Back from the Everton (H) game

[Optimist]

Just had such a good feeling about this game, even at half-time I didn't doubt our chances of getting 3 points.

Agree with all the Gunter and Gorkss not up to it comments, but I'd rather not change a winning team and I don't think Brian will change anything unless forced.

URZ!!!

[Snowball]

The odds on my bet were crap as they were at the game.

[Platypuss]

RR this site is famous for absolutely crap judgements on players

While RR is famous for being sensible and realistic.

Careful Snowers, the last bandwagon you hitched up to was TheSieve's, and look how that turned out.......

[Man Friday]

One again, hundreds of our fans leave with 5 mins to go. WTF! Just unbelievable. (Saw a dozen or so leave with 10 minutes to go!)

[Snowball]

I never leave early but "for a laugh" I stood up with two minutes to go
and said I had a bus to catch...

Great atmosphere, but, word of warning, it felt like my lower-league team had one against a prem side in the cup

[Royal Rother]

RR this site is famous for absolutely crap judgements on players

While RR is famous for being sensible and realistic.

And you are famous for what?

That sounded a lot like Frimmers didn't it?

[Esteban]

I'm a little surprised at all the McAnuff bashing. I thought he had a decent game. Didn't have much joy going forward, but he was vocal, tracked back and kept everyone's feet on the ground. Good captain's performance, even if he didn't set the wing alight.

Gunter looks a bit naive to me and the only way he's going to irradiate that from his game is by playing. He will improve, though by how much remains to be seen. Gorkss gives his all and you have to respect him for that, but he lacks quality and will find it hard to keep his place if we sign an defender with PL experience in January.

We need to put in that level of performance for 90 minutes in every game. It'll be interesting to see if we can do that, a lot of our players looked completely spent at the final whistle.

Fair play to Morrison, he's waited a long time for his chance and he's really grabbed it. He was immense today.

[CayeneMatt]

I never leave early but "for a laugh" I stood up with two minutes to go
and said I had a bus to catch...

Great atmosphere, but, word of warning, it felt like my lower-league team had one against a prem side in the cup

Noel Hunt didn't help matters at the end either. Dropping down to the ground and looking like we'd just done Barcelona 8-7 AET..

[SPARTA]

One again, hundreds of our fans leave with 5 mins to go. WTF! Just unbelievable. (Saw a dozen or so leave with 10 minutes to go!)

That has always been the case though. The stadium is in the worst possible place for 24000 fans to get away from. We do well to keep it to just a couple of hundred that go early.

[Snowball]

TBF to Hunty & Co.

it wasn't "just" beating Everton, but getting our first win.


PS we already have as many points as Derby had when they had nine.

[peterroyal76]

I never leave early but "for a laugh" I stood up with two minutes to go
and said I had a bus to catch...

Great atmosphere, but, word of warning, it felt like my lower-league team had one against a prem side in the cup

Hilarious!

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Avon - you got it right didn't you? 2-1? Impressed!!

I have my moments.

Just had a funny feeling that Brian was going to change it up a bit today, and it worked (second half anyway). When we go at teams, instead of sitting back, we look like a half decent team.

I like the new Avon. Keep it up

[paultheroyal]

Morrison and Tabb eh?

Now revered as stars of the team, weeks ago labelled as utterly incapable of making any kind of contribution in the PL.

Love it.

Not seen many negative comments about Morrisson to be fair.

[Pepe the Horseman]

TBF to Hunty & Co.

it wasn't "just" beating Everton, but getting our first win.


PS we already have as many points as Derby

Derby got 11

[Snowball]

Morrison and Tabb eh?

Now revered as stars of the team, weeks ago labelled as utterly incapable of making any kind of contribution in the PL.

Love it.

Not seen many negative comments about Morrisson to be fair.

Many/Most were saying not good enough, League 1 player, bad attitude, get rid. But then NEXT week...

[paultheroyal]

Everton fans were unbelievably shite. Not too many will bring a full away following and get outsung by us

Only in the second half - the first time I heard a Reading song today was after 38 minutes. The song was "your support is fukking shit" - and my irony meter exploded at that point!

Agreed. Thought our chanting support was dreadful first half. Even before kickoff it was flat. However last ten and the stadium was rocking. Shame the players have to be dying on the pitch for fans to give it their all.

[If you still hate Futcher]

Gunter had a good game?????

He was dire in the first half. Can't mark or defend and never seems to cut out crosses.

Mariappa has played at right back in the Prem. Has to be worth a try.

Baines and Pienaar is the most potent left sided combination in the league and had very little joy down our right all game.

^^^
Exactly - Gunter did OK, especially as he had next to no cover from McAnuff who looked as if he was injured the way he was strolling back for most of the game - the tackle in stoppage time excepted.

I also thought Morrison was a little lost in the 1st half, unsurprising really against Jelavic and Fellani, but things were sorted out during the half-time team talk and he was a rock in the 2nd, although I did get a bit worried when he went on a run and ended up at right wing.

A dire first half, where we game Everton too much respect, but Brian must have put something in their tea at half-time as it was like a different team came out for the 2nd. It's almost as if we decided to take it easy in the first half so that we weren't tiring halfway through the 2nd.

[Royal Lady]

After writing us off before the game, my decision appeared to be proven at half time - but what a turnaround - Morrison was immense all game and was my MOTM again - ALF was great, Tabb ran his socks off. I thought Gunter had a better game than previous showings. I think he'll come good for us. Disappointed with Legs and McAnuff - but all in all a fantastic second half and really proud of the fans who all seemed to perk up and cheer us on second half.

Special mention to the absolute helm who sits behind me (he's welsh and looks older than me) - at the awarding of the penalty, me and Stepson stood up, as did everyone else around us, but moaning bloke tugged at my coat and told us to sit down. WTF. You're allowed to stand at moments of excitement and EVERYONE else was standing - except for the boring "supporters" in the row behind us. Seriously, even when we scored the penalty, boring woman next to him didn't clap, didn't stand up, didn't cheer. Just sat there. Most odd. And then she left with 3 or 4 minutes to go.

I look forward to apologising for writing us off, come the end of the season - because with that type of fightback on show today - we really do stand a chance of survival. Well done McD, well done lads, well done (on the whole) to the fans.

[Victor Meldrew]

I never leave early but "for a laugh" I stood up with two minutes to go
and said I had a bus to catch...

Great atmosphere, but, word of warning, it felt like my lower-league team had one against a prem side in the cup

Fully understand where you are coming from Snowball.
We are a Championship side playing in the Premier League and as many people have said during many discussions we have to give everything to get a result and today,in the second half we did and got the reward.
In the first half we weren't giving everything (neither physically nor in terms of concentration)and, but for Everton strolling, the game could have been over.

Presumably at half-time Brian said something on the lines of "Get out there and have a go otherwise I will get the sack and quite a few of you will have no future here either".
It worked and makes for a much happier Saturday night all round and listening to Brian it sounds as though he is on a promise.
Interesting that only two of Brian's summer signings played in our first win and of course Shorey has just come home-not sure what it says but none of:-
Pog
McLeary
Mariappa
Guthrie
started, for whatever reasons.

[silchester rovers]

What a great platform to build on! A few more balls to feet in the next game as Roberts doesn't head the ball and Le Fondre is not the tallest.