Reading FC Match Report: 2022/2023 Season - Championship
LUTON 0 READING 0
Reading: --
Luton: --
Post Match Fans' Opinion
Snowflake Royal
» 01 Nov 2022 22:52
We were better, but both sides were really poor.
I doubt many teams will come to this dump and look great tbh. Luton drag you down to their terrible level
Disappointing thing for me was the amount of situations we had that’d didn’t end in a good chance. Poor crosses, shooting from too far out etc. thought defensively and generally in midfield we were pretty good
Truth.
Royal_jimmy
» 01 Nov 2022 23:13
I like Carroll and Long but I don't think there's enough goals between them, both work hard but aren't great finishers. João must start on Friday v Preston. Carroll who had a good game should be benched.
URZZZZ
» 01 Nov 2022 23:18
Would put everyone at pretty much a 6/10, Holmes and Ince slightly higher, Hoilett and Rahman slightly lower. Said pre match that those two are a concern and they were our weakest players once again, very little attacking output from either of them. Would be surprised if Guinness Walker isn’t back in on Friday
Ejaria getting a fair amount of stick but thought he did OK, battled well in midfield. I’m not sure what people are expecting from him, he hasn’t consistently provided offensively in the three/four years he’s been here. If he can contribute in other areas of the midfield, he can be a useful asset for the squad
Royal_jimmy
» 01 Nov 2022 23:22
Agree on Ejaria who had a solid game today. People know what he is capable of and is very tricky, but away from home you have to dig in a bit and he definitely did that. He often slows the game down and this was a tough slog tonight. I do wish he was more consistent but if he was then he wouldn't be our player
blythspartan
» 02 Nov 2022 07:37
It’s good to see us not getting thumped these days. We have lost recent games by the odd goal and we were competitive in all of them and we’ve been on the end of some poor refereeing decisions. I’d take a point away from home all day long.
Hound
» 02 Nov 2022 08:14
Agree with all of this. Don’t need a long memory to recall games when we’d have rolled over, let them beat us up and come away with a 2-0 defeat.
We more than matched them and that’s a huge step in the right direction
Noted someone called Ejaria a luxury player in the thread. As said it’s been years since he was that. I thought he was solid bar the two slips and won his fair share of tackles and headers. Not a great game but a 6/10 like most of the rest of them
YorkshireRoyal99
» 02 Nov 2022 08:51
Agree, we were miles better than we were previously against them at home, competed well but both sides lacked the quality in front of goal. We probably edged the game and had enough shots/chances to score, which is the concern, but if we can match someone like Luton at their game, we won't be going neither up or down this season which is perfectly fine by me.
Ejaria did a couple of poor things, a couple of decent things. Was rightly substituted, but did ok in a game he wasn't really suited to, 6/10 is probably decent enough.
Agree on the wing backs as well, Hoilett is a strange one where he did pretty well defensively but was borderline shocking offensively which isn't what you'd typically expect. Rahman played a few loose passes throughout, did a couple of things well though. May need a bit of consistency in his game when and where possible to get more from him but, at the same time, wouldn't want NGW to be relegated to the bench when he's been the better player when they've both played. I hope to see NGW on Friday night.
mikey_1871
» 02 Nov 2022 08:54
Hound
» 02 Nov 2022 08:57
Telling comments from Nathan Jones about what a tough side we are to play against. Must be music to Ince and Bowen’s ears
Stranded
» 02 Nov 2022 09:19
We had more shots and created better chances and Carroll in particular must be annoyed at himself for not hitting the target more, as he had a couple of chances that if they had been on target would likely have been a goal. Their keeper made a couple of decent saves, the one from Meite in the first half where he had to turn back on himself in particular - though if Meite hadn't have slipped, that is 1-0.
As metioned Hoilett was poor - there was at least 2 occasions where Ince had the ball and it was screaming out for Hoilett to overlap but he either couldn't or simply wouldn't do so - seemed to be running very slowly - one eye on the WC I guess.
Ejaria was decent in the first half, much more combative but that may mean he has lost a little of his creative spark - definitely looks like he has been told to play differently than before. Clearly still working back to full match fitness - think Ince said his legs were tired at HT - so no surprise to seem him taken off - Fornah did well and was certain his shot was in late on.
Overall, it's a good point, which could have been better and means we've taken 4/9 over the last 3 - be happy enough with W1 D1 L1 from here on out. Preston on Friday an important game a win moves us to 7/12 which is good form and gives us confidence going into the last 2 games before the break.
Typically, given how rotten Hull have been at home of late, we'll likely head there as the first home opponents for their new manager - we do seem to be getting to teams just at the point they have a new boss this year.
YorkshireRoyal99
» 02 Nov 2022 09:57
Seems to be a constant thing this season where we end up being the next fixture for a club with a new manager/recently appointed manager. Blackpool, Stoke, Huddersfield and West Brom* had new managers in the dugout with us being the next fixture. Sunderland, Blackburn and now Hull will have a new manager in place with us being a fixture recent to a new manager appointment.
That will be 7 games out of 21 so far this season (assuming either Preston or Watford don't change their manager in that time).
YorkshireRoyal99
» 02 Nov 2022 10:55
This is an interesting point.
Especially when we barely have any defenders !
The concept of a ‘defensive unit’ is something we’ve not had much chance to build….
2 clean sheets in our last 3 games as well, "only" 2 goals conceded at Burnley whereas, in other circumstances, we'd have had a penalty and possibly won/not lost the game. All ifs and buts there but, in terms of our defensive side of the game, it's improving again.
Preston is an important game on Friday, 3 points and another clean sheet would be absolutely ideal and I'll be satisfied going into Watford and Hull away knowing we are at a decent points tally and likely in a decent position in the league as well by the WC break which is important for us to rest some players, get back on the training pitch and, probably most importantly, get some bodies back in the squad as well.
leon
» 02 Nov 2022 11:04
Especially when we barely have any defenders !
The concept of a ‘defensive unit’ is something we’ve not had much chance to build….
2 clean sheets in our last 3 games as well, "only" 2 goals conceded at Burnley whereas, in other circumstances, we'd have had a penalty and possibly won/not lost the game. All ifs and buts there but, in terms of our defensive side of the game, it's improving again.
Preston is an important game on Friday, 3 points and another clean sheet would be absolutely ideal and I'll be satisfied going into Watford and Hull away knowing we are at a decent points tally and likely in a decent position in the league as well by the WC break which is important for us to rest some players, get back on the training pitch and, probably most importantly, get some bodies back in the squad as well.
Our midfield is offering more protection. Something we've been crying out for ages.
YorkshireRoyal99
» 02 Nov 2022 11:13
2 clean sheets in our last 3 games as well, "only" 2 goals conceded at Burnley whereas, in other circumstances, we'd have had a penalty and possibly won/not lost the game. All ifs and buts there but, in terms of our defensive side of the game, it's improving again.
Preston is an important game on Friday, 3 points and another clean sheet would be absolutely ideal and I'll be satisfied going into Watford and Hull away knowing we are at a decent points tally and likely in a decent position in the league as well by the WC break which is important for us to rest some players, get back on the training pitch and, probably most importantly, get some bodies back in the squad as well.
Our midfield is offering more protection. Something we've been crying out for ages.
Yeah - think we've managed to have bit of consistency in that area. I know Loum was suspended last night, but we've had himself, Fornah, Hendrick and Ince all available for a number of games, as well as Ejaria working his way back into the frame and Mbengue is capable of playing there as well. So we've had options consistently in that area throughout the majority of the season, P.Ince, by and large, has got that area nailed down well so far this season.
John Smith
» 02 Nov 2022 11:36
Not been there for years. In fact probably not since we lost our unbeaten run in 2006. Sounds like it hasn't changed. Walking up and looking down over the houses and back gardens is weird. But as you say quite cool.
Game was very poor - looked fatigued everywhere. Reminded me of Peterborough (a) last season.
Kenilworth Road is absolutely superb. Will be a sad day when they move.
Hound
» 02 Nov 2022 12:13
Not been there for years. In fact probably not since we lost our unbeaten run in 2006. Sounds like it hasn't changed. Walking up and looking down over the houses and back gardens is weird. But as you say quite cool.
Game was very poor - looked fatigued everywhere. Reminded me of Peterborough (a) last season.
Kenilworth Road is absolutely superb. Will be a sad day when they move.
The game when we got battered for 90 mins against a bottom of the table side who hadn’t won for ages, scraped a draw and then had our own fans barrack the team coach?
Don’t think so
Whore Jackie
» 02 Nov 2022 12:39
Agreed. Do think Ejaria is one of those players that often looks poor on TV. Not to say he's not frustrating in the flesh, but a lot of the good, defensive side of his game gets lost amidst the overall coverage. Didn't go last night, but thought he had a pretty decent run-out at Turf Moor.
Match Stats
Full Time: 0-0
Half Time: 0-0
Attendance: 9620
Referee: John Brooks
Teams
Reading: J Lumley, T Holmes, A Yiadom, A Mbengue, D Hoilett, Y Meite (S Long, 72), O Ejaria (T Fornah, 58), B Rahman, T Ince, J Hendrick, A Carroll.
Subs not used: L Joao, D Bouzanis, J Senga-Ngoyi, N Guinness-Walker, N Abbey.
Luton: E Horvath, P Ruddock, S Bradley (L Berry, 32), A Doughty, J Bree, T Lockyer (C Jerome, 59), D Potts, A Bell, A Campbell (L Freeman, 78), H Cornick, E Adebayo (C Morris, 78)
Bookings / Red Cards
Reading: A Yiadom, Y Meite, A Carroll
Luton: A Campbell, A Doughty
Championship on 01 November 2022
This Championship game took place 763 days ago in the 2022/2023 season.