Reading vs. Spurs Match Thread

[Royal Rother]

[Man Friday]

I was also concerned at how much quicker and alert they were than us. Just more athletic, fitter, stronger. Aside from the gulf in skill.

[BrockManson]

Reading were off the pace. Defence let the team down, the keeper was out of his depth.

I still can't believe their third goal. Gorks getting outmuscled by a midget, Pearce repeatedly standing off from Defoe who is a proven goal scorer. He was guided into a prime shooting position and scored. Easy.

Harte was at fault for the first two goals. Out of position, slow, couldn't put a foot in and generally a bystander. AVB got it right - Harte and McAnuff are the weakest left side in the Premiership and Spuds exploited it all game long.

McAnuff has been in dreadful form for some time now. He needs to be told that he can't shoot. At all. He NEEDS to just beat his man and cross it or lay it off to a team mate rather than balloon it at goal. Woeful performance but what concerns me is he doesn't motivate the team around him - not once did i see him try and gee the lads up. Guthrie was shouting at all and sundry as we were shite, that should be McAnuff at all times. McD needs to grow a pair and drop him the moment Kebe is fit, or even give Kanu a go after his goal.

Positives though:

Kanu's goal was well taken, and Alf's assist was perfect. Good goal.

Pog, McCleary and Guthrie are three brilliant signings. Give them more time on the pitch and they'll get some goals. McCleary is the best right winger the club has had since Blakey. He has the pace and skill to embarrass the full back (Naughton couldn't deal with him) and most importantly he has the footballing brain to actually play balls into dangerous areas. Early contender for player of the season for me, I think he's fantastic. Pog is looking good, he'll do well against the lesser teams in the league. Guthrie too got some unfair stick from the Berks today - his passing at times is sublime.

There was a 20 minute period where the team played as a unit and really had Spuds on the back foot. Unfortunately the lack of games meant that sharpness wasn't quite there and after the first goal went in it was always going to be a massive ask to get something out of the game. With the showings against Stoke and Chelsea, I'm still feeling like the team has something to offer in this league. Let's not forget how diabolical the performances were at the start of last season!

[cmonurz]

The 'problem' with our signings is that save for 45 minutes from Leg and Pearce being in alright form, they are the only ones who really look up to it at this level.

[paultheroyal]

End of the day that performance should not come as any surprise!

It's how we react that matters now.

[Ian Royal]

End of the day that performance should not come as any surprise!

It's how we react that matters now.

Agree. We've got to pick ourselves up. Go out there and enjoy having a real go at every team we come up against. Not enough confidence, too much nerves right now.

[Big Ern]

We were well beaten to a team superior in every department who are a well established top 6 Prem team with some World Class players. We showed at times we could play against them after half time, but we should not worry too much as anything from the likes of Spurs, Chelsea, Man U Arsenal and Man City would be a bonus.

Though The Pog looked decent and will cause teams problems. The midfield played better when we went from 5 to 4 and it seems we are more comfortable with 442.

All in all not too worried. We can beat the likes of West Ham, Southapton, Villa Wigan WBA to name a few and these gains will determine out fortunes in the league, not games like yesterday's.

[knobby_1871]

Reading were off the pace. Defence let the team down, the keeper was out of his depth.

I still can't believe their third goal. Gorks getting outmuscled by a midget, Pearce repeatedly standing off from Defoe who is a proven goal scorer. He was guided into a prime shooting position and scored. Easy.

Harte was at fault for the first two goals. Out of position, slow, couldn't put a foot in and generally a bystander. AVB got it right - Harte and McAnuff are the weakest left side in the Premiership and Spuds exploited it all game long.

McAnuff has been in dreadful form for some time now. He needs to be told that he can't shoot. At all. He NEEDS to just beat his man and cross it or lay it off to a team mate rather than balloon it at goal. Woeful performance but what concerns me is he doesn't motivate the team around him - not once did i see him try and gee the lads up. Guthrie was shouting at all and sundry as we were shite, that should be McAnuff at all times. McD needs to grow a pair and drop him the moment Kebe is fit, or even give Kanu a go after his goal.

Positives though:

Kanu's goal was well taken, and Alf's assist was perfect. Good goal.

Pog, McCleary and Guthrie are three brilliant signings. Give them more time on the pitch and they'll get some goals. McCleary is the best right winger the club has had since Blakey. He has the pace and skill to embarrass the full back (Naughton couldn't deal with him) and most importantly he has the footballing brain to actually play balls into dangerous areas. Early contender for player of the season for me, I think he's fantastic. Pog is looking good, he'll do well against the lesser teams in the league. Guthrie too got some unfair stick from the Berks today - his passing at times is sublime.

There was a 20 minute period where the team played as a unit and really had Spuds on the back foot. Unfortunately the lack of games meant that sharpness wasn't quite there and after the first goal went in it was always going to be a massive ask to get something out of the game. With the showings against Stoke and Chelsea, I'm still feeling like the team has something to offer in this league. Let's not forget how diabolical the performances were at the start of last season!

agree with most of this, how can McAnuff retain his place HRK did more in 10 mins than he did all game and scored a goal, loyalty Brian? let's win some games

[larry1971]

Reading were off the pace. Defence let the team down, the keeper was out of his depth.

I still can't believe their third goal. Gorks getting outmuscled by a midget, Pearce repeatedly standing off from Defoe who is a proven goal scorer. He was guided into a prime shooting position and scored. Easy.

!

said exactly the same to my brother , Defoe is a top quallity striker but you should not be allowing a man of his size to physically get the better of you nor should you allow him the space he was being given - what was worrying is the lack of chances created according to the match stats Reading had 4 shots on goal to Tottenham's 22 and for a home side that is unexceptable.

[windermere_royal]

I was going to start a thread on this but i will just put it here, was the rapturous applause for Siggy when his name was announced and when he was subbed really called for?, to my knowledge he didn`t even acknowledge it.
all he cares for now is Spurs not the team and fans that made him. he could have at least have made a gesture of thanks. if he did I missed it.

[melonhead]

he did acknowlegde it as he came on, and as he went off


it was a little rapturous though, a short but decent polite handclap was all that was required, and it went slightly over that

[No Fixed Abode]

AVB only here for the LOLz.