Back from the game (an armchair view)

[North Somerset Royal]

Disappointed not to have converted more of the chances we created.
Should have gone in at half time ahead but lack of a centre forward playing up front cost us.

More than matched Brum, who really don't look anything at all which makes finishing below then frustrating.

We've exceeded expectations this season (except for those who revise their expectations on a weekly basis) although if we stay down it will be a harder division next season. The rebuilding process will be interesting whatever division we are in but at least if we don;t go up we will be competitive again next season.

Overall not a bad afternoon but not a great one. I look forward to the Wembley showdown against the Blades....

Obviously you did not go to the game and either your TV needs replacing or you need to go to specsavers. The fact is we hardly created anything and our defending was woeful. Even Coppell acknowledged that in the post match press conference

[Sun Tzu]

Obviously you did not go to the game and either your TV needs replacing or you need to go to specsavers. The fact is we hardly created anything and our defending was woeful. Even Coppell acknowledged that in the post match press conference

?????????

We had 3 balls played across the 6 yard box that required the slightest touch to get a goal, Kebe had a great chance following Bikey's cross field ball, Marek had a couple of decent shots in addition to his goal.....

And that's without the benefit of analysing the TV.

Our defending for the goals was poor but they created little else (bar the late shot that hit the post).

You seem to have acquired the intelligence levels of the locals in Bristol....

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Too many non performers for me today against Birmingham on such a big occasion.

Kebe and Hunt had no idea. Thye were unable to create or deliver a decent cross beteween them.

Harding at left back clueless and looked out of his depth.

Bikey one great 60 yard cross field ball to Kebe, ten other balls played to no player at all.

Kitson plays like a lost sheep all over the place except where he should be in the 6 yards box to poach and score goals.

Matejovsky was a substitute yet dominated the play when he game on. He should have started the game as the 30 minute shift he put in away at Norwich earlier in the week won the game for us there.

What next in the Burnley games - More of the same sh*t we have been treated to in 2009.

[sandman]

Frustrating.

A lot can and i'm sure will be said about the lack of quality from wide positions and set pices today. Also the way in which our 'tactics' completely cut our central midfield players out of the game and general lack of short passing must be questioned. However what appeared to be the greatest difference between the two sides was passion and cmmitment. Birmingham were fantastic at closing down from the first minute. Every time a Royal had the ball they were quickly surrounded by blue shirts who knew their jobs. Going forward the Blues were supporting one another by making runs to create space. We seemed the opposite. We let them have the ball, we never put men in the box, and often we played as individuals and not as a team.

The sound of the typical British football fan "where's the passion".
Do you really think they enjoy losing? We are trying to force things at the moment which is leading us to play stupid passes and lump the ball long. We need clear heads and footballing ability not blind passion.

[PEARCEY]

I have to say, Matejovsky was probably our best midfielder all game, and he was a substitute.
MUST start the play-offs.

Agree. We have to try and be creative in the play-offs.
My big worry is the second leg being at home. Not exactly advantageous given our current dire home form.

[PEARCEY]

Nope. Who the hell is GWinger?

Kitson. G for Ginger.

[SLAMMED]

Nope. Who the hell is GWinger?

Kitson. G for Ginger.

Oh. Was it too much trouble for him to write Kitson then?

[Sun Tzu]

Kitson isn't a winger though.

Not sure how the name works at all !

[Rex]

Whinger(!!)?

[PEARCEY]

Kitson isn't a winger though.

Not sure how the name works at all !

I think he meant whinger as in ginger whinger

[North Somerset Royal]

Obviously you did not go to the game and either your TV needs replacing or you need to go to specsavers. The fact is we hardly created anything and our defending was woeful. Even Coppell acknowledged that in the post match press conference

?????????

We had 3 balls played across the 6 yard box that required the slightest touch to get a goal, Kebe had a great chance following Bikey's cross field ball, Marek had a couple of decent shots in addition to his goal.....

And that's without the benefit of analysing the TV.

Our defending for the goals was poor but they created little else (bar the late shot that hit the post).

You seem to have acquired the intelligence levels of the locals in Bristol....

Its the cider dont you know

All I can say is that on my return journey I listened to Mick Gooding and Steve Coppell on BBCRB, then to TalkSport and when I got home to 606 with Spooney and you are the only person I have come across who actually thinks we were not totally outplayed.

[wichygbloke]

What a shambles....With absolutely nothing to lose(as the playoffs were in the bag) and possibly everyting to gain WHY the Oxf*rd didn't we throw evrything at the City goal? and why did the players wait til the last 20 mins before they actually decided to try and play?

As usual plenty of questions, but little in the way of answers.....Massively despondent about this team

[Royal Lady]

It was interesting hearing Coppell's views after the game, he was quite clearly annoyed at the lack of fight by some of the players.

[AthleticoSpizz]

It was interesting hearing Coppell's views after the game, he was quite clearly annoyed at the lack of fight by some of the players.

and by the amount of empty seats before the end of the game...I was quite annoyed with some of the posters on here....disgraceful..I wont name names

The last 15 or 20 minutes were some of our best

[lovetoscore]

First half was frankly dreadful-

We hardly created anything and the one decent chance was Rosenior crossing for Long who completely failed to attack the ball.

Our midfield especially wingers were just awful. We should have looked to attack a reasonable but unspectacular Brum from word go as we had nothing to lose but we just seemed clueless and could not string any passes together

Why did we seem to lack any urgency at all until suddenly at 2-0 down we had a real go?

Cops fair play to him actually made substitutions before it was too late and Marek was head and shoulders above any other Reading player.

My ratings

Usa-5- bad mistake for their first goal but nothing else wrong not much else to do
Rosenior-5-1 or 2 good crosses but lots of wayward passes
Harding-5-some dodgy ball control but plenty of effort
Bikey-6-solid but poor defending for their 2nd goal
Doobs-6-ditto
Karacan-4-barely noticed he was on the pitch
Tabb-5-a few tackles but completely outclassed by Brum
Shunt-5-poor touch and cant cross or pass
Kebe-5-ditto
Kitson-5-rarely got in the game
Long-5-seemed frightened to get in the 6 yard box and attack the ball-should have scored first half

Matejovsky-7-great goal and at least 1 other decent effort.some good and some bad passes
Doyle-5-anonymous

Pitch-6-didn't seem to cause Brum as many probs as it caused us and we should be used to it by now!!

Gonna have to play much better to scrape thru the playoffs!

[The whole year inn]

I dont draw much consolation from the fact that neither Wolves nor Brum deserve promotion either. They are both going to be lambs to the slaughter.

people said that about Hull and Stoke

[AthleticoSpizz]

Kitson-5-rarely got in the game

You silly billy

Downed at least twice by the Brum with head injuries, penalised by the pathetic ref Webb at least 3 times for winning challenges fairly.

at the end of most of our poorly skied passes

....and yet he rarely got into the game...

oh dear, is the calibre of "fan" that we have know?

[Mad Dog's Ghost]

... which sums up how depressingly poor we've been for the last four months.

Utterly dreading the play offs.

[parky]

At times today we were playing some good attacking football crosses from rosenoir across the box were good however we don't have a striker on the pitch doesn't want to be involved in build up play and just nod one in. Based upon other recent home performances I feel there were lots of positives to take from this game. I say roll on Burnley!

Oh and to the bloke in Y22 that kept criticising the referee and assistant I will keep to my word and give you my spare copy of the laws of the game for the Burnley home game.

[North Somerset Royal]

It was interesting hearing Coppell's views after the game, he was quite clearly annoyed at the lack of fight by some of the players.

Yes and his comments about players treating the ball like a hot potato were spot on.