BFTG - Blackburn

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Christ that was an atrocious first half. Worst since the very worst of second season Stamball.
Fair play to Gomez for changing things at HT even though we were 1up.

Kelly, Aluko and Swift is woeful and was always going to be. But even knowing that I was shocked at the poor decisions. Blackett kept making blind balls back into the middle, Aluko making blind turns, Kelly always just playing it to the feet of the nearest man regardless of whether the pass was on. Just painful

Meite is really not very good, but made all the difference today. He brought effort, strength and drive and it lifted the fans and the team


The magic 3M's look great as our defensive backbone, even if the keeper is fukking atrocious at playing defenders into trouble

[genome]

Loved that. Real gutsy second half performance after an underwhelming first half. Don't agree that it was the worst JMW - the last game I went to, Swansea, was a far worse first half performance.

Martinez - 7
Yiadom - 7
Moore - 6
Miazga - 7
Blackett - 5
Ejaria - 5
Kelly - 7
Swift - 8
Aluko - 5
Richards - 6
Oliveira - 9

Subs:
Meite - 7
Baker - 6
Bodvarsson - n/a

[secks]

Loved that. Real gutsy second half performance after an underwhelming first half. Don't agree that it was the worst JMW - the last game I went to, Swansea, was a far worse first half performance.

Martinez - 7
Yiadom - 7
Moore - 6
Miazga - 7
Blackett - 5
Ejaria - 5
Kelly - 7
Swift - 8
Aluko - 5
Richards - 6
Oliveira - 9

Subs:
Meite - 7
Baker - 6
Bodvarsson - n/a

Ejara was miles better than Kelly, especially in the the second half. Mark off for Meite who should've put away one if not both his chances.

[genome]

Ejara was miles better than Kelly, especially in the the second half. Mark off for Meite who should've put away one if not both his chances.

Ejaria was sloppy, gave it away far too much and was too casual. Couple of lovely passes too but I thought Kelly was a bit more solid.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Kelly was atrocious

Eja is all legs, but he won the ball quite a few times when moved into the middle. Something that not a single midfielder managed in the first half

[windermereROYAL]

Swift 8???

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Richards was like a rabbit in the headlights most of that game too. He just doesn't know what he should be doing out on the wing

[genome]

Swift 8???

A goal and an assist.

[PieEater]

It was a strange line up with Blackett at left back and Richards at left wing, we were lightweight in midfield and pretty well over run. Blackburn were up for it in the first half and pressed us high, as a result we looked absolutely abysmal and didn't look like we'd get anything out of the game. Somehow we stop them making many chances and then nick it in the dying seconds before half time.

I was expecting them to come at us after half time and for us to concede our usual 50min goal but we actually looked better at the start of the half and pressed them. Meite had a wonderful chance that he put wide and another that he headed over that would have made us comfortable, then we sat back and conceded the inevitable equaliser. It looked like that was it - and Blackburn sat back happy with the point until Oli's wondergoal.

Special mention for the ref who was spectacularly shit, quite how Dack escaped a booking for a pathetic dive followed by him grabbing the ball, the ref played on as if hand ball was OK.

I hope it gives the team some confidence for the run of games coming up - catch Millwall then catch Wigan....

[genome]

Kelly was atrocious

Eja is all legs, but he won the ball quite a few times when moved into the middle. Something that not a single midfielder managed in the first half

Funny how we all see the game differently!

[John Madejski's Wallet]

But he way, anyone notice that Bod injured himself at the end? He was limping really badly when applauding the crowd at the end

[PieEater]

I thought Eja was poor, always running side ways and backwards, Kelly was equally poor but at least gets at people at wins tackles which I can't recall Eja doing.

[muirinho]

Poor first half, and we were lucky not to concede, let alone score. Much better second half. Meite made such a difference when he came on. Yeah, he should have scored, but he gave Blackburn something to think about all half.

Midfielders gave away the ball far too often. Lovely assist and goal from Swift, so he gets extra for that. Ejaria is the original Bambi, and Kelly seemed to think it was irrelvant how many people were round whoever he was going to pass to - he was just going to do it anyway. Aluko was back being Aluko. Thought Blackett wasn't great either.

Not sure of the point of the Baker loan tbh, but Martinez, Miazga and Oliveira are class. Can we keep them all?

Martinez - 7
Yiadom - 7
Moore - 6
Miazga - 7
Blackett - 5
Ejaria - 5
Kelly - 5
Swift - 7
Aluko - 4
Richards - 6
Oliveira - 9

Subs:
Meite - 7
Baker - 5
Bodvarsson - n/a

[Old Man Andrews]

Loved that 2nd half. Battle and desire! Vital win.

[Millsy]

WE WERE BRILLIANT

Yes ok the first half we were lightweight in midfield and they outplayed us there, but for all my banging on recently about us not looking like we could score I actually sensed the few times we went near them even in the first half we were trying to be more urgent and decisive and that feeling I had been getting was disappearing. We showed passion and urgency and guts. We might have been outplayed in the first half but that mental side of what we were doing shone through and that's why to me we were brilliant.

I know people will naturally point to Oliveira's winner and the guy has to be praised for being orders of magnitude better than any striker we've had lately, especially for playing with that horrible mask and so soon after he was assaulted, and yes Swift for all his odd sloppiness took the goal very well like his last goal from a similar position, but for me the praise has to go to one man - YIADOM. Not only for his run down the right and assist into Swift, but for moments before his brilliant interception from our half and charge forward that got the Madejski excited, perked up our players and eventually got us the leading goal minutes later. I felt he changed the course of the game with that intercepted run. Yes goals also change games but to me he had already changed it. He continued to be immense in defence for the rest of the game. Brilliant performance and I'll stick my neck out and call him my star player.

Another big plus goes to Meite. Again this will raise some eyebrows after his missed chances, but the fact of the matter is he was there in the first place to miss those chances. The header was not a sitter anyway to be fair, IIRC he jumped up strong and hit a powerful header only just high. And the shot was a great burst forward by him in the first place. This guy did tonight the opposite of what I'd been complaining about - strong, decisive, dangerous and worked his socks off. He looked like scoring. As did Oliveira. No slow indecisive crap tonight.

A fantastic performance.

Only downer for me is I was wrong about Kelly as I thought he'd do better than he did poor chap.

We are massively missing Ezatolahi,

And last but not least for me: Martinez. Possibly the best keeper I've seen play for Reading. For me even better than USA.

JOSE GOMES' BARMY ARMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[John Madejski's Wallet]

I thought Eja was poor, always running side ways and backwards, Kelly was equally poor but at least gets at people at wins tackles which I can't recall Eja doing.

Hehe I literally saw the opposite.

We were all mentioning the number of time Eja won the ball in the middle and that Kelly was useless

[Old Man Andrews]

It was in no way a "fantastic performance". Fantastic win, yes.

[Royality creeps In]

At the end of the day we have played better and lost.
The first half was as poor as I have seen . It was Swansea esc.
Second half much improved.

Oliveira is probably going to be a great asset. I like what I see!

Martinez 8 A couple of good saves, along with one horror moment of passing the ball to them when trying to play out.
Yiadom - 8 Thought he was excellent tonight
Moore - 7 Moore and Miazga are far better than Illori partnership
Miazga - 7 As above Steady and assured
Blackett - 5 Thought he was off the pace tonight
Ejaria - 4 Worst game for us and lucky not to be hooked along with Kelly and Aluko. Kept losing possession including one horror moment when he gave the ball to their No7? who failed to capitalise, when his shot was saved by Martinez
Kelly - 6 Not at his best but at least he was chasing down
Swift - 7 Good goal, which covered up a poor first half. Improved 2nd
Aluko - 5 Seen him play better. Not really sure where he was meant to be playing
Richards - 6
Oliveira - 9 Man of the match. Nearly scored with an imperious lob in the first and scored the brilliant winner

Subs:
Meite - 5 All Huff and no puff
Baker - 6 Didn't do much
Bodvarsson - 6 As above, although he didn't have much time.

The REF (Again!)
How did he not book their player for diving??
Terrible along with his Lino who missed a blatant handball by them by the West Stand

The atmosphere at the end was almost Rocking. A long time since I have said that. (Probably helped that the fair weathers stayed away)

[John Madejski's Wallet]

And last but not least for me: Martinez. Possibly the best keeper I've seen play for Reading. For me even better than USA.

JOSE GOMES' BARMY ARMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Martinez looks class at shotstopping and claiming crosses, but fukk me I don't buy into this 'can play football' stuff. He's just as appalling at playing our defenders into trouble as every one of our recent keepers who have tried in this passing style. And then when he does hoof it, they are rubbish scuffs.

But he makes me feel really relaxed when he's there. Really happy to have him.

[Pepe the Horseman]

I thought Eja was poor, always running side ways and backwards, Kelly was equally poor but at least gets at people at wins tackles which I can't recall Eja doing.

Hehe I literally saw the opposite.

We were all mentioning the number of time Eja won the ball in the middle and that Kelly was useless

You sure you're not just getting them mixed up?