BFTG - Cherries

[paultheroyal]

Although I agree with parts of what zac is saying, there were few bar Mackie / Boruc moments that were worthy of a genuine chance.

Our real problem is that final ball. Six yards from 18 yard box, that killer pass to get a shot away or driving run is checked time and time again with a cut inside and a pass back 10 yards, and repeat!

[ZacNaloen]

No guile, can't score won't score is out problem up front.

And that's all of the "attacking" players we have. Even Mackie who's looked our most prolific recently isn't more than a 10 a season striker these days really.


Which is a far cry from the top days of Mcdermott where we'd create 5 chances all match and score 3 of them.

[Coppelled_Streets]

Bournemouth were utter pcunts.
Hope they come straight back down.

If their owner keeps pumping money in like he has been then they could well stay up. The stadium will need a lot of reinvestment and sharpish too.

[sandman]

Bournemouth were utter pcunts.
Hope they come straight back down.

If their owner keeps pumping money in like he has been then they could well stay up. The stadium will need a lot of reinvestment and sharpish too.

Shhh. Don't you know that they are a plucky little underdog taking on the richer bigger boys?

[Tilehurst End]

Bournemouth were utter pcunts.
Hope they come straight back down.

If their owner keeps pumping money in like he has been then they could well stay up. The stadium will need a lot of reinvestment and sharpish too.

Shhh. Don't you know that they are a plucky little underdog taking on the richer bigger boys?

A lot of falling over, timewasting, surrounding referees to put pressure on, they are well equiped for the top level,

[fruits]

Robson Kanu is rubbish in 90% of the games. In a big game he can be a world beater.
Quite a dilema for Clarke, I would tell him he is on for the first half , whether he stays on is up to him.
The guy has everything except a good attitude, he is a Big Game Charlie.

[theresayakonthepitch]

Robson Kanu is rubbish in 90% of the games. In a big game he can be a world beater.
Quite a dilema for Clarke, I would tell him he is on for the first half , whether he stays on is up to him.
The guy has everything except a good attitude, he is a Big Game Charlie.

Agree. He could easily be our motm on Saturday and be kept in the summer on the back of it. He is that annoying.

[chilipepper91]

For those abusing HRK, please tell me how Obita (first half) or McCleary were better than him in that match. Not saying HRK was good but he certainly wasn't as bad as people are making out. Obita was shocking on the left wing, and McCleary just like the last few matches has been all flash and no end product.

Sadly, once you pick your favourites, it's very difficult to see past what you want to see.

[chilipepper91]

On the performance, pretty much the same as the Blackburn match. Went into it fearing the worst, came out of it thinking we could and should have got more from the game.

The £3m striker was the difference between the sides. It's not easy to find a "20 goal a season" striker - just look at Eoin Doyle at Cardiff for how it doesn't always work out straight away. But if we still had Murray, or found someone else who can finish, it would have probably been a different result.

[Rollerbob]

For those abusing HRK, please tell me how Obita (first half) or McCleary were better than him in that match. Not saying HRK was good but he certainly wasn't as bad as people are making out. Obita was shocking on the left wing, and McCleary just like the last few matches has been all flash and no end product.

Sadly, once you pick your favourites, it's very difficult to see past what you want to see.

Other than one good cross which Kanu put in in the first half, he did bugger all. Never beat a man, missed every opportunity that came to him, and frequently found himself playing poor passes or getting caught in possession.

I was watching as we broke away on the counter, and as McCleary, Mackie, Obita and Karacan (who had the ball I believe) legged it forwards to help, Kanu slowly jogged forwards, hiding behind the man marking him. As the man behind the striker, he needs to be working flat out to make space, or drag defenders out of positions. Granted Chilipepper, it wasn't Obita's nor McCleary's day yesterday, but they both produced a much more fighting display than Mr. Kanu.

Thought Obita played some nice football with Ake at times, and McCleary played some good football with Mackie and Gunter. Kanu played nice football with nobody.

[sandman]

For those abusing HRK, please tell me how Obita (first half) or McCleary were better than him in that match. Not saying HRK was good but he certainly wasn't as bad as people are making out. Obita was shocking on the left wing, and McCleary just like the last few matches has been all flash and no end product.

Sadly, once you pick your favourites, it's very difficult to see past what you want to see.

The problem with Robson-Kanu (and I've found McCleary just as, if not more, frustrating than him in the last few months) is that he has never really developed from the sub role he had in the days of Kebe and McAnuff. He just doesn't seem to know how to properly make an impact from the start in the same way that he does from the bench.

It doesn't help that his best moments this season have come in a Wales shirt and in the FA Cup. Most of the cup games of course being played away from home where not as many fans can see the positive impact he's had. He reminds a bit of Gareth Bale in that for his country he is a focus of the team but when he plays for his club team he isn't the same influence and drifts out of games whilst scoring the odd goal that makes him appear more influential than he actually is. Probably why opposition fans think he's a big threat and one to watch when they play us.

I remember going to a fans forum with Hammond years ago where he said that Robson-Kanu was the one they were expecting big things from in his particular academy group. He has the talent but unfortunately he just seems unable to channel it here and a change of environment may well do him good as a player.

[No Fixed Abode]

I just hope you practice attacking set pieces this week in training as I can't see Reading scoring from open play against Arsenal.....

[winchester_royal]

For those abusing HRK, please tell me how Obita (first half) or McCleary were better than him in that match. Not saying HRK was good but he certainly wasn't as bad as people are making out. Obita was shocking on the left wing, and McCleary just like the last few matches has been all flash and no end product.

Sadly, once you pick your favourites, it's very difficult to see past what you want to see.

The problem with Robson-Kanu (and I've found McCleary just as, if not more, frustrating than him in the last few months) is that he has never really developed from the sub role he had in the days of Kebe and McAnuff. He just doesn't seem to know how to properly make an impact from the start in the same way that he does from the bench.

It doesn't help that his best moments this season have come in a Wales shirt and in the FA Cup. Most of the cup games of course being played away from home where not as many fans can see the positive impact he's had. He reminds a bit of Gareth Bale in that for his country he is a focus of the team but when he plays for his club team he isn't the same influence and drifts out of games whilst scoring the odd goal that makes him appear more influential than he actually is. Probably why opposition fans think he's a big threat and one to watch when they play us.

I remember going to a fans forum with Hammond years ago where he said that Robson-Kanu was the one they were expecting big things from in his particular academy group. He has the talent but unfortunately he just seems unable to channel it here and a change of environment may well do him good as a player.

Agreed, and his performances for Wales, as well as the high profile goals in the FA Cup, probably mean that we'd be able to get a very decent price for a guy whose league form is pretty mediocre.

Saying that - I like the guy and would happily have him around next season.

[LWJ]

Thought Obita played some nice football with Ake at times, and McCleary played some good football with Mackie and Gunter. Kanu played nice football with nobody.

Kanu had a few lovely passes and touches in the first half which made us attack with more pace, which we lack a lot.

Yes a few passes went astray in the second half, but he certainly wasn't as bad as half the dickheads who sat behind me in Y23 yesterday thought.

[Gordons Cumming]

Showed Bournemouth too much respect with our line-up. Too defensive. I would have started with Appiah. He looks like he has goals in him given the chance.
Last 20 mins was best with the introduction of..............Appiah!

[AthleticoSpizz]

Showed more intent than most on Saturday v Blackburn in his brief cameo too.

[handbags_harris]

Showed Bournemouth too much respect with our line-up. Too defensive. I would have started with Appiah. He looks like he has goals in him given the chance.
Last 20 mins was best with the introduction of..............Appiah!

Against English football's top scorers, it was absolutely imperative we set out to nullify their threats and we did that pretty well throughout. Sadly, as ever, the play in the final third was a complete let down with very little to get excited about. We have played 21 home matches so far this season, and despite scoring in our first five matches we have since not scored in 10 of the last 16. That is a critical problem that absolutely must be addressed in the summer. In fact, we'd do well to address it now. Give Appiah a chance to use his pace and movement (which from the two cameos I've seen he seems to have) along with a decent target man. the defence has looked more secure since the international break, and generally since Clarke too over, there is no issue there. The issue is much further forward...

[TBM]

Just seen the goal - nice of the defenders to follow up the shot that hit the post.....instead they all just stand and watch as Wilson takes the ball, from almost behind him, turn and slot into an empty net - unchallenged

[Woodcote Royal]

For those abusing HRK, please tell me how Obita (first half) or McCleary were better than him in that match. Not saying HRK was good but he certainly wasn't as bad as people are making out. Obita was shocking on the left wing, and McCleary just like the last few matches has been all flash and no end product.

Sadly, once you pick your favourites, it's very difficult to see past what you want to see.

Other than one good cross which Kanu put in in the first half, he did bugger all. Never beat a man, missed every opportunity that came to him, and frequently found himself playing poor passes or getting caught in possession.

I was watching as we broke away on the counter, and as McCleary, Mackie, Obita and Karacan (who had the ball I believe) legged it forwards to help, Kanu slowly jogged forwards, hiding behind the man marking him. As the man behind the striker, he needs to be working flat out to make space, or drag defenders out of positions. Granted Chilipepper, it wasn't Obita's nor McCleary's day yesterday, but they both produced a much more fighting display than Mr. Kanu.

Thought Obita played some nice football with Ake at times, and McCleary played some good football with Mackie and Gunter. Kanu played nice football with nobody.

+1 and, in particular, this paragraph because I was watching the same thing.

I'm no HRK hater and agree that, the man who scored 7? in a Premiership relegation season has all the talent and more to be a star at this level.

However he was nothing more than a "couldn't give a sh+t passenger" both last night and on Saturday while I'm reliably Informed he was no better up at Blackpool.

The main reason that the first game I attended this season was Steve Clarke's first in charge was, I didn't want to take our sh+t performances out on a team that had no choice other than to work with a complete one dimensional pr*ck of a manager.

Since then, I have been mostly impressed with Clarke's tactical nous plus the abilty to get the best out of players like POG and Mackie, thus creating some sort of strike force from very limited options. We looked less potent under Bodgkins with Glen Murray in the side

However, I couldn't contain myself last night and cheered when HRK was finally subbed. Either, he heard me from the back of the Upper West or, I wasn't alone in my elation because SC started wagging his finger at the crowd behind him.

Most of us will forgive many things other than lack of effort and this is something HRK has been guilty of for many years. I'm sure he has all the ability to play in the centre in the hole/second striker but he's just using it as a place to hide.

My guess is he ran a fraction of the distant of the rest of the team, ducking challenges wherever possible and ambling forward when a break was on being over taken by midfielders and full backs This was all the more annoying when the other 10 turned in an excellent performance against top of the league opponents.

Had HRK been replaced by any of a holding/ball playing/ box to box midfielder or, a second striker worthy of the term, I have no doubt we would not have lost last night and that our performance after he was mercifully hooked, when we had Bournemouth almost constantly on the rack, was testament to what might have been.

I can't be arsed to watch Wales but there's no way HRK would make their squad if he was this dire for them.

Frankly, he should be made to sit in the stand on Saturday where he can consider his future.

If you can no longer be arsed, Hal, just FCUK OFF!!!

[Coppelled_Streets]

A lot of falling over, timewasting, surrounding referees to put pressure on, they are well equiped for the top level,

Reading have always been too nice and too honest. It might not be a part of the game we like, but we need to do the same, especially when we get another crack at the top flight. Clarke has already installed a bit of this in us.