BFTG Derby

[Mr Optimist]

If we want to make the top six we need to beat bottom feeders like Derby and Rotherham at home. Still a point without playing well.

[wingnut]

My first home game of the season and, Christ, did I pick a duffer. Thankfully some football did break out after 80 minutes of watching paint dry, don't know why it took that long to realise you usually need to have the ball in the opponent's half to score.
First half was incredibly boring - their keeper didn't have a thing to do until the 45th minute. The only attacking ploy we had was a long diagonal ball to Gunter who would usually run into a dead end and then pass it backwards - but at least he was looking to create some space, everyone else were as mobile as the Avebury stone circle. A consistent issue was that the defensive 5 outfield players were separated by more or less the whole pitch length from the attacking 5 giving virtually no options when the defenders had the ball.
Second half, and Derby realised they just needed to press our defenders a bit to create a bit of panic and their goal was hardly a surprise.
Can't say we deserved any more from the game and, frankly, the draw probably wasn't merited either.

[Jagermesiter1871]

Swift was exceptional.

Harriett atrocious. Surprised to see people giving him a rating of 6!

The game - boring until the last 10mins.

What about Swift was exceptional? I'm happy to concede that I may be wrong, but he looked to be almost completely nullified today.

His touch and passing is top draw. He holds on to the ball for just the right amount of time unlike Williams for example and I can't think of once today where he lost possession, again something Williams and a lot of the team could do with learning.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

. A consistent issue was that the defensive 5 outfield players were separated by more or less the whole pitch length from the attacking 5 giving virtually no options when the defenders had the ball.

This is becoming an ever present problem. Sometimes it almost looks like 2 banks of 5

[marlowuk]

This was a desperately disappointing game until the final 15 minutes or so. In the end, Stam's bold substitution of Mendes for Gunter could be said to have paid off. Even if Mendes was not directly involved in the goal the substitution showed attacking intent and seemed to change the mindset of the players.

Good to see Alex Pearce back at the Madejski - he played OK except for one dreadful long pass that elicited ironic cheers from the stands! I didn't think any of our players stood out. Moore has been suggested as MOM and he was probably more composed and reliable than most of the others. Macca's only had 3 games out but he looked rusty; He and Gunts usually work well together but Gunts wasn't at the races today either.

I thought Williams had one of his better games. Many on here have been calling for him to be dropped but he didn't play against Brentford ... Swift played some nice touches but nothing special but Evans seemed to have a more assured game today and will be delighted to have scored.

[siforest65]

If we want to make the top six we need to beat bottom feeders like Derby and Rotherham at home. Still a point without playing well.

Pains me to say it but I do think Derby will end up there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

[Mr Optimist]

If we want to make the top six we need to beat bottom feeders like Derby and Rotherham at home. Still a point without playing well.

Pains me to say it but I do think Derby will end up there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

I know you are right, but couldn't resist taking the piss out of their start to the season after all the cash they've spent!

[siforest65]

If we want to make the top six we need to beat bottom feeders like Derby and Rotherham at home. Still a point without playing well.

Pains me to say it but I do think Derby will end up there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

I know you are right, but couldn't resist taking the piss out of their start to the season after all the cash they've spent!

Your piss taking is appreciated and it is funny seeing them where they are but I'm sat in a glass house at the moment.

Reckon Reading will make play offs this season

[Mr Optimist]

I think we'll both be around mid table with a brief flirtation with the edge of the playoffs at some point to keep our interest but ultimately fall short but a fairly comfortable season for us and Forest.

Being an exile these days my next game will be the Forest one so I will let you have my completely biased opinion on your chances from a single 90 minutes viewing in a couple of weeks time

[tidus_mi2]

I'm absolutely happy with where we are, it wasn't very entertaining today but we're steadily picking up points and still pushing higher than most expected this season. If we can continue the way we are, have the players improve on the playing style and finish in a solid upper-midtable position I'll be satisfied.

Then next season we can focus on plugging the gaps in the squad we weren't able to this summer.

[Basingstoke Royal]

BBC: "Vydra blasted Derby ahead".

Did he?

[siforest65]

BBC: "Vydra, bastard Derby ahead".

Did he?

Corrected it for you

[paultheroyal]

I like what Stam is doing and in the main we are tough to beat. The only complaint is the lack of attacking drive from the players. Stam us urging the players forward. You can see it on touch line and he says as much on interview but the players are scared to carry this out. Time and time again ObitaTaylor had opportunity to play the ball early to Beerens for a one on one on the wing or over the top but he constantly checks his run and passes it inside.

It will come, it's been a good season so far. Fans need to bear with it...

[CountryRoyal]

I make that 9 of our 12 league goals from set pieces.

Out of the other 3, one was deflected about 3 times and the other a long ranger from outside the box.

I'm not saying they don't count, but you can see what is letting us down.

[Ian Herring]

Couldn't have been more of a contrast to last week's game against Huddersfield. Brentford in midweek was just weird, we didn't look so awful and were picked apart by an attack that buzzes around you like a barber's razor and we got ripped up the anus 4-1. But Derby?

Like someone else here said it was good to see Stam urging the players forward. But that (hopefully) should be being looked at in training, mais non?

Today - especially in the first half - reminded me of the Ipswich game. Too ponderous and slow. And too far back down the pitch. Having said that it looked to me that Derby had had us closely watched and knew what to expect. Even though they were quite dire, they had enough tactical instruction on board to press hard into Reading's defensive set-up. (Similar to Brentford during the week even thought at thirty minutes or so I had been thinking 'lively 0-0...err...not quite correct there'.) Hence the restriction on Swift, in particular, even though when he did show his passing and distribution it was very good.

On the way to this game my thoughts were as they had been over the past few weeks, 'first team to score wins'. So it was good to see the final ten minutes of real, non-systemic football wash Derby away and bring us a point. But up until then the game read like this to me - first half: soporific. First thirty-five minutes of the second: Derby following orders and having a real pop. Luckily, they were not very good. For the goal? Chris Gunter...he is such a weakness really. Yes, he does show occasional flashes of ability - but he is not strong enough to do what he needs to do in that position to give any credence of confidence to the rest of the team. I watched him in the Euros for Wales and couldn't quite believe he was the same Generation Snowflake defender I had often seen play in Reading colours as he put in outstanding performance after outstanding performance for his country. Like someone shouted yesterday as he lost possession for yet another occasion, 'Put a Wales shirt on, Gunter!' He was directly at fault for creating the opportunity for their goal. I actually like 'Gris Cunter' as my mates call him, but I just wish he would toughen up. In a team that is not known for its bucket-load scoring propensity, he is at present a liability. So he has it 'in his locker' as sports mongols say - just wish he could reproduce that potential for us. (Maybe he needs a cuddle. Or a reach-round.)

Then, for ten minutes, we gave an example of what we are capable of. Repeat waves of attacking football where we did not lose our shape, kept possession, and made the opposition look insignificant. The goal was a fair reward for that ten minutes of play. But what would be the goal return if we had, say, four or five periods of play like that during ninety minutes?

However, Stap has done well so far. We're doing okay. But the 'system' also needs 'release clauses' during a game where a key player just says a word (like the old '99' call of the Lions tour to South Africa many moons ago) and we switch from the defence-oriented possession system and go into an attacking mode like in the last ten minutes of yesterday's game. It wouldn't be hard to coach and instil, and it would prevent teams from knowing what was coming next.

Possibly we need better players for that, in some positions, but then that is the art of building a team.

Blackman: Some excellent dogs' abuse merited? Without question. Reading fans have a gentle history of welcoming back old faces with friendliness and applause when the player has left our club for better things on good terms with all. Blackman flattered to deceive at Reading and with his archness when he 'glared' at the crowd, he made sure that any return would be played out as it was yesterday. (C.F. Mark McGhee, et al.) And he was as peripheral, flaky and useless yesterday as when he was with us. Thanks for the cash, Derby.

Anyway, that's my two penneth' worth of bollox from the stands.

Cheers.

[WAZZOCK]

I wish the numptys who booed Blackman would spend more of their energy cheering on Reading.

[sandman]

Couldn't have been more of a contrast to last week's game against Huddersfield. Brentford in midweek was just weird, we didn't look so awful and were picked apart by an attack that buzzes around you like a barber's razor and we got ripped up the anus 4-1. But Derby?

Like someone else here said it was good to see Stam urging the players forward. But that (hopefully) should be being looked at in training, mais non?

Today - especially in the first half - reminded me of the Ipswich game. Too ponderous and slow. And too far back down the pitch. Having said that it looked to me that Derby had had us closely watched and knew what to expect. Even though they were quite dire, they had enough tactical instruction on board to press hard into Reading's defensive set-up. (Similar to Brentford during the week even thought at thirty minutes or so I had been thinking 'lively 0-0...err...not quite correct there'.) Hence the restriction on Swift, in particular, even though when he did show his passing and distribution it was very good.

On the way to this game my thoughts were as they had been over the past few weeks, 'first team to score wins'. So it was good to see the final ten minutes of real, non-systemic football wash Derby away and bring us a point. But up until then the game read like this to me - first half: soporific. First thirty-five minutes of the second: Derby following orders and having a real pop. Luckily, they were not very good. For the goal? Chris Gunter...he is such a weakness really. Yes, he does show occasional flashes of ability - but he is not strong enough to do what he needs to do in that position to give any credence of confidence to the rest of the team. I watched him in the Euros for Wales and couldn't quite believe he was the same Generation Snowflake defender I had often seen play in Reading colours as he put in outstanding performance after outstanding performance for his country. Like someone shouted yesterday as he lost possession for yet another occasion, 'Put a Wales shirt on, Gunter!' He was directly at fault for creating the opportunity for their goal. I actually like 'Gris Cunter' as my mates call him, but I just wish he would toughen up. In a team that is not known for its bucket-load scoring propensity, he is at present a liability. So he has it 'in his locker' as sports mongols say - just wish he could reproduce that potential for us. (Maybe he needs a cuddle. Or a reach-round.)

Then, for ten minutes, we gave an example of what we are capable of. Repeat waves of attacking football where we did not lose our shape, kept possession, and made the opposition look insignificant. The goal was a fair reward for that ten minutes of play. But what would be the goal return if we had, say, four or five periods of play like that during ninety minutes?

However, Stap has done well so far. We're doing okay. But the 'system' also needs 'release clauses' during a game where a key player just says a word (like the old '99' call of the Lions tour to South Africa many moons ago) and we switch from the defence-oriented possession system and go into an attacking mode like in the last ten minutes of yesterday's game. It wouldn't be hard to coach and instil, and it would prevent teams from knowing what was coming next.

Possibly we need better players for that, in some positions, but then that is the art of building a team.

Blackman: Some excellent dogs' abuse merited? Without question. Reading fans have a gentle history of welcoming back old faces with friendliness and applause when the player has left our club for better things on good terms with all. Blackman flattered to deceive at Reading and with his archness when he 'glared' at the crowd, he made sure that any return would be played out as it was yesterday. (C.F. Mark McGhee, et al.) And he was as peripheral, flaky and useless yesterday as when he was with us. Thanks for the cash, Derby.

Anyway, that's my two penneth' worth of bollox from the stands.

Cheers.

The reason he looks better for Wales is because Coleman is wise enough to play Gunter further up the pitch and have a third Central Defender to cover for his defensive weaknesses.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

The reason he looks better for Wales is because Coleman is wise enough to play Gunter further up the pitch and have a third Central Defender to cover for his defensive weaknesses.

I think that should be our preferred formation tbh

[Ian Royal]

The reason he looks better for Wales is because Coleman is wise enough to play Gunter further up the pitch and have a third Central Defender to cover for his defensive weaknesses.

I think that should be our preferred formation tbh

Lovely post from Herring as usual, thank you. As a general point based on Gunter's overall time here, I agree with Sandman and JMW, he's quite good in possession and movement beyond the halfway line. He's a total wet blanket in our half of the pitch though, dithery, over-cautious, hopeful and negative.

Three at the back could actually suit this team with Moore's ability to bring it forward and such defensively flakey full backs who are ok once they go past the halfway line.

[Sutekh]

Having been useless in a Reading shirt last season, Vydra managed to score from a yard out as a result of a free kick given away by the awful Chris Gunter.

All credit to Vydra as well for not celebrating.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... e-11967116