Back from the game: QPR v Reading

[Tredder]

Yeh, from Spurs, he's very good.

[Bucks Dave]

Both Watford and QPR have got some great players on loan. I believe it's called football management.

[General B]

Back from the game for real (I live in West London)

Good start with Rodgers reverting to a basic 4-4-2, with plenty of experience throughout. Fullbacks O'Dea and Tabb didn't inspire confidence but no-one put much of a foot wrong in the first 30 minutes - I thought we might see out the game 0-0 because we weren't doing much up front.

Then it all starts to go a bit crazy. Watson takes a quick free kick for Rangers on the edge of the box, oops too quick the ref hedn't blown. Bizarrely the ref decides to book Watson for this (I cannot recall this offence ever resulting in a booking before). I think the ref realises too late he's already booked Watson - but too late he has to go. SO Rangers are down to 10 men, Ref then lets them retake the kick and Buzsacky sticks it, bollocks.

As we've seen many times before this season Reading's composure goes to pieces once we concede and we ship another one with Federici and Mills leaving it to each other at the back post.

Half time comes and, playing against 10 men Rodgers does the positive thing and switches to 3-5-2, bringing on Howard and Gylfi as attacking midfielders. Great stuff however directly from kick off Ingi commits a foul, the ref has been itching to even things up ever since the Watson red card and wastes no opportunity in despatching Ingi.

THis is a complete disaster for Reading as our formation is now shot to pieces with 2 subs used and only 2 defenders on the pitch. Gunnarson drops back to centre half but the wide open spaces and lack of fullbacks mean Rangers can sit back and play on the break, scoring 2 more and could have been more. A late Howard effort doesn't come close to papering over the cracks.

So all in all a bizarre set of circumstances, hard to place much blame on Rodgers in my opinion for this particular result.

I think I preferred your report by proxy from the West Brom game.

[FiNeRaIn]

No pleasure in gloating, solely because, it was men against boys, you lot are terrible and Kebe being your best player last night, puts it all into perspective.

+1

[el_presidente]

Back from the game for real (I live in West London)

.....

I think I preferred your report by proxy from the West Brom game.

Thanks General, so did I (I was at the Hawthorns but didn't actually see the lady in question)

[Ian Royal]

Men against boys is right Tredds.

How 10 men QPR looked to have more players on the pitch than 11 man Reading is totally beyond me.

They're first touch, passing, movement and running were all fantastic. We looked like scarecrows wearing concrete boots by comparison (except Howard and Long who looked like blobs of flab on legs). We only came into the game in the last 20 minutes because half your players got bored and gave it up to prevent it becoming too embarrassing.

Thought we played some of the best attacking football I've seen from us this season in the second half after Ivar got sent off.

[1871royals]

First half we started okay, neither team creating many chances QPR looking slightly more dangerous.

First goal - shocking keeping from Fed, just seen it again on SSN, he moves too far to the right to try and anticipate the shot and cant get across quick enough. I think everyone has accepted that Fed is a great shot stopper but poor at communication etc, but that was a shot he should have easily dealt with.

2nd goal - good passing from QPR, Fed should have come to clear, or Mills should have cleared it. Personally I think Fed was at fault, Simpson ended up scoring from 2 yards, Feds should have claimed it.

Ivar sending off - dives in when hes on booking, sillly silly decision, I expect more from him.

2nd half- we started okay. Kebe the only player who was doing anything, beating players then putting in a poor delivery, but without him we wouldnt have got anywhere near the QPR defence. At least he was gaining up possession and winning us corners etc

3rd goal - Fed beat at his near post. Good shot, but shocking goalkeeping.

4th goal - Got done on the counter attack, no-one really at fault.

QPR were the better team because of their strikers, not that much difference in general play atm. Sigur and Howard played well when they came on.

Rodgers - I dont think he can cut it, but I think he needs to be given more time to prove whether hes the right chance. Taking last night in isolation, I dont think Rodgers can account for Feds performance. IMO at fault for 3 of the goals, esp the 2nd which was key. At West Brom first and last goals were Feds fault. I thought Rodgers starting xi was spot on. Cummings has been shocking, I think Tabb did alrite at RB. Playing the older guys in CM was probably the right choice away from home. You cant legislate for Ivar diving in stupidly, that ruined any plans in 2nd half.

Fans - many people around me chanting Rodgers out, its too early for that and the majority of people chanting that were under 18. In a weird way, one of the funniest away games in a while. How shit must you be chants. Ole when we stringed a few passes together.

[Hugo Boss]

Both Watford and QPR have got some great players on loan. I believe it's called football management.

No, it's called a temporary solution.

LOL @ Clubs that get loads of good players in on loan, make the step up then fook it all up as they don't have the strength in depth to carry the success on.

[Compo's Hat]

Fans - many people around me chanting Rodgers out, its too early for that and the majority of people chanting that were under 18. In a weird way, one of the funniest away games in a while. How shit must you be chants. Ole when we stringed a few passes together.

Saw plenty of fully grown men calling for his head as well.

LOL at the kids delivering on the promise of going on the pitch if Reading scored... Idiots!

[papereyes]

From the upper tier?

If only.

[FiNeRaIn]

Both Watford and QPR have got some great players on loan. I believe it's called football management.

No, it's called a temporary solution.

LOL @ Clubs that get loads of good players in on loan, make the step up then fook it all up as they don't have the strength in depth to carry the success on.

Clubs that do the above > clubs who spend no money and piss away an 8th placed prem team to a bottom 5 championship team.

[Tredder]

Both Watford and QPR have got some great players on loan. I believe it's called football management.

No, it's called a temporary solution.

Unless you buy them.

[Hugo Boss]

Both Watford and QPR have got some great players on loan. I believe it's called football management.

No, it's called a temporary solution.

LOL @ Clubs that get loads of good players in on loan, make the step up then fook it all up as they don't have the strength in depth to carry the success on.

Clubs that do the above > clubs who spend no money and piss away an 8th placed prem team to a bottom 5 championship team.

[readingbedding]

Fans - many people around me chanting Rodgers out, its too early for that and the majority of people chanting that were under 18. In a weird way, one of the funniest away games in a while. How shit must you be chants. Ole when we stringed a few passes together.

Saw plenty of fully grown men calling for his head as well.

LOL at the kids delivering on the promise of going on the pitch if Reading scored... Idiots!

Lots of kids in macho deep voices.

[General B]

Back from the game for real (I live in West London)

.....

I think I preferred your report by proxy from the West Brom game.

Thanks General, so did I (I was at the Hawthorns but didn't actually see the lady in question)

It certainly puts my Olga Gunnarsson teeing off at Wokefield Park spot in the shade.

*something about gripping the shaft*

[Baines]

Thought we played some of the best attacking football I've seen from us this season in the second half after Ivar got sent off.

Agreed, our attacking football in the second half before Ivar got sent off was non-existent.

[Schards#2]

Thought we played some of the best attacking football I've seen from us this season in the second half after Ivar got sent off.

Agreed, our attacking football in the second half before Ivar got sent off was non-existent.

[Ian Royal]

Thought we played some of the best attacking football I've seen from us this season in the second half after Ivar got sent off.

Agreed, our attacking football in the second half before Ivar got sent off was non-existent.

I did wonder whether anyone would bother with that. Should have guessed at Baines.

Remove "in the second half" if you wish.

[RoyalBlue]

Perhaps if we talked cars the Chairman might just begin to understand where the problem lies.

If he cut the Madejski Saville Row by flogging off the old Bentleys and replacing them with cheap Fiats he wouldn't get anywhere near the same quality or performance, no matter how sh*t hot a mechanic he employed. Yeh, they could do a few mods, reconfigure a few things etc. etc. but there is no way in hell that they would be able to deliver on his expectations.

[Elm Park Old Boy]

Sigh.

So, after 24 hours' perspective on what must rank as one of the most bizarre Reading games I can recall:

- excellent two beers, home made soup and Neils Yard cheese at the marvellous Anglesea Arms, possibloy my favourite London pub
- starting line-up a bit of a surprise, but every sign that this really was 'back to basics', and we would at least see some grit, if not a great deal of creativity. Rodgers certainly can't be accused of lacking the nerve to shake things up
- reasonably encouraging first 20 minutes or so - I thought we had the better of it, Rangers created little (nor did we, but looked in no danger)
- Rangers came more into the game towards the half hour, but still no great peril. Then a baffling sending off while they had a free kick on the edge of the box. Great, I thought, now we can take advantage
- Rangers score from the free kick and the game is transformed. Rangers confident, compact and seemingly able to adapt - Reading largely clueless and looking like it was us a player down
- Rangers score again - I felt this was a soft goal to let in and the air seemed to come out of our players for the rest of the half
- start of the second half, I thought Rodgers' bold double substitution looked the right thing to do, but of course it was scuppered instantly by Ingimarrson getting sent off (which looked harsh to me but he should have known better than the give the ref the chance to make up for his stupid sending off in the first half)
- we now had two defenders on the pitch and even with Gunnarsson dropping back to make a three, we lookekd for large spells of the next 20 minutes as if we didn't know where we were playing. Rangers could just pick us off.
- on 70 minutes I pondered going back to the Anglesea Arms for another pint, as a better use of the next 20 minutes. Wish I had.
- despite good efforts from some (Sig, Kebe for example) we ended up looking like a team that didn't know how it was meant to be playing, had no faith in its own ability or organisation

So where does that leave us? In my view, all is not lost. There are some points of strength that we can build on. Here are a couple: Tabb should be put in the team and kept there, assured of a run of games in midfield. Similarly Karacan (who enhanced his reputation by not playing last night). kebe is our best attacking threat - sorry that some won't like to hear that but there it is. Mills looks OK, but needs a minder to help him with positioning and judgement. I thought Ingimarsson was that, and maybe he will be on other days.

What about the management question? I haven't been a Rodgers basher (although I was always more hopeful than confident about his appointment). And I do believe even now it is facile to think that sacking him is going to solve our problems. Panic measures are rarely the right ones (and 13 games is really not enough to condemn someone, certainly given the weak hand he was dealt, and when we bear in mind that we weren't playing too well even before he came, with better players).

The players have to look at themselves too - I saw some players who kept trying last night, but looked as if they were playing alone. But others disappeared. Howard looks good for ten minutes, when given the ball. But he is nowhere to be seen when there's a need to battle to get back in the game. Macanuff similar. Cisse should be playing so much better than he is.

But last night was the first time when I did conclude that soem problems must be laid at Rodgers' door. The extent to which the team seemed rudderless and lacking in fight seems a management issue. The palpable lack of pace and fitness in the team also could be linked with coaching. Some decisions were not forced on him (so far as I know) and I think loaning out Harper and Rosenior were mistakes - can we beg them to come back? And there has to come an end to the promiscuous changing of team and tactics. Some footballers are not that clever and we might need to stick to a simple system and give our best players the certainty that they won't be cast out of the squad after one bad game. We have got somethign to build on, but we need to start building. We still seem to be in ground-clearing mode.

Even so, I didn't join the chanting against Rodgers (and don't think I ever would in a game). Nor do I belive he deserves the sack. But I do think he may need help. he is not as all-knowing as he may think and he needs some advice and support. In other areas of life, this is just the kind of situation in which you would get in a consultant with particular skills and a clear brief to identify and build on our strengths.

Sorry to go on so long. I walked away last night as fed up and miserable as I can ever remember after a Reading game (and I've seen some crap ones). If you'd asked me at 11.00 last night I'd probably have wanted Rodgers gone. But as I have thoguht about it I don't think we'd be better off. Something needs to change, but it's more of a collective change than firing one person who has been given a hard job, probably was over confident about it, but actually does seem to have some qualities worth nurturing.