I'd be interested to know from anyone present yesterday what formation the team played? Was it a 4-5-1 or more a 4-3-3 with (presumably) Harriott and Gudmundsson playing off Vetokele?
Stig, I can do any combo if I have the badges set up as vector graphics, I had Dundee set up as I did two flags for Fulham game, however I aint doing any Charlton/Celtic ones before anyone asks.Their banners in response to poppies sickened me.
Similar more 4-5-1 than 4-4-1-1 with Harriott wide left and George starting instead of Igor. Edit; And of course Wiggins started and Wilson was midweek cover for Solly
Charlton remind me of a man playing Russian Roulette.
you have to hope, it only fires blanks.
Thou sometimes like at Bournemouth and Fulham we take the bullet first and can't respond.
Other games, Norwich and Reading we load the gun and hand it over and dodge the ammo.
Our points total is superb against this time last season.
The main disappointment i have so far is we've not carried on the passing and retention of the ball that we showed at times in the Derby and wigan games, hopefully this comes under the heading " work in progress."
We took two bullets at Leeds. :-0 Apart from one shot that hit the post (well left by Henderson :-) and the one he tipped over in the second half, Reading could have still been out there now and not scored. Without the extra firepower to share the load, you have to play to your strengths and we were by no means outplayed yesterday.
At a guess if you compare like for like results this season with last, and substitute Fulham for QPR say, or Brentford for Yeovil, then I estimate we are about a dozen points better off.
Similar more 4-5-1 than 4-4-1-1 with Harriott wide left and George starting instead of Igor. Edit; And of course Wiggins started and Wilson was midweek cover for Solly
Lyrics for the 'hair' song please, and is it to the tune of 'Stevie Gritt'? Watching on the stream there seemed to be a bit of a new chant that went on for about 15 minutes late in the second half, what was that?
To answer the second question first Yes.
No not the the same as Gritty's song, variation on the theme.
'Oh Bob Peters, Oh Bob Peters He's got no hair but we don't care, Oh Bob Peters'
Second verse same as the first ad infinitum.
You'll soon pick it up Seth but might get chucked out of the West Stand singing it :-)
It's a good tune, but not one I recognised. What's the original song?
We took two bullets at Leeds. :-0 Apart from one shot that hit the post (well left by Henderson :-) and the one he tipped over in the second half, Reading could have still been out there now and not scored. Without the extra firepower to share the load, you have to play to your strengths and we were by no means outplayed yesterday.
We still rely on our oppos profligacy in front of goal, Norwich away, Watford and Wolves at home to name just 3.
You are right that we are playing to our strengths, which is that we are hard to beat, but when we play the so called weaker teams like Blackpool and millwall, I hope we boss these games unlike the Birmingham match where we eased up after going into the lead.
27 points and 8th is a great return but we have had the rub of the green for the first time in years. (Pens given for us and not against us) Long may it last.
I don't know who it was who coined the phrase 'you have to make your own luck' although Gary Player once said 'the more I practice the luckier I get'. So without the Viewfinder to update us, we now know what goes on at the training ground! And if George had taken his chance yesterday it would of course have been game over :-)
Thinking back to the record breaking 2011/2012 season a number of our victories on the road were similar to yesterday's performance so I'm not too bothered about that but I do share your hope that 'rope a dope' becomes less of a tactic at home. The extra firepower whoever and whenever that is will hopefully change things.
A top class save from Hendo with ten minutes to go undoubtedly saved at least two points. However, their was a performance from Solly that would alert any Prem or England scout. Outstanding. Big shout to TBH as well. Well done lads.
"Let's debunk a few myths. 60% possession, 20 shots to 9, 12 corners to 0, and Adkins said in his post-match interview that we had "35 crosses". An outsider might wonder how we lost that game.
We may have dominated all those facets of the game, but Charlton had the lead. They had no need to possess the ball, to win corners, to shoot, to cross the ball, because they were intent on tucking in and protecting that lead. And in truth, the Royals never looked like breaking them down - indeed, the best chance of the second half fell to the Addicks, as Tucudean had two bites of the cherry one-on-one, but couldn't finish either. So yes, Reading had the lion's share of the ball, but Charlton didn't need it.
And they didn't need it because they knew they had the beating of Reading defensively. 35 crosses, yes, but the majority of those came from Jordan Obita, whose production was woeful. I've been the biggest supporter of his normally wicked deliveries, but today I don't think even five found their man in the middle. Twelve corners, but the success rate from that type of set-piece is extremely low. And 20 shots but just two on target - Charlton had three that forced Federici or a defender to make the stop, as well as the goal.
Quite simply, Reading cannot break a team down. Just twice in the "Adkins Era" have we come from behind to beat an opponent - Ipswich at home on the opening day of last season, and Doncaster away with playoff qualification on the line. Slow build-ups, no intelligent movement up front, and a severe lack of spark mean that the Royals have no option but to fire from afar - no wonder that our best chance to level the scores came from a long-range Norwood strike, with Williams and Blackman also firing wide from outside the box.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Why did the team, or the manager, not realise that Obita's crosses were not working? Why did the slow build-up continue late into the second half, before the inevitable boot forward anyway? And why is there no ability to break down a side once they grab the lead? The first two points lie within this game; the final one is a problem we have seen from this side for nearly two years (though Adkins' reign did begin in the Premier League).
Two 3-0 wins over Blackpool and Rotherham United simply papered over the cracks in this Reading side, as in my opinion, we weren't convincing in either match, despite being more clinical and looking impressive at times. Questions will be asked and worry will set in over the next two weeks, and the upcoming double away at Cardiff and Norwich don't look the easiest games for Nigel Adkins to allay those fears.
The excuses are running out. Danny Williams is back, with Garath McCleary likely returning after the international break and Jem Karacan a couple of weeks behind him. The team we put out today, McCleary aside, is probably near to full strength (depending on whether and where you'd slot Jem into this team). On the pitch, the first half hour of both the Rotherham and Charlton games have been write-offs. Good results mitigate bad performances, and progress on the pitch can offset poor form - at the moment, the Reading faithful are getting neither."
Blown away by the rub of the green we have been getting this season. Reports say yesterday that we were more comfortable than v Norwich, can you really control a game in this way like BP said we did?
I guess this nail biting, Rourkes Drift approach to a game is us making the best of the resources we have. Nightmare to watch but still better than watching gallant defeats.
Still best aspect of yesterday was St Christopher of Solly. Head and shoulders the best player on the pitch by a mile.
Does anyone know our corner count for and against this season so far? The only game I can recall that we had far more corners than the oppo was away at Fulham, and we bloody lost that one.
A top class save from Hendo with ten minutes to go undoubtedly saved at least two points. However, their was a performance from Solly that would alert any Prem or England scout. Outstanding. Big shout to TBH as well. Well done lads.
No way Jose (spanish pronunuciation)
Solly can't make Tuesdays, and can't pass any bona fide medical.
Not at the game but both newspaper reports (well, comments in passing really) I read said we offered little but scored the only goal and defended the onslaught well.
Not at the game but both newspaper reports (well, comments in passing really) I read said we offered little but scored the only goal and defended the onslaught well.
I guess it don't matter if you win......
There was no "onslaught". They huffed and puffed and basically ran out of ideas.
We took two bullets at Leeds. :-0 Apart from one shot that hit the post (well left by Henderson :-) and the one he tipped over in the second half, Reading could have still been out there now and not scored. Without the extra firepower to share the load, you have to play to your strengths and we were by no means outplayed yesterday.
We still rely on our oppos profligacy in front of goal, Norwich away, Watford and Wolves at home to name just 3.
You are right that we are playing to our strengths, which is that we are hard to beat, but when we play the so called weaker teams like Blackpool and millwall, I hope we boss these games unlike the Birmingham match where we eased up after going into the lead.
27 points and 8th is a great return but we have had the rub of the green for the first time in years. (Pens given for us and not against us) Long may it last.
And this is why I keep posting that the Championship isn't actually that good! Decent strikers are in the Premier league earning silly money. Very few clubs have more than one striker knocking in goals. When Tucudean finds his shooting boots or we acquire another striker in January then we will win more comfortably. Talking of points 36 points from 23 games has secured sixth place in the last three seasons. So another three wins and we are there.
I've thought about it some more and have decided Solly is my favourite person in the world. We take him for granted to such a ridiculous extent. Very rarely below a 7 and more often than not our best player. He just does it so regularly people forget how good he is. Outstanding to watch and u can tell he gives confidence to all the players around him. Solly for England
In a nutshell we sucked the life out of those Royals once CS got the measure of his man after 15 minutes play.
Nigel had no plan B and his plan A was dull followed by more dull.
If we had a tad more class in the team and didn't give the ball away as much we would have a chance of a top 6 place but hey I don't care if he's got know hair ;-))
I've thought about it some more and have decided Solly is my favourite person in the world. We take him for granted to such a ridiculous extent. Very rarely below a 7 and more often than not our best player. He just does it so regularly people forget how good he is. Outstanding to watch and u can tell he gives confidence to all the players around him. Solly for England
This.. One hundred percent! People talk about Parker and bowyer and poyet and cousins but Chris gets overlooked! The best talent we have produced in a while.. deserves to at least be on that list!
A top class save from Hendo with ten minutes to go undoubtedly saved at least two points. However, their was a performance from Solly that would alert any Prem or England scout. Outstanding. Big shout to TBH as well. Well done lads.
No way Jose (spanish pronunuciation)
Solly can't make Tuesdays, and can't pass any bona fide medical.
Charlton for ever. (or at least till he's 32)
Yes, sadly his knees will hamper the rest of his career.
Also, PL clubs these days just seem interested in full backs who are big and strong and fast, but can't defend! Shaw and Chambers are no better at defending than Solly for example.
Charlton are an average well organised side, well that what BBC Radio Berkshire said on my way home, well what does that make Reading.
I started the day with a networking meeting in the Reading Hilton and look who I bumped into. Then onto a Reading based Charlton fans home for beer and burgers and then onto the game.
Excellent performance and a deserved win. Other than the 2nd third of the first half, Charlton were the better team, even though we did not play at our best.
Fox looked a bit shaky first half but was coached along by TBH, Solly was excellent defensively and his cross for the goal sublime, although I do think there is some way before he is at his very best offensively.
Vetokele showed he is a class above anything else we have up front and took his goal well, hopefully his slight injury improves before Millwall, but he works hard for the team and he battled for the ball before passing to Solly who crossed for Igor to head in.
Overall a good team performance and excellent singing by the fans.
Is Bikey wearing socks and sandals? Someone else can tell him...
Comments
Henderson
Solly - Ben Haim - Bikey - Fox
Gudmundsson - Buyens - Jackson - Cousins
Vetokele - Harriott.
Harriott played just behind the striker though.
Do you know was that the same as at Leeds?
Edit; And of course Wiggins started and Wilson was midweek cover for Solly
you have to hope, it only fires blanks.
Thou sometimes like at Bournemouth and Fulham we take the bullet first and can't respond.
Other games, Norwich and Reading we load the gun and hand it over and dodge the ammo.
Our points total is superb against this time last season.
The main disappointment i have so far is we've not carried on the passing and retention of the ball that we showed at times in the Derby and wigan games, hopefully this comes under the heading " work in progress."
You are right that we are playing to our strengths, which is that we are hard to beat, but when we play the so called
weaker teams like Blackpool and millwall, I hope we boss these games unlike the Birmingham match where we eased up after going into the lead.
27 points and 8th is a great return but we have had the rub of the green for the first time in years.
(Pens given for us and not against us) Long may it last.
Thinking back to the record breaking 2011/2012 season a number of our victories on the road were similar to yesterday's performance so I'm not too bothered about that but I do share your hope that 'rope a dope' becomes less of a tactic at home. The extra firepower whoever and whenever that is will hopefully change things.
However, their was a performance from Solly that would alert any Prem or England scout. Outstanding.
Big shout to TBH as well.
Well done lads.
We may have dominated all those facets of the game, but Charlton had the lead. They had no need to possess the ball, to win corners, to shoot, to cross the ball, because they were intent on tucking in and protecting that lead. And in truth, the Royals never looked like breaking them down - indeed, the best chance of the second half fell to the Addicks, as Tucudean had two bites of the cherry one-on-one, but couldn't finish either. So yes, Reading had the lion's share of the ball, but Charlton didn't need it.
And they didn't need it because they knew they had the beating of Reading defensively. 35 crosses, yes, but the majority of those came from Jordan Obita, whose production was woeful. I've been the biggest supporter of his normally wicked deliveries, but today I don't think even five found their man in the middle. Twelve corners, but the success rate from that type of set-piece is extremely low. And 20 shots but just two on target - Charlton had three that forced Federici or a defender to make the stop, as well as the goal.
Quite simply, Reading cannot break a team down. Just twice in the "Adkins Era" have we come from behind to beat an opponent - Ipswich at home on the opening day of last season, and Doncaster away with playoff qualification on the line. Slow build-ups, no intelligent movement up front, and a severe lack of spark mean that the Royals have no option but to fire from afar - no wonder that our best chance to level the scores came from a long-range Norwood strike, with Williams and Blackman also firing wide from outside the box.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Why did the team, or the manager, not realise that Obita's crosses were not working? Why did the slow build-up continue late into the second half, before the inevitable boot forward anyway? And why is there no ability to break down a side once they grab the lead? The first two points lie within this game; the final one is a problem we have seen from this side for nearly two years (though Adkins' reign did begin in the Premier League).
Two 3-0 wins over Blackpool and Rotherham United simply papered over the cracks in this Reading side, as in my opinion, we weren't convincing in either match, despite being more clinical and looking impressive at times. Questions will be asked and worry will set in over the next two weeks, and the upcoming double away at Cardiff and Norwich don't look the easiest games for Nigel Adkins to allay those fears.
The excuses are running out. Danny Williams is back, with Garath McCleary likely returning after the international break and Jem Karacan a couple of weeks behind him. The team we put out today, McCleary aside, is probably near to full strength (depending on whether and where you'd slot Jem into this team). On the pitch, the first half hour of both the Rotherham and Charlton games have been write-offs. Good results mitigate bad performances, and progress on the pitch can offset poor form - at the moment, the Reading faithful are getting neither."
http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=124041&start=80
Blown away by the rub of the green we have been getting this season. Reports say yesterday that we were more comfortable than v Norwich, can you really control a game in this way like BP said we did?
I guess this nail biting, Rourkes Drift approach to a game is us making the best of the resources we have. Nightmare to watch but still better than watching gallant defeats.
Still best aspect of yesterday was St Christopher of Solly. Head and shoulders the best player on the pitch by a mile.
Solly can't make Tuesdays, and can't pass any bona fide medical.
Charlton for ever. (or at least till he's 32)
I guess it don't matter if you win......
They huffed and puffed and basically ran out of ideas.
Talking of points 36 points from 23 games has secured sixth place in the last three seasons. So another three wins and we are there.
Nigel had no plan B and his plan A was dull followed by more dull.
If we had a tad more class in the team and didn't give the ball away as much we would have a chance of a top 6 place but hey I don't care if he's got know hair ;-))
Also, PL clubs these days just seem interested in full backs who are big and strong and fast, but can't defend! Shaw and Chambers are no better at defending than Solly for example.