FA Cup Quarter Final Match Thread - Man City(A)

[buzzby]

Definatly deserved a replay out of that game.

[cmonurz]

We had one shot on target, and never looked like scoring. I admire your optimism, buzzby, but to say we deserved a replay is stretching it a bit.

[Mike Hunt]

Of all the ways to go out.

A f*cking set piece


You can almost accept some brilliant international quality skill, but a f*cking set piece

Defending isn't Long's strong point. He lost Richards far too easily.

Very proud of this club tonight!

I am pretty sure it was hunt... Would explain why he was shaking his head as he came off...

[howser]

No need to feel despondant about this result lads you have done us all so proud, great fighting spirit and energy, we played our part in this match. Your effort and passion in this game made us all so proud of what you achieved for Reading FC today.

[Tom Foolery]

We had one shot on target, and never looked like scoring. I admire your optimism, buzzby, but to say we deserved a replay is stretching it a bit.

'greed with cmonurz, I think his optimism is as erroneous as his spelling.

[Arch]

Realistic result. Could well have been a different story with a fully fit Griffin and Pearce or Mills in there.

[Royal Rother]

We battled well enough I suppose and Man City were very average for their status but really it was men against boys.

[Libertine]

Disappointing but a good effort nonetheless. Getting beat 1-0 is nothing to hang our heads about. We just didn't have enough chances. City owned the 2nd half. Proud of the lads and proud of our fans who went there and represented us well. Back to back quarters in the FA Cup is nothing to be sad about.

URZZZZZZZ!!!!

[PremAddict]

Hat's off to the players who did very well. Great experience, great exposure for the club, and we held them well. Too bad to give it up to the most basic of set pieces but I am not going to complain.

And a very big applause to the traveling fans who were in good voice and overpowered the MC fans for most of the match. I didn't even notice the home crowed until they scored.

[Avon Royal]

We battled well enough I suppose and Man City were very average for their status but really it was men against boys.

No it wasn't.

[Uke]

Could have been worse, we could have lost at Wembley again

[sandman]

Billions of pounds and Citeh can only beat a cobbled together Reading 1-0.

[RobRoyal]

Defending isn't Long's strong point. He lost Richards far too easily.

Very proud of this club tonight!

I am pretty sure it was hunt... Would explain why he was shaking his head as he came off...

Yes, Richards was Hunt's man.

The very championship quality of our front men was evident today - the odd time there was a little opportunity Kebe (who had a good game, don't get me wrong) made the wrong decision, went to the byline instead of getting it across quickly. McAnuff and Hunt had chances to threaten but got the pass wrong. Nobody played badly, but we needed to be at our best going forward to trouble that big, athletic and technically good city back 4 (and holding midfielders). Defensively those 5 were heroes again tonight. Extraordinary to hold out in that manner with our 5th choice centre-back and 4th choice right-back. Bloody brilliant.

[facaldaqui]

Feel gutted but not humiliated; proud of the boys' effort. Gunnarsson proved what I've repeatedly tried to say to people on here--that he's not slow: time and again he went with Silva and Tevez.

But, until Howard came on, this game exposed something very odd about the way Reading have been playing this season--the lack of a forward midfield player. I call it the toilet seat formation: thick at the back and firm round the sides and the front, but with a big hole in the middle where the opposition can park their arse.

[cmonurz]

Positives - we battled hard, Zurab was brilliant, Gunnarsson was sensational and really rolled back the years (memories of the United cup tie).
Negatives - Leigertwood is a grafter but will create little, McAnuff has a bit of the Premier League Kebe about him - the ball just seemed to pin-ball off of him, and we seem to have an even smaller attack than when Keith Jones, Sammy Igoe and Jamie Cureton were storming up the pitch.

Have to agree with RR - we didn't stretch City in any way. Compare today's performance to our two against United in the cup, our 2-2 draw with Chelsea, our defeat of Liverpool. We never really 'made a game of it', just held them off, 75% of the match was like a massive game of 'defence v attack'.

[Tilehurst Blue]

Very proud of Reading atm, the amount of money City have spent on their team and the result only ended up as 1-0 with us holding our own in the first half. Very proud.

[Pseud O'Nym]

Gunnarsson was sensational and really rolled back the years

Greed. He's probably in his last season but he's really going out in style, leaving us with great memories of his cup performances this season and last.

[facaldaqui]

Defending isn't Long's strong point. He lost Richards far too easily.

Very proud of this club tonight!

I am pretty sure it was hunt... Would explain why he was shaking his head as he came off...

Yes, Richards was Hunt's man.

The very championship quality of our front men was evident today - the odd time there was a little opportunity Kebe (who had a good game, don't get me wrong) made the wrong decision, went to the byline instead of getting it across quickly. McAnuff and Hunt had chances to threaten but got the pass wrong. Nobody played badly, but we needed to be at our best going forward to trouble that big, athletic and technically good city back 4 (and holding midfielders). Defensively those 5 were heroes again tonight. Extraordinary to hold out in that manner with our 5th choice centre-back and 4th choice right-back. Bloody brilliant.

Admirable but not extraordinary, because we know what Gunnarsson and Karacan can do. In fact, I began to wonder if Karacan might be worth converting to a right back: he has the build and tenacity for it. As a midfielder he lacks a certain passing ability and maybe always will.

Clever team selection by Brian.

[Royal Rother]

We battled well enough I suppose and Man City were very average for their status but really it was men against boys.

No it wasn't.

They were bigger, stronger, faster, more mobile and quicker mentally than us. Despite playing well below their potential they just snuffed us out all over the park.

The men against boys analogy seems pretty apt to me.

Nonetheless we put up a decent enough effort and have nothing whatsoever to be ashamed of.

[Optimist]

So so gutted. Players should be so proud of their efforts, though. Hopefully they keep their heads and league form up and I firmly believe we have a good enough to squad to reach the play-off final, and we fans will get our Wembley trip which - after listening to the 2800 today - we thoroughly deserve.
URZZZZZZZ