Back from the miracle

[Millsy]

We generally finish quite strongly, particularly at home, and I feel WBA couldn't be arsed after about 70 minutes. I noticed when they had a corner they took about 30 seconds to decide who would take it and I thought you know what, I think we could get something here. They really started to let their concentration slip. I think our home form will be key to us potentially staying up. Good thing is QPR/Villa look utterly horrific. Still, we were utterly inept for the first 80 minutes...

Federici 7
Harte 6
Mariappa 7
Pearce 7
Gunter 5
Carrico 5
Karcan 5
Kebe 6
McAnuff 5
Pogrebnyak 6

Subs

Alf 8
McCleary 8

Had we started with 11 men I'm sure we'd have won by more.

I'd have played Guthrie.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Feds is escaping a lot of criticism on here. Had we lost, I'm sure we'd all be talking about how he should have saved the second goal.

No criticism because none warranted. Move on!

Errrr..... he let in a very soft second goal, so it is warranted.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Guthrie - 5 loose telegraphed passing, weak shots, generally just poor

Might want to turn up that radio.

[Millsy]

Only just got in, went on a bit of a bender last night.

I'm quite surprised by the view of the first 80. I thought we were on top in the first half and unlucky to concede. I felt that we generally bossed midfield and all of their chances came from misspasses and Gunter f*ck-ups.

Also surprised by the positives about Pearce. I'm a big fan of his, and he had it over everyone except Lukaku who tore him to shreads. On the other-hand, apart from the goal i thought that Maps was looking after him much better.

Pog is an imense finisher but, as has been mentioned before he needs it on the floor. I only counted one occasion when he won the ball in the air. He doesn't jump, he just sort of shifts his weight upwards without his feet leaving the floor; but then with man mountain Olsson on top of him why were we playing long to him anyway? Didn't try enough through balls down the middle. McCleary noticed this and was putting in better, lower balls then McAnuff, Harte or Gunter. Our attacking improved in the second half because Kebe and McCleary started cutting back and running at the defense. It gave our support time to get into position and improved the venom of the crosses.

Feds had a game of two halfs, first half he made a couple of immense saves in their first couple of attacks, but looked all at sea when they hit the woodwork repetedly.

That last 10 minutes was probably the best atmosphere i've experienced in the Mad Stad for several years. It's not offen that the Southwest corner gets up and singing.

I thought the West Brom fans were good value. Plenty of back and forth that was in the spirit and not going too far.

Anyone else see Olsson and Foster having a proper barny in the first half?

Some excellent points.

1) as snowball reminded me too, I also thought their goal was a little against the run of play and actually we weren't that bad at all. He they not scored that things could be quite different. We definitely were not "awful for 80 mins". We just happened to be losing AT 80 mins. The stats tell a far more reliable story.

2) yes I was a bit unsure of defence ratings as clearly Morison and Lukaku raped us down the centre. If that isn't the defence's responsibility what is? I suspect losing Legs has put extra strain on them or they just had a bad day. Someone somewhere wasn't amazing in defence. But then those players are immense, so I wasn't too hard on them. If it was pearces job to look after Lukaku then he clearly didn't do too well I guess.

3) Pog in the floor. I agree. I pointed it out to a hysterical HNA before we even signed him that his clip of "best moments" on YouTube doesn't even show one headed goal and actually rather bizarrely shows one episode of him going for a header but losing out !!! Yes he has scored headers I know but the last one was a free header. He is a big lad but is FAR better with ball to feet.

[Victor Meldrew]

Federici - 7 super save at 0-0, beaten at the near post for the second, but I'd lay more fault on Mariappa.
Gunter - 6 ok, our problem wasn't down the right today... needs to cross better.
Harte - 5 poor set pieces, gave the ball away easily too often
Pearce - 8 Only defender with any real credit in the bank today, checked by Lukaku for the first goal, great run to their box
Mariappa - 5 ok on the whole, but absolutely gifted Lukaku number two, stood off and just stepped across so he could cut inside and shoot at the whole goal.
Carrico - 5 touch and passing on the whole not bad, not up to speed and poor positioning.
Karacan - 6.5 poor first half, chasing shadows and mis-using the ball, second half winning second balls and keeping pressure up before subbed.
Guthrie - 5 loose telegraphed passing, weak shots, generally just poor
McAnuff - 5.5 as usual, out of the game once moved inside, some flashes, but just so short of confidence its frightening.
Kebe - 8 MotM first half poor, slowed down attacks not really in the game, second half excellent, scored, won a pen and supported the attack
Pog - 7 worked hard, but got stupid service he had little chance with, some loose passes and then a super finish to win the game

McCleary - 8 some poor crossing but stretched them with pace and started getting space as they switched off, ended up putting in dangerous balls we could win the clearances off.
ALF - 8 superb dummy for Kebe for the first, such a cool penalty. I love this guy.

McDermott - 7 not sure his decisions were all right, but I put most of the poor performance mainly down to the players for a change and even if I didn't think he necessarily got both subs 100% right, they bloody worked, and that's all that matters
Ref - 8 don't think he got a lot wrong at all.

Good God. If you want to stop half the posters on here thinking you're a total cock end, you need to go to the games and watch. Feds was more to blame for the second. Harte didn't give away the ball once that I saw tho most of his set pieces were shite. Mariappa was far superior to Pearce, Guthrie had a great game and got better, but McAnuff actually improved when he moved in to the middle and supported McCleary well.

Apart from all that Ian, you were spot on.....

It shows that we all see and don't see different things.
Harte gave the ball directly to Lukaku on our (East) side in the first half and (as shown on MOTD) gave a diabolical square ball to them in the second hallf-so much for your "didn't give the ball away once"
The new boy?
A terrible decision by Brian to start him and I watched his attempted headers closely-no way is he big enough or a good enough header of the ball to playy centre-back in English football but generally he did look composed on the ball.

Regarding Guthrie,I have wanted him to start games all season and was really pleased with his second half performances but (I agree with IAN Royal here despite the hammering he has been taking) in the first half Guthrie's passing was poor.
Also in that first half I thought Jimmy came inside far too much and wasn't available out wide and Pog-please concentrate more on staying on your feet (ditto Jobi).
McCleary did very well for a predominantly right--footed player used out of position.

Brian got out of jail here because WBA did an Everton and started to stroll otherwise it would have been a comfortable victory for them and they (like Everton) must be kicking themselves for not appreciating that we (despite being a Championship side)are a very fit team that keeps going till the very end and in Alf have a player who just makes things happen.
But for the crossbar and post this could have been a drubbing but it is better to have a lucky manager than a good one and now that we are saddled with Brian for the rest of the season let us hope that the luck of the Irish continues.

BTW although I agree with Ian about Guthrie I do think you have to be there to fully appreciate what is going on as TV can never catch the movement of players all over the pitch because the focus is on following the ball.

[Twix]

The band: -10
This lot are an embarrassment to the club and I despise hearing them.

They can't even get the songs right, in the "you are my Reading" song they miss out the second "when skys are grey" part and the ensuing nananana bit.

At least that's an actual Reading song even if they do get it wrong, what's the point in "Hitler has only got one ball" song and some of the other crap they play?

[Ian Royal]

Wow, thanks Vic, although I've already admitted in the face of overwhelming evidence I got Guthrie wrong.

TV is less good for off the ball shape and movement. But it's better for individual incidents and being able to have a good view of stuff at any point on the pitch. So it's swings and roundabouts. It's much more enjoyable being at a game though.

[WestRoyal]

We are all probably wondering why we didn't play like we did in the last 10 mins for the whole game but it's human nature. When your battling to survive you take no chances and play safe not committing too much but its irony as points are needed. When we went two goals down and had nothing to lose everything shifted hence the last 10 mins. Substitution were key and respect to BM for making them as the crowd were giving him plenty of stick for it.

Even though we went another goal down we looked much better going forward. Alf was making runs and McCleary was running at them thus stretching the oposition making space in behind and giving Guthrie options.
Mcclearys crossing was good albeit him being on the left which is not his strongest side. His ability and confidence to run at the opposition seemed to lift the rest of the team. People comment on his crossing being poor but he beats his man and gets one in so often people like to highlight this. Most wingers crosses are not always on the button but I guess we only see highlights so it looks like they are.

Great finish By Kebe to give us hope and when we got the penalty and alf stepped up to take it I had no doubt he would put it way. Normally in that situation when everything is banking on it I get to the point where I can almost not watch it. I can't explain it but this time I had no doubt alf would put it away and what a cool penalty it too sending foster the wrong way. Love those.

Now at this point I would of been happy with a point an although I thought we can win this I never ever thought it would happen. Then Up steps Pog gettng in where it hurts to lob the oncoming foster after a brillint delivery from harte. He fully deserved it as he worked extremely hard all game and it was great to see his passion in his celebration.

I don't know tante have turned a corner in our season and to be honest it could of been all over after 70 mins. Lukaku hitting the post twice was a constant menance. He's going to be a top player and I'm Not sure why Chelsea have not called him back to be honest.

But we rode our luck and Im glad I did not leave early, to be honest I never do. What a game.

[RoyalBlue]

If you look at the position Lukaku was in when he shot (Mariappa should have forced him outside, rather than letting him cut in - poor defending), it was more a case of Federici being beaten by a shot to his left than being beaten on his near post. The latter description normally applies to shots from a much wider position when the keeper is stood a lot closer to his near post and still allows the shot through.

I didn't say he got beaten at his near post

He was totally flat footed and should have done much better with a shot that wasn't all that far away from him.

He was like that quite alot in the second half. He didn't move on two that hit the post ether. Generally didn't think he was bad though.

Accept that Maguire didn't say he was beaten at his near post - although others, including the Sky commentator (IIRC) did. Don't accept that he was totally flatfooted, if anything he had started to push the other way, expecting a shot across him (as strikers are coached to hit across the keeper) and then couldn't recover enough to get a stronger hand on the shot that went the other way. Don't accept RG's assertion that he was flat-footed a lot in the the second half. As for not moving for the shots that hit the bar and post, few keepers will do that when they know they have been beaten hands down by an effort - there was no way he was going to get to either (not his fault, they were well hit/well placed)

[rhroyal]

Unofficial assist to Alf for Kebe's goal; drawing the defender and dummying it. Great, intelligent play.

[Ian Royal]

Unofficial assist to Alf for Kebe's goal; drawing the defender and dummying it. Great, intelligent play.

Still not sure what Ridgewell thought he was doing standing and watching, I'm pretty sure in the build up he even takes a glance to check where Kebe is and then makes no effort to pick him up.

[SCIAG]

Having seen the first goal again, I was wrong. Carrico is clearly unfit and should have done better tracking Lukaku. I think we missed Legs' pace there, though Legs might have just left him to Harte.

[Franchise FC]

Having seen the first goal again, I was wrong. Carrico is clearly unfit and should have done better tracking Lukaku. I think we missed Legs' pace there, though Legs might have just left him to Harte.

I'm amazed nothing has been made of the fact that Lukaku was offside for the first goal.

It's mighty close, but he's definitely offside.

[LightwaterRoyal]

What do we think of McAnuff in a midfield three allowing Guthrie to play the quarter back role and McCleary or HRK to start on the other wing.

----------Pog---------
HRK----Jobi----Kebe
--Karacan--Guthrie--
-------Defence-------
----------FEDS-------

I think McAnuff is more than good enough to play in the hole and more effective than when out wide, composed, pacey, hard worker, puts his foot in and can beat a man and lets face it, central midfield is a much better position for a captain.

In the Arsenal game (5-2) when we looked like we were going to get back into it that was the midield three we played with once ALF came on and they caused Arsenal so many problems with their movement and constantly swapped positions between eachother.

Guthrie is so much better sitting infront of the defence and we know Jobi has the workrate and balls to play in the middle.
The only thing is I dont know where that leaves Carrico or Akpan once their up to it. Putting Jobi out wide and Guthrie further forward would free them up a place but Guthrie doesnt suit it. Carrico is a Karacan style player from what I can tell and Akpan is also a quarter back.

The only other option I can think of would be Karacan off Pog and Akpan, Guthrie behind him, dont really think Karacan is composed enough on the ball though. The sooner we sign Andrey Arshavin the better.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

the essential problem is that when we play 4-4-2 we score goals but can't stop conceding them, and when we play 4-5-1 we are much tighter at the back but can't score goals with Pog alone up front.

Short of getting special dispensation to play with 12 men, B McD is doing about the best thing he possibly can in these circumstances - trying to keep things as tight as possible for the first 60-70 minutes, then switch formation and go much more into "attack" mode. To a certain extent this is what he's tended to do throughout his time here, just not always so obviously - remember all the threads a year or so ago about not being able to score for the first hour of games? It's the same ploy - keep it tight for an hour then attack.

Yesterday it worked spectacularly better than anyone might have hoped.

[Royalee]

Guthrie - 5 loose telegraphed passing, weak shots, generally just poor

Just noticed that Guthrie was named MOTM by the sponsors yesterday...you're about as spot on as usual Ian.

[LoyalRoyal22]

Just a couple more thoughts

This 4-1-4-1 system with Caricco in front of the back 4 is clearly the way to go whilst we dont have anyone to put in the hole. With this system Guthrie and karacan both support attack and defence

Also Marriappa is the best centre half at the club in my opinion. Class signing. Looks better every time i see him. Definatly Captain material.

[Royal Ginger]

If Carrico is able to inject a bit of confidence into the midfield defesively we might be able to get forward better. It's the support for Pog we were missing at points yesterday. Quite often he'd get the ball and sit on it waiting for Gunter to get up, when the midfield should be there quicker. There were a few glimmers of that yesterday as we played one midfielder very clearly deeper than the others (Carrico then Guthrie). Our wingers spent alot more time going forward than recent games rather than playing as secondary full backs.

[Royal Ginger]

I didn't say he got beaten at his near post

He was totally flat footed and should have done much better with a shot that wasn't all that far away from him.

He was like that quite alot in the second half. He didn't move on two that hit the post ether. Generally didn't think he was bad though.

Accept that Maguire didn't say he was beaten at his near post - although others, including the Sky commentator (IIRC) did. Don't accept that he was totally flatfooted, if anything he had started to push the other way, expecting a shot across him (as strikers are coached to hit across the keeper) and then couldn't recover enough to get a stronger hand on the shot that went the other way. Don't accept RG's assertion that he was flat-footed a lot in the the second half. As for not moving for the shots that hit the bar and post, few keepers will do that when they know they have been beaten hands down by an effort - there was no way he was going to get to either (not his fault, they were well hit/well placed)

Ok the woodwork may have been a bit harsh, but much more more got past him in the second half. It may have been the way that Pearce was giving Lukaku a bit more space, but I was far more impressed by him in the first half, the confidence just seemed to fall away in the second.

[SPARTA]