MATCHWATCH : Nottingham Forest (a)

[Snowflake Royal]

Suspect that we would have been a Derby or Sheffield United. Stam would have exposed completely tactically.

I'd have happily taken Sheff Utd's first season

HTF is geting whipped week in week out any fun? It's better to make the play offs and then lose the semi. It's considered a good season and the Managers happy, Fans are happy, and the Chairman is secretly happy as he doesn't have to fork out £20,000,000 on some guy whose heart is in Spain, Italy or some Eastern European Republic.

Did you not enjoy 06/07 then?

Because similar to Sheff U we had a good first season followed by a bad second season.

[NewCorkSeth]

Lads, if you don't love Yakou Meite do you even love football?

[muirinho]

Is that 4 matches in a row against us that Samba has cost them? Didn't they rate him as one of the best GKs in the league last season?

I liked his distribution. Shame he can't save.

[Hendo]

Lads, if you don't love Yakou Meite do you even love football?

If he keeps performing as he is, he is going to end up as one my all-time favourite Reading players.

I think you're really seeing now the potential that PSG probably saw and picked him up for. Only just starting to come into his prime now as well.

[NewCorkSeth]

Lads, if you don't love Yakou Meite do you even love football?

If he keeps performing as he is, he is going to end up as one my all-time favourite Reading players.

I think you're really seeing now the potential that PSG probably saw and picked him up for. Only just starting to come into his prime now as well.

His passion is infectious. He is improving technically as well. He could be hitting real highs with us.

One of the biggest crimes of this season is not getting to see him and Ovie link up more. Ovie, while slow at times, has a peach of a cross on him and Meite loves to burst onto balls exactly like the ones Ovie delivers. I hope to see them both get some game time together soon.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Lads, if you don't love Yakou Meite do you even love football?

If he keeps performing as he is, he is going to end up as one my all-time favourite Reading players.

I think you're really seeing now the potential that PSG probably saw and picked him up for. Only just starting to come into his prime now as well.

His passion is infectious. He is improving technically as well. He could be hitting real highs with us.

One of the biggest crimes of this season is not getting to see him and Ovie link up more. Ovie, while slow at times, has a peach of a cross on him and Meite loves to burst onto balls exactly like the ones Ovie delivers. I hope to see them both get some game time together soon.

He's improving massively. A couple of years ago, you had to play the ball into space for him to run onto; if you played it into his feet he'd lose it. Now, he can hold the ball up and start attacks. His assist for Joao against Bristol City was also great to see; he made the right decision and put in a great cross, whereas a couple of years ago we'd have probably got a corner at best. He's always given everything and had a handy habit for being in the right place and scoring goals. But he's a better rounded footballer now. If we can have Meite, Joao and Puscas available for 35+ games each next season, we'll have goals in us and this season won't be a flash in the pan.

[Hound]

Lads, if you don't love Yakou Meite do you even love football?

yeah he is bloody brilliant. One thing to thank Paul Clement for, seeing the potential there.

[Snowflake Royal]

Did you see that bonkers sort of behind him back heel volley control he did to burst down the line from a long diagonal to him?

The attack didn't come to anything but my god that bit was beautiful.

[Zip]

Yeah this.

Getting your best players out of match practice at crunch time seems daft.

No not this. It worked. They won the play offs.

Didn’t work well for us against Swansea back in 2011 where we were comprehensively outplayed for the majority of the game! We rested several first team players for the end of that season

I don’t think there’s much of a correlation at all tbf

I didn’t think we were comprehensively outplayed. Our defence gifted them goals that day.

[Zip]

Just on Yaks he is a complete star. I got the impression at the start of last season all was not well with him. Barrow had gone and Joao and Puscas had been signed. Maybe he thought he was being pushed out. Perhaps he now realises he is a key player for us.

I have always seen him as a bit of an underdog. He has worked his heart out to improve and has done that and more.
He is very important for us as our record this season when he plays is outstanding.

[URZZZZ]

No not this. It worked. They won the play offs.

Didn’t work well for us against Swansea back in 2011 where we were comprehensively outplayed for the majority of the game! We rested several first team players for the end of that season

I don’t think there’s much of a correlation at all tbf

I didn’t think we were comprehensively outplayed. Our defence gifted them goals that day.

It was a decent game with chances for both teams but I thought they bossed most the game, even with a couple of our defenders having nightmares (basically all apart from Mills) - having said that, I’m sure we’d have won if Karacan’s shot was the other side of the post!

Would have been interested to see how we’d have fared if we’d gone up that season instead of the next one - although we did go up the next season, we did lose a fair few important players that window after the PO defeat

[Vision]

Zero threat from corners??!! Seem to remember we have scored several goals from them (stats show the typical conversion rate for any team is a lot lower than many supporters seem to think) and hit the post yesterday from a very creative corner routine that had the local radio commentary team singing our praises.

And can the coach really be held particularly responsible if the players on the field lack ability to take decent free kicks.

A few plans,a bit of variety ?

We’ve been more creative at corners and free kicks this season than we have for absolutely ages. First goal of the season is a great example.

Yeah if you're going to be critical of us in a particular area "set piece variety" would be pretty low on the list. Joao's completely fluffed chance was a case in point. Not seen that one before and it completely caught Forest out.

[RoyalBlue]

A few plans,a bit of variety ?

We’ve been more creative at corners and free kicks this season than we have for absolutely ages. First goal of the season is a great example.

Yeah if you're going to be critical of us in a particular area "set piece variety" would be pretty low on the list. Joao's completely fluffed chance was a case in point. Not seen that one before and it completely caught Forest out.

Interestingly, for the past couple of seasons, the women's team have been receiving a lot of plaudits for their creativity from corners and free kicks, which have brought them a lot of goals. Maybe the coaches of both teams have been sharing ideas.

Shame both teams now also seem alike in the manner they squander numerous great goal-scoring opportunities!

[CountryRoyal]

It’s a lot easier to score from corners in women’s football because the keepers are midgets.

[royalp-we]

Masterstroke by Gourlay handing Yaks that 5yr contract....

[Wycombe Royal]

Yakou Meite is almost up in the Jimmy Kebe ranks now.....for me he is even more important to the team than Joao.

When he is on the pitch and on form the rest of the players respond and the whole mood of the team changes, if he is having a poor game then we are normally flat....