Man Utd - back from the game

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Can some people really not give Tabb any credit?

I don't think he's looked that out of his depth at all the last few games. Maybe we need to partner him with someone better, as his ball-winning and laying-off was pretty bloody good again today. Yet still we keep talking about him being a 'trier' and not good enough.

[Mike Hunt]

Don't rate him at all, never have. But he was f*cking brilliant today

Finally running at pace at his defender rather than skipping along slowly and trying his rubbish trickery

.
Really ive always rated hrk. Im curious about that penalty, was it a legit penalty or just the refs favoring united.

clear push in the back, Evans didn`t need a second invitation to go down.

I don't think he had a choice

[joeroyal]

Can't complain too much tbf.

Didn't think you could blame cummings today, even though he was getting rinsed by Cole & Evra for much of the game

Tabb, HRK, Shorey, Morrison, & Jobi all had very good games.

Tad disappointed with Roberts and Alf not chasing down their defence at all in the 2nd half


At the end of the day, ManU looked able to score whenever they fancied and 2nd half came out and took control of the game, killing it dead. Fair play

Is that why Jobi went off , and could not blame cummings even though he was getting rinsed by Cole & Evra for much of the game, very good insight to to the game, you got to love those comments

[Mike Hunt]

I feel it is such a shame to have wasted all that hard work in getting to the Prem by never even giving it a go when we got there. If the Board have any slight intentions of even trying to keep us up, sorry and sad to say it, but they have got to replace Brian as he is clearly void of ideas and looks more out of his depth every week.

Any examples today specifically of McD looking out of his depth? Agree with the rest of the post though.

Not taking Legs off, bringing Logrebnyak on.

Still a cracking game for a neutral. We really need to learn how to defend though. It is like watching a good Fifa player sitting down and switching to the difficulty to amateur.

[CayeneMatt]

Well that was jokes wasn't it. At last, a Reading game I quite enjoyed. Ok, so we are hilarious defensively - the third goal was particularly abject - but we gave it a good go throughout, finally kept some shape second half and could maybe have snatched something from it. We're very clearly going to be relegated this season so at least lets try and make the games as enjoyable as that was. This was a million times better than the rubbish we served up at Villa, although we clearly raised our game today. United were generous with their defending as well, they will win the league this season but this is hardly one of their great sides of all time!

Two negtatives were Shaun Cummings - played narrow and looks out of his depth, the alternative being Gunter means we'll be weak in that position until at least January. And Federici, who made an absolute meal of a routine back pass and then set about blaming the defence. If anything summed up his miserable efforts this season it was that sorry little incident, I'd rather hope he'd be a little more circumspect and humble by now.

Not often I agree with you, but I do today. Cummings positioning appeared so bad at times it became very apparent he was marking to orders. First half, where I sit closest to the RB, he was stuck to Morrison giving Young so much space, young must've thought the whistle had gone. Time and time again.

For Cummings to be so narrow whilst constantly glancing over at Young mean't that they must've been scared of Van Persie/Anderson going through the middle.

[RoyalBlue]

Well at least we saw plenty of spirit, passion and good attacking football today. Although relegation still looks pretty inevitable, it will be a bit easier to take if we go down playing that way.

Still very concerned about some of McDermott's tactics and his substitutions. Pog is a complete and utter waste of money if we won't play to his strengths. Why bring him on with not long to go and then keep lumping it forwards into the air for him (Hunt is much more suited to that) or banging it into the channels for him to chase?! That having been said, I do think Pog could put a bit more work into defending from the front, even if he is left completely frustrated by McDermott's style.

And why was Guthrie not brought on when it was clear that Legs was blowing through his arse and Tabb was carrying an injury from the challenge he got booked for?

I was also concerned with McDermott's post match comments where he looked back at past achievements and talked about the progress made in playing Man U. To me that's a bit like inventing the mobile phone and saying 'that's progress' as you chuck it towards the bin in favour of a quick return to the landline!

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Can't complain too much tbf.

Didn't think you could blame cummings today, even though he was getting rinsed by Cole & Evra for much of the game

Tabb, HRK, Shorey, Morrison, & Jobi all had very good games.

Tad disappointed with Roberts and Alf not chasing down their defence at all in the 2nd half


At the end of the day, ManU looked able to score whenever they fancied and 2nd half came out and took control of the game, killing it dead. Fair play

Is that why Jobi went off , and could not blame cummings even though he was getting rinsed by Cole & Evra for much of the game, very good insight to to the game, you got to love those comments

He had Ashley f*cking Young and Patrice f*cking Evra up against him, and was getting very little help with it. So yeah, i'll happily stick by a "can't blame him too much"

F*ck knows why Jobi came off tbf, not as if Hunt was gonna set the wing alight was it

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Oh by the way, to all you 'fans' who cheered when Jobi's name was read out for the sub.

Right sentiment, wrong f*cking game you spazzes

[Royal Lady]

You really can't blame Cummings - he's made massive improvements from a couple of seasons ago, but it's McD who insists on playing him and he's not just not ready for PL football imho. However, having said that, he didn't do much wrong today really - as JMW said he was up against the likes of Evra - so need to give him credit where it's due.

Tabb was getting everywhere today - fantastic performance from him, yet again. He always gives 100%. Morrison and Marriappa were solid at the back, Shorey was brilliant as always, Legs was a different player today than in most previous games, Roberts did well holding the ball up and got more stuck in than usual - I really can't fault any of the outfield players at all. Feds is a liability - I don't know if it's a confidence thing or whether it's over-confidence and he thinks he's better than he is. His distribution was appalling and McCarthy being out for potentially the rest of the season is a big, big worry.

I really enjoyed today, we had a go and for one or two bright moments, I thought we might even beat them. Saying that I thought Man U were pretty poor - second half I'm sure they only had about 3 shots. I thought they'd come out second half and absolutely tonk us - so I'm glad they didn't. I thought, yet again, that some ref/lino decisions were poor.

But all in all, I can see positives and just hope we play like that against Southampton.

[Ups and Downs]

We didn't get embarrassed. That is a result. I shall watch the first half again sometime.

The second half was just a managerial master class. Fergie saw what had been wrong about his team and closed the loops. Probably an easy job when you consider who they had on the bench. They nullified us, although they refrained from going on the all out attack.

This is an odd one. Not quite proud, but glad we went for it. Even though I knew we could never hold a lead.

[Ups and Downs]

You really can't blame Cummings - he's made massive improvements from a couple of seasons ago, but it's McD who insists on playing him and he's not just not ready for PL football imho. However, having said that, he didn't do much wrong today really - as JMW said he was up against the likes of Evra - so need to give him credit where it's due.

Tabb was getting everywhere today - fantastic performance from him, yet again. He always gives 100%. Morrison and Marriappa were solid at the back, Shorey was brilliant as always, Legs was a different player today than in most previous games, Roberts did well holding the ball up and got more stuck in than usual - I really can't fault any of the outfield players at all. Feds is a liability - I don't know if it's a confidence thing or whether it's over-confidence and he thinks he's better than he is. His distribution was appalling and McCarthy being out for potentially the rest of the season is a big, big worry.

I really enjoyed today, we had a go and for one or two bright moments, I thought we might even beat them. Saying that I thought Man U were pretty poor - second half I'm sure they only had about 3 shots. I thought they'd come out second half and absolutely tonk us - so I'm glad they didn't. I thought, yet again, that some ref/lino decisions were poor.

But all in all, I can see positives and just hope we play like that against Southampton.

You say you can't blame Cummings, but I found myself doing that during the game. It was only on reflection that I realised he was given absolutely no cover whatsoever as HRK ran forwards and showed little interest in getting back.

He was left exposed so so many times. poor fukker.

[Ian Royal]

encouraging read. We were always going to lose to Utd - they were never going to let us turn them over after Norwich managed it -, shame we let in so many goals, but at least we scored a few as well with what sounds like a better performance. Brian's won himself a little bit more leeway again from me, this seems like it might be the sort of result and performance that he can actually take and do something with. Fingers crossed anyway.

I'll watch teh highlights another time but did we score from open play or was it all set pieces?

[RoyalBlue]

You really can't blame Cummings - he's made massive improvements from a couple of seasons ago, but it's McD who insists on playing him and he's not just not ready for PL football imho. However, having said that, he didn't do much wrong today really - as JMW said he was up against the likes of Evra - so need to give him credit where it's due.

Tabb was getting everywhere today - fantastic performance from him, yet again. He always gives 100%.

Sadly he also gifted ManU a penalty equally, if not more, culpable than Feds' mistake. Tabb's challenge was described by ESPN as 'the most stupid in the entirety of The Premier League' and it was pretty damn stupid and completely unnecessary.

[Mike Hunt]

encouraging read. We were always going to lose to Utd - they were never going to let us turn them over after Norwich managed it -, shame we let in so many goals, but at least we scored a few as well with what sounds like a better performance. Brian's won himself a little bit more leeway again from me, this seems like it might be the sort of result and performance that he can actually take and do something with. Fingers crossed anyway.

I'll watch teh highlights another time but did we score from open play or was it all set pieces?

First open play, second and third headers from corners.

[Elm Park Old Boy]

Enjoyable game, with more bright spots than I would have expected. Both wide men played well, especially HRK (whom I have not seen play better). We were a bit lacking up front in my view, and a couple of times in the first half we had chances to get the ball in the box but there was no more than one or two Reading shirts anywhere near.

Tabb probably my man of the match. We looked weak on our right, but as others have suggested, theat may have been the knock-on impact of paying so much attention to the middle and stopping RVP (which we did quitewell at, despite his one goal).

Disappointed with the first goal (think Feds should have stopped it, and Macarthy probably would have done), and giving away such a soft/needless penalty.

A bit sad we couldn't make more of an impact second half, but I guess MU had identified the problems, tightened up, and played out the game. Felt we could have made more of our set-pieces second half - we had United reeling with them in the first half hour.

Encouraged. I don't get the peevishness of some posters on here. Losing by one goal to United is not shameful. Doing it with today's style is what makes being in the top division fun.

[RoyalBlue]

Well that was jokes wasn't it. At last, a Reading game I quite enjoyed. Ok, so we are hilarious defensively - the third goal was particularly abject - but we gave it a good go throughout, finally kept some shape second half and could maybe have snatched something from it. We're very clearly going to be relegated this season so at least lets try and make the games as enjoyable as that was.

Two negtatives were Shaun Cummings - played narrow and looks out of his depth, the alternative being Gunter means we'll be weak in that position until at least January. And Federici, who made an absolute meal of a routine back pass and then set about blaming the defence. If anything summed up his miserable efforts this season it was that sorry little incident, I'd rather hope he'd be a little more circumspect and humble by now.

Yep, I noticed that, thought it was particularly twattish.

It was a major cock up but earlier he had every right to moan as Tabb (he of the Xmas gift penalty) played the ball back to him on his wrong foot and towards the middle of his goal - two things players are coached not to do!

[Cripple Creek]

One of the biggest surprises for me this season has been Federici. I was looking at Man U comments on the Guardian match report just now and one Man U supporter says (and this is reflected by others) "Federici is the worst keeper in the premiership by quite some margin and will help Reading go down this season". Harsh words indeed but I'm afraid I'm inclined to agree. I honestly thought he was premiership class - one of the few players from last season who were - but how wrong I was. I know keepers have off days and everyone is allowed to make a blunder now and again but his performances are bad at so many levels and, I quite agree with others, his petulance when he received a back pass - which was admittedly poor but a far from difficult one to deal with - was pretty pathetic to watch. If we are going to stand any chance of staying up - and there may still be a slim chance, although realistically I can't see it - I think he needs to be dropped.

[RoyalBlue]

Once again pre game we had the Madman on the pitch doing the rallying/self-publicity as if he owns the place.
Sorry John but you don't any more.

Clearly missing his time in the media spotlight (he only got involved in the club out of the goodness of his heart didn't he!) and decided to make up for it when the cameras next rolled into town. Probably also had his ego dented by the fact that ESPN had done an interview with Anton.

Did he also make his way into the tunnel before the start of the second half to talk to Fergie?

One of the biggest surprises for me this season has been Federici. I was looking at Man U comments on the Guardian match report just now and one Man U supporter says (and this is reflected by others) "Federici is the worst keeper in the premiership by quite some margin and will help Reading go down this season". Harsh words indeed but I'm afraid I'm inclined to agree. I honestly thought he was premiership class - one of the few players from last season who were - but how wrong I was. I know keepers have off days and everyone is allowed to make a blunder now and again but his performances are bad at so many levels and, I quite agree with others, his petulance when he received a back pass - which was admittedly poor but a far from difficult one to deal with - was pretty pathetic to watch. If we are going to stand any chance of staying up - and there may still be a slim chance, although realistically I can't see it - I think he needs to be dropped.

For a guy who won't even be able to remember what it is like to play a first team game?

And keepers will always blame their defence (according to Keegan he was right to do so for the first goal) - it's a way of trying to protect themselves and their confidence. It's a very lonely and tough position - always likely to be portrayed as the villain, so rarely the hero.

Perhaps we should also start to look at the dreadful mistakes made by strikers and how they cost us dear e.g. ALF's dreadful miss v Villa.

[pea]

Surprised by the Tabb comments, thought he was awful and at fault for Cummings being so isolated on several occasions that led to goals, plus a really really stupid foul on Evans for the penalty.

HRK was great, enjoying seeing him step up to the challenge, just needs to be more consistent. Always gets a good amount of goals though

[jellytot]

Our defending is so desperately bad with a struggling keeper behind. Unless we tighten up we are finished.

Our midfield is non existent too.