Not even sure what to say. Complete and utter ineptitude.

Each week I’m sure we can’t play any worse and then the next game I’m unpleasantly surprised how we outdo ourselves and surpass our own mediocrity. I was doubtful we’d win but expected it to be a bit closer than that, wasn’t even that bothered for the rest of the game because the moment they scored their first you knew it was game over. Cynically, the case could be made we looked defeated long before the goal actually came, with any meaningful attack coming from Huddersfield.

I’m not a fan of the old “how did we lose to x they are shit” but the most genuinely frightening part is that we got torn to shreds and completely outclassed by an extraordinarily ordinary Huddersfield. They really were not very good and they looked a league above us - which if we continue like this is precisely what will happen.

If I had to describe us in one (descriptive) word, it would be passive. We are passive with the ball, without it, going “forward”, and when we’re “defending”. It’s like we want the opposition to just sit down and let us pass through them. The playing “style” is horrific. Slow, ponderous, sloppy sideways passes until a 40 yard ball. Even if Puscas manages to get on the end of it he doesn’t have the ability to hold it up or really do much with it. At one point today we applauded something we would have groaned at last year, such is the rarity of him retaining possession. Additionally individual performances are rubbish and we are completely void of any quality.

Defending… umm. Worst defensive record in the top 4 divisions, by some margin as well. 50/50s are actually 95/5s to the opposition, we are second to literally everything and get bullied off the ball far too easily. We just look like we are a second behind the game taking place, we never get close enough and when you think we’re in a prime position to win it, we come away without the ball and the other team are in a dangerous position. Time and time again. Positionally we are abject. It’s just an absolute shambles all over the pitch.

Ultimately the buck stops with the manager. Unfortunately last season I was fairly alone when I said I wanted him gone - i’d seen us snatch failure from the jaws of success repeatedly with arguably one of our most talented squads ever. Time and time again he’s demonstrated either stubbornness or ineptitude or just baffling “decisions” and thought processes that you can’t find a sane defence for him. A lot has been made of our finances and the troubles we’ve had but are you telling me that these players aren’t capable of more? Bollocks. I have no doubt this group would perform better even without a manager, where they can play to their strengths and not hamper them with some bullshit laborious play style which more resembles 11 players who have just met for the first time than an actual team.

I’ll do ratings but they’re basically going to be the same as every other game.

Cabral 4 - if I had a quid for every time I said he cannot kick the fcuking ball.

Holmes 6 - looked like the only one to give a oxf*rd at times and won a lot but beaten too many times for pace in the second half.

Morro 5 - did well first half but second was all over the shop.

Moore 2 - his haircut is better than his performances which is saying something as it’s really really shit. Complete liability.

Yiadom 2 - not his fault but I don’t want to ever see him at left back ever again. It was painfully obvious against Coventry he shouldn’t be playing there as he was constantly standing in the middle of nowhere absolute miles away from any opposition player. Managed to get closer today but just utterly hopeless.

Laurent 3 - league one Laurent. A couple of nice balls but what has happened to him? He’s a big lad but gets shoved off the ball like he’s an U13 girl. So many sloppy passes to players about 4 yards away. No understanding or communication with Rino.

Rinomhota 4 - game just passes him and Laurent by, middle of the pitch had so many gaping holes Lisa Ann would be proud.

TDB 3 - rubbish. Looks like he could be good on the ball but then runs into danger and loses possession tamely. Perfect
Reading player. Zero end product.

Swift 5 - better than the rest going forward but still not a lot going on. Crowded out the moment he gets the ball in dangerous positions and his team mates aren’t good enough to help him.

Hoilett 3 - Toilett hoilett. Had to. Awful.

Puscas 4 - Puts in the graft but we all know he’s not a lone striker. I’m was a Puscas fan but more and more I’m growing in the belief he just isn’t very good. At anything.

Happy Saturday x

Pretty damning but absolutely fair comment. Teams know exactly how to place against us and have done for months and Pauno doesn’t have a clue how to adapt our playing style.
Teams press us as we desperately and painfully try and play the ball out of defence before we end up making a panicked clearance which the opposition always seem to win.
It was worrying watching both Laurent and Rino consistently losing 50/50 challenges and being easily knocked off the ball. If we are playing two holding midfielders and sacrificing a striker then boy do they need to be protecting the back four. Both are totally failing to do so.

I feel sorry for Swift. He is a quality player at this level playing in a very poor team. It would not surprise me if an offer comes in for him over the next few days. If he goes then we can write off the season.

I would also question (yet again) the fitness levels of the squad as we seem so slow and struggle towards the back end of games.

It’s not all down to Pauno. The club is a fukking mess. Who is in charge of our transfer policy? Who is our defensive coach?
I don’t actually know. That might be my ignorance but whoever it is needs the boot.

It’s sad to see the club I love in such a mess both on and off the field.

Got in at just before 6pm. That was the best thing about today, living where I do means it didn’t take long to get home. I have nothing else to say. We were that bad.

Pauno is a nice bloke, but tactically beyond inept. 6 wins from 25 with defending that would shame a Hicks development league team.
Stop waffling and sort out the bloody first team. Quite frankly, with an FA Level 1 coaching badge, I couldn't do a worse job at sorting the s**t show of a defence. Either man up and sort it out, or resign.

I’m the same, it’s sad to see. At other clubs or in the Elm Park days, there’d be a pitch invasion or a protest. But we seem fine to just see attendances drop & watch our club become completely damaged

That's pretty bloody depressing reading! Must be worse for CR to actually sit through it

Some of the criticism I don't know what to make of - the manager decides the tactics but should he have to tell experienced players (Moore, Morrison, Yiadom) how to defend, how to play football?? It's time for the players to take some responsibility too

Fair point. These guys should be the leaders. I believe they’ve all been captains.

That said, Paunovic is proving to be an utterly shit manager.

"Country Royal" pretty much summed up the current situation perfectly...that was dire to say the least. There is alot going wrong at the club at the moment, maybe even more than we get to see, and yes, we've had to endure a crazy injury crisis to our best players, yes, due to our current financial misfortunes we have had to sell player's and be governed to some extent on who we can bring in, and yes we have had to blood some younger players against seasoned proffesionals... i get it, we knew it was going to be tough, but when the going get's tough you need your seasoned pro's to step up and be counted!!

Today for me Liam Moore our captain was grossly "Derelict of Duty". This man is supposed to be our leader!! not once did i see him getting around the players offering encouragement, showing passion, leading by example, even giving them a good kick up the arse when required, instead, his head went down with everyone else...sorry, this is not exceptable underthese circumstances, it's time to stand up and be counted or hand the armband over to someone who gives a shit!!!

My final gripe is with the manager, and i think it's a point that Mick Gooding picked up towards the end of the game. Puscas was took off for late in the game and the young lad Clarke came on. At that moment the manager changed the formation to three at the back and two up top (Clarke and Hoilett). Puscas has been crying out for a partner up front ever since he got here!! why take him off and then go two up top!! How bad must Puscas feel, and why make that decision now and not earlier.

I fear for Pauno, i really do, he looked totally finished at the final whistle and i really don't think he has the answers to get us out of this mess. I think he deserves until the next window to try out these new players. The left back will be critical, and should balance up the defence and Halilovic looked like he has something to offer. We can only hope i guess.

A big part is the defenders are left too exposed because Rino and Laurent aren’t sitting deeper (though they’re hardly effective going forward either) but you’re absolutely spot on, they’re seasoned defenders and they’re more often than not losing their individual battles.

It’s a failure from top to bottom and I don’t know how we’re going to stop the rot but we need to if we’re going to have a hope of staying up.

We have been getting exposed through the middle because Rino and Laurent are not sitting in front of the back four and leaving them exposed. We are getting exposed down our flanks because we are playing a young centre back at full back and an experienced right back at left back.
We are getting exposed at free kicks because our defence mark space not players.

It's about fukking time this mess was sorted out.

This.

I wanted to give Paunovic until the end of September but I think I’ve had enough already. He’s really not getting why we’re so shit.

Out.

I was fully expecting us to be in the relegation zone or close to it by October. There's just now way around it given the issues we've had to deal with recently

I was interested to see if the manager could mould a team together over that period that would ultimately get us out of it.

But of course I continually underestimate the impatience of our fans. . . . ..

When you can see there's a squad problem, or poor players, or results are close, it's easier to say stick with the manager. Get through it and see what lessons are learnt. Sometimes a bit of distance is needed which you can't get in the midst of the season.

But right now, it really does seem to be coaching and set up that's the problem. As it seemed to be with Stam and Gomes.

Paunovic absolutely could be trying to address some very clear tactical problems. Just like those above though, he isn't. He has a small, shallow squad. But the biggest problems are in defence, where he has virtually his first choice side available. That we know can do better.

And that's the crux for me. The weaknesses should be a strength, and there are clear and simple changes to be made that will help. But haven't been. That's the backroom staff.

Do you think our fans are any different to fans of the 91 other League teams?
We have the worst defence of all 92 clubs by a distance so far this season and the same failings are recurring and not being addressed.

I just cannot understand Pauno's stubborn refusal to adapt.

Whatever he is trying is clearly not working. The back line either can't, or won't, do what he's asking of them. There was "defending" on show today that would have made u10 sides blush. Laurent and Rino, a class act in front of the back line last year, now just seem to encourage attackers to play through and gee them on. Rino casually nutmegging himself for the first today should give him night terrors for years to come.

This result was overdue, and could really have come any time since January. The question is what happens next, because even with the handful of (surprisingly) quality loans and frees we're managing to pull off (Hoilett notwithstanding), Pauno is clearly not the man to take this side anywhere other than backwards (or sideways).

middle of the pitch had so many gaping holes Lisa Ann would be proud

Literally agree with every single comment so far, the only 2 to come out with any credit from yesterday’s s**t shower where Holmes and Swift, and they gave up when the second goal went.

I attended the game with 2 non Reading supporting friends and it is always “refreshing” to get an objective view. The simplest observation they made was we simply had no identity. Tip tap, tip tap, welly it. They also commented on fitness, a sore that has run through the club for far too long now.


I am sure when we appointed VP, there was a Q&A type thing with the local soccer reporting hack from (I believe) the Chicago Tribune. Alarms rang straight away, but subsequently temporarily disappeared after our start last year, as the report wasn’t exactly glowing on Pauno. Alas I cannot find said piece anywhere, but I believe pointed out 3 failings, 1. Failure to make subs in time to impact the game, 2. Failure to adapt from what he perceives to be the right way, I.e. no plan B and 3. Failure to get a side out of a slump. How spot on was he.

Something needs to change pdq, or as was sung yesterday, “we are going to Shrewsbury”

A Terriers fan here again not to rub salt into open wounds but just say we weren’t great by any means but some of the derogatory comments on here about our performance yesterday are unbelievable. I know football is all about opinions and thank goodness for that, however to describe your inept display yesterday as made worse because we are utter shite is ridiculous in the extreme and makes we wonder how some of you see life generally. All I will add is your performance was matched by your pitiful follow on the day! Rubbish

I didn't think that the Terriers were that great yesterday, but they did take full advantage of our ineptitude. I honestly thought were in for a 6 or 7 goal tonking which other teams may well have done.

I left after the third and they scored the 4th as I got to the gate. We were poor in defence and blunt in attack. Pathetic.

A nice reminder from the club, "Thank you for travelling 412 miles, have a safe journey home"

I had the choice of visiting Huddersfield or staying home dipping my feet in boiling hot oil. i chose the latter.

What derogatory comments are you referring to? Please point out where we have said you were “utter shite?”

Yeah let’s keep it civil gents. We’re not fcuking animals/Stoke fans.

How long did it take to get up there and back ?Went to a wedding in Honiton yesterday;3 1/2 hours on A303 getting there and about 2 1/2 hours getting back M5/M4;don’t drive a lot since Covid and cream crackered today.
Got tickets for 20/20 final;anyone know what parking s like round Edgbaston ?

Not great........

Not great........
Depends how far you are prepared to walk...

I lost count how many times you passed the ball out of play under no pressure from us.

In your previous games you couldn’t beat an awful Derby, got tonked by Fulham and narrowly beat Preston and Sheffield Utd and needed a last minute goal to do it when you were probably the second best team.

Of your 3 wins 2 were against teams in the bottom 4 and 1 of them were down there when you played you them. It’s a long season but I would be incredibly surprised if you finished top 10 by the end of it. I’m glad you guys have a sense of optimism from a decent start (we had that last year), it’s nice and I like Huddersfield - I always have ever since our battle-of-the-tinpots when you guys beat us at Wembley. I do think it’s a little sad you have you have to come onto another team’s forum to make silly comments. Thinking you were anything other than average yesterday and that you probably had the easiest game of the season, is just not pragmatic and makes you look naive.

Also nice touch on commenting on away support - I assume you will personally be travelling down to Reading for the reverse fixture? My god, imagine bothering what another human being does with their time and thinking it really matters. You must be a child. Or at least I oxf*rd hope you are otherwise smh.

I drove up to Manchester in the morning so was about 2 or so hours at that time, about an hour or so across to Huddersfield for the game and then just under 3 getting home. Overall had a great day just a shame about the football.

Think one of the silliest was Tuesday night away at Newcastle there and back. We also got hammered iirc.

Do you think our fans are any different to fans of the 91 other League teams?
We have the worst defence of all 92 clubs by a distance so far this season and the same failings are recurring and not being addressed.

I'm just saying that our performances and results were completely predictable given what has happened with the squad. It takes time to stitch together a new team - I honestly don't think that any manager would be doing any differently. You could have prime age Alex Ferguson with the ghost of Alf Ramsay as his assistant and it wouldn't change the fact that our team doesn't have enough experience.

Do you think our fans are any different to fans of the 91 other League teams?
We have the worst defence of all 92 clubs by a distance so far this season and the same failings are recurring and not being addressed.

I'm just saying that our performances and results were completely predictable given what has happened with the squad. It takes time to stitch together a new team - I honestly don't think that any manager would be doing any differently. You could have prime age Alex Ferguson with the ghost of Alf Ramsay as his assistant and it wouldn't change the fact that our team doesn't have enough experience.

Yet most the team are not new, and we have virtually our full first choice defensive midfield and defence and we have shipped 13 goals in 5 games.

So…..