Rodgers is still the right man

[Hoop Blah]

Keeping the ball isn't the same as taking the game to them.

I wonder how much the first goal changed the course of Palace's approach, but in the first 40 minutes we looked the more likely to win.

As you obviously don't get to see the games you probably won't understand quite what I mean.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

This board over reacts a lot. I know why. Those critical of Rodgers or supporting him only normally come out when the evidence backs up their argument. Where were Ideal and RL after we beat Sheff Wed? Where is W_R now? Well I'm going to break the trend. I still support Rodgers after a bad performance last night. Reasons:

1) He has been, and still is learning. We've already seen him learn that changing the team and formation on a weekly basis is not a clever idea. He's learnt to settle down now. Our team will nearly always involve the following:

Feds (after last night it might change), Tabb, Pearce and Ivar (this will however be coming up in my concerns), McAnuff, Rasiak/Church, Matejovsky, Bertrand and The Sig (maybe he was rested last night or something). Since learning to settle the team down we've improved.

2) Things really have improved. After QPR we had 10 points from 13 games. We've now had 10 from that last 7. That's almost twice as good, in fact it will be if we beat Scunthorpe on Saturday. I view QPR as the lowest ebb and the turning point, since then it has picked up. No arguments. Our more recent form is similar to that of 03/04 and 04/05. Mid table pretenders flirting with the play-offs. Our only consistency is our inconsistency.

3) Things should improve further. As I have already stated, he is still learning. So is our team. We already have the "link" striker he wanted arriving in January which will hopefully aid our cause. I won't count my chickens yet, every signing is a gamble and it's foolish to expect too much.

4) The players like and respect him. You can see it from every interview. They want to win for themselves, the team, the fans but equally they don't want to lose their manager. I think there is a positive atmosphere at the club. Sacking Rodgers could well lose this. Then we'll really be in the brown stuff.

Causes for concern

1) Ivar and Pearce. Very slow between them and hardly proving to be water tight. O'Dea is supposedly a real coup and in reality too good to be with us. Likewise Mills was highly rated when we signed him from Doncaster and cost £2mill. Read comments on this board when we signed him - people were pleased. Changes should be made. Serious question marks over Fed too, is Hamer ready?

2) Still some erratic decision making. Why was the Sig dropped for Gunnarsson yesterday? Maybe it was down to fitness. Either way putting in a 2nd defensive midfielder for a home game when we're playing 1 up front - on the back of 10 points from 5 games - is not a good decision. Who else? I think Kebe could be worth a punt as a support striker in a free role, with HRK on the wing. His subs are also erratic. It gives the impression he doesn't think about them, he just has a blind stab and hopes it works. This too will come with experience.

3) Stats can lie. 10 points from 7 games. Leicester and Blackpool (and now Palace but only after they beat us) are the only top half sides in that run. What happens after January where we have a run of tougher games? This is by far my biggest concern.

4) Inconsistency. Will this slowly be eradicated as the team grows together? If we can pick up 2 straight wins anywhere this could make a difference in terms of confidence etc.

Despite last night, I still see an upward trend. Relegation to League 1 is unthinkable for this club considering the progress this decade. If I think that there's a strong possibility I will turn on Rodgers. I was against him after QPR, I wanted him out. However now we're capable of scoring goals and winning games (still got 2 last night). The team has bad days, but they also have good days and we win on the majority of them.

You may have guess I'm fairly borderline. For now I have confidence in Rodgers. A shocker against Scunthorpe will really test that. Lets hope the team right last night's performance.

You want facts and evidence - I'll give you some

Fact - he cant stop tinkering - yes the side has become more settled but thats because of lack of options. Why he couldnt just play the same team . I agree with Shards in that he thinks too much - he tries to be too clever and ends up seeing problems that arent there. You should set your own stall out rather than reacting to the other team. Never did us any harm in the Coppell 106 season when we bsically played the same starting x1 other than Doyle Kitson and Lita interchanging. If he does change Fed then that sums up everything thats short termism and reactionary about him.

Fact - yes we are improving our point ratio but from a laughably shallow base. If we get 3 points in our next two matches (optimistic) then we'll have 23 points from half the season - double that and we're on 46 which would relegate us in most seasons. and this talk about improving since QPR - I think we're inconsistent - we have lost 2 and won 2 in our last 4 - I dont think its relentless and unremitted improvement.

Fact - I dont want someone learning on the job when it means that it could relegate my team. If he cant get up to speed quickly then ship him out - this is a football club not a kindergarten. I dont think he has learnt anything - he always say he has a very clear way of doing things as set out in his bumper book of tactics - but it aint working.

Fact - England players liked and respected Steve Mclaren - they are scared of Capello. There was distance between players and Coppell - I dont want a manager who is liked - it normally means he isnt being tough enough. I think one of the issues with Rodgers is his desire to be liked.

You areas for concern I agree with.

[Super_horns]

Not the best of weeks for him on and off the pitch:

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/4 ... reduction/

Anyway generally are most of your fans still backing him or getting tired of the inconsistent results/performance?

McAnuff and Rasiak doing the business?

[Dirk Gently]

Not the best of weeks for him on and off the pitch:

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/4 ... reduction/

I don't know - getting 4 points & £665 reduced to 3 points & £60 sounds a pretty good result to me!

[rhroyal]

He's clearly desperate to get 3 points from somewhere.......

(Somebody HAD to say it)

[ZacNaloen]

I'm not sure who the victim was that requires the £15 surcharge.

[weybridgewanderer]

From 2 to 10 we did ok. Tabb got the run around a bit, but apart from Federici and Kebe we performed ok.

we got beat 2-4 at home to a team that struggles to pay their players wages and that got humped at the weekend

get real

[loyalroyal4life]

From 2 to 10 we did ok. Tabb got the run around a bit, but apart from Federici and Kebe we performed ok.

we got beat 2-4 at home to a team that struggles to pay their players wages and that got humped at the weekend

get real

[rhroyal]

Just to say that a bad result today in a game we really should be winning will probably lead to me withdrawing my comments thus far. I need signs that the recent "recovery" actually is a recovery, and not just a blip. Derby and Palace have made me question this a bit, especially when considering who our recent wins have come against. I'm not in the "Rodgers out" group yet though. If we play well today and win we won't be in a bad position, and we have beaten Blackpool in the recent run, as well as putting in an excellent performance against Leicester.

[Terminal Boardom]

Whereas results are the priority, it is essential that we put in a quality performance today. If we are as shit as Tuesday there will be very few people left in the Egodome to boo and hurl abuse at then final whistle

[floyd__streete]

Whereas results are the priority, it is essential that we put in a quality performance today. If we are as shit as Tuesday there will be very few people left in the Egodome to boo and hurl abuse at then final whistle

There probably won't be very many people there at kick off, never mind the final whistle.

[Royal Rother]

TB, will you be at the scene of your most enjoyable football experience this season or will your masochistic auto pilot drive you to J11 this afternoon?

[rhroyal]

That's enough. Beating Coventry and Sheff Wed is nothing to write home about. Okay, Blackpool was a good result but failing to beat Derby and Scunthorpe doesn't inspire me with confidence. Today's failure against a woeful away record, combined with Palace, has made relegation appear like a probability under Rodgers, as opposed to an outside possibility. Brendan; I've given you far more time than 75% or so of Reading fans. Now I'm against you too and unless we dramatically improve quickly JM might begin to agree with me too.

[Ian Royal]

That's enough. Beating Coventry and Sheff Wed is nothing to write home about. Okay, Blackpool was a good result but failing to beat Derby and Scunthorpe doesn't inspire me with confidence. Today's failure against a woeful away record, combined with Palace, has made relegation appear like a probability under Rodgers, as opposed to an outside possibility. Brendan; I've given you far more time than 75% or so of Reading fans. Now I'm against you too and unless we dramatically improve quickly JM might begin to agree with me too.

One more shit result and I'm back in the out camp.

[rob the royal]

That's enough. Beating Coventry and Sheff Wed is nothing to write home about. Okay, Blackpool was a good result but failing to beat Derby and Scunthorpe doesn't inspire me with confidence. Today's failure against a woeful away record, combined with Palace, has made relegation appear like a probability under Rodgers, as opposed to an outside possibility. Brendan; I've given you far more time than 75% or so of Reading fans. Now I'm against you too and unless we dramatically improve quickly JM might begin to agree with me too.

One more shit result and I'm back in the out camp.

yeah, me too. Shame, I thought things might have been looking up, but we're back to square one.

[winchester_royal]

FWIW Madejski is apparently '100% behind' Rodgers.

[Ian Royal]

FWIW Madejski is apparently '100% behind' Rodgers.

How many chairman say that two weeks before a sacking or mutual consent?

[winchester_royal]

FWIW Madejski is apparently '100% behind' Rodgers.

How many chairman say that two weeks before a sacking or mutual consent?

That isn't from a media interview.

[Ian Royal]

FWIW Madejski is apparently '100% behind' Rodgers.

How many chairman say that two weeks before a sacking or mutual consent?

That isn't from a media interview.

I don't give a shit. Madejski won't have much choice in another couple of weeks unless something changes.

[winchester_royal]

I don't give a shit. Madejski won't have much choice in another couple of weeks unless something changes.

Of course he has a choice. I doubt he gives a flying one wha you think.