MATCH REPORT: 2004/2005 Season
5 February 2005: LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
READING 0 PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 0
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goals
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Reading: Plymouth: |
Half Time: 0-0 Attendance: 19,783
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teams
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Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Hughes, Harper, Sidwell (Brooker 54), Little, Forster (Owusu 88), Ferdinand (Keown 82).
Subs Not Used: Morgan, Young.
Plymouth: McCormick, Worrell, Coughlan, Wotton, Doumbe, Buzsaky (Friio 75), Lasley, Gudjonsson, Gilbert, Taylor (Evans 71), Blackstock (Capaldi 88). Subs Not Used: Aljofree, Keith. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
bookings
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Reading: Plymouth: Buzsaky. Referee: R Olivier (W Midlands). |
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report
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Following report by John Wells: |
FANS' POST MATCH OPINION
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This was my first game since Christmas, and when I left for foreign shores we were in fourth spot and since then we've won one game and scored a paltry four goals in the league, three of those against Watford, yet somehow we amazingly remain in fourth spot! We certainly won't be there much longer if this woeful run of form continues I've been able to follow every game while away on HNA and thought we'll soon get going again as the poor results continued, but like a spluttering old banger, we continue to misfire on three maybe two cylinders and judged on yesterdays game we'll soon be languishing in mid table mediocrity. Just before Christmas we were in a wonderful position to push on and make a real challenge for promotion, we needed a few signings to not only bolster the squad but to bring in some new blood. I believe the fans have been let down badly. Though they've performed well in past years, what the bloody hell are players in the twilight of their careers in their late thirties going to do for our chances? Sweet FA that's all! Why are we never linked with half decent players , why can't Coppell attract players from London premiership clubs on loan. Yesterday Plymouth had young Dexter Blackstock on loan from Southampton up front, why did we not sigh him on loan when Kitson was injured. How can Plymouth attract a good young premiership player like that and we can't?? We never looked liked scoring yesterday, sure Fossie's effort that clipped the bar was unlucky but that was about it. I thought we looked tired, we created very little and when it came to the final cross, especially from Shorey, the quality was woeful. Forster looked out of form and Sir Les did what's expected of a 38 year old and basically had the movement of a wheelie bin. As we pushed on towards the end of the game a substitution from Coppell that took one's breath away.
Five minutes to go, 0-0 he takes a striker off, replaces him with Keown, who's not only not match fit, but clearly a centre back and with Owusu on the bench pushes Sonko another centre back up front! Priceless! Sadly the final whistle was met with predictable boos, that achieve nothing as the magnificent Plymouth fans gave their team a rousing ovation. Really weird that we're in a play-off position, they are bottom half of the league, yet they seemed to have so much more passion and support than us home fans. I think the truth is all us Reading fans know in our hearts how good we really are, and the currently, that's not very good at all.
This match confirmed my long founded suspicion that we are not good enough to get automatic promotion and may yet
struggle to gain a play off place with our inability to score goals. The signing of two 38 year olds at the end of
their careers, coupled with Coppell's continued neagtive comments has done nothing to inspire the fans and how
Madjeski can say the current squad is good enough to gain automatic promotion and basically hold their own in the
Premiership is beyond me. Seeing Sonko pushed up front must have been a smack in the face for the likes of Morgan,
Owusu and Goater. I fear yey again our failure to be more ambitious in the transfer market will cost us dear and
yet again it will be a case of so near and yet so far. I hope I am proved wrong, but I am not confident about our
chances at Leeds, Crewe, or indeed our next home match against our bogey team Coventry.
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