Back from the game WBA

[Southbank Old Boy]

I can't be bothered to comment on every player but I will pick on a few.

Bertrand - yet again he was positionally poor and contributed to us conceding the first goal. He wasn't close enough to Brunt when the ball was played accross and then let him come inside to play the cross in. It isn't the first time he has shown mistakes like that.

Karacan - a lot of effort, broke down play, won back possession, but his passing is woeful. There is no point winning the ball if you are just going to give it straight back to them.

Federici - why didn't he claim that cross for the first goal? Cracking save though from Bednar's long range effort.

Church - excellent 45 minutes, although he tried his best to miss the chance. Strong, pacey, takes up good positions and finally timed a run.

Griffin and Mills were both excellent, Ingimarsson looked like he wanted to be somewhere else.

Pretty much just as I saw it WR

Karacan is showing just why Rodgers didnt play him much after his initial spell in the team. Rodgers wanted us to keep the ball and play a brand of football that involved keeping the ball and passing it to a team mate, not a bad plan, but for all his industry Karacan just keeps giving the ball away. Pair that up with Gunnar who seems to take an age to decide what he wants to do most of the time and it amazes me that we have done half as well as we have over this run of games with those 2 as our midfield pairing

IR, as I said, the lack of marking was down to those two midfielders not picking up the run. I think it was probably more like 5 marking 4 as it happens but I definately think your keeper should be claiming a cross that comes from that angle and and that pace

[Plymouth_Royal]

Another good performance and should have won.

I hate to single any one person out, but Ivar had been consistently poor and was again at fault today for the first goal. Numerous times this year goals have been down to Ivar, the Ipswich one he put on a plate for stead springs to
mind.

He is miss timing headers, standing off of forwards and missing sitters at the other end. If he had taken his chance today it would have been game over. Three chances were also missed last week.

Kishy and Mills are our best centre backs, I just hope Brian had the balls to drop our club captain. If he don't it could cost us.

Altough he had on the whole a stonking game, Grifffin was at fault for the first goal and the second was scored from our right back position . Didn't think Ivar was either good or bad today

Dont think you can really blame Griff for that, neither Bryn or Jem bothered to pick up the midfielder who ran past them both and into the box. Griff was left with the choice of marking the man closest to the ball or the one coming in behind him. He went to the closest danger but the cross missed him out

Bertrand was left stranded by Kebe and then gave the lad too much time to cross, Federici just jumped around doing nothing, and the midfielders just watched a man run off them. Griff going for the more immediate danger wasnt the first of biggest mistake for the goal

I think you can blame him for the first one. Watch the replay. karacan comes back and marks the midfielder. Griffin is marking absolutely no-one and should have picked up the man behind him.

[Southbank Old Boy]

I dont think either midfielder were anywhere close to the number 17 until it was too late and Griff had already had to come too far inside to try to pick him up and not leave him a free header from 6 yards out

Will wait to see the replay again, but having watched it at half time thats the way I saw it

[Dirk Gently]

Was it just the way I saw it from the other end, or did Federci deliberatly leave the cross for the WBA player to score their first from? Certainly looked like if from where I was!

[Wycombe Royal]

Was it just the way I saw it from the other end

You were in with the West Brom fans?

[Dirk Gently]

Was it just the way I saw it from the other end

You were in with the West Brom fans?

Nearly - wanted to see the game from somewhere a bit different so I was in Upper West, level with the penalty spot.

[loyalroyal4life]

real shame we couldnt hold on although that was my most enjoyable game of the year so far!

Just cant see us progressing to the next round unfortunately.

[working class hero]

Given that Liverpool were looking at who they would want after Burnley... and WBA manager doesn't care who they meet in the next round [presumably round 3 in 2011?]... any preferences for who we beat in the final?

[Ian Royal]

I can't be bothered to comment on every player but I will pick on a few.

Bertrand - yet again he was positionally poor and contributed to us conceding the first goal. He wasn't close enough to Brunt when the ball was played accross and then let him come inside to play the cross in. It isn't the first time he has shown mistakes like that.

Karacan - a lot of effort, broke down play, won back possession, but his passing is woeful. There is no point winning the ball if you are just going to give it straight back to them.

Federici - why didn't he claim that cross for the first goal? Cracking save though from Bednar's long range effort.

Church - excellent 45 minutes, although he tried his best to miss the chance. Strong, pacey, takes up good positions and finally timed a run.

Griffin and Mills were both excellent, Ingimarsson looked like he wanted to be somewhere else.

Pretty much just as I saw it WR

Karacan is showing just why Rodgers didnt play him much after his initial spell in the team. Rodgers wanted us to keep the ball and play a brand of football that involved keeping the ball and passing it to a team mate, not a bad plan, but for all his industry Karacan just keeps giving the ball away. Pair that up with Gunnar who seems to take an age to decide what he wants to do most of the time and it amazes me that we have done half as well as we have over this run of games with those 2 as our midfield pairing

IR, as I said, the lack of marking was down to those two midfielders not picking up the run. I think it was probably more like 5 marking 4 as it happens but I definately think your keeper should be claiming a cross that comes from that angle and and that pace

Well from the TV and replays (analysed at half time too) there were two West Brom in the box other than Koran, plus the crosser.That's one each for the centrebacks, Bertie (presumably) on Brunt doing the crossing. I would expect the midfield to be reinforcing the centrebacks and covering the space with the right back covering the far post. Not tucking in and taking a striker.

It might be a fair comment to have expected McAnuff to be in support enough to see Koran and mark him though.

I'll look again when the highlights are up.

[AthleticoSpizz]

real shame we couldnt hold on although that was my most enjoyable game of the year so far!

Just cant see us progressing to the next round unfortunately.

disagree

we are a team in-form...............with some good acquisistions


every chance of catching the Baggies off guard and finishing the job.


Glad to say, this is NOT the same Reading that we endured three or four months ago.

Speaking of which........where's Royalee these days

[Arch]

Another good performance and should have won.

I hate to single any one person out, but Ivar had been consistently poor and was again at fault today for the first goal. Numerous times this year goals have been down to Ivar, the Ipswich one he put on a plate for stead springs to
mind.

He is miss timing headers, standing off of forwards and missing sitters at the other end. If he had taken his chance today it would have been game over. Three chances were also missed last week.

Kishy and Mills are our best centre backs, I just hope Brian had the balls to drop our club captain. If he don't it could cost us.

How was Ivar at fault for the first goal?

[handbags_harris]

I must laugh though at the West Brom fans who thought that they were the loudest team ever to come to the Madejski. 4,000 of them and they barely made much noise.

Agreed, massive numbers - loud outside the ground but complete fair weather fans inside and when things weren't going well for them.

I thought karacan and howard were really poor today. Over-run most of the game and karacans lack of footballing ability really worries me.

Pretty much spot on IMO. "You're only here for the Albion"? Get over yourself you bunch of spastic-speaking bastards, you're not even the biggest team in the Midlands!!

Karacan reminds me of Phil Parkinson in some respects - excellent at winning the ball back but the passing ability of a thalidomide victim. Bertrand was average once again, failing to do the obvious thing and show Chris Brunt onto his right foot for the first equaliser. Ingimarsson and Mills struggled up against Bednar, and Ingi's header which he completely missed proved to be critical.

Somewhat disappointed with West Brom. There appeared to be times when they just dropped off and showed a distinct lack of interest, but when they clicked into gear they dictated play.Reasonably impressed with Bednar, and Koren's 2nd was a cracking strike but, in all honesty, the amount of space the central midfield ball-carrier was given in the face of a constantly retreating defence was massively frustrating. Having gone 4-3-2 when West Brom were reduced to 10 men, when we took the lead I would have personally placed Church out right and gone 4-4-1, which would have given us the option of getting the extra man forward had we needed to. Two banks of four, play through us. If we do that, the 2nd equaliser probably doesn't arrive IMO as the extra defensive man may have given Griffin the opportunity to track Koren.

Oh well, The Hawthorns it is in 10-11 days. Two days after I start my new job. I hope they allow me to leave on time!!

[bcubed]

We may well live to regret the absolute sitter that Ingi missed...

Haven't seen this again but at the time I thought it was an unchallenged header that he somehow missed completely and unfortunately we did regret it, as is often the way

[URZZZZZZZZ]

We may well live to regret the absolute sitter that Ingi missed...

Haven't seen this again but at the time I thought it was an unchallenged header that he somehow missed completely and unfortunately we did regret it, as is often the way

Those used to be bread and butter goals for Ingi a few years back. He's missed about 4 in the last half a dozen games, I'm worried!!

[Ian Royal]

We may well live to regret the absolute sitter that Ingi missed...

Haven't seen this again but at the time I thought it was an unchallenged header that he somehow missed completely and unfortunately we did regret it, as is often the way

Those used to be bread and butter goals for Ingi a few years back. He's missed about 4 in the last half a dozen games, I'm worried!!

I think it's closer to 6 or 7 in the last 4

[winchester_royal]

Karacan was very poor in the first half. Was speachless when I saw Howard's number come up when the sub was made after the sending off. Though TBF to Karacan he improved considerably towards the end of the game.

[Ian Royal]

Karacan was very poor in the first half. Was speachless when I saw Howard's number come up when the sub was made after the sending off. Though TBF to Karacan he improved considerably towards the end of the game.

Was always going to be Howard. No way a defensively minded player would come off when we go down to 10 against one of the best teams in our division at 1-1.

[FiNeRaIn]

Still can't understand how Ivar starts regularly, thats another sitter he's missed in recent weeks. He is immobile, slow and panics when closed down by strikers. Im getting fed up of seeing him clear it into touch or attempt a massive hoof down the field to no one. Mills and zurab until the end of the season please.

[Jack Celliers]

Excellent game: as good as I have seen for ages. I thought we were through.
From my view in the upper West, Long's red card was never in doubt: from the second he left the ground he was off.

Federici was good, Griffin was fantastic. Gunnarson's passing was better than Karacan's, but you can't fault the younger man's closing down and chasing. All the strikers were great.

[winchester_royal]

Karacan was very poor in the first half. Was speachless when I saw Howard's number come up when the sub was made after the sending off. Though TBF to Karacan he improved considerably towards the end of the game.

Was always going to be Howard. No way a defensively minded player would come off when we go down to 10 against one of the best teams in our division at 1-1.

Possibly, but I thought Howard was one of our best players up until then....at least he'll be fresh for wednesday