MATCHWATCH : Barnsley (h)

[Hound]

Do worry that we just won’t win games when Smith has a bad day, which he did today. Not all his fault but worst I’ve seen him. Azeez was excellent

Their keeper didn't have a single save to make. Poor

Except for the fact he did, including a world class save from a header in the first half.

Plus good saves from Azeez shot and Elliott (?) at the end

[Orion1871]

Really frustrating one that

Thought we were comfortably the better side, played all the football and had chance after chance down Azeez’ flank. Then inevitable we concede late

We look close to being a decent side but are so so soft

Barnsley one dimensional and not very good (good second goal mind you). Lump it to the quick big men up front. Really should have buried them

And Mukairu is terrible. May as well have played with 10. Mola was just about adequate but absolutely everything good came down our right side

Only tactic they needed against a team of headless chickens who leave plenty of space behind.

[Elm Park Kid]

IMO we should have gone up a gear with the protests this match and deliberately got it suspended.

We got some great publicity last week and really needed to push it futher.

[Ascotexgunner]

Really frustrating one that

Thought we were comfortably the better side, played all the football and had chance after chance down Azeez’ flank. Then inevitable we concede late

We look close to being a decent side but are so so soft

Barnsley one dimensional and not very good (good second goal mind you). Lump it to the quick big men up front. Really should have buried them

And Mukairu is terrible. May as well have played with 10. Mola was just about adequate but absolutely everything good came down our right side

"Comfortably"? I thought it was even. They looked a threat all game and put some quality balls in and caused a couple of scrambled.
Soton fans accused Selles of "cowardly" football....now I know what they mean. Appalling subs. And why was Vickers, a right footed player on the left, and Azeez a left footed player on the right. Surely you need them on the natural side for crossing.

[leon]

Utter shit as per usual. Barnsley were pretty poor so we decided to crumble second half. Mentally weak and moronic tactically again.

Selles fcuk off.

[Snowflake Royal]

Haven't seen it so no idea if Mbengue is to blame, but presumably changing your defence with the game in the balance disrupts the rhythm. And he does it every week.

Nothing to do with Mbengue.

Long ball down the middle, 4 on 4. Abbey challenges for the header with their striker. Bindon is slightly deeper, Cole has dropped slightly. Falls to him, bang, 20 odd yard shot past Button.

So not directly responsible, but doesn't change the fact that the backline benefits from stability and you need your defenders with the pace of the game. They don't have the luxury of getting up to speed like attackers. If you make an unnecessary change in the 70th minute, it's unlikely to positively change the game but can certainly harm you, which it has many times for us.

Back 4 subs should be reactive to injuries or somebody having a mare. Otherwise don't mess with it.

Mostly agree, but Mola just isn’t good.

We needed to make some changes, but for me it was calm the fullbacks down and put more control in midfield.

[Hound]

Tbf watching again their second goal was a great strike. 95% of the time that’s in the stand

Didn’t do loads wrong on, just weren’t close enough to stop him getting a clean strike

[blythspartan]

We need a Michael Craig for every position or at least for the fullbacks to have his calmness in possession. He’s the most complete midfielder at the club by far.

As for today, I have seen a lot worse. Tbf, the better side won, but it could have been a different story if Cole hadn’t scored that worldie. Selles, needs to go and share a taxi with Dai.

[Uke]

:lol: at the bloke on BBCRB saying get Gerrard as manager.

"Hi Steven, it's Mark Bowen here. How'd you like to give up a trillion pounds a week in Saudi Arabia and come to Reading and not get paid."

“He’s won the Champions League” was a cracking reason to bring him

[Ascotexgunner]

:lol: at the bloke on BBCRB saying get Gerrard as manager.

"Hi Steven, it's Mark Bowen here. How'd you like to give up a trillion pounds a week in Saudi Arabia and come to Reading and not get paid."

I heard that as well. Was more of child than a bloke I hoped. He said Reading fans were "pansies" for not invading the pitch.
Absolut dickhead.

[AthleticoSpizz]

:lol: at the bloke on BBCRB saying get Gerrard as manager.

"Hi Steven, it's Mark Bowen here. How'd you like to give up a trillion pounds a week in Saudi Arabia and come to Reading and not get paid."

I heard that as well. Was more of child than a bloke I hoped. He said Reading fans were "pansies" for not invading the pitch.
Absolut dickhead.

who does he post as?

[PieEater]

Utter shit as per usual. Barnsley were pretty poor so we decided to crumble second half. Mentally weak and moronic tactically again.

Selles fcuk off.

+1
That was never a 1-3 loss, but I have to mention the utterly shit ref that fell for all of Barnsleys fall over fouls.

[tmesis]

It was a game we could have won, had it not been for our terrible final ball, which is usually either delayed too long allowing the defender to block, or hit, often overhit, into a place where no attacker can get a touch.

It also doesn't help that none of our attacking players ever think to hang back a few yards so they can attack a squared ball. They always rush into the six yard box meaning the ball has to go through a forest of legs to get to them, but usually ends up slightly behind them, and they miss it.


I do think the protest was bad for us today. We were on top and playing decently, but lost all momentum after.

The biggest mystery for me today though was why Barnsley's small support needed seven coaches. Does nobody in Barnsley own a car?

[Ascotexgunner]

:lol: at the bloke on BBCRB saying get Gerrard as manager.

"Hi Steven, it's Mark Bowen here. How'd you like to give up a trillion pounds a week in Saudi Arabia and come to Reading and not get paid."

I heard that as well. Was more of child than a bloke I hoped. He said Reading fans were "pansies" for not invading the pitch.
Absolut dickhead.

who does he post as?

Sounded like the internet was too complicated for him, he also said "b*clocks" on live radion before being cut off. Not only a child but sounded like a plastic Liverpool fan. Tim should have pointed out we had Stam as an ex CL winner and it was shit football and it ended badly..,.and though he did get us to a false third.

[Esteban]

I thought we shaded the first half and were unlucky to go in 1-1. Second half I *think* they made a tactical change and we failed to respond to it. That helped them get a foothold in the game and we started trying to bang long balls in behind for Smith to chase.

Barnsley weren't great, but Selles got out thought for me. We made it too easy for them and the two late goals (albeit one was a great finish) were inevitable.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

It also doesn't help that none of our attacking players ever think to hang back a few yards so they can attack a squared ball. They always rush into the six yard box meaning the ball has to go through a forest of legs to get to them, but usually ends up slightly behind them, and they miss it.

I think that's probably something given as an instruction by the coaching team, rather than the players themselves. I praised Selles against Carlisle for Knibbs' goal by saying we had 3 men in the 6-yard box which resulted in the goal, so I think it is a tactical instruction probably more so than instinct of the players.

Obviously something went wrong today though in those situations, either balls were put into the wrong areas or there wasn't anybody running onto/hanging back as you say like there should have been.

[Hound]

How many times did Azeez beat the defender and cross from inside the pen area? I reckon it could have been as high as 6 or 7.

They seemed to have one and score it

[Snowflake Royal]

How many times did Azeez beat the defender and cross from inside the pen area? I reckon it could have been as high as 6 or 7.

They seemed to have one and score it

They usually had more defenders there with good marking and positioning to block the ball.

[Royal_jimmy]

Because we're a very poor side at marking opposition players. This is amongst the worst quality of marking I've ever seen.

[Hound]

Actually thought we defended pretty well up to that second goal. Think that goal was only their second shot on target after the pen? Which we contrived to earn for them

Can’t really remember them going close other than that either - that 3 vs 1 break thing they screwed up; not much else

But as usual we don’t have the mentality to see it out and give away more stupid goals