Trying to bring some objectivity to the Chelsea game

[strap]

With the over-riding media and messageboard attention focussing on the keeper incidents, it may have escaped a few that there was also a game of football played between Reading and Chelsea yesterday.

If we could put aside talk of cheating, alleged ABH, abysmal refing etc, and focus on the game for a moment ....

I've been to all 4 home Prem games this season, and without intending to slate Chelsea or anything, did anyone else think this was our "easiest" (relatively speaking) home league game so far this season?

At first reading that sounds a pretty stupid comment to make, because
a) we lost (albeit to a freak goal)
b) we had few clear cut chances (but then neither did they)
c) we had a player sent off by a wanna-be star of a ref (as indeed did Chelsea)
but bear with me. Throughout the game, I didn't have the fear/dread, call it what you will, of getting stuffed.

Against Middlesbrough we were floundering and had to fight back, and Borough didn't give up. Viduka equalised for sure, I was in line and the lino was wrong.

The City game was pretty much backs to the wall too, and I felt we were a bit lucky to nick a 1-0. Then United threw the kitchen sink at us and only woeful finshing (or should that be excellent defending!) prevented a defeat.

The Chelsea game was, by comparison, almost comfortable. We competed on relatively equal terms, Chelsea weren't significantly better in terms of chances created, (compared to the last time they were here for example), and if it hadn't been for the injuries, it could have been an extremely interesting technical match.

Sadly, circumstances transpired against a free-flowing encounter, but assuming various protagonists come to appreciate that the events were unfortunate accidents, we could look forward to a fantastic match on Boxing Day. Hopefully we'll have Kitson back and both the Chelsea keepers will be available too. Can't wait, especially as a friend has got me places in a box. (Yes, I actually do like prawn sandwiches as it happens!)

Or am I talking bollox again?

[handbags_harris]

To a certain degree I agree. However how much of it was us pressing Chelsea back compared to them playing their usual boring brand of "football" and sitting back on a 1-0?

[John Madejski's Wallet]

I kind of agree with you.

I am usually the worst pessimist at Reading games and I often feel sorry for the folks sitting around me. But all match saturday I felt pretty unworried about Chelsea scoring, as frankly they didn't.

Every other game my heart has been in my mouth every time the other team has attacked.

I think partly due to Chelsea being clueless, and partly my growing trust of Sonks and Ivar being a full-on premiership defensive force