BBC Radio Berks

[tmesis]

Possession football isn't something that only top players can play. It's the norm around the world.
Have you ever actually seen Dutch football? Dutch football is nothing like the sort of football we played under Stam.
Also, the big reason the Dutch are a bit up and down on the international stage is that their country only has a third of the population of ours. It's not because Dutch football is failing.

Well said. Yet despite your efforts, suspect you well know it won't stop all the references to it, esp after a defeat.

Think you’re kind of missing sandman’s point. The managers mentioned in that tweet are predominately managers of big hitting rich clubs in their divisions. They can afford the best players.

We’re not in that position at the moment.

That's true, but my point was that we don't need to be.

The "Dutch football is failing" idea is one of those that did the rounds with the tv pundits, based on the Netherlands missing out at the world cup, and a couple of big-name Dutch managers having poor seasons...and as is natural with the media these days, every single short term state of affairs is extrapolated to be the ways things will be from now on.

[leon]

Well said. Yet despite your efforts, suspect you well know it won't stop all the references to it, esp after a defeat.

Think you’re kind of missing sandman’s point. The managers mentioned in that tweet are predominately managers of big hitting rich clubs in their divisions. They can afford the best players.

We’re not in that position at the moment.

That's true, but my point was that we don't need to be.

The "Dutch football is failing" idea is one of those that did the rounds with the tv pundits, based on the Netherlands missing out at the world cup, and a couple of big-name Dutch managers having poor seasons...and as is natural with the media these days, every single short term state of affairs is extrapolated to be the ways things will be from now on.

I agree with all that.

My favourite team was McGhees side - fast possession based attacking football.

My view is we’re in the shit, we only have a few weeks to implement changes to get us out of it.

We need very simple game plans and tactics. Do the basics right and claw points. Negative, probably.

[Denver Royal]

Think you’re kind of missing sandman’s point. The managers mentioned in that tweet are predominately managers of big hitting rich clubs in their divisions. They can afford the best players.

We’re not in that position at the moment.

That's true, but my point was that we don't need to be.

The "Dutch football is failing" idea is one of those that did the rounds with the tv pundits, based on the Netherlands missing out at the world cup, and a couple of big-name Dutch managers having poor seasons...and as is natural with the media these days, every single short term state of affairs is extrapolated to be the ways things will be from now on.

My favourite team was McGhees side - fast possession based attacking football.

I hear you, but he wasn't very popular either, huh?

[Snowflake Royal]

If sandman didn't like the type of football Swansea played to put us to the sword in the PO Final, he's not really worth listening to IMO. I don't know how they played on NYD, but they were great at Wembley and I'd kill for us to play like that.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

That's true, but my point was that we don't need to be.

The "Dutch football is failing" idea is one of those that did the rounds with the tv pundits, based on the Netherlands missing out at the world cup, and a couple of big-name Dutch managers having poor seasons...and as is natural with the media these days, every single short term state of affairs is extrapolated to be the ways things will be from now on.

My favourite team was McGhees side - fast possession based attacking football.

I hear you, but he wasn't very popular either, huh?

He was until he promised to stay then left the next day. Up to that point he and his football were adored - hence the extreme vitriol when he let us down.

[leon]

My favourite team was McGhees side - fast possession based attacking football.

I hear you, but he wasn't very popular either, huh?

He was until he promised to stay then left the next day. Up to that point he and his football were adored - hence the extreme vitriol when he let us down.

Indeed we loved him. However unlike Pardew who was always respectful to the club subsequently, he made shitty comments after he left.

And he managed Wolves.

[tmesis]

My view is we’re in the shit, we only have a few weeks to implement changes to get us out of it.

We need very simple game plans and tactics. Do the basics right and claw points. Negative, probably.

My fear is that there isn't a game plan simple enough for our current players.

[sandman]

If sandman didn't like the type of football Swansea played to put us to the sword in the PO Final, he's not really worth listening to IMO. I don't know how they played on NYD, but they were great at Wembley and I'd kill for us to play like that.

Says the bloke who used to constantly moan about a Spain team that included Xavi, Iniesta and Alonso.

You're taking one game in isolation. Swansea were better in the play off final but out of the teams who qualified for the play offs they along with Forest had the lowest GF. In the previous season they scored 40 goals.

We scored 77 that play off season season, second only in the top six to second placed Norwich.

I like watching the top teams with the best players play. There's nothing better than watching Kroos and Modric control a midfield with Isco (when he's given the chance) weaving past players for Madrid or Silva and De Bruyne setting up Aguero for fun. I preferred watching them play for Spain but Xavi and Iniesta were brilliant players who barely misplaced a pass.

Our players? Yeah not so much.

[Zip]

If sandman didn't like the type of football Swansea played to put us to the sword in the PO Final, he's not really worth listening to IMO. I don't know how they played on NYD, but they were great at Wembley and I'd kill for us to play like that.

I thought they were one of the better teams we have played this season. They were able to switch play to the flanks at ease and comfortably dealt with our attacks. They were guilty of some sloppy passing in the first half and a better team would have punished them. Once the pen was scored they coasted it really albeit we finally showed a little more intent in the final stages. I’m surprised they are not top six.

As for us it was desperately poor. It felt like a training session for much of the second half. We really need a settled pair at centre back. I would like that to be Moore and Osho. Richards has potential but maybe as a winger because he is absolutely not a full back. So we need a left back this January.
Rinomhota was decent, Swift was erratic with a real mix in quality of passes. McCleary is finished at this level. One of my favourite players in a Reading shirt over the past five or six years but he offers very little these days. Barrow poor again. Our wingplay has been awful this season. Harriott deserves to stay and get a chance in the side as he can do no worse than the rest of them. Aluko did little and sadly Meite was very poor. Bod has to start ahead of him.

[Maneki Neko]

take away the absolute gifts we wrapped for them, I don't think there was much in it.
maybe a mcburnie, and a half decent defender

[strap]

If sandman didn't like the type of football Swansea played to put us to the sword in the PO Final, he's not really worth listening to IMO. I don't know how they played on NYD, but they were great at Wembley and I'd kill for us to play like that.

Your memory is playing tricks. SCFC had 4 shots on target that day and scored 4 goals. Absolute joke of a ref. Gifted them 2 pens, denied us one, and let them foul their way to a win, (Dowd awarded just 4 fouls against them, 3 of which resulted in yellow cards, whilst blew against us an incredible 18 times). We had 11 shots on target, 16 corners to their 1, and we even had 8 shots off target to their 2. So yes they beat us 4-2, but please don't re-write history by trying to claim they were playing "wonder football". They were simply more clinical helped by a dodgy ref.

[Zip]

If sandman didn't like the type of football Swansea played to put us to the sword in the PO Final, he's not really worth listening to IMO. I don't know how they played on NYD, but they were great at Wembley and I'd kill for us to play like that.

Your memory is playing tricks. SCFC had 4 shots on target that day and scored 4 goals. Absolute joke of a ref. Gifted them 2 pens, denied us one, and let them foul their way to a win, (Dowd awarded just 4 fouls against them, 3 of which resulted in yellow cards, whilst blew against us an incredible 18 times). We had 11 shots on target, 16 corners to their 1, and we even had 8 shots off target to their 2. So yes they beat us 4-2, but please don't re-write history by trying to claim they were playing "wonder football". They were simply more clinical helped by a dodgy ref.

We were very badly let down by Kish and Griffin that day and Kish was very lucky to stay on the pitch so it didn’t completely go against us in that game.