Back from the game - Watford (h)

[Maguire]

Reading-style daytripping from the Watford fans to be honest.

Poor side with no width but took their chance and Reading were barely any better.

[Thomas L'Heureux]

I understand McAnuff will have been tired, but even knackered he still looked much better than Kebe, Howard and Rasiak.

I thought Siggurdsson found his role today. He's been average when played wide and I simply can't understand the person posting earlier saying he should be kept out there. He's the one player we've got in midfield who has actually got forward and joined the striker in attacks. He's very creative and skillful, but athletic and hard working too. He's got a good shot and he's excellent at set pieces.

Unlike Matejovsky he looks like the complete package to me. Just lacking a little of experience.

Another reason subbing him was idiocy, we then had no one to take our set pieces, as demonstrated by the awful freekick and corner late on, that couldn't have been more accurately passed to a Watford player if the taker had tried to.

The first signs today that I've seen that with a bit more work and some confidence that formation could work. I'd still rather play a 4-4-2 with wide players, if not two genuine wingers. I think someone like Davies could do a job on the right in those circumstances. Then we get to play two of Hunt, Long and Church upfront.

Admittedly I don't always agree with you, Ian, but I can't fault a word of this. My exact thoughts too.

[royal_ross]

Yep.

I can't see any real option other than playing Hunt if it has to be one upfront. Church is good, but he's not a line leader. Long doesn't have the first touch often enough. I know Hunt is relatively short but he's a damn site better than Rasiak, and at least then we aren't watching high balls punted up for Rasiak to flick on to their keeper/defenders.

Of course I'd like to play two upfront. First signs of Rodgers cracking came today. We ended the match with two conventional wingers and two upfront. Of course he did just make the same mistake as Coppell by having no central midfield to support them with just the defensive Gunnarsson and Karacan on the pitch.

He's definatly feeling the pressure, Rasiak upfront on his own at home baffles me. Why did he take off McAnuff? He was our best player I thought anyways.

[winchester_royal]

Thought Siggy was poor. Found no space in the negative Watford midfield.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

So from reading all that it appears that we have unfit players that cannot manage 90 minutes on a football pitch, Gunnar you can understand, but the rest??

Looks like JM has made some real big mistakes since we got to The Prem, and now comes the result of the errors of his ways.

A look throught the published accounts show what was avaialbe in the Prem, we made a profit of £6m each season, hardly much in the great scheme of things, sadly money was wasted all over, the number of players and coaching staff rocketed, cant think of a good reson why.

[Maguire]

I understand McAnuff will have been tired, but even knackered he still looked much better than Kebe, Howard and Rasiak.

I thought Siggurdsson found his role today. He's been average when played wide and I simply can't understand the person posting earlier saying he should be kept out there. He's the one player we've got in midfield who has actually got forward and joined the striker in attacks. He's very creative and skillful, but athletic and hard working too. He's got a good shot and he's excellent at set pieces.

Unlike Matejovsky he looks like the complete package to me. Just lacking a little of experience.

Another reason subbing him was idiocy, we then had no one to take our set pieces, as demonstrated by the awful freekick and corner late on, that couldn't have been more accurately passed to a Watford player if the taker had tried to.

The first signs today that I've seen that with a bit more work and some confidence that formation could work. I'd still rather play a 4-4-2 with wide players, if not two genuine wingers. I think someone like Davies could do a job on the right in those circumstances. Then we get to play two of Hunt, Long and Church upfront.

I think he subbed Sigurdsson because he wasn't in the game and looked shagged, like a little boy running around hoping something happened. Said at half-time he'd get taken off sooner rather than later and so it proved. So in short, i've got no idea why you think he was so good, nor why you were shocked he went off.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Should be called in today, for a good walk around the Stadium, being told how good their lives are at RFC, take a good look lads because for many of you there will be no better.

[Barry the bird boggler]

More dreadful rubbish. Outstanding for the first 10/15 minutes then normal service was resumed.

Jacob Muffin was outstanding and easily Man of the Match.

Kebe and Howard - sorry but I fail to understand why they're even on the pitch.

Another 2nd half from hell - did Loach actually get to touch the ball at all?

Dread to think what'll happen at Preston and, sorry, but I just cannot see where our next point is coming from...

At this rate we could well be playing Aldersh*t next season.

[Royal Lady]

JM is very very quiet these days. I wonder how happy he is with his world class manager with his big book of soccer tactics and even bigger watch?

I really can't be bothered to go next Saturday - perhaps we'll win if I don't.

And what's happened to Woodcote - he who would stay in his car until hearing the team and if he approved would go to his seat or, if he didn't approve, would drive home again? Blind faith in Rodgers is silly. If only the likes of him, Royalee and Winchester would admit that we've been pretty pants all season, but the latter two make out we're brilliant and won't concede on anything. Coppell showed himself to be a brilliant manager, working under tight constraints, Rodgers just makes himself look worse and worse every week. STICK to a team, STICK to a formation, let the players start to gel together and you might start grinding out a result or two.

[PieEater]

This result was a disaster for Rodgers, with Middlesbrough, Preston, WBA and QPR coming up we're really looking like relegation material. I can't see us getting more than 3 points from the next 4 games.

This week there was little slick passing and keep ball and a lot of lumping it forward to Rasiak, but we did start with 2 wingers. It was a soft goal we gifted them, with Fed again looking suspect in the air but I'd still rather have the Ivar and ODea CM pairing than Pearce. In midfield McAnuff looked good, but this is still were we lost it, Watford just seemed sharper, fitter and hungrier than us and we just weren't good enough. Howard in particular looks like a luxury and I can't see why he plays ahead of Matejovsky.

Rodgers needs to make his mind up which system he'll play and stick to it rather than changing the team and system every week., cut out the bullshit and get his team to play for the whole game not just the first 10 minutes.

Oh and the ref was a pedantic oxf*rd

[peterroyal76]

This result was a disaster for Rodgers, with Middlesbrough, Preston, WBA and QPR coming up we're really looking like relegation material. I can't see us getting more than 3 points from the next 4 games.

This week there was little slick passing and keep ball and a lot of lumping it forward to Rasiak, but we did start with 2 wingers. It was a soft goal we gifted them, with Fed again looking suspect in the air but I'd still rather have the Ivar and ODea CM pairing than Pearce. In midfield McAnuff looked good, but this is still were we lost it, Watford just seemed sharper, fitter and hungrier than us and we just weren't good enough. Howard in particular looks like a luxury and I can't see why he plays ahead of Matejovsky.

Rodgers needs to make his mind up which system he'll play and stick to it rather than changing the team and system every week., cut out the bullshit and get his team to play for the whole game not just the first 10 minutes.

Oh and the ref was a pedantic oxf*rd

Totally agree 100%

[toppy]

Won the first half, or more accurately the first half of the first half of the first half.

looked bright, inventive, pressed, moved. Could beat anyone like that. All the good play down the left h/s at this stage.


Scored.

Bottled it. Took the pace out of the game, reverted to a 7-2-1 formation. Looked crap. Got battered by Graham (big number 10)

Very unhappy with Rodgers.

Sigurdss whatever he's called has looked useful down the left - so lets play him in the middle. Last time at home we were absent down the right until Kebe came on as a sub. He's previously started and looked hopeless. Why not play MacAnuff down the right, or Siggwhatever down the right. Okay, it's a fair enough mistake - so we make subs, three of them and Kebe is still on the pitch. hunt, who's managed to look highly unimpressive lately gets on the pitch ahead of the young, homegrown striker who's just scored his first goal for the club (why bother )

Kebe looks like my 5 year old could knock him off the ball. Watford had about 8 blokes looking after Bertrand and mcanuff and still Kebe cant consistently find some space. Howard was stuffed - having looked impressive gettign forward from the middle, get's aked to play with his back to goal. Joke.

Rodgers on the radio. man with no clue, no plans, running out of cliches and is desperate desperate need of some help. Needs a touch of the Martin Allens to chase the experienced players around with a bloody big stick, and needs someone with a huge arse, or a deformity on their back, or the biggest, knobbly knees in the world so a ball goes into the net for him when it matters - not at the start, but when we're under the cosh and need a drop of luck. Needs someone to help him ... cos Fat Frank Senior and Nicholas hammond certainly aren't doing that.

Wouldn't hurt to play the same 11 - or even the same 9 for two games in a row.

Totally agree - really backed off after our goal

[Bucks Dave]

Confidence.

Rodgers and I seem to be at odds on this. Rodgers said that it is a sign of our confidence that we go one up and then relax. Where on earth does that confidence come from? We've won one match in nine and that against the near bottom side. I thought it was a sign of a complete lack of confidence that we go one up and then drop back. In the second half players were simply not making themselves available for passes and that too is a sign of lack of confidence. Time after time I looked around when a Reading player had the ball and there were few options. Watford in contrast had players making themselves available all over the park. We're just lucky that their players are pretty average.

Malky Mackay seems to have done what Rodgers can't. Lost all his best players through budget cuts (and don't forget that their two better players Demerit and Helguson were both injured) yet has a well organised side of average players who work for each other. And as for using 31 players this season, a real sign of cluelessness.

I am starting to lose all belief in Rodgers and his world class approach to football. I just hope I am completely wrong.

[cmonurz]

Team selection the problem for me. Experience counts for a lot. I've been all for blooding youngsters, or bringing in new players, but in terms of hours spent playing together, this team is practically virginal. I've written enough on my thoughts about the players were have let go, but for god's sake, give Marek, Tabb and Hunt a run in a team, at the very least. They have games and experience under their belt.

[Tilehurst Mike]

Very diappointing result after the first 10 minutes and another dire second half performance when their keeper was barely tested. Cumming has to be one of the worst signings ever. Twice in the second half he was badly caught out of position and just ambled back--you never saw Murts going that! Total lack of pace, skill and creativity up front. The current team selection game by game and overall tactics are a shambles and current form is easily relegation form.
Still football is a funny old game and I wouldn't be surprided for us to scarpe a 0-1 on Tuesday.
Watching Sonko and Bikey on Motd cheered me up immensely. I think Hull are worse than we were in 'second season syndrone'.

[kwik-silva]

Not sure why Kebe's getting so much stick, he looked good yesterday... Admittedly not as good as McAnuff down the other wing, but a lot better than most of our other players

[Schards#2]

I don't understand the constant juggling of the team.

Last week, for 45 minutes we looked a decent side, well balanced and creating chances whilst secure at the back. Yes, we cocked it up but at least that 11 playing that formation showed they could perform, which is not something any other combination has done thus far.

So why not give it another go instead of making three changes and completely changing the formation?

[The Cap]

Looks like it's all about glimpses, for players and fans alike, at the moment.

Some of the players seem to be showing glimpses and "1-0 on your big day out!" was also a glimpse of imagination and wit from some bright spark.

Shame we weren't able to sing it at the end.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Where have Matejovsky and Davies gone?

Where they fit for yesterday's game?

[floyd__streete]

Two poor teams, dire game, the most pathetic aspect of which was the delirious reaction of Watford fans at the end in celebrating a draw with our relegations candidates.

Only because it was Rodgers...and none of your fans reacted.

Sure our fans would've stopped PDQ if somebody had!

How were you expecting us to react? A few mild boos at the end and general indifference at another poor performance against a mediocre Watford side. The roar of celebration from the away end at nicking a point against a quite dreadful Reading team was a bit pathetic really . And I thought that the 'abuse' dished out to Rodgers was pretty tepid in reality.