News and Views

Reading Frustrated As Fans Stay Away

12 January 2017
By Hob Nob Anyone?

In a game in which Reading dominated possession without ever testing the Rangers 'keeper, John Mackie seized his opportunity midway through the first half to inflict a second home defeat of the season on his former club. It was a workmanlike performance from the visitors, content to sit back and frustrate Reading, and take advantage of mistakes to break out of their own half; and there were plenty of mistakes. It was not a good night for Reading or their fans. Having seen their team significantly underperform they heard Jaap Stam expressing frustration doubts about the uncertainty of ownership and future direction of the club on their journey home.
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Discussion On This Story:

 CountryRoyal

» 12 Jan 2017 21:45

Started writing this with 6 minutes left on the clock because it was so obvious to absolutely everyone that we were never getting anything out of this.

oxf*rd atrocious. One of the worst performances of the season, almost as frustrating as Wolves away.

So sloppy, so disjointed, complacency everywhere, no anticipation, second best to everything, unnacurate, soft, careless, clueless and generally shit.

I'd say it's an off day at the office but this is how we played for most of Bristol City and we were just as inept against Utd (better quality of opposition admittedly)

Moore and McCleary the only ones to really come out of that with any modicum of respectability.

Al-Habsi 5

Gunter 4
VDB 3
Moore 6
Obita 2

Swift 4
Kelly 5
Williams 3

McCleary 6
Kerm 4
Beerens 2

Stam 0 - Wrong tactics, wrong line up, wrong (lack there of) subs.

Only going one where playing like this and it's not oxf*rd up. I've had enough football for this week oxf*rd me this has possed me off. Ineptitidude of the highest order.

 Kitsondinho

» 12 Jan 2017 21:46

We were better on Saturday. Which is hardly complimentary.

 TBM

» 12 Jan 2017 21:48

FFS PLEASE STOP PLAYING VDB AT CENTRE HALF

AND BUY A FCUKING STRIKER

 Avon Royal

» 12 Jan 2017 21:49



Agreed.

 Ian Royal

» 12 Jan 2017 21:49

For all the negativity that there'll be (much of it fully justified), we were still only a whisker away from getting an equaliser a couple of times and rescuing a thoroughly underserved point. Obviously if QPR were any good they'd have scored several more themselves given the utter shambles our defence was, particularly JVDB.

For me, this is just pretty par for the course given where we're at and how we play. If the passing works well and we get an early goal, we'll do very well in a game. If we get frustrated and especially if the opposition knicks a lead, we'll huff and puff and commit suicide at the back repeatedly, and look absolutely shocking.

It's performances like this that make me think we aren't ready for promotion and certainly won't get it.

There's lots of positives to take forward for this team, if not this performance. But there are just way too many weak links right now.

 Kitsondinho

» 12 Jan 2017 21:51



Agreed.
Potato ..... potatoe :wink:

 CountryRoyal

» 12 Jan 2017 21:52



Difficult to see reason in the mood I am right now, but good post.

Perspective.

 Stranded

» 12 Jan 2017 21:52

Awful, absolutely nobody seems up for this game tonight, including the fans given the crowd (understandable turnout with the weather around the area). How thing felt flat.

Every player off the pace, no invention and for the first half QPR were happy for us to have the ball as they knew we would give it back to them in our own half and give them an easy break. They took one and Mackie should have had two by HT.

We have 9 days to sort this out before Derby. Another performance like that and we will be ripped to shreds up there and confidence may start to disappear.

 RichTea94

» 12 Jan 2017 21:53

Anyone else quite like the look of Meite when he came on? Fast and strong.

 Ian Royal

» 12 Jan 2017 21:54



Difficult to see reason in the mood I am right now, but good post.

Perspective.

I'm missing a decent season, but it's much easier to maintain perspective when you don't have to travel 80 miles to watch your team be shit every other week.

An absolute stone cold must is that we don't fall apart and nosedive like we have done the last three seasons.

 CountryRoyal

» 12 Jan 2017 21:54



Should have come on at 60 minutes for the the god awful Beerens.

 bobby1413

» 12 Jan 2017 21:55

Did we only make 2 subs?

How can that be justified. Sure i can see that if we were having shot after shot saved and basically raping the goal keeper.

But we weren't. Why not make a sub?

If we did make 3 subs then disregard and consider myself embarrassed

 CountryRoyal

» 12 Jan 2017 21:57



I only remember the one?

 P!ssed Off

» 12 Jan 2017 21:58

Tactically inept.
Any club looking to poach Stam will think again after watching the last two games.

Williams is a man working a six month notice period, stick him on gardening leave.

If you're confused as to why VdB is in the team: same agent as Stam. Simple as that.

 Ian Royal

» 12 Jan 2017 21:58



I only remember the one?

Swift for Meite wasn't it? Also can't remember another.

 P!ssed Off

» 12 Jan 2017 21:59



Only one sub!
Stubborn pcunt.

 Sutekh

» 12 Jan 2017 22:00

Based on the season so far, the aim should be the playoffs

Brighton and Newcastle I think will get automatic and Leeds and Derby will be in the play offs. That leaves, imo, two places up for grabs and a right battle being set up between ourselves, Wednesday, Fulham, Huddersfield, Birmingham and possibly Villa and Norwich.

However, based on that atrocious load of **** tonight, plus the same **** at ManU, plus the same ***** for the first 75 minutes at Ashton Gate plus the inept 45 minutes we got at home to Fulham where Ayuto and Fredericks looked capable of running riot with ease it isn't going to be an easy target to achieve and certainly not without 2/3 decent signings this month.

And with Derby to follow next I think it'll get worse before it gets better.

 CountryRoyal

» 12 Jan 2017 22:02



Only one sub!
Stubborn point.

I remember early days, particularly Wolves and Newcastle away and was surprised at Stam's lack of substitutions.

It's a definite stubbornness to "stick to the plan".

If the plan was to be shit and never look like scoring then fair play lads, carried out perfectly, but I don't understand the mentality of someone watching that thinking we were ok without making changes.

Fact of the matter is the damage was done and highly likely no sub would make a difference to that shower of shite, but to not even try is a bit of a gamble which has backfired.

Be very disappointed if he doesn't get asked why he didn't make more changes and earlier.

 genome

» 12 Jan 2017 22:02

Atmosphere can't have helped tonight.

 Hound

» 12 Jan 2017 22:05

Meite looked at threat certainly - would have put him on at half time

Beerens was poor - but I did think last 15 he did provide prob our only real danger

Evans should have started no doubts.

McCleary did ok when he had it - very disappointed he got so little of the ball

Just a poor day all round. Really need to get something at derby now to keep comfortable in the top 6

 genome

» 12 Jan 2017 22:10

Comment spotted on facebook:

Football is supposed to be exciting and this is absolute shit and let's be honest, it has been all year. It's luck that we're third, this manager has to go.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 P!ssed Off

» 12 Jan 2017 22:14

Yeah, good timing to be issuing a 'come and get me'.
:lol:

 CountryRoyal

» 12 Jan 2017 22:16



:lol: :lol: :lol:

Surely taking the piss?

 bobby1413

» 12 Jan 2017 22:16



:lol: :lol: :lol:


I dispair. Twitter in meltdown saying it's unacceptable and pathetic.

Not pretty but chill. It's one really bad performance and result out of 5 home wins and 9 wins in 11 or something.

We are 3rd.

Fans all wanted mid table this season as a realistic target. Amazing how fans flip so easily and lose their shizzle

 RustyRoyal

» 12 Jan 2017 22:17

Awful. Despite sloppy mistakes Stam has to take the majority of the blame. First half the shape was baffling. With four players (Striker, both wingers and 1 CM) trying to play on the shoulder with another CM stuck out on the right meant that the back 5 had no one to pass to. QRP set up really well to nuetralize us with 2 strikers to press, 3 midfielders to block the passing lanes on the rare occasions Swift decided to come deep and a back 5 to stop us stretching the defence.
Second half when Williams moved more central we improved but still lacked intensity and passing options with Swift still trying to play beside Kermogant.
In general it was just a lazy performance. We need McShane back quick or to get the Ilori deal over the line as we can't play another game with VDB at CB, he's always a liability.

 Sutekh

» 12 Jan 2017 22:19

Al-Habsi 6 - nothing to do really

Gunter 5
VDB 3 - how many more times Jaap, he is not a centre back, play Cooper, play Evans, come out of retirement and play yourself, just anything
Moore 6
Obita 4

Swift 4
Kelly 4
Williams 4 - too much time playing wide right

McCleary 6
Kerm 5
Beerens 4

SKY 0 - just stop moving games to Thursdays, in fact just ****** off completely

All in all the team are playing like the confused mess the ownership of the club is currently in

 sloughroyal123

» 12 Jan 2017 22:19

Mackie is a cpunt

 sandman

» 12 Jan 2017 22:22

Think we should transfer Van Den Yellow card to a walking football team.

 bobby1413

» 12 Jan 2017 22:25



Why?

 Sutekh

» 12 Jan 2017 22:34



Why?

Agreed, why? Dont get why any of our fans were booing him tonight.


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