BFTG - Hull

[Snowflake Royal]

It's not necessarily about the fact he missed a chance, but its about how badly they missed. If you were to consistently strike the ball well be a couple of feet of target that bodes relatively well. Bod has already air kicked what should have been an almost certain goal at least 2/3 times iirc. There were plenty of other occasions where he didn't work the keeper even remotely enough.

Fair enough. I think we'll agree to slightly differ. I'm not expecting him to score bucket loads. I do think that if he plays regularly and we can play even remotely ok he'll score in the region of 9 - 12 this season. Which, lets face it, bar Kermie last season.. is pretty par for the course for us these days.

Again, depressingly, you are absolutely correct. We haven't been blessed in recent years

I will alter my wager though. £100 says Bod won't score 12 league goals for us this season.

It's not awfully sporting to pick the upper end of my prediction. No deal.

[finchroyal]

Weather was lovely though wasn't it?

could be worse could be like sunderland going into administration

[paddy20]

I'm amazed that into his second season as manager that Stam persists with Gunter, Van Den Berg and Blackett. Their considerable weaknesses must be obvious to him by now.
Gunter: Very fit but that's it, One paced, can't go past anyone with the ball, Can't tackle, Can't cross, physically weak, doesn't stop crosses coming in, continually passes backwards.
Van Den Berg: A tough tackler but is often late to the ball as he has the pace of a snail and is always one tackle away from a red. A player like him cannot play as the defensive shelter in front of the centre backs because in the modern game that role has to be filled by a player who is quick, nimble and a good passer. Think of Kante at Chelsea as the perfect model.
Blackett: Has lots of what you need in a footballer: Skill, pace and inventiveness, he just lacks one thing any top sportsman needs - Concentration. He is the summed up in one word Sloppy.
From the current squad our best bet is to play Watson or McCleary at right back/right wing back. Play Bacuna as defensive midfielder. Play Obita at left back.
Elsewhere in the team, Barrow needs to play at left wing instead of Beerens, Aluko has to play right midfield and Bodvarsson has to play right wing which has always been his most effective position.

Have to agree with your comments 100%. MaCleery has lot some of his pace but think a transition to a wing back would be a good idea.

[Hound]

He actually has the tools to be a very decent wing back. Him and JDB worked well down the right flank

I thought he played well there and actually did well to keep his head and get back in the game after a horrendous first hour

[Hound]

TBH, wouldn't say the atmosphere was 'awful' just very quiet and a bit nonplussed

There's no real negativity bar a few boos, just not a lot of enthusiasm either

Also doesn't help when the away team bring about 100 fans

It genuinely doesn't take a huge amount to kick the crowd into life - after we scored yesterday and 2nd half vs Villa was pretty good

[bcubed]

^
Those 100 fans were easily out singing us

[Jagermesiter1871]

I'm amazed that into his second season as manager that Stam persists with Gunter, Van Den Berg and Blackett. Their considerable weaknesses must be obvious to him by now.
Gunter: Very fit but that's it, One paced, can't go past anyone with the ball, Can't tackle, Can't cross, physically weak, doesn't stop crosses coming in, continually passes backwards.
Van Den Berg: A tough tackler but is often late to the ball as he has the pace of a snail and is always one tackle away from a red. A player like him cannot play as the defensive shelter in front of the centre backs because in the modern game that role has to be filled by a player who is quick, nimble and a good passer. Think of Kante at Chelsea as the perfect model.
Blackett: Has lots of what you need in a footballer: Skill, pace and inventiveness, he just lacks one thing any top sportsman needs - Concentration. He is the summed up in one word Sloppy.
From the current squad our best bet is to play Watson or McCleary at right back/right wing back. Play Bacuna as defensive midfielder. Play Obita at left back.
Elsewhere in the team, Barrow needs to play at left wing instead of Beerens, Aluko has to play right midfield and Bodvarsson has to play right wing which has always been his most effective position.

So is that playing no actual striker but playing McCleary at RB/RWB, Aluko RM and Bod RW?

[Jagermesiter1871]

I'm amazed that into his second season as manager that Stam persists with Gunter, Van Den Berg and Blackett. Their considerable weaknesses must be obvious to him by now.
Gunter: Very fit but that's it, One paced, can't go past anyone with the ball, Can't tackle, Can't cross, physically weak, doesn't stop crosses coming in, continually passes backwards.
Van Den Berg: A tough tackler but is often late to the ball as he has the pace of a snail and is always one tackle away from a red. A player like him cannot play as the defensive shelter in front of the centre backs because in the modern game that role has to be filled by a player who is quick, nimble and a good passer. Think of Kante at Chelsea as the perfect model.
Blackett: Has lots of what you need in a footballer: Skill, pace and inventiveness, he just lacks one thing any top sportsman needs - Concentration. He is the summed up in one word Sloppy.
From the current squad our best bet is to play Watson or McCleary at right back/right wing back. Play Bacuna as defensive midfielder. Play Obita at left back.
Elsewhere in the team, Barrow needs to play at left wing instead of Beerens, Aluko has to play right midfield and Bodvarsson has to play right wing which has always been his most effective position.

Have to agree with your comments 100%. MaCleery has lot some of his pace but think a transition to a wing back would be a good idea.

Well after yesterdays performance it's clear he's not a striker. Maybe we can try him in goal next week???

[Snowflake Royal]

^
Those 100 fans were easily out singing us

Not really. Both sets were silent for large portions.

We all know it's easier to make noise away, higher proportion of vocal and committed fans, closer together.

Hull only 'outsang' us when they sang and we didn't.

[andrew1957]

What is most worrying to me is that we seem to have gone backwards since last season. We all know that last season we over achieved but with the new players and on paper a much stronger squad this season, I was genuinely expecting us to kick on and make the possession game work even more effectively than last season. However instead the play seems even slower and more laborious this season than it was last time.

Frankly the choice between watching the fare dished up in home games so far this season or watching paint dry would be tough call. At least watching paint dry would be cheaper. And this is the knub of the problem with Stam's after match comments as he invited fans not to attend future games and I fear many will take him up on this invitataion - at least until the excitement improves and if crowds begin to fall too much the owners will get jumpy and there will only be one end to this.

I think Stam was wrong to mouth off at the fans. Few of us expect to win every game but when you support a club like Reading that has never won much you want to be entertained and excited by what you see. Win or lose Reading fans have always applauded when the players seem to be giving their all. At the moment it is pass, passs, pass, 72% possession, lose the ball, opposition scores. Very predictable and frustrating.

Personally I hope Stam can change the way we play, win a few games and we can put this all behind us as we surge up the table - but truthfully I am concerned this will work out differently.

[Crotts]

I'm amazed that into his second season as manager that Stam persists with Gunter, Van Den Berg and Blackett. Their considerable weaknesses must be obvious to him by now.
Gunter: Very fit but that's it, One paced, can't go past anyone with the ball, Can't tackle, Can't cross, physically weak, doesn't stop crosses coming in, continually passes backwards.
Van Den Berg: A tough tackler but is often late to the ball as he has the pace of a snail and is always one tackle away from a red. A player like him cannot play as the defensive shelter in front of the centre backs because in the modern game that role has to be filled by a player who is quick, nimble and a good passer. Think of Kante at Chelsea as the perfect model.
Blackett: Has lots of what you need in a footballer: Skill, pace and inventiveness, he just lacks one thing any top sportsman needs - Concentration. He is the summed up in one word Sloppy.
From the current squad our best bet is to play Watson or McCleary at right back/right wing back. Play Bacuna as defensive midfielder. Play Obita at left back.
Elsewhere in the team, Barrow needs to play at left wing instead of Beerens, Aluko has to play right midfield and Bodvarsson has to play right wing which has always been his most effective position.

So is that playing no actual striker but playing McCleary at RB/RWB, Aluko RM and Bod RW?

No, Bod needs to play on the right wing (in a support striker role similar to how Jamie Mackie played for us) with a Centre Forward in the middle. Kermorgant clearly need to fill that role when fit but we obviously need to recruit a longer term goal scoring central striker in January.

The best 11 we can put out in the most effective combination would in my opinion be:
-----------------------------------------------------------Mannone
-----------------------McCleary-----------McShane------------Moore--------------Obita
--------------------------------------------------------Bacuna
-----------------------Aluko-----------------------Kelly--------------------------Barrow
----------------------------------Bodvarsson---------------Kermorgant

Subs: Jaakkola, Watson, Andresson, Swift, Evans, Beerens, Mendes

[The Cap]

finchroyal wrote:

Hound wrote:
Weather was lovely though wasn't it?

could be worse could be like sunderland going into administration

Spoke to my Wunderland supporting mate this morning and he said that the word up there is along the lines of 'Short has refused to go down that route yet. States that he will fund the buying of any future managers and players, for the time being'.

[3points]

I just thought yesterday that Stam could have made the tactical change without bringing on Ilori. Dropped Joey into left centre back and then push Gunter and Obita further up the field, leaving Kelly as the deepest of the midfielders.

One of the main problems yesterday was that he could have subbed off any number of players including Edwards, Beerens and McCleary.

Edwards was completely done by McShane just after the third substitution and was a passenger for the rest of the game.

[windermereROYAL]

It's not necessarily about the fact he missed a chance, but its about how badly they missed. If you were to consistently strike the ball well be a couple of feet of target that bodes relatively well. Bod has already air kicked what should have been an almost certain goal at least 2/3 times iirc. There were plenty of other occasions where he didn't work the keeper even remotely enough.

Fair enough. I think we'll agree to slightly differ. I'm not expecting him to score bucket loads. I do think that if he plays regularly and we can play even remotely ok he'll score in the region of 9 - 12 this season. Which, lets face it, bar Kermie last season.. is pretty par for the course for us these days.

Again, depressingly, you are absolutely correct. We haven't been blessed in recent years

I will alter my wager though. £100 says Bod won't score 12 league goals for us this season.

Very early days I know but Bodvarsson has played 283 minutes this season, just over 3 games. 2 goals 1 every game and a half. I think he will get 15-20 this season.

[windermereROYAL]

I don`t know why people are thinking Kelly had a good game yesterday, I thought he was poor and Stam was right to replace him. I remember the incident leading up to the FK when Larsson hit the bar.
Kelly lost the ball in the attacking third and made no attempt to get back, instead just jogging.

[CountryRoyal]

Fair enough. I think we'll agree to slightly differ. I'm not expecting him to score bucket loads. I do think that if he plays regularly and we can play even remotely ok he'll score in the region of 9 - 12 this season. Which, lets face it, bar Kermie last season.. is pretty par for the course for us these days.

Again, depressingly, you are absolutely correct. We haven't been blessed in recent years

I will alter my wager though. £100 says Bod won't score 12 league goals for us this season.

Very early days I know but Bodvarsson has played 283 minutes this season, just over 3 games. 2 goals 1 every game and a half. I think he will get 15-20 this season.

£200 say he won't if you'll stand by that.

[windermereROYAL]

Again, depressingly, you are absolutely correct. We haven't been blessed in recent years

I will alter my wager though. £100 says Bod won't score 12 league goals for us this season.

Very early days I know but Bodvarsson has played 283 minutes this season, just over 3 games. 2 goals 1 every game and a half. I think he will get 15-20 this season.

£200 say he won't if you'll stand by that.

I`m not that confident

[Lower West]

leaving Kelly as the deepest of the midfielders.

Too lightweight to act as the defensive cover.

[LWJ]

I said several weeks ago after the QPR game that he won't score more than 15 goals for us this season and I stand by that.

15 goals is a great return for a striker who cost 3m in this era... How many strikers scored over 15 last season in the Championship?

[RG7Fan]

Summary of yesterdays game:

Gunter awful never seen anyone so unconfident and negative.
McCleary is most definitely not a striker.
Moore by far the best signing of recent years.
Weather was nice.
It was 1-1.