Back from the game - Cardiff City

[Snowball]

It's easy to resolve the "Is it in?" debate

Look at what Federici does afterwards.

He doesn't protest, doesn't go crazy. He KNEW it was in

[West_Reading]

A thoroughly entertaining game and one I feel we should have put to bed shortly after half time. To be fair, Cardiff came back into it well in the second half and maybe in the end a point each was fair. MOTM was Khiza for having Bothroyd in his pocket all game and looking as cool as an ice cube throughout. Good performances from pretty much everyone else too. Karacan and Howard also excellent in the middle and Griffin solid as always. D'urso was a completely knob and along with Olanfinjana done a good job of breaking up our play. Felt we should have had a penalty in the first half when there looked to be a handball from Harte's (?) shot.

Fed - 7 - Didn't have too much to do apart from one save near the end. Solid.
Griffin - 8 - One brilliant last ditch challenge and a couple of great crosses.
Khiza - 9 - MOTM. Had Bothroyd on lock all game and covered Harte a number of times.
Mills - 8 - Pretty dominant all game but really felt he should have buried one of those headers at the end.
Harte - 6 - Just didn't feel he looked comfortable tonight in defence. Showed Burke inside too easily and got outpaced on the outside too.
McAnuff - 7 - Had some good moments but outmuscled too easily at times.
Karacan - 8 - Everywhere and always the first to close down when the ball broke loose.
Howard - 8 - Always showing for the ball and I feel he's really beginning to express himself now.
NHunt - 7 - Great finish for the goal but faded a bit later on.
Church - 7 - Started like a runaway train but seemed to get a bit lost in the 'hole' position as we faced some Cardiff pressure
Long - 7 - Felt he done some great work out wide but should have scored with his lob chance.

Subs -
Tabb - 6 - Broke up play and tried to get into advanced positions.
HRK - 6 - Little time to have an impact.

[Pseud O'Nym]

here is my analysis of the goal which i hope makes things a bit clearer

[Snowball]

7 Federici Solid, one VG save late on got us a point
8 Griffin... I just love the olf git
7 Mills Maybe 8. Can't remember much wrong but how many shots did Cardiff have second half?
7 Khiz Like Mills. One "dive" looking for a free was embarrassing and could have had a second yellow for simulation
7 Harte - Never "skinned" and some solid tackles, but he did allow 2-3 shots from edge of box
7 McAnuff - Might be stingy. Very good game IMO. I think he likes Kebe being out
9 Howard - Great tonight. If he could score six a season...
8 Karacan - Buzz-saw, and Cardiff have some very good players
8 Hunt - Early on was very, very good. In the right place to shin the goal. Got tired tho'
7 Church - The touch of Long 2008, but good cross for goal
8 Long - Led the line quite brilliantly. 9 if not for that missed lob

7 Tabb - Almost an 8 but not on for long enough
5 HRK - Not his best. Think it was a chance for Antonio

[chilipepper91]

7 Harte - Never "skinned" and some solid tackles, but he did allow 2-3 shots from edge of box

So he left their man alone for the Griff saving slide tackle in the first 15 minutes, he left Burke alone twice for two shots he should have scored, he DID get skinned for a one-two Burke played with Bothroyd...

Four golden opportunities but I suppose none went in so the Golden Boy is safe.

[dantheloyalroyal]

here is my analysis of the goal which i hope makes things a bit clearer

Good job.

[royalsteve]

Rare game for me, enjoyed it. Thought Reading were the better side and if the forwards of the two sides had been reversed and Reading's chances fell to them I think Reading walk off with a 3-0 win. The misses from Church and in particular Long in the 2nd half are criminal when you are at home to a top side, it should have hmade a busy linesman's decision completely irrelevant.

Jury's out on Harte, thought he was awful in the 1st half, slightly better in the second although only poor finishing stopped his man Burke scoring. He just gets beaten to easily. 3 times Zurab covered him after he just turned his back and gave up even trying to stop Burke beating him and only a stunning block by Griffin stopped a certain goal after Harte was caught out of position for the umpteenth time. It's a balancing act with HArte because he offers loads more than Armstrong going forward but his defensive work for an International defender is nothing short of atrocious.

I thought McAnuff was extremely average but other than that everyone else put a good shift in. 2 centre halves especially Zurab were excellent. I liked the system and I thought the 3 forwards caused problems for Cardiff.

If Reading want to be top 6 they need a number 1 striker. A poacher, goalscorer to partner Long and finish off these chances that were made. Even in the last few minuted HRK and Howard put some excellent crosses in, no one in the box challenging. Criminal. Someone like Kitson or Cureton in their prime would have been in there sniffing a chance out. They both would have scored the chances made for Church and Long during the game.

That's all Reading need, across the park they match up to pretty much every side in the league but ti's the forwards and their lack of goals over the course of the season that will cost them. If they can get someone who can get them 15 goals in the division they can definitely make the top 6. If they don't they'll finish about where they are now. 8th-12th.

agreed except mills was awful tonight, ref was poor gave cardiff everything and the poofta bothroyd should have been sent off for so much diving, either that or he should give up footbal and train for the olympics

[royalsteve]

7 Federici Solid, one VG save late on got us a point
8 Griffin... I just love the olf git
7 Mills Maybe 8. Can't remember much wrong but how many shots did Cardiff have second half?
7 Khiz Like Mills. One "dive" looking for a free was embarrassing and could have had a second yellow for simulation
7 Harte - Never "skinned" and some solid tackles, but he did allow 2-3 shots from edge of box
7 McAnuff - Might be stingy. Very good game IMO. I think he likes Kebe being out
9 Howard - Great tonight. If he could score six a season...
8 Karacan - Buzz-saw, and Cardiff have some very good players
8 Hunt - Early on was very, very good. In the right place to shin the goal. Got tired tho'
7 Church - The touch of Long 2008, but good cross for goal
8 Long - Led the line quite brilliantly. 9 if not for that missed lob

7 Tabb - Almost an 8 but not on for long enough
5 HRK - Not his best. Think it was a chance for Antonio

harte was continually skinned

[royalsteve]

Watford. That is all.

whats that got to do with it......thing is people go on and on about that goal, but noone talks about the legit goal that was disallowed for no reason whatsoever in the same game

[Charles Dapper]

Cardiff city fan on the bus back to the station claims he was sitting 4 rows behind the goal and it NEVER went in.

Would explain why the Cardiff fans didn't celebrate straight away.

I thought Feds did protest.

Harte was as useless as he has been since he's got here, sorry a couple of blinding free kicks the exception.
Slow, doesn't read the game.

Otherwise thought the other defenders had a good night.
Enjoyed the game, but Chopra and Bothroyd are nasty cheating Oxfords.

[Avon Royal]

Would explain why the Cardiff fans didn't celebrate straight away.

They, like any human being in the stadium without a flag it would seem, would have been physically unable to be 100% sure that it crossed the line.

[kwik-silva]

I'm pretty sure it's impossible for the ball to hit the crossbar and post and also cross the line. It just can't happen.

It's not impossible to hit the crossbar and post, although I think it would be to then bounce out like that!

Would explain why the Cardiff fans didn't celebrate straight away.

They, like any human being in the stadium without a flag it would seem, would have been physically unable to be 100% sure that it crossed the line.

Reading FC Twitter seems to be 100% sure it didn't.

[Stranded]

It's easy to resolve the "Is it in?" debate

Look at what Federici does afterwards.

He doesn't protest, doesn't go crazy. He KNEW it was in

Reverse arguement is that no Cardiff player (and very few fans) celebrated as they KNEW it wasn't in.

No real problem with the decision in the cold light of day - was convinced at the time that it wasn't it and no replay or still cap has changed that view but the lino had to make the call and made the one he thought was right.

[RobRoyal]

I think that photo shows it's close enough that you can hardly blame the officials whichever way they call it.

What is this "close enough"? If it's in doubt, it's not a goal. The lino has to be sure.

Poor decision then.

[Stranded]

I think that photo shows it's close enough that you can hardly blame the officials whichever way they call it.

What is this "close enough"? If it's in doubt, it's not a goal. The lino has to be sure.

Poor decision then.

Not if he was sure. He was. Good decision (shit for us though).

[Snowball]

It's easy to resolve the "Is it in?" debate

Look at what Federici does afterwards.

He doesn't protest, doesn't go crazy. He KNEW it was in

Reverse arguement is that no Cardiff player (and very few fans) celebrated as they KNEW it wasn't in.

No real problem with the decision in the cold light of day - was convinced at the time that it wasn't it and no replay or still cap has changed that view but the lino had to make the call and made the one he thought was right.

Fairy Nuff, but Feds is closest and staring at the incident

[Maguire]

To be fair tHo McD, tonight is probably the first time his subs have had such a negative impact on the game.

Seriously, how the f*ck was that donkey HRK ever going to improve on hunt?

Hunt was fukked and doing absolutely nothing. I called that sub and it was the right one. Tabb coming on was right too as they were all over us at the time.

Great miss from LOLong and I too thought the ball was in. Then again I was 100 yards away.

Happy enough with the Tabb sub, but HRK brings f*ck all effort into the team. Didnt bother helping in defence and didnt manage to beat the right back once (which the f*cked Hunt had done just before being subbed..... man even Howard managed it!). At least antonia might have been having a good-bas-savage day!

Hunt ran at the right back just before getting subbed and looked shot. Checked back on his right foot then tried to go past on the left but kicked it straight off the pitch. He doesn't really have the skill to play on the wing anyway but defo looked knackered.

Thought Howard had a really tidy game tbf, as did Karacan. Draw was a fair result but Long really should have put the same to bed.

What happened with that non-handball in the first half when one of their players practically caught a Reading shot?

[Focher]

And now mine...

[Ingham]

Did anyone else have a distinct sense of déjà vu and premonition at the point when D'urso got in the way of a Reading pass or a Reading player for the third or fourth time. At that point I remembered Neale Barry doing the same in 2003 against Norwich and then proceeding to trap the ball and pass it to a player in Yellow and Green so they could score and win the game. The officials are going to cost us this I thought!! And low and behold.........!!

[handbags_harris]

Watford. That is all.

whats that got to do with it......thing is people go on and on about that goal, but noone talks about the legit goal that was disallowed for no reason whatsoever in the same game

Not a great deal. Just an immediate attempt to remind people that, whether the ball was in or not, we are in absolutely no position to complain having been awarded one of the most outrageous goals ever.

Anyway, I felt we played well aenough. Should have been masively in the ascendancy first half scorewise, Church spaffing his usual golden opportunity and Long backheeling on the six-yard line when I felt he should have leathered it with the ol' left peg. That second half miss was criminal, good header from Hunt as well, but the last half an hour was all Cardiff. Our ball retention in that phase was awful, utterly woeful and by conceding possession so often just invited pressure.