Reading marked the occasion of their 500th first team fixture at the Madejski Stadium with a dismal defeat against struggling Burton Albion. Having enticed a huge crowd to attend with reduced ticket prices the Royals missed a golden opportunity to increase their following in future matches. It is however the manner of the defeat which will concern everyone associated with the club. Having conceded a soft goal in the first half Reading managed to mount some pressure on the Albion defence in the second half and scramble an equaliser fifteen minutes from time. In a game in which Albion had rarely ventured out of their own half it seemed reasonable to expect Reading to go on and win the game. The expected surge to kick on and win the game was scuppered by some dreadful defending culminating in a bizarre winning goal for Albion. That was the last straw for many, and the ground emptied.
Jaap Stam identified poor touch, passing and decision making throughout the side as the key factors contributing to the result, which is a pretty fair summary. In short Reading significantly underperformed individually and collectively against a mediocre team and managed to lose in spite of having seventy six per cent of the possession.
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Burton Gifted Three Points
From the Discussion
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SU Sutekh 23 Dec 2017 · 5:10pm
If anyone knows just what the hell that pile of stinking fetid @#£& actually was please could you write it on a postcard and send it to Jaap c/o Reading FC as I’m sure he’d like to know just as much as the rest of us. People paid £5 for that and it wasn’t worth 5p. Still at least they’ve now all been reminded why they’d given up going to watch the team in the first place.
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RG RG7Fan 23 Dec 2017 · 5:16pm
Piss poor.
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JM John Madejski's Wallet 23 Dec 2017 · 5:16pm
Beat me to it by seconds :D
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HO Hound 23 Dec 2017 · 5:18pm
I don’t think there’s much to write up We were shocking, simple as. First half was prob the worst performance I’ve seen from is under Stam Second half plenty of effort, huffed and puffed but created little. The passing was woeful hence why we couldn’t get any momentum going The two goals conceded were horrendous. Just absolutely gifted them. The second one bizarrely I don’t think a Burton player touched it for about 10 passes before it went on Stam screwed up his subs. Way too late. Bod is offering far more than Yann and getting 10 mins a game Ratings: Joey, Kelly, Aluko, Yann : 3 Gunter, Mannone: 4 Bacuna, Edwards, Moore, McShane:… More →
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AT AthleticoSpizz 23 Dec 2017 · 5:26pm
Most definately an opportunity missed to win back some of those missing fan numbers....a shame for the club. Bodvarsson is not the panacea for all of our ailments right now, but Jaaps stubborness in not starting with him has surely cost us a few points by now. His cameo appearances have been (in the main) encouraging and he HAS actually scored occasionally....whatever your issue with him is, it’s time to give him the starting berth Mr Stam.
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JM John Madejski's Wallet 23 Dec 2017 · 5:28pm
Stam just needs to bugger off now
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AT AthleticoSpizz 23 Dec 2017 · 5:30pm
well that’s not going to happen this side of the seasonal festivities is it?
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GE genome 23 Dec 2017 · 5:32pm
I'm not going to bother with a BFTG report - there's no point - every player was awful, all 3 goals were shit, that's about it. Unfortunate for the club today, opportunity to get some fringe fans on board, but on that evidence I don't think they'll be back anytime soon.
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WI windermereROYAL 23 Dec 2017 · 5:32pm
Firstly a big shout out for the guy that pulled us up for voicing our displeasure on the way out, support the team at all costs he told us. Well that was as bad as I have seen in any game at the mad stad since we have been there. I have always stood by Stam but today that was just so bad, cant think of a single player I would give more than 5. but special mention to Joey, Kelly and Kermit for a single point each.
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SU Sutekh 23 Dec 2017 · 5:34pm
On the upside Oxford United 0-7 Wigan Athletic
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HO Hound 23 Dec 2017 · 5:36pm
Tbf I’m fuming with Stam after that performance and the subs or lack of them was utterly baffling He just can’t seem to recognise how to influence a match when it’s not going our way with the subs this year Some of the favoured treatment of some (ie McShane, Yann, Kelly) at the expense of others (Popa, Bod, Richards) is just wrong. Another little dig at the fans doesn’t help his cause In saying that I still wouldn’t advocate sacking him. But now there is big pressure on us back to win 2 of the next 3
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GE genome 23 Dec 2017 · 5:36pm
By the way, I thought Burton were half decent. You could see they had a great team spirit there