Back from the game (an armchair view)

[cmonurz]

Very, very disappointed. Disjointed, aimless, a real lack of wingplay (oh for the days of Forster and Murty bombing down the right), an almost non-existent midfield until Marek came on, and one of Taylor and Jaidi's easiest days at the office. On this form, Burnley are going to hammer us.

Hahnemann - what can I say? Has rarely let Reading down in 7 (?) seasons at the club, but that was a howler - 5.
Rosenior - continues to look like a very good footballer, comfortable on the ball, but often aimless with his passing; suffers for having Kebe in front of him - 6.
Bikey - nearly Reading's MOTM, despite losing Phillips for their second goal. So, so comfortable, all game, and looks a genuine option in midfield, given his ability on the ball - 7.
Duberry - My MOTM, an absolute rock; I didn't rate him when he joined, but if we go up, this man deserves a place in our Premier League team - 8.
Harding - little to fault him on what could be his only home game for Reading. Good pace, fairly physical, put himself about and won his fair share of tackles. Offered little going forward - 6.
SHunt - he makes me angry. Unbothered, lazy, and makes Shane Long's first touch look half-decent. The worst set of set-pieces I have ever seen from a winger - 4.
Karacan - one of his worst games for Reading, he was anonymous, and pulled out of a few tackles - 4.
Tabb - poor first half, improved in the second with Marek alongside him, and put in his fair share of work; not afraid to put his foot in - 6.
Kebe - useless, looked little like a footballer; did he put in a cross? No first touch, can't control the ball while he runs. Can we get Henry back? - 4.
Kitson - what a complete waste of space; do we keep him for the playoffs? Don't bother, ship him out and save some cash. Didn't get involved at all, hardly won a header, no attacking threat, looked completely disinterested - 3.
Long - some good, mostly bad, no first touch, wasted a few good opportunities, not one of his better efforts - 5.

Subs:
Marek - changed our midfield when he came on with a slightly ridiculous performance; at times he looked like the best midfielder in the world, other times like a conference player. Has to play against Burnley - 7.
Doyle - anonymous - 5.

[Royalee]

Duberry - My MOTM, an absolute rock; I didn't rate him when he joined, but if we go up, this man deserves a place in our Premier League team - 8.

I take it you shut your eyes when he lost Phillips completely for the winner then? Sandstone maybe.

[cmonurz]

Duberry - My MOTM, an absolute rock; I didn't rate him when he joined, but if we go up, this man deserves a place in our Premier League team - 8.

I take it you shut your eyes when he lost Phillips completely for the winner then? Sandstone maybe.

My first thoughts too, but when I watched the replay, I think it's Bikey who has him, and then drops off of him. I guess they were both at fault. Still our best player today, imho.

[Royalee]

For someone with so much 'experience' his reading of the game and marking is awful. He's average at Championship level, to say he's good enough to play in a Premiership side week in week out is madness.

[wolsey]

Duberry - My MOTM, an absolute rock; I didn't rate him when he joined, but if we go up, this man deserves a place in our Premier League team - 8.

I take it you shut your eyes when he lost Phillips completely for the winner then? Sandstone maybe.

My first thoughts too, but when I watched the replay, I think it's Bikey who has him, and then drops off of him. I guess they were both at fault. Still our best player today, imho.

Are you sure? Royalee is very rarely wrong (at least in his own eyes)

My thoughts?

Midfield feeble - a pairing of Gunnarson and Harper (ok he was not available) would not have been as bullied as we were today.

Doobs MOM. Bikey showed what a player he could have been with us - if we go don't go up he's off.

Kitson tried to make up deficincies of midfield by dropping too deep too often leaving Long isolated up front.

Got to feel sorry for marcus - not too many times in his career that he has let us down.

Their 2nd goal and our goal were probably offside.

Phillips should have been sent off for his challenge on Shunt (who I thought was bordering on ok).

Harding looked ok, rosenior and Kebe had their all too often Headless Chicken routine.

Didn't expect to go up today, disappointed on performance, but still (mindlessly) optimistic for play offs.

I'll be at Turf Moor on Saturday - will you Royalee?

[Royalee]

No, I will be watching the game on TV and crossing it off leaving one game left before Coppell leaves and I can begin to enjoy my weekends again.

[floyd__streete]

Unremitingly average.

I'd have hoped that Marcus Hahnemann's gut was big enough for him to at least smother the ball for the first goal. Jimmy Kebe really is criminally poor 98% of the time and he looks almost as disinterested as Dave Kitson throughout. Steve Coppell can take his usual slice of the credit today for being too slow to make changes; Doyle and Marek should have been on at half time, instead he wasted ten minutes of the second half.

[shoey]

doobs was rubbish today, bikey was very good.

most the lads were just a lil bit below average, birmingham had a bit more flair, which gave them the edge

i feel happy as i didnt expect us to win, although i really wanted it, and roll on the play offs, i dnt expect to go up thrpugh them but anything can happen,

What ever happens il be back next season, and i feel our future is mid championship, and thats fine by me
( i have seen us in worse places) with the teams who will have more money next season( qpr, ipswich) and the top teams coming down( newcastle-boro)

il also miss lita, I do hope SC will stay and rebuild as he has been our best manager ever and I feel he is the man to rebuild, if he leaves I will be first to thank him

I would maybe want ade bothroyd as manager, or maybe murts could step up if he retires and isnt fit enough.

[howser]

USA 5--------Of all the days to "cock-up"
Rosey 6-------A good game, solid, but nothing spectacular going forward
Bikey 7-------Very confident on the ball, looked solid and for once didn't dawdle about like he has been known to
Doobs 7------Very solid in the air, hell knows what happened for thier second goal though
Harding 6----Has really surprised me, looks ok
Hunt 5-------Again, aimless and poor in all aspects of his game, should have gone in January
Tabb 5-------Never knew why we got him, was he on in the second half ? done nothing to change my opinion on that today
Karacan 5----Sadly for a young lad who has done well this season, the game just passed him by
Kebe 5-------Done nothing, lost the ball regularly created nothing
Kitson 5------Hard to mark the forwards, they had nothing to work with from the inept midfield trying to supply them
Long 5--------Like Kitson, absolutely no service

Marek 7-------Scored and looked ok
Doyle 5-------Not even a shadow of his former self, very very average should have gone in January as well

[koran]

Only saw it on the box but ....

Our first touch was dreadful from nearly all the players, particularly in the first half

We were winning next to nothing in the air but continued to play hoof-ball

Marek must play!!

Very frustrating, very disappointing. we were beaten by the better team today!

[Royalee]

Unremitingly average.

I'd have hoped that Marcus Hahnemann's gut was big enough for him to at least smother the ball for the first goal. Jimmy Kebe really is criminally poor 98% of the time and he looks almost as disinterested as Dave Kitson throughout. Steve Coppell can take his usual slice of the credit today for being too slow to make changes; Doyle and Marek should have been on at half time, instead he wasted ten minutes of the second half.

...And he took the wrong central midfielder off.

[wolsey]

No, I will be watching the game on TV and crossing it off leaving one game left before Coppell leaves and I can begin to enjoy my weekends again.

oxf*rd.

And what happens when the new man doesn't do exactly what you think is needed?

You really do have a problem - your need to be proven right is quite scary - were you bullied as a child and/or do you suffer from an overbearing influence (probably paternal) who doesn't give you the credit that you believe you deserve?

When was the last time you wore your heart on your sleeve as far as RFC are concerned? When was the last time you enjoyed reminiscing about RFC?

[floyd__streete]

We were winning next to nothing in the air but continued to play hoof-ball

Very frustrating, very disappointing. we were beaten by the better team today!

I think that the biggest cheek is Coppell grumbling about the pitch; as if we ever really get the ball on the deck for a sustained period!

[PieEater]

I thought both their goals were offside, what did the replays show on TV?

For the first, Jerome unsighted the keeper (and therefore gained and advantage from being in an offside position).

[Royalee]

No, I will be watching the game on TV and crossing it off leaving one game left before Coppell leaves and I can begin to enjoy my weekends again.

oxf*rd.

And what happens when the new man doesn't do exactly what you think is needed?

You really do have a problem - your need to be proven right is quite scary - were you bullied as a child and/or do you suffer from an overbearing influence (probably paternal) who doesn't give you the credit that you believe you deserve?

When was the last time you wore your heart on your sleeve as far as RFC are concerned? When was the last time you enjoyed reminiscing about RFC?

LOL, I wasn't the one naming a thread after posters telling them how wrong they are about everything for it to hilariously backfire - some of you lot do it to yourselves.

As for the reminiscing, probably around the time we last had a decent winger - over two years ago by my estimations.

[Harry Carry]

Reading were a bag of sh1te.

[Royalee]

I thought both their goals were offside, what did the replays show on TV?

For the first, Jerome unsighted the keeper (and therefore gained and advantage from being in an offside position).

Long was playing everyone on for the first - which is ironic given the amount of times he gets caught offside at the other end. Duberry played Phillips on and allowed him to score with ease for the second, using his experience.

[Schards#2]

Not even a game of this magnitude can inspire Reading to produce beyond the usual dismal home performance.

Hahnemann - 4 Woeful error and usual terrible distribution
Rosenior - 4 This man is rubbish
Bikey - 7
Duberry - 6
Harding -6
Kebe - 3 an embarrasement
Karacen - 4 worst performance for the club
Tabb - 6
Hunt - 2 why does this waste of space get a game?
Kitson - 6 dropped too deep as per
Long - 5

Matejovsky - 8 Head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch
Doyle - 5

Hard to be optimistic for the playoffs against an in form Burnley

[wolsey]

No, I will be watching the game on TV and crossing it off leaving one game left before Coppell leaves and I can begin to enjoy my weekends again.

oxf*rd.

And what happens when the new man doesn't do exactly what you think is needed?

You really do have a problem - your need to be proven right is quite scary - were you bullied as a child and/or do you suffer from an overbearing influence (probably paternal) who doesn't give you the credit that you believe you deserve?

When was the last time you wore your heart on your sleeve as far as RFC are concerned? When was the last time you enjoyed reminiscing about RFC?

LOL, I wasn't the one naming a thread after posters telling them how wrong they are about everything for it to hilariously backfire - some of you lot do it to yourselves.

As for the reminiscing, probably around the time we last had a decent winger - over two years ago by my estimations.

So you find our failure to secure promotion as "hilarious"?

I rest my case.

Get some therapy.

[Royalee]

No no, I'm rather disgusted that a few hundred idiots decided to protest last summer and hold the club back for at least a year - I've just grown used to it now and find it amusing that those same idiots can't stand up and admit that they got it wrong. Let's get one thing very clear though, I'm not taking any pleasure in watching the turgid football being served up week by week as Steve Coppell and his team of jaded coaches slowly continue to oversee the decay of all the progress made 3 years ago whilst doing absolutely nothing about it.