BFTG - Baggies

[paultheroyal]

I like Bowen, like his honesty and hope he is given the opportunity in the summer to re-shape squad. However, he needs to stop coming onto the pitch at full time and head straight to the ref. Stinks of desparation.

[NewCorkSeth]

I like Bowen, like his honesty and hope he is given the opportunity in the summer to re-shape squad. However, he needs to stop coming onto the pitch at full time and head straight to the ref. Stinks of desparation.

Tbf, the ref was dogshite.

[URZZZZZZZZ]

What an odious little twerp you are

For the goal he made the save despite having poor visibility through the players, but he will probably be a bit disappointed he didn’t tip it away further.

Other than that, he made a series of decent saves to take us into the break level.

Maybe try and engage your brain a bit more rather than trying to live up to your desperate Internet personality.

Nope. OMA is right. Rafael was poor in the first half.

I agree, had their first shot not hit the bar, everyone would've slated him for an awful error. It was a poor attempt at a save and he got lucky.

That was probably the worse half I have seen him play, as he has been otherwise excellent for us.

I clearly remember him making some really smart saves low down in the first half.

You can say he got lucky with the one that hit the bar, but ultimately he kept it out - which is what he’s there to do. Strikers don’t have their goal tally besmirched if they scuff one into the corner, so keepers shouldn’t have that treatment if they do just enough to keep a shot out.

[Maneki Neko]

reading in poor run of form struggle against best team in league.

bowen has work to do, but lets not go mental.
our good run didnt mean we were going up, our less good run doesnt mean we are shit.

end.

[Old Man Andrews]

Nope. OMA is right. Rafael was poor in the first half.

I agree, had their first shot not hit the bar, everyone would've slated him for an awful error. It was a poor attempt at a save and he got lucky.

That was probably the worse half I have seen him play, as he has been otherwise excellent for us.

I clearly remember him making some really smart saves low down in the first half.

You can say he got lucky with the one that hit the bar, but ultimately he kept it out - which is what he’s there to do. Strikers don’t have their goal tally besmirched if they scuff one into the corner, so keepers shouldn’t have that treatment if they do just enough to keep a shot out.

Just admit you're wrong maybe?

[Ascotexgunner]

I like Bowen, like his honesty and hope he is given the opportunity in the summer to re-shape squad. However, he needs to stop coming onto the pitch at full time and head straight to the ref. Stinks of desparation.

Tbf, the ref was dogshite.

The linesman were worse. Which is a sad indication of where we are in the game.

[Old Man Andrews]

I like Bowen, like his honesty and hope he is given the opportunity in the summer to re-shape squad. However, he needs to stop coming onto the pitch at full time and head straight to the ref. Stinks of desparation.

Tbf, the ref was dogshite.

Yeah I get it last night, the ref needed to know how bad he was. Normally I would agree with not approaching a ref though.

[RoyalBlue]

Losing at home by the odd goal in three to the top team, not a total disaster.

My gripe is, and one or two folks have mentioned this, is that surely the players can not just "see out" the remainder of the
season !! There are still 14 league games to go. If we lose to Sheff Utd, then it would be awful to just play out the remaining
ten games of the season. The club and players simply have to provide something to give the fans a reason to turn up.

And by the way, the infamous Sky Red button no doubt is impacting midweek Championship attendances. Not just ours.

Why? There are always a few clubs in our position every year, why shouldn't it be us this year.

Yes, it is disappointing to be sleepwalking towards the end of the season with seemingly nothing to play for, but it happens to a lot of clubs, every year.

100% agreed on the red button having an impact on mid-week attendances.

Yep it's an absurd development and incredible that the clubs have once again rolled over to Sky. I say this as a season ticket holder who has now twice this season foregone the 'pleasure' of a rush hour journey out of London along 25 miles plus of lane/speed restrictions on the M4, and difficult and costly parking, in favour of the red button. Had the game not been televised that way, I would've made that extra effort to get to the game (I chose the easier option of Wycombe for Reading FC Women v West Ham with one eye on the SkySports app).

Yes, the club already have my ticket money but have potentially lost other income and if someone who has prepaid opts to stay at home in favour of the red button, what are those who haven't likely to do?

[RoyalBlue]

Nope. OMA is right. Rafael was poor in the first half.

I agree, had their first shot not hit the bar, everyone would've slated him for an awful error. It was a poor attempt at a save and he got lucky.

That was probably the worse half I have seen him play, as he has been otherwise excellent for us.

I clearly remember him making some really smart saves low down in the first half.

You can say he got lucky with the one that hit the bar, but ultimately he kept it out - which is what he’s there to do. Strikers don’t have their goal tally besmirched if they scuff one into the corner, so keepers shouldn’t have that treatment if they do just enough to keep a shot out.

On behalf of the GKU I would say that's an extremely pertinent and fair comment!

[Hendo]

I would make tickets half price on midweek games, promote the hell out of it too. The club might have a mates rates thing in place but I haven't heard of it before, certainly not enough to tell you what it is. It is poorly communicated.

Treble Royalty points for midweek games.

A midweek games only season ticket

Discounts of food and drinks

A better matchday experience all round. The stadium is like a morgue prior to kick off. The speakers that play out the music sound TERRIBLE and the music is way too quiet. Lets get some tunes going and some lighting effects etc. Make the games seem important.

I agree that they need to promote midweek games more and the mates rates is poorly communicated.

Half price tickets isn't a bad idea, however you then risk STHs getting all antsy about, you remember the fallout from them announcing that the Burton game was £10 for the 500th game a couple of years ago? A load of STHs were up in arms about that.

I like the royals points thing, but again you have the STH issue because you get a set total at the beginning of the season, unless STHs get bonus points for actually going and/or bringing a friend etc. Also, we don't exactly have a bunch of games which require loyalty points at the moment so people may not be too bothered by that.

Midweek only ST - innovative, I like it but how many people would actually take that offer, I don't think it would be too high, due to the red button issue and the hassle it can be getting to the ground during the week.

Discounts on food and drinks - think this should 100% be a thing the club could explore for midweek games only. Although it would have to be limited to inside the stadium only as I don't think they have any say on the vendors outside the ground, plus the food outside the ground is actually worth the prices they charge!

Its a tough one but the club should try a few things, even if they don't work at least they are trying.

I agree with your comments. The STH would be an issue for sure but if you go into the season with the half price midweek tickets policy already in place you can adjust the ST cost accordingly, I don't think you could suddenly change the pricing this season for the reasons you outlined.

Oh yeah, for sure you could certainly adjust the ST price at the beginning of the season to account for the reduced price of midweek games. I guess the problem with that then is, you might get a % of STH still not turning up to midweek home games, because they have already paid their money and still see no reason to go, even more so if they are paying less for the whole season. It could work to bring new fans along though, which I guess should be the end goal of this.

How many home midweek games do we get a season?

Maybe a good initiative, for STHs, would be that if you go to 80% of home midweek games you get £X off your ST next year. Or the % of games you go to in midweek you get a % off your ST for next year. The more you go to, the more you get off the standard price.

For example, if you go to all the midweek games in a season you get 20% off the renewal price, but if you only go to half the midweek games, you get 10% off or something like that. Would encourage people to actually use their ST or give it to a friend to use if they can't make it.

[RoyalBlue]

What would you do? Genuinely interested.

I believe the club had the mates rates in place for last nights game.

I have no idea what the club should do, short of giving out free tickets, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense financially.

I would make tickets half price on midweek games, promote the hell out of it too. The club might have a mates rates thing in place but I haven't heard of it before, certainly not enough to tell you what it is. It is poorly communicated.

Treble Royalty points for midweek games.

A midweek games only season ticket

Discounts of food and drinks

A better matchday experience all round. The stadium is like a morgue prior to kick off. The speakers that play out the music sound TERRIBLE and the music is way too quiet. Lets get some tunes going and some lighting effects etc. Make the games seem important.

I agree that they need to promote midweek games more and the mates rates is poorly communicated.

Half price tickets isn't a bad idea, however you then risk STHs getting all antsy about, you remember the fallout from them announcing that the Burton game was £10 for the 500th game a couple of years ago? A load of STHs were up in arms about that.

I like the royals points thing, but again you have the STH issue because you get a set total at the beginning of the season, unless STHs get bonus points for actually going and/or bringing a friend etc. Also, we don't exactly have a bunch of games which require loyalty points at the moment so people may not be too bothered by that.

Midweek only ST - innovative, I like it but how many people would actually take that offer, I don't think it would be too high, due to the red button issue and the hassle it can be getting to the ground during the week.

Discounts on food and drinks - think this should 100% be a thing the club could explore for midweek games only. Although it would have to be limited to inside the stadium only as I don't think they have any say on the vendors outside the ground, plus the food outside the ground is actually worth the prices they charge!

Its a tough one but the club should try a few things, even if they don't work at least they are trying.

Some decent prizes with a draw being made from those whose season tickets/member cards have been used for that game?

[NewCorkSeth]

I would make tickets half price on midweek games, promote the hell out of it too. The club might have a mates rates thing in place but I haven't heard of it before, certainly not enough to tell you what it is. It is poorly communicated.

Treble Royalty points for midweek games.

A midweek games only season ticket

Discounts of food and drinks

A better matchday experience all round. The stadium is like a morgue prior to kick off. The speakers that play out the music sound TERRIBLE and the music is way too quiet. Lets get some tunes going and some lighting effects etc. Make the games seem important.

I agree that they need to promote midweek games more and the mates rates is poorly communicated.

Half price tickets isn't a bad idea, however you then risk STHs getting all antsy about, you remember the fallout from them announcing that the Burton game was £10 for the 500th game a couple of years ago? A load of STHs were up in arms about that.

I like the royals points thing, but again you have the STH issue because you get a set total at the beginning of the season, unless STHs get bonus points for actually going and/or bringing a friend etc. Also, we don't exactly have a bunch of games which require loyalty points at the moment so people may not be too bothered by that.

Midweek only ST - innovative, I like it but how many people would actually take that offer, I don't think it would be too high, due to the red button issue and the hassle it can be getting to the ground during the week.

Discounts on food and drinks - think this should 100% be a thing the club could explore for midweek games only. Although it would have to be limited to inside the stadium only as I don't think they have any say on the vendors outside the ground, plus the food outside the ground is actually worth the prices they charge!

Its a tough one but the club should try a few things, even if they don't work at least they are trying.

Some decent prizes with a draw being made from those whose season tickets/member cards have been used for that game?

"A night with Ian Royal"?

[Old Man Andrews]

I agree that they need to promote midweek games more and the mates rates is poorly communicated.

Half price tickets isn't a bad idea, however you then risk STHs getting all antsy about, you remember the fallout from them announcing that the Burton game was £10 for the 500th game a couple of years ago? A load of STHs were up in arms about that.

I like the royals points thing, but again you have the STH issue because you get a set total at the beginning of the season, unless STHs get bonus points for actually going and/or bringing a friend etc. Also, we don't exactly have a bunch of games which require loyalty points at the moment so people may not be too bothered by that.

Midweek only ST - innovative, I like it but how many people would actually take that offer, I don't think it would be too high, due to the red button issue and the hassle it can be getting to the ground during the week.

Discounts on food and drinks - think this should 100% be a thing the club could explore for midweek games only. Although it would have to be limited to inside the stadium only as I don't think they have any say on the vendors outside the ground, plus the food outside the ground is actually worth the prices they charge!

Its a tough one but the club should try a few things, even if they don't work at least they are trying.

Some decent prizes with a draw being made from those whose season tickets/member cards have been used for that game?

"A night with Ian Royal"?

In the Jazz Cafe.

[South Coast Royal]

Unfortunately we are playing as if Joao is in the side.
The two centre-backs, who seem to have more possession than anybody, aimlessly hoof the ball forward (after giving the fans heart attacks as they interpass) to 2 front men who are not very good in the air-Puscas can't or won't jump and Meite does challenge but not often enough.

Other than clearing our lines what is this meant to achieve even if they were to win those headers?
Where are the runners from midfield?
Is it that Bowen as a full-back in his playing career sees it that we just need to get the ball in the other half?-the problem with that is that the ball comes straight back from aerially commanding opposition centre-backs.

On selection, what a crazy idea to put the Brazilian lad in central midfield against the side top of the league when he has only been with us a couple of weeks?
Where was McCleary as a different option and one of the few with pace even if he may have lost a bit?

BTW I thought Robson-Kanu had quite a good game, helped by the movement of their players around him.
We should learn and I can only remember the first game of the season when we played a pass and move game to great effect v Cardiff, now we just pass now and again and stand still.

Sanguine, the difference at Fulham was that they played a kid in central midfield that night in the absence of their best player Tom Cairney.

With just one shot on target, the penalty, this is hardly riveting stuff to watch and the lack of entertainment and goals no doubt contribute to the lack of interest in the town-IMHO it tends to be we diehards from afar who keep the attendance figures up.

[John Smith]

Unless we go on an amazing run soon I suspect we maybe looking for a new manager this summer.....
The owners surely cant ignore an empty stadium, sh*t football and looking over our shoulder in the league season after season as it now appears.

Shouldn’t have given him a new contract really. I’m not sure how we’ve dropped away so badly. Ejaria and Swift have been appalling and our midfield has been pretty much the root of the issue.

I said at the time that this would be Solskjaer syndrome. As usual no one listened to me.

[Pandoras Box]

What is that ludicrous ‘plan’ that we’ve witnessed over the last few weeks concerning Swift taking a corner and Obita standing two feet away?
99% of the time Swift still takes one of his ‘hit first man’ efforts which means Obita is wasting his time and could be actually in the box doing something useful or he does pass to Obita, who, as he’s only two feet away, has no extra effect than taking a normal corner.
Somehow this is symptomatic of aspects of our play at the moment - all fur and no knickers.

[Forbury Lion]

Swift and Ejaria can sit on the bench for a bit. And take Puscas with them

Watching Ejaria play on the back of listening to the BBC Berks podcast interview with James Harper made me wonder if something Harper said could apply to Ejaria.

Harps said he had to not play at his best so that the team played better, that is he had to stay back in midfield and not attack/do fancy stuff. In one game he charged forward ran past the opposition and slotted it in the top corner of the goal. Coppell said well done, now don't go forward again.

He said he enjoyed playing in our relegation season the most because he played as an attacking midfielder and he had some great games but the team lost.

It's great to watch Ejaria do his trickery with the ball, but is this at the expense of the result? - I don't know, just putting it out there.

[Forbury Lion]

I believe the club had the mates rates in place for last nights game.

The club might have a mates rates thing in place but I haven't heard of it before, certainly not enough to tell you what it is. It is poorly commnicated.

I found out about it the day before the game - The problem is the club send too many e-mails and I just don't bother reading them. Also, I couldn't find anyone interested in going - they saw it as £10 wasted rather than whatever it is saved.
Their website is no longer somewhere I choose to visit as I got fed up a few seasons ago of just seeing a page full of adverts and we know the current owners don't really make any announcements.

[Forbury Lion]

I agree that they need to promote midweek games more and the mates rates is poorly communicated.

Half price tickets isn't a bad idea, however you then risk STHs getting all antsy about, you remember the fallout from them announcing that the Burton game was £10 for the 500th game a couple of years ago? A load of STHs were up in arms about that.

I like the royals points thing, but again you have the STH issue because you get a set total at the beginning of the season, unless STHs get bonus points for actually going and/or bringing a friend etc. Also, we don't exactly have a bunch of games which require loyalty points at the moment so people may not be too bothered by that.

Midweek only ST - innovative, I like it but how many people would actually take that offer, I don't think it would be too high, due to the red button issue and the hassle it can be getting to the ground during the week.

Discounts on food and drinks - think this should 100% be a thing the club could explore for midweek games only. Although it would have to be limited to inside the stadium only as I don't think they have any say on the vendors outside the ground, plus the food outside the ground is actually worth the prices they charge!

Its a tough one but the club should try a few things, even if they don't work at least they are trying.

I agree with your comments. The STH would be an issue for sure but if you go into the season with the half price midweek tickets policy already in place you can adjust the ST cost accordingly, I don't think you could suddenly change the pricing this season for the reasons you outlined.

Oh yeah, for sure you could certainly adjust the ST price at the beginning of the season to account for the reduced price of midweek games. I guess the problem with that then is, you might get a % of STH still not turning up to midweek home games, because they have already paid their money and still see no reason to go, even more so if they are paying less for the whole season. It could work to bring new fans along though, which I guess should be the end goal of this.

How many home midweek games do we get a season?

Maybe a good initiative, for STHs, would be that if you go to 80% of home midweek games you get £X off your ST next year. Or the % of games you go to in midweek you get a % off your ST for next year. The more you go to, the more you get off the standard price.

For example, if you go to all the midweek games in a season you get 20% off the renewal price, but if you only go to half the midweek games, you get 10% off or something like that. Would encourage people to actually use their ST or give it to a friend to use if they can't make it.

I'm a STH and I'm considering not renewing next year because I won't be able to get to many midweek games, So if it's going to be cheaper/same price to renew my ST and not go to games compared to buying individual tickets for each game then it's likely I will renew and leave an empty seat/let someone else go in my place.

Maybe a seat buy back scheme for mid-week games could/would be available when demand for tickets exceeds supply of seats, although if that happened it would mean the team are flying and I doubt anyone will want to sell their seat back.

Agree that loyalty points maybe ought to be partly based on games you attend rather than just games you buy tickets for.

[Snowflake Royal]

Tough game, good effort towards the end and unsurprising but disappointing result.

Missed the first 15 minutes but:
Cabral - 6 fine. Missed his alleged clanger early on and have much less issue with him for the goal than everyone commenting on the match thread.
Yiadom - 7 good return
Obita -7 good corners and did ok otherwise
Moore - 6 ok
Morrison - 6 ok
Araruna - n/a didn't really notice him, think I struggled to differentiate between him and Swift sometimes.
Pele - 7 good, particularly some driving runs later on
Swift 5 not enough coming off from him and slowing things down a bit much
Ejaria 5 worse than Swift first half, did pick up late on and do some good stuff
Meite - 6 seemed a threat and put the ball in the net but not enough service
Puscas - 6 missed the pen, didn't do a lot but got little service

Rino 7 made some errors, but mostly made up for them. Totally changed the tempo of our play. Must start.
Baldock - 6 didn't get a lot to do
Adam - 6 daft shot, set up Meite that was ruled out.