Norwich - back from the game

[Lacoste]

Adam Federici warns January spending spree could disrupt team spirit at Reading

Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici has warned that a January spending spree could disrupt team spirit.

Saturday's 0-0 draw at home to Norwich made it 10 games without a win for the newly promoted Premier League side and Russian owner Anton Zingarevich hinted last week that he may bring in up to 10 new players in January.

However, Federici believes that any new signings in January will need to be the right kind of characters for the Reading squad.

"We've been together as a good squad for a long time now," he said. "We have added a few players but I think there is a danger when you add too many players into a squad - you kind of break that team spirit.

"It's something we have here in abundance. You have to be careful who you bring in, the sort of characters that come in. It's alright for people who sit far away from the game and say, 'I want that player and that player'.

"But you need to look at their personalities and think, 'Are they going to fit into the group' before bringing in any players."

Federici kept Reading's first clean sheet of the season on Saturday and he feels that they have been unlucky in recent weeks.

He added: "I don't think we're that far away. I thought we deserved three points against Norwich, we deserved three points against QPR. That was my point with bringing in players. We've got it there, we just need to bring it out and show everyone.

"We still have the rest of this month, which is a big month for us. We got one monkey off our backs with the clean sheet. The next one will be the three points. It's just getting that one lucky break. Then getting 40 points out of 50 like last season would be lovely."

[royal_ross]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20292448

"It was one of the most desperate games I've seen so far this season but Norwich still gained a valuable point and another clean sheet against Reading. Bassong single-handedly kept Jason Roberts, Stephen Hunt, Jobi McAnuff and Pavel Pogrebnyak quiet."

Really Garth come on!!!

[Extended-Phenotype]

Ta Feds. Team spirit has won us 6 points so far.

That said, I hardly see how letting Brian bring in 10 more arsesh/t players is going to help our cause. A tip for those thinking of signing for Reading in January - if you like passing the ball accurately and often, I wouldn't bother coming here, you won't even make the f/cking bench.

[RoyalBlue]

OMG! I've been supportive of Feds up until now but what rank hypocrisy mouthing off about disrupting team spirit!!


And f8ck what team spirit is supposedly there when all it has given us is no wins after 10 games and a bottom three, a favorite for relegation, position.

They've had time to show what the fabled team spirit can give us in the PL and it's clearly not enough.

As for things giving McDermott confidence - might as well add mind-bending drugs to the list he has offered!

"but I can’t be disappointed with a group of guys that have given us absolutely everything" - in other words Brian, a good number of them are not damn well good enough for this level.

[Maguire]

tbf he's got a point in that personality has to be a factor when signing players (and I know it's something McDermott is keen on). You can't just chuck money at every mercenary a-hole around even if they can do double figures keepy ups

[Royal With Cheese]

"but I can’t be disappointed with a group of guys that have given us absolutely everything" - in other words Brian, a good number of them are not damn well good enough for this level.

that was my reading of the situation. Brian's quite easy to read between the lines to find out what's going on.

I still think we're probably three players short but it will be hard to get those in the January transfer window and make up the gap to avoid relegation.

[winchester_royal]

'Greed with all the Shorey love. The one player we have who looks like he has time when in control of the ball.

[Royal Rother]

tbf he's got a point in that personality has to be a factor when signing players (and I know it's something McDermott is keen on). You can't just chuck money at every mercenary a-hole around even if they can do double figures keepy ups

QPR have them all anyway.

[Jano]

It's not just his use of the ball. There was a period in the game where Grant Holt moved over and Norwich started hitting high balls towards him and Shorey, obviously trying to use his height/strength advantage and Shorey just made him look like an absolute fool. I don't think Holt won a single fight against him, which is remarkable considering the difference in size.

[RoyalBlue]

'Greed with all the Shorey love. The one player we have who looks like he has time when in control of the ball.

Talking of Shorey's form, did anyone else notice that he actually used his right foot to cross on Saturday!

[Alexander Litvinenko]

'Greed with all the Shorey love. The one player we have who looks like he has time when in control of the ball.

Talking of Shorey's form, did anyone else notice that he actually used his right foot to cross on Saturday!

What kind of magic is this?

[maffff]

Yep, best left back we've had at this level since......... Shorey. (although Bertrand did give him a run for his money).

[royal67]

'Greed with all the Shorey love. The one player we have who looks like he has time when in control of the ball.

Talking of Shorey's form, did anyone else notice that he actually used his right foot to cross on Saturday!

Yes, and what a great cross it was.... Whipped in with great pace into a dangerous area. Hopefully Kebe and McCleary were watching......

[pea]

to be fair to McDermott, his post-match comments seemed to suggest to me that he knew we needed more quality that would win us games. I read his comments as 'pleased with a clean sheet, can't criticise the players because they did the best they could but what we have isn't good enough in this league to make the difference in these matches'. I'd rather we signed three quality players than 10 random 'hope they're good enough at this level' signings

[maffff]

Look at the players we 'missed out on' that were punts. Which have been a hit at their new teams so far;

Hit
Matthew Lowton

Meh/'okay'
Bjorn Sigurdarson,
Dame N'Doye
Modibo Maiga
Nathaniel Clyne
Geoff Cameron

Miss
Geoffrey Kondogbia,
Jacob Butterfield
Jay Rodriguez

[Hoop Blah]

Ok, wider picture. The problem with saw on Saturday with no penetration from midfield is not a new one. Nevertheless, McDermott has not been including such an option in the match day squad.

yeah, cos he wa so chock full of attacking flair and verve whenever hes played,
the through balls he played, the dribbles, the sheer creation of the man

He was when he first came into the side, when playing deeper and in his more natural position, before we started to restrict his game more and more. He needs to be in a side that uses the ball better to see more from him though.

It just shows the lack of depth in our squad doesn't it?

[melonhead]

Ok, wider picture. The problem with saw on Saturday with no penetration from midfield is not a new one. Nevertheless, McDermott has not been including such an option in the match day squad.

yeah, cos he wa so chock full of attacking flair and verve whenever hes played,
the through balls he played, the dribbles, the sheer creation of the man

He was when he first came into the side, when playing deeper and in his more natural position, before we started to restrict his game more and more. He needs to be in a side that uses the ball better to see more from him though.

It just shows the lack of depth in our squad doesn't it?

yes it does, in that one area.which is the area that meant we didnt win on saturday-& tbf two midfielders are injured currently


i saw him play well in one game, where he kept the ball moving nicely, and was always open for pass.
stoke, where they stood off him, and let him have enough time to do what he wants
he was ok Vs chelsea too apparently.
still not really the dynamic creative and attacking midfielder people seem to think he is.

[Hoop Blah]

I don't think the general consensus is that he's an attacking midfielder who will create loads, but he is a player that can help to get the side passing the ball more. That's quite important in this league where you need to creat chances, not just capitalise on mistakes through percentage play.

He's no Sigurdsson who can play off a front man, he's a Harper type creative player who can probe and start attacks intelligently. We do miss that, but only really if we try and play some better football.

[melonhead]

just dont seem to remember creating a whole load of chances when he plays
but everyone blaming everyone else in the team for that

i like him
i hope its all sorted out and he plays, and plays well.

[facaldaqui]

i saw him play well in one game, where he kept the ball moving nicely, and was always open for pass.
stoke, where they stood off him, and let him have enough time to do what he wants
he was ok Vs chelsea too apparently.
still not really the dynamic creative and attacking midfielder people seem to think he is.

I don't think Guthrie's had enough playing time to show what he can do yet, so the jury is out. But I can understand why McD stopped playing him, because he found we were dropping more points with Guthrie in the team, probably the result of less tackling in midfield. The trouble is, our present style is totally based on exceptional tackling in midfield; dilute that and we seem to go to pieces. I suspect what we need is someone like Sidwell, who can tackle and be creative.