially down the wings was much improved. Cisse did a great job in the middle and made up for Harpers usual non-existance.
I really like NHunt, he never stops running and has some great hold up play. I thought he took his goal well.
A big LOL @ Lita, it's the only time I've booed (in my head) when one of our players scored. The chest banging, I mean come on. Give it a break and oxf*rd off. His miss about five minutes before his goal was top draw; open goal, no challenge, easy header, puts it well wide.
That's nice.
by winchester_royal » 12 Jan 2009 09:41
Hoop Blah Watford looked the better side for long periods whilst we huffed and puffed a bit and created a couple of half chances.
by Royal Rother » 12 Jan 2009 09:45
by loyalroyal4life » 12 Jan 2009 09:49
winchester_royalHoop Blah Watford looked the better side for long periods whilst we huffed and puffed a bit and created a couple of half chances.
I can only assume that you are basing this on the pretty passing football that Watford were playing. At the end of the day they played 5 in midfield therefore they should expect the majority of the possession, but they created feck all, and that seems to be a pattern in this division.
by Hoop Blah » 12 Jan 2009 10:13
by papereyes » 12 Jan 2009 10:16
This season certainly isnt the same as 05-06 where WE had majority of possession and WE walked 90% of games.
by OLLIE KEARNS » 12 Jan 2009 10:21
by Negative_Jeff » 12 Jan 2009 10:41
OLLIE KEARNS The more useful stat would be possession in the final third of the pitch. The way we play means that a high proportion of our possession is in the opposition final third. The way many visitors (including Watford) play means that they have very little.
4-5-1 will win the possession stats but it won't win many football matches.
by Hoop Blah » 12 Jan 2009 10:44
Negative_JeffOLLIE KEARNS The more useful stat would be possession in the final third of the pitch. The way we play means that a high proportion of our possession is in the opposition final third. The way many visitors (including Watford) play means that they have very little.
4-5-1 will win the possession stats but it won't win many football matches.
Pardew managed to win lots of games with 4-5-1 in 2003 so it can be done. I have rarely seen a front player influence the strategy of the entire team in the way Forster did that season. The injury at Molineux in the play offs killed us.
by OLLIE KEARNS » 12 Jan 2009 10:55
by Maguire » 12 Jan 2009 10:58
by Woodcote Royal » 12 Jan 2009 11:05
Negative_JeffOLLIE KEARNS The more useful stat would be possession in the final third of the pitch. The way we play means that a high proportion of our possession is in the opposition final third. The way many visitors (including Watford) play means that they have very little.
4-5-1 will win the possession stats but it won't win many football matches.
Pardew managed to win lots of games with 4-5-1 in 2003 so it can be done. I have rarely seen a front player influence the strategy of the entire team in the way Forster did that season. The injury at Molineux in the play offs killed us.
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