on my way BFTG: Millwall H

[leon]

I was under the impression that Adkins teams play attractive attacking passing football. I've seen about 60 mins of that all season. This really isn't the great football that all the TB dickheads were crowing about in the summer.

If we're going to play high possession football we need to pass the ball QUICKLY.

+1 to all that, particularly the last bit. Sadly we haven't got players capable of playing fast-paced possession football.

not even sure i like high possession football in it's purest form. I'd rather watch Dortmund than Barcelona.

[3points]

Thought Millwall's tactics were pretty obvious from the outset. Abdou was never more than 5 yards from Guthrie throughout the first half, while their no 10 picked up all the loose balls. Adkins should have made a tactical change much earlier. When he did, in the second half, it was hard to understand. He put Guthrie at right midfield and then brought McLeary and Obita into central midfield. Very strange. And why did Feds even come for that ball, rather than just close down the angle and trust his abilities to save a shot from a tight angle?

[Ian Royal]

1.53


That is the amount of shots Alf has per game. For any side that is a poor stat for a striker to have.

That is a stat for a poor striker to have, more like.

It's better than Pog. Even super 9 goal Danny Ings is only on 3.2.

Stats out of context being meaningless shocker.

If McDermott had put out a team that performed like that he would have been slated but I suppose this will go down as all part of the "evolution" by the Adkins lovers

+1.

Anyone enjoying the football on offer now substantially more than they did before Adkins took over?

No?

Me neither.

Yes actually a great deal more. The first half against Watford was the best football I've seen us play since 2009 ish when we were destroying the Championship (before it all fell apart) on its own. We're not the finished article yet, but we're playing far smarter than last season in general. It's certainly nice seeing a team that knows how to recycle possession most of the time. We're making hard work of things a bit at the moment, but we're still in the top 5.

I love all the negative toss that gets spouted, It doesn't take much to go from hardworking, but limited also rans to Champions. Afterall, we did that two seasons ago with the signing of one player.

[tmesis]

1.53


That is the amount of shots Alf has per game. For any side that is a poor stat for a striker to have.

That is a stat for a poor striker to have, more like.

So what is average?

And since when have strikers been judged on the amount of shots they have per game?

We are an uncreative side. Is a lack of shots really a surprise?


We've not got a brilliant squad. We are trying to change the way we play. What do people really expect?

[Millsy]

Can't be bothered with a summary. It was a poor performance on our part, but Millwall fans as always great value and easy to reel in. Had those mongdivs had any balls about them, we'd all be dead by now with our throats cut, but as always they were quiet as mice when they left the ground. A few chants in the safety of their own fans walking to the buses, but that was it.

Don't underestimate the mongdivs. They're well hard. All of them together can take on a bus driver whilst he's driving AND kick windows out of buses.

[Millsy]

We drew, big deal.

We're going to have days like that.

If a bad performance and a bad day is a DRAW and a playoff spot then that alone shows how well we're doing.

[genome]

Can't help but feel underwhelmed as we bob around the top 7 places with the luxury of our parachute payments. Don't feel as if we're particularly over-achieving under Adkins (who was tactically out-done by that football genius Steve Lomas today - ALARM BELLS), given the comparative resources he has available. And as for TSI taking us on to the 'next level'..... Disappointing.

The only question for me this season is.....which hungrier, better organised side is going to knock us out in the play-off semi finals.

Have you ever not been underwhelmed by RFC

[melonhead]

Dull game, we were poor, Millwall were equally shit, draw was probably fair but it was still disappointing. Pog wasn't half the player he's been the last few games. Silly of Feds to give away the penalty.

Atmosphere was decent, Millwall fans were and the best thing about yesterday. Found myself wishing they'd try harder and actually get in our end for a bit more excitement/to see our end run but most of them looked to old to give it a proper go. Sad really...

imo pog was exactly the same player. he just had no service, and a big lump on his back

[royallyscrewed]

I normally struggle to contain my rage at a last minute goal against us. But I could not get angry after that poor performance. We had 2 massive warning signs to sort ourselves out with the offside goal Shittu goal + that No 9 not putting away that fantastic cross with his head. But could not muster the quality at all.

Lots to moan about. Why oh why keep putting the ball to Pog's head/chest!!!! The few times he got it to feet he made things happen with little quick lay offs around the edge of the D. Thats his strentgh.

Oh and why does the announcer keep getting ALF and Morrison mixed up!!!???

[M Brook]

Oh and why does the announcer keep getting ALF and Morrison mixed up!!!???

Easy mistake to make. One is 5'10'' and the other is, err, 6'4''!

[floyd__streete]

Can't help but feel underwhelmed as we bob around the top 7 places with the luxury of our parachute payments. Don't feel as if we're particularly over-achieving under Adkins (who was tactically out-done by that football genius Steve Lomas today - ALARM BELLS), given the comparative resources he has available. And as for TSI taking us on to the 'next level'..... Disappointing.

The only question for me this season is.....which hungrier, better organised side is going to knock us out in the play-off semi finals.

Have you ever not been underwhelmed by RFC

93/94 McGhee side, 02/03 under Pardew, 05-07 under Coppell. These were all sides who were an absolute pleasure to watch. Expectations were lower, of course, but it helped that those three managers - even dear old Pards - didn't spout the hype that Adkins did/does: 100 goals, 21 clean sheets.

[Royalee]

Poor game, poor performance, still should have won but for Federici's second mistake in 2 weeks.

Federici: 5 - The ball fell to their striker in his 6 yard box - he should have been quicker to the ball and picked it up but STILL could have just stood up and the guy doesn't have room to score as the ball was veering off. 2 games, 2 goals, 2 mistakes...get well soon Alex.
Bridge: 6 - Poor by his standards, got exposed a couple of times but Obita didn't exactly help him out.
Pearce: 5 - missed a few headers and was poor.
Morrison: 6 - better than Pearce but still not as solid as we'd like. Tried to play the ball out of defence but Millwall did a good job on Guthrie.
Gunter: 5 - Typical Gunter defending
Obita: 4 - Great ball in for the goal otherwise he'dve got a 3 - seemed to lack confidence to attack his man, didn't cover well enough defensively and frequently caught in between.
Baird: 5 - Worst game in a Reading shirt which was in no small part down to Millwall doubling up on him and Guthrie
Guthrie: 5 - Ineffective, see Baird
McCleary: 5 - Could've been sent off, nowhere near as dangerous as normal.
Pog: 6 - Worked hard, no support from his team or the referee.
ALF: 5 - Missed a sitter which is rare for him, very ineffective

McAnuff: 6 - Did a reasonable job when he came on and nearly scored
Robson-Kanu: 6 - Linked up well with Pogrebnyak and did more than Le Fondre
Kelly: N/A - not on long enough

[ZacNaloen]

You missed Obita taking on his man with the best move of the game that nearly lead to a second goal.

[genome]

Can't help but feel underwhelmed as we bob around the top 7 places with the luxury of our parachute payments. Don't feel as if we're particularly over-achieving under Adkins (who was tactically out-done by that football genius Steve Lomas today - ALARM BELLS), given the comparative resources he has available. And as for TSI taking us on to the 'next level'..... Disappointing.

The only question for me this season is.....which hungrier, better organised side is going to knock us out in the play-off semi finals.

Have you ever not been underwhelmed by RFC

93/94 McGhee side, 02/03 under Pardew, 05-07 under Coppell. These were all sides who were an absolute pleasure to watch. Expectations were lower, of course, but it helped that those three managers - even dear old Pards - didn't spout the hype that Adkins did/does: 100 goals, 21 clean sheets.

Fair enough. Just seems odd to me how you seem to scramble to your keyboard after every game to let us know just how indifferent you are. If you really were that underwhelmed then you wouldn't have bothered complaining. I think secretly you really care.

[RoyalBlue]

Poor game, poor performance, still should have won but for Federici's second mistake in 2 weeks.

Federici: 5 - The ball fell to their striker in his 6 yard box - he should have been quicker to the ball and picked it up but STILL could have just stood up and the guy doesn't have room to score as the ball was veering off. 2 games, 2 goals, 2 mistakes...get well soon Alex.

And your second absurd assessment in 2 weeks - again at odds with most other people.

Has Feds robbed your house and raped your mum or are you just shagging McCarthy?! Can't think of any other reasons for such an appallingly biased and blinkered assessment of their respective abilities.

[melonhead]

I was under the impression that Adkins teams play attractive attacking passing football. I've seen about 60 mins of that all season. This really isn't the great football that all the TB dickheads were crowing about in the summer.

If we're going to play high possession football we need to pass the ball QUICKLY.

+1 to all that, particularly the last bit. Sadly we haven't got players capable of playing fast-paced possession football.

not even sure i like high possession football in it's purest form. I'd rather watch Dortmund than Barcelona.

^^^ this massively

[melonhead]

You missed Obita taking on his man with the best move of the game that nearly lead to a second goal.

and him having a generally decent game where he certainly didnt look to be the junior partner in the team

[melonhead]

Poor game, poor performance, still should have won but for Federici's second mistake in 2 weeks.

Federici: 5 - The ball fell to their striker in his 6 yard box - he should have been quicker to the ball and picked it up but STILL could have just stood up and the guy doesn't have room to score as the ball was veering off. 2 games, 2 goals, 2 mistakes...get well soon Alex.

And your second absurd assessment in 2 weeks - again at odds with most other people.

Has Feds robbed your house and raped your mum or are you just shagging McCarthy?! Can't think of any other reasons for such an appallingly biased and blinkered assessment of their respective abilities.

dont worry, hes always a massive spaz

[RoyalBlue]

Poor game, poor performance, still should have won but for Federici's second mistake in 2 weeks.

Federici: 5 - The ball fell to their striker in his 6 yard box - he should have been quicker to the ball and picked it up but STILL could have just stood up and the guy doesn't have room to score as the ball was veering off. 2 games, 2 goals, 2 mistakes...get well soon Alex.

As such a well coached keeper yourself, I would have thought you would know where the 6 yard box is.

Fact is the ball didn't fall to their striker in his 6 yard box!

[No Fixed Abode]

My dads m8 went to the game on Saturday. Said Reading were still playing the long ball stuff. He said flights had to be diverted away from the Mad Stad as the ball spent so long in the air. I thought Reading were trying to play a more passing game?