Back from the match - Barnsley

[Libertine]

A bit off topic but Long opened the scoring in the Chelsea v. WBA game at Stamford Bridge. 2 premier league games and 2, maybe even more, goals.

Our squad needs to be improved and it needs to be done before January. It is not a bad squad it just has a couple glaring holes...

[Chaney]

I don't know what to say, really. Three minutes to the biggest battle of our professional lives. All comes down to today, and either, we heal as a team, or we're gonna crumble. Inch by inch, play by play. Until we're finished. We're in hell right now, gentlemen. Believe me. And, we can stay here, get the shit kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell... one inch at a time. Now I can't do it for ya, I'm too old. I look around, I see these young faces and I think, I mean, I've made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make. I, uh, I've pissed away all my money, believe it or not. I chased off anyone who's ever loved me. And lately, I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror. You know, when you get old, in life, things get taken from you. I mean, that's... that's... that's a part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losin' stuff. You find out life's this game of inches, so is football. Because in either game - life or football - the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half a step too late or too early and you don't quite make it. One half second too slow, too fast and you don't quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They're in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when add up all those inches, that's gonna make the oxf*rd difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying! I'll tell you this, in any fight it's the guy whose willing to die whose gonna win that inch. And I know, if I'm gonna have any life anymore it's because I'm still willing to fight and die for that inch, because that's what living is, the six inches in front of your face. Now I can't make you do it. You've got to look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes. Now I think ya going to see a guy who will go that inch with you. Your gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team, because he knows when it comes down to it your gonna do the same for him. That's a team, gentlemen, and either, we heal, now, as a team, or we will die as individuals. That's football guys, that's all it is. Now, what are you gonna do?

The best i can say is a quote.

what?

[FiNeRaIn]

"Spend some fvcking money, spend some fvcking money"

[howser]

Nice sentiments rain but do you honestly think he will ??

[tomrfcurz]

All you lot will criticise people for having passion and wanting money spent - it's understandable and we need new players. Open your eyes

[FiNeRaIn]

Nice sentiments rain but do you honestly think he will ??

Not from me, the crowd were chanting it today when their second went in...pretty LOUDLY too. Definitely heard by madejski.

[Ian Royal]

All you lot will criticise people for having passion and wanting money spent - it's understandable and we need new players. Open your eyes

We could do with some signings yes. But we aren't relegation fodder yet and neither is it time to just splash cash. Asking for signings is fine, demanding to know where all the money has gone and for us to spend millions is less so. Because that points been answered time and time again.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Mc D confirmed that we are in talks with two players.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

All you lot will criticise people for having passion and wanting money spent - it's understandable and we need new players. Open your eyes

We could do with some signings yes. But we aren't relegation fodder yet

We will be without at least 2 new CBs. Today we put out our worst back 4 since the days of Elroy Kromheer.

[andrew1957]

EMBARRASSING sums that up. There are no excuses for losing against a very poor Barnsley team that will probably be relegated.

The problems are not really in attack. We are scoring goals at the same rate as we were at the start of last year when we had Long. Robson-Kanu was excellent I thought and now has two goals from one start and a few sub appearances. You cannot criticise that. Karacan had a good game.

In defence however, Khulamo was woeful and Pearce (who was largely blameless) needs an experienced centre half alongside him. Gunnar looks well past his best (and I have been a great fan). Harte was awfully slow again but we need his creativity (although that was sadly lacking today - apart from the excellent free kick.

The blame is firmly with the Chairman. We lost Ingimarsson, Khizanishvili and Mills early in the transfer window and to fail to sign an experienced CB is in excusable. And really we could do with two more experienced players in that position.

We have missed out on any number of either free or relatively cheap players in that position during the last few months and now we will struggle to find a suitable player.

And why buy Morrison at all - they obviously don't rate him enough to give him a chance so what is the point of having him? We need a centre back that can play this season and all we have brought in is a relatively inexperienced unproven player in Khulamo.

As the crowd aptly put it

SPEND SOME FCUKING MONEY

[tomrfcurz]

All you lot will criticise people for having passion and wanting money spent - it's understandable and we need new players. Open your eyes

We could do with some signings yes. But we aren't relegation fodder yet and neither is it time to just splash cash. Asking for signings is fine, demanding to know where all the money has gone and for us to spend millions is less so. Because that points been answered time and time again.

I'm sure the only chant re money was "spend some fcuking money" not "excuse me Mr Madejski where is it". Spending a couple of million isn't much in this day and age I'm afraid, especially not after £11mil plus play off and FA Cup money - I know it hasn't fallen in a black hole but a small chunk could be spent on new players

[tomrfcurz]

Mc D confirmed that we are in talks with two players.

Confirmed that on the OS didn't he a few days ago? Am I right in thinking he hasn't said he's in talks with players he's in talks with clubs? Haven't listened to radio so maybe they're in talks with the players now but I was under the impression fees are yet to be agreed etc

[Ian Royal]

All you lot will criticise people for having passion and wanting money spent - it's understandable and we need new players. Open your eyes

We could do with some signings yes. But we aren't relegation fodder yet and neither is it time to just splash cash. Asking for signings is fine, demanding to know where all the money has gone and for us to spend millions is less so. Because that points been answered time and time again.

I'm sure the only chant re money was "spend some fcuking money" not "excuse me Mr Madejski where is it". Spending a couple of million isn't much in this day and age I'm afraid, especially not after £11mil plus play off and FA Cup money - I know it hasn't fallen in a black hole but a small chunk could be spent on new players

Merely explaining what the criticism is from us RTGs. Believe it or not, most of us would also like to see a few more signings, particularly in defence.

[CayeneMatt]

Bongani at fault for the first goal.
Pearce at fault for the second.

The 2 of them just don't look comfortable - Pearce spends most of the match shouting at Bongani.

Gunnarson and Harte weren't woeful - their faults are there for all to see but Harte put in a some blinding balls esp the free kick, and Gunnarson linked up with Kebe well at times.

BBCRB were right - strikers and midfielders are not the problem. Its the defence, you can't concede 2 soft goals every game and hope to win.

McAnuff our best player first half, Kebe was unstoppable second half.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Will John Madejski please sell Reading Football Club.

We NEED a defender and a striker.

SPEND SOME MONEY

[Forty]

Shocking overall outcome, but we should still have won this game.

Leadership is massively missing at the back. In the second minute, Jem put the ball out for a corner, quite rightly, because he didn't get a call either from Bongo-whatever or Feds. later, Pearce tried to bring the back line forward a couple of times, and then gave up.

Lots of chances made, against a very poor Barnsley defence. Worrying that we didn't convert - and how soft-cock of Harte and Hunt to not take another pen. They're amongst the leaders of the team. Grow some!

McAnuff as Captain - yeah, fine for massaging his ego, but Murty and Mills made a much bigger difference. Mick Gooding right - buy a CB, experienced and a gobby one.

[muddyfeet]

Has Churchy been teaching the off side rule to the rest of the team?!!

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Firstly I'd like to congratulate Luke Steele for two fine penalty saves and a fantastic stop to deny an Ian Harte free kick.

Secondly I'd like John Madejski to either sell the club or spend some money. We need a striker and a defender urgently, but he will not open his cheque book. We're going to get nowhere with this side.

Federici is hopeless as is Ian Harte. Manset is unfit and Hunt is chasing shadows for the majority of the game. The only decent players today were Kebe and Karacan.

The ref was also appalling. The 2nd penalty shouldn't have been given and it was harsh on Barnsley.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

The blame is firmly with the Chairman. We lost Ingimarsson, Khizanishvili and Mills early in the transfer window and to fail to sign an experienced CB is in excusable. And really we could do with two more experienced players in that position.

the manager signs the players not the chairman, currently this is McD's team, he signed Harte, Griffin, Leigertwood, Manset, Williams, Morrison

[winchester_royal]

Christ, here we go. Think im going to be figting a losing battle on here this week, but anyway....

That was not as bad as some will have you believe. Yes first half we were poor, we lacked energy, but Barnsley scored from their only real chance of the half.

Second half we come out and play well, finally getting the ball on the floor, HRK coming into the game, and we are by far the better team. Should have scored 4 or 5, on another day we probably would have.

Everyone just calm down and take a deep breath, we'll sign a couple of defenders before the end of the month and make a decent challenge for the play-offs. Chill out.