MATCHWATCH : Peterborough United (a)

[Fezza]

Azeez's goal was great - hooking a bouncing ball high into the net. His run for the first was good as well and he hit the bar. He is on brilliant form at the moment.

Their goals were a soft one from a corner and one that didn't look right from 100 yards away - maybe it beat Button too easily.

Peterborough were good. They bring the ball forward quickly and constantly got into good wide positions just inside the box. If they played a full-sized adult striker rather than a child-man without shinpads as #10 it wouldn't have been close.

Button was wrongfooted for the second, the defender (TH?) hadn't got quite far enough across, however the root of it was Elliott's flakiness in the midfield.

The first was a case of not having a man on the far post and Abbey not moving with his man (he and Wing then left it for each other).

We should have given away a penalty, I think from one view, when Mukairu went in from behind.

I thought it might be a Button error, but the ball had been given away too easily.

I had a good view for the first-half penalty shout - I wasn't at all worried.

On the pen appeal I was uncertain if Mukairu had touched the ball, if he hadn't looked a certain pen.

[Snowflake Royal]

He's well worth a punt for a promotion chasing side trying to capitalise on our off pitch situation. Isn't his contract also up in the summer?

Good luck to any clubs who want to buyone of our first team without there being a release fee clause they can trigger. They’ll have to get in touch with Dai long enough for him to sign something.

Even if we had a rational, involved owner, would it be wise to sell 1st team players? We need to survive and get a new owner in by the end of the season, who can hopefully try to tie them down to new deals. If one of two end up walking, it's probably a price worth paying compared to risking relegation.

Or put another way, the likes of Azeez and Abbey are worth more to us than anybody would realistically bid. You see it in the PL too, where Zaha and JWP stayed at Palace and Soton because they were worth more to their clubs than anything would bid.

It depends who it is. We should be targetting a big ticket sale each season as a matter of course ideally.

Abbey - disappointing but ultimately fine given how many decent CBs we have. Holmes, McIntyre, Mbengue, Bindon, Dorsett ...

Azeez - different matter, he's our main creative threat and no one else is very close behind for his position.

Vickers - shame, but given how little he is playing not a big loss.

[The Cap]

He's well worth a punt for a promotion chasing side trying to capitalise on our off pitch situation. Isn't his contract also up in the summer?

Good luck to any clubs who want to buyone of our first team without there being a release fee clause they can trigger. They’ll have to get in touch with Dai long enough for him to sign something.

Even if we had a rational, involved owner, would it be wise to sell 1st team players? We need to survive and get a new owner in by the end of the season, who can hopefully try to tie them down to new deals. If one of two end up walking, it's probably a price worth paying compared to risking relegation.

Or put another way, the likes of Azeez and Abbey are worth more to us than anybody would realistically bid. You see it in the PL too, where Zaha and JWP stayed at Palace and Soton because they were worth more to their clubs than anything would bid.

100%. Great shout

[Chameleon]

Posh forum is very fair:

"Reading were better than most of the abject shite we've played the last few weeks."
"To be fair to Reading, they deserved a point, even though Posh were so wasteful in front of goal."
"A terrific game of enjoyable football. Both sides deserved a point - and so it turned out."
"Hate to say this, and I really do hate it, but that appalling bastard Sam Smith showed us what an intelligent, quick striker could do for us.

We are not going to win them all so I can accept this draw. Reading were really up for it. Their number 11 looks a very good league one player."

"Aziz has been the best man on the pitch by far.

[Reply] He was superb!"

[Sutekh]

3-1 on the Sky vide-printer

Selles out

[WestYorksRoyal]

I can't work out if we'll look back on these Azeez performances as the start of something like with Kebe or a one off purple patch like Blackman. I guess it's impossible to know at this stage.

[Snowflake Royal]

I can't work out if we'll look back on these Azeez performances as the start of something like with Kebe or a one off purple patch like Blackman. I guess it's impossible to know at this stage.

Blackman never really looked that good outside that patch. Whereas Azeez has been constantly involved even when not delivering. And he broke onto the scene looking very promising in the Champ.

He could certainly still flop, but the elements to succeed are there if he can play a bit smarter.

One of those players who always makes things happen.

Sticking with him is certainly one of Selles' successes. And a bit of a triumph for stat based management too, I'd say.

[Hound]

He’s all the tools - even when he was missing chances etc he was at least earning them and doing other good stuff

For me it’s more if he can stay fit. Had 2 years of being injured so this year is a big ask

[From Despair To Where?]

I think Blackman, bar that spell, looked out of his depth whereas Kebe just looked bewildered by the intensity of English football. From once it clicked, he was a different player.

Azeez has largely looked bereft of confidence rather than shite and I've not seen too many comments criticising him for lack of effort. Again, whether it's the change of formation, I think things have just clicked for him. Much like Kebe, he's a key player.

Got to hand it to Blackman, he convinced Derby to pay £2m For him with 6 months left on his contract. Worked with a Derby fan at the time. I told him he was a donkey and he didn't believe me. He soon did, though

[Royal Rother]

I think Blackman, bar that spell, looked out of his depth whereas Kebe just looked bewildered by the intensity of English football. From once it clicked, he was a different player.

Azeez has largely looked bereft of confidence rather than shite and I've not seen too many comments criticising him for lack of effort. Again, whether it's the change of formation, I think things have just clicked for him. Much like Kebe, he's a key player.

Got to hand it to Blackman, he convinced Derby to pay £2m For him with 6 months left on his contract. Worked with a Derby fan at the time. I told him he was a donkey and he didn't believe me. He soon did, though

I remember it as £4m!?

[From Despair To Where?]

IIRC, It was £2m up front with performance related add ons.

Considering he only scored 1 goal in 24 appearances for them over 2 years, I can't imagine too many of them were in danger of being triggered.

[leon]

I will never forgive him for missing a sitter against Fulham away and then those cnuts going down the other end and scoring an easy goal.

[bcubed]

I will never forgive him for missing a sitter against Fulham away and then those cnuts going down the other end and scoring an easy goal.

Indeed

[Clyde1998]

I think Blackman, bar that spell, looked out of his depth whereas Kebe just looked bewildered by the intensity of English football. From once it clicked, he was a different player.

Azeez has largely looked bereft of confidence rather than shite and I've not seen too many comments criticising him for lack of effort. Again, whether it's the change of formation, I think things have just clicked for him. Much like Kebe, he's a key player.

Got to hand it to Blackman, he convinced Derby to pay £2m For him with 6 months left on his contract. Worked with a Derby fan at the time. I told him he was a donkey and he didn't believe me. He soon did, though

I think Azeez has improved his decision making recently, which is probably just an experience thing. I think that has helped him have an end product, which was severely lacking earlier in the season. He's gone from someone you're questioning why he's playing to the first name on the team sheet within a month.

[Sutekh]

I think Blackman, bar that spell, looked out of his depth whereas Kebe just looked bewildered by the intensity of English football. From once it clicked, he was a different player.

Azeez has largely looked bereft of confidence rather than shite and I've not seen too many comments criticising him for lack of effort. Again, whether it's the change of formation, I think things have just clicked for him. Much like Kebe, he's a key player.

Got to hand it to Blackman, he convinced Derby to pay £2m For him with 6 months left on his contract. Worked with a Derby fan at the time. I told him he was a donkey and he didn't believe me. He soon did, though

Fee was reported to be in excess of £3,000,000 - more than double what Reading paid for him. Great business for whatever the final fee actually was.

[Royal_jimmy]

Fantastic point, Peterborough are a good side at this level and London Road is a hard place to go. Peterborough looked pretty decent for this level and thought they looked a better side than when we last played them at their place in the championship. They'll finish top 6.

Given their chances and the penalty shouts, we were fortunate to get a draw but it wasn't a smash and grab either as we competed in large patches, thought we showed great spirit we've missed from a Reading side for some time. Azeez really has found form! I hope we can keep him.

Great day and glad I made the effort to go.

It would be so typical of us to go and lose at Cheltenham now. I'd be ok with getting out of there without a defeat as they're picking up form themselves especially at home.

[Royal_jimmy]

I think Blackman, bar that spell, looked out of his depth whereas Kebe just looked bewildered by the intensity of English football. From once it clicked, he was a different player.

Azeez has largely looked bereft of confidence rather than shite and I've not seen too many comments criticising him for lack of effort. Again, whether it's the change of formation, I think things have just clicked for him. Much like Kebe, he's a key player.

Got to hand it to Blackman, he convinced Derby to pay £2m For him with 6 months left on his contract. Worked with a Derby fan at the time. I told him he was a donkey and he didn't believe me. He soon did, though

Fee was reported to be in excess of £3,000,000 - more than double what Reading paid for him. Great business for whatever the final fee actually was.

Yes the formation change has made Azeez look a completely different player. I know it took a while for him to change it but credit to Selles for finally learning.

I hope we can persuade him to stay as he seems to love it here and I'm not sure he'd quite be good enough for a championship club yet plus we're one of the biggest clubs in league one. But in a couple of years with us he certainly could be decent championship quality!

Azeez needs to track back more and help out his full back. If he can do that and bulken up more he'll be a brilliant player.

[Snowflake Royal]

Watching the highlights, combined with the bits and pieces I saw during the game...

Mbengue still has no idea how to play as a fullback. Repeatedly caught out too far from his man, raced towards him only to be beaten ridiculously easily with a shift of balance / pace at least twice.

Mola also still can't defend, very easily beaten for their second. Don't think Holmes did anything wrong, stood up his man and stayed between him and goal. No dive in, the guy just squeezed it past and Button thought he was going the other way, slight deflection, but didn't change which side he was shooting.

Abbey and Wing get in each other's way losing their men for the corner goal. But it was worked by Posh trying to block off defenders and cause havoc.

The first touch and collection from Azeez for our first look better and better. Great run and finish from Smith too, really had almost no room to squeeze that in and was in the perfect place.

Screamer from Azeez to hit the woodwork, which I assume is still shaking, and a lovely smash home for the equaliser.

The two areas we need to strengthen are absolutely RB and striker. Yiadom is the only RB we have with the disappearance of Abrefa. And Smith and Kelv are not enough. But Kelv does need regular minutes or a loan. Pissing about with 10 minutes a month isn't good enough.

Finally starting to look a bit like we should have been all season.

[blythspartan]

The one thing that stood out to me was we kept in the game even when we were under the cosh. We always looked like we were capable of hitting them on the break and Azeez has well and truly proved me wrong.

We definitely need another experienced striker and as mentioned above Ehib isn’t going to improve with cameo appearances. I actually think there are signs of gradual improvement from Mola. It’s easy to forget how long it can take a player to get up to speed and I’ll always refer back to Convey’s first season playing for us.

Michael Craig will be attracting attention soon and with him and Wing in midfield and Holmes at CB we have a spine of a team to build around. I just hope we’re not forced into selling lots of our best players in January.

[bcubed]

The one thing that stood out to me was kept in the game even when we were under the cosh. We always looked like we were capable of hitting them on the break and Azeez has well and truly proved me wrong.

We definitely need another experienced striker and as mentioned above Ehib isn’t going to improve with cameo appearances. I actually think there are signs of gradual improvement from Mola. It’s easy to forget how long it can take a player to get up to speed and I’ll always refer back to Convey’s first season playing for us.

Michael Craig will be attracting attention soon and with him and Wing in midfield and Holmes at CB we have a spine of a team to build around. I just hope we’re not forced into selling lots of our best players in January.

Not seen much this year but I know Mola is regularly criticised. As I said earlier I think you have to give credit to the Boro player who made a quick first time pass to their striker. Not sure Mola could have closed him down any quicker and no more than Holmes could have closed down their goal scorer.