Back from the forest game

[readingbedding]

And you could make an adult contribution

Said the man who's not sure whether he can face to listen into a football match on the radio.
Dread eh?
Grow up son and yes, grow some balls.

It is truly sad that those who wish to discuss yesterdays match have to suffer w@nkers like you in the process.

I've merely expressed an opinion, deal with it.....silly little man.

Right on Brother!
Don't forget to practice what you preach son.

[rg6royal]

Positives I'm taking from the game are that Tabb looked calm and controlled and good on the ball when he came on. A start for him midweek methinks. Also want to see Bikey back in the frame.

[Schards#2]

We have the serious jitters. Hope that proved harper and cisse werent to blame for last week.matejovski wasnt much better and gave it away more than harps ever would.we were good in the first half then just fell apart.kebe should have scored,he and hunt were poor again.and we look really wet as a team.no confidence at all and incapable of changing our game.gutted.ruined another weekend.need a flukey 1-0 on tuesday.

Sadly, it proved to me (but it was obvious from the moment yesterdays team was announced) that Coppell continues to bark up the wrong tree in his pathetic attempts to arrest the slide of a team that should still be wiping the floor with sides like lowly Forest.

Once again, our manager is the only one to blame for this totally avoidable disaster unfolding before the eyes of those who can still face watching.

In fact, unless I'm mistaken, things could have been a whole lot worse. Weren't Forest playing 4-4-2? If so, given that it appears to have been Mareks poor defensive work that allowed Forest to score, God knows what would have happened had he and Gunnarsson been up against a typical 3 man central midfield in a 4-5-1

Whatever faults an out of form Harper brings to the party, supreme fitness means he usually does a good job with his defensive work. The fact that Steve Coppell couldn't see the glaring weakness in yesterday's team and that playing Marek will require a change in formation, is one of a number of reasons why I can't face watching at the moment.

I'm not even sure I can face Radio Berks on Tuesday because I'm dreading what the product of yet more flawed thinking will produce at Hillsborough.

Where were you
Where were you
Where were you when we were shit?
Where were you when we were shit?

Just to remove all doubt, do you now agree that it's a whole lot more dull and uninspiring this season, having rubbished and ridiculed that opinion for months?

A simple yes or no will do.

[readingbedding]

I'm going to the game and I'll may even listen to it on the radio at the same time.
There might be a bit of a lag though, not sure I can face up to that, I have a slight feeling of dread about that to be honest.

[brendywendy]

Rl- that just puts us in the same position as every other promoted small team. And schards-when we were shit i was on the south bank, on the pitch and with my head in my hands at a half empty madejski. Now they were awful seasons. This one still inspires me, and is far from dull. The last few games have been poor,but if you find pushing for promotion/playoffs dull and uninspiring, this only demonstrates youre falling out of love with football itself.

[Schards#2]

Rl- that just puts us in the same position as every other promoted small team. And schards-when we were shit i was on the south bank, on the pitch and with my head in my hands at a half empty madejski. Now they were awful seasons. This one still inspires me, and is far from dull. The last few games have been poor,but if you find pushing for promotion/playoffs dull and uninspiring, this only demonstrates youre falling out of love with football itself.

How many hours without a Reading player scoring will it take before you accept it's dull.

We can't be too far off a club record already. Seriously, what will it take? 15 hours? 20 hours?

[Uke]

. Worryingly according to SC on BBCRB he only pulled Kebe off because of an injury.

do you actually believe that??

I would have thought physiotherapy and some rest would have been a more traditional approach to treatment

[papereyes]

Rl- that just puts us in the same position as every other promoted small team. And schards-when we were shit i was on the south bank, on the pitch and with my head in my hands at a half empty madejski. Now they were awful seasons. This one still inspires me, and is far from dull. The last few games have been poor,but if you find pushing for promotion/playoffs dull and uninspiring, this only demonstrates youre falling out of love with football itself.

How many hours without a Reading player scoring will it take before you accept it's dull.

We can't be too far off a club record already. Seriously, what will it take? 15 hours? 20 hours?

Recordbreaking Royals 07/08 - 8 straight losses
Recordbreaking Royals 09/08 - ???

[Woodcote Royal]

We have the serious jitters. Hope that proved harper and cisse werent to blame for last week.matejovski wasnt much better and gave it away more than harps ever would.we were good in the first half then just fell apart.kebe should have scored,he and hunt were poor again.and we look really wet as a team.no confidence at all and incapable of changing our game.gutted.ruined another weekend.need a flukey 1-0 on tuesday.

Sadly, it proved to me (but it was obvious from the moment yesterdays team was announced) that Coppell continues to bark up the wrong tree in his pathetic attempts to arrest the slide of a team that should still be wiping the floor with sides like lowly Forest.

Once again, our manager is the only one to blame for this totally avoidable disaster unfolding before the eyes of those who can still face watching.

In fact, unless I'm mistaken, things could have been a whole lot worse. Weren't Forest playing 4-4-2? If so, given that it appears to have been Mareks poor defensive work that allowed Forest to score, God knows what would have happened had he and Gunnarsson been up against a typical 3 man central midfield in a 4-5-1

Whatever faults an out of form Harper brings to the party, supreme fitness means he usually does a good job with his defensive work. The fact that Steve Coppell couldn't see the glaring weakness in yesterday's team and that playing Marek will require a change in formation, is one of a number of reasons why I can't face watching at the moment.

I'm not even sure I can face Radio Berks on Tuesday because I'm dreading what the product of yet more flawed thinking will produce at Hillsborough.

Where were you
Where were you
Where were you when we were shit?
Where were you when we were shit?

Just to remove all doubt, do you now agree that it's a whole lot more dull and uninspiring this season, having rubbished and ridiculed that opinion for months?

A simple yes or no will do.

Feel free to read this reply carefully..................you may learn something.

Like many others, I looked on with incredulity as you attempted to justify your ridiculous "Dull and inspiring claims" when it was clear to a 2 year old that the opposite was the case.

There was nothing seriously wrong with your post Ipswich observations...................just the pathetic attempts to pretend that nothing had changed as we rose up the table sweeping all before us.

Now, thanks to our manager making all the same mistakes that led to relegation, our performances have returned to those which inspired your original observations.

I'm guessing that, in your eyes, that made you right all along

To the rest of us, we had a poor start, an excellent middle and what is looking like a poor finish.

I'm also guessing that you see our current woes as "Dull and Uninspiring" whilst I see it as the death knell of Steve Coppells time at this club.

[Victor Meldrew]

We have the serious jitters. Hope that proved harper and cisse werent to blame for last week.matejovski wasnt much better and gave it away more than harps ever would.we were good in the first half then just fell apart.kebe should have scored,he and hunt were poor again.and we look really wet as a team.no confidence at all and incapable of changing our game.gutted.ruined another weekend.need a flukey 1-0 on tuesday.

Sadly, it proved to me (but it was obvious from the moment yesterdays team was announced) that Coppell continues to bark up the wrong tree in his pathetic attempts to arrest the slide of a team that should still be wiping the floor with sides like lowly Forest.

Once again, our manager is the only one to blame for this totally avoidable disaster unfolding before the eyes of those who can still face watching.

In fact, unless I'm mistaken, things could have been a whole lot worse. Weren't Forest playing 4-4-2? If so, given that it appears to have been Mareks poor defensive work that allowed Forest to score, God knows what would have happened had he and Gunnarsson been up against a typical 3 man central midfield in a 4-5-1

Whatever faults an out of form Harper brings to the party, supreme fitness means he usually does a good job with his defensive work. The fact that Steve Coppell couldn't see the glaring weakness in yesterday's team and that playing Marek will require a change in formation, is one of a number of reasons why I can't face watching at the moment.

I'm not even sure I can face Radio Berks on Tuesday because I'm dreading what the product of yet more flawed thinking will produce at Hillsborough.

Sadly I have to agree with you now about Coppell AND his coaches.
Before the game I thought he had to drop one of the wingers or even both but predictably both started-they have been so poor in recent weeks.
It's the predictability that drives me mad.
EVERY week a sub or subs takes place on 60 minutes.
EVERY time we are chasing a goal we play long ball to 3 little forwards.
Steve,it may have worked ONCE for Palace against Liverpool all those years ago but we haven't got the personnel for up-and-unders into the opposition box.
Yesterday (as at Ipswich) Armstrong (always one of our better players) gets taken off-Why?
If it meant something different like going with 3 at the back fine but all that happens is Mr overpaid,over-rated,undroppable goes to left-back,a position where he was so hopeless that we bought Armstrong!!

One poster earlier said about teams doing their homework on US but surely our massive coaching and backroom staff do their homework on the opposition? It doesn't look like it because week-in,week-out we hit it long and Forest,like most teams,have two centre-backs eager to knock it back into our half.
There is some hope with Marek and we know that given opportunities the front two can score goals but just how bad do Kebe and Hunt have to be before they are dropped?
WE can see it but why can't Coppell and his many helpers?

[Woodcote Royal]

Even without being there yesterday, I could provide any "homework" required by Wednesday in return for a bottle of single malt......................which would be good value for 2 minutes work

As you say, it's the sheer predictability that drives us mad but must also make it depressingly easy for other managers to prepare their teams to face us................as witnessed by recent results.

[brendywendy]

Schards im just not looking to put any time limit on the team scoring. Since i realised i loved this club when we went down at elm park, and sat through entire seasons of poo, it would be churlish in the extreme,and frankly rather odd, to throw my toys out as the result of 3 home losses all season.i dont really see why you are so fervent and gleeful about converting perfectly realistic and optimistic people to your jaded views.im ok with mine thanks.

[readingbedding]

Rafa has the same problems sometimes, and they have better player, and they're loaded.

[Elm Park Old Boy]

Agree with a lot of the comments on here. I was really encourgaed by the first half performance and at half time was confident that once we scored we would go on to cruise the game (although just a bit anxious that all that good play in the first 45 hadn't produced a goal). Gunnar and Marek seemed to me to be in control, there was passing and movement from most of the team. True Kebe was having a poor game but overall I felt he did better than S Hunt, who was largely anonymous. Kebe was at least involved enough to make mistakes.

Once Forest scored you could see the confidence drain from our players. By the end I honestly didn't know what we were doing, and the players seemed confused abotu shape and tactics. One bright spot was Tabb, who looked lively and committed, and showed good movement and control. I'd like to see him start on Tuesday, and in place of Hunt rather than Kebe, if that is the choice (although like others I do wonder that we have put Henry out of hte reckoning until 14 March).

I also want to see Karacan and Bikey back in the squad. And frankly (although I'll get slaughtered by some) Long can't do worse than our other forwards at present. Maybe it will take something unpredictable to get us scoring again.

Oh, and Forest obviously did the job they set out to do but the timewasting was so obvious it was disappointing the ref didn't get a grip.

[Mr Angry]

Prior to the game, the question was simple "was it personnel or tactics that has been the cause of our problems since Xmas"; if Copell has any doubt still that it is tactics, then he must be the only person in Reading to be so afflicted.

Bluntly, it matters not one jot whether we play a combination of Marek/Gunnar/Harps/Cisse/Uncle Tom Cobbley in a 2 man central midfield - they will continue to get swamped by a 3 man central midfield, and until we change the formation to confuse our opponents, then games like yesterdays will continue.

Even then, we totally dominated the first half, and has a half competent footballer received the ball on the edge of the 6 yard area rather than Kebe, we would have scored early, calmed the jitters that both the crowd and the players have (and which grew all through the game) and would have negated Forests' tactics (more later!); instead, Kebe misses the sitter, and the writing was on the wall from then on.

As for Forest, firstly, fair shout for their goal; great finish. HOWEVER - Billy Davis and his staff should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute for their behaviour yesterday; utterly disgraceful. When we lost to Swansea and Bristol City, I felt "fair play, best team won, good luck for the rest of the season"; with Forest, I REALLY really hope the cheating to$$ers get relegated and Davis gets sacked at the end of the season - I suppose we should be honoured that they chose to compliment us like that, but they were a disgrace and I hope they get their just desserts come May.

As for us - PLEASE play a 451 on Tuesday night Coppell; drop Kebe, play Doyle wide right, Tabb wide left, NHunt up front as the target, Cisse, Gunnar and Marek as the central midfield.

1 final thought - great to see Atletico Spizz in Woodcotes seat!!

[AthleticoSpizz]

...and some would say that even WITH a decent view of the game, (unlike your goodself) I still post "rubbish".

The pleasure was all mine (well 45 minutes of it)

[Rex]

Billy Davis

Reading Tysons matchday programme contribution it appears he's a pcunt to the players. Perhaps Coppell needs a little of that if he hasn't quite got there. Tyson stated every player is playing for their future in the club. It seens a good team ethic to me.

[The Cap]

readingbedding wrote

Rafa has the same problems sometimes, and they have better players, and they're loaded.

And what about the Gooners at the moment? No pressure Arsene but you've got eleven games to make sure that we're in a Champions League spot.

As for the librarians? Blimey I've not heard that much noise from them since I don't know when. All negative and all boos at the final whistle. Magic.

[readingbedding]

Nice touch by RFC fans to clap Tyson off wasn't it?

[Woodcote Royal]

- PLEASE play a 451 on Tuesday night Coppell; drop Kebe, play Doyle wide right, Tabb wide left, NHunt up front as the target, Cisse, Gunnar and Marek as the central midfield.
1 final thought - great to see Atletico Spizz in Woodcotes seat!!

I like the look of that formation so much that, should it come to pass (but don't hold your breath ) I may feel inclined to occupy my seat for the rest of the season.


As they say, be careful what you wish for......................................