Pre-season friendlies

[sandman]

Bristol City are a tinpot club who won't allow BBCRB in there (nor BBC Radio Brizzle) as it's "just" a pre-season friendly.

Tinpot club 1 Reading 0.

[blythspartan]

Only a friendly but no end product from us.

A couple of City fans I was speaking to thought Glasgow Rangers were a better side than us. A little bit worrying.

Stating the obvious, we need a proven striker.

[ddetisi]

Only a friendly but no end product from us.

A couple of City fans I was speaking to thought Glasgow Rangers were a better side than us. A little bit worrying.

Stating the obvious, we need a proven striker.

Were we playing without Pog or Alf?

Or aren't they proven?

One extra striker does not a team make.

[blythspartan]

Only a friendly but no end product from us.

A couple of City fans I was speaking to thought Glasgow Rangers were a better side than us. A little bit worrying.

Stating the obvious, we need a proven striker.

Were we playing without Pog or Alf?

Or aren't they proven?

One extra striker does not a team make.

ALF is a great impact striker.

Is the Pog proven for Reading?

Only a friendly, so not getting to bothered about it.

[jd82]

I've recorded a couple of videos, i'll try to post them up once i'm home.

[NewCorkSeth]

thanks!

[windermere_royal]

anyone remember Sheff wed 2 Reading 0 last year?..that was only a friendly too .

[winchester_royal]

anyone remember Sheff wed 2 Reading 0 last year?..that was only a friendly too .

United lost to a Japenese team yesterday, does that mean they're getting relegated too?

[Royal91]

Didn't we smash a top flight Portuguese team 5-1 a few days ago in a foreign country.

[Maguire]

Didn't we smash a top flight Portuguese team 5-1 a few days ago in a foreign country.

Yeah, think it was in Portugal but not sure

[Royal91]

Didn't we smash a top flight Portuguese team 5-1 a few days ago in a foreign country.

Yeah, think it was in Portugal but not sure

I emphasising the point it wasn't just simply an away gain.

[percyisfreeman]

Only a pre-season friendly last night.We can play pretty football from the back, but it's end product, we need to be far more superior up front, Drenthe good on the ball, away off full fitness yet, Williams didn't see enough of him last night, but going to be strong in the tackle,Bridge solid. Lots of movement, midfield played like a midfield unit, Alf a bit disappointing, Guthrie in the thick of things, a few wayward passes, McCleary nippy on the wing. Confident but not over-confident.

Drenthe will be a handful and a piss-taker and a very firm favourite at the Mad. Exciting times ahead.

[Wimb]

Only a friendly but no end product from us.

A couple of City fans I was speaking to thought Glasgow Rangers were a better side than us. A little bit worrying.

Stating the obvious, we need a proven striker.

Were we playing without Pog or Alf?

Or aren't they proven?

One extra striker does not a team make.

Except that the reason we went from play-off contenders to Champions was Jason Roberts.....

[winchester_royal]

We scored 5 in our previous pre-season match. Just saying.

Lets not overreact because we failed to score in 90 minutes of a glorified training session eh?

[Big Foot]

Shock horror - play Le Fondre up front on his own and we'll struggle in the final third. Where have those with knee jerk reactions been the last 2 years?

I'd be more inclined to ask why Adkins has been with us for 4 months and still doesn't know/realise that Le Fondre isn't best used when played as a lone striker.

Interesting/disappointing to see McAnuff still Captain, guess that means he'll be first choice this coming season.

[sandman]

We scored 5 in our previous pre-season match. Just saying.

Lets not overreact because we failed to score in 90 minutes of a glorified training session eh?

So why does that apply to last nights game and not the previous one? Don't overreact about scoring 5 after all that was just another glorified training session.

[winchester_royal]

We scored 5 in our previous pre-season match. Just saying.

Lets not overreact because we failed to score in 90 minutes of a glorified training session eh?

So why does that apply to last nights game and not the previous one? Don't overreact about scoring 5 after all that was just another glorified training session.

I agree, which is why I'm not suggesting scoring 5 goals means we're definitely okay in the striking department, just offering some balance.

[sandman]

Well good I'm glad we've established that.

[stealthpapes]

Shock horror - play Le Fondre up front on his own and we'll struggle in the final third. Where have those with knee jerk reactions been the last 2 years?

I'd be more inclined to ask why Adkins has been with us for 4 months and still doesn't know/realise that Le Fondre isn't best used when played as a lone striker.

Interesting/disappointing to see McAnuff still Captain, guess that means he'll be first choice this coming season.

The only thing that was worse than playing him as a lone striker was partnering him with Hunt.

A strikeforce more suited to returning the One Ring to Mordor.

[Lovely hot donuts!]

Shock horror - play Le Fondre up front on his own and we'll struggle in the final third. Where have those with knee jerk reactions been the last 2 years?

I'd be more inclined to ask why Adkins has been with us for 4 months and still doesn't know/realise that Le Fondre isn't best used when played as a lone striker.

Whilst last night wasn't a great example, I reckon that in this kind of system ALF can play there. Under McDermott, the lone striker was an isolated target man so ALF was useless. In this Adkins system, there are very advanced midfielders (Drenthe, Williams, Guthrie, McAnuff at different points in yesterday's game) meaning that he actually isn't that isolated and it shouldn't be that different to playing with a second striker. The reason we didn't score last night was:
a) we struggled to get through the midfield. Too many passes went astray. Hopefully this will be solved as the team learn this style more.
b) The finishing was bloody awful. Even Le Fondre missed a couple of sitters. Hopefully this is just a blip as opposed to a real problem but our ratio of shots on target: shots off target is probably the lowest it's been in quite some time.
So yeah, my point is, it was nothing to do with the formation who was upfront on there own. Essentially, we just need to get the basics right and it will all fall into place. I hope.