Reading Let Lead Slip Against Cardiff

Well that sucked at the end.
As good as we were first half, second half we went into ourselves and just let them push us back.

Missed some corkers at 2-0 and ooooooh that Mcshane header at the end.
Joey and Bamba were imperious
In other news, my balls still haven't appeared

That would of been a dreadful 2 nil win but instead it was a shambolic 2:2 draw.
Good night.

Eh? The colds gone to your head

Fully deserved the 2-0 HT lead, 20 minutes into the 2nd half we had chances to kill them off, only the last 20 when the taffs put us under the cosh, take a day off work tomorrow and get your arse down to specsavers.

I think you can divide that game up into neat quarters
We were rubbish until we scored

Then great until half time

We were solid if unthreatening until Warnock got sent off

Then we were pants again

I’m a Stam fan, but his second half tactics cost us that win. The players looks confused, disorganised and out of position. At times they were screaming at each other and didn’t know who they were marking, and we completely lost the wide threat when it looked like we moved barrow more centrally up top and moved Aluko into midfield and changed to the dreaded 3–5-2. I don’t think Cardiff looked great, but we didn’t enough to finish them off. Livid.

Not for the first time this season. Almost carbon copy of Fulham. WHY DO WE SIT BACK ON A LEAD. IT NEVER WORKS!! :evil: :evil: :evil:

Threw it away 2nd half. We got cocky on 2-0 should have converted chances. Gradually went to pieces as Aluko and Barrow weren’t able to hold the ball to give the defence any respite.
Cardiff weren’t world beaters by any stretch and we should have been able to see that game out.
Stam should have made subs far earlier than he did but we should have won it at the death. Bizarre.

Fuming at the way we threw that away.
But all put into perspective by the person receiving CPR on the bus for a good 15 minutes after the match. Really hope they came out the other side.
It doesnt really matter eh.

Didn’t learn the lessons from Barnsley. 2-0 up at half time defended to deep. Said then if we do that against a better side we will be punished. Just hope the penny finally drops. On the plus side just one defeat in nine slowly moving up the table.

Not for the first time this season. Almost carbon copy of Fulham. WHY DO WE SIT BACK ON A LEAD. IT NEVER WORKS!! :evil: :evil: :evil:

I'm assuming this is a pisstake given our fantastic record of winning once we've got our heads in front.
I'm not sure how Joey accidentally playing someone through on goal under no pressure at all against a side who had zero threat is like one of the top two piling on pressure and getting reward.

Not for the first time this season. Almost carbon copy of Fulham. WHY DO WE SIT BACK ON A LEAD. IT NEVER WORKS!! :evil: :evil: :evil:
What?
I think it's grossly inaccurate and utter horse sheet to say we sat back on the lead.
We had 2-3 chances in second half. The only reason the chances dried up slightly was because Cardiff got a lot better and we got slightly worse.
Even then we were still pushing up the pitch

Thought up until about 75 minutes it was one of our best performances all season. The amount of times Barrow, Aluko and Bacuna got around the back of their defence was fantastic to see.
Yes, it's disappointing we conceded two fairly preventable goals from sitting far too deep, but overall it was a very entertaining game and generally a good performance. Just got a little too complacent at 2-0. Seems counter-intuitive, but if we only had a 1-0 lead I'd wager we would've seen the game out. Their first goal really gave them the confidence to push forward more.
Thought Moore and McShane had really good displays (apart from McShane being at fault for one of the goals...), and the front three did well but really should have killed the game off beginning of the second half. Yann had a chance which he really should have buried after Barrow (I think?) closed down their keeper well. Reckon if it was last season he'd have scored, and at 3-0 there probably isn't any way back for Cardiff. Kelly didn't play brilliantly (apart from his corner deliveries, which admittedly we scored our goals from), and felt Gunter was pretty average tonight. Joey and Edwards generally very solid.
Felt the ref was quite lenient with us, a couple of times Moore just jumped over their player and won a free kick, and there was a bizarre situation second half when we seemed to be taking a throw (though it was clearly Cardiff's) which he took forever to sort out. Won't complain though, seeing Colin being sent to the stands is always good fun :lol:
Overall a pretty good performance which I think some are overlooking because of the mistakes in the last 10 minutes. I'd be happy if we played like that every week, the number of gilt-edged chances we created means we should have really been scoring at least 4.

Shame we didn't get the 3 points, obviously. But hey, even if we hold on, or even if we still win it 3-2 right at the end there, still sounds like...oh, never mind.
Anyway, Cardiff are not 'world beaters'? Im never quite sure what that really means. But ok, even if they aren't, one way or another they have been up there nearly all season. They have turned teams over regularly, they sit in 2nd place clear by 4 points, and maybe their (lack of) performance had a lot to do with our's.

Reading have been great for giving other fans DVD memories at their own expense in recent times. 2-0 at home with the opposition manager sent to the stands and you bend over and throw it away with a whimper. We are such a poorly organized defensive team that im starting to think even if we do get the striker in we didn't get in the summer that it won't make a difference. As soon as the going gets tough, we fold. Had this been away in Cardiff 0-2 down we'd have been spanked. Say what you want about Colin, he knows the organization, toughness and discipline needed to get out of this league, I think they'll finish runners up to Man City( Wolves) and do it. We won't be in the mix.

Well they didn’t look like a team that was miles apart from us. My comments on the first half reflect that. I’ve sat through plenty of games over the years where we’ve been dominated by teams that were going on to be promoted.
I didn’t see that tonight. Yes they are second but if we play to our potential we aren’t far off.
I think we began running out of steam and 20 mins to go played deeper and deeper.

Yep, I hear ya. Im not sure they will either. Tho again, maybe we made them look worse. And of course...I'm sure in our time we've all sat thru us being dominated by teams that weren't going anywhere at all, i.e way worse than Cardiff.
It's interesting tho, huh? There are actually people in here talking Colin up...'he really knows what's required to get promoted from this division', etc. Which of course, compared to Stam's level of managerial experience, I imagine he would. That's not particularly shocking, to me at least. You buy off on that when you make your managerial appointments, I guess.
But then again, on any other given week... 'I wouldn't want Colin here, no way, over my dead body!'.

Though most hate him rather than love him , what is undeniable about Colin is that he’s arguably .....note the word.....one of the very the best managers of the lower if not all football leagues divisions ever. His record is undeniable . I don’t hate him I respect him and admire what an amazing job he does at clubs in dire positions and with tiny resources.

Though most hate him rather than love him , what is undeniable about Colin is that he’s arguably .....note the word.....one of the very the best managers of the lower if not all football leagues divisions ever. His record is undeniable . I don’t hate him I respect him and admire what an amazing job he does at clubs in dire positions and with tiny resources.

You can say that again

Trying not to be too influenced by conceding two late goals, it was a pretty good display
Cardiff have won their last 4, are second in the table and we were comfortably beating them until 70 mins. Then a couple of balls fell for them in the box, they hit the woodwork and it bounces in, we then hit the woodwork and it bounces out. Fine margins and all that
We look a good solid side. We’re miles better then we were 2 months ago. We should be looking to beat anyone in the division based on that
Couple of minor whinges though - McShane is surely nearing the end - error ridden display. Bacuna struggled against their wingers (but I guess a lot of FBs will), Mannone was a little dodgy. Kelly still isn’t doing enough for me
I’d like to see Swift back in for Kelly soon as he is fit. Bod deserves more minutes, but not quite sure best way to do that. Otherwise all pretty good

I thought Sol Bamba was excellent for them. Quality display. Joe Bennetts goal was also superb.
For us I thought Barrow was excellent. Hes fast (get it?) becoming our most important player. Moore and McShane were for the most part very good. McShane perhaps guilty of a few too many rushed clearances in the second half.

Muted but reliable performance from Edwards and Van Den Berg, the latter in particular was quietly essential in the first half. I have come around on Edwards, I see why hes is in the team. To win headers and put in tiny fouls.

Kelly was a little less effective than we would have hoped but is probably back on track. A few too many hollywood passes but Cardiff closed down so well in the first half I cant blame him for trying.

Bacuna, while making no lasting impact, is a dangerous player, he keeps his head under pressure and can pick a pass very well. He was responsible for some great movement down the right.
Can I just add our passing game under intense pressure in the first half was fantastic. It was really top quality.

Though most hate him rather than love him , what is undeniable about Colin is that he’s arguably .....note the word.....one of the very the best managers of the lower if not all football leagues divisions ever. His record is undeniable . I don’t hate him I respect him and admire what an amazing job he does at clubs in dire positions and with tiny resources.

I can't respect someone who repeatedly and IMO (and that of many others, including those in the game) very deliberately gets his players to target skillful opposing players and injure them in order to put them out of the game. He also adopts unacceptably intimidating tactics to try to influence match officials in his favour.
A thoroughly nasty piece of work who pushes the boundaries beyond any degree of acceptability/decency. How many times has he been sent off at Reading now?

Lol...sorry about that ....love Hobbers humour

Agree with the majority of this. Mendez Laing was also very good for them. Am I right in thinking they picked him up on a free from Rochdale or something?
Edwards is becoming an impt player for us. I think he is a big reason we are suddenly looking dangerous from set pieces. Just a shame he didn't finish off the chance on 90 mins
For me, we are nearly there. I think there is still a bit of a John Swift shaped gap between our frontmen and defensive mid. Still also a bit of lack of quality of passing in this area as well. If he can get back fit and firing, I don't see many teams beating us this season. A fit and on form McCleary is arguably a better bet than Aluko as well

Disappointing end to the game but overall a decent performance. The first 10 mins of that 2nd half could have, and possibly should have seen us 5-2 up on chances created.
We more than matched the 2nd best team in the division on current form and based on that, and recent form, we should be looking to consolidate in the top 10 and/or make a charge for the play-offs. Looking at the next handful of games (up to the FA Cup), there is no reason why we can't pick up 10+ points from those playing as we are.
Problem yesterday is we sat back in the last 20, somewhat understandably with a 2-0 lead and let Cardiff come on to us. At one point it seemed as if they were playing with 7 up front - sitting back is fine but you need to make sure you clear your lines effectively, we simply didn't do that enough and lead directly to the goal that got them back in the game.
We still had chances to put it to bed, if Edwards hits the target after the late corner, we go 3-1 and it's game over and McShance really probably should have scored with the last touch of the game. Even before that, if we are shown some more composure with the final ball we could hav been out of site. The lovely bit of play that put Gunter through but he played the wrong ball across to Yann being an example that comes to mind - he rolls that along the 6 yard box and there is a tap in.
Some of the football we played was beautiful - particular moment in the first half is probably a prime example of what Stam wants the team to do. Few passes at the back between defenders and Vito drew in Cardiff, we managed to play around them - McShane out to Kelly, into Bacuna, pass to Aluko, back to Bacuna who played the now flying Aluko in down the flank, which ended up with us winning a corner. If we can marry that sort of build up play with a better choice of final ball then the rest of this season is going to be fun.

Should add some of Kelly's passing last night was majestic. Two that come immediately to mind, one in the first half where he threaded the ball through to Aluko, who couldn't quite bring it under control and in the 2nd half the pass to a maruding Bacuna was perfection - better first touch from him and we could well have been looking at 3-0.

I can understand that phrase being used against ISIS, or Kim Jong-un, or those #lads running the slave trade in Libya, but against a OAP who manages a football team?

he is just a sour faced grumpy old git. I find him quite funny tbh, esp the way he goes from being a snarling, growling old bast*rd on the sidelines, then pulls out his kind old grandad style charm for the interview

It’s a trap.