BFTG - Arsenal

[wingnut]

Arsenal a shower of shit, really? That win was their 24th win in 29 Games and their 9th consecutive.

Yesterday was magnificent, genuinely the proudest I've ever felt of a team on the day.

The fans were the best I've ever known them, the atmosphere was superb, and you could see how much it meant when after the game so many stayed to cheer the lads.

It was a cruel defeat (the nature and the timing of the goal) but the defence and Federici was immense. (Though how it was McCleary on Sanchez for their opener, I don't know.)

Williams and Chalobah were very good indeed, and for me that was Williams best-ever game for us.

Gunter and Obita defended the wings well for the 90, though the extra cover out there looked less in ET, probably due to tired legs. Pearce and Hector were superb on the day.

Don't agree that HRK was poor. He did his job. There was one sublime interchange with Chalobah that got HRK away who then fed Pog who then lost it on the edge of their box. HRK also had a big part in our goal.

I'm a big fan of Jem and was thrilled that he got on in the 89th. I firmly believe that the applause was for a Reading stalwart coming on and NOT because HRK was coming off. (TBF I can't remember Jem's performance in extra time.)

McCleary gets an extra point for putting it in the net, but, for me, he's still not at his very best

But we lost this game up front. Pog worked incredibly hard, Mackie was his usual buzzing self, but we missed chances, the kind of chances, great in-form goal-scorers put away ( the way Sanchez did for them, luck and all). I'm not really criticising either of the two front men. It is what it is, and not currently having a lethal 20+ a season striker is down to the Russians.

I can't remember much about the subs.


But the fans were great throughout. They get a 10. The individuals in the team get 7/8/9 but as a team, battling a side that can be brilliant (and 24 wins in 29 games) they get a 10. But for one cruel half-second (coming less than twenty seconds after Pog could have won the game, and, I think, over the 15 minute point) we were heading for penalties at least.

Great memories, thanks lads. And we need to bring the house down Wednesday and sing for Feds

Yeah can't disagree with any of that. I thought Hector was immense and was my MOTM.

Enjoyed the game despite the howler and the day out but the end was messed up by me fcuking dropping my bike trying to put it in the garage and now I can't get the thing back up as it's too heavy and I'm too much of a non-lifting pouf.

[Esteban]

I don't have much to add to what has already been said, but I will make two points:

1) The likes of Kohl, Tanner, Tshibola, Stacey, Cooper, etc should look at Michael Hector for inspiration. At the start of the season, he showed promise, but was very raw. Yesterday, IMO, he was head and shoulders above any other defender on the pitch and one of those is a world cup winner. His progress has been great to watch and although he did make a couple of mistakes, yesterday was a defining performance for his fledgling career. Brilliant all game and if he continues to improve, he'll be a great player.

2) At some point in the second half, I felt like Reading finally found their identity again, after a couple of seasons of not really knowing what we're all about. We had players breaking from midfield, popping the ball out wide, attacking the box. Defensively we were compact, fought for every ball, put bodies on the line. We played with a high tempo, were tenacious and bold. That's the Reading I know and want to see every game.

Very proud Royal today.

[theresayakonthepitch]

Very proud of the players and fans. Gutted we didn't get to take them to pens but can't say I'm gutted by the loss as it was expected to be far worse.

Was in 127 and the fans were superb. Lots of oldies joining in. Hopefully some will remember that they are allowed to at home games too.

All in all a fantastic day.

[Snowball]

At some point in the second half, I felt like Reading finally found their identity again, after a couple of seasons of not really knowing what we're all about. We had players breaking from midfield, popping the ball out wide, attacking the box. Defensively we were compact, fought for every ball, put bodies on the line. We played with a high tempo, were tenacious and bold. That's the Reading I know and want to see every game.

Very proud Royal today.

Absolutely!

[Will95]

That was a proud day, with excellent play from our guys. Let's start doing that in the league now!

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Some brilliant posts on here - reflecting with pride about a great performance, and the immense part the game and this club plays in our lives.

I've had friends and family from all over the world contacting me to congratulate me on Reading's performance. The fact that it had nothing to do with me is interesting. Supporting a club like Reading is so much more than being the customer of a company. We the fans ARE the club - the players represent us, and their success or failure is ours too.

So on a day like today, I think we can start to really come to terms with what the game means and what our support means. An emotional investment and a collective effort. The game, the occasion, the stadium, the fans: it was all great. That we react with support and sympathy for our goalkeepers also shows we think as a family, not like the passive-aggressive glory hunters that attach themselves to the club with the richest owners when such choices are made.

I expect a pretty dismal end to the season now, a period of solid rebuilding over the summer, and another roller coaster ride of Championship football next season. And for me, that's fine: it's all good.

[Westwood52]

Feel a bit rough this AM-just got up.
Met Mr Mad-then straight to the bar in the Torch within quarter of an hour; bar totally rammed-ended up at Premier Inn-until they stopped us going into the Hotel bar(and buying cheap beer).

We were poor in the 1st half-then magnificent in the 2nd-we were shot when it came to extra time-did Arsenal seem fitter than us ?

Feds 6: Kept us in the game-then the horror show.
Gunter 7: Must have been told not to over commit going forward-great defensively.
Obita 5: Struggled.
Pierce 6: Unbelievable; up against top class opposition and still put in a 6 out of ten as usual.
Hector 8: Couple of mistakes but great.At times looked world class.
Williams 7: Despite coming back from injury ran himself into the ground for 90 mins-ran out of steam ET.
Chalaboah 8: One bad pass but did not look out of place against Cazola and Co
Kanu 6: Shameful first half but very good in the 2nd.
Macca 7: I think because of injuries he can no longer train properly; had to ration his impact moments.
Mackie 6: Strangely quiet one great shot-but never really got going.
Pog 6: The game hung on his opportunity late in the game-the Yak would have buried it.If he had scored then Arsenal would have been buried.

Clarke: Perhaps should have been more pro active with his subs.

Reading fans far more supportive than Arsenal's fans (did they bring their 2nd tier fans with them)

Arsenal-pretty awful (for them) really.

[P!ssed Off]

Anyone know what happened to the fan that fell down into the concourse whilst climbing on the barrier celebrating our goal?
Block 113/114.

[winchester_royal]

Woke up today with an unsettling mixture of pride and devastation. I doubt we'll ever get a better chance of getting to a cup final than we did going into those final 10 minutes. I genuinely thought we had them on the ropes, and with just a bit more pace and composure of front we'd have delivered that knock out blow. But the fact we're able to say this after going toe-to-toe with just about the form team in Europe speaks volumes about just how far this team has come under Clarke. I know that may not have translated into league points just yet, but those will come next season. He is absolutely the right man to lead us forward, he has brought the club back together as one and that was totally evident yesterday.

Hector, Williams, Mackie..will all rightly get lauded by many, but for me the class player on the pitch was our young Chelsea loanee. Chalobah may have been underwhelming earlier in his time here, but yesterday he ran the show. He goes about it quietly, he doesn't have the driving runs of Williams, or the enthusiasm of Karacan, but he was always in the right position, won the ball with tenacity, and then passed the ball with precision. He made us tick yesterday, and if we can get him for next season (which I highly doubt, but hopefully the Clarke effect will give us a chance) we'll have a real chance.

The pictures of Fed at the end are desperately heart breaking, and hopefully he'll have logged onto twitter this morning and seen all the messages of support because he's been an absolute titan for us this season. Watching the replay the ball actually takes a very slight deflection so I'm not sure it was quite the clanger that it looked at the time anyway.

[P!ssed Off]

It would be a sad indictment of the lack of opportunity for young English players if Chalobah is still here next season.
He should be playing in the PL.

[winchester_royal]

P.S. FAO the Arsenal fans.. If only you possessed an ounce of the class of your manager.

[SCIAG]

Anyone know what happened to the fan that fell down into the concourse whilst climbing on the barrier celebrating our goal?
Block 113/114.

From talking to security, hospitalised but ultimately fine.

And agreed on Chalobah. He was pretty shocking for Burnley but players need more opportunities before being dumped. Besides, he'd be blocking our own players...

[Zammo]

Magnificent day on and off the pitch. Thought the support was superb throughout.

Shame for Feds, but he can now join Archie and Rougier in the list of all-time Reading FC big occasion cock-ups.

[Mr.Swainey]

Proud of the club yesterday. Immense display and great to see West London packed with blue and white.

Word for some arrogant Arsenal oxf*rd on the train home. Giving it large over beating us 2-1, taking the mick out of Federici etc. Nothing to get worked up about, our group laughed it off. They continued on with the old 'inbred' jibes, to which one of our party, an absolute brickhouse, stood up and challenged them to come over and say it. They fell a bit quiet and moved carriages shortly after without a peep. All wearing colours with cardigans, ffs.

[Winnershroyal]

Arsenal fans above 111

oxf*rd

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

Magnificent day on and off the pitch. Thought the support was superb throughout.

Shame for Feds, but he can now join Archie and Rougier in the list of all-time Reading FC big occasion cock-ups.

Agree though amend Rougier to Hapless knobbly kneed Barry Hunter who inexplicably twatted the ball into Rougier in a blind panic.

[Maguire]

Couldn't make the game so observations from the comfort of my sofa - can't fault the Reading team at all for their application and desire and they totally deserved the equaliser. Does make me wonder why they've served up such utter dross all season though.

Arsenal had an off day but if either team was likely to win before penalties then it was them. Hit the woodwork three times and Federici had already had one let off (Ramsey's shot bouncing over the bar) before his shocker.

I'd lay off criticising Pogrebnyak for the opening when we had 2 v 1 - Mackie made completely the wrong run and effectively took himself out of the break. He should have gone to the right, and if he had then who knows, maybe we'd be on here complaining about the sales process for the Final

Last note - Williams and Hector were outstanding. When I look at the team I have to say there's a good core of players there who could play in a promotion winning side. This summer will be Clarke's big test.

Hope everyone had a blinding day out - was sorry to miss it.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

As others,I expected us to be completely tonked by Arsenal - fuming that their goal came well after 15 mins of ET and there had been no stoppages - thought ref was seriously poor and the number of times we were pushed etc and nothing given, was pathetic.

There was at least 1 substitution in the 1st half of ET wasn't there?

[Royal Lady]

As others,I expected us to be completely tonked by Arsenal - fuming that their goal came well after 15 mins of ET and there had been no stoppages - thought ref was seriously poor and the number of times we were pushed etc and nothing given, was pathetic.

There was at least 1 substitution in the 1st half of ET wasn't there?

Don't think so and wouldn't any ET of ET have been indica8ed?

[loyalroyal4life]

Lol at arsenal fans, no noise all game!!!

Well done all the team and fans what an effort!!!

Gutted yesterday, soooo proud today!!!