BFTG - Clinging on to 6th place

[Wycombe Royal]

i thought last night that our defending in both full back areas was poor. This isn't just aimed at the two full backs but also anyone else who was "not" helping out. Their goal came about as a direct result of not closing down the wide player and allowing him too much time to get the ball in to the box. We need to defend these areas better and not leave ourselves so exposed, especially when the opposition have players making overlapping runs.

On the flip side when we are attacking the wide areas why do we never seem to make overlapping runs? Obita did this when playing left back, and Gunter does occasionally, but McAnuff and McCleary don't at all, McAnuff just runs infield leaving the player out wide with no support and generally two defenders to try and beat whilst McCleary just stays back and stands still. it drives me nuts, just make an eoverlapping run - you don't have to get into a position to receive the ball because just the run in itself will create space as you will probably take a defender with you.

[Irvinchangeyaname]

McCarthy did well except for the goal.

I thought McCarthy had a superb game. Not sure what he did wrong for the goal?

[TBM]

McCarthy did well except for the goal.

I thought McCarthy had a superb game. Not sure what he did wrong for the goal?

He didn't do anything wrong - I think people think cos he didn't dive he was at fault. Fact is Hector (or was it Obita) should have stopped the shot coming in instead of turning his back.

[melonhead]

yes he did.

was a very tired tackle from someone who'd only been on for 16 mins though

[Handsome Man]

McCarthy did well except for the goal.

I thought McCarthy had a superb game. Not sure what he did wrong for the goal?

He let it in without diving: it was a massively unnecessary error. If he had been awake he would have stopped it.

[melonhead]

he didnt see it.

came through a huge crowd, and he was totally unsighted...

[Wycombe Royal]

McCarthy did well except for the goal.

I thought McCarthy had a superb game. Not sure what he did wrong for the goal?

He let it in without diving: it was a massively unnecessary error. If he had been awake he would have stopped it.

Except that he couldn't see it through the crowd of players. So my question to you is how did he know he needed to dive (and which way) if he couldn't see the shot? Unfortunately he left his x-ray glasses in the dressing room.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Varney was blocking his view.

[Wycombe Royal]

Varney was blocking his view.

That's quite some achievement seeing as he plays for Blackburn at the moment.

[BraisingsteakRoyal]

Except that he couldn't see it through the crowd of players. So my question to you is how did he know he needed to dive (and which way) if he couldn't see the shot? Unfortunately he left his x-ray glasses in the dressing room.

My sons a keeper so I can sympathize with McCarthy, and whilst it wasn't his fault - it could be argued that he could have shouted his defenders out the way and/or get in a position where he could see the ball.. (but yeah the shot came in very quickly and all that)

[Cureton's Volley]

A reasonable point last night but with all the talk of play-offs we are 26 points behind the top spot , 19 points off 2nd and 23 points above a relegation position which gives the feeling of being a run-of-the-mill mid-table team.
The play-offs carrot gives a false perspective.

This is such a good point. Far too many people are influenced wholly upon the league table position, when infact points give a much more accurate reflection of performance.

Everything about Reading FC has been distinctly average this season - except of course for our wage bill

[Wycombe Royal]

Except that he couldn't see it through the crowd of players. So my question to you is how did he know he needed to dive (and which way) if he couldn't see the shot? Unfortunately he left his x-ray glasses in the dressing room.

My sons a keeper so I can sympathize with McCarthy, and whilst it wasn't his fault - it could be argued that he could have shouted his defenders out the way and/or get in a position where he could see the ball.. (but yeah the shot came in very quickly and all that)

What if it wasn't Reading players blocking his view? The penalty area was crowded at the time so I don't think moving his position would have helped and certainly nothing he could have done in that fraction of a second it took the ball to reach the goal.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Varney was blocking his view.

That's quite some achievement seeing as he plays for Blackburn at the moment.

He's a big guy.

[Extended-Phenotype]

I like the idea of a goalkeeper shouting his defence out of the way and then the opposition running unchallenged into the box.

[BraisingsteakRoyal]

What if it wasn't Reading players blocking his view? The penalty area was crowded at the time so I don't think moving his position would have helped and certainly nothing he could have done in that fraction of a second it took the ball to reach the goal.

I'm just saying that it looked a bit mince on the telly with him not moving at all, and then having the ball going past him fairly closely. You can't say that him moving or jostling to keep an eye on the ball wouldn't have helped. The shot was outside the box.

[Victor Meldrew]

McCarthy did well except for the goal.

I thought McCarthy had a superb game. Not sure what he did wrong for the goal?

He didn't do anything wrong - I think people think cos he didn't dive he was at fault. Fact is Hector (or was it Obita) should have stopped the shot coming in instead of turning his back.

It was Obita who turned his back.
I agree with Wycombe about our wing play and ever since Adkins arrived our wingers have been much more prone to cut inside rather than go outside and put in a cross that is naturally away from the keeper and more dangerous.

On the point about Obita not blocking the shot for their goal he is far from being alone.
I noticed when Carvalho came to Chelsea he brought with him the technique of blocking shots which is more common in Europe where defenders throw their body in line to make a block.Since then Terry and Cahill do the same as do Skrtel and Vidic but so few of our (Reading's) do it nor do many others in English football.

Incidentally the other thing that annoys me about Reading (and it goes back as far as Branfoot's days) is that our full-backs over the years do so little to prevent a cross.
It is basic defending but we nearly always stand off and it is still the same with Gunter, Obita and Cummings but less so with Kelly.

[melonhead]

[The Rouge]

What if it wasn't Reading players blocking his view? The penalty area was crowded at the time so I don't think moving his position would have helped and certainly nothing he could have done in that fraction of a second it took the ball to reach the goal.

I'm just saying that it looked a bit mince on the telly with him not moving at all, and then having the ball going past him fairly closely. You can't say that him moving or jostling to keep an eye on the ball wouldn't have helped. The shot was outside the box.

This suggests to me you have not played football much.

[paultheroyal]

McCarthy did well except for the goal.

I thought McCarthy had a superb game. Not sure what he did wrong for the goal?

He let it in without diving: it was a massively unnecessary error. If he had been awake he would have stopped it.

Not elegant enough in his diving.

[Libertine]

A couple of random thoughts having been able to watch the game on tv...

I do not fault McCarthy for their goal. It was at the end of a scrambly play in/near our area where a bunch of players were out of position and chasing the ball, while screening him, he never saw it. Why two of our players did nothing to try to block that shot, they've must have known they had our keeper screened, by at least trying to stick out a leg, etc, is beyond me.

Secondly we did look good for long stretches. But Williams' lack of fitness due to playing despite not being fully fit and Leigertwood's lack of fitness from not playing much/horrible decision making leaving us with only 10 men at the end ensured a draw was probably the best we could have hoped for.

Why their player was not given at least a yellow for going right through the back of Obita with a knee, nor us being awarded a penalty for a clear handball in the box in the first half, or being given a corner at the dying moments of the first when we deserved one, didn't help. Not saying it was the reffing that cost us, but it didn't help and was very poor.

Our passing is poor. Instead of leading a player making a run into space the passers, usually not under any pressure, often played the ball behind the player making the run causing him to stop to collect the pass and thus killing any forward momentum we had for that play. Other than that we gave up the ball far too cheaply often with misplaced passes often times ending up going out of play.

Bottom line is we still looked very decent at times and this was much better than many of our recent (especially home) efforts...