Back From The Game - Middlesbrough (H)

[rfctabs]

Well, having not been to a game for so long I was shocked at the lack of support. But then I haven't had to suffer in person so perhaps I haven't really got the right to judge. Thinking back to when I went to most home games, what used to annoy me more than anything was lack of effort on the pitch. If I thought they were really trying I could accept a poor performance. I thought today, though, that they were mostly just kids who needed the help of an experienced player or two to guide them along and give encouragement. It wasn't that they didn't care or weren't trying - more like they had no direction. If BR isn't giving decent instructions, and if the senior players don't give on-pitch guidance, this is what you get.

I thought there was a marginal improvement when Hunt came on in the second half beacuase he set the right example and tried to get things going.

[rob the royal]

Why not try SUPPORTING the team instead of UNDERMINING it?

Because we've been trying that since january and it's got us nowhere. If we'd given a good account of ourselves today no one would mind if we'd been hit for 4 or 5, but the fact is we are regularly failing to turn up.

Against watford the crowd were buoyed by the early goal. Did that support help them push on and win? No the team went awol and let watford control the game.

I completely agree the crowd has a part to play but even i'm getting fed up of what i'm seeing now, and that really is something.

And i'm not having a dig at you, but if you'd been coming week in week out i think you'd feel differently about it. A lot of people are simply running out of patience now AND realising that a relegation battle is PERHAPS all we can look forward to.

The guy came here with big promises, if he'd come here and said i'm gonna gut this team and build it from scratch, things might be really tough to begin with maybe the fans attitude might have been different, but the fact is the guy's ego is so huge he's going to carry on with his fancy formations and we're going to carry on losing a lot of games before a ball is kicked because the tactics may be good on paper but he has NOT got the right players or the standard of players to make it all work.

It's hard to support when you don't believe.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Sorry, 39 years of going to games, seeing every conceivable permutation of highs and lows.


Today, I was officially bored

[rob the royal]

Sorry, 39 years of going to games, seeing every conceivable permutation of highs and lows.


Today, I was officially bored

Oh yeah i forgot about the boredom part. You could probably put the excitement from all our home games this season in a 3 minute video.

[rfctabs]

I see where you're coming from, Rob the Royal. I remember when Adrian Williams and Scott Taylor got their first run out in the first team as 17 year old subs. In a spell of poor team performances they were a breath of fresh air when they ran everywhere and chased everything. They put some of the more... portly... senior players to shame (Adie had legs like pipe cleaners then - who'd hve thought he'd turn out the way he did?).

[rob the royal]

I see where you're coming from, Rob the Royal. I remember when Adrian Williams and Scott Taylor got their first run out in the first team as 17 year old subs. In a spell of poor team performances they were a breath of fresh air when they ran everywhere and chased everything. They put some of the more... portly... senior players to shame (Adie had legs like pipe cleaners then - who'd hve thought he'd turn out the way he did?).

I honestly don't know where we going or where we trying to get this season, and i'm not sure the manager quite knows either. I also think he has underestimated how hard this division is and he's paying for it. If he keeps us up that will be enough for me. I still think he's probably got it in him to do a good job for us, but the key thing is, rather obviously, not getting relegated.

[Big Foot]

The other caller, in response to the question, 'If you could do one thing about the club what would it be?' had Dellor absolutely cacking his pants with the quickfire response 'Shoot Madejski!'

That was myself I thought my call was a well constructed one and as I said on air - I'm very much confused and disappointed by the tactics, team selection and substitutions. Though not suprised at the results. Cheated.

[AthleticoSpizz]

The other caller, in response to the question, 'If you could do one thing about the club what would it be?' had Dellor absolutely cacking his pants with the quickfire response 'Shoot Madejski!'

That was myself I thought my call was a well constructed one and as I said on air - I'm very much confused and disappointed by the tactics, team selection and substitutions. Though not suprised at the results. Cheated.

CRIKEY Jamie

Your voice has broke

I heard ya

tbf "shooting Mr Madj" let you down a bit and wasn't very constructive

You backtracked a bit after that before getting cut-off


Tabb for Reading

[Big Foot]

Pretty much lost my voice after shouting "what the f*ck was that Howard?!???" for the umpteenth time. Devouring a packet of Lockets as we type

[Stevie G]

My first game today for over 10 years. Drove 100 miles each way. I agree that the match was poor from a RFC point of view and it reminded me of the darker, final days of Mr Branfoot and the sucession of poor/cheap/underqualified replacements we had.

There is, however, a common thread to the really poor performances - they're all AT HOME!

Why is that? Is it because going to a game has never been the same since they sold Elm Park? No - most of these boys probably never knew that EP even existed.

Is it because there's a jinx or voodoo curse on the Madejski or the club? Unlikely - I doubt anyone else cares enough about RFC to bother.

Or is it because the crowd are constantly on the backs of THEIR OWN players for the slightest thing? If I was on the pitch and was subjected to the same level of barraking and abuse as they get FROM THEIR OWN FANS then I'm not sure I could be bothered either.

I thought us fans today were patiently awesome

What's that then - waiting quietly whilst doing something amazing? Can't say I noticed.

showing real class with Lita

I Like Leroy too, but I wouldn't want to encourage him to play even better than he was already, even if we weren't taking a beating

and real humour with the ironic shot cheering at the end.

Absolutely - how better to prepare the lads for the next home game?

a better final irony than booing would be to sing again 'where's the money gone'

I'm sure that will make them all feel valued and deperate to play their hearts our for us all next time.

Why not try SUPPORTING the team instead of UNDERMINING it?

I don't know where you were sat mate (probably the west stand!!!) but none of the team took a slating from my part of the East stand today, nothing but either between stunned silence or full support, so take your once in 10 years support and........ I've actaually driven over 400 miles one way to see a Reading game with the family before. I believe that you can support the team and show the management what you think at the right times.

[AthleticoSpizz]

and real humour with the ironic shot cheering at the end.

Absolutely - how better to prepare the lads for the next home game?

I'm a rational guy, I never boo nor slag off a Reading player, however, how many more minutes of pass-the-parcel do we have to endure before some fecker shoots?

The "ironic applause" was the message sent from us to them.

It worked.we had another half-shot shortly afterwards................nearly woke me from my slumber I tells ya

[Ian Royal]

Well, having not been to a game for so long I was shocked at the lack of support. But then I haven't had to suffer in person so perhaps I haven't really got the right to judge. Thinking back to when I went to most home games, what used to annoy me more than anything was lack of effort on the pitch. If I thought they were really trying I could accept a poor performance. I thought today, though, that they were mostly just kids who needed the help of an experienced player or two to guide them along and give encouragement. It wasn't that they didn't care or weren't trying - more like they had no direction. If BR isn't giving decent instructions, and if the senior players don't give on-pitch guidance, this is what you get.

I thought there was a marginal improvement when Hunt came on in the second half beacuase he set the right example and tried to get things going.

Ingimarsson, Gunnarsson, McAnuff, Howard, Kebe & Federici are all far from inexperienced kids.

[rob the royal]

Well, having not been to a game for so long I was shocked at the lack of support. But then I haven't had to suffer in person so perhaps I haven't really got the right to judge. Thinking back to when I went to most home games, what used to annoy me more than anything was lack of effort on the pitch. If I thought they were really trying I could accept a poor performance. I thought today, though, that they were mostly just kids who needed the help of an experienced player or two to guide them along and give encouragement. It wasn't that they didn't care or weren't trying - more like they had no direction. If BR isn't giving decent instructions, and if the senior players don't give on-pitch guidance, this is what you get.

I thought there was a marginal improvement when Hunt came on in the second half beacuase he set the right example and tried to get things going.

Ingimarsson, Gunnarsson, McAnuff, Howard, Kebe & Federici are all far from inexperienced kids.

Only karacan, church, cummings and bertrand. So in theory there should be pretty good mix of experience and youth, but what really seemed lacking and has for a while, is a leader or even someone who encourages the others around him.

Another worrying point is that bertrand for once was quiet and federici seemed scared to give anyone the ball. Things are going from bad to worse.

[FiNeRaIn]

The other caller, in response to the question, 'If you could do one thing about the club what would it be?' had Dellor absolutely cacking his pants with the quickfire response 'Shoot Madejski!'

That was myself I thought my call was a well constructed one and as I said on air - I'm very much confused and disappointed by the tactics, team selection and substitutions. Though not suprised at the results. Cheated.

Wow, I had a suspicion it was you - being the only jamie reading fan I know. Weird.

[tee peg]

Why not try SUPPORTING the team instead of UNDERMINING it?

Because we've been trying that since january and it's got us nowhere. If we'd given a good account of ourselves today no one would mind if we'd been hit for 4 or 5, but the fact is we are regularly failing to turn up.

Against watford the crowd were buoyed by the early goal. Did that support help them push on and win? No the team went awol and let watford control the game.

I completely agree the crowd has a part to play but even i'm getting fed up of what i'm seeing now, and that really is something.

And i'm not having a dig at you, but if you'd been coming week in week out i think you'd feel differently about it. A lot of people are simply running out of patience now AND realising that a relegation battle is PERHAPS all we can look forward to.

The guy came here with big promises, if he'd come here and said i'm gonna gut this team and build it from scratch, things might be really tough to begin with maybe the fans attitude might have been different, but the fact is the guy's ego is so huge he's going to carry on with his fancy formations and we're going to carry on losing a lot of games before a ball is kicked because the tactics may be good on paper but he has NOT got the right players or the standard of players to make it all work.

It's hard to support when you don't believe.

This says it all for me.I think the worrying thing that came out today was the "loss" of support for the team.The booing and
ironic cheering was the result of total frustration.The "spin" will not work anymore.For me ,today was the tipping point.

[Terminal Boardom]

Where to start.

Firstly, to everyone who started leaving 15-20 minutes before the end of the match - good for you. Thing is, if you don't want to watch the whole game why bother turning up in the first instance?

If I went to see a band and found they couldn't sing in tune and I'd have more fun hitting myself on the head with a hammer than listen to them, I'd leave. If I switched on the TV to watch a new comedy show and it turned out to be as funny as Rodgers' tactical decisions I'd turn it off. So why can't I leave a game early when the performance is so bad that doing my shopping at Tesco's was more appealing?

Not unreasonable response Santa. But with the analogies you have given, there is every likelihood that there would be some sort of review or comment about what was on offer. But if you read my comment again, you will see that I was praising those for leaving early. My question was why turn up if only to leave early?

[gazzer, loyal royal]

not a great game today unfortunately and Lita showed what we are missing. A final product.

Thought first half we played ok. As Rodgers said it was a game of two halfs. Howard in the first half found little pockets of room well, and to move him out wide when pace isn't his best attribute was a stupid decision.

The players are clearly lacking confidence at home, they are underhitting passes and wayward passes because they are nervous on the ball.

Short Cummins is a truely awful footballer. The throw in in the second half when he threw it to his feet was very amusing.

[Terminal Boardom]

Sorry, 39 years of going to games, seeing every conceivable permutation of highs and lows.


Today, I was officially bored

Oh yeah i forgot about the boredom part. You could probably put the excitement from all our home games this season in a 3 minute video.

Does that include replays?

[statto]

It's not exactly motivating as a season ticket holder when you know the team is going to roll over every time they go behind is it?

Over the years there's always been something to keep you interested.

This season there's been nothing, no players I look forward to watching, no chances, no good signings, very little decent play, a large amount of total disinterest from both the crowd and the players and just general boredom.

I'm in a dilemma, my main criteria for football is entertainment, enough happening to justify the large season ticket and matchday expense.

That to me just isn't happening at the moment and I am seriously considering jacking in going every week because it is all so boring.

As an aside, can someone tell what type of player Simon Church is?

He doesn't seem to fit any striker mould, he's not big, he's not strong, he's not good in the air, he's not fast, he can't dribble, he's doesn't seem to be a 'fox in the box' type, he just seems mediocre in every area? Am I missing something?

[loyalroyal4life]

still there is potential to see a world class model being shown on display by us