Back from the game..... Donny Rovers

[strap]

Kebe's "performance" yesterday was a complete and utter vindication of everything I have said about him over the last 2 years.

He did not contirubite ONE positive thing throughout the match yesterday. Not one run, not one cross, did not beat a single defender, did not make one tackle etc etc. Indeed, he was as clueless as I have ever sen him, and obviously has no idea what his role is in the team, nor has he any idea as to positional play when our team has the ball and when it does not.

He was an abject embarassment, and it got to the point midway through the second half that when he managed to complete a pass (backwards) of 5 yards to Cummings, a sarcastic cheer went up from those in Y20. By the end, even fellow team members in hoops were deliberatoely ignoring him when looking to make a pass.

I'm not even going to start on the "tackle" he made on Howard to prevent a goalscoring opportunity, nor the multitude of times he let the ball pass him and into touch.

I don't want to read any more RTG claptrap about his "wayward genius". When McAnuff is fit, Kebe shuold be history - and that cannot come soon enough.

I will save my rant about 4-2-3-1 and the complete absence of an attacking strategy for when my blood presure has returned to something resembling normality. Suffice to say - yesterday was an embarassment.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

We played well, however we didn't do enough to be able to confidently win the game. Noel Hunt looked too isolated up front on is own. We looked much better when Rasiak came on and reverted to a 4-4-2 formation.

Darren O'Dea looked good on his debut. Howard didn't impress me too much. Cummings struggled to replicate his predescer in coming forward from the back.

[PEARCEY]

Kebe's "performance" yesterday was a complete and utter vindication of everything I have said about him over the last 2 years.

He did not contirubite ONE positive thing throughout the match yesterday. Not one run, not one cross, did not beat a single defender, did not make one tackle etc etc. Indeed, he was as clueless as I have ever sen him, and obviously has no idea what his role is in the team, nor has he any idea as to positional play when our team has the ball and when it does not.

He was an abject embarassment, and it got to the point midway through the second half that when he managed to complete a pass (backwards) of 5 yards to Cummings, a sarcastic cheer went up from those in Y20. By the end, even fellow team members in hoops were deliberatoely ignoring him when looking to make a pass.

I'm not even going to start on the "tackle" he made on Howard to prevent a goalscoring opportunity, nor the multitude of times he let the ball pass him and into touch.

I don't want to read any more RTG claptrap about his "wayward genius". When McAnuff is fit, Kebe shuold be history - and that cannot come soon enough.

I will save my rant about 4-2-3-1 and the complete absence of an attacking strategy for when my blood presure has returned to something resembling normality. Suffice to say - yesterday was an embarassment.

Kebe or Oster? The choice is all yours Strap

[rhroyal]

Kebe's "performance" yesterday was a complete and utter vindication of everything I have said about him over the last 2 years.

He did not contirubite ONE positive thing throughout the match yesterday. Not one run, not one cross, did not beat a single defender, did not make one tackle etc etc. Indeed, he was as clueless as I have ever sen him, and obviously has no idea what his role is in the team, nor has he any idea as to positional play when our team has the ball and when it does not.

He was an abject embarassment, and it got to the point midway through the second half that when he managed to complete a pass (backwards) of 5 yards to Cummings, a sarcastic cheer went up from those in Y20. By the end, even fellow team members in hoops were deliberatoely ignoring him when looking to make a pass.

I'm not even going to start on the "tackle" he made on Howard to prevent a goalscoring opportunity, nor the multitude of times he let the ball pass him and into touch.

I don't want to read any more RTG claptrap about his "wayward genius". When McAnuff is fit, Kebe shuold be history - and that cannot come soon enough.

I will save my rant about 4-2-3-1 and the complete absence of an attacking strategy for when my blood presure has returned to something resembling normality. Suffice to say - yesterday was an embarassment.

He set up 2 goals against Barnsley. Vindicates all I've set about him. Utterly hot and cold.

[Jobbo no.11]

I no alot of the people on here dont like these sort of posts but i just have a quick question. Whats the atmosphere been like this year? as so far due to work i havnt been able to make a game. I now have saturdays off and now have to make a decission wheater to spend the 30 odd quid a week to go. i normaly sit in y25/26 and i no last year was poor but there was a least points of noise. is this year the same, better, worse?
Thanks

Don't bother going mate, was 26 quid on the day yesterday to watch last years reserve team against relegation candidates doncaster. You'd be better off saving your money and going to some live prem games instead. Atmosphere = oxf*rd, team = oxf*rd.

Is it really that bad? ah thats really not good i was really hoping to go to the watford game and have the some good banter about the manager and all but there you go i might have to stick to the away games.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Still struggling to see why Rosenior was loaned out.

[PEARCEY]

Still struggling to see why Rosenior was sold.

He wasn't.

[FiNeRaIn]

I no alot of the people on here dont like these sort of posts but i just have a quick question. Whats the atmosphere been like this year? as so far due to work i havnt been able to make a game. I now have saturdays off and now have to make a decission wheater to spend the 30 odd quid a week to go. i normaly sit in y25/26 and i no last year was poor but there was a least points of noise. is this year the same, better, worse?
Thanks

Don't bother going mate, was 26 quid on the day yesterday to watch last years reserve team against relegation candidates doncaster. You'd be better off saving your money and going to some live prem games instead. Atmosphere = oxf*rd, team = oxf*rd.

Is it really that bad? ah thats really not good i was really hoping to go to the watford game and have the some good banter about the manager and all but there you go i might have to stick to the away games.

Yep, in my opinion it is. Genuinely wish I hadn't bothered with a season ticket. The second half of last season was awful, but at least we had an aim and a target and you thought we could turn it round and get promotion. This season we have nothing to aim for other than avoiding relegation, crowds are as low as 15,600 which we haven't seen for years, we are watching a reserve team struggle along against poor opposition,

[RoyalBlue]

^ Well if Madejski has moved the goalposts Rodgers should have the guts to stand up to him and demand money be made available.
Besides Rodgers was not forced to let Harper and Rosenior go. He did so out of personal choice.
Do you seriously think he handled the Harper situation well? Do you think he handled the Tommy Smith saga well? Do you think he just ought to have known how long ago our last home win was?
RB you may well be right. Rodgers may well prove to be a good manager but the early signs are not good.
PS I pretty much agree with you over Madejski. Time for a new chairman.

How do you know he wasn't forced to let Harper and Rosenior go? What price an edict from above: 'Wage bill must be significantly reduced - no signings unless the highest earners are shipped out - preferably sold but if not, on loan.' ?

[Irvinchangeyaname]

As a matter of intrest, those that are saying they wish they hadn't bothered renewing their season tickets, how long have you been ST holders for? We've seen far worse teams than this. Maybe I'm a born optimist, but I'm quite hopeful this team can develop into quite a useful side (minus Kebe please ).

[weybridgewanderer]

we were at home against one of the relegation contenders. these are games you have to win.

we drew, created nothing in the first our although sullivan did make 2 great saves in the last 30 minutes

everyone (well rotalee) keeps saying we will improve, we had lots of new players and it will take time for them to get to know each other

we have been saying that for weeks now. we can't have a new team every 6 weeks

i don;t expect much from cardiff so we will probably win there and everyone will say everything is ok. saints probably thoughtthat when the beat us at the mad stad last season

next saturday becomes bigger and bigger, and they won 4-0 away from home yesterday

It takes significantly longer than weeks.

lets just hope that by then its not too late

[AthleticoSpizz]

why should they know?

they weren't here when it started

Weren't they? Pretty sure Fedz was, pretty sure Pearce was, pretty sure Kebe was, pretty sure Bryn was, pretty sure Gylfi, Jem, Noel, Marek all were...as well as Tabb and Cisse. But maybe I'm mistaken, I'll have to check my programmes

Good grief thanks for that information I was blissfully ignorant of it.

I would like to help you, but, do I really need to list the players and staff that weren't here?

[westendgirl]

It might, but that doesn't answer my question.

Do you now see how they might benefit from knowing about this apalling run?

IMO the disadvantages outweigh the positives. But that's just me.

I feel that it is less than helpfull to keep on about it as it will tend to make them more nervous - I would rather they felt free to play with confidence as that is much more likely to result in a win.

[SCIAG]

How do you know he wasn't forced to let Harper and Rosenior go? What price an edict from above: 'Wage bill must be significantly reduced - no signings unless the highest earners are shipped out - preferably sold but if not, on loan.' ?

The pretty obvious reason that wasn't true was the timing of the signings !

We brought players in before Harper and Rosenior went and even the last mnute Cummings deal wasn;t delayed becasue of had to get rid of Rosenior first but becasue we had to fight WBA for him.

[Hugo Boss]

Whats the atmosphere been like this year?

Sh*te as usual. I took my bird to see the mighty hoops for the first time and she spent the whole time LOL'ing at the half-a*sed clapping. She even said "Don't you have any songs to go with the clapping" ?? I actually felt embarrassed when I realised we didn't. Bring back the South Bank humour and tunes I say.

[Muskrat]

We played well, however we didn't do enough to be able to confidently win the game. Noel Hunt looked too isolated up front on is own. We looked much better when Rasiak came on and reverted to a 4-4-2 formation.

Darren O'Dea looked good on his debut. Howard didn't impress me too much. Cummings struggled to replicate his predescer in coming forward from the back.

Pretty much agree although not on the Howard point I thought he looked good and was always trying to create something.

BR has to now know that his 4-5-1 system (please stop kidding us it's 4-3-3) doesn't work and just agravates the fans. As soon as we had two up front we looked a threat and if we'd started with that shape we'd have won the game.

FWIW I'd have the midfield lining up as Tabb Gunnarson Matejovski Howard. A good mixture of energy skill and creativity. No natural wingers, granted but then I don't reckon we possess any so so what?

[PEARCEY]

^ Well if Madejski has moved the goalposts Rodgers should have the guts to stand up to him and demand money be made available.
Besides Rodgers was not forced to let Harper and Rosenior go. He did so out of personal choice.
Do you seriously think he handled the Harper situation well? Do you think he handled the Tommy Smith saga well? Do you think he just ought to have known how long ago our last home win was?
RB you may well be right. Rodgers may well prove to be a good manager but the early signs are not good.
PS I pretty much agree with you over Madejski. Time for a new chairman.

How do you know he wasn't forced to let Harper and Rosenior go? What price an edict from above: 'Wage bill must be significantly reduced - no signings unless the highest earners are shipped out - preferably sold but if not, on loan.' ?

...I could equally throw that argument back at you. How do you know Rodgers was told to get rid of them by Madesjski...makes Rodgers look even more like a yes man if what you are saying is true.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

I thought Gunnar was brilliant yesterday.

That is all.

Yeah what he said ^^^

Some great tackling on display from Bryn

[clauski]

As a matter of intrest, those that are saying they wish they hadn't bothered renewing their season tickets, how long have you been ST holders for? We've seen far worse teams than this. Maybe I'm a born optimist, but I'm quite hopeful this team can develop into quite a useful side (minus Kebe please ).

Thing is it's a bit different with what it costs these days to being at Elm Park for £7 or something. But more to the point I am actually struggling to remember the last time I was least entertained watching Reading as I have been this season. I was optimistic and enjoyed Forest, but since then? We may have had some poorer players in the past but at least we had some blood and thunder, some action and excitement. This system is dud - our shots and goals stats prove already that it's not working and this is to the detriment of our enjoyment. It's like watching a training game where you're not allowed to shoot. People are visibly bored. That can't be good when you are seeking entertainment.

[Ian Royal]

Dull dull dull, and we seemed to have abandoned the passing game I saw on display against Forest, for a more direct but equally devoid of attacking guile approach.

Federici 6 - didn't do a lot or make many mistakes
Cummings 6 - lots of poor choices, but there is at least something there. Pissed me off less than Rosenior would have
Bertrand 6 - some good, some bad.
O'Dea 7 - good display for his debut
Pearce 6 - Ok thought he made a few mistakes and looked shakey at times
Siggurdsson 7 - excellent set pieces, some nice play, but no way is the lad a winger or forward.
Gunnarsson 7 - solid performance, he gives us more bite and strength in midfield.
Karacan 6 - ok, nothing especially good or bad.
Howard 6 - again there's something there but I thought he was largely disappointing.
Kebe 6 - utterly anonymous. No idea why he was moved back out wide right when he's looked best on the left. Can only have been a stupid attempt to accomodate Howard and Siggurdsson.
NHunt 6 - Ok, was isolated. won a lot in the air, but no one to flick it on to.

Rasiak 6 - gave us more threat and made our more direct approach more worthwhile.
Marek 7 - looked dangerous, lots of nice touches, only one or two piss poor simple passes, we actually looked dangerous with him on.
Cisse 6 - mediocre as usual.

Not impressed with Howard but only his first game, Siggurdsson MUST play in the middle if he starts, Kebe MUST play on the left if he plays and we MUST have a genuine forward/winger on the opposite flank to him.