United vs Reading Match Thread - Sponsored by Brian McDolan

[ZacNaloen]

There aren't enough roll eyes in the world for you right now maguire.

You have clearly never played football. Let's leave it at that.

As you clearly have no argument I'll leave it to the gallery to decide who was right and who was wrong on whether it was absolutely the only choice to go back to 4-4-2 when Pogrebnyak was suspended.

[SLAMMED]

As posted on the SPOTTED thread,

Hal Robson Kanu was in the M6 services after the game with a bloke (presumably his driver) but none of the rest of the team were there.

Wonder why he didn't travel with the rest of the team

Prolly joining up with Welsh Squad

Makes sense I spose

[Maguire]

There aren't enough roll eyes in the world for you right now maguire.

You have clearly never played football. Let's leave it at that.

As you clearly have no argument I'll leave it to the gallery to decide who was right and who was wrong on whether it was absolutely the only choice to go back to 4-4-2 when Pogrebnyak was suspended.

What do you mean I have no argument? You resorted to writing a childish and totally meaningless post.

The point remains that how well a 451 functions depends in part on who plays the role of the 1. Saying that it doesn't is just plain wrong, sorry. And trying to back up that ridiculous statement by using an example of a game we lost and in which we created nothing is just retarded.

[Royal Rother]

...no difference to Brian's game against Man U. No different to usual. Nothing has changed.

Could you REALLY not detect a difference in the style of play?

[ZacNaloen]

The point remains that how well a 451 functions depends in part on who plays the role of the 1. Saying that it doesn't is just plain wrong, sorry. And trying to back up that ridiculous statement by using an example of a game we lost and in which we created nothing is just retarded.

I'm not talking about some specific 4-5-1 from a book of tactics. I'm talking about our players and the qualities they have.


We created oxf*rd all with Mcdermotts 4-5-1 as well, with Pog up front, I hope you remember. My whole point was that Pog wasn't so important to making the 4-5-1 work (because we were only taking advantage of the extra defensive solidity that comes from the extra bodies in midfield) that it was worth keeping that shape and playing one of the other strikers up there on their own.

If you don't think yesterday proves that statement you are in oxf*rd la la land.

[Maguire]

I'm not talking about some specific 4-5-1 wrong a book of tactics

What?

We created oxf*rd all with Mcdermotts 4-5-1 as well, with Pog up front, I hope you remember. My whole point was that Pog wasn't so important to making the 4-5-1 work (because we were only taking advantage of the extra defensive solidity that comes from the extra bodies in midfield) that it was worth keeping that shape and playing one of the other strikers up there on their own

451 still functions better when the 1 can hold the ball up. You don't seem to think this contributes to defensive solidity but it does.

[loyalroyaldaz]

Move on

[RoyalBlue]

"The ref thought I was on work experience" says Eamonn.

Brilliant comment. I've been saying all season that the little clubs are handicapped to around 6 points each season in the PL. Make that 10. Another two points today. As Eamonn says, we're not expected to get any points away at Man U so denying us a clear penalty doesn't matter in the whole scheme of things. It's not even worthy of discussion on MOTD. Don't rock the apple-cart Mr Lineker. Absolutely futile us being in the PL. Just cannon fodder.

This ^ All the time spent admiring ManU and not one word about the way Lee Mason robbed us of the opportunity of a point by choosing not to award us an absolutely clear cut penalty. Had they criticised him, maybe those responsible for referees might just have had a word in Mason's ear about the manner in which he abdicated his responsibility.

And Shearer, if you don't understand the timing of McDermott's sacking, then I suggest you are either completely thick or spent too much of your career heading footballs. The timing was more about preparing for next season, rather than trying to save this.

[Ian Royal]

The bookings up to now aren't wiped clean. You currently require 10 cautions across the whole season to pick up a 2 match suspension. I think that changes to 15 games and 3 matches come around mid April?

Thanks for the explanation.

What we saw yesterday was how dolans academy teams play, unfortunately without the the cutting edge up front. .

Really makes me wonder why we didn't make a move for Kevin Doyle in the January window.

Could have done worse than reunit the Hunt brothers too!

Yeah, we really needed an injured winger and a striker who's scored bugger all goals for about three seasons.

[ZacNaloen]

I'm not talking about some specific 4-5-1 wrong a book of tactics

What?

We created oxf*rd all with Mcdermotts 4-5-1 as well, with Pog up front, I hope you remember. My whole point was that Pog wasn't so important to making the 4-5-1 work (because we were only taking advantage of the extra defensive solidity that comes from the extra bodies in midfield) that it was worth keeping that shape and playing one of the other strikers up there on their own

451 still functions better when the 1 can hold the ball up. You don't seem to think this contributes to defensive solidity but it does.

No, because I'm talking about Reading FC's players and what Reading FC were doing when Mcdermott, and now Eamon Dolan had them playing 4-5-1.


Not some definition of how 4-5-1 works from a text book. This is what you can't seem to appreciate.

Pog worked extremely hard, but only held the ball up well when it was played to his feet, and that happened perhaps 1 out of 10 times. By your definition this means he wasn't playing the role well. And this is actually reflected in the fact that other than some extra defensive solidity we created absolutely nothing until we switched to 4-4-2 for the closing period of the game. And in my opinion that means we could have got away with having another striker in this position doing a decent enough job. You for some reason, I can't appreciate chose to disagree with this.

We might actually get better at 4-5-1 if Pog we play it to Pog like it was being played to Hunt yesterday.

[winchester_royal]

A word for Nick Blackman, who I thought once again showed in his brief cameo that he has lots to offer the club in the next few years.

[Maguire]

We might actually get better at 4-5-1 if Pog we play it to Pog like it was being played to Hunt yesterday.

I can't be arsed with the essay as i'm off to the pub, but i'll pick this bit out ^^^ and say I agree.

[Ian Royal]

A word for Nick Blackman, who I thought once again showed in his brief cameo that he has lots to offer the club in the next few years.

As you may know, I'm not a fan. But I saw positives for the first time yesterday. Although I found it a bit frustrating that he and ALF drifted out wide quite a lot when we wanted them in the middle to try and snaffle a chance from a ball into the box. He put in a couple of good crosses and worked reasonably well.

[paulkirkwood]

Here's a five-minute video diary of my trip to Old T if anyone's interested. Tried to give a flavour of what it was like to be there as a Royals fan. [I now live near Harrogate].

http://youtu.be/GVS0Ah5jEfc

[Royal With Cheese]

And Shearer, if you don't understand the timing of McDermott's sacking, then I suggest you are either completely thick or spent too much of your career heading footballs. The timing was more about preparing for next season, rather than trying to save this.

I would have totally agreed with you if we had a replacement lined up. It doesn't appear that we have and that Dolan could be here until the end of the season.

[Royal Lady]

Really makes me wonder why we didn't make a move for Kevin Doyle in the January window.

Could have done worse than reunit the Hunt brothers too!

Yeah, we really needed an injured winger and a striker who's scored bugger all goals for about three seasons.

Ian - wasn't it you who said Hunt would score 10 or more goals this season?

[Ian Royal]

Really makes me wonder why we didn't make a move for Kevin Doyle in the January window.

Could have done worse than reunit the Hunt brothers too!

Yeah, we really needed an injured winger and a striker who's scored bugger all goals for about three seasons.

Ian - wasn't it you who said Hunt would score 10 or more goals this season?

I said absolutely nothing of the sort about Stephen Hunt.

If you're going off at a tangent and saying I said that about Noel, which is possible I suppose - although I'd have thought more likely going back further and talking about a Championship season - then I'd have been referring to him playing a whole season and it still seems pretty unlikely to me seeing as I didn't think he should be in anyway first choice.

And Noel Hunt has scored 6 goals in 27 appearances this season, so that hardly seems unreasonable.

If we got Doyle in it would cost us in wages and fees and he'd presumably be first choice or whats the point? In which case we'd be spending a lot to bring in someone with a recent strike rate worse than Noel's.

[Royal Lady]

He laughed at your joke

Why are you so totally graceless?

Because I wasn't joking.

Ahh, past form should have made me realise he'd never manage funny intentionally. Always laughing at him rather than with him. Poor snowball.

To bring it back on track: Hunt's been a bit disappointing this season, but I'll stick to him getting 15 goals in a season if he starts the vast majority of games - with the added caveat he has the opportunity to build a proper strike partnership with someone rather than there being so much chopping and changing.

From 5 March 2012 - presume you were talking about the coming season - although at that point, you didn't know we'd be in the Prem.

[Ian Royal]

Yes, so I said he'd score 15 goals if he played the vast majority of games in the Championship.

I'm not sure what you're so pleased about seeing as its not at all what you said I'd said.

[Royal Lady]

You said "I'll stick to him getting 15 goals in a season if he starts the vast majority of games " I just remember LOLing at you at the time. You said yourself he's got 6 in 27 which "isn't bad" or somesuch rubbish. And you didn't stipulate WHICH division, you said "a season" - oh ye of little faith!

Anyway, the season Hunt scores 15 goals for us, I'll buy you a pint.