Back from the game - Barnsley (h)

[ankeny]

I dont think anyone should give a toss about the performance, yes it wasnt the best but who cares we got 3 priceless points

I thought Gunnar was excellent today, khis should come in for Ivar and we need to sign a striker on loan and i think we should be ok!!!

Spot on,who cares how we win,it dont matter anymore as long as we do

[Handsome Man]

[quote="andrew1957"]We won so there should be no moaning from anybody really

Fed - 6 - OK
Griffin - 6 - solid, but does nothing for MacAnuff
Ingi - 7 - looking better with each game
Mills - 9 - like Freddie Flintoff, decisive interventions and found Reading players time after time
Bertrand - 8 - classy
McAnuff- 7 - the only player to suffer since Rodgers left
Karacan - 6 - does loads of work
Gunnar - 7 - lucky but is playing well at the moment
Sig - 7 - par
Church - 6 - one good turn, but not much to make him an effective striker
Long - 8 looked to really enjoy today

Ref- Most refs would have given Gunnarson a red card at some time during the game

McD - Bignall was a weird one: was he trying to show Madejski how much we need a striker?

[Ian Royal]

Well. That was an odd game. Easily the worst I've seen us play at home this season. Even P'boro and QPR away feel like they had more convincing attacking play (in small parts of them). BUT we won. The green rubbed our way today and we kept plugging away making chances. Barnsley never really threatened us and I can't think of a single save Fed had to make.

So whilst we've won at home (at only McDermott's 2nd attempt) it seems like a case of exactly the same as the cup. We just came up against another team able to produce very little goal threat to take advantage of our dodgy defence. Even our goal was slightly fortuitus as there keeper failed to claim the ball.

Federici - 6 - nothing to do, some dodgy kicking. What happened to his excellent distribution?
Griffin - 8 - such an intelligent player. Repeatedly was in situations where he could have been in big trouble but never panicked, always made the right choice and generally cleared his lines.
Bertrand - 7 - better defensively again and assisted Sig pretty well.
Ingimarsson - 6 - some very good moments, but generally IMO pretty poor. I have very little faith in him and I think if anyone has a concentration or consistency problem at the back it's him.
Mills - 7 - very good game, a few hoofs, but generally quality.
Gunnarsson - 7 - played well and lasted the game. made plenty of good challenges and used the ball well. Still don't think he should be playing though.
Karacan - 5 - worst I have ever seen him play. Passes falling short, balls hoofed straight into the air. Ran around like a headless chicken. He did play plenty of stuff that was good, but too much awful.
McAnuff - 7 - drifted in and out of the game and was frustrating, but still produced some quality attacking play
Sigurdsson - 7 - Best attacker on the pitch, but drifted in and out of the game. He also was a little more wasteful than I've seen him before. He is clearly a cut above though
Church - 5 - worked really hard and unlucky not to have scored off the post, but he just kept getting caught offside when he had no excuses. LOOK DOWN THE LINE YOU FOOL.
Long - 7 - his best game for us this season in all probability. Took his goal well and that seemed to improve him. won a lot against the full back, but still has a poor first touch

Bignall - 6 - Did ok. Some intelligent play and very quick.
Howard - 6 - didn't do a lot, but didn't do a great deal wrong. I think he needs to start.

So we seemed to have switched the wrong striker and god knows what Bignall did to get ahead of the other two. Again we play two defensive midfielders and again we fail to really get hold of the ball, or even contain the other midfield well. WE MUST STOP PLAYING TWO DEFENSIVE CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS.

All in all happy with the result. Hopefully we can kick on, but there is masses of work still needed and even though we won, I'd really rather we didn't field the same team again next game.

[AthleticoSpizz]

[quote="Handsome Man
Ref- Most refs would have given Gunnarson a red card at some time during the game [/quote]
maybe...but "most refs" wouldn't have booked him for a bloody good tackle

The ref had lost it by then....a shame, as he looked decent in the first half

[namroyal]

First and foremost, I think we all need to get used to winning games in that style. We are in a relegation dog-fight and that is exactly what it's going to look like on the pitch. As long as players get stuck in as they did today, I don't have any problems with it as long as we're on the right end of the result. We can keep the fancy stuff for next season's campaign, for now it's got to be getting the basics right and sneaking a goal.

As for the other points - Bryn I feared was going to get a red, as from where I was sitting he went in with both feet, with one over the top of the ball. It wasn't dissimilar to the challenge he made in the prem (can't remember who against) where he was sent off. Other than that, he was top class... he's getting better with age!

We should have made more of our clear cut chances - especially where their 'keeper was in no-man's land. A bit more composure on the ball and we would have slotted home there.

Ingi worries me. He pulled himself out on a number of occasions to win an early header - which is fine if he wins it 90% of the time, but he missed too many today, and nobody is then our free man at the back is gone. Against better opposition this will leave us vulnerable, as it just leaves a striker to beat his man and it's 1 on 1 with Feds. It's a picky point, but Ingi just needs to decide when to go for the header or when to stay at home. Mills did ok at getting us out of trouble today though.

Karacan... tried the diagonal ball one too many times, going straight to their left back on all occasions... good player, gets stuck in and has the right attitude, but needs to keep it simple - there were easier options.

Bertrand - great deliveries whether from open play or set pieces and solid at the back. Great enthusiasm and a real work horse. Would love him here permanently.

Gylfi/McAnuff - both had ok games but on recent form I expected a lot more from them today. Gylfi needs to get his shots on target at least, McAnuff should have worked their left back more, and scored with his shots - but they were still both solid.

Church/Long - the pace really worked against a struggling defence, Long held the ball up well - but they both need to be more ruthless infront of goal

Griffin - brilliant in defence - gets a nosebleed if he goes past halfway... and will need to get the bus back into defence. Solid game though. I would have thought Rosenior would be really well suited to how we're trying to play now - so it's a shame he's not around. It would give us an option on both wings then.

All in all, it was the performance that the team needed, not necessarily the one the fans want. Let's not worry how we get the points though, it's the win that counts. Keep the faith.

[AthleticoSpizz]

think you will find that that was West Ham away in our Premier relegation season (when Brynaldo last got sent off).

Thought that his first challenge today (which went unpunished) was a lot worse than the one that he actually (and incorrectly) was

[Ian Royal]

think you will find that that was West Ham away in our Premier relegation season (when Brynaldo last got sent off).

Thought that his first challenge today (which went unpunished) was a lot worse than the one that he actually (and incorrectly) was

Was a fair way from it. But whilst he may have got the ball and not hurt the player, the rules are in place to prevent potentially dangerous challenges. All you have to do is be slightly off and jumping in two footed like that is a leg breaker.

I'd have had no complaints if he went.

[AthleticoSpizz]

think you will find that that was West Ham away in our Premier relegation season (when Brynaldo last got sent off).

Thought that his first challenge today (which went unpunished) was a lot worse than the one that he actually (and incorrectly) was

Was a fair way from it. But whilst he may have got the ball and not hurt the player, the rules are in place to prevent potentially dangerous challenges. All you have to do is be slightly off and jumping in two footed like that is a leg breaker.

I'd have had no complaints if he went.

yes but you would say that wouldn't you

[Ian Royal]

I don't want him to start, because I don't think he can play to that standard week in week out, and because I don't think he's mobile enough.

He's undoubtedly the most skillful defensively minded midfielder we have. And I never want to see a Reading player sent off (unless it's Paul Bodin).

[AthleticoSpizz]

I don't want him to start, because I don't think he can play to that standard week in week out, and because I don't think he's mobile enough.

He's undoubtedly the most skillful defensively minded midfielder we have. And I never want to see a Reading player sent off (unless it's Paul Bodin).

...no coincidence that we have won at least three of the games that he has started recently then?

I appreciate (and in part), agree with what you are saying '

He is having a good swansong tho'

[John Peel]

Fed 6 Not a lot to do but commanded his area when needed. Not usually a strength so good to see
Bertrand 6
Ingi 7 Would've given a 6 if not for a crucial header intervention that would surely have resulted in a goal
Mills 8 Solid and won every ball
Griffin 8 Such a composed player and read the game well
Jobi 6 Didn't turn up - why didn't he run at players like he's good at?
Jem 5 Worst player Imo and left us exposed in the middle at times but I know he has the ability
Gunnar 7/8 Composed and won his 50-50s
Sig 8 first half 6 second half
Church 6 Linked up well with Long, made a good pairing but offside too often
Long 8 Best game for a long time

Brian McD 8 His tactics were spot on Imo and played a team that made the most of its quick strikers against a slow and poor Barnsley defence. Just a shame we still have a real problem with finishing.

[Woodcote Royal]

Having witnessed a rare home win, it simply beggars belief that so many have found so much to detract from it......................and one can't help wondering whether Ian was actually there or just used "No nothing" Dellor as his "eyes" for those odd observations

Firstly, todays central midfield pairing was the one Coppell used in late 2008 when we were beating Wolves in their own backyard and looking odds on to make a swift return to the Prem.

Of course, darling Stevie couldn't wait to break up these two once Harper was fit. With Rodgers also side lining Karacan, he has had to wait a long time for another decent run in the team and, if he wasn't on fire today, to call his performance dire is simply laughable.

Barnsley were poor but the fact none of us can remember them having a single shot on target had much to do with a solid central midfield and the whole team doing extremely well defensively ...................this might not be pretty but it's still good football and vital to any teams success.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I've already seen enough of McDermott's work to agree with one of tonights RB callers in that we would not be in this mess if he been in charge from the start of the season.

I believe this was our 4th home league win since the beginning of 2009. Coppell and Rodgers, awash with millions in transfer budgets/Premiership players, managed a pathetic 3 between them whilst McDermott, with seemingly just the loan market to put his mark on a squad belonging to his failed predecessor, comes up with 3pts at his 2nd attempt having been temporarily distracted by the taking of 2 Premiership scalps in the cup

You'd think we might be reading a few more "Thanks, Brian" from fans tonight rather than complaints regarding perceived poor performances......................but I guess this is Reading, folks.

There's no doubting we still need to take more of the chances we create but whilst McAnuff was desperately unlucky not to put us two up, McDermott made it more than clear this evening that he intends to give all five strikers a little time before going into the loan market in February if required.

At times today this young side made it look as if there was a whole division between us and Barnsley. They are the future, not the likes of Marek, and with every match that passes Brian looks more likely to be the man to take us to sunnier climbs.

An impressive performance from all involved.......................many thanks from this season ticket holder.

[winchester_royal]

Good post WR. As you rightly say Barnsley nover looked like scoring, whilst we could have had several more. How some consider today a poor performance is beyond me.

[The Rouge]

I thought it was a bit of weird one today.

It wasn't too pretty. It was a bit more direct but Long and Church did really well battling, winning and controlling the ball.

I thought Gylfi was an absolute pleasure to watch in the first half - an awesome 45 mins. Wasn't in it as much in the second half but I can forgive him that.

Not an amazing game of football and the attacking style was not too pretty but I thought Long, Gylfi, Bertrand, Mills, Gunnar and Church offsides aside were brilliant. Long MOTM - a great performance. Best moment for me was Church plucking a keeper's kick out of the air dead, then turning the defender and shooting. Immense.

[John Peel]

Not a poor performance but an ugly one. But that's what u need to stay up in this division and beat the bottom half teams we have to play between now and Scunthorpe. I think the tactics were spot on. More of the same against Donny please. As I say though we REALLY need to polish our finishing. Good thing the defence was solid as today.

[The Rouge]

The fact that Shane Long got official MOTM tells you all you need to know.

That's a ridiculous thing to say. On the 90 minutes, he was awesome today.

[Southbank Old Boy]

Sloppiest performance of the season, pretty poor from both sides apart from our back four

A very good 3 points though, hopefully that will be the kick start we need, but if we play that poorly again (in terms of needlessly giving the ball away and wasting good goalscoring opportunites) we wont see many more 3 points

[Archie's penalty]

Agree with the two WRs. Very good performance. Afed nothing to do, Griffin ambling but classy, Bertrand overlapped well, Mills was a rock and played well with Ingi. Gunnar and Kara a very good partnership. Jobi penetrating runs, Sig was confident. Church and Long looked good together. Only weird one. Why did mcd bring on Bignall for Church when we had Rasiak on the bench to hold up the ball? Bignall looked lost. Overall good performance-well done lads!

[Ian Royal]

Christ if that's a good performance I don't want to go to another game this season. We did enough, against a team that played abysmally and had zero attacking threat. Play like that every game and we will go down, because we won't come up against many teams that poor in attack.

Anyone arguing that Karacan wasn't poor, regardless of what they think of him in general, obviously wasn't watching the countless attacking hoofs 30ft into the air and straight down on their defence, the frequent passes 5 yards short of reaching their intended target, or the terrible shot that could have been left for our top scorer.

I like him. But he was bad today, luckily Barnsley were too poor to punish us and things kept breaking our way.

Frankly if Woodcote disagrees with me I can't help but think I must have got something right. Nice to see he's preaching his age old agenda about Coppell still. I'm sure it was relevant once upon a time.

[Jackson Corner]

Barnsley where the 2nd worst team I have seen down here this season. Us being the worst, first half they looked a non league outfit and we still had to rely on there keeper dropping a clanger to score. When Long wins MOTM you must be a poor side how they are 13th just shows what a piss poor league this is. Doncaster will pass us of the park next week still going down and on that form Barnsley will join us.