Reading V Chelsea match thread

The 17 Bus · by **The 17 Bus** » 16 Aug 2007 08:29

Good question re Convey, we were told he was fit before the Man U game, but has played no part, you have to wonder if the injury has healed.

Not surprised to see the negative comments about Cisse, first game syndrome for Reading fans.

Pissing down with rain, hard to time tackles, for both sides and he was unfortunate, if a little nieve(sp) to get sent off.

FinchOwl · by **FinchOwl** » 16 Aug 2007 08:44

Mmmm, i read some interesting points and some utter bullsh*t ones too(as is the norm on HNA?) My take on last night is this

1. You cant judge players after 1 game in the premiership having come in from another country, especially when its against the champions from 2 out of the last 3 seasons and a team who have players that cost more than our fcuking stadium!!! Leave Cisse alone and give him time

2. Possibly the worst i have ever seen Shorey play for reading, everytime Malouda, SWP, Kalou got the ball in front of him he sh*t himself and backed off, allowing them time and space on the ball, also when he had the ball he didnt look confident like he did last year

3. We are too lightweight as a team, particularly out wide. I noticed this on sunday too. We get muscled off the ball far too easily. Harper, Shorey and someone else had about 3 or 4 failed goes at tackles and 50/50's for the second chelsea goal alone

4. We were playing Chelsea FFS. They will finish in the top 2 and quite possibly win the league, why are people moaning when we have given them a fright for the second season in a row?? 2 years ago we were beating Brighton at the Whitdean, i know what i'd prefer!!(and its not a trip to the seaside)

5. My biggest criticism, and this was the case quite a few times last season, we failed to kill the game when we were on top, we could, and should have been at least 2-0 at half time, maybe even 3 or 4 if your being ultra harsh. We got away with this last year to an extent, but we need to get that killer instinct if we want to beat the so called 'top sides'. Last night showed that you need to take full advantage when a team plays sh*t for 45minutes, we didnt quite do it last night.

Overall i was quite happy with our performance, and even if we lose on saturday, we will have still taken more points than we did in the corresponding 3 fixtures last season(1-0 loss at home to Chelsea, 2-1 loss to Everton and 3-2 defeat at OT)

Schards#2 · by **Schards#2** » 16 Aug 2007 08:47

I'm absolutely staggered at some of the comments on here. People slagging off Murty, Shorey, Cisse, Seol and Long for not running rings around a team that cost hundreds of millions to assemble. Pride of place goes to Andy RFC's "same old Reading" Where the f**k have you been the last two years?

Chelsea are cheats, divers, drama queens, ref intimidators, everything that's wrong with football. But they also have about Â£200,000,000 worth of talent on the pitch at any one time, (all bought, none of it nurtured) and that means it needs a near miracle for a side like Reading to get a result against them.

Reading were superb in the first half but it doesn't matter how well Reading play, if Chelsea play their best, they will beat us. They upped it in the second half and we couldn't cope because, simply, our players are not as good as theirs. That's not to say they are poor as they certainly are not, but they are not a match for Chelsea at their best.

To slag our players off for losing, particulary players who would not be a first choice normally or who are making their debut in british football is a remarkably stupid and naive response.

Royal Rother · by **Royal Rother** » 16 Aug 2007 08:51

Indeed - I too am bloody aghast, amazed, astonished too.

Shocking stuff, absolutely shocking!

The whole year inn · by **The whole year inn** » 16 Aug 2007 08:53

Shane Long should not be starting games in the Premiership. Full stop.

When last season ended I was looking forward to a new striker coming in, thinking it was as close to a certainty as any signing we would make. Especially with Kitsons fitness record.

So it is Long vs Yobo and Lescott on Saturday then, a competent a premiership centre half pairing as you are going to get at this level. Great

Scarface · by **Scarface** » 16 Aug 2007 08:54

What concerns me is to achieve what we did last year with virtually the same squad (which the RTG's think is possible) players have to play above themselves again.

In the 2 games so far Doyle, Harper, Shorey and Murty have not looked anywhere near as good as last year, epsecially Shorey.

Ok we huffed and puffed first half, but we have serious problems in the squad right now and Coppell should of refreshed the forward line, the right wing and also a the right back positions. Shane Long is just not a Premiership player either.

As for Cisse, first Premiership game so difficult to judge, but he looked off the pace and I would of subbed him 10 mins before he got sent off.

Still I'll try and not to be too negative right now as it will probably be the next 5 games that really define our season and not 2 games against Man Utd and Chelsea. So back the boys and get behind them Saturday as that will be an even harder game than last night the way Everton are playing.

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 16 Aug 2007 08:54

Reading fans slag their team for 'not finishing off' Chelsea !!

Happy days !!

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 16 Aug 2007 08:57

Behindu Reading fans slag their team for 'not finishing off' Chelsea !!

Happy days !!

You could argue that on last night that is a fair criticism as we could and should have done that in the first half. A 2 or 3 goal lead was there with more composure in front of goal.

Beyond that some of the comments made are bizarre to say the least. Games against Chelsea will not shape our season, if we'd lost to say Fulham last night I'd understand it a lot more.

Trigger · by **Trigger** » 16 Aug 2007 08:57

Schards#2 I'm absolutely staggered at some of the comments on here. People slagging off Murty, Shorey, Cisse, Seol and Long for not running rings around a team that cost hundreds of millions to assemble. Pride of place goes to Andy RFC's "same old Reading" Where the f**k have you been the last two years?

Couldn't agree more. Some people on here need a big bloody reality check.

I didn't see many heads going down and there was plenty of belief and passion out there, but at the end of the day a 1 goal deficit against a team as good as Chelsea might be as good as it can get at the moment.

Special praise for Hunty who may have already been picked out earlier in this rather depressing thread but who I reckon just played his best game yet for us.

Well done boys and bad luck.

Royal Rother · by **Royal Rother** » 16 Aug 2007 08:58

Scarface Ok we huffed and puffed first half,

Huffed and puffed???

You IDIOT!!

In the 1st half we outplayed the team that have won God knows how many trophies in the last 3 years, with the most costly squad ever built in this country, and we did it with slick movement and passing that was a joy to watch!!

Astonishing!

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 16 Aug 2007 09:00

Stranded
Behindu Reading fans slag their team for 'not finishing off' Chelsea !!

Happy days !!

You could argue that on last night that is a fair criticism as we could and should have done that in the first half. A 2 or 3 goal lead was there with more composure in front of goal.
.

Indeed, it's just the weird sight of us getting upset becasue we didn;t kill off the most expensive team ever assembled when I'm more used to seeing us fail to beat Gillingham or York !

Of course we should be setting our sights so much higher these days but it still makes me smile to think we are now (rightly) thinking we should have beaten Chelsea when such a short time ago we could hradly dream of even playing them !)

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 16 Aug 2007 09:00

Royal Rother
Scarface Ok we huffed and puffed first half,

Huffed and puffed??? You IDIOT!!

In the 1st half we outplayed the team that have won God knows how many trophies in the last 3 years, with the most costly squad ever built in this country, and we did it with slick movement and passing that was a joy to watch!!

Astonishing!

So somebody was at the same game I was last night.

Only one Trevor Morley · by **Only one Trevor Morley** » 16 Aug 2007 09:04

Cisse, rather like the team, had two contrasting halves. In the first half he looked pretty good, moppoing up play , a couple of good tackles, some nice simple pasess. His was poor in the second half, looked lost etc, but then so did most of them.

Tilehurst End · by **Tilehurst End** » 16 Aug 2007 09:04

Sky Sports News presenter took pains to point out that Chelsea were missing Ballack, Bridge, Terry, Shevchenko etc. , no mention of us being without Kitson, Lita, Convey, Little, Sonko, Fae.

Amusing moment when dopey skouser Thompson thought we'd gone 2 up but then realized it was a replay of the first goal!

FinchOwl · by **FinchOwl** » 16 Aug 2007 09:12

Behindu Reading fans slag their team for 'not finishing off' Chelsea !!

Happy days !!

Shows har far we've come in the last few years!!

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 16 Aug 2007 09:12

Surely they were missing Bridge as much as they were missing Peter Osgood ?
Bridge is their reserve left back and from what I could see Ashley Cole was playing so even if fit Bridge would probably have been sat at home with his feet up.

soggy biscuit · by **soggy biscuit** » 16 Aug 2007 09:14

LOL @ Reading fans

Schards#2 · by **Schards#2** » 16 Aug 2007 09:15

Scarface What concerns me is to achieve what we did last year with virtually the same squad (which the RTG's think is possible) players have to play above themselves again.

In the 2 games so far Doyle, Harper, Shorey and Murty have not looked anywhere near as good as last year, epsecially Shorey.

Ok we huffed and puffed first half, but we have serious problems in the squad right now and Coppell should of refreshed the forward line, the right wing and also a the right back positions. Shane Long is just not a Premiership player either.

As for Cisse, first Premiership game so difficult to judge, but he looked off the pace and I would of subbed him 10 mins before he got sent off.

Still I'll try and not to be too negative right now as it will probably be the next 5 games that really define our season and not 2 games against Man Utd and Chelsea. So back the boys and get behind them Saturday as that will be an even harder game than last night the way Everton are playing.

What planet are you on?

Shorey and Murty were integral in our getting a clean sheet at Old Trafford, OLD TRAFFORD FOR F**K'S SAKE. No more than 2-3 teams will achieve that this season.

Maguire · by **Maguire** » 16 Aug 2007 09:16

Cisse was complete pony, but I didn't really expect much else given the opposition and the fact that it was his first game in the Prem.

Harper is still about as strong as wet tissue.

Shorey won't remember the game with any fondness.

Apart from that, really enjoyed it. First half was very good, with Chelsea's defensive frailties exposed several times. Switched off for 5 minutes and lost the game.

I think Hunt is rubbish, but I've got to hold my hands up and say he had a pretty decent game last night. Fair fcuks.

leon · by **leon** » 16 Aug 2007 09:16

Only one Trevor Morley Cisse, rather like the team, had two contrasting halves. In the first half he looked pretty good, moppoing up play , a couple of good tackles, some nice simple pasess. His was poor in the second half, looked lost etc, but then so did most of them.

Cisse didnt have the best of debuts - but hopefully he'll learn to track the runner from midfield (I mean it's Lampard ffs) and not pick up silly cards. I thought Harper did OK.

It was obvious the way the ref was handing out cards that someone was going to sent off. Coppell really should have subbed Cisse in the 2nd half.

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