Back from the game - Liverpool

[winchester_royal]

First half - Utter shite. Didn't even try and get at them. Bent over and let a very average Liverpool side (except from the excellent Sterling) penetrate us like they were Jimmy Saville.

Second half - Much better, Guth started getting hold of the ball and getting the wingers in behind their full backs. If we'd started like that then maybe we'd have got something out of the game. However, Mcd's subs were baffling to say the least. Taking our two best attacking players off when searching for an equaliser is stupidity in its rawest form. He hasn't got long to convince either us fans or the owners that he is capable of saving us from the drop.

Good day out mind, and the memorial outside of the away end made for a poignant reminder that football is not the be all and end all.

[AthleticoSpizz]

First half - Utter shite. Didn't even try and get at them. Bent over and let a very average Liverpool side (except from the excellent Sterling) penetrate us like they were Jimmy Saville.

Second half - Much better, Guth started getting hold of the ball and getting the wingers in behind their full backs. If we'd started like that then maybe we'd have got something out of the game. However, Mcd's subs were baffling to say the least. Taking our two best attacking players off when searching for an equaliser is stupidity in its rawest form. He hasn't got long to convince either us fans or the owners that he is capable of saving us from the drop.

Good day out mind, and the memorial outside of the away end made for a poignant reminder that football is not the be all and end all.

"saving us from the drop"....how would've that comment sounded this time last year?

The memorial...I clocked that before our inaugural first time Reading v Liverpool game a few years ago....gave me the goose pimples

A 1-0 defeat at Anfield today was what we would normally shrug off.....but no....this is the Reading barrack room lawyers

[windermere_royal]

Just seen McD on MOTD, "we`ll be ok" but he really didn`t sound convincing , WTF does he keep taking off the Pog if we are chasing the game?

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Just seen McD on MOTD, "we`ll be ok" but he really didn`t sound convincing , WTF does he keep taking off the Pog if we are chasing the game?

Not one of the pundits mentioned Reading at all in the summary & they only showed 1 Reading chance. They don't even attempt to hide the bias!

[JS28ZoD]

Not one of the pundits mentioned Reading at all in the summary & they only showed 1 Reading chance. They don't even attempt to hide the bias!

To be honest why would they? We are not playing exciting football or doing anything to interest the neutrals and we have such a placid small to middle-ish fan base, it's perfectly understandable how we are getting minimal air time at the moment.

[SLAMMED]

Never at the races in the first half but gave it a bit of a go in the second. Could have possibly grabbed an equaliser but could easily have been down by 2 or 3 at half time.

Sloppy passing all day and no one really stood out as man of the match, except maybe McCarthy who had another solid game.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Not one of the pundits mentioned Reading at all in the summary & they only showed 1 Reading chance. They don't even attempt to hide the bias!

To be honest why would they? We are not playing exciting football or doing anything to interest the neutrals and we have such a placid small to middle-ish fan base, it's perfectly understandable how we are getting minimal air time at the moment.

They didn't even say anything like cliche like "Worrying times for Reading" though. Literally not one word at all. Like you say there isn't an awful lot to say but they could at least pretend to give a shit.

[Cripple Creek]

If truth be told if I was a neutral I would look at Reading and think we were practically certs for relegation unless we change something fairly drastically and very soon. The only fact that I'm not doing that is because of irrational partisanship.

[Jackson Corner]

ERRRRRRRR Hello did anyone expect us to get anything at Anfield today? First half was poor, 2nd half I would say was 50/50.
If we end up botttom of the prem come May, It will still rank as our third best season in 142 years of Reading FC. Get real.

[Woodcote Royal]

If truth be told if I was a neutral I would look at Reading and think we were practically certs for relegation unless we change something fairly drastically and very soon. The only fact that I'm not doing that is because of irrational partisanship.

Utter nonsense.................................try applying the same logic to our performance and the result in the corresponding fixture in 2006-7.

We lost 1-0 at Anfield, FFS

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

My view is that there are two real issues:

1) Our first touch, thinking speed and speed of pass are just too slow - all over the pitch. Difference between Chumpionship and Prem.

2) We desperately need at least one real quality centre midfielder - Ledge was better but still doesn't convince me in the Prem, Karacan similarly and Guthrie needs terriers alongside him with quality to pick the pass.

[Avon Royal]

ERRRRRRRR Hello did anyone expect us to get anything at Anfield today? First half was poor, 2nd half I would say was 50/50.
If we end up botttom of the prem come May, It will still rank as our third best season in 142 years of Reading FC. Get real.

No it won't.

That's like saying that the year we won the Championship with 106 points we had a worse season than Sunderland who were relegated from the Prem with 15.

[weybridgewanderer]

If truth be told if I was a neutral I would look at Reading and think we were practically certs for relegation unless we change something fairly drastically and very soon. The only fact that I'm not doing that is because of irrational partisanship.

Utter nonsense.................................try applying the same logic to our performance and the result in the corresponding fixture in 2006-7.

We lost 1-0 at Anfield, FFS

which was a complete injustice that day

gerard handled the ball in their penalty box and someone one a free kick for it

while this team you could argue we were lucky it was only 1

Could the current Lievrpool team lace the boots of the 2006/7 Liverpool team?

its not always just aout the result but the way we got the result

add to that, look at the "next 10 games" thread, people were expecting to get something against a liverpool side that had only one twice at home this year.

[RoyalBlue]

First half - Utter shite. Didn't even try and get at them. Bent over and let a very average Liverpool side (except from the excellent Sterling) penetrate us like they were Jimmy Saville.

Second half - Much better, Guth started getting hold of the ball and getting the wingers in behind their full backs. If we'd started like that then maybe we'd have got something out of the game. However, Mcd's subs were baffling to say the least. Taking our two best attacking players off when searching for an equaliser is stupidity in its rawest form. He hasn't got long to convince either us fans or the owners that he is capable of saving us from the drop.

Good day out mind, and the memorial outside of the away end made for a poignant reminder that football is not the be all and end all.

"saving us from the drop"....how would've that comment sounded this time last year?

The memorial...I clocked that before our inaugural first time Reading v Liverpool game a few years ago....gave me the goose pimples

A 1-0 defeat at Anfield today was what we would normally shrug off.....but no....this is the Reading barrack room lawyers

Oh here we go again. We turned things around in the Championship last year so we are certain to do the same in the PL.

And the 1-0 defeat at Anfield that we are supposed to shrug off was against a Liverpool team struggling to find form and follows a succession of poor performances and results. What happens when we meet the form teams?

ERRRRRRRR Hello did anyone expect us to get anything at Anfield today? First half was poor, 2nd half I would say was 50/50.
If we end up botttom of the prem come May, It will still rank as our third best season in 142 years of Reading FC. Get real.

And another old chestnut. I didn't have much money for a long time. Does that mean I should now be happy to watch it all disappear again?! We spent 141 years getting here, why throw it all away so easily?

By the logic you lot are applying, we should expect to lose virtually every game by a hatful and view it as an achievement when we only lose 1-0! So what if it was Anfield? This was not against one of the great Liverpool teams or even a team in form. And by all accounts we were again lucky to only concede one goal.

[Barry the bird boggler]

The first 60 minutes Reading were inept and crap all round.

The last 30 they were awake and lively and looked like a team that could play in the PL. Don't really know what changed about the hour mark, perhaps someone just woke up!

All in all plainly not good enough and plainly not enough done in the summer to the squad. If we don't pick up some performances and wins between now and the stuffing by ManU at the beginning of December we'll be going down.

All that said though, we've played 4 "bonus" games against Liverpool, Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea which are sides we'd all have expected to lose against at the start of the season and managed 1 point from them. Of the other three games against sides we'd like to think we could compete against we've drawn 2 and only lost away to WBA

So the jury is still well and truly out on what we're capable of this season.

Next up is a rather useful Fulham.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

The first 60 minutes Reading were inept and crap all round.

The last 30 they were awake and lively and looked like a team that could play in the PL. Don't really know what changed about the hour mark, perhaps someone just woke up!

All in all plainly not good enough and plainly not enough done in the summer to the squad. If we don't pick up some performances and wins between now and the stuffing by ManU at the beginning of December we'll be going down.

All that said though, we've played 4 "bonus" games against Liverpool, Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea which are sides we'd all have expected to lose against at the start of the season and managed 1 point from them. Of the other three games against sides we'd like to think we could compete against we've drawn 2 and only lost away to WBA

So the jury is still well and truly out on what we're capable of this season.

Next up is a rather useful Fulham.

Fair play for the optimism but Newcastle at home is a game we should be winning - especially with AP in charge. Mind you the ref saw to that one!

Next 6 games decides it for me - Fulham, QPR, Norwich, Everton, Wigan & Villa. Any less than 9-10 points from that lot & we're going down IMO. Getting 9-10 ensures we're hitting 1 ppg which keeps us in the mix.

[jumpers for goalposts]

My view is that there are two real issues:

1) Our first touch, thinking speed and speed of pass are just too slow - all over the pitch. Difference between Chumpionship and Prem.

2) We desperately need at least one real quality centre midfielder - Ledge was better but still doesn't convince me in the Prem, Karacan similarly and Guthrie needs terriers alongside him with quality to pick the pass.

Absolutely spot on.
1) I often 'jokingly' say to friends when a new player takes a heavy touch, that 'he'll fit in well here'. Truth is we are technically appalling, and it makes coherent passages of football near impossible. We are still very much a hurly burly, knock it down the channels type of team
2) The midfield point is a good one. We need a couple of quality additions. It's funny because at the start of the season I worried about our strikers, but it is midfield where we are very weak. We just don't seem able to take control of games for any period of times, and midfield is where you do this.

[Winnershroyal]

Didn't expect anything yesterday so not fussed.

I'm more fcked off that it's nearly November and we've had only three home games.

Season starts next week, a bit early for saying it's a must win, but it's a must win.

[Allyh84]

A very frustrating performance, although we showed a lot of promise in the second half (shock horror, as we are always always always shit until we are losing).

A team without a donkey like Luis Racist finishing would have buried us tbh. I was so disappointed with our crossing and final balls though. The amount of balls which just flew across the box with 0 players looking to make a gamble and run (BLOODY START ALF) was embarrassing.

Overall, we did OK but I oxf*rd hate this 4-5-1 and McD's glaring reluctance to go for broke at the end. Why did he wait so long to change up the strikers!?

We saw the players at the service station afterwards and they got a decent cheer tbh which was nice to see. McD seemed in a decent spirit and was willing to speak to the fans etc, although the players, perhaps understandably so, seemed very down and reluctant to acknowledge the fans.

Kebe of course sauntered passed, hood up, as if he couldn't give a oxf*rd. I bet he puts more effort into oxf*rd his wife than playing football, the lazy bastard.

Summary - Not looking good enough for the league at all, but hey ho, if we win 2 matches (lolz) everything will be all rosy and we'll be mid table! Plus we're usually slow starters.

[windermere_royal]

Disusting coverage on SKY today, it showed ONE bloody shot from us but all of Liverpools efforts.

Edit, Coleman, "Southampton won the league last year"