Back from the Game - Coventry (H)

[RoyalBlue]

As an aside, it's a shame Feds or Murphy didn't get a chance to go forward for a set piece. What the hell was the ref playing at allowing the keepers to wear identical kit bar socks and club badges?!

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Quick question.

Why does Church get so much stick, yet Hunt doesn't?

ALF was never going to come on ahead of Church today with us 2 goals up.

[Maguire]

Flat old game, no atmosphere from the home fans, not much quality but Reading ground out a good win.

The sort of games you have to notch a win if you have designs on the top six.

Cywka looked tidy when he came on I must say.

[loyalroyal4life]

Quick question.

Why does Church get so much stick, yet Hunt doesn't?

ALF was never going to come on ahead of Church today with us 2 goals up.

Maybe Because Hunt is a better player, wins balls in the air (won more than roberts today) and just produces more than church in general

[Friday's Legacy]

Quick question.

Why does Church get so much stick, yet Hunt doesn't?

ALF was never going to come on ahead of Church today with us 2 goals up.

Maybe Because Hunt is a better player, wins balls in the air (won more than roberts today) and just produces more than church in general

agreed. church doesn't bring much at all to the table. he isn't good enough at this level but mcdermott is blinded by the fact that he thinks if he gives him enough chances he'll be another shane long, but it will never happen.

he is a striker that doesn't strike. not at this level, not at league one level and not at league two level.

he's a local lad and for that reason i would love him to do well but at the end of the day he is terrible; terrible, terrible, terrible.

i would rather see le fondre and sheppard on the bench, because in sheppard we have the unknown, and that is a lot more attractive that simon flipping church.

[rhroyal]

Has anybody mentioned Cywka's cameo yet? He looks like a handy option indeed.I'd like to see him start against Derby if McAnuff and HRK miss it.

[stickywhisky]

Has anybody mentioned Cywka's cameo yet? He looks like a handy option indeed.I'd like to see him start against Derby if McAnuff and HRK miss it.

Yes mate, he has something to prove and did look useful.
No need to moan today was a steady performance against a poor side, sure we will adjust to a 'slightly' better Derby side.

[Libertine]

Not the best performance but 3 points nonetheless.

Very cold

Federici and Karacan the stand out performers.

Bit of trouble between the opposing supporters as Libertine alluded to earlier. Spotted some riots vans hurtling towards the stadium as I left.

I should have gone on to add I heard at the time that it dissipated as it quickly began.

[bobbybottler]

OK first half, slippers were on in the second half.

After an hour, it was suggested that we could leave and miss nothing, foolishly I turned this offer down.

[PieEater]

Pretty much agree with most of what has been posted already other than the one who spoke of Church possibly being an option because of his pace-what pace?
He always looks as though he is running on the spot and treading water.

Impressive.

He's no Long or Lita but he's quicker than any of our other strikers, unless you count Manset's ability to run 20 yards very quickly once a match

He looks like his legs are moving really fast, but he makes up no ground on the centre half.

I think most if not all of our forwards would beat him in a race. Pearce would probably too.

It's another disappointing performance from Church. He comes on 2 nil up against the bottom club - and did nothing apart from miss a sitter. Alf must be well pissed off.

I'd agree with BR and Victor, to think Church has any pace is laughable. He regularly gets out sprinted by the opposition centre halves.
Hunt is quicker and better in the air.

[Gordons Cumming]

Mills is no Bobby Convey, but has a nice skill in overhead flicks.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Awful game and yet another below par performance but managed to win so continued signs of a good team - allegedly.

We must be due a good performance sometime soon though.

[loyalroyal4life]

Awful game and yet another below par performance but managed to win so continued signs of a good team - allegedly.

We must be due a good performance sometime soon though.

Well it better come as early as Tuesday or i can see us getting beaten

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Not a good performance with the first 20 minutes dire until Kebe fluked one and then Roberts make it 2-0. In total control expecting us to up it in the 2nd and watched the complete reverse.

Fed's saved the day for us because if Coventry had got one they would have got another.

I keep on hearing the excuse we played below our best... well the performance level bar one of two games this season have been pretty poor.

[Handsome Man]

Feds was excellent today: a few brilliant camera saves, but two of the three they showed on the FLS were amazing; the first one had us wondering how he did it as well.

Karacan is player of the year for the whole Championship.

Coventry fans were good - I hope they enjoyed the seond half, but we were never going to let them get anything really.

Cwyka has clearly not been brought up in english football, but looked good.

Roberts looked a bit slower and less athletic today.

Kebe, Mills, Connolly all fitted into the side well. Although Mills took 30 minutes to get going he contributed well.

[Maguire]

Karacan is player of the year for the whole Championship

He's not even our best player this season

[andrew1957]

Karacan is player of the year for the whole Championship

He's not even our best player this season

Suspect that you are wrong and that injury provided he will be voted RFC player of the season.

[Maguire]

Karacan is player of the year for the whole Championship

He's not even our best player this season

Suspect that you are wrong and that injury provided he will be voted RFC player of the season.

Yes but Reading fans are notoriously idiotic - remember when they voted Harper player of the season in 02-03 when Nicky Forster had carried the entire side into the play-offs?

[tomrfcurz]

Did enough to get the 3 points but as pointed out we took the foot of the gas so much 2nd half, despite that it should have been 3-0 when Church missed the target from 4 yards out. Had that have been against another side we may have been punished more but i can't help but feel if we were playing a better side we knew were sharper, we perhaps wouldn't have eased off.

Feds obviously made some vital saves so has to be up there but Karacan the MOTM for me again, i can't see anyone else getting our player of the season to be honest. The lad just runs and runs. Sometimes a little aimlessly and i'd like to see him take people on a tad more when he's pelting towards the box but that's about the extent of his negatives aspects.

Roberts was quiet but i felt the Coventry defense really wanted to shut him out of the game, for long periods they achieved this as well but it did give Hunt a lot more freedom that he perhaps didn't take full advantage of.

Back four looked solid, didn't notice any gaping errors from the centre backs, bar one Alex Pearce error that let them almost one on one with Feds near the end but from the other end of the ground i can't blame him completely as i'm still not 100% sure it was all his fault. Gorkss solid, as per. Harte didn't do too badly at all, felt confident about doing his duties with Mills doing well to cover and attack too. First half Connolly did look like a player who hadn't played for a while; one terrible backpass and a few poor decisions (Kebe had a right go at him at one point) but 2nd he looked solid and was one of our stand out players of the half.

Waiting for the FLS to go up on iPlayer to rewatch parts of the game now.

[Half Horse]

Well, what a day!

Managed to get a free ticket via Waitrose, bet on Jimmy to score first, my mate Neil won £1000 on the Golden Gamble and gave me half (it's been a long standing agreement should either of us win) and I won £8 at online poker last night.

As for the game - not much of a spectacle but three points is three points.

Oh, and my luck ran out on the lottery.