Back from the game - Norwich

[WAZZOCK]

I suppose a way of looking at it is that all we have missed out on in principle is 3 points. Whether we'd lost that game 1-0 or 15-0, we were always going to stay in 4th. What will be telling is how the manner of the defeat will affect the team psychologically. Fulham away last year is the go to example of how a heavy defeat can batter the confidence of a weak minded team.

What we have seen this year however is that when things don't go our way we tend react really quite well.

Newcastle 4-1 - next game 2-2 draw against a good Brighton team
Brentford 4-1 - next game 1-1 draw with Derby
Fulham 5-0 - next game 2-1 win against Sheff Wed
Brighton 3-0 - next game 2-1 win again Wolves and subsequently a draw against the Geordies
Preston 3-0 - next game 2-0 win at Sheff Wed before home wins against Leeds and Blackburn

Let's just hope the trend of getting a positive result in the following match continues!

The only thing you could say though is that following a heavy defeat our next game is normally at home where we are obviously stronger.

It could be another defeat next Saturday, but tbh I have confidence that even that won't demoralise us too much. We've bounced back from two defeats in a row this season before.

True, but perhaps our best away win this season was the Sheff Wed one, which came 6 days after the Preston horror show.

I suppose we just need to claw ourselves into the playoffs and hope that one of our away 'off' days doesn't occur. I agree with the thoughts of a few others who believe we'd be better off in 5th or 6th.

[Victor Meldrew]

I kept getting hilarious texts from my Norwich supporting 'mates' asking whether I'd left yet so I decided to take their advice.

I genuinely feel your pain NR.
So many on here have never been on the receiving end by living in enemy territory because they can just go home, have a joint hug and move on.
Over many years I have lived in and around the territories of Pompey, Saints and Bournemouth with so many different results and feelings.
The worst was probably when Pompey scored 7 against us in the Premier League but at least that day we managed significantly more than 1 in reply.

You may even end up having the last laugh as we could still get promoted and they can't.
Ironically , apart from the relegated Rotherham, Norwich have the worst away record for conceding goals, even slightly worse than us so it could be pointed out by you (if you really wanted to) that their defence is actually worse than ours.

One comment on our passing the ball around at the back-I thought that was ingrained in our players as a way of giving the opposition less chances than might otherwise happen but with the ever-present Gunter (he has played in all of those away games) maybe our manager will question whether he should be in the side as the only consistent element, our captain unfantastic, king of the pointing.
He has a zillion caps for Wales you know so he must be good.

[CountryRoyal]

I suppose a way of looking at it is that all we have missed out on in principle is 3 points. Whether we'd lost that game 1-0 or 15-0, we were always going to stay in 4th. What will be telling is how the manner of the defeat will affect the team psychologically. Fulham away last year is the go to example of how a heavy defeat can batter the confidence of a weak minded team.

What we have seen this year however is that when things don't go our way we tend react really quite well.

Newcastle 4-1 - next game 2-2 draw against a good Brighton team
Brentford 4-1 - next game 1-1 draw with Derby
Fulham 5-0 - next game 2-1 win against Sheff Wed
Brighton 3-0 - next game 2-1 win again Wolves and subsequently a draw against the Geordies
Preston 3-0 - next game 2-0 win at Sheff Wed before home wins against Leeds and Blackburn

Let's just hope the trend of getting a positive result in the following match continues!

The only thing you could say though is that following a heavy defeat our next game is normally at home where we are obviously stronger.

It could be another defeat next Saturday, but tbh I have confidence that even that won't demoralise us too much. We've bounced back from two defeats in a row this season before.

True, but perhaps our best away win this season was the Sheff Wed one, which came 6 days after the Preston horror show.

I suppose we just need to claw ourselves into the playoffs and hope that one of our away 'off' days doesn't occur. I agree with the thoughts of a few others who believe we'd be better off in 5th or 6th.

I would be very surprised if we had an away horror show in the playoffs, I expect a narrow result one way or the other like Huddersfield or Sheffield Wednesday.

I think we actually have a decent shout and I'm really excited. From my point of view we have nothing to lose, if we finish in the playoffs and get promoted then fantastic, think we will give the prem a much better go this time round. If we fail and stay down then I won't be too upset, so long as we keep Stam and sort the ownership situation it will put us in really good stead for a solid promotion challenge a la Brighton. Plus the championship is more fun anyway.

[bcubed]

I kept getting hilarious texts from my Norwich supporting 'mates' asking whether I'd left yet so I decided to take their advice.

I genuinely feel your pain NR.
So many on here have never been on the receiving end by living in enemy territory because they can just go home, have a joint hug and move on.
Over many years I have lived in and around the territories of Pompey, Saints and Bournemouth with so many different results and feelings.
The worst was probably when Pompey scored 7 against us in the Premier League but at least that day we managed significantly more than 1 in reply.

You may even end up having the last laugh as we could still get promoted and they can't.
Ironically , apart from the relegated Rotherham, Norwich have the worst away record for conceding goals, even slightly worse than us so it could be pointed out by you (if you really wanted to) that their defence is actually worse than ours.

One comment on our passing the ball around at the back-I thought that was ingrained in our players as a way of giving the opposition less chances than might otherwise happen but with the ever-present Gunter (he has played in all of those away games) maybe our manager will question whether he should be in the side as the only consistent element, our captain unfantastic, king of the pointing.
He has a zillion caps for Wales you know so he must be good.

I think you'll find that Mutch and Grabban have been designated scapegoats for this performance

[purleyroyal]

I wasn't at the game and have seen the brief lowlights only on 5. Can someone explain just what was bad about our performance. Was our style of play to blame? Was it missed passes in our own half giving the ball away, missed tackles, always second to every 50-50 ball or what? How much was it us, how much Norwich?

[genome]

I wager that letting in 6 goals in the first half was a large factor

[Silver Fox]

Given we've lost 4-1 twice and 5-0 once already, it's not that freaky.

If it's not freaky then it's extremely worrying. Should we be worried? Our goal difference resembles a team struggling in the bottom half of the table. It's not the goal difference of a team in the play offs.

Yet it actually is the goal difference of a team in the playoffs

[Victor Meldrew]

I kept getting hilarious texts from my Norwich supporting 'mates' asking whether I'd left yet so I decided to take their advice.

I genuinely feel your pain NR.
So many on here have never been on the receiving end by living in enemy territory because they can just go home, have a joint hug and move on.
Over many years I have lived in and around the territories of Pompey, Saints and Bournemouth with so many different results and feelings.
The worst was probably when Pompey scored 7 against us in the Premier League but at least that day we managed significantly more than 1 in reply.

You may even end up having the last laugh as we could still get promoted and they can't.
Ironically , apart from the relegated Rotherham, Norwich have the worst away record for conceding goals, even slightly worse than us so it could be pointed out by you (if you really wanted to) that their defence is actually worse than ours.

One comment on our passing the ball around at the back-I thought that was ingrained in our players as a way of giving the opposition less chances than might otherwise happen but with the ever-present Gunter (he has played in all of those away games) maybe our manager will question whether he should be in the side as the only consistent element, our captain unfantastic, king of the pointing.
He has a zillion caps for Wales you know so he must be good.

I think you'll find that Mutch and Grabban have been designated scapegoats for this performance

Have just watched the goals.
Gunter starts it off with one of those pathetic little pushes that he specialises in leading to the early penalty.
Otherwise it was just shambolic defending where none of the defenders took it upon themselves to make challenges.
Mutch and Grabban , although unimpressive loan signings, can hardly be blamed by such defensive suicide.

[RoyalBlue]

I kept getting hilarious texts from my Norwich supporting 'mates' asking whether I'd left yet so I decided to take their advice.

I genuinely feel your pain NR.
So many on here have never been on the receiving end by living in enemy territory because they can just go home, have a joint hug and move on.
Over many years I have lived in and around the territories of Pompey, Saints and Bournemouth with so many different results and feelings.
The worst was probably when Pompey scored 7 against us in the Premier League but at least that day we managed significantly more than 1 in reply.

You may even end up having the last laugh as we could still get promoted and they can't.
Ironically , apart from the relegated Rotherham, Norwich have the worst away record for conceding goals, even slightly worse than us so it could be pointed out by you (if you really wanted to) that their defence is actually worse than ours.

One comment on our passing the ball around at the back-I thought that was ingrained in our players as a way of giving the opposition less chances than might otherwise happen but with the ever-present Gunter (he has played in all of those away games) maybe our manager will question whether he should be in the side as the only consistent element, our captain unfantastic, king of the pointing.
He has a zillion caps for Wales you know so he must be good.

As Gooding & Williams pointed out, not only has he numerous caps (4th most?) from different Wales managers but he has also been consistently selected by every Reading manager there has been since he joined the club. However, there are still a good number of Reading fans who regard themselves as better qualified to judge him than all of those experienced managers and declare him crap!

[3points]

I kept getting hilarious texts from my Norwich supporting 'mates' asking whether I'd left yet so I decided to take their advice.

I genuinely feel your pain NR.
So many on here have never been on the receiving end by living in enemy territory because they can just go home, have a joint hug and move on.
Over many years I have lived in and around the territories of Pompey, Saints and Bournemouth with so many different results and feelings.
The worst was probably when Pompey scored 7 against us in the Premier League but at least that day we managed significantly more than 1 in reply.

You may even end up having the last laugh as we could still get promoted and they can't.
Ironically , apart from the relegated Rotherham, Norwich have the worst away record for conceding goals, even slightly worse than us so it could be pointed out by you (if you really wanted to) that their defence is actually worse than ours.

One comment on our passing the ball around at the back-I thought that was ingrained in our players as a way of giving the opposition less chances than might otherwise happen but with the ever-present Gunter (he has played in all of those away games) maybe our manager will question whether he should be in the side as the only consistent element, our captain unfantastic, king of the pointing.
He has a zillion caps for Wales you know so he must be good.

As Gooding & Williams pointed out, not only has he numerous caps (4th most?) from different Wales managers but he has also been consistently selected by every Reading manager there has been since he joined the club. However, there are still a good number of Reading fans who regard themselves as better qualified to judge him than all of those experienced managers and declare him crap!

not quite. When we were in the Prem, didn't McD have to sign Kelly as neither Gunter nor Cummings were good enough

[muirinho]

I genuinely feel your pain NR.
So many on here have never been on the receiving end by living in enemy territory because they can just go home, have a joint hug and move on.
Over many years I have lived in and around the territories of Pompey, Saints and Bournemouth with so many different results and feelings.
The worst was probably when Pompey scored 7 against us in the Premier League but at least that day we managed significantly more than 1 in reply.

You may even end up having the last laugh as we could still get promoted and they can't.
Ironically , apart from the relegated Rotherham, Norwich have the worst away record for conceding goals, even slightly worse than us so it could be pointed out by you (if you really wanted to) that their defence is actually worse than ours.

One comment on our passing the ball around at the back-I thought that was ingrained in our players as a way of giving the opposition less chances than might otherwise happen but with the ever-present Gunter (he has played in all of those away games) maybe our manager will question whether he should be in the side as the only consistent element, our captain unfantastic, king of the pointing.
He has a zillion caps for Wales you know so he must be good.

As Gooding & Williams pointed out, not only has he numerous caps (4th most?) from different Wales managers but he has also been consistently selected by every Reading manager there has been since he joined the club. However, there are still a good number of Reading fans who regard themselves as better qualified to judge him than all of those experienced managers and declare him crap!

not quite. When we were in the Prem, didn't McD have to sign Kelly as neither Gunter nor Cummings were good enough

We're not in the Prem now though. McD was happy to play him in the Championship. And when Adkins came in while we were still in the PL, he played Gunter with Kelly. Also the dig about him being captain unfantastic is a bit unfair - when he is captain it's because Macca is injured, so he's always captain of a team with a less than ideal defence.

As an aside - never been sure what the issue with "finger pointing" is, when it's clearly about - I'm taking him, you look after the other guy. All our defenders do it. Is there some unwritten rule they are breaking?

[Ian Royal]

Just seen the goals. LOLz

That penalty was softer than a Mr Whippy that's been out in the Sahara sun for an hour. Gunter appeared to lay the gentlest of hands on his back before the guy threw himself to the ground.

Absolute horror show of defending still, how two of our players managed to oxf*rd up intercepting the ball before Cameron Jerome got the easiest of finishes I have no idea. But also clear that the midfield had given up. Mutch being too casual and out muscled outside our D for a quick turnover and smash that Al-Habsi had no chance with. Swift standing watching his man on the edge of the box from 3 yards behind him for another. Several penalty area pinballs we'd have struggled to be second to, let alone first.

[Jagermesiter1871]

I still can't see anything in the penalty having watched it live and 15 times on youtube.

[Pandoras Box]

As an aside - never been sure what the issue with "finger pointing" is, when it's clearly about - I'm taking him, you look after the other guy. All our defenders do it. Is there some unwritten rule they are breaking?

Without prejudice, I haven't seen any others do it consistently whereas he does it all the time. Pass back. Point up the field.
The issue is, when he often has space in front of him but does his (yawn) inevitable pass back to the cbs and then points up the field to tell them to get it up there. Why the fvck didnt he do it then? It's like he's pretending he's got some unknown strategic plan when often it's because he's seen an opposition player bearing down on him and he just wants rid.

Sorry, just my opinion and no axe to grind but something I reckon I comment on at least three times every game.

[Rax]

My only concern, is that when we lose - we lose big!

Norwich are a strong team but 7-1 is an embarrassment.

[CountryRoyal]

The word 'embarrassing' is flown about far too much in football.

If 11 sweaty men can make you blush then you need to have a quiet moment and think about your life.

[From Despair To Where?]

Just seen the goals. LOLz

That penalty was softer than a Mr Whippy that's been out in the Sahara sun for an hour. Gunter appeared to lay the gentlest of hands on his back before the guy threw himself to the ground.

Absolute horror show of defending still, how two of our players managed to oxf*rd up intercepting the ball before Cameron Jerome got the easiest of finishes I have no idea. But also clear that the midfield had given up. Mutch being too casual and out muscled outside our D for a quick turnover and smash that Al-Habsi had no chance with. Swift standing watching his man on the edge of the box from 3 yards behind him for another. Several penalty area pinballs we'd have struggled to be second to, let alone first.

Our defending for the last 2 goals reminded me of that Japanese gameshow where they played binocular football.

[Norfolk Royal]

I kept getting hilarious texts from my Norwich supporting 'mates' asking whether I'd left yet so I decided to take their advice.

I genuinely feel your pain NR.
So many on here have never been on the receiving end by living in enemy territory because they can just go home, have a joint hug and move on.
Over many years I have lived in and around the territories of Pompey, Saints and Bournemouth with so many different results and feelings.
The worst was probably when Pompey scored 7 against us in the Premier League but at least that day we managed significantly more than 1 in reply.

You may even end up having the last laugh as we could still get promoted and they can't.
Ironically , apart from the relegated Rotherham, Norwich have the worst away record for conceding goals, even slightly worse than us so it could be pointed out by you (if you really wanted to) that their defence is actually worse than ours.

One comment on our passing the ball around at the back-I thought that was ingrained in our players as a way of giving the opposition less chances than might otherwise happen but with the ever-present Gunter (he has played in all of those away games) maybe our manager will question whether he should be in the side as the only consistent element, our captain unfantastic, king of the pointing.
He has a zillion caps for Wales you know so he must be good.

Thank you Victor. Got through yesterday's family barbecue attended by several NCFC STH's with some difficulty. Then this morning remembered that on Saturday on the way to the game I had nipped in to my local newsagent and rather unwisely in hindsight showed him my Reading shirt and patted the badge. This morning in there he had a grin like a Cheshire cat. I can barely wait for my business partner to get into the office this morning who, you've guessed it, is a NCFC STH. Walking around you just get the feeling that everyone is smirking at you, and they probably are. C'est la vie.

[Stranded]

I suppose a way of looking at it is that all we have missed out on in principle is 3 points. Whether we'd lost that game 1-0 or 15-0, we were always going to stay in 4th. What will be telling is how the manner of the defeat will affect the team psychologically. Fulham away last year is the go to example of how a heavy defeat can batter the confidence of a weak minded team.

What we have seen this year however is that when things don't go our way we tend react really quite well.

Newcastle 4-1 - next game 2-2 draw against a good Brighton team
Brentford 4-1 - next game 1-1 draw with Derby
Fulham 5-0 - next game 2-1 win against Sheff Wed
Brighton 3-0 - next game 2-1 win again Wolves and subsequently a draw against the Geordies
Preston 3-0 - next game 2-0 win at Sheff Wed before home wins against Leeds and Blackburn

Let's just hope the trend of getting a positive result in the following match continues!

On the flip side, only 2 sides have kept more clean sheets than us this season - Brighton and Derby. We've kept 14 (5 away from home). Just shows further that when it goes wrong, it goes very wrong but we are a more than decent side.

Just need to hope that that is it for the season now.

[No Fixed Abode]

Even a league 2 side would be embarrassed at losing 7-1 to a Championship team. When I saw the score I assumed Reading had a couple of players sent off.

Still, at least I didn't rush on here and post up pics from this heavy defeat. Thoughts are with Zammo at this time, he must be in meLOLtdown right now.