Despite the fact we largely dominated the game I put that down as a lucky win courtesy of a ref who was equally as shit for both sides.

The first half we looked pretty good and Beerens should have taken one or maybe 2 of his chances to put us ahead. Second half it was like Ipswich had sussed us out and completely nullified us. It looked like they came for the point and if they'd of been more clinical they could have got 3.

Of the team my MOTM was probably Joey with AVH a close second. No real stand out performers but I wonder how Evans and Williams get picked ahead of Quinn. The subs were largely down to (very soft) bookings but they largely improved us and seemed the right changes, although I'd of liked to have seem Ainsley on.

Roll on Tuesday.

Not sure what role the ref played. Both our pens looked pretty clear cut.

Yup. Only dodgy one was theres.

8 fouls. 5 yellow cards.

Very happy to grind out another result - as we well know, it's how you do well in this division.

I'm one of the patient party; and I don't mind performances like today. Keeping possession and getting the goal before half time, at the break I felt we were dominant in the first half.

Lo and behold a goal against us straight after half time (unfair against Blackett IMO) brought us back down to earth and we went for a different tactic to please the boo boys.

Yes, Ipswich had a couple more chances but as did we. We could have been 2 or 3 up before HT.

Went batshit crazy when Williams put away the pen at the end. It was a clear penalty going by the new rules.


I'm pleased Stam has got the defence sorted out - further up the field is very much a work in progress. But the attacking players will get there; with some young talent there to turn to as the season progresses, I'm optimistic. Players like Harriott and Samuel may even get a chance on Tuesday, shame about Meite.

Bring on Brum.

Didn't you know that all refs are dodgy?

Just back, not seen any replays but was sat right in line with their pen and it looked nailed on to me. Blackett prevented Pitman from getting a jump and could totally see why the ref gave it.

Saw the tv in the bar with no sound and was surprised to see Roy get MOM. For me it was Joey by a country mile.

One for dissent and one for getting in a fight when the ball was out of play, neither of which count as fouls. I don't think he had any choice with Evans, Moore, and (assuming the foul was correct) Blackett.

Not an inspiring match. A draw would have been fair but we were marginally the better side.

Strange subs from Stam - would have brought the same players off but with Swift on for Evans and then Harriott on for McCleary.

We need to have more patience. It was clear that the long balls weren't working so we should have got the midfield involved earlier in the build up.

Joey played very well but needs to get that temper under control. Beerens also had a good match although he faded a bit. Kermogant linked play well but we need more bodies in the box, particularly when he drifts into the channels. Moore was our best defender by a stretch.

Enjoyed the winning
JVDB showed his experience after the initial dust up in the box - a pointless but purposeful run, had to be stopped and only one way to do it

Al Habsi - 8 made a couple of good saves, seemed calm when he had the ball at his feet
Gunter - 7 always seems to give his man to long to get a cross in
Moore - 7 looked solid, seemed comfortable bringing the ball out of defence, a couple of wayward long range diagonals let him down
McShane - 7 solid, again same as Moore looked OK on the ball
Blackett - 8 don't understand some of the criticism on the radio, looked good filling in at CB when they moved forward and was linking well with Beerena. Very soft own given against him.
VDB- 8 seemed to be everywhere in the second half, great to watch but he will pick up 15+ bookings this year
Evans - 7 from my angle it looked like he got some of the ball in the challenge but seeing again was lucky to stay on. That being said thought he was unlucky to be taken off
Williams - 6 gets the ball head down and runs in to trouble. Repeat this 6/7 times in the second half
Beerens - 7 had the beating of man every time in the first half. Nothing in the box to pick out
Mcleary - 7 looked dangerous in the first half and went missing in the second
Kermogant - 5 miss controls it and precedes to slate the pass. Flicks on to space that he knows nobody is going to be in and doesn't close down there defence. Our system won't fully work whilst he is in the team

Really do not know how Kerm is going to play week in week out 90 mins, hopefully that will change, he looked like he faded after 60 mins!

Swift looked decent when he came on, would have thought he be pushing for a starting berth on Tuesday.

I can see the performances improving although I think the passing at the back especially to Ali looked suspect, put alot of pressure on him which he didn;t cope well with!

Frustrated again with the lack of movement in attacking areas. All the play is too static and played in front of their defence, we need to play with a bit more tempo, have players dropping short, running in behind. Everything we did came from the flanks to little avail. Our set piece delivery was pretty woeful as well.

Think Moore is brilliant and started off a lot of our attacks by him carrying the ball out of defence - something that lacked before him. Thought everyone did ok but Williams, goal aside, was poor for me. Offers energy but has ZERO footballing brain. Constantly runs into danger and loses the ball, would much rather see Quinn and Swift start either side of VDB. Whilst a draw probably would have been a fair result very happy with the win and still unbeaten at home.

Highlights already up.

Lino giving offside from a throw set the tone really.

See Liam Moore's reaction at the award of our winning penalty. There's a man that cares, and a man that can certainly play. Blackett needs more match time, and we need a better option going forward than Kermorgant. But on the whole, we stuck to the plan and we won the game, nothing more to be asked of them.

if you fckwits could stop booing a player obviously doing what his boss has told him to do, thatd be grand. Youll give em a fcking complex.

Main issue for me tonight was that they man-marked our central midfield out of the game in the first half, and pressed us high up the pitch in the second, and we had no real answer to either. Still, probably just edged it overall (although they missed one absolute sitter) and both of our penalties were stonewall.

Al-Habsi - 7 a few good saves.
Gunter - 6 as another poster said, rarely does enough to stop the cross. Good in possession and with McShane.
McShane - 7 looked slightly shaky at first but grew into it and played well, passed out well.
Moore - 5 wasn't that impressed to be honest, got caught out of position a couple of times and didn't seem to have much understanding with Blackett. Love how he carries the ball out, but his long balls up to Kermogant and out wide were hit and miss. Will improve. Beaten by his man too often though.
Blackett - 5 like Moore, was caught out of position a couple of times and was quite error prone - just a lack of concentration over the little things. Think the penalty decision was harsh. Obita looks a lot better on current showings.
VDB - 8 as everyone else has said, excellent. Great covering when the defenders were caught out of position, won lots in midfield and good passing. Few mistakes.
Evans - 6 wasn't too involved as was very tightly marked. Lucky to stay on, but did well when he had the ball.
Williams - 7 he's crucial to the team at present as he's the one midfielder who can carry the ball forward when we're struggling with the passing game. Positive on the ball but was limited through tight marking again.
McCleary - 7 good, had the beating of his man and put in some good balls but has to sort of his delivery from free kicks.
Beerens - 7.5 should have scored or assisted Kermogant really, but was great in the first half overall and pretty good in the second.
Kermogant - 7 won lots in the air, just a bit unlucky that nothing really fell for him in the box.

Quinn - 6
Swift - 7
Obita - n/a but 7 for his 5mins

You really aren't helping Stam's cause.

You really aren't helping Stam's cause.
Read it again.

Im quite happy to watch passing out from the back, and its embarrassing to hear morons not understanding the game and booing possession play.

Didn't seem to know what plan b was. Not always comfortable receiving the ball either.

Without Swift the midfield lacks a creative spark.

Thought Blackett had an absolute mare. Joey looked good.

The playing it round the back 3 looked suicidal at times. You can see what the idea is - it draws the oppositions midfielders forward and out of position leading to an easy ball over the top for us. Good when it works. Suicidal when it doesn't and probably not worth the net risk.

We've gone from the sublime to the rediculous with Kermorgant. We've been begging for a threat in the air for years, an now we have one the ball won't stick to his feet, just bounces off him.

He wins practically everything in the air but there's never anyone in the right place. He gets the little flick that that needs someone running off his shoulder to latch onto it. Rackels was getting it at the end of last season, but our current system doesn't really allow for it.

Game was not a classic, sloppy from both sides in the 3rd quarter. I don't think Gunter and Blackett were used enough on the overlap given how high they're played.

I really like Moore. He's got all the attributes.

Agree, i guess it begs the question does the formation allow a second striker/behind the striker to mop up his hold up/aerial play....

not a great performance, but did enough to win ugly in a game we would most certainly have lost last season.

bossed the 1st half in toothless style. second half we rode our luck as mcarthys men pressed higher up and made our defence look shaky at best.

replays suggest the 1st pen was correct, if a little harsh, his arm was out, but could do little about it.
second pen, less so, but there was a nudge. it looked like the ball and player were already heading out though and the Ipswich man made a terrible meal of it, which the ref bought.
Third was a definite pen. after stopping play and booking a player, the ref had no choice but to give it and ipswich should have no real complaints.

moore looked less assured than at Cardiff, but I thought blackett looked pretty decent. very strong on the ball.
he did make a couple of errors where he switched off, but otherwise assured. obita offered more going forward though.
Mcshane continues to worry me this season, and gunter was gunterish throughout.

love joey, hes a nut job.

sort of enjoyed it, despite the ref being awful, and our crowd engaging in some pathetic booing.
up to third. itll do.

thanks to muirinho for the free ticket
and it was good to notch another spotted of, and meat up with the north stand condiment man, royal ginger

Despite having a ST tonight was my first actual game this season.

Sorry chaps, but we were shit. That was worse than an Adkins team at their meandering worst.

Give the ball to the centre backs inevitably being closed down by the opposition, who then try to avoid gifting a goal. Crazy. Absolutely crazy. We looked a shambles at the back. All self inflicted and we'd get fcuked by a decent front line.

Joey VdB is a beast without a neck, who likes a tackle/grapple - I like him. Just what we've been missing. He's got to drop to pick the ball up though otherwise we'll be conceding goals like we did at Newcastle.

Don't like the style of play, we created very little and second half Ipswich could have scored a couple, until the ref decided to settle it.

seemed to cope with it very well, one or two errors aside

No idea why that twat mcarthy is having a pop at the ref.

Go and give your players a bollocking for giving away two blatant pens.

Multi page thread over on NSC with the gem:

Reading don't even deserve my contempt but I cannot help but wish them every shred of bad luck for the rest of their existence.

Anyway pleased with the result. That was the kind of game that we would've lost in the last couple of seasons, instead we won it. Promising signs if not perfect.

I am currently struggling to type having just consumed the world's spiciest kebab, and I will spend tomorrow on the toilet.

All in the name of fun.

URZ

Tbf he did say something along the lines that once the referee highlights an issue, for a player to go and do it (soft or not) the very next play he is at fault and an idiot.