MATCHWATCH : Southampton (h)

[Snowflake Royal]

Azeez end product is atrocious.

I've still yet to see what warrants the hype with him.

Got pace and strength, so stands out in a rather poor Reading squad, but seems a bit selfish and end prodcuct really isn't good enough.

Same old problems on display today, no strength in depth in the squad, creativity a serious problem and defence highly questionable.

This time next week Reading should be playing their first team with a proper substitution plan rather then the comical free for all of the academy boys and loads of triallists appearing. Would therefore expect a decent and competitive game anything less would be a real worry.

No captain, no first choice striker, and no genuine senior midfield, so the result and performance is a little misleading.

Get a couple of actual midfielders in there like Wing and I expect we'll look considerably better, despite Senga doing well for an inexperienced 19 year old.

Must stop the stupid playing out though.

Lollable goal there, terrible finish the keeper lets under him. But good running.and strength.

[LightwaterRoyal]

Really enjoying Matty Carson's tenacity. Hope we see more of him this season

[Snowflake Royal]

Two of their goals came from pull backs to a player in 5 yards of space in the centre of our box.

We'll need to remember defending involves being close to the opposition and goalside

[blythspartan]

Really enjoying Matty Carson's tenacity. Hope we see more of him this season

+1 He looks a real good player to me, dare I say possibly better than NGW.
That was a decent 2-4 loss considering we were playing a very strong Southampton team.

[CountryRoyal]

Two of their goals came from pull backs to a player in 5 yards of space in the centre of our box.

We'll need to remember defending involves being close to the opposition and goalside

Potentially worrying considering 90% oh league one goals seem to be like that or just headed goals from crosses which we’re also naff at defending.

[CountryRoyal]

My stream cut out; what was the second goal like?

[RoyalBlue]

It's going to be an expensive shirt personalisation if we sign the trialist! Full name: Olamide Oluwatimilehin Babatunde Oluwaka Shodipo

[windermereROYAL]

It's going to be an expensive shirt personalisation if we sign the trialist! Full name: Olamide Oluwatimilehin Babatunde Oluwaka Shodipo

That has to be a cut and paste.

[RoyalBlue]

It's going to be an expensive shirt personalisation if we sign the trialist! Full name: Olamide Oluwatimilehin Babatunde Oluwaka Shodipo

That has to be a cut and paste.

[Royals and Racers]

Really enjoying Matty Carson's tenacity. Hope we see more of him this season

I have been telling everyone who would listen for ages that he’s a decent player

[Royal_jimmy]

This is the first season where I've felt emotionally hit by pre-season games. We're now the lower league side getting smashed which is hard to take. Albeit Saints are a very good side and I tip them to bounce straight back to the premier league so not disappointed in losing. But based on ability we looked like a midtable league one side today, we must do better if we want to be up there.

[From Despair To Where?]

So pre season friendly against a higher league side, fielding a far from full strength team and you're moaning about us looking like a mid table League 1 side.

That's exactly where we are at the moment and anyone expecting more is an idiot. We still have a squad padded out with largely untried academy players and Selles is right, realistically we need another 7 players.

This season I'm looking for us to be more attractive to watch, solid at home and competative away. League posituon is irrelevant but get those 3 things right and we'll do OK.

[Hound]

So difficult to take too much but will give it a try

McIntyre/Holmes/Bouzanis - poor. All of them. Would be happy for none of them to start against Peterborough. McIntyre esp

Carson was better than NGW. Looked decent. Abrefa pretty good, best of the starting back 4. Dorsett and Abbey did ok, both have pace at least. Jokull made some good saves

Senga could be a star and wouldn’t be upset to see him start. Craig was good when he came on. Rushesha looked tidy but not really the answer atm

Smith quick, aggressive. Could be a big signing. Knibbs impressed. Azeez was Azeez. Ehib did some good stuff but didn’t get much involved

Binden got roasted but sounds like out of position. Djoerkoff played nicely. They seem to like Vickers but he is way too lightweight atm. Camara and Shodipo lively enough but not much of the ball

Some other lads who seemed to do alright but lost track of who was who.

Think that covers it

Soton full of quality players but playing Martins awful boreball (pass, pass,pass, lose it, dive, foul) which we worked out fairly well after the first 15. Actually a bit embarrassing to concede the goals they did, and Azeez should have made it 3. Rubbish at the back but obvs sone quality further forward

[Hound]

Really enjoying Matty Carson's tenacity. Hope we see more of him this season

I have been telling everyone who would listen for ages that he’s a decent player

He was excellent. Confident as well

[Sutekh]

Really need to work on the defence and get some organisation and consistency. Can't do it until they sort the goalkeeper out, Button should be a step up on what we currently have so hope that deal works out asap.

[blythspartan]

So difficult to take too much but will give it a try

McIntyre/Holmes/Bouzanis - poor. All of them. Would be happy for none of them to start against Peterborough. McIntyre esp

Carson was better than NGW. Looked decent. Abrefa pretty good, best of the starting back 4. Dorsett and Abbey did ok, both have pace at least. Jokull made some good saves

Senga could be a star and wouldn’t be upset to see him start. Craig was good when he came on. Rushesha looked tidy but not really the answer atm

Smith quick, aggressive. Could be a big signing. Knibbs impressed. Azeez was Azeez. Ehib did some good stuff but didn’t get much involved

Binden got roasted but sounds like out of position. Djoerkoff played nicely. They seem to like Vickers but he is way too lightweight atm. Camara and Shodipo lively enough but not much of the ball

Some other lads who seemed to do alright but lost track of who was who.

Think that covers it

Soton full of quality players but playing Martins awful boreball (pass, pass,pass, lose it, dive, foul) which we worked out fairly well after the first 15. Actually a bit embarrassing to concede the goals they did, and Azeez should have made it 3. Rubbish at the back but obvs sone quality further forward

I agree about Holmes and McIntyre. We definitely need at least one experienced CB in my opinion. I don’t want to be too harsh though as that Southampton team won’t be as strong come September.

I was impressed by Carson. You can see that he has real quality and I like the nasty side to his game.

[CountryRoyal]

Saints side was pretty damn strong too, they’ll have lost some of them by the end of the window.

[Royal_jimmy]

Are our defenders the problem after all? We'll find out after the first few games

[Royal_jimmy]

So pre season friendly against a higher league side, fielding a far from full strength team and you're moaning about us looking like a mid table League 1 side.

That's exactly where we are at the moment and anyone expecting more is an idiot. We still have a squad padded out with largely untried academy players and Selles is right, realistically we need another 7 players.

This season I'm looking for us to be more attractive to watch, solid at home and competative away. League posituon is irrelevant but get those 3 things right and we'll do OK.

Think with the calibre of players we've got we should be far better than midtable league one. That or less isn't acceptable

[Hound]

Would think bringing Wing, Savage, Mbengue, Dean and a GK (if not Jokull) would go a long way to helping matters

Add AC as well and it’s a different story

Then just add one more in CM and a winger (couldn’t really judge Shodipo) and we’ll be good.

Carson, Senga, Craig, Ehib, Abbey, Dorsett, Abrefa, Camara all look fine for back up.