QPR - Back from watching on TV

[PEARCEY]

Honestly, I can't beleive some of you are blaming feds for that goal.

Blame is a strong word to use. He just may have made it a little harder for Routledge.

[papereyes]

Honestly, I can't beleive some of you are blaming feds for that goal.

Matt Mills did.

[winchester_royal]

It's a bit like Federici shouting at Ingimarsson after he kicked the ball straight at Bothroyd for Cardiff's first goal....

[soggy biscuit]

LOL @ 'your grounds too big for you' from a set of away fans who failed to sell their allocation

[Hoop Blah]

Honestly, I can't beleive some of you are blaming feds for that goal.

Blame is a strong word to use. He just may have made it a little harder for Routledge.

It was perfectly saveable, but one where it's a pretty good save if you pull it off.

Until Federici got a touch it wasn't right in the corner or that well hit. He definitely could've done better, it is afterall why he's there.

The back four were all at see in the build up though so he's not really any more to blame than Ingimarsson, Harte or Mills.

[Ian Herring]

proper celebration when QPR scored, lots of people falling over seats going mental giving reading fans the v-sign,etc proper celebration. They enjoyed it.

Good to see the Winchester Club having a good annual outing.

[Tredder]

yes i think whilst we were poor, let's not go overboard on the praise for QPR. I wasn't massively impressed - if the 1st half had an extra 5 minutes we'd have probably scored, true they were down to 10 men - but we should have murdered them with our wingers 2nd half. That's why I'm so pissed off - it wasn't how good they were it was more about how poor we were.

I disagree Leon. I thought QPR were excellent. Knocked the ball around superbly and were still looking to win the game even being one player down. We created nothing in the second-half. Absolutely nothing. Either they defended very well or we were crap going forward or a bit of both.

you are easily pleased, they passed better than us...not hard though.....but they created almost nothing and their goal had alot of fortune about it....which was their ONLY shot on goal

I think for a team with 10 men, we're entitled to not be at our best, you go on about our one shot, one goal, but I genuinely cannot think of clear cut opportunity for Reading, home side against 10 men for more than half the game, that should be your argument, not the merits of an away team with 10 men

[Hoop Blah]

Church shot that Kenny saved pretty easily, Mills header Kenny saved with his feet and the follow up by Church.

Three good chances, all in the first half, but as you say not enough against a ten man side.

[Victor Meldrew]

After the hour and a half journey home and a morning to reflect these are my considered views:
They scored a goal and we didn't.
Everything else has been said,mainly out of sour grapes,but we are what we are,a team likely to finish somwhere around 8th-10th and nowhere near good enough to go up and stay up.

I like Brian McD a lot and have enormous respect for what he has done with limited resources however I think he does have blind spots (like all of us and all managers).
He appears to have great faith in 4 players:-
Long
Harte
Church
HRK
His faith in Long has reaped rewards this season and although only a good Championship player he is a terrific team player and deserves everything he gets and makes the most (a la Keegan etc) of limited ability.
Harte is a full-back with no pace,is a poor reader of the game,not great on positional sense but strikes a good dead ball now and again-is that what we want from a left-back?
I don't think so and feel that we want one who can defend and get forward out wide to help the attack-let somebody else take set-pieces as that would improve our overall shape as long as (unlike Harte)the left-back can get back to defend.
Church-I think that is 4 games and just one shot on target straight at the keeper.
I'm sure it can't be the case but it doesn't seem to worry him if he misses or runs offside-as Snowball says he doesn't get in where it hurts-that doesn't come with experience,that is about heart.
HRK-He must look so good in training if nobody is tackling him-another like Church who doesn't look the bravest and hasn't enough speed to compensate for that as other wingers do,our own Jimmy included.

As Hoop Blah mentioned earlier this cunning plan of moving Jobi to a position that he can't play in the last 20 minutes of a game never seems to work.
Finally the long-ball emphasis is now starting to get really silly-last week's effort at Stevenage was to show that we can play better hoofball than a Div2 side and it worked whereas last night against a better organised side it didn't.
Our dire record of losing all 10 games against teams above us shows that our one tactic doesn't work against the better teams.
Jem can pass a ball but he must be under instruction to whack the ball forward as quickly as possible,he does it every game and treats the ball like a hot potato.

Although I am generally optimistic by nature as far as RFC is concerned I have always been in the glass half-empty category (maybe something to do with so many past let-downs and so few achievements by the club)so at the moment I don't really want us to scrape into a play-off spot and if promoted be a total embarrassment next season in the Prem as our long-ball game is so easy to deal with.
The 106 side was a bit special with all the parts functioning well and it was no great surprise to most of us that we could hold our own for the best part of 2 seasons but what we have at the moment is way,way short of what we had then so I for one won't be at all upset if we end up where I expect us to and have some good competitive games along the way.
Our medium term future has been discussed on other threads but our short term was summed up last night when we produced so little in terms of nous against a 10-man team and instead of using the extra man and passing them to death(remember us v Stoke in similar circumstances under McGhee when we won 4-0?) all we did was play hit and hope to little forwards and gave their back4 plenty of heading practice.
A lack of imagination and lack of ability IMHO.

[Basingstoke Royal]

Honestly, I can't beleive some of you are blaming feds for that goal.

Blame is a strong word to use. He just may have made it a little harder for Routledge.

It was perfectly saveable, but one where it's a pretty good save if you pull it off.

Until Federici got a touch it wasn't right in the corner or that well hit. He definitely could've done better, it is afterall why he's there.

The back four were all at see in the build up though so he's not really any more to blame than Ingimarsson, Harte or Mills.

Totally agree regarding the goal. It was very close to Feds and should have been saved.

[Basingstoke Royal]

I can't say I agree with some on here who think we deserved to get nothing or were well beaten.

For all the possession they had one shot on target and 2 corners. We had the better chances and should have had a couple of goals.

Maybe not shots on target but they as many good opportunities to score, and but for that 5 minutes before half time, we'd have been some way behind on good chances. Chances are a better reflection of the way a teams played than shots on target (IMO) and they had Hulses header, a couple of free headers from corners plus 2 or 3 decent efforts from distance in the first half alone.

I think we had a couple of free headers too though. In the second half. Mills and kebe both should have done better.

[rhroyal]

I really can't believe all those knocking church and HRK, maybe its from those that expected more from the season.

These guys are young players. All players have good and bad spells, but young players are usually more inconsistent.

Which is why it would be a good idea to farm them out on loan, build up their confidence, maturity and consistency.
At the moment, neither look Champioship quality.

The club is still going through a transition.

Edited for you

We really need to write off this season, and even next season, keep the bulk of our squad together and build on what we have.

That will be by some younger players getting better and by bringing in some quality, especially if we sell quality.

Therein lies the problem. Our most gifted players are coming towards the end of their careers here.
It's all about opinions, I suppose, but take Kebe, Jobi, and Long out, and replace them with HRK, Antonio, and Church, methinks that weakens the side.
Ok, we might get proper money for the outgoings, but temper that thought with the stark reality that the business is still losing money, the chairman will no longer plug the fiscal gaps, so the only way to avoid financial problems is by player sales. Go figure.

Take Jobi, Long and Kebe out and replace them with the three you mentioned and I fear that we'd be in a relegation battle.

I'm concerned that all 3 are out of contract in 2012. Assuming we don't go up this season, they will be fairly cheap for teams to move in for when compared to deals we got for Siggy and Doyle, for example. A loyal Long under contract until 2014 could fetch any sort of money in today's ridiculous climate. As it is we'd be lucky to get £2mill in the summer.

It would either mean reinvesting or taking a chance on our academy youngsters to fill the void. I know which is more likely. Not certain doom and gloom if this happens, but high risk for sure.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Ian Harte shouldn't be in the team.

[Man Friday]

On reflection, QPR were very well organised at the back and had plenty of fluidity in midfield. Our full backs lack the ability to get up and down the pitch which results in the wingers being isolated. We should not expect anything creative from midfield as it is blindingly obvious that our strengths are out wide. Karacan and Tabb? Tenacious but not the best. Liegertwood was sorely missed as he allows Karacan a bit more freedom. I also think that Feds could have come out further. He got to the 6 yard line and stopped. An extra pace or two would have narrowed the angle further.

Colin's comments on the radio this morning were spot on. Very complimentary. I like the daft old bugger.

I agree with all of that...especially about our full-backs and even the bit about Colin.

Like Ferguson, he's always complimentary about the other team when he wins. But ONLY when he wins. Haven't you noticed?

[PEARCEY]

I don't care whether he passes compliments about us or not. He's doing a cracking job at QPR and went up in my estimation when his Palace side held his beloved Sheff Utd a couple of years back which would have meant we would have gone up if we'd beaten Brum. It also meant Sheff Utd didn't go up. He's a man of passion and yes he moans a lot but its what you see what you get with him. He's good value as far as I'm concerned.

[RoyalBlue]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Exactly how I feel about supporting a club with no ambiton with fans that will use the excuse " well they spent loads on their players and it shows". Bla bla bla. Every time we lose a game.

Finerain, support Chelsea, Man City or similar and just leave this club alone. It's tiresome now. AP is right, it's not the Reading way, we are not going to do a Leeds or a Charlton, and for your own sanity move on!

Oh hear we go again, the stock answer from the Madejski disciples when anyone dares criticise their saint's approach!

Be honest on one thing for gods sake! It is not 'the Reading way' it is ' the Madejski way'!


And instead of the likes of Finerain and I leaving the club alone, why doesn't effing Madejski leave this club alone? Afterall, he started the rot when he announced to the whole world that he wanted out. What sensible bank wouldn't pull its loan when the top man says he wants out?!

Last night Mick Gooding claimed that a while back Sal Bibbo had to pay for his own hotel room for away games. If true, it is an absolute joke and illustrates everything that is wrong with 'The Madejski way'.

Claims that we weren't outplayed are laughable when you take into account the fact that QPR played the majority of the game with one player less!

I agree with McDermott when he states that none of our players played badly. Truth is we just haven't got the same level of quality. HRK was really poor but that wasn't due to lack of effort, it is just way too early in his career to be playing at the level demanded of him.

The team at the top of the table feel the need to strengthen their squad and are able to go out and sign the likes of Routledge. McDermott is left scouring the lower leagues for future prospects. So wake up all of those who dream that 'the Madejski way' will again bring us PL success. Every season there will two or three clubs that adopt the QPR/Cardiff approach and invest in the quality required for success. And even if McDermott achieves an even greater miracle than Coppell, our stay in the PL will be very short lived under a Chairman who has already made it abundantly clear that he is unable/unwilling to provide the levels of investment required to keep us there.

As for 'building for success', forget that one too when the chairman decides that a couple of the key foundations need to be sold off, everytime we look like getting anywhere. Do people really expect all of our players like Long, McAnuff and Kebe to be with us next season? Long has proved he is of PL quality and deserves the opportunity to be playing at that level. Why will he want to hang around when the prospect of achieving that with RFC is about as likely as seeing Madejski provide his manager £7M to strengthen the squad?

Whilst Madejski continues to fail to deliver on his talk of ambition or of selling, the best we can reasonably hope to see is season after season of being an average Championship side. What a waste of everything that had been achieved just a few years ago.

[West_Reading]

I left the ground totally frustrated and annoyed last night. Not because we'd lost but the way in which we'd been made to look clueless against 10 men. That wasn't even due to QPR looking any good. It was due to some clueless play on our part. We played so much hoofball that it was embarassing. But the thing is I don't blame our defence for that. I'm not a manager or a coach but it's so obvious to see why we play so much long ball. Everytime our defence has the ball the next closest pass going forward is usually 30 yards away. Everytime Griffin would get the ball, the two passes that he should be expecting to make (One to our CM coming short and one to Kebe hogging the width) were nowhere to be seen. Kebe's movement and positional awareness was a joke i'm afraid. The game was crying to be stretched against the 10 men but instead Kebe was content to go and hold the hand of their left centre back. All that lovely keep ball I saw in the warm up in front of Y20, with players playing close to each other and moving into space, just disappears once we pull on the blue and white. I really don't know what we actually work on in training or what the teamtalk says because we must have completed less than 30 succesful passes as a team in the entire game. Truly shameful.

Fed - 6 - Nothing to do. Maybe could have done better for the goal.
Griff - 7 - Given a torrid time by Taraabt at the start but came back well. One of our better players.
Mills - 8 - Again I felt he was excellent. Better distribution too.
Ingy - 6 - Looked dodgy i'm afraid. Gave the ball away cheaply and missed headers. Made one great run in the second half though.
Harte - 6 - Tough night for him against Routledge. Couldn't really cope. Decent delivery.
Kebe - 5 - I thought he was on it when I saw his first two runs. Sadly I was mistaken.
Tabb - 5 - Totally anonymous and i'm a big Tabb fan.
Karacan - 6 - Missed Ledge alongside him. Couldn't get close enough to the QPR midfield.
McAnuff - 7 - Our best player when on the ball. Totally isolated though. Great ball for Manset too.
Church - 5 - One good turn on the halfway line aside it's as bad as i've seen him play. Decent hit in the first half.
Long - 7 - Again ran tirelessly and tried to make things happen.

Subs -

Manset - 7 - A big plus. A real handful and some great touches. I could have swown the free kick he won was on the edge of the D and not where the ref placed it, 10 yards further back.
HRK - 6 - No real chance to make an impact.

[Maguire]

Well we weren't very good, they were loads better and I missed the goal whilst having a piss.

[Silver Fox]

They're far and away the best team in the division, imagine what they'd be like to watch if they had a real manager that didn't send his players out to do people? Obviously we were poor, not troubling (not so) fatty Kenny enough, but you can't be too downhearted, unless you're one of those clowns who thinks we should spend far too much money. Tarabt is massively over-rated by the way and would probably be better if he wasn't sat on his arse most of the game.

pointless point to finish off, the ref was poor and this was exemplified by his failure to book Routledge (easily their best player fwiw) for going into the crowd to celebrate, maybe he's had enough of that old woman Colin bitching at him?

LOLz @ the finerain and royalblue tag team btw!

[Big Foot]

Shit performance aside, seeing the QPR fans celebrating their goal last night knowing that they're heading for promotion reminded me of our celebrations when we won the league. Football fans' equivalent of seeing an ex-mrs end up with a m8.