Back from the game - Southampton (H)

[leon]

Spot on, Para. if we'd played like that under BM the residents of the team board would have imploded in a massive tantrum.

[winchester_royal]

Spot on, Para. if we'd played like that under BM the residents of the team board would have imploded in a massive tantrum.

Yes, but given that Brian previously had 3 years to work on this squad whereas Nigel only came in 2 weeks ago the two circumstances are not even remotely comparable.

[Norfolk Royal]

'Feral atmosphere' at Elm Park. You could have had a reign of terror with a balloon on a stick at most games.

[winchester_royal]

P.S. it's quite amusing to see those bemoaning 'modern' football also writing a manager off after his second game.

[Haag Royal]

Unlike some of the more vitriolic posters on here (Lolz), I have no desire to pile into players that are doing their best.

I've been a fan for over 40 years. I've been a season ticket holder at Madejski since we moved there.

Maybe I should put this in another thread, but to be honest, I can't be arsed.

I think I'll probably not bother renewing next year.

Partly because I'm not enjoying the games these days. 15 years on and I still don't like the "new" stadium. There's never been an atmosphere that could touch Elm Park on a night game. OK. The Wigan playoff game and West Brom, this season, were good but still nothing like the intensity and feral atmosphere Elm Park could generate.

Anyway, I digress. A large part of thinking about not renewing is that I don't feel the same about the "club" these days. For me, it's gone from football to big business. I'm aware that's not a shattering insight but it's one that saddens me.

I'm disgusted with the way "my" club treated Brian McDermott. I'm quite confused why they (you) think Nigel Adkins is such a better bet. Erm, sorry, those of you questioning Brian's tactics should take a look at playing ALF up front on his own for most of the game today. Big target, hold 'em up striker he ain't. 1-0 down in a game we HAD to win and we perservered with that strategy long way past it was obvious it wasn't working.

Finally, there's a fantastic amount of short memories on here. I can't believe the abuse Brian has taken on here. A few short months after winning the Championship and he's being called a bald cunt. Unbelievable.

Reading are punching above their weight massively in terms of fanbase and some of you should start to realise that. Look down a Division or two and see some truly bigger teams than us. Leeds United, Birmingham City, both Sheffields, yeah, even Brighton.

Pretty much agree with most of what you say having been there since 1969. However I cannot agree with the fact you may not renew your season ticket. I don't really care what league we are in I will always be there and unlike some of the players today I have pride in my club.

I'll support Reading whatever but that doent excuse the rubbish today

[winchester_royal]

P.S. it's quite amusing to see those bemoaning 'modern' football also writing a manager off after his second game.

P.P.S. anyone who had to sit through the dross we served up at the St. Mary's under St. Brian would have been happy to see at least 20 minutes of good football, as it's 20 more than we saw that day.

[chilipepper91]

To add some observations to points which will have already been made tirelessly on this thread.

- Mariappa. Waving his hand in the air for offside any time the ball was dropped over the back four. Your offside trap is not that good son.

- Similarity. Two goals conceded in the same way, with a runner from the midfield ghosting through the defensive line. Eerily similar to Figueroa's final goal against us. Either the midfield isn't tracking back, or the defence is playing too rigidly.

- Confidence. Shattered after their first goal. We dominated, could/should have scored with Morrison, Mariappa, Le Fondre all having good chances and HRK having a decent penalty shout. But when your luck/confidence are out, you simply don't get those rubs of the green. And when the first went in (foul on Federici?) we reverted to type - tactical hoofball.

- Refereeing. Expecting some flaming here but I thought HRK's was a penalty. Also, 30 seconds may have passed between the throw-in and them scoring, but it was without doubt our throw. Too much time to say it was from a refereeing mistake? Well, no, the goal came from that decision. (foul on Federici?)

- Class. Pass and move, pass and move. Probe, spread the play. Box them in. Patience. If Pocchetino could speak perfect English, those would have been his words. We don't have the class or the confidence to play our way out of trouble, as highlighted by endless HOOF forward from our own third. Personally think Adkins should have identified this and brought Hunt/Pogrebnyak on earlier, but that's by the by.

[leon]

Spot on, Para. if we'd played like that under BM the residents of the team board would have imploded in a massive tantrum.

Yes, but given that Brian previously had 3 years to work on this squad whereas Nigel only came in 2 weeks ago the two circumstances are not even remotely comparable.

and what a failure those three years were eh?

so how many weeks will he need to work out that his tactics of playing alf up front on his own and Kelly at left back aren't working?

[Para Handy]

P.S. it's quite amusing to see those bemoaning 'modern' football also writing a manager off after his second game.

Erm, I'm not writing off Nigel Adkins m8. I'm questioning why he's such a much better option than Brian. That's all. Hope he succeeds. Sure he's a nice guy etc. etc.

[leon]

P.S. it's quite amusing to see those bemoaning 'modern' football also writing a manager off after his second game.

not at all writing him off.I'm just pointing out what a bunch of hypocrites the team board are.

[windermere_royal]

Spot on, Para. if we'd played like that under BM the residents of the team board would have imploded in a massive tantrum.

Yes, but given that Brian previously had 3 years to work on this squad whereas Nigel only came in 2 weeks ago the two circumstances are not even remotely comparable.

and what a failure those three years were eh?

so how many weeks will he need to work out that his tactics of playing alf up front on his own and Kelly at left back aren't working?

You and Ideal brothers?..or even the same person?

[windermere_royal]

P.S. it's quite amusing to see those bemoaning 'modern' football also writing a manager off after his second game.

Erm, I'm not writing off Nigel Adkins m8. I'm questioning why he's such a much better option than Brian. That's all. Hope he succeeds. Sure he's a nice guy etc. etc.

Theres a zillion page thread on this somewhere, time to move on I think.

[Para Handy]

P.S. it's quite amusing to see those bemoaning 'modern' football also writing a manager off after his second game.

Erm, I'm not writing off Nigel Adkins m8. I'm questioning why he's such a much better option than Brian. That's all. Hope he succeeds. Sure he's a nice guy etc. etc.

Theres a zillion page thread on this somewhere, time to move on I think.

Well you asked, you twat.

[windermere_royal]

Calm down para u old fart its only a game and it wasn`t me it was WINCHESTER_ROYAL..should have gone to specsavers

[sandman]

Unfortunately the denizens of the TB would rather be like someone else than be Reading. Stoke "show RFC how to run a club" or "we should play like Swansea" and if you don't want to be like someone else and sit mid table in the PL year after year then you're"IdeaLOL's brother". Personally, I don't want to be someone else I want us to be true to ourselves and be Reading and if that means we stick to the quaint and "outdated" Reading way then boo fcuking hoo.

[Schards#2]

Anyone who is looking forward to next season just needed to watch that game today.How can Adkins possibly get that squad passing the ball?

We had a left back who has no left foot, a central midfield that couldn't get near Saints players who simply passed with ease and looked comfortable.

I think it is time to just try new things and forget about this season all together. Lets just hope we dont finish bottom

Eh?

Anyone who watched that game today will have seen the team that Adkins built playing attractive, intelligent passing football the type of which all fans crave their side to play.

Do you seriously think we are going to go through next season with the same squad as we have now?

It's going to take time, there are going to be lots of changes to the squad and those that stay are going to have to learn a completely new style of play and I doubt we'll see the benefits much before christmas. I only hope our trigger happy chairman and bellend supporters have some patience. Not optimistic on that front.

[Schards#2]

Calm down para u old fart its only a game and it wasn`t me it was WINCHESTER_ROYAL..should have gone to specsavers

Para-Handy - he's always angry

[Para Handy]

Calm down para u old fart its only a game and it wasn`t me it was WINCHESTER_ROYAL..should have gone to specsavers

Para-Handy - he's always angry

Give it up Schards. Go chat to RL online or something.

[SCIAG]

Karacan - Against Saints, a frankly pathetic 55%.

Surely any reasonable person can look at that game of football and see why Karacan had so many passes intercepted?

His role in the first half in particular was to win the "second ball" in front of the defence. Often when he did, he was being pressed by Davis/Ramirez/Cork, and so he had to quickly clear it.

When he did get the chance to play the ball without pressure, he was to play difficult long passes to Le Fondre, who was outmuscled by Hooiveld, or Robson-Kanu, who after a good start was being beaten to everything by Shaw.

In those circumstances, it is understandable that he had a fairly low completion rate.

Guthrie's rate was better, which can partly be put down to him being a better passer, and is partly because his role was so different.

[RoyalBlue]

Spot on, Para. if we'd played like that under BM the residents of the team board would have imploded in a massive tantrum.

FFS how dumb do you have to be not to realise that the reason the team are playing the way they are is because they are McDermott's players and have had his 'style' of football drummed into them over the past couple of seasons?!

Adkins can't change the players in the squad (shame McDermott and Hammond wasted the last transfer window) and no one would be able to dramatically change the way they play, let alone turn them into quality players in less than two weeks. The mess we are currently witnessing is the work of McDermott. Just like when a new political party takes over in government, Atkins has a honeymoon period when the blame sits fairly and squarely with the previous incumbents.

McDermott's very significant failing was that he spent far too much time creating a 'united/great team' with 'really good characters' and nowhere near enough time ensuring that he had quality footballers playing decent football. Great teamwork got us out of the Championship with average players but that alone won't work in the PL.