BFT well I don’t know what to call it without resorting to a lot of naughty words

[URZZZZ]

Form dipped ever since we started making 11 changes for FA Cup games.

We were building some great momentum and have blown it. Gentle tinkering was all that was required.

Injuries plus Blackett wanting to leave have contributed to the downturn.

Blackett and Ejaria had a special relationship on the left side of the attack. They both had an understanding of when to run and when to hold, and they linked up for a few goals/chances

Until the clown dropped Blackett, or pushed Ejaria into midfield to accommodate Obita. I don’t actually think we’ve seen the combo of Blackett and Ejaria since Millwall

Richards, too similar in ways to Ejaria in the sense that he’s got close control, likes to dribble out of situations etc, often take up similar space which is why Richards struggled to get the ball tonight

[Stranded]

I turned off before the 3rd and just seen it as up with sick son so this is likely an overreaction but. oxf*rd the oxf*rd lot of them.

They can all oxf*rd off. Losing is one thing but to just stop playing nah not having that. They can all oxf*rd off, club is oxf*rd from top to bottom if we have a culture where what we saw last night is even remotely acceptable.

Barnsley, after 3 straight wins, will be rubbing their hands together right now.

[Stranded]

I turned off before the 3rd and just seen it as up with sick son so this is likely an overreaction but. oxf*rd the oxf*rd lot of them.

They can all oxf*rd off. Losing is one thing but to just stop playing nah not having that. They can all oxf*rd off, club is oxf*rd from top to bottom if we have a culture where what we saw last night is even remotely acceptable.

Barnsley, after 3 straight wins, will be rubbing their hands together right now.

Yep. Still this pissed off. Take any offer for this bunch of muppets.

Problem is I trust no-one at the club to sort it. I don't trust them to hire the right manager, right coaches or sign the right players. How many years in a row now have we been making the same mistakes.

I hope last night was the nadir but don't trust it will be. We may even win a game or two but a performance like that is just around the corner again.

[Bristol Paul]

I honestly think Liam Moore is part of the problem. He’s not an inspiring captain, I’m not one of those that thinks he’s a brilliant centre back and in droppable, and he’s been a central part of a poor Reading side for 3 years. I wouldn’t take the arm band off him mid season, but I do think we need a new captain next season, one who cares on the pitch and takes more responsibility and shows the way. He clearly didn’t do that with the third goal yesterday and in my opinion hasn’t been very good for a long period of time.

There were so many things wrong with yesterday’s performance, you could write a book on it, but formation/plan, speed of play and commitment. You only have to look at Wigan. They closed us down all the way through, didn’t stand off as we always do (Moore particularly bad at that), right on the man, in numbers, so no time to play. We gave them all the time in the world. Their players knew what the plan was, we didn’t have a clue. Gave the ball to Morrison, everyone else just stood there and waited, lost the ball, repeat. Appalling. Drop Ejaria, he can’t be played as well as Swift as others have said. Play from the back, why??? If you get closed down and can’t get the ball beyond the wave of pressing attackers, you kick it long you idiots. You may lose it 50 per cent of the time, but at least you don’t get yourself in trouble 20 metres from goal.

I’ve stopped attending, can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel for this club unfortunately. Years now of wrong appointments, poor signings, slow, boring play and home defeats.

[Hound]

Moore and Morrison are a big part of the problem. They cannot and never look like keeping a clean sheet. They are both poor distributing the ball which inevitably leads to it ending up back in the opposition possession.

Both make plenty of mistakes as well. I like them both but it’s a massive problem pairing them up imo

I hope the performance shakes Bowen and some of the players out the complacency he clearly had before the game. I’d make big changes for the Barnsley game - no player bar the keeper could argue with being dropped after that

[Notts Royal]

In my opinion, Bowen shouldn’t be playing Araruna, if he knows he’s not up to it. Yes, he wants him to get used to the championship, but now is not the time.

Well he doesn’t strike me as a Bowen type of player so my thoughts are that new Brazilian agent bloke signed him & there’s a clause in his contract saying he needs to play a certain amount of games

[John Smith]

We simply didn't give Wigan enough respect. At this stage of the season, things are a lot more even when sides right at the bottom want it more and that's what we saw last night. Ejaria was horrific - had no ideas when in attacking positions. Baldock the only one who seemed to have any desire to get something going.

Have to say fair play to Wigan, Paul Cook came with a gameplan and executed it perfectly. Keiffer Moore was predictably superb. Thoughts with Chey Dunkley who I saw carried into the back of an ambulance as I left.

[Norfolk Royal]

Re the criticism of our players for the third goal. Wasn’t it clear that the reason they were jogging back rather than sprinting that they were tracking the possibility of runners coming in behind them to receive a ball cut back from the touchline. It was a percentage decision taken on the premise that the Wigan player would be too far up the pitch to cut back in. By the time they realised the danger and Moore made a token attempt to speed up, it was too late. They made the wrong decision as it turned out but to put that down to laziness or not caring is incorrect imho.

[Old Man Andrews]

Re the criticism of our players for the third goal. Wasn’t it clear that the reason they were jogging back rather than sprinting that they were tracking the possibility of runners coming in behind them to receive a ball cut back from the touchline. It was a percentage decision taken on the premise that the Wigan player would be too far up the pitch to cut back in. By the time they realised the danger and Moore made a token attempt to speed up, it was too late. They made the wrong decision as it turned out but to put that down to laziness or not caring is incorrect imho.

Are you a parody account or do you actually believe the garbage you have just written?

[paultheroyal]

Lack of width is absolutely killing us. To play 4-4-2 with no wingers is absolutely bonkers. Genuinely would love to know what his thought process was in that team selection.

Right up there as one of the worst matches I have ever witnessed by Reading fc.

Baldock misses typified the whole team performance. Put your foot through it from one yard out and we are back in it. Yet he tries to pass it in the net and keeper looks a hero.

Said it before and I will say it again.... I can see a record number of points needed to stay up this season.

[leon]

We simply didn't give Wigan enough respect. At this stage of the season, things are a lot more even when sides right at the bottom want it more and that's what we saw last night. Ejaria was horrific - had no ideas when in attacking positions. Baldock the only one who seemed to have any desire to get something going.

Have to say fair play to Wigan, Paul Cook came with a gameplan and executed it perfectly.

Agreed. Although he must have surprised how we didn’t really change anything.

I was stunned at how little effort was there. The third goal was one of the worst things I’ve seen Reading do. Total lack of professionalism.

But the fact that Bowen came out and took no responsibility for that utter shambles speaks volumes. I think this team thinks the seasons over and they can go on holiday and he’s struggling to motivate them.

[leon]

Re the criticism of our players for the third goal. Wasn’t it clear that the reason they were jogging back rather than sprinting that they were tracking the possibility of runners coming in behind them to receive a ball cut back from the touchline. It was a percentage decision taken on the premise that the Wigan player would be too far up the pitch to cut back in. By the time they realised the danger and Moore made a token attempt to speed up, it was too late. They made the wrong decision as it turned out but to put that down to laziness or not caring is incorrect imho.

Not really. One would have sprinted to close down the line player the others to get back to cover whilst looking over their shoulders for runners. None of that happened.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Next week will be the twentieth anniversary of me watching Reading. I've probably missed around ten to possibly fifteen home matches in those two decades.

The period over which it happens varies, but the pattern is often remarkably similar:

- the manager has a measure of success: players look brave, energetic, committed, the crowd gets behind them, a spiral of success. In some cases this can even include exceptional and amazing things things - the McDermott promotion, or just banal things - last season avoidance of relegation with Gomes.

- then things start to progressively go wrong - a few bad results, the sideways passing starts because no one want to make a mistake, lethargy and fear sets in, the manager has a few bad tempered interviews on BBCRB and they're gone.

Followed this pattern: Rodgers, Adkins, McDermott (one and two), Stam, Clement, Gomes

Exceptions: Pardew - the only one to arrest a decline and turn it around. Coppell - a God amongst mortals and beyond any reproach. And Adkins interviews never got bad tempered as far as I can remember because the bloke is a gentleman.

Bowen looks like he's completed the full cycle in record time. The chances of him emulating Pardew and stopping the decline look slim, but I hope against hope he can do it.

Because in those two decades of football, last night was without doubt up in the worst ten percent of Reading performances I've seen. I don't think anyone really saw that coming, and that's part of the worry. Just what could have happened to make a team that looked easily capable of wining all three points at the start of the match contenders for the "worst performance this century" by the end?

[Ascotexgunner]

I'm not even mad, it got so shambolic I was just laughing at the end.

So were most of the crowd.....
Was confused whether "Your getting sacked in the morning" chants by Reading fans at Bowen and "We're f*cking shit" were jokes but with a kind of ironic cutting edge.
Certainly "we are going down with the Wigan" had an element of truth about it if this continues.
The seat slamming was a new one though...…….

[Old Man Andrews]

Anyone seen this? Sums it all up quite well!


https://twitter.com/Milesyyy12/status/1 ... 70880?s=20

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Re the criticism of our players for the third goal. Wasn’t it clear that the reason they were jogging back rather than sprinting that they were tracking the possibility of runners coming in behind them to receive a ball cut back from the touchline. It was a percentage decision taken on the premise that the Wigan player would be too far up the pitch to cut back in. By the time they realised the danger and Moore made a token attempt to speed up, it was too late. They made the wrong decision as it turned out but to put that down to laziness or not caring is incorrect imho.

Not really. One would have sprinted to close down the line player the others to get back to cover whilst looking over their shoulders for runners. None of that happened.

Didn't Swift sprint to the runner and launch a committed tackle? - that he misjudged, admittedly, but at least he was making an effort. It's just that whilst he was failing to connect (with either man or ball) the others were jogging back admiring his commitment but doing nothing else.

[Franconian Royal]

In my opinion, Bowen shouldn’t be playing Araruna, if he knows he’s not up to it. Yes, he wants him to get used to the championship, but now is not the time.

Well he doesn’t strike me as a Bowen type of player so my thoughts are that new Brazilian agent bloke signed him & there’s a clause in his contract saying he needs to play a certain amount of games

If that is the case, then it is worrying. Reminds me a bit of the Russian era

[leon]

Re the criticism of our players for the third goal. Wasn’t it clear that the reason they were jogging back rather than sprinting that they were tracking the possibility of runners coming in behind them to receive a ball cut back from the touchline. It was a percentage decision taken on the premise that the Wigan player would be too far up the pitch to cut back in. By the time they realised the danger and Moore made a token attempt to speed up, it was too late. They made the wrong decision as it turned out but to put that down to laziness or not caring is incorrect imho.

Not really. One would have sprinted to close down the line player the others to get back to cover whilst looking over their shoulders for runners. None of that happened.

Didn't Swift sprint to the runner and launch a committed tackle? - that he misjudged, admittedly, but at least he was making an effort. It's just that whilst he was failing to connect (with either man or ball) the others were jogging back admiring his commitment but doing nothing else.

That goal should never have happened. Ever. The Wigan players weren’t even busting to get in. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like it.

We’ve been relegated on goal difference before.

[Hound]

We simply didn't give Wigan enough respect. At this stage of the season, things are a lot more even when sides right at the bottom want it more and that's what we saw last night. Ejaria was horrific - had no ideas when in attacking positions. Baldock the only one who seemed to have any desire to get something going.

spot on. We were complacent. Bowen played Araruna to see if he was up to it. We played a 4-4-2 for the first time in ages. Dropped two players who had good games at Leeds to try that out. Put an injured player on the bench. Forgot to make a 3rd sub.

Bowen has hopefully learnt a very harsh lesson from that. We need to go back to scrapping mode that got us the success early in his reign - go back to the PNE home game. Start again.

[Hound]

In my opinion, Bowen shouldn’t be playing Araruna, if he knows he’s not up to it. Yes, he wants him to get used to the championship, but now is not the time.

Well he doesn’t strike me as a Bowen type of player so my thoughts are that new Brazilian agent bloke signed him & there’s a clause in his contract saying he needs to play a certain amount of games

If that is the case, then it is worrying. Reminds me a bit of the Russian era

its not the case. He is a cheap punt who might come good. He has good technique, but clearly not ready for a cold night in the champ