by Snowflake Royal »
10 Apr 2023 19:17
Millsy Without the deduction we'd be 5 points above the relegation zone.
But is that acceptable
1) with this squad
2) when you get yourself into a great position early on, and then produce consistently disastrous form for months
3) when you know there may well be another 6 points coming
4) when you decide to talk about dodging relegation when you're in the playoff spots and play accordingly
5) when you have absolutely no gameplan other than balls up the centre to Carroll
6) when there has been no improvement in our performances all season
7) when you are totally incapable of reading the game and making required changes in a timely manner?
I like the father and son team and appreciate them keeping us up last season and trying so hard this season.
But the answer to all of the above is no. No none of it is acceptable. To have any chance of staying up I agree we can't do worse than Bowen/Hunt/whomever.
I hope Ince has done enough to earn himself a job elsewhere but he's not the right man for Reading right now.
The question is, has Ince got the best out of any of the players? No. They've all got progressively worse under him. His son and Holmes started pretty well, but have been struggling this year.
Rahman is worse under him. McIntyre has fallen behind Holmes. NGW gets ignored. Loum has got worse through the season, as has Hendrick, Fornah, Hoilett, Sarr, Carroll etc etc.
Ince persists in picking a back three plus wingbacks, without playing centrebacks with any mobility. The wingbacks either stay back and we've got no width, or go forward and the centrebacks can't cover the channels. He plays strikers in combinations that don't work. He bypasses midfield entirely, with our early season tactics being run it forward at breakneck pace using Ince, and latterly hoofing it at Carroll's head with no support. He ignores the young players who actually demonstrate some positivity and creativity like NGW, Azeez, Abrefa, Ehibhatiomhan and Camara.
He finished last season badly. Ince constantly shows he hasn't got the first clue about the fundamentals of picking a Team and playing to a strategy consistent with that team's strengths.
I don't care what hand he was dealt, he's played it abysmally.