Back from the game - Sunderland (A)

[Focher]

you need your head tested for going, but fair play to you.

At least you made it back to the hotel unlike the odd loyal royal at the game.............

[No Fixed Abode]

surely you should be out on the shant?

[ManchesterRoyals]

Just got back to my hotel in Newcastle, and the hour long journey hasn't done much to calm me down. I feel sorry for those that made the journey up from Reading, not worth the time nor effort. I must say, considering our position in the league and how poorly we've played, fans gave it a real go for the first half an hour until the second goal.

Words really are starting to fail me. I'm fully in the McDermott out camp, but this one can't be chalked up to him. There was no where for Brian to turn to on the pitch or on the bench, this showed by only bringing on Samuel (who barely touched the ball).

We look like complete headless chickens out there, and there doesn't seem to be any hope coming from anywhere. I honestly don't understand how we can play so poorly after last season.

As usual, key points from the game:

- We have zero creativity on the pitch - McClearly is our only threat (at times)
- No one takes control, and I'm sorry but McAnuff should not be captain. Nothing against him, but you need someone who is going to pull the team together when heads start to drop.
- Ledge isn't even a shadow of his former self.
- Almost all the goals I've seen this season have come down the left wing. There was plenty of open space there tonight.
- I don't remember a clear cut chance, and when we had a very very shot, chants of 'how sh*t must you be, we just had a shot' came through. Sad, but true.
- Sunderland weren't anything special, we are just woefully bad. Everywhere.

With Arsenal, City, Swansea, West Ham, Spurs and Newcastle coming up, I can't see us getting more than a point from all of those games, and I can't see anyone coming in, as who would want to leave their club to play for a team clearly doomed for relegation.

Were not worthy

[pea]

I think its time for you to find a new hobby. You have my sympathies

[Forest Gump]

surely you should be out on the shant?

With the RFC squad you mean!!!

[PieEater]

Just watching the game live from France, and we were totally inept. Then to hear BMcDs platitudes at the end of the game just makes me feel great sympathy for those that treked up to this game and saw this total clusterfuck. We held out for 3 mins FFS.

We're down.

[Rex]

It's clear to see even the players are becoming disillusioned with BM after the past few games, gotta go!

So?

And us fans are getting disillusioned with the player's (apparent lack of) effort the past two games. No passion, no urgency, no spark on the pitch. What is BM supposed to do come out of retirement and lace 'em up?

Obviously not don't get me wrong, BM did a fantastic job in get us promoted, but that was last season and this is now , he looks lost half the time, the players need a leader and guidance

Fantastic assumption.

[ManchesterRoyals]

i thought Southampon was worse.

Agree but didnt watch tonight after the first goal

[Big Ern]

RFCUK is spot on.

We are dire and nothing more than Premiership squatters. We should feel ashamed to bring our dire brand of football to this division and I have no doubt, with the remaining fixtures we will fail to surpass Derby's points total of 20 and go down as a complete laughing stock.

During the game we made Sunderland, another struggling team, look like Real Madrid. We had a bit more energy than against Southampton, but never looked like scoring. We had Feds, who had a solid game, to thank for keeping the score almost respectable. Apart from that usual problems persist with hoof ball tactics and no sign of any change in this or plan B. Our Midfield is by far the worst to ever grave (well shame) the Premiership and our defence looks poorly organised and lacking pace. We only look a threat at set plays and could have played for another 90 minutes after the final whistle and still not scored from open play.

As for Brian, he looked clueless as usual and needs to do the right thing and resign.

[Gobsheik]

Embarrassing. Could someone teach them how to pass to a team-mate.

[Platypuss]

When Leigertwood received the ball when marked he tried to run with it. When he received it in space he passed it back to the centre halves.

[noelgallagher]

So what if we go down? We all knew we were in for a rough ride.

And besides, at least we've got this to show for it:

Sadly, this has been the highlight of the season.

[glenroyal]

At Wigan we did feel we'd played OK and it could have gone either way, with a fortunate late winner for them. Miserable drive home, but an entertaining game.

Last night at the Stadium of Shite, we were dire. In fact Sunderland were pretty dire, comic even, and they easily beat us - easily - we got what we deserved out of that one. Even the overweight Bramble looked competent when he came on, much to the amusement of the home fans. I posted I had a bad feeling before the game, and it was confirmed in the first minute. It was painful to watch the rest of the game, hoping for the unexpected recovery. If Soton was worse, I'm glad I didn't see it in the flesh.

Only Tabb earned his keep - a star performance. Otherwise very poor control and passing generally. Long directed passes are OK, but just too many 50/50 floaty long balls, especially from Feds. No doubt the Guthrie situation was unsettling to the squad, including Brian. Amazed he only managed the one substitution, given we were so clearly losing. He needs to sort that kinda thing out.

The obvious has been stated many times. The selected squad isn't good enough, very short of midfield creative spark and control. If we don't get the sidelined players back into the team soon, we need new blood.

(PS had added "fun" on the way home when some divvy started a fire on the Metro tracks, and we had to get off in town and get a taxi back to our parked car.)

[RobRoyal]

i thought Southampon was worse.

Agree but didnt watch tonight after the first goal

So what the actual fuck are you basing your opinion on then? Three minutes?

[glenroyal]

Words really are starting to fail me. I'm fully in the McDermott out camp, but this one can't be chalked up to him. There was no where for Brian to turn to on the pitch or on the bench, this showed by only bringing on Samuel (who barely touched the ball).

Agree with pretty much all of your summary. The squad is the problem and I include Brian in that, rather than single him out.

Your specific point about the one substitution is a telling message - it says to the team "I've given up too, I'm out of ideas, my head's gone down like yours" - no way back from that on the night. I don't see sacking Brian as a solution, but the whole squad Mr Mad, Anton, Nicky, Brian .... needs some new ideas - anything to restore belief and pride, whether we eventually survive or not.

Guthrie's apology is good - shows signs of moral fibre, that could save us yet.

[RoyalBlue]

Just got back to my hotel in Newcastle, and the hour long journey hasn't done much to calm me down. I feel sorry for those that made the journey up from Reading, not worth the time nor effort. I must say, considering our position in the league and how poorly we've played, fans gave it a real go for the first half an hour until the second goal.

Words really are starting to fail me. I'm fully in the McDermott out camp, but this one can't be chalked up to him. There was no where for Brian to turn to on the pitch or on the bench, this showed by only bringing on Samuel (who barely touched the ball).

.

Who assembled the squad, said he was happy with it and that they were good enough to compete in the PL (and if that was a lie he should stop protecting the Chairman and owner) and then further reduced the options open to him by falling out with players?

How fired up did our players look? BBCRB kept commenting about how fired up O'Neill had got Sunderland but at no point indicated that McDermott had done the same with our team - everything pointed to the opposite.

If he has also lost the ability to motivate the players then this is the final and most important reason as to why he has to go.

[glenroyal]

Last post on this thread ...

What an awful seating position we away fans had last night, right up in the gods in a back corner (how many stairs !!!). Anyway, you just don't get to see the individual player to player dynamics going on - just the overall shape and the (missed) passing and running opportunities the players fail to see.

There was one promising moment when Brian did pass coaching messages onto the pitch, (first half, but after the second goal?) He switched Mariappa and Pearce - couldn't see why specifically, but I thought at least he's thinking, trying something.

We needed more of that (see single substitution comments above), but I just didn't see any.

[The Beardy Man]

Thought McAnuff played fairly well....and as far as positives from last night go that is pretty much it.

Cummings and McCleary were ok I guess at a push. Otherwise just dross.

[melonhead]

totally depleted reading team.
& what was left served up an insipid gutless pile of dogturd for the poor fans who traveled.
it just gets worse and worse. january cannot come quickly enough

[Ramona1234]

Was alerted to your site via a reference to our away seating at the SOL. Thought we could have at least let you guys sit in the middle up there. Ridiculous really. Good luck at Newcastle though, take your binoculars.

As for the match, well both sides have been low on confidence and i guess a good start with home advantage helped us. Would have been interesting to know what would have prevailed back in August with both clubs full of optimism.

As a Sunderland fan who has experienced a 15 pt and 19 pt relegation season, i know how you may well be feeling at the moment. That said, ive watched some of your home games and i think you just have to pick up points there. (Obvious statement.) With the Russian, Kebe and Roberts to come back in, i think you have a chance at the Madjeski.

I know you will be despondant at the moment, and im sure we will be too over the next set of tough fixtures, but like us in our relegation seasons, you havent spent a lot. Its not easy to attract players when you come up in your inaugural season. Roy Keane kept us up a few years ago and then signed assholes like Cisse, Diouff and Chimbonda. That caused a disharmony and ultimately his departure imho.

Most fans in the game respect what McDermott has done for you and its always easy to target the manager. As a few have noted, if the players arent up to it, what can he do. Ofcourse he will have to take responsibility, but confidence is massive in football and like us, you seemed a bit short of it last night. It sometimes can appear that the effort aint there, but its probably not the case.

Centre midfield is crucial at any level, and we have been awful there this season. The main reason our flair players have not performed. It did appear that that is also your issue at the moment. Particularly away from home. Sometimes one signing or a returning player can give you a spark when all seems lost. McLean did that for us last year as an unknown 21 year old. Been awful this season until the last few games.

Good luck this season and i hope you stay up at the expense of big spending QPR for starters. As long as its not us If you go down and keep the squad together, dont be surprised to see yourselves doing well in the Championship as the confidence will be back in players who maybe just cant quite cut it in the Prem. Think WBA, a yoyo club for many years, that accumulated cash and have now stabalised themselves very well. They are the model of what most clubs should be doing. Not just throwing silly money at it. Maybe the transfer window can help you out,even if just a couple of loans. Things can change, in particular confidence.