Back from the sofa - Ipswich (H)

[Royality creeps In]

Following a much appreciated delivery from Fortnum & Mason, our Adkins Diet has been officially terminated.

Amen

Fair to say that losing a few more of McDermott s players was a help. ..
And that big Russian who wasn't any managers choice.

He wasn't perhaps chosen by any manager but Clarke spoke pretty well of him.

Apparently he was a lovely bloke.
Those who know me tell me I'm a lovely bloke.
Im a shite footballer as well

Just look at the improvement in our front line now the lumps gone

[Sutekh]

Gunter had the right hump with the "how shit must you be..." - repeatedly shouting "no" to the east stand, and nodding his head. Not happy.

To be fair, it's an awful chant.

Agreed. Hardly motivating for the team.

And what do you think the fans would sing after more than a year of utter crap at home? It hardly affected the team's motivation last night and certainly helped generate an atmosphere. It's hardly going to be repeated every game if all our performances are going to be in line with last night.

[Silver Fox]

I thought we were great although strangely I was more excited by the MK Dons game Maybe if we'd peppered Ipswich's goal last night as we did that day we could of scored 10! Roll on Derby on Tuesday

[icelandboy]

IN the fifteen years I've been going I can't think of a better goal than Norwood's. Breathtaking.

I still think McCleary's volley vs Burnley was technically a better goal just for the way he adjusted himself to hit it

[dogzbollox]

On this form, someone is going to get a real pasting this season. GO GO ROYALS

I'm a bit confused about what happened tonight then...

Maybe JIM normally watches cricket or rugby or something ....Sunday morning pub team football where winning 5-1 is a close game ...

[Woodcote Royal]

Gunter had the right hump with the "how shit must you be..." - repeatedly shouting "no" to the east stand, and nodding his head. Not happy.

To be fair, it's an awful chant.

Agreed. Hardly motivating for the team.

And what do you think the fans would sing after more than a year of utter crap at home? It hardly affected the team's motivation last night and certainly helped generate an atmosphere. It's hardly going to be repeated every game if all our performances are going to be in line with last night.

Well, IR doesn't get much right but he's spot on here

It's a demonstration of how sheeplike, spoilt and unimaginative some of our support is

What should the cringeworthy East Stand chanters sing about?

The day an original, worthwhile thought enters one of their heads will be truly amazing ............................ I mean, are their any Swindon fans left to "stab" and who beyond Berkshire has given a sh*t about this for the last 30 years

[RoyalBlue]

Fair to say that losing a few more of McDermott s players was a help. ..
And that big Russian who wasn't any managers choice.

He wasn't perhaps chosen by any manager but Clarke spoke pretty well of him.

Apparently he was a lovely bloke.
Those who know me tell me I'm a lovely bloke.
Im a shite footballer as well

Just look at the improvement in our front line now the lumps gone

In your blind prejudice you are rewriting history in an absurd way. Clarke didn't make a big thing about him being a lovely bloke (although he did refer to his excellent character) he talked a lot about his hard work for the team and his great ability as a footballer etc.

Has it not crossed your mind that the improvement in our front line might have something to do with the fact that we now have more than one talented footballer available to play in it, that we have more than two strikers on the pitch at once and that they enjoy far better service to them than Pog ever enjoyed?

Not long ago, Sa was having to play a similar role to Pog up front with not a great deal of quality support. Look at the difference in him now that he has been provided with the right type of teammates, formation and tactics to enable him to thrive.

[russyb]

People have to remember that McShane was just about fit and it was clear he still had issues with his back, visibly holding it at one point in the first half. i was surprised he started and was fully expecting Hector due to injury. Even at 90 per cent he had a pretty good game.

[Ian Royal]

In your blind prejudice you are rewriting history in an absurd way. Clarke didn't make a big thing about him being a lovely bloke (although he did refer to his excellent character) he talked a lot about his hard work for the team and his great ability as a footballer etc.

Has it not crossed your mind that the improvement in our front line might have something to do with the fact that we now have more than one talented footballer available to play in it, that we have more than two strikers on the pitch at once and that they enjoy far better service to them than Pog ever enjoyed?

Not long ago, Sa was having to play a similar role to Pog up front with not a great deal of quality support. Look at the difference in him now that he has been provided with the right type of teammates, formation and tactics to enable him to thrive.

Personally I think it has something to do with having mobile attackers capable of getting in good positions and (apparently) regularly finishing them.

Something that, for all his qualities, doesn't describe Pog at all.

We are clearly much better off without him.

[Woodcote Royal]

People have to remember that McShane was just about fit and it was clear he still had issues with his back, visibly holding it at one point in the first half. i was surprised he started and was fully expecting Hector due to injury. Even at 90 per cent he had a pretty good game.

Well said.

It's amazing that not one person who criticised his performance last night felt inclined to mention that he must have been 50/50 at best to start.

I, too, was relieved and surprised to see him out there.

[RoyallyFcuked]

I watched in a pub, no sound unfortunately but what a performance. I expected to win last night but tbh none of us could have really expected such a scoreline against a team that made the play offs last season. Clarke said it flattered us, which it probably did a little bit but take nothing away from the lads after an excellent display. Sometimes Ipswich played into our hands, they were quite open and kept going for it when they were losing, but you have to say fair play for that in a way.

I thought it was a fairly close game at times, especially in the first half. Then at others times the difference in quality showed, we were superb on the break with two of our goals coming directly from counter attacks that started in/around our own box. We played some nice link up and one touch football at times as well, haven't seen us play like that for years and I loved it.

Quite funny that less than a month ago some on here were saying Orlando is no better than Pog I said after the Brum game (which I went to), he looked a good player and just needed the support around him and a strike partner. He certainly has that support now and looks like he has 2 partners! I did wonder whether Clarke would stay with the narrow 4-3-3 and whether it would work with all 3 of them (Sa, Vydra, Blackman), but based on that it absolutely works and we should keep playing it! I just didn't expect it because it leaves no room for our now plentiful supply of wingers.

Possibly that could be the set up that we nearly always go for but change the players based on the form and the opposition. Any of our wingers could be expected to come into that and as long as we have at least one of Sa, Vydra or Blackman in the middle, someone like McCleary or John can come in and play either side, as we saw a little bit towards the end last night.

Thought the defence at times looked a little shaky but nothing to really worry about, and if we keep scoring goals for fun who even cares? Well done to the midfield 3 as well, tbh you could say that none of them was a cert to start the game and all 3 of them showed why Clarke picked them. Tshibola has been good whenever he's played this season and last night was no different, I'm looking forward to watching him keep growing and improving. As for Norwood, I would definitely have said his place was in doubt after our transfer window was complete but he's another one who has started the season well and showed why he is in the team. Fair play to him to him for that stunning strike to round it off as well. I thought Quinn did well too, no doubt he's a tryer and a worker but not the headless chicken some have harshly suggested, as he does have a bit of quality about him. A rich man's Stephen Hunt maybe? but I guess you could say the same about him in his prime, and different types of player I know. Hunt was also a Sky pundit last night as he'd played for both clubs

3 very well taken goals by Sa, who looks a bit of a class act. Superb header for the first, fantastic shot and second goal which he made himself and then did what a good striker does and was in the right place at the right time for the tap in and his hat trick. Also special credit to Blackman who has proved about 90% of us wrong so far this season, he was excellent again yesterday with a well taken belter of a goal and two assists, great cross for the opener and brilliant little dribble and cut back for Sa, he should do that more often. Vydra looks a quality addition too as predicted, and he will get plenty this season as well.

Looks like we could have what Watford had last season, 3 strikers who will score a lot of goals (incidently Vydra was one of theirs too) but we should have ours all playing in the same team at the same time, which they rarely had. That is certainly one way of getting you promoted, as is having a solid defence and goals from all over the team which you could say we had when we went up in 2011-12, we had all of that and more in 2005-06 and I reckon we could go as close to that season as we have ever been before. Things well and truly on the up and everyone reason to happy and looking forward to the future of RFC again..........URZZZZZ

[Pandoras Box]

What I really liked was that no matter what cliched bollox McCarthy came up with after the match, he had actually just witnessed an object lesson in where his team are completely lacking. His belief that due to where they finished last year and spending a bit of cash would mean a nailed on automatic promotion. Maybe a bit early, but last night he saw a team with the all round required depth for promotion hammer his kick and rush team. You could see in his face at the after match interview that he was thinking 'Fvck, I don't know what to say, we're nowhere near where I thought' while blaming everything on schoolboy defending. Lovely.

[WestRoyal]

Anything else.........

[WestRoyal]

I just don't understand why people thought that "Orlando Sa, Sa, always believe in your soul...." was a good idea for a song?

It was under the Madejski lights, he scored three times, Orlando...

Also agree that Bond had a good enough game, and that McShane was far from MOTM.

Blackman was fantastic again, never thought I'd warm to him but he seems to have proven most of us wrong.

Fans tend to warm to a player producing the goods on the pitch. Was just a matter of time in regards to NB

[Steve_Upper_West]

I wonder if our three departing stars of yesteryear, that we wouldn't be able to survive without, were watching from their benches last night ?? with their Premiership, Champions league dreams etc.....grass greener on the other side and all that ?? maybe not.........................................

Pleased they left, they were stale here.

Stale ? No you have that wrong....
Pearce was actually not that good, read the game well enough but was too slow and 'one-sided'
Jem was probably still not back to his best but was always a bit lightweight and lacked end product
Feds was in the form of his life AND were he still here then promotion would be more likely than with Bond between the posts.

Not sure why people need to be quiet so dismissive of 3 very loyal servants to the club - let's see how many of the new faces are still here in 5 years time, let alone 10 !!

[Jon_rfc]

As a matter of interest, who was given player of the month for August before the game?

[tidus_mi2]

As a matter of interest, who was given player of the month for August before the game?

Blackman.

[Froomes]

3 very loyal servants to the club - let's see how many of the new faces are still here in 5 years time, let alone 10 !!

They were 'loyal' because they were paid vast sums of money to be 'loyal' and no other teams were willing to pay them more!

All 3 were offered new deals in the summer on significantly reduced wages and chose to jump ship at the first opportunity.

To claim that they were 'very loyal' is somewhat odd...

[loyalroyal4life]

IN the fifteen years I've been going I can't think of a better goal than Norwood's. Breathtaking.

I still think McCleary's volley vs Burnley was technically a better goal just for the way he adjusted himself to hit it

Agreed although it has been a while since we have seen a screamer go in from that distance. Norwood would be most likely to do that for us

[royal_cornwall]

3 very loyal servants to the club - let's see how many of the new faces are still here in 5 years time, let alone 10 !!

They were 'loyal' because they were paid vast sums of money to be 'loyal' and no other teams were willing to pay them more!

All 3 were offered new deals in the summer on significantly reduced wages and chose to jump ship at the first opportunity.

To claim that they were 'very loyal' is somewhat odd...

+1