15 May 2013
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading manager Nigel Adkins was right to say there were plenty of positives to take from Reading's 0-2 defeat against Manchester City - our final home game in the Premier League this season. The press were probably also right to widely claim that Manchester City were the better side, played the better football, and were winners who might have won by more. However, I couldn't help but think the papers were a bit harsh when describing Reading as lacking any quality or fight. City enjoyed the best of the first half but Reading had a great patch in the middle of the second half where they dominated the game for twenty minutes and so nearly found an equaliser. City then finished on top after securing a late goal to follow up their first half effort to give a comfortable score-line.
Reports of the game also called the first half "turgid" - harsh on both sides who were trying to play some good football. The ball was never in the air as Reading looked a transformed side playing the ball nicely along the ground out of defence. Unfortunately, City were, as expected, the better passing side and it was the outstanding Alex McCarthy in the Reading goal who was required to make more than his fair share of saves. City's first goal came from a very well worked corner five minutes before the break.
Reading continued their passing game after half time and eventually it looked like it might pay some rewards with Karacan coming close, Pogrebnyak getting an effort in and Robson-Kanu also carving out some chances for himself. For a while Reading looked a decent side putting England's second best side under real pressure. Hart made some good saves himself to keep City ahead before City reasserted their authority. A defensive mistake from Kelly gifted City the chance to wrap up the victory two minutes from time.
However, despite twenty impressive minutes, this was yet another Premier League defeat for the Royals. Adkins has seen his new side pick up just five points from seven games. In Adkins' four home games his side have failed to score a single goal. Nigel Adkins has one more game that he's "allowed" to lose - the final game of the season at West Ham United next weekend. The next competitive game after that will be in the Championship and Adkins, and his side, will be expected to pick up points rather than just positives.
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