BFTG Charlton (H)

[Ian Royal]

A word on Charlton first. While they were utterly toothless, plus rather pedestrian and one paced they defended very well, were well organised and lapped up high crosses / corners.

As for us, we looked a bit rusty and off the boil, but by far the better side.

Al-Habsi 7 one comfortable save.
Gunter 7 solid
Hector 7 not quite up to his best
McShane 8 top
Obita 7 rarely tested
Norwood 8 mr reliable
Tish 8 good stuff
Piazon 6 everything he does is almost brilliant, but isn't.
Blackman 8 marked and hacked out of the game and still a threat
John 6 looked rather lacklustre and lost positionally
Sa 7 hard work but not given a lot today.

Williams and McCleary 8 delivered much needed drive and intensity.
Fernandez 6 looked good in hos cameo

Piazon isn't up to snuff to fill Quinn's spot for me and I'd rather see Tish or Alex there with Williams as the right of 3. I'd like to see him try the left forward role maybe.

Good patience by the team. Top 3 points and into second we go.

[JC]

Interesting point. Why are we being shown as second when we have an identical record to Boro. I thought it was alphabetical then.

[loyalroyal4life]

A word on Charlton first. While they were utterly toothless, plus rather pedestrian and one paced they defended very well, were well organised and lapped up high crosses / corners.

As for us, we looked a bit rusty and off the boil, but by far the better side.

Al-Habsi 7 one comfortable save.
Gunter 7 solid
Hector 7 not quite up to his best
McShane 8 top
Obita 7 rarely tested
Norwood 8 mr reliable
Tish 8 good stuff
Piazon 6 everything he does is almost brilliant, but isn't.
Blackman 8 marked and hacked out of the game and still a threat
John 6 looked rather lacklustre and lost positionally
Sa 7 hard work but not given a lot today.

Williams and McCleary 8 delivered much needed drive and intensity.
Fernandez 6 looked good in hos cameo

Piazon isn't up to snuff to fill Quinn's spot for me and I'd rather see Tish or Alex there with Williams as the right of 3. I'd like to see him try the left forward role maybe.

Good patience by the team. Top 3 points and into second we go.

Was this based on a radio commentary perspective or actually watching the game?

[Scutterbucketz]

Interesting point. Why are we being shown as second when we have an identical record to Boro. I thought it was alphabetical then.

Because we are the only team in Royal Berkshire. We also get to wear our home kit whenever we want.

[ZacNaloen]

Interesting point. Why are we being shown as second when we have an identical record to Boro. I thought it was alphabetical then.

Head to Head?

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Will have done them good to win ugly, because last season they would have drawn (or even lost) a game like this.

[Millsy]

Interesting point. Why are we being shown as second when we have an identical record to Boro. I thought it was alphabetical then.

Because we are the only team in Royal Berkshire. We also get to wear our home kit whenever we want.

[Jagermesiter1871]

Am I the only one who didn't like that 10 minutes of passing sideways?

[RoyalBlue]

Piazon 6 everything he does is almost brilliant, but isn't.

Very harsh giving him just a 6. There were quite a few moments of brilliance from him during the game and he did, of course, set up our goal.

A lot of what he tries won't come off but I just hope he keeps on trying to do brilliant things because when he does get things right it tends to pay off with big dividends. He could well prove to be critical when other teams try to park the bus against us.

[windermere_royal]

Am I the only one who didn't like that 10 minutes of passing sideways?

Yes

[Ian Royal]

Piazon 6 everything he does is almost brilliant, but isn't.

Very harsh giving him just a 6. There were quite a few moments of brilliance from him during the game and he did, of course, set up our goal.

A lot of what he tries won't come off but I just hope he keeps on trying to do brilliant things because when he does get things right it tends to pay off with big dividends. He could well prove to be critical when other teams try to park the bus against us.

I have no problem with playing him, just don't think he fits the Quinn role. Didn't see who'd crossed for the goal from Y26.

Like I said, it's almost brilliant from him, but he's a weak link in midfield and he just tries to be a bit too intricate, slowing things down just a bit too much. Still he's part of an embarrassment of riches available to us. Clarke clearly feels that Tish is not for that slot and is competing with Williams so I'd expect him to keep playing whilst Quinn is out.

[Royal Ginger]

Don't like Piazon. He was the end of most things tried and I don't like his body language.

John was also a bit iffy.

1st half was the dullest a half has been this season. Charlton killed the game playing 4 at the back with three defensive midfielders. they had no intention of playing the game. They just passed sideways between the back 4 on possession.

Key change at half time was moving Piazon to the outside and giving Blackman a free role.

The last 10 minutes of play passing was not right. Charlton were out of the game and utterly defeated. Should have made a bit more of it for the paying fans. I'm not saying take risks, but that was stupid.

[sandman]

Am I the only one who didn't like that 10 minutes of passing sideways?

Liked it when we did it in their half didn't when we were doing it in ours.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Piazon. OK as long as he has plenty of time to decide what to do and no one tackles him. I'm afraid at this level he looks weak, easy to muscle off the ball, and indecisive. The few touches of real class (like, I have to say, his cross for the goal) are not enough for me.

If ever there was someone deserving of the title "luxury player" it's him.

[Huckleberry Hound]

Am I the only one who didn't like that 10 minutes of passing sideways?

Would you rather we risk giving it away & conceding on the break?

The 3 points were in the bag. Keeping them was the priority.

[harry]

Interesting point. Why are we being shown as second when we have an identical record to Boro. I thought it was alphabetical then.

Head to Head?

Yes. The longer version:

9 Method of Determining League Positions

9.1 At the end of each Season the Club in each Division scoring the highest number of points shall be declared the Champion Club of that Division. Three points shall be awarded for each League Match won. One point will be awarded to each Club for a drawn match. If two or more Clubs have scored the same number of points their position in the Division shall be determined on goal difference, that is to say, the difference between the total number of goals scored by and against a Club in League Matches in that Season, and the higher or highest placed Club shall be the Club with the highest goal difference. If any two or more Clubs have scored the same number of points and have the same goal difference the higher or highest placed Club shall be the Club having scored the most goals in League Matches in that Season.

9.2 If two or more Clubs have the same number of points, goal difference and goals scored the highest placed Club shall be determined by the respective League records against each other, taking into account in order of precedence, points gained, goal difference and goals scored. If the above procedures do not separate the Clubs, then the Clubs concerned shall play off a deciding League Match or Matches under arrangements approved by the Board on a neutral ground.

http://www.football-league.co.uk/global/section3.aspx

[Ian Royal]

Whoscored.com's match report sums up the match.

Reading - showed no significant weaknesses
Charlton - showed no significant strengths

[Winston Smith]

McShane motm.

Just how bad does Piazon have to be to not play? Bottled every tackle, shirked every header that was challenged and fell over when the wind blew.

Can we have that ref every week? Had one of our players chased theirs round with a bat hitting them he would still have found a way to give us the foul

[Royal Ginger]

Am I the only one who didn't like that 10 minutes of passing sideways?

Would you rather we risk giving it away & conceding on the break?

The 3 points were in the bag. Keeping them was the priority.

Charlton weren't going anywhere. There's a happy medium that wasn't met and they were ripe for the picking. We've been relegated and missed out on playoffs because of goal difference in the past.

[Royal Ginger]

McShane motm.

Just how bad does Piazon have to be to not play? Bottled every tackle, shirked every header that was challenged and fell over when the wind blew.

Can we have that ref every week? Had one of our players chased theirs round with a bat hitting them he would still have found a way to give us the foul

Yup, all of that