MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

[Snowflake Royal]

So the thing that comes to mind here, is that with previous successful Reading teams, you know the most likely XI, you know the shape, and you know the pattern of play for how the side will score.

WIth Pauno, we know the XI, we know the shape, but I genuinely don't know the plan for scoring other than retain possession and hope one of the midfielders creates something out of nothing, or go long and hope the striker creates something out of nothing.

Contrast that to:

Coppell - get the ball wide, get down the flanks and then get the ball in the box. Go hard and fast.

McDermott - Soak up pressure, spoil spoil spoil, and hit the ball into the channels for Long & Hunt etc to chase. Or get the ball wide and cross to Le Fondre to find space and tuck it away.

Pardew - soak up pressure and then break break break, hard and fast with Fozzie and Hughes. Or get wide and swing the ball in for Butler and Cureton.

McGhee - play at pace through the pitch, find the gaps in the lines

Under Paunovich, no one seems to know what the pattern of play is. Ejaria, Richards, Olise, Meite and Yiadom all want to cut inside where it's just stupidly crowded. If you have wide forwards who want to cut in, you have to have fullbacks who want to overlap and cross. If you've got wingers who want to hit the byline and cross then full backs who'll cut inside and have a dig work well. Puscas wants crosses in, but no one wants to send them and he's asked to win long balls against 3 defenders that aren't even to him often. Not to mention he and Meite seemed to be playing in each other's pockets half the time.

There's a lot of talent and a lot of good stuff. But what's the actual repeatable understood way to attack? There isn't one. So no one really knows what anyone else is going to do. When to run, when to pass, where to pass, when to cross, when to take someone on.

I think this is the underlying problem. Maybe Pauno is doing a Coppell and trusting his players to make good decisions on the pitch, but he needs to give them more structure IMO.

It's been a good season. It's a solid foundation. But now we need a proper pattern of play. Forget plan B. Let's have an actual defined Plan A, and if it isn't working, don't just immediately change the whole thing. Switch up the players who aren't delivering on the Plan.

[tidus_mi2]

Take money for any player we get a good offer for, the balance clearly isn't right so we'll need a mini-rebuild and will need funds. Olise is great on his day but we have a lot of competition in his position and take the money that will surely be there for Joao.

[leon]

So predictable the “bedwetters” were predicting it weeks ago.

So a big fcuk you, to all those who dismissed out of hand posters genuine concerns.

[Jackson Corner]

Season done. Form off a cliff.

If Brentford beat Bournemouth and Barnsley beat Rotherham we'll be 8 pts shy.

Start planning for next year now.

We seriously need a win or two in these last 3 else the momentum is shocking for next year.

I also would say for Paunovic's future. If we win 1 of our last 11 games then it wouldn't surprise me if there's a managerial change. Not that it's just the managers fault because the players have been pathetic in the last 3 month's.

Most of us were surprised when Bowen was sacked and I really think what did for him were those final block of matches, Particularly the home games.

[LUX]

As I posted last week, three of those four teams on brilliant runs directly above us are doing it totally in vain.

So cheer up.

[Rax]

For the first time - I'm seriously questioning Pauno's suitability for the job - we had a must win v Cardiff, bottled that and got a second chance tonight, what do they do? Follow it up with one of the laziest performances I've seen for years (Holmes and Laurent excluded..)

It was awful.

[tidus_mi2]

100% we'll beat Swansea and Barnsley will beat Huddersfield just to get our oxf*rd hopes up again.

[Scutterbucketz]

Once Olise, Joao, Swift and a few of the other lads leave this summer, as they will because our finances are absolutely shot, we’ll be bottom half of the table fodder once more. Whatever Pauno did to get these players playing earlier in the season isnt working anymore. And once that sort of thing goes it rarely comes back.

That was dogshit and I haven’t enjoyed watching a single Reading game all season.

[Royal_jimmy]

Been very impressed again with Holmes tonight - becoming an excellent CB

He's so much better on the ball than we have had in that position in recent years. Looks much better at CB where he can be a progressive + ball playing CB than at RB where it makes him a solid RB

Yes, he is impressive at centre half. We could have ruined him playing him at rifht back like we have been doing. The injuries to Morrison and McIntyre have thrown him in and he’s done really well. We must start him there next season.

+1 I'd probably have Morrison as 3rd choice behind Moore and Holmes now

[Snowflake Royal]

So predictable the “bedwetters” were predicting it weeks ago.

So a big fcuk you, to all those who dismissed out of hand posters genuine concerns.

Yeah, well I also said we'd probably miss out ages ago. But I didn't shit the bed at the same time.

[Jackson Corner]

100% we'll beat Swansea and Barnsley will beat Huddersfield just to get our oxf*rd hopes up again.

I think Barnsley have already beaten Huddersfield

[Snowflake Royal]

He's so much better on the ball than we have had in that position in recent years. Looks much better at CB where he can be a progressive + ball playing CB than at RB where it makes him a solid RB

Yes, he is impressive at centre half. We could have ruined him playing him at rifht back like we have been doing. The injuries to Morrison and McIntyre have thrown him in and he’s done really well. We must start him there next season.

+1 I'd probably have Morrison as 3rd choice behind Moore and Holmes now

I'd have Morrison and McIntyre as first choice.

[tidus_mi2]

100% we'll beat Swansea and Barnsley will beat Huddersfield just to get our oxf*rd hopes up again.

I think Barnsley have already beaten Huddersfield

Sorry, meant Rotherham will beat Barnsley.

[Westwood52]

That was disgraceful. What is wrong with them;Rino apart the rest were abysmal.

Rafa Very shaky at times,but some good saves.

Yiadom .He needs to work on his fitness;his pathetic recoveries from getting forward we’re very evident tonight.His first touch is woeful.
Richards .Never in the game.Since Bayern came calling he has played well within himself.I really can’t see him playing top class football.
Moore. Zero leadership.Big ego,but no fight in him.
Holmes Good first half.But fell apart in the 2 nd.His passing out of defence did not once come close to a target.
Rino Great game.Head and shoulders above anyone else in the team.
Laurent Once again,the game passed him by.Zero contribution.
Olise Should stop listening to his agent.He was out on his feet 2 nd half.I really can’t see him making a higher standard at the moment,while for every nice piece of play ,he then gives the ball away.
Ejaria Ineffective for all the show boating.
Puskas Really really bad.
Meite The worst of Meite tonight.

Alukho Never did anything wrong,but once again came on too late.
Baldock Had that one opportunity in their box to do something and he completely blew it.L1 or even L2 beckons.
Swift . He clearly isn’t match fit.
Semedo Dreadful.
Gibson. Once again ; needs to look for some other kind of career.How did he give that corner away at the end ?

If anything I thought Luton were the better team,and given their resources is a credit to Nathan Jones.They were far more up for it,than we were given they had nothing to play for.

[Snowball]

Right from the start we didn't look interested, Olise in particular
and for the first fifteen Ejaria was way off.

I just do not get the lack of urgency. I don't mind being beaten, but I want
to see some fight, some spirit, a few heavy tackles.

Holmes got caught out once but was my Reading MotM

Rafsel made some decent saves. Rhino/Laurent were OK

Puscas was dire, Meite looked clumsy. For all his undoubted skill, Olise didn't want
to command the game. A player with his skills should be demanding the ball. He
looked like a player who has had his head turned.

I presume Moore has re-done his shoulder?

Richards was a bit ordinary, Yiadom, ditto

[Zip]

Just 8 points from our last 8 games. Says it all. I keep hearing how much we have improved under Pauno. I think not.
He has done enough to stay on next season. Not sure Dai will see it that way. Could be a messy summer

[Royal_jimmy]

Season done. Form off a cliff.

If Brentford beat Bournemouth and Barnsley beat Rotherham we'll be 8 pts shy.

Start planning for next year now.

We seriously need a win or two in these last 3 else the momentum is shocking for next year.

I also would say for Paunovic's future. If we win 1 of our last 11 games then it wouldn't surprise me if there's a managerial change. Not that it's just the managers fault because the players have been pathetic in the last 3 month's.

Most of us were surprised when Bowen was sacked and I really think what did for him were those final block of matches, Particularly the home games.

I definitely wasnt surprised

[Hound]

That was dogshit and I haven’t enjoyed watching a single Reading game all season.

Hmm really?

Been quite a few good ones

[URZZZZ]

God why can't we have decent options on the bench.

Would rather decent options on the pitch first

[Royal Rother]

If that is the best that Pauno can get his team to serve up in such an important game I fear for his future. The owners don’t mess around.

Holmes Ejaria Rafael would get a 5, the rest 4 and under. Oh and Aluko had a decent enough cameo.

Holmes was good defensively but I lost count of the aimless hoofs upfield that went nowhere near our players. Yiadom had a stinker, Rafael makes me nervous every time he has the ball at his feet and his distribution is abysmal. The more I see him the more I realise that Puscas can’t control the ball, can’t pass, and can’t shoot. Most of Rinomhota’s forward balls went out for a goal kick. I could probably go on but am trying to wipe the last 2 hours from my memory so it’s already getting a bit hazy.

All a bit depressing really.