Two Ian Harte assists today....

[melonhead]

id happily go with a midfield two of ledge and mcanuff, if we had mills and harte on the left wing
id even try HRK up front with lefondre who was class last night when he came on- changed the game with hhal.

Isn't that what I laid out above?

arent i agreeing with you?

[Extended-Phenotype]

arent i agreeing with you?

Is that your hand?

[CayeneMatt]

It’s funny this game. Sometimes someone’s hero is another’s villain. I thought Legs was more than decent. Missplaced some passes, but who didn’t? Otherwise he was all over people, pushing our team forward, got some decent shots on goal, threaded some passes into the box, and cut out players all over the pitch.

Karacan on the other hand was worse than hopeless. Every time he ran at an opponent he ran into or past them, never making any contact with the ball. He was constantly sat too deep giving acres of space for their midfielders to pick the right pass, and when he did get hold of the ball he gave it away immediately. I can see why Dermie subbed him.

Harte performance was like a summary of what we bang on about on here all the time. Alarm bells rang defensively, but had a hand in everything decent about our attack. We simply can’t ignore finding a plan for the man any longer, be it CB, DM, or my new preference: LW, with Mills behind him.

Other thoughts: HRK simply has to start, and please for the love of everything good in the world, somebody plant some pictures of McDermot’s wife in Church’s locker so he will stop picking the useless clown. ALF and Hunt are by far the best we have.

Shoot me down, here comes some unconvention…

----------------Feds-------------

Cums---Pearce---Gorks---Mills

----------------Legs-------Harte

Jobi-----------HRK---->---------

------------ALF---Hunt----------

or?

----------------Feds-------------

Cums---Pearce---Gorks---Mills

-----------Jem----Legs---Harte

McAnuff------------\/-----------

-----------ALF-----HRK-->------

Not sure I'd agree with playing Harte LW in front of Mills. If Harte continues to be a liability due to lack of pace, and I'm not convinced he has been in the last 2 games, then maybe put him in a DM role in front of Gorks and Pearce, which will allow our other midfielders to push up.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Yeah I like that also. Would pretty much have to be a midfield three though, leaving one up front. Although I'm begining to think HRK could slip into a creative Mid/striker role quite nicely. Battles for the ball well, get's his foot in, passes are decent, has a bit of vision, knows where the goal is, and other football cliches.

[Ian Royal]

Haven't seen replays of the goals so not sure how much involvement Harte had in ours. But he was pretty poor at the back.

Caught out of position a few times, beaten way too easily a few times, and not just due to pace, but due to committing himself needlessly and badly too. Then obviously there's the super ball to put Peterborough's striker through on goal. We're quite lucky that Pearce, Gorkss and Cummings did fairly well on the whole and P'boro didn't take advantage of his weakness.

He wasn't the worst on the field for us (Yes Legs, I'm looking at you), but he certainly wasn't much good.

[Cypry]

Don't know how anyone can moan about Hartes performance considering the shocker that Leigertwood had last night.
Harte struggled for pace on maybe one occasion, but Gorkss spotted the danger and covered well. Yes, Harte made some misplaced passes (name me a Reading player who didn't) but he also made two of our three goals....
Leigertwood, on the other hand, contributed almost nothing aside from poor, heavy first touches, and balls lost to 'Boro players - it's no coincidence that 'Boro dominated midfield....

I lost count of the number of anticipations and interceptions Leigertwood made last night. It's amazing how people see the game they want to in oprder to justify their preconceptions about players.

I'm not trying to justify any preconception - where have I ever said a word against Leigertwood previously?
I'm just saying it as I saw it - IMO he had a shocker last night, by far his worst performance of the season that I've seen (not made all away games but seen all at home and a few away) - yes, he anticipated a few passes and made some interceptions, but that's not very helpful if then all he does is lose the ball to an opposing player!!!

On the other hand I can only remember one clear occasion when Harte was done for pace and Gorkss was dragged outside to cover. Yes he made a shocking pass which nearly cost us a goal, but it didn't, and he cannot be blamed for either of the two goals we did concede.

All I'm saying is that last night Harte>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Leigertwood and I don't understand why some seem to have the knives out for Harte when he clearly did little wrong and was actually our main source of any quality creativity.....

[Cypry]

Haven't seen replays of the goals so not sure how much involvement Harte had in ours. But he was pretty poor at the back.

Caught out of position a few times, beaten way too easily a few times, and not just due to pace, but due to committing himself needlessly and badly too. Then obviously there's the super ball to put Peterborough's striker through on goal. We're quite lucky that Pearce, Gorkss and Cummings did fairly well on the whole and P'boro didn't take advantage of his weakness.

He wasn't the worst on the field for us (Yes Legs, I'm looking at you), but he certainly wasn't much good.

Not wishing to get into a fight but were you at the game?

If you were, how can you not understand Hartes involvement in two of our goals? First was a Harte corner which picked out Kebe, he headed it towards goal and Church got a tap in - second was a great Harte cross, again to Kebe, who knocked it down to ALF who finished really well.

If you weren't then how can you know how many time Harte was caught out of position?

I'm confused!!!

[Ian Royal]

I was indeed there. I don't tend to memorise who made each cross / corner and it was at completely the other end of the ground. The emotion of a goal also tends to sweep me up, which is why I don't usually comment too specifically on a goal unless it was right in front of me and I recall it clearly, or I've seen it on a replay.

Fairly easy to tell who's who in defence, Harte is the average height dark haired white guy (usually) in the left back position.

[FiNeRaIn]

I have also heard that leg was simply awful last night and that was his worst performance in a Reading shirt.

[RFCUK]

Every ball in the second half played from Harte was lofted over the top, and I'm pretty sure that 99% of them just headed straight back.

We were lucky not to concede a goal when the above happened and harte went to go get the back, completely out of position and leaving his position completely open to the ball being played forward in to it..

Didn't really see much of the Harte magic today, but equally I didn't see anything for him to lose his place once Mills is fit.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Unfortunately in order to justify his place, he really needs those magic moments. Otherwise he's just a slow, old man getting skinned and making awful passbacks.

[Ian Royal]

Every ball in the second half played from Harte was lofted over the top, and I'm pretty sure that 99% of them just headed straight back.

We were lucky not to concede a goal when the above happened and harte went to go get the back, completely out of position and leaving his position completely open to the ball being played forward in to it..

Didn't really see much of the Harte magic today, but equally I didn't see anything for him to lose his place once Mills is fit.

Interesting that we seemed to be playing better football in the last few games Mills played, and have now apparently reverted to shit hoofball in much of our play since.

I think this is partly because Mills got up and down the line exchanging short passes more, whereas Harte plays long balls down the line and into the channels more. One doesn't get you anywhere particularly quickly most of the time but retains possession. The other probably gets better results quicker more often, but results in you turning over possession far more often.

[Sarah Star]

Isn't it great that we have the choice of two such different left backs? Gives us variety, a plan B, confuses the opposition... well, I thought so anyway.

[Ian Royal]

Isn't it great that we have the choice of two such different left backs? Gives us variety, a plan B, confuses the opposition... well, I thought so anyway.

I criticse Harte a fair amount, but I'm very happy having a choice of him and Mills in this division given our circumstances.

[Extended-Phenotype]

I still maintain that both should play.

[moonwalklikebas]

This man is a god among men. Is there nothing cant do (except running fast)

Wins every header
Fins critical PINGS!
Reads the game like a ordnance survey map

and most importantly is an assisting machine.


On joining the Ian Harte fan club you will be sent a sticker pack and badges

[SLAMMED]

[paultheroyal]

Well, he can't chase a man down after being turned that's for sure.

[Winnershroyal]

This man is a god among men. Is there nothing cant do (except running fast)

Wins every header
Fins critical PINGS!
Reads the game like a ordnance survey map

and most importantly is an assisting machine.


On joining the Ian Harte fan club you will be sent a sticker pack and badges

I laughed out loud at his first corner, the grass cutter.

[Farnborough Royal]

His corners were shite too.