Reading FC Match Report: 2016/2017 Season - Championship
LEEDS 2 READING 0
Reading: --
Leeds: C Wood (19), S Doukara (pen, 90)
Post Match Fans' Opinion
gdroyal
» 13 Dec 2016 23:47
Second half was much the same, Leeds very happy to sit on the 1-0 lead and we struggled to break them down. Beerans forced a good save out of Green but that was as close as it got before a very soft penalty allowed them to make it 2-0.
Al-Habsi - 6 - very little to do and distribution not great
Gunter - 5 - offered very little
McShane - 6 - must have had a superb pass completion %
Moore - 6 - see McShane
Blackett - 2 - Very poor. Seemed very nervous in the first half and made an awful pass in the 2nd half that Leeds should had scored from
Evans - 5 - Anonomous
Kelly - 5 - Some promising runs although he sometimes struggles to get the ball out of his feet
Van de Berg - 5 - Did ok, nothing special, nothing awful - was playing out of position
McCleary - 4 - seemed very frustrated in the 2nd half with the way we were playing. Was not at his best.
Beerans - 5 - Never really got in the game. Forced a good save out of Green in the 2nd half
Samuel - 4 - Offered nothing up-front
Subs:
Kermogant - 5 - Did very little. Played more in a central mid position.
Meite + Cooper - not enough time to give a score but Meite should have scored at the end.
CountryRoyal
» 13 Dec 2016 23:52
Losing away to Leeds is hardly a bad result and I have every confidence we will get a result against Blackburn.
No biggy. Well done to those who went.
Leeds supporting mate just texted me reckoning that was their best performance of the season.
From Despair To Where?
» 14 Dec 2016 08:11
We're clearly re-establishing ourselves as a play off challenger, we've got a solid management team in place and up front aside, we have a pretty solid spine to the team but there's precious little depth to the squad in key positions. We're missing Swift and I we need an experienced, calming influence in midfield which is potentially where Jordan Mutch could come in. I also think we may need another centre back as it's make or break for Cooper and he's not getting the game time to make a decision either way.
I'm not too disheartened by last night's defeat, even if we were pretty ineffective, we'll learn more from that.
Hound
» 14 Dec 2016 08:17
Swift missing is starting to bite, esp with both Williams and Obita out. I much prefer the 3 5 2 to the 4 3 3, and Obita is pretty key to the first system.
Need to win vs Blackburn now really
26-10-06
» 14 Dec 2016 09:25
Whilst I agree we need to win on Saturday it is amazing how expectations change isn't it. If we lose, slip to what 5th?
Would have taken 5th on Xmas day on August 6th.
Win on Saturday though and all good; would be 7 wins from 9 - can't argue with that!
Also prefer the 3 5 2 - but don't think we have an appropriate LWB with Obita out (don't think Blacklett suits this role)
LWJ
» 14 Dec 2016 09:59
Pontus was a machine and got in the way of everything for them, though he loved to dive in which we should have exploited.
Think we missed swift and Williams massively as lacked creativity between Evans and the front 3.
Kelly'a touch is dire and cost us a lot. Samuel isn't good enough.
Penalty didn't look like a pen, but I didn't have a great view.
Leeds aren't going up, and nor should we tbh.
hughsies no.1
» 14 Dec 2016 10:41
This made for an interesting read on the commute this morning -
Ian Royal
» 14 Dec 2016 12:43
Yeah, I spotted that about a month ago.
Our record when we take the lead in the first half is something like P9, W8, D1, L0. Our record when going down in the first half is similarly emphatic at something like P6, W0, D1, L5. I don't think we're a strong promotion contender, because we just can't rescue points where we don't get our noses in front early. But, we're still in the mix because we're good at getting in front and then amazing at staying there.
CountryRoyal
» 14 Dec 2016 13:18
Yeah, I spotted that about a month ago.
Our record when we take the lead in the first half is something like P9, W8, D1, L0. Our record when going down in the first half is similarly emphatic at something like P6, W0, D1, L5. I don't think we're a strong promotion contender, because we just can't rescue points where we don't get our noses in front early. But, we're still in the mix because we're good at getting in front and then amazing at staying there.
While our current style of play certainly emphasises and exacerbates this fact, our inability to come from behind is a problem that has plagued us since we were relegated last.
WAZZOCK
» 14 Dec 2016 22:06
I can completely relate to what Stam has said post match. It was a frustrating evening with Leeds benefiting from a huge slice of luck for the first and being gifted a non-penalty for the second.
Leeds fans can sneer, laugh and joke about the style of play, but in the long run we will find that our framework will be a lot more sustainable to see us finish in the top 6. If, and it's a big if, we get promoted in the near future it will also prove to be of benefit.
Fox Talbot
» 15 Dec 2016 15:56
Our patience and discipline at sticking to a plan for the first 65 mins was amazing. The plan was to hold them to 0-0, frustrate them, then put on our better forwards and nick it. Spoiler alert - we were 0-1 down after 20 mins because someone - Joey I think - let the ball run past him in the 6 yard box and their fella had a tap-in. No change in plan though.
67 mins before we had a shot on target. The Leeds fans were taking the mick of our possession game before half-time and I thought we took it to extremes here. Fair play to Jaap - although I was bored sick for the first hour - we really did squeeze them for the next 25. Trouble was, they were one-up and happy enough to sit back, soak up and wait for their break.
We missed Obita (vs Saturday), Blackett at LB was a bit sloppy, wayward. Joey and Samuel, just like at Fulham, did nothing going forward so effectively it was our defence holding the ball and finding nothing on - Swift and Kermy badly missed.
Their crowd was good - helped them out in the late spell where we were on top.
As for the league table - IT DOES LIE. Objectively we do of course have the 3rd best record in the division but the table isn't a measure of the current strengths of the various teams. Anyone see Brian Glanville's piece in the Sunday Times on the Fulham game? He was incredulous that we were third and anyone who saw the Leeds game would think the same. We're doing well with limited resources and finishing 12th with this lot would be decent enough.
Sutekh
» 15 Dec 2016 16:27
No, sorry, lost me there. How can a league table lie after almost half a season exactly? I could understand the argument after 5 or 6 games but not after 21.
Looking at the squad I can see why someone might think we are over achieving, and I have to say that I think there are weak links that we need to improve on e.g. getting a striker and I'm still not convinced on JvdB, but when you consider we have had no creativity so far this month, with both Williams and Swift sidelined, it is unsurprising that in the games we've had we've struggled badly to offer much threat and consequently a casual observer, like the respected Brian Glanville, might be amazed at our current position
Hoping that the takeover sorts itself out quickly so that the club can make the right moves in January that take this style of play much closer to the finished article.
LoyalRoyal22
» 19 Dec 2016 11:37
If we were to play with more `urgency` move the ball quicker & go more direct to appease some of our supporters,it means we will lose the ball & possession more often which probably has the same percentage chance of scoring as it does from building slowly from defence
Jaap deserves big credit for his stubbornness & sticking to his principles
Match Stats
Full Time: 2-0
Half Time: 1-0
Attendance: 21242
Referee: G Eltringham
Teams
Reading: A Al Habsi, P McShane, L Moore, T Blackett, C Gunter, R Beerens, G Evans (Y Meite, 78), J van den Berg, L Kelly (J Cooper, 87), G McCleary, D Samuel (Y Kermorgant, 62).
Subs not used: S Wieser, S Moore, T Watson, C Harriott.
Leeds: R Green, K Bartley, P Jansson, L Ayling, C Taylor, S Dallas (M Grimes, 82), H Sacko, S Doukara, C Wood (L Bridcutt, 33), K Roofe (A Mowatt, 70), R Vieira.
Subs not used: M Wilks, L Cooper, G Berardi, M Silvestri.
Bookings / Red Cards
Reading: Y Meite
Leeds: L Ayling
Championship on 13 December 2016
This Championship game took place 2879 days ago in the 2016/2017 season.