MATCHWATCH : Stockport County (h)

[Royal_jimmy]

I see a lot of our fans slating losing to them and yes they were in the conference north 5 years ago but they're silly and sour grapes. I saw them at Madenhead in 2020 which funny enough their keeper played that game too and won 2-1. They've had a great rise from their rock bottom and deserve a lot of credit. Hopefully something we can take inspiration from when we finally get Dai out. Football fortunes can switch quickly with a good owner and the right manager.

[Royals and Racers]

Just seen an attendance figure for yesterday of 11019- surely there was more there than that ?

[Carlos]

Such a poor performance yesterday. Can't understand why wing plays the deep role in midfield and savage plays higher. Savages only ability is the occasional quality block with wings best ability being his creativity and worldies. Wing isn't a defensive midfielder. Thought our fullbacks were shocking, first time I'd seen rushesha and based on that performance hopefully my last. Two free chances from set pieces is criminal.

It's great that Smith scored but still think he's so poor at holding the ball up, never seen a striker jump so little for long balls. Today made me realise just how average league one our squad is so think we've done fantastic to be even near the playoffs.

Biggest positive is Kelvin back. Still waiting for Garcia to show any potential, certainly no wonderkid as has been mentioned on here a few times.

[Clyde1998]

Just seen an attendance figure for yesterday of 11019- surely there was more there than that ?

Certainly didn't look it: 11,019 with 779 away fans - so 10,240 home fans.

[stealthpapes]

Had plenty of performances like this under Selles. Don't need to read too much into it, just again highlights how light our squad is. We desperately need to be able to sign a full back or two. Even our first choice full backs aren't full backs.

It does seem that there's an easy way to break us - early pressure, get us on backfoot, be physical throughout.

And the 'reverse' is also true - we can go a long way with an organised, fit team.

[Orion1871]

Such a poor performance yesterday. Can't understand why wing plays the deep role in midfield and savage plays higher. Savages only ability is the occasional quality block with wings best ability being his creativity and worldies. Wing isn't a defensive midfielder. Thought our fullbacks were shocking, first time I'd seen rushesha and based on that performance hopefully my last. Two free chances from set pieces is criminal.

It's great that Smith scored but still think he's so poor at holding the ball up, never seen a striker jump so little for long balls. Today made me realise just how average league one our squad is so think we've done fantastic to be even near the playoffs.

Biggest positive is Kelvin back. Still waiting for Garcia to show any potential, certainly no wonderkid as has been mentioned on here a few times.

Did you have your eyes closed when Lucas Joao played for us?

[Stranded]

Meh it happens - Stockport seem to be the side who really have our number this season - there's pretty much always one.

Forget about it and move on.

[bcubed]

Had plenty of performances like this under Selles. Don't need to read too much into it, just again highlights how light our squad is. We desperately need to be able to sign a full back or two. Even our first choice full backs aren't full backs.

It does seem that there's an easy way to break us - early pressure, get us on backfoot, be physical throughout.

And the 'reverse' is also true - we can go a long way with an organised, fit team.

Agree

But I feel this has been true for a while, not just the current team. We just don't seem to select physical bruiser typical League 1/2 players, regardless of the manager. And struggle to play against that type of team

[Sutekh]

Had plenty of performances like this under Selles. Don't need to read too much into it, just again highlights how light our squad is. We desperately need to be able to sign a full back or two. Even our first choice full backs aren't full backs.

It does seem that there's an easy way to break us - early pressure, get us on backfoot, be physical throughout.

And the 'reverse' is also true - we can go a long way with an organised, fit team.

Agree

But I feel this has been true for a while, not just the current team. We just don't seem to select physical bruiser typical League 1/2 players, regardless of the manager. And struggle to play against that type of team

The target for the club this season is getting the joker out and surviving i.e. still having a club next season, anything else is just a bonus. Therefore not all that bothered about results and which players get sold this month, though it is still annoying when performances like Saturday turn up.

[bcubed]

It does seem that there's an easy way to break us - early pressure, get us on backfoot, be physical throughout.

And the 'reverse' is also true - we can go a long way with an organised, fit team.

Agree

But I feel this has been true for a while, not just the current team. We just don't seem to select physical bruiser typical League 1/2 players, regardless of the manager. And struggle to play against that type of team

The target for the club this season is getting the joker out and surviving i.e. still having a club next season, anything else is just a bonus. Therefore not all that bothered about results and which players get sold this month, though it is still annoying when performances like Saturday turn up.

Well quite but that wasn't really my point. I'm curious as to why we our sides struggle against physical teams. Maybe it's something to do with the sort of player that is selected and succeeds in our Academy.

[Sutekh]

Agree

But I feel this has been true for a while, not just the current team. We just don't seem to select physical bruiser typical League 1/2 players, regardless of the manager. And struggle to play against that type of team

The target for the club this season is getting the joker out and surviving i.e. still having a club next season, anything else is just a bonus. Therefore not all that bothered about results and which players get sold this month, though it is still annoying when performances like Saturday turn up.

Well quite but that wasn't really my point. I'm curious as to why we our sides struggle against physical teams. Maybe it's something to do with the sort of player that is selected and succeeds in our Academy.

Yes. Reading have struggled with the Stockport template sides all season. Presuming a lot of it is down to the way players are developed with the Academy encouraging the latest trend of getting the ball down and never playing simple direct football when there’s a chance to build the “oh so important” possession stats up with extra passes sideways and back. And, of course, the state of the club at the moment meaning it’s just “not quite the finished article” kids against the proper big tough athletic no nonsense adults.

[Snowflake Royal]

Had plenty of performances like this under Selles. Don't need to read too much into it, just again highlights how light our squad is. We desperately need to be able to sign a full back or two. Even our first choice full backs aren't full backs.

It does seem that there's an easy way to break us - early pressure, get us on backfoot, be physical throughout.

And the 'reverse' is also true - we can go a long way with an organised, fit team.

Agree

But I feel this has been true for a while, not just the current team. We just don't seem to select physical bruiser typical League 1/2 players, regardless of the manager. And struggle to play against that type of team

It doesn’t help that we're completely dependent on the Academy and young up and comers like Craig, Rushesha, Savage and Elliott. They're rarely going to have the physicality and experience to compete with those physical sides.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Agree

But I feel this has been true for a while, not just the current team. We just don't seem to select physical bruiser typical League 1/2 players, regardless of the manager. And struggle to play against that type of team

The target for the club this season is getting the joker out and surviving i.e. still having a club next season, anything else is just a bonus. Therefore not all that bothered about results and which players get sold this month, though it is still annoying when performances like Saturday turn up.

Well quite but that wasn't really my point. I'm curious as to why we our sides struggle against physical teams. Maybe it's something to do with the sort of player that is selected and succeeds in our Academy.

The academy players are also used to playing against possession based premier league U21 sides rather than our current peers.

[Stranded]

The target for the club this season is getting the joker out and surviving i.e. still having a club next season, anything else is just a bonus. Therefore not all that bothered about results and which players get sold this month, though it is still annoying when performances like Saturday turn up.

Well quite but that wasn't really my point. I'm curious as to why we our sides struggle against physical teams. Maybe it's something to do with the sort of player that is selected and succeeds in our Academy.

The academy players are also used to playing against possession based premier league U21 sides rather than our current peers.

That is part of it and that our Academy has been staffed with players who we felt would develop into first team players in a Championship side where the style of play of opposition is invariably different - it will sometime show when a side plays, shall we say, more effective football.

[jd82]

Dreadful game, worst since I've started coming again I think.

Shit performance, shit crowd, shit weather, double shite ref.


There was a lovely moment in the second half that, for me, really crystallised just how shite the officiating in this league is.
The 4th held up the board for Kelvin (9) to come on, and the other number he'd put in (5), was that of Michael Craig who was also preparing to come on. So everyone kinda just stood there wondering what the oxf*rd was happening.

ShambLOLes

[katweslowski]

I don't usually like the ref criticism as I think it's often a bit OTT, but he was absolutely horrendous. No control at all and just missed so much.

Was sick of seeing Stockport pull our players down and hold their shirt. It happened repeatedly.

Part of me thinks "fair play to them" - they went out with that briefing, to push their luck, frustrate, give us digs and basically act like caaaants. It worked well and with that terrible ref, they were allowed to get away with it.

Their physio is a prick of the highest order for not just walking off. Insisting on wanting to walk the long way across the pitch, when he's about 10 metres from the SJM sidelines.

Norwood is a cnut too. Was not particularly happy to see him fist bumping and screaming after the goal in the direction of Y24-Y26 area. Gloating and unnecessary, he had no cause to do that from my view - I thought he left just simply as his contract expired or needs changed of the club/him. Nothing more than that.

The crosses and free kicks by Wing were awful and wasteful

I sometimes enjoy games we lose as they're entertaining, we gave it a go. But all I saw was large periods of the game of passing it back, passing it between the back 4 and just waiting for them to attack again.

Worst performance in so long and one I really didn't enjoy.

[Snowflake Royal]

Dreadful game, worst since I've started coming again I think.

Shit performance, shit crowd, shit weather, double shite ref.


There was a lovely moment in the second half that, for me, really crystallised just how shite the officiating in this league is.
The 4th held up the board for Kelvin (9) to come on, and the other number he'd put in (5), was that of Michael Craig who was also preparing to come on. So everyone kinda just stood there wondering what the oxf*rd was happening.

ShambLOLes

Crikey, that's an incredibly mundane error compared to some of the officiating failures on offsides, penalties and fouls we've seen.

Don't care at all about minor admin snaffus

[Snowflake Royal]

I don't usually like the ref criticism as I think it's often a bit OTT, but he was absolutely horrendous. No control at all and just missed so much.

Was sick of seeing Stockport pull our players down and hold their shirt. It happened repeatedly.

Part of me thinks "fair play to them" - they went out with that briefing, to push their luck, frustrate, give us digs and basically act like caaaants. It worked well and with that terrible ref, they were allowed to get away with it.

Their physio is a prick of the highest order for not just walking off. Insisting on wanting to walk the long way across the pitch, when he's about 10 metres from the SJM sidelines.

Norwood is a cnut too. Was not particularly happy to see him fist bumping and screaming after the goal in the direction of Y24-Y26 area. Gloating and unnecessary, he had no cause to do that from my view - I thought he left just simply as his contract expired or needs changed of the club/him. Nothing more than that.

The crosses and free kicks by Wing were awful and wasteful

I sometimes enjoy games we lose as they're entertaining, we gave it a go. But all I saw was large periods of the game of passing it back, passing it between the back 4 and just waiting for them to attack again.

Worst performance in so long and one I really didn't enjoy.

Norwood got a fair amount of fan criticism here and wasn't very highly rated by a lot, who he proved wrong. Hate to see it, but if he's one of those who read online comments, it may not be without justification.

[windermereROYAL]

Just seen the 3rd goal on telly, in real time I thought it was deflected, but it`s gone straight through the keeper, we give Pereira plenty of deserved praise, but his performance on Saturday wasn`t up to the standard required, his distribution was very bad too.

[Snowflake Royal]

Just seen the 3rd goal on telly, in real time I thought it was deflected, but it`s gone straight through the keeper, we give Pereira plenty of deserved praise, but his performance on Saturday wasn`t up to the standard required, his distribution was very bad too.

It 100% was put in by Olaofe in front of him. There was a reverse angle clear as day.

It's going across goal to the far post and Olaofe puts it in wrong footing Pereira.