BFTG - Norwich

[Old Man Andrews]

Where has the club captain disappeared to? Not a peep out of him. He chirps up on an almost daily basis when things are going well but like the other players he tucks his tail between his legs and runs when things go downhill. He is a disgrace.

[leon]

People talking about league one being a disaster for this club could well be right, but they better start setting their expectations now. There is no way there are three worse teams than this lot. The whole culture of the club from the top down is rotten and its directly reflected on the pitch. No skill, no tactical awareness, a lack of effort with some players, a losing mentality and no fight or grabbing games by the scruff of their necks when they are in the balance.
When we go down lets hope for a huge turnover in both playing and coaching personnel. Lets finally balance the books and silly contracts, get rid of the deadwood and lets blood the young guys and lower league players who WANT to be here to prove themselves. Yes we might not recoup much for the likes of Aluko, Gunter, Swift, llori, etc but they've shown enough in their careers at certain points that people will take their contracts off our hands, there are always panic buyers. I'd much rather watch 7 youth academy players find their feet and lose than 11 signed seasoned pros who are god awful. We're going down, start making a list of league one grounds you haven't visited and the pies you haven't tried and make peace with it.

Problem with that is Kelly is one of the most useless tossers in our team and debatably the least likeable.

Think you're on your own with this.

No he's not.

What does Kelly bring to team?

[Old Man Andrews]

Problem with that is Kelly is one of the most useless tossers in our team and debatably the least likeable.

Think you're on your own with this.

No he's not.

What does Kelly bring to team?

Kelly and his attitude are a huge part of what is wrong at this club. Lazy, idle and complacent little dweeb.

[Hound]

Think you're on your own with this.

No he's not.

What does Kelly bring to team?

Kelly and his attitude are a huge part of what is wrong at this club. Lazy, idle and complacent little dweeb.

Without really knowing him possibly a bit harsh. But at the same time, know what you mean

Some of his comments and actions done him few favours. Think Stam and his Iniesta comments went right to his head

[leon]

No he's not.

What does Kelly bring to team?

Kelly and his attitude are a huge part of what is wrong at this club. Lazy, idle and complacent little dweeb.

Without really knowing him possibly a bit harsh. But at the same time, know what you mean

Some of his comments and actions done him few favours. Think Stam and his Iniesta comments went right to his head

well they're both short

[Old Man Andrews]

No he's not.

What does Kelly bring to team?

Kelly and his attitude are a huge part of what is wrong at this club. Lazy, idle and complacent little dweeb.

Without really knowing him possibly a bit harsh. But at the same time, know what you mean

Some of his comments and actions done him few favours. Think Stam and his Iniesta comments went right to his head

He plays and acts like he has made it to the very top of the game though, only going on what I have seen him say and how he acts on the pitch. He was and is still in constant denial about how bad we are, talking about how we are too good to go down etc. All points to him being massively complacent. He doesn't work hard enough on the pitch and needs to grow up off it. Any other example of the sort of character he is is the nerve he had to turn down the Republic of Ireland because he wants to play for England. Is he serious? He honestly believes he is anywhere near the standard to go near an England squad? Its a joke.

22 year old man who gets special treatment because he came through the academy. He's bang average and the quicker we can get rid of shirkers like him the better.

[Coppells Lost Coat]

Think you're on your own with this.

No he's not.

What does Kelly bring to team?

Kelly and his attitude are a huge part of what is wrong at this club. Lazy, idle and complacent little dweeb.

Rejecting an Ireland call up via text message - quite possibly the most disrespectful and oxf*rd thing to do.

[lightning strikes]

Although we lost again, I'm still optimistic we can stay in this division. Like I said after the Preston game, this side, the way they are playing currently look destined for relegation. But I think Clement will be able to improve the situation and sort us out.

On BBC Berks Adie Williams wanted to question Clement about his team selection. Why did Barrow not start. Why is Aluko still getting games. Why is Gunter still playing. However, I think Clement was right not to change a winning side. One of Sir Steve Coppell's mantras was never to change a winning team. If you win that is how you keep your place in the team. And after beating Preston this side deserved another run out to see if they could back it up with another three points tonight. Unfortunately they failed and now Clement is well within his rights to ring the changes.

When we were successful in this division with a three man midfield, our 3 were well balanced and complimented each other. We had Evans or Van Den Berg as the defensive protector. Swift or Kelly as the flair man supporting the attack and pulling the strings and Danny Williams as that box to box terrier providing the engine, the heartbeat and the inspiration to those around him. Right now our three are just not right and in my opinion is where the main problem in our team is right now.

We all know that we are weak at the back and let in far too many goals. After conceding four goals in the last two games it is lucky that we have managed to come away with three points from the two matches. I don't think the reason for our weakness is because of who our back four are. It is what is happening in front of them that I think is the problem.

I love Kelly and Swift but I don't think they should be playing together in the team. It should be one or the other. Against Hull on Saturday we should try Ezatolahi, Bacuna and Swift toghether as the midfield trio. Ezatolahi to do the Evans/Van Den Berg protector role. Bacuna to try and be the Danny Williams engine and heartbeat of the midfield and Swifty to provide the flair and pull the strings. Clement seems to know what the problems are and he is trying to find the solutions. He has brought the Iranian enforcer in and hopefully that will bind the midfield together and give it the right blend to work well.

But Clement needs several more transfer windows to sort this squad out. We just have to carry on supporting him, carry on being patient and let him do his stuff. We can't keep getting trigger happy and putting the manager under more and more pressure. He needs time to do the job right. Coppell needed three years. As did McGhee as did all our managers who have achieved something.

COME ON YOU ROYALS! THE TURNAROUND IS COMING!

Feel very similar. Even after last night I still feel their are a lot of positives to take compared to the games under Jaap - I can at least understand Clements logic. I think Clement was stuck in between wanting to not change a winning team and playing our best 11. In hindsight he probably would have started Sims and Barrow and I imagine he will this weekend.

Poor 1st half with lack of urgency. Clearly a bollocking at HT from Clement worked and we were well on top playing some good stuff for 30 mins. Get the goal and then you hope we push on but instead a momentary moment of stupidity and we're behind again and heads understandably gone.

Roll on this weekend, Aluko and Meite dropped and our Persian in for Kelly. Fancy we might have a chance.

This exactly, i'm actually more positive after the norwich defeat than after any other, from the start of the second half until we scored, was the best we've played all season. Barrow and Simms will start on Saturday and we'll tear Hull apart. I've got my fingers crossed for the iranian but don't think he'll be considered ready to start.

[Ascotexgunner]

No he's not.

What does Kelly bring to team?

Kelly and his attitude are a huge part of what is wrong at this club. Lazy, idle and complacent little dweeb.

Rejecting an Ireland call up via text message - quite possibly the most disrespectful and oxf*rd thing to do.

Im preying Gunter does the same to Wales before the next qualifiers.

[lightning strikes]

Problem with that is Kelly is one of the most useless tossers in our team and debatably the least likeable.

Think you're on your own with this.

No he's not.

What does Kelly bring to team?

He seems pretty likeable to me, good bloke, unassuming, not covered in tattoos so you can tell he's been raised properly. Good touch, good control, good vision. But agree he's struggling for form, like all of the team.

[Crotts]

Although we lost again, I'm still optimistic we can stay in this division. Like I said after the Preston game, this side, the way they are playing currently look destined for relegation. But I think Clement will be able to improve the situation and sort us out.

On BBC Berks Adie Williams wanted to question Clement about his team selection. Why did Barrow not start. Why is Aluko still getting games. Why is Gunter still playing. However, I think Clement was right not to change a winning side. One of Sir Steve Coppell's mantras was never to change a winning team. If you win that is how you keep your place in the team. And after beating Preston this side deserved another run out to see if they could back it up with another three points tonight. Unfortunately they failed and now Clement is well within his rights to ring the changes.

When we were successful in this division with a three man midfield, our 3 were well balanced and complimented each other. We had Evans or Van Den Berg as the defensive protector. Swift or Kelly as the flair man supporting the attack and pulling the strings and Danny Williams as that box to box terrier providing the engine, the heartbeat and the inspiration to those around him. Right now our three are just not right and in my opinion is where the main problem in our team is right now.

We all know that we are weak at the back and let in far too many goals. After conceding four goals in the last two games it is lucky that we have managed to come away with three points from the two matches. I don't think the reason for our weakness is because of who our back four are. It is what is happening in front of them that I think is the problem.

I love Kelly and Swift but I don't think they should be playing together in the team. It should be one or the other. Against Hull on Saturday we should try Ezatolahi, Bacuna and Swift toghether as the midfield trio. Ezatolahi to do the Evans/Van Den Berg protector role. Bacuna to try and be the Danny Williams engine and heartbeat of the midfield and Swifty to provide the flair and pull the strings. Clement seems to know what the problems are and he is trying to find the solutions. He has brought the Iranian enforcer in and hopefully that will bind the midfield together and give it the right blend to work well.

But Clement needs several more transfer windows to sort this squad out. We just have to carry on supporting him, carry on being patient and let him do his stuff. We can't keep getting trigger happy and putting the manager under more and more pressure. He needs time to do the job right. Coppell needed three years. As did McGhee as did all our managers who have achieved something.

COME ON YOU ROYALS! THE TURNAROUND IS COMING!

Feel very similar. Even after last night I still feel their are a lot of positives to take compared to the games under Jaap - I can at least understand Clements logic. I think Clement was stuck in between wanting to not change a winning team and playing our best 11. In hindsight he probably would have started Sims and Barrow and I imagine he will this weekend.

Poor 1st half with lack of urgency. Clearly a bollocking at HT from Clement worked and we were well on top playing some good stuff for 30 mins. Get the goal and then you hope we push on but instead a momentary moment of stupidity and we're behind again and heads understandably gone.

Roll on this weekend, Aluko and Meite dropped and our Persian in for Kelly. Fancy we might have a chance.

This exactly, i'm actually more positive after the norwich defeat than after any other, from the start of the second half until we scored, was the best we've played all season. Barrow and Simms will start on Saturday and we'll tear Hull apart. I've got my fingers crossed for the iranian but don't think he'll be considered ready to start.

Do you not think that Norwich were playing in second gear during the second half, happy to remain 1-0 up whilst not overstretching themselves. It was only when Reading equalised that they moved into top gear using the skill and speed of Cantwell to tear us apart with ease. Cantwell and Pukki were a class above any Reading player last night. Norwich had come off the back of a difficult match beating the previously undefeated Middlesborough and were here just to do the minimum they needed to beat a poor and disorganised Reading team. Agree that Barrow and Sims should start on Saturday, the problem is does Clement? Any manager that thinks Meite can play on the left of midfield clearly doesn't know much about his squad. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Meite should be nowhere near the bench let alone starting. He has no control of the ball and is just a big physical unit, basically Frank Bruno in a football shirt !

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

OMG. That 1st half was as bad as anything Jap came up with. Then for 20 minutes we dominated, only to make a calamitous error (midfield and defence), at best naïve on that 2nd goal.
IMHO:

Walker 5: He is probably a bit thick, never knows what he is doing. But not at fault last night.

Gunter -1: Has to go and have a rethink. Totally not up for a fight. Must be someone can play LB; even if they don't cross the half way line.
Yiadom 4: Pretty good 1st half-excellent effort on goal-then his game fell apart. Back to RB.
Moore 4: Has one eye on getting away in January. Not engaged with getting us out of this.
Ilori 2: That tackle which led to the 2nd goal will live in my memory for a long time. But had no support from midfield or the rest of the defence.

Kelly 1: Dreadful 1st half, then picked up in the 2nd. If he is not careful; the semi pros beckon for him.
Bacuna 4: Has to carry the physical threat on his own in midfield; but he is being swamped. Still the occasional brain fade.

Swift 4: Painfully slow, and kept on losing possesion. Like Kelly he has to be very careful how far down the leagues he will fall.

Meite 1: As someone said,basically a Pub player. Stam was so right to ship him to Spain, last year.

Baldock 4: Missed three half chances. Cannot play on his own up front. But we cannot play two in midfield.


Alukho 4: Tried hard,but his quality (like the team) has gone right out the window. Stepping on the ball,was really bad and summed him up.


Sims: Has to start.

Bod: Ditto

Barrow: Ditto

Ref: Usual joker;although he didnt cost us.Where do they get them from ? Booked Meite, but let a scrape on Swift go. How their CM and CF managed to escape two yellows beats me.


Clement, is probably a three nil defeat away from getting the hook.He is a clip board manager;which is not what we need. We need someone to scare the bejesus out of the players.


If Brum and Bolton each pick up minus 12, we have a chance; however there has to be someone else, and everyone looks miles better than us.I really dont know whether going down would be a disaster, or not.Probably get the same crowd in.We are now down to the tourists and ST holders.

One of the all time worst posts this forum has ever seen. Congrats.

Stam shifted Meite to Spain last season did he Westwood? Has someone move Sochaux on a oxf*rd great lorry over the border?

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

Think you're on your own with this.

No he's not.

What does Kelly bring to team?

Not covered in tattoos so you can tell he's been raised properly.
.

That is a very narrow minded thing to say and a huge generalisation. Some of the most gifted people I've encountered have Tattoos.

[Victor Meldrew]

Think you're on your own with this.

No he's not.

What does Kelly bring to team?

He seems pretty likeable to me, good bloke, unassuming, not covered in tattoos so you can tell he's been raised properly. Good touch, good control, good vision. But agree he's struggling for form, like all of the team.

I had high hopes for Kelly a couple of years ago but his arrogant rejection of Ireland and his silly on-pitch tantrums when he doesn't get a free-kick and his reluctance to now shoot (he was our leading goalscorer early on last season) have turned me off him.
I think he has to realise that just because he is little it doesn't mean that he will get a free-kick every time he is outmuscled and falls over.
This is mens' football Liam and you need to mature quickly otherwise you will soon be playing for Aldershot and dreaming of when your star was in the ascendancy and you might have scraped into the Ireland squad.

[Forbury Lion]

Where has the club captain disappeared to? Not a peep out of him. He chirps up on an almost daily basis when things are going well but like the other players he tucks his tail between his legs and runs when things go downhill. He is a disgrace.

Maybe he has more time on his hands to do things like chatting to the media when we are doing well and when things are not going well he finds himself busy trying to motivate his team mates/boost morale/work on his own game when things are not going so well?

[andrew1957]

First half so flat, dire infact. Just don't understand how you can play like that after being fired up before kick off.

Second half I actually thought we were excellent. Intent, and purpose was there. We created a fair few chances. But seriously our finishing is just woeful. What actually went against us was after scoring they were so keen to run back and kick off again they were all over the shop and forgot roles. Been far better celebrating then regrouping. That goal totally knocked the stuffing out of them.

Not a fan of Gunter bashing but accept he was very poor last night. Aluko also brings nothing to the team.

Look forward to seeing the Persian Pogba and Sims getting a start.

He looked decent when he came on.

Someone who saw the game as I did. if we had won the last three home games then looking at this game in isolation it would not seem so bad. I agree that we were awful first half but I thought for 30 minutes of the second half we were good - probably as good as in any game this season. We got back into the game but then had a complete head loss allowing Norwich to get a winner. But at least they tried and you could see how gutted the players were after Norwich scored. No one can say they don't care after that. I felt as I walked away that there were reasons to be more positive.

I think many on here have forgotten just how completely abject the side was last season. I stopped going after Birmingham at home when under Stam our players passed around in their own half when 2-0 down! I just could not bear to watch after that and that I would not go again until Stam went. By comparison last nights game was entertaining and there was a lot of effort from both sides - be it lacking in quality.

I also liked what Clement said after the game. I think he deserves a chance to get it right - although knowing football he won't have long.

[bcubed]

The recurring thread for me throughout the match was how stupendously weak we were, all over the pitch, continually bouncing off the Norwich players, and routinely losing 50:50s. It was only in the period where we passed the ball with some pace and so avoided having to compete physically that we looked half decent.

Yep, had the same thoughts at the game and was about to post the same. I lost count of the number of times our midfield were out-muscled - Swift in particular seems to have no ability to shield the ball.
Generally, it seems no one involved in the club can be arsed this season - not the owners, those running it, coaching or managing staff, not the players and not even the fans. Such a general air of apathy around the place which was epitomised by the first half "performance".

Wouldn't it be nice to watch a Reading team full of strong athletic aggressive hard-tackling players? Maybe with a little bit of skill. A bit like Norwich in fact a bit like most Championship teams

[Old Man Andrews]

Where has the club captain disappeared to? Not a peep out of him. He chirps up on an almost daily basis when things are going well but like the other players he tucks his tail between his legs and runs when things go downhill. He is a disgrace.

Maybe he has more time on his hands to do things like chatting to the media when we are doing well and when things are not going well he finds himself busy trying to motivate his team mates/boost morale/work on his own game when things are not going so well?

If you actually believe that then you're an idiot, which you aren't so it surprises me you'd suggest it.

McShane is a hider, he has shirked his responsibilities.

[Lower West]

Kelly and his attitude are a huge part of what is wrong at this club. Lazy, idle and complacent little dweeb.

Without really knowing him possibly a bit harsh. But at the same time, know what you mean

Some of his comments and actions done him few favours. Think Stam and his Iniesta comments went right to his head

He plays and acts like he has made it to the very top of the game though, only going on what I have seen him say and how he acts on the pitch. He was and is still in constant denial about how bad we are, talking about how we are too good to go down etc. All points to him being massively complacent. He doesn't work hard enough on the pitch and needs to grow up off it. Any other example of the sort of character he is is the nerve he had to turn down the Republic of Ireland because he wants to play for England. Is he serious? He honestly believes he is anywhere near the standard to go near an England squad? Its a joke.

22 year old man who gets special treatment because he came through the academy. He's bang average and the quicker we can get rid of shirkers like him the better.

In the first half last night played a terrible pass that went straightout for a goal kick. Instead of acknowledging his team mate. Turned away and appealed for a corner with the ref! Sums Kelly up......... out of his depth.

[RoyalBlue]

First half so flat, dire infact. Just don't understand how you can play like that after being fired up before kick off.

Second half I actually thought we were excellent. Intent, and purpose was there. We created a fair few chances. But seriously our finishing is just woeful. What actually went against us was after scoring they were so keen to run back and kick off again they were all over the shop and forgot roles. Been far better celebrating then regrouping. That goal totally knocked the stuffing out of them.

Not a fan of Gunter bashing but accept he was very poor last night. Aluko also brings nothing to the team.

Look forward to seeing the Persian Pogba and Sims getting a start.

He looked decent when he came on.

Someone who saw the game as I did. if we had won the last three home games then looking at this game in isolation it would not seem so bad. I agree that we were awful first half but I thought for 30 minutes of the second half we were good - probably as good as in any game this season. We got back into the game but then had a complete head loss allowing Norwich to get a winner. But at least they tried and you could see how gutted the players were after Norwich scored. No one can say they don't care after that. I felt as I walked away that there were reasons to be more positive.

I think many on here have forgotten just how completely abject the side was last season. I stopped going after Birmingham at home when under Stam our players passed around in their own half when 2-0 down! I just could not bear to watch after that and that I would not go again until Stam went. By comparison last nights game was entertaining and there was a lot of effort from both sides - be it lacking in quality.

I also liked what Clement said after the game. I think he deserves a chance to get it right - although knowing football he won't have long.

He keeps saying the same thing but sod all changes. We should by now at least seen some improvements in the areas that he has repeatedly highlighted as lacking. We haven't. All of us can point out what is going wrong, fixing it is what Clement is paid damn good money to do. He is simply not delivering nor showing any signs that he might do so.

It is absolutely ludicrous that he keeps selecting Meite to play, particularly when it's at the expense of much better players like Bod. Someone else described Meite as little better than a pub footballer. In terms of skill that isn't far from the truth. He is just a lot stronger and fitter and tries damn hard. That doesn't qualify him to be in the squad of a Championship team, let alone the starting 11!