The perspective thread.

[Archies Volley II]

My point is, it might be better to admit this AFTER the result, I didn't mean before the game - otherwise one gets the impression that the team BR is fielding is the team he wholeheartedly WANTS to field and if that were correct it is a real worry, to me at least. If those 4 players can play in the cup, there's no reason surely why they couldn't have started and then subbed after an hour or something if they were struggling...

My point is I didn't the get impression he wanted to field that exact team due to interviews given recently, maybe he didn't feel the need to repeat himself? - his comments are yesterdays game all seemed geared to "protecting" the younger players.

As for starting with one or two of Harper etc - yes I would have probably gone down that route but in a new system that all the team are learning maybe consistency was the issue and the unfit/not ready bit is more to do with time BR feels players need on the training pitch adjusting to where he expects them to be in certain situtations.

In short, I don't know - just trying to do what the thread title says!

[Royalee]

Listen. If you are in the Championship it is all about competing. We are not and having paid good money then people expect a team to be competitive.

This team isn't and needs improving nowwwwwwwwww

Once you are bottom three after a couple of months with kids it is difficult to get out. Ask Saints fans. They know SDR is spot on as usual. You know it mkaes senseeeeee

The season is two games old.

[Archie's penalty]

Listen. If you are in the Championship it is all about competing. We are not and having paid good money then people expect a team to be competitive.

This team isn't and needs improving nowwwwwwwwww

Once you are bottom three after a couple of months with kids it is difficult to get out. Ask Saints fans. They know SDR is spot on as usual. You know it mkaes senseeeeee

The season is two games old.

Nice to see your face here Royalee. What do you think went wrong yesterday? (Asked with no irony whatsoever).

[I was there at Elm Park]

I wonder if Burnley fans were as worried after 4 games last year as some of ours are at the moment. They were 23rd, scored once and lost their first game at home 3-0. How about an example from our own history: 2002/2003 P4 W1 D0 L3 F4 (all Curo) A8. If last season's results had been in reverse Coppell would have been out of a job before Christmas. We've had a tough start to the season, Forest have spent millions and should be challenging the play-offs and we were unlucky to play Newcastle at the wrong time. We didn't play well but Everton didn't yesterday either and I doubt they've suddenly become relegation candidates overnight. Oh and those who think spending millions on strikers will solve everything, Forest spent a few million on 3 strikers, have had an identical start to us and still haven't scored.

[Royal Lady]

With respect, I doubt Burnley's chairman consistently mentioned the club's intentions with regard to the premier league, whilst simultaneously stating that they needed to "cut their cloth" - we never had delusions of being big-time Charlies years ago, because the club never gave us the spin that that is what we were aiming for.

[Wimb]

I hate it when the negativity brigade decide to crawl out of the woodwork and jump all over the team

Saw glimpses yesterday of a really bright future against a team of seasoned players, full of Internationals most of whom SHOULD be playing at a higher level, and not just making up the squads of the Hulls of this world either.

For perspective I look back to the opening game of 02/03 when we got well beaten 3-0 by a Derby side just out of the Premier and by the end of the year we ended up in the playoffs, whilst within a couple of years they were in financial meltdown.
Not saying we'll end up in the playoffs this year but all this relegation talk is a bit much so far. If we were getting beat 3-0 at Barnsley and Blackpool then I'd accept something needs to be done to avoid the drop but few sensible people here expected more then a point from these first two games (especially after how Forest spent in the summer)

I'd love for SJM and BR to go on some Championship Manager style spending spree and sign a load of random players. But sadly unlike Champ Manager where you can just start a new game if it all goes wrong, this club is taking a good sensible look at the future. Lets look at the caliber of people we've sold and how they came into this club for gods sake. Kitson came from League 2, Shorey from Orient, Doyler from the Irish leagues, Lita from league 1 at 20 was it? Convey had a dire first season, Little from Burnley, Sonko, Ingi and Hunt from a mediocre League 1 side, Brentford. That lot didn't work out badly did they?
Sure we might not get that lucky again but this sensible strategy of giving youth a chance, plus a couple of well thought out sensible buys, minimises the risk of us doing a Bradford, Soton et all, which I can imagine is far more miserable then finishing mid table in the 2nd biggest league in this country.

I've seen all three games so far this season and honestly these kids look hungry and full of potential but all they lack is a bit of experience. It was 10x more satisfying seeing Bignall score a double against Burton then it was seeing the likes of Shorey, Sonko, Kitson trot out in the last couple of years. These kids are desperate just to get into this team and play their hearts out and whatever level we're at thats what you want to see as a supporter.

Christ if you just want to see a team spurt a load of money on players to come in and get you up to the fecking Premier League where you can then go and try desperatly for the glory of 17th place go support someone else like Wigan or just sit on your sofa and watch the best players in the world on TV. I'm just glad we've now got a Reading Team and not just a bunch of mercenaries who are only after premiership football and a wage packet.

[trueroyal1871]

What happend yesterday was a vastly more expeirenced team hitting a bit of form in the second half taking advantage of some naive defending and stopped us playing by closing us down quicker.

The youngsters were ok for the first 30 mins but Newcastle got more in to the game as it went on and got some confidence to take the game to Reading. Our problem was doing nothing in the final third which needs to be addressed by adding to the squad.

Let's be realistic here if this side can finish in the top 10 they will have done well this season. Success doesn't come instantly if Brendan is given 2-3 seasons to work with these lads and add quality additions like Matt Mills along the way we will be a very dangerous side in this division and one that should be really pushing for promotion.

Be patient people.

[Royal Lady]

You say they lack experience, which is what most of us are also saying - we are more critical of the fact that more experienced players should have been starting - I've only seen ONE comment about us getting relegated.

[Wimb]

Valid RL, I'm more aiming at the folk across the board in other threads

Agree the likes of Harper might have made a bit of a difference, but again looking long term is that game not a valuable lesson for the team? Would Harper and Marek and Gunnar really have affected this result? Perhaps but I'm not so sure.

[I was there at Elm Park]

With respect, I doubt Burnley's chairman consistently mentioned the club's intentions with regard to the premier league, whilst simultaneously stating that they needed to "cut their cloth" - we never had delusions of being big-time Charlies years ago, because the club never gave us the spin that that is what we were aiming for.

Whilst I agree with what you are saying I do wonder if one of the reasons why the club and Madejski give out so much "spin" is to try and satisfy our fans' demand for it. Rodgers said yesterday that it could take 2-3 years for us to get to where he wants us to be and people have immediately labelled him and the club a joke. Maybe if more of our fans were realistic like we used to be and Burnley probably were then the club might be more honest. Saying that I do wish the club just came out and finally confirmed the club's financial situation. Also, didn't Pardew invent "spin" at RFC?

[Alan Partridge]

This is a good thread actualy, contrasting views, must say I'm very much on the fence.

I like Rodgers method and the way he is giving some of the younger lads the chance, I think even after 2 games we've seen glimpses of 1 or 2 that might just make it and 1 or 2 that probably won't, (because despite what some on here think, not all of them will make it here).

I just don't think he has the forward players to play this system, this 4-5-1/4-3-3 demands wingers that are almost strikers, they have to ge tup and support the lone front man whilst contribute a goal threat. Kebe and Church have the threat of a daddy long legs. Long was totally isolated yesterday and after about an hour when he was blowing out of his arse, turned back into the Long we all know, zero touch and helped out by giving away the 3rd goal.

He needs at least one more forward and in all honesty still another winger. Kebe has had 50 odd games for Reading now and i'm sorry he is simply not good enough. Not convinced on Robson Kanu to be honest and on the other side we are trying to play forwards out there. Until he can get Smith in and hopefully A N Other because even if he does he still doesn't have a forward capable of being the lone front man in the squad, I think he has to go 4-4-2. Get Long some help with Hunt alongside him.

2 games and not eally a shot in anger. Dress up all the patience in the world and everything else, in anyone's language that is absolutely appalling. Same problems as last season. We couldn't score for toffee.

Very interested to see how he goes on Tuesday night. Swansea's confidence will be down, they lost last min against Leicester and similarly to us were absolutely hammered by an ex Prem side yesterday. 0-0 anyone?!

[Archie's penalty]

I am coming round to the position that Kebe is not good enough too.

I think Church could improve in the future but not in that position. What about playing Henry as one of the strikers in the 4-3-3? He has a good shot on him and is tricky.

I agree it would be good to play 4-4-2 with Long and Hunt together until we get someone in.

I also agree that Long was actually pretty good yesterday until he got frustrated.

[Royal Rother]

I also agree with all of that.

Smith - Long - Hunt as the 3 would be far far better than what we had yesterday. Smith - Church - Hunt would be better as well. So would Smith - Hunt - Henry.

Hell anything would be better than a 3 that includes a spineless weed.

[Jimmy the Tree]

My only real concern 2 games in is the hope that the youngsters don't get too dispirited about the performances to date.

There have been too many cases of players with ability been given too much responsibility too soon.

Hopefully Brendan has correctly gauged their mood, and knows that they won't collapse over the course of the campaign.

I also think that these may be the players we have to work with, Smith may be too expensive to be worth getting in at his age, and I can't see too many others of suitable quality being available.

Better to take our knocks this season, and be ready to put in a realistic challenge 2010/11

[strap]

Managed to catch minutes 20 to 30 of the game via JustinTV, and have to say we looked impressive for that brief spell. Actually very impressive. Clearly the team can play decent football, so as long as they are given time, they will develop eventually. Whether it's in this league or League 1 is another matter of course. Whilstever the Malian non-footballer is picked in the starting XI we will never achieve anything, as it it tantamount to starting every game with 10 men. Would Henry in place of Kebe made much of a difference? We'll never know as the manager's love child is guaranteed a start no matter what.

Changes for Swansea? I doubt it, but dropping Kebe will only bring about an improvement - no matter who replaces him!

Still can't wait for Tuesday - must be the beginning of the season! Wonder whether that feeling will ever wear off?

[The Quiet Man]

The areas that would worry me enormously from yesterday were that the *rse was so comprehensively ripped out of the 443 we were playing - other clubs will have noticed that we struggled big time with the physical side of the game and this is a league that is based on physical power, consistency and directness. Equally our much trumpeted passing game is laid bare when newcastle push up the forwards and prevent our Chuckle brothers performance at centre back - for a lot of the time yesterday we looked like the same old same old from last season with players unable to pass forward just belting the ball anywhere and completely toothless in attack - if you are going to play a "passing" game get one or two experienced technically good players to do it and bring the rest of the team up to their level. The young players we have blooded have been massively overhyped, the majority of them look what they were last season, guys who can just about handle division one, to expect them to play 90 minutes game in game out in the championship is unfair to them.

At the moment RFC are characterised by the likes of Kebe, Bikey, Matejovsky, Rosenior, occasionally they look good, they are not consistent, and when they are sh*t they are really sh*t and make really stupid unforced errors; chuck in inexperienced players into that mix and it will be a very long season spent hovering around or in the bottom six. Rodgers has got a couple of weeks before the transfer window ends and after today he must be looking at bringing in at least 3 experienced championship players to strengthen the spine of that side particularly a full back who can start the game from the back like shorey used to do, a midfield enforcer, and a forward who can hold the ball up - then you can work on the " passing" side of the game with the young players filling out the squad and gaining experience with small runs of games fitting into a solid structure.

[Royal Lady]

Your comments are pretty unfair on Bikey and Matejovsky tbh.

[Royalee]

As long as we sort out our attacking options we'll be fine. Yesterday I thought we played well up until the goal although obviously after that they had the momentum and we didn't really have an answer, which is no disgrace given the talent they have in their side and the crowd. Kebe has to be dropped NOW, he contributes nothing whatsoever to the team in end product and he was yet again a passenger yesterday and I think Brendan will suss him out very soon. I still think we'll do well this year once we gel a bit more as a unit and bring in the likes of Smith with Noel Hunt coming back and the future looks bright. We've just played two of the best sides in the division and I'm still confident we can go to Swansea and win. All of the rubbish I've been reading on here this morning has confirmed how little some on here know about football and is a sad reflection on some of our fans.

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

LOL at everyone.
What a bunch of pussies.
We lost to Newcastle. Expect it. Accept it. Move on. Thats it.
We played a load of youngsters, because thats the model we've adopted, and no-one is going to abandon that model after two games.

I know we've been spoilt by success, but, FFS, there is nothing less edifying than someone who cries after a defeat. Man up.

[strap]

To be totally on topic for a change ....