Leicester Match Thread - Sponsored by Coppell's coat

[windermere_royal]

I have nothing against Blackman but how on earth can he be playing whilst McCleary - who to me has been one of the best players of the season - sits on the bench!

Adkins team selections and substitutions are baffling.

To be fair it sounds like McCleary was ill according to BBCRB - but why put him on the bench in that case?

I am beginning to think that Adkins is just the unluckiest manager in football history. We seem to have constant injuries, bizarre illnesses, give away penalties, miss penalties, the owner disappears. The list is endless.

And in the end he will be sacked – just like Rodgers – only to be a great success at his next club. We are doomed to play the Reading way. The football gods will never allow us to play a passing style.

surely only the owner can sack him. and we don`t see him anymore

[Pseud O'Nym]

F*ck off Cummings, shouldn't even be a professional footballer.

I'm guessing you weren't saying that the year we went up?

Been saying it since he signed, awful player.

Loved how quickly you edited out the line that said "Rodgers' only poor signing". Who had you remembered, Rasiak, Howard or O'Dea?

[hughsies no.1]

Team massively lacks tempo. It's the tempo that is missing.

In all my time as a Reading fan (apart from under Rodgers & now under Adkins) we're playing with such a lack of tempo. Always thought Pardew and Coppell had it spot on and BMcD bought it back after Rodgers.

If our wingers have a good game we always seem to have a good game. Under Adkins I've noticed we're playing passing football through the middle so much, there have even been occasions where we have played a diamond with no wingers.

I'm adamant that if we had McCleary down the right, Drenthe down the left we have to of the best wingers in the league that will cause all sorts of problems. Then with Pog in the box with either Sharp or Alf picking up the scraps surely that is a recipe for success.

Today we started with a very mediocre striker playing as a right winger. Infuriating. Higher tempo needed, two out and out wingers with full backs supporting,

NA needs to sort it out! Rant over.

[andrew1957]

surely only the owner can sack him. and we don`t see him anymore

But the next owner will want his own man I expect.

[Man Friday]

Cheers Adkins. Your effect has been massive. You have managed to make a fan of 50 years to not to want to watch anymore. Boring team, awful tactics, no excitement and turned a team which were favourites to get automatic promotion into mid table has beens. Really impressive. When the commentators believe our only hope is a power cut less than half way thru first half it says it all! I dread to listen to the after match positivity

Goodbye.

Agree in parts with Paddy's post but I would say that I've never felt so detached from the manager, his match day tactics, the team and players and the club. This comes after 30 odd years as a supporter. I'm losing interest in the club I love and that's not a good thing. Will additional new January signings make me feel any different, I don't think so? Personally I think we have the wrong man at the wrong club employed to do a job by a now absent owner. Adkins is the legacy of Anton's vision of making this club more attractive to a buyer .. Like most things Anton, your vision hasn't worked out well for all concerned.

Same here. Unlikely to go again this season. Simply better things to spend my time and money on.

[windermere_royal]

Dear god do people prefer the dross that is being served up on my telly at this moment?, the ball is hardly on the floor

[Man Friday]

Dear god do people prefer the dross that is being served up on my telly at this moment?, the ball is hardly on the floor

More to life than watching football, my friend.

[strap]

From the OS : "In the second half we had a goal disallowed, an effort cleared off the line and forced Kaspar Schmeichel into a key save, among others. "

Strange how none of this was reported during the text commentary, or indeed on HNA?! Are the Press Association that bad they miss 3 key elements of the game??

Either that or I was asleep whilst reading the BBC and Sporting Life website. That'll teach me to not go the Leicester on a cold Boxing Day afternoon to watch crap go cold.

Here's another : "Second half we did everything really well bar scoring a goal. For me we were the dominant side in that period but we've come away with nothing."

We had ONE shot on target FFS NA!!! They had 21 in total and 7 on target!!! NA was obviously at another match!!

[Kebe's apprentice]

From the OS : "In the second half we had a goal disallowed, an effort cleared off the line and forced Kaspar Schmeichel into a key save, among others. "

Strange how none of this was reported during the text commentary, or indeed on HNA?! Are the Press Association that bad they miss 3 key elements of the game??

Either that or I was asleep whilst reading the BBC and Sporting Life website. That'll teach me to not go the Leicester on a cold Boxing Day afternoon to watch crap go cold.

Here's another : "Second half we did everything really well bar scoring a goal. For me we were the dominant side in that period but we've come away with nothing."

We had ONE shot on target FFS NA!!! They had 21 in total and 7 on target!!! NA was obviously at another match!!

Pog had a header disallowed for offside, Pearce had a header cleared off the line, and I think the save was from a Drenthe free kick. All were mentioned by Dellor and Gooding.

[Oilroyal]

Dear god do people prefer the dross that is being served up on my telly at this moment?, the ball is hardly on the floor

More to life than watching football, my friend.

My concern is not the football currently being played, I've been through many years of iffy RFC teams and performances. I'm concerned that we have a decent squad on paper but for some reason the manager is detached from the players, the club and the fans. My personal feeling is the team,the supporters, the Chairman and owner has lost its way in trying to evolve. We're in a mess a Adkins is not the type of man we need to pull things together. Evidence of this is there for all to see when watching our first team play.

[Man Friday]

From the OS : "In the second half we had a goal disallowed, an effort cleared off the line and forced Kaspar Schmeichel into a key save, among others. "

Strange how none of this was reported during the text commentary, or indeed on HNA?! Are the Press Association that bad they miss 3 key elements of the game??

Either that or I was asleep whilst reading the BBC and Sporting Life website. That'll teach me to not go the Leicester on a cold Boxing Day afternoon to watch crap go cold.

Here's another : "Second half we did everything really well bar scoring a goal. For me we were the dominant side in that period but we've come away with nothing."

We had ONE shot on target FFS NA!!! They had 21 in total and 7 on target!!! NA was obviously at another match!!

Pog had a header disallowed for offside, Pearce had a header cleared off the line, and I think the save was from a Drenthe free kick. All were mentioned by Dellor and Gooding.

Agreed. In fact, I think NA's assessment is reasonably fair - for once. For most of the second half we looked the superior side which is no easy thing when you're the away side.

[royalsteve]

What utter shite. no urgency, no pace, no clue, a joke.

Will this imposter just oxf*rd off and manage the nearest bank -

why did he not start sharpe
why did he not start le fondre
why did he not start mcleary
why did he start that useless lump, blackman

why did he bring on jake taylor and not mclearly

why is there no urgency in our play
why is our defence so shit
why are we so shit

why yet again have we only had ONE oxf*rd shot on goal - that's PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ive had enough, oxf*rd off adkins you clueless mong

[Kebe's apprentice]

What utter shite. no urgency, no pace, no clue, a joke.

Will this imposter just oxf*rd off and manage the nearest bank -

why did he not start sharpe
why did he not start le fondre
why did he not start mcleary
why did he start that useless lump, blackman

why did he bring on jake taylor and not mclearly

why is there no urgency in our play
why is our defence so shit
why are we so shit

why yet again have we only had ONE oxf*rd shot on goal - that's PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ive had enough, oxf*rd off adkins you clueless mong

[paddy20]

Totally agree, been a fan now for 30 years and losing interest rapidly, as nearly every game is boringgggg, outplayed, minimal shots and the same Atkins drivel spouted afterwards

It does seem a recurring theme for us that have watched Reading for a long time. Its true we have had plenty worse teams but it feels a bit like being an old employee that has a new young whizz kid boss that would really prefer you out and is making it uncomfortable for you ha ha

[Man Friday]

Totally agree, been a fan now for 30 years and losing interest rapidly, as nearly every game is boringgggg, outplayed, minimal shots and the same Atkins drivel spouted afterwards

It does seem a recurring theme for us that have watched Reading for a long time. Its true we have had plenty worse teams but it feels a bit like being an old employee that has a new young whizz kid boss that would really prefer you out and is making it uncomfortable for you ha ha

No, it doesn't feel like that. It feels like a new boss has come in, fecks things up (no investment, sacks a good man/ager), fecks off himself and ruins the morale that had been built up over many years.

[P!ssed Off]

The boss confirmed to the press that both McCleary and Obita were due to start today but were ruled out through illness: http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... 56169.aspx

[Barry the bird boggler]

So why put mcleary on the bench - are we really that short of fit players?

[Avon Royal]

Cheers Adkins. Your effect has been massive. You have managed to make a fan of 50 years to not to want to watch anymore. Boring team, awful tactics, no excitement and turned a team which were favourites to get automatic promotion into mid table has beens.

LOL at automatic promotion favourites!

LOL at mid-table!

[RoyalBlue]

So why put mcleary on the bench - are we really that short of fit players?

The decision put McCleary on the bench, despite the fact that he wasn't fit to play, was a cracking own goal by Adkins. It led to criticism of Adkins himself (although I'm sure he can live with that) from the fans for not starting McCleary and then not bringing him on when the game was crying out for his introduction but, more importantly, put extra pressure on Blackman that I am sure he could have done without. Had the fans known that McCleary was unavailable, they would have been more accepting of Blackman starting.

I suspect this was part of Adkins' mindgames with the opposition manager - keep him guessing as to when McCleary will be introduced but, if so, it backfired.

[Royal Ginger]

So why put mcleary on the bench - are we really that short of fit players?

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article/injuries-261213-1256169.aspx

They only took 18 players to the King Power. He probably could have played if really needed, but would have been crap.