Back From Th Stream Blackburn

[Lacoste]

Well, beaten by a well coached, well organised unit playing for their manager and fans.

We had spells however Blackburn never really looked panicked. Poor coaching leading to very poor defending all game had us beaten here. Adkins has had a long time to get us looking more solid and he has failed. Yes we have had injuries but you don't always need to change the players to sure up the defence, you can change things tactically. Poor signings made as well.

Wrong team started the game and I think time is seriously running out for Adkins.

Two big games coming up.

Going to the pub!!

[Ian Royal]

Positives:
Williams back playing. Cooper looked decent although I can't say whether he was at fault for any of the goals. Hector's served his suspension. We clearly have plenty of quality going forward if we can just settle on the right combination.

Defence is our main worry. Williams into the middle of the park should help - maybe needs another cameo or two to be fully ready. Gunter really needs to get dropped for a kick up the arse, Kelly is a good choice to try to sure up the right side of defence. Two attacking fullbacks is too many in a low confidence team with an inexperienced defence.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Positives:
Williams back playing. Cooper looked decent although I can't say whether he was at fault for any of the goals. Hector's served his suspension. We clearly have plenty of quality going forward if we can just settle on the right combination.

Defence is our main worry. Williams into the middle of the park should help - maybe needs another cameo or two to be fully ready. Gunter really needs to get dropped for a kick up the arse, Kelly is a good choice to try to sure up the right side of defence. Two attacking fullbacks is too many in a low confidence team with an inexperienced defence.

Günter, Pearce, Obita .......which of those 3 is inexperienced in defence?

[Ian Royal]

Positives:
Williams back playing. Cooper looked decent although I can't say whether he was at fault for any of the goals. Hector's served his suspension. We clearly have plenty of quality going forward if we can just settle on the right combination.

Defence is our main worry. Williams into the middle of the park should help - maybe needs another cameo or two to be fully ready. Gunter really needs to get dropped for a kick up the arse, Kelly is a good choice to try to sure up the right side of defence. Two attacking fullbacks is too many in a low confidence team with an inexperienced defence.

Günter, Pearce, Obita .......which of those 3 is inexperienced in defence?

Obita. Obviously.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Positives:
Williams back playing. Cooper looked decent although I can't say whether he was at fault for any of the goals. Hector's served his suspension. We clearly have plenty of quality going forward if we can just settle on the right combination.

Defence is our main worry. Williams into the middle of the park should help - maybe needs another cameo or two to be fully ready. Gunter really needs to get dropped for a kick up the arse, Kelly is a good choice to try to sure up the right side of defence. Two attacking fullbacks is too many in a low confidence team with an inexperienced defence.

Günter, Pearce, Obita .......which of those 3 is inexperienced in defence?

Obita. Obviously.

That's 3 of our back 4 from last season.....

[Ian Royal]

So what? Obita's 20 and hasn't played a full season in defence yet. How does that make him experienced exactly?

[John Madejski's Wallet]

I'm just with Mags on this one. I don't see our team as being particularly inexperienced compared to anyone else. It just seems an excuse

[Ian Royal]

I'm just with Mags on this one. I don't see our team as being particularly inexperienced compared to anyone else. It just seems an excuse

Even though we've got the youngest defence in the league? And it's about three years younger than the average?

Shall I do a >League One defensive caps comparison between us and Blackburn today to see what it shows?

[John Madejski's Wallet]

3 playing years spread across 4 players isn't NOT the reason we are so damned sh*t

[Martin41]

I'm just with Mags on this one. I don't see our team as being particularly inexperienced compared to anyone else. It just seems an excuse

Even though we've got the youngest defence in the league? And it's about three years younger than the average?

Shall I do a >League One defensive caps comparison between us and Blackburn today to see what it shows?

But that's age, not experienced......... There is plenty of experience.

[P!ssed Off]

I'm just with Mags on this one. I don't see our team as being particularly inexperienced compared to anyone else. It just seems an excuse

Even though we've got the youngest defence in the league? And it's about three years younger than the average?

Shall I do a >League One defensive caps comparison between us and Blackburn today to see what it shows?

I'll do it for you, :

Blackburn back 4:
Hanley: 121
Duffy: 71
Baptiste: 226
Olsson 57
Total: 475

2 of Reading's back 4:
Pearce: 234
Gunter: 253
Total: 587

[Maguire]

I assume this is to do with the post a couple of weeks back about how our squad isn't "very inexperienced". I'll stand by that, although Cooper is obviously a new blood.

Can't see how anyone can say a back five consisting of two previous title winners, one guy with >50 international caps and last season's Player Of The Season should be letting in three goals a game. It's a farking shambles is what it is.

[Ian Royal]

I'm just with Mags on this one. I don't see our team as being particularly inexperienced compared to anyone else. It just seems an excuse

Even though we've got the youngest defence in the league? And it's about three years younger than the average?

Shall I do a >League One defensive caps comparison between us and Blackburn today to see what it shows?

I'll do it for you, :

Blackburn back 4:
Hanley: 121
Duffy: 70
Baptiste: 226
Olsson 57
Total: 447

2 of Reading's back 4:
Pearce: 234
Gunter: 253
Total: 587

Precisely. Half our defence is very experienced, I never said it wasn't. But half our defence is totally inexperienced and that's going to lead to problems. Especially when the most experienced defender is gutless and woefully out of form. You want a balance of experience through the defence.

Blackburn have one of the younger and therefore less experienced defences too.

[Royal_jimmy]

The thing I do not understand is why we have we not signed a centre half on loan despite our defensive problems going on for a while? Instead we sign a centre half who has not played for nearly 2 years and play an average defender with no pace (Pearce) and a player who did well in the SPL which is probs league 1 standard with no experience at this level. We also have a left winger in defence and a good right back who's woefully out of form and is no captain.

Are you all really surprised how bad our goals against record is? because I'm not.

[P!ssed Off]

@ IR

You seem to be under the impression that there's all these Championship teams with a luxury of 5 incredibly experienced, quality defenders, + goalkeeper.
That's simply not the case.

"Only 3 of our back 5 are top end Championship players with hundreds of appearances at this level! "

[Ian Royal]

I assume this is to do with the post a couple of weeks back about how our squad isn't "very inexperienced". I'll stand by that, although Cooper is obviously a new blood.

Can't see how anyone can say a back five consisting of two previous title winners, one guy with >50 international caps and last season's Player Of The Season should be letting in three goals a game. It's a farking shambles is what it is.

Winning player of the season, when you played half of it in midfield, doesn't make you experienced, playing in lots of games makes you experienced.

[Ian Royal]

@ IR

You seem to be under the impression that there's all these Championship teams with a luxury of 5 incredibly experienced, quality defenders, + goalkeeper.
That's simply not the case.

"Only 3 of our back 5 are top end Championship players with hundreds of appearances at this level! "

Firstly, I'm not talking about goalkeepers.

If you can't recognise that having half a defence with less combined experience than, for example, any one of Blackburn's defenders, is a weakness. Well, you have some blinkers on.

And like I've said. Gunter is our most experienced defender and he's currently the biggest problem in the defence. That doubles the problem.

You guys are hilarious.

Checked four sides starting defences today now. Only two players with less than 40 caps at this level or higher out of 16. They played in different sides. I think that's a large enough sample to leave it as reasonably demonstrated that our defence is not only younger than the others, it's also got more inexperienced players in it. I think ~40 games is a reasonable yardstick.

[P!ssed Off]

Continually quibbling about the age and experience of the left back, when it's consistently the right back getting us into trouble is hilarious.

[Zana Badawi]

@ IR

You seem to be under the impression that there's all these Championship teams with a luxury of 5 incredibly experienced, quality defenders, + goalkeeper.
That's simply not the case.

"Only 3 of our back 5 are top end Championship players with hundreds of appearances at this level! "

Firstly, I'm not talking about goalkeepers.

If you can't recognise that having half a defence with less combined experience than, for example, any one of Blackburn's defenders, is a weakness. Well, you have some blinkers on.

And like I've said. Gunter is our most experienced defender and he's currently the biggest problem in the defence. That doubles the problem.

You guys are hilarious.

Yeah, NFA brings out the LOL smiley whens hes struggling as well. OK, following your logic why has our manager made our biggest problem the captain and moved the POTS to a different position to the one he won his POTS from (remember Im following your logic)

Im sure there is some delightful conspiracy theory as to why we have only 5 players we can call upon for our back four. Two of them are U21s, two of them spent spells in midfield last season, one of them has the heart of a peanut and all of them are lead by Alex fcking Pearce FFS.

Adkins is the new Burns. He's got himself into a predicament he cant get out of. A bit like you and RoyalBlue.

[leon]

OK Ian - let's suppose you're right Ian (although it appears that Hector and Obita have 160 league appearances between them) why hasn't Adkins

a) worked out what the problem is
b) fixed it????

We are going to be relegated if we carry on like this - which with a squad as rich in talent and experience as this one is, would be a disgrace.