Back From The Game - Nottm Forest

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Nice to see a Reading side keep the ball and play it out of defence on deck. That said, we went no where and you know what happens when games stay at 0-0 it takes one chance from the opposition and you loose the game, thanks FEDS for the save on 80 minutes.
If we stick with the 4-3-3 system and style of football played today we need more quality on the wings and in the middle to take the chances we could create.

Rodgers was happy with the performance and game referring to it as “Total Football”.

I am not sure what he was watching because I thought the game was “Totally Boring”.

[Royalee]

thoroughly enjoyed today's game, only thing missing was a goal, superb build up play if the opportunity was closed out we just knocked it around and started again, i will be intrgued to find out the possession stats!

RFC - 51%
Forest - 49%

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/MatchRe ... 15,00.html

NO SHOTS ON TARGET ACCORDING TO THAT!

Scott Davies had a shot on target saved second half and Church had a header saved in the first.

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

ROW Z royal wrote:

Good to see Henry not get a run-out.

Scott Davies is the new Sidwell, however

When Mateosky is fit Davies will be dropped from the side to add more creativity to the side.

[Royalee]

Not too sure about that.

[londinium]

A team of 11 James Harpers today... total sideways football but 25 yards further back... For once I am in the dull and unispiring camp.

All very good keeping the ball but you arent often going to score from 75 yards outs.

[winchester_royal]

Decent performance I thought. Kept the ball very well but up until the 60 minute mark we lacked tempo and urgency. Too often the midfield 3 would look to pass back rather than turn and go forward, which is why I believe Marek needs to come into the side when he is fit. Church was redundant up front but looked good out wide, when Long came on and injected much needed pace into the side.

In the last half hour we were fantastic, Karacan dictated the game, and had his best game in a reading shirt IMHO. Davies was good when driving at the Forest defence, and could do a good job on the wing when Marek gets back in. The only threat Forest offered was when they hoofed it up to Adebola, who we couldn't handle. Mills would have been useful there.

All in all, very encouraging, and this young side will only get better so a good day. Our control of the game was excellent, but we need a new striker to give us more of a cutting edge.

[londinium]

Well, how encouraging, we played them off the park at times and in pearce we will have one of the best centre backs ever to play at our club.

All we need is for a striker and for the ball NOT to drop to kebe in the box and we'll have a great season.

When did we actually play them off the park?.... we played sideways football with no end product and they had the best two chances of the game.

Normally I am so upbeat, but that display really didn't inspire me. Nobody can make that killer ball as they don't have the vision. Church made 2 or 3 great runs today that Marek, Gunner or even Harper would have picked out, we just chose to pass it sideways again.
If you are Arsenal you can do that for 90 minutes with 3 or 4 killer balls and a couple of goals. We are not Arsenal and that makes it so frustrating watching us pass the ball in our own half for 50%of the game.

[Deathy]

Really enjoyable 0-0. Good football, but we so desperatly need a striker to come in. Church's movement was very good, and Long looked nifty when he came on. Just that final third where we fell short.

LOLz at Forest fighting amongst themselves
LOLz at one of them throwing his shoe at Y26 and not getting it back.

HRK and Davies superb today!

S.Hunt not missed.

[Avon Royal]

The only threat Forest offered was when they hoofed it up to Adebola, who we couldn't handle.

Eh?????

[winchester_royal]

The only threat Forest offered was when they hoofed it up to Adebola, who we couldn't handle.

Eh?????

. Everytime they hit a long ball up to him he won it and they looked dangerous, the only times they ever did.

[Avon Royal]

Well, how encouraging, we played them off the park at times and in pearce we will have one of the best centre backs ever to play at our club.

All we need is for a striker and for the ball NOT to drop to kebe in the box and we'll have a great season.

When did we actually play them off the park?.... we played sideways football with no end product and they had the best two chances of the game.

Normally I am so upbeat, but that display really didn't inspire me. Nobody can make that killer ball as they don't have the vision. Church made 2 or 3 great runs today that Marek, Gunner or even Harper would have picked out, we just chose to pass it sideways again.
If you are Arsenal you can do that for 90 minutes with 3 or 4 killer balls and a couple of goals. We are not Arsenal and that makes it so frustrating watching us pass the ball in our own half for 50%of the game.

Are you on a wind-up or do you really know nothing about football?

[Avon Royal]

The only threat Forest offered was when they hoofed it up to Adebola, who we couldn't handle.

Eh?????

. Everytime they hit a long ball up to him he won it and they looked dangerous, the only times they ever did.

Compared to the Brizzle City home game last year he was pretty tame.

[Snowball]

I LOVED the game. Thought first half was excellent and my only worry was that Church
seemed out of the game, bullied and "not quite up to it" (I only mean for that first 45)
Once he finally was seen doing a run and he go through. Not sure he has sufficient
meat on his bones yet.

HRK looks like he will be a big strong man in a year and I love the way he beat the FB a coupla times.

Davies will be a Premiership player next season. If he keeps developing he is going to be awesome.

Rosy made a couple of mistakes first half but a couple of his balls down the line were NOT hoofs but meant for HRK
who at least once just stopped when (it looked to me) the interchange was rehearsed. Rosy made two excellent crosses

At the back Cisse and Pearce looked a good combo and both did work with the ball. HOWEVER, the opposition backed off
quite a lot and the CBs moved apart, Karacan dropped back, and YES he looked good but that was partly because he was
given so much time to turn, look up and pass. Whether these three will look the same class when under pressure remains to be seen.

Frankly, if we are going to play this way, FBs on the sidelines, CBs wider, a midfielder dropping back and playing "quarterback"
then the role is just screaming out for Matejovsky. But of course, other teams might pressurise us further up the park.

I thought we looked a LOT better when Shane Long came on. His touch was good, he laid off some excellent midfield passes
and was full of energy and power. ON THE BASIS ONLY OF THIS GAME ONLY he looked far better than Church who I thought was lightweight.

I thought the game had 0-1 written all over it, so was happy with 0-0. The RFC site stats are way off. We had a LOT of possession, surely 60%

As for "lack of firepower" I think we had more attempts today than a whole lot of home games last season

I think the future looks excellent

[londinium]

Well, how encouraging, we played them off the park at times and in pearce we will have one of the best centre backs ever to play at our club.

All we need is for a striker and for the ball NOT to drop to kebe in the box and we'll have a great season.

When did we actually play them off the park?.... we played sideways football with no end product and they had the best two chances of the game.

Normally I am so upbeat, but that display really didn't inspire me. Nobody can make that killer ball as they don't have the vision. Church made 2 or 3 great runs today that Marek, Gunner or even Harper would have picked out, we just chose to pass it sideways again.
If you are Arsenal you can do that for 90 minutes with 3 or 4 killer balls and a couple of goals. We are not Arsenal and that makes it so frustrating watching us pass the ball in our own half for 50%of the game.

Are you on a wind-up or do you really know nothing about football?

Tell me what all that passing produced.. and how much of the time we spent just passing it across the back 4 and Karacn and Tabb?.

How many great runs, killer balls, wingers beating their man?

Don't get me wrong, I am happy with the passing football as opposed to hoofball but Karacan and Tabb won't provide the killer ball, Kebe is on the wrong wing as he has to cut in all the time. lack of shots on target too. Same as second half of last season. It may be a different way of approaching it but in the end 3rd there is still no end product.

[wolsey]

A team of 11 James Harpers today... total sideways football but 25 yards further back... For once I am in the dull and unispiring camp.

All very good keeping the ball but you arent often going to score from 75 yards outs.

At least Harper would have put pressure on the opposition when they had the ball..

The spirit of TB2 lives on...possession for possession's sake.

92nd minute against a team with 10 men who, from the start of the match, had very little intention of forcing a result... tell you what lets pass the ball amongst the back four just in case.

We won't be anywhere near the top 6 because we won't score enough goals - not with the personnel seen today, and not with the system used today.

[Deathy]

The only threat Forest offered was when they hoofed it up to Adebola, who we couldn't handle.

Eh?????

Not the point blank effort from buck tooth then.

[Avon Royal]

The only threat Forest offered was when they hoofed it up to Adebola, who we couldn't handle.

Eh?????

Not the point blank effort from buck tooth then.

Since when has one chance = not being able to handle?

[londinium]

A team of 11 James Harpers today... total sideways football but 25 yards further back... For once I am in the dull and unispiring camp.

All very good keeping the ball but you arent often going to score from 75 yards outs.

At least Harper would have put pressure on the opposition when they had the ball..

The spirit of TB2 lives on...possession for possession's sake.

92nd minute against a team with 10 men who, from the start of the match, had very little intention of forcing a result... tell you what lets pass the ball amongst the back four just in case.

We won't be anywhere near the top 6 because we won't score enough goals - not with the personnel seen today, and not with the system used today.

Spot on.

If we can produce the killer run and killer ball with all that possession then all well and good but Karajan and Tabb aint going to produce that with the back to goal for 90 minutes picking th ball up deep. Marek and Gunner may provide the killer ball and if they do then all well and good but if not then I really can't see the point of all the possession.

[Bubbly4Me]

I liked it; some proper football being played today. Best part was that pretty much all of the team seemed to take to the new style well.

Davies could be a new star for sure. Nice to see some Reading shots with pace.

A little too much passing backwards though. Hopefully we'll learn to be a bit more agressive in the future. Not sure we've got the required firepower up front, but time will tell.

I'd like to see us run at defenders a bit more - sometimes the 'safe ball' insn't the answer. Kebe should have gone for goal after his winding run; his pass was a complete waste. If only he had some finishing ability, he'd be complete value.

Defence good.

I think if we can keep this kind of play going (but get something going up front more) we'll do well in this league.

[Row Z Royal]

ROW Z royal wrote:

Good to see Henry not get a run-out.

Scott Davies is the new Sidwell, however

When Mateosky is fit Davies will be dropped from the side to add more creativity to the side.

No need to shout.


I'd rather see Marek come in for Tabb. I think Davies has enough grit and determination for most of the team...on today's showing, if nothing else.