Back from the game ..... charlton

[paultheroyal]

We are sitting 4th and people are forgetting one clear fact....

Come January and the FA CUP this club wakes up and pushes on!!

[Doolittle]

The worst player yesterday was probably the fans. People need to realise that we've got several key players out injured, and we don't have a divine right to be in the top three or four in this League, or to automatically roll over teams in the bottom half. The margins between teams in the Championship just aren't that big.

Yes the second half was disjointed, but we dug in and defended with some guts. We need to realise the need to get behind the team when it becomes a slog like that.

I suspect Akpan sensed the tension more than most when he came on, and maybe froze a bit - not sure whether to just defend, or try and play. Best to lay off him till he gets more game time to show waht he can do. He's never really had a proper run in the team since he joined from Crawley.

[BraisingsteakRoyal]

I think the important thing is that we all just calm down, and go back through the first three pages of this thread, taking in joeroyal's posts, and observing what an utter bereavement he is.

[Pepe the Horseman]

I like joeroyal. I think he used to post as pea.

[Royalwaster]

The worst player yesterday was probably the fans. People need to realise that we've got several key players out injured, and we don't have a divine right to be in the top three or four in this League, or to automatically roll over teams in the bottom half. The margins between teams in the Championship just aren't that big.

Yes the second half was disjointed, but we dug in and defended with some guts. We need to realise the need to get behind the team when it becomes a slog like that.

I suspect Akpan sensed the tension more than most when he came on, and maybe froze a bit - not sure whether to just defend, or try and play. Best to lay off him till he gets more game time to show waht he can do. He's never really had a proper run in the team since he joined from Crawley.

+1 .... we're increasingly becoming like Wolves fans on here ... imagine if we were in the lower half of the table.

[Focher]

not read through the thread, nor have I been on the team board for weeks. I just wanted to add to probably many other posts that Hope Akpan's substitute appearance was the worst I have seen since my first RFC game in 1984.

[WAZZOCK]

It's been touched upon, but I think I'd like to single out Cummings for particular praise after last night.

Been on the sideline all season but he appears to have kept his head down, carried on working hard, and got his rewards by playing 90 minutes in a defence that kept a clean sheet.

It's anyone's guess as to whether he will play Saturday, but off the back of tonight I'd go Gunter right, Cummings left.

[tee peg]

Akpan gobs off in the press about the lack of chances he has had.Well last night said it all.

[Brum Royal]

P!ssed Off wrote: Also, not sure who was listening to BBC Berks post-match but pretty pathetic from the unidentified player who told Dellor that he was disappointed in the fans. If you're going to have a pop at the fans, at least have the guts to put your name to it.

bobby1413 wrote: Thing is, it's a cold Tuesday night at home. The atmosphere always suffers in that situation.

Footballs an entertainment sport... If the players on the pitch do their job and entertain the fans join in.

Tonight was Reading's night they picked up the three points with a dire team performance that lacked entertainment hence the poor stadium atmosphere.

This unnamed player that Dellor quoted is all very well being anonymous tonight, but TD then said he was coming on the show on Saturday so "it wouldn't take too much imagination to work out who it was". My money's on it being McAnuff, as the player in question was described as being very senior.

Whilst the atmosphere was pretty piss poor last night, it's worth noting that the atmosphere was at it's "best" when the team was playing with tempo, controlling the game and creating chances in the first half. As the performance and tempo began to decline, so did the atmosphere, and towards the end of the first half, and early parts of the second half it was deathly quiet (more so than usual). But, it instantly lifted as soon as we made one move with a bit of tempo and created a chance which McAnuff put wide. It was very much a "team raises the crowd" kind of a night last night, not the other way round as sometimes happens.

[Sanguine]

Wasn’t at the game last night so didn’t see his performance – but if indeed Guthrie’s performances are tailing off a bit, is it as much because of our lack of movement as Guthrie’s ability? A misplaced pass is a misplaced pass, but the 4 times I have seen us this season we have (first half against Watford excepted) suffered from the same problem, and real lack of pace and movement when we have the ball. There’s only so much a ‘playmaker’ can do if his teammates are comatose (hence it ding-donging around the back five).

[Ian Royal]

Also, not sure who was listening to BBC Berks post-match but pretty pathetic from the unidentified player who told Dellor that he was disappointed in the fans.
If you're going to have a pop at the fans, at least have the guts to put your name to it.

At least the fans recognised the poor performance and Charlton dominate so tried to lift the team. Zero response from the players oxf*rd up cohstantly so after five minutes the fans gave up in disgust.

[Brum Royal]

On the topic of the full backs, Cummings played well both going forward and defensively as well, but also got a lot of help from McAnuff (as usual in fairness, Jobi's pretty good at helping out the fullback). However, Kelly played really well last night, but mainly because he had to, as McCleary tucked in very narrow which left massive gaps down the right wing for Charlton to exploit, and most of their attacks second half came down our right wing as a result of this, as Charlton could overload 2 on 1 against Kelly due to McCleary's lack of protection.

Also, due to McCleary tucking in, and attacking from a fairly central position, last night was when we really needed Gunter in to offer the width and overlapping runs that Kelly doesn't do to the same extent, and also I think, couldn't afford to because of the Charlton overload I mentioned above.

[Focher]

as per ^^^, its no huge surprise Cummings looked ok as McAnuff, who should be starting every game in my opinion, is probably the best midfielder when it comes to covering the full back in the division.

[maffff]

Been on the sideline all season but he appears to have kept his head down, carried on working hard, and got his rewards by playing 90 minutes in a defence that kept a clean sheet.

Look at what he did when he was abysmal for us at the beginning, didn't moan, went to the reserves, trained hard, captained the team there and worked with the younger guys, came back decent at this level. Shame it hasn't ever really clicked for him as he seems to mostly do a job when he has a chance.

[Pepe the Horseman]

On the topic of the full backs, Cummings played well both going forward and defensively as well, but also got a lot of help from McAnuff (as usual in fairness, Jobi's pretty good at helping out the fullback). However, Kelly played really well last night, but mainly because he had to, as McCleary tucked in very narrow which left massive gaps down the right wing for Charlton to exploit, and most of their attacks second half came down our right wing as a result of this, as Charlton could overload 2 on 1 against Kelly due to McCleary's lack of protection.

Also, due to McCleary tucking in, and attacking from a fairly central position, last night was when we really needed Gunter in to offer the width and overlapping runs that Kelly doesn't do to the same extent, and also I think, couldn't afford to because of the Charlton overload I mentioned above.

McCleary making Kelly look bad so his bezzie m8 doesn't lose his place.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Been on the sideline all season but he appears to have kept his head down, carried on working hard, and got his rewards by playing 90 minutes in a defence that kept a clean sheet.

Look at what he did when he was abysmal for us at the beginning, didn't moan, went to the reserves, trained hard, captained the team there and worked with the younger guys, came back decent at this level. Shame it hasn't ever really clicked for him as he seems to mostly do a job when he has a chance.

Yeh, fair fcuks to him. In his first few games, he was the worst player I've ever seen. And he even kicked himself in the head.

[royal_ross]

Blackman did he touch the ball?

Take it you didn't see when he took on about 1-2 players and got the ball away from them at the end? Got an applause from everyone around me.

[St. Brynjar]

Been on the sideline all season but he appears to have kept his head down, carried on working hard, and got his rewards by playing 90 minutes in a defence that kept a clean sheet.

Look at what he did when he was abysmal for us at the beginning, didn't moan, went to the reserves, trained hard, captained the team there and worked with the younger guys, came back decent at this level. Shame it hasn't ever really clicked for him as he seems to mostly do a job when he has a chance.

When we got promoted an interviewer asked how frustrating it was to be on the sidelines for so long and how happy he was to nail down a first team spot. He said he'd happily have sat it out another season if the team was guarranteed promotion. Sounds like a lovely guy.

[Ian Royal]

No surpirise I agree on jobi. You could tell it wasn't going to be his night going forward because he lost the ball on his first go at the fullback. That first effort often seems to make or break him going forward.

Personally I thought Guthrie was fine first half. You'll always get a bit of sloppy passing from him. But he only really disappeared and played badly when Williams went off. And I put that down to having Akpan next to him.

Also don't think people are giving Charlton enough credit. Yes they were terrible on the ball most of the game and constantly gave it away. But they pressed us well and always defended in numbers. We played too narrow, I'm surprised to say we missed Gunter in that way. Agree McCleary offers little protection to his fullback.

I'd like to see Guthrie not drop so deep to pick up the ball. It means we're so easy to press because he's so close to the defenders and has only one short option forward often. The cbs need to bring it forward more and then we need movement from Guthrie and Williams, with one winger moving to tuck in a bit with the full back pushing up. We need to make much more effort to get between the opposition lines and find space. We dwell on the ball too long looking for the pass because no one moves. This is especially obvious with our chronically slow throw ins where we regularly lose the ball.

[Brum Royal]

No surpirise I agree on jobi. You could tell it wasn't going to be his night going forward because he lost the ball on his first go at the fullback. That first effort often seems to make or break him going forward.

Totally agree. Dad and I have been saying the same thing for much of the last couple of seasons. His confidence is so brittle in that respect. We met Brian on the Portugal tour and asked him about this, and he pretty much said the same thing. Jobi just needs the belief, and I think that was in part why Brian made him captain.