BFTG - Forest

[NewCorkSeth]

Well. Good second half eh? We looked so strong for long periods. First half Forest came to win, second half they were certainly hold on for a draw.

Watching Blackett, Ejaria and Swift combine down our left hand flank is wonderful. The passing is crisp, the movement is superb and all 3 have the technique and creativity to cause real problems for any team.

This works so well, imo, due to the resurgence of Moore, who has taken to his role as a battling CB that charges to win second balls, like a duck to water looks so much better, the hard work of Pele, who breaks up play fantastically, and the defensive contribution of Ejaria (most surprisingly). Ejaria moves around the pitch in such a silky way, even when the opposition has the ball, and has made so many interceptions since his slight change in position. Bowen really has sorted the defensive side of the game.

Rafael gets a shout out for his superb rush out.

Meite deserves a lot of praise. Some key headers, good running and great defensive contribution.

Adam took the piss at times. Was great to see.

Baldock was isolated. There were numerous crosses he just couldn't reach. I think after Puscas' display of much better hold up technique and first touch we are likely to see him start sooner rather than late.

[NewCorkSeth]

My talking points

1) João my man of the match. Absolutely amazing ability to get on the end of a ball (according to Dellor) when he wasn't even on the pitch.

2) More seriously now, our style really misses João.

3) Post, great saves by their keeper. We deserved to win that with our second half performance.

4) Possibly the worst refereeing I've seen this season.

5) Some of our passing was all over the place, not sure why.

Listened to the commentary on BBC Berks yesterday and they were pretty clueless. In another instance, the ball
clearly went out for their corner, and they thought it was a goal kick. They consistently got players mixed up, like the Joao one yesterday. At one point Mick shouted “penalty” to which I thought the ref has given the one on Meite

I know it can’t be easy for them but they don’t even get the basics right at times

My favourite Dellor moment was calling out that Gomes had picked up a loose ball and passed to someone (Ejaria or Swift maybe, I forget) who then passed the ball to a completely different player further up the pitch, who was also Gomes.

I may be making this bit up, but I think the ball may have then been cleared and picked up by Gomes in our half again.

Think it was Pele - Ejaria - Blackett on the interchange in actual fact.

I can understand mistaking players for each other, they're a long way a way and I certainly do it... but thinking two separate players in the same move, in different parts of the pitch is a new low for Dellor.

Cricket really is more his pace.

That incident was Pele to Swift to Meite which he labelled Gomes to Swift to Gomes. Didnt bother correcting it either.

[Zip]

It’s a shame the way the fixtures have panned out. Forest was the third of a run of eleven really tough League fixtures. We need to try and stay in touch with the play offs if we can. If we are only six points off sixth place towards the back end of February we have a great chance of pushing for the play offs

[Snowflake Royal]

Really!? Meite? Bollocks, I was sure it was someone with more hair.

[NewCorkSeth]

Really!? Meite? Bollocks, I was sure it was someone with more hair.

I mean, he does get any black person with hair confused with other black people with hair constantly so I can see why you thought that. Last season the Ejaria/Blackett mix ups were unbearable.

[Snowflake Royal]

Really!? Meite? Bollocks, I was sure it was someone with more hair.

I mean, he does get any black person with hair confused with other black people with hair constantly so I can see why you thought that. Last season the Ejaria/Blackett mix ups were unbearable.

Tbf, one of my key ways of telling players apart is hair style. Was well pissed off when Blackett, Ejaria, Olise, Pele and Loader all have had similar cuts at points.

How dare Meite switch to the other side of the penalty area and confuse me.

[URZZZZ]

Really!? Meite? Bollocks, I was sure it was someone with more hair.

I mean, he does get any black person with hair confused with other black people with hair constantly so I can see why you thought that. Last season the Ejaria/Blackett mix ups were unbearable.

Tbf, one of my key ways of telling players apart is hair style. Was well pissed off when Blackett, Ejaria, Olise, Pele and Loader all have had similar cuts at points.

How dare Meite switch to the other side of the penalty area and confuse me.

Set up with Yiadom, Burley, Blackett, Richards, Rinomhota, Pele, Meite, Aluko, Ejaria and Joao and then see how many get confused

[WestYorksRoyal]

Looking at the replay, Puscas' movement forced the OG. Defender had to go for it or it was a tap in. Still should have done better and sent it out for a corner, but there is no mistake without Puscas lurking.

[Snowflake Royal]

I mean, he does get any black person with hair confused with other black people with hair constantly so I can see why you thought that. Last season the Ejaria/Blackett mix ups were unbearable.

Tbf, one of my key ways of telling players apart is hair style. Was well pissed off when Blackett, Ejaria, Olise, Pele and Loader all have had similar cuts at points.

How dare Meite switch to the other side of the penalty area and confuse me.

Set up with Yiadom, Burley, Blackett, Richards, Rinomhota, Pele, Meite, Aluko, Ejaria and Joao and then see how many get confused

Tbf, I have as much problem with medium height, medium build white guys with short dark brown hair. Vary it up a bit lads.

[Stranded]

Looking at the replay, Puscas' movement forced the OG. Defender had to go for it or it was a tap in. Still should have done better and sent it out for a corner, but there is no mistake without Puscas lurking.

This. Defender misses it, Puscas scores.

[sandman]

Looking at the replay, Puscas' movement forced the OG. Defender had to go for it or it was a tap in. Still should have done better and sent it out for a corner, but there is no mistake without Puscas lurking.

Little did he know about Puscas's record of blazing tap ins over the bar.

[Lower West]

Meite was typical Meite really. Worked hard, causes problems, defended well, almost scored - yet was frustratingly spending half the game on his backside on the ground and a number of clumsy touches/poor decisions along the way. I’d like to see McCleary come on for him a bit more often tbh to give a bit more crossing threat

Unfortunately McCleary's days are numbered. Meite offers far more in terms of all round contribution. Links up well with Gunter.

[NewCorkSeth]

Looking at the replay, Puscas' movement forced the OG. Defender had to go for it or it was a tap in. Still should have done better and sent it out for a corner, but there is no mistake without Puscas lurking.

Little did he know about Puscas's record of blazing tap ins over the bar.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Looking at the replay, Puscas' movement forced the OG. Defender had to go for it or it was a tap in. Still should have done better and sent it out for a corner, but there is no mistake without Puscas lurking.

Little did he know about Puscas's record of blazing tap ins over the bar.

.

Shame he's barely played since Wigan; hopefully with momentum he can start burying them. In terms of positioning, movement and poaching instincts, he's better than our other strikers. Just needs to finish better.

[muirinho]

Tbf, one of my key ways of telling players apart is hair style. Was well pissed off when Blackett, Ejaria, Olise, Pele and Loader all have had similar cuts at points.

How dare Meite switch to the other side of the penalty area and confuse me.

Set up with Yiadom, Burley, Blackett, Richards, Rinomhota, Pele, Meite, Aluko, Ejaria and Joao and then see how many get confused

Tbf, I have as much problem with medium height, medium build white guys with short dark brown hair. Vary it up a bit lads.

I think I have it sorted, then the ones with beards shave them off, and the ones without grow beards, and all of them change their hairstyles.

I'd be grand if I only I could read the bloody numbers. At least the short sleeve plus glove combo is another identifying characteristic.

[Jack Celliers]

I really felt for Meite as well (our MotM?) who was booked for walking near a player but got kicked constantly in the second half.

I didn’t go but the majority have rated him poorly. Out of interest why do you think he wasn’t just poor, he was the MOTM?

Happy to say my bit for Meite. He was a real nuisance. He may not be the most gifted of players but he fights hard. He won at least four free kicks in the first half alone allowing Swift the chance of some set pieces in dangerous positions. He slid an excellent ball through to Baldock. He had our only decent effort on goal in the first half.

In the second half I thought he was fouled inside their box and went down. It looked like a pen to me. He also worked hard to track back and won the ball on a number of occasions. He didn’t create much but did plenty to keep us competitive.

I thought Meite looked really sharp today and remembered lots of good things he did - link-up with Baldock, tracking back and tackling cleanly, getting in the box when the ball was going down the right. Forest couldn't cope with him and on another day the fouls they committed might have resulted in a penalty or a couple of yellow cards for his marker.

Swift, Pele, Ejaria and Adam were all fantastic in our four wins, but were much patchier yesterday, and in another strong team performance it was others who kept us going, especially Meite.

[Jack Celliers]

Not only are these threads annoying and pointless but this thread was picked up by the Forest fans on their forum and is being shown as representative post for Reading fans and further evidence of how embarrassing a set of fans we are. You're embarassing us all ST P!

Really?

Can I just say how frustrating it is for Reading, with our recent FA Cup semi-final and Premiership experience, to be dropping points to a tinpot team like Forest, who seem to spend most seasons flirting with relegation back to League 1, where they probably belong as they don't have a proper stadium on an out-of-town retail park near a motorway junction.

[paultheroyal]

Funny thing is kids born in the 90s don’t give a flying fcuk about teams history prior to birth date so all kids of that era associated Reading FC as a far greater team and mean more to them in premier league etc than a team who yo yos from championship to league 1 aka forest.

[Westwood52]

Surely the linesman is in the perfect position to see these things ? He was stood at the corner flag looking along the line, it’s his job to call these things.
Conclusion would be that being correctly positioned and actively looking he got the call correct.
Unless he didn’t.

Glad you said linesman.
I saw that particular linesman (East stand side, second half) watch the ball put out of play twice - one a corner and one a throw in. It was obvious what they were, but he waited until the ref pointed to the corner and then he pointed his flag at the corner.
If you are awaiting the ref’s direction all the time, then you are not assisting and therefore you are simply running the line, you are certainly not an assistant referee.

To be honest I think that's unfair.
Remember the officials are miked up so we aren't aware of the communication.
I believe they work differently these days in that to avoid the daft situation of the ref pointing one way and the lino the other then someone changing they communicate directly before actually giving the decision. The lino is probably not following the ref, he's told the ref it's a blue / red ball then they both indicate. Or if he doesn't know for sure he's said so and the ref then does make the final call.
These lino's are experienced refs in their own right, they really won't get away with basically doing the job they way a club linesman would on the parks.

I didn’t know that.There was quite a moan during a World Cup about refs running the line,on the basis that it is a totally different skill set.Do assistant refs ie linesmen get different training ?

[St Pauli]

Good to see that JMW’s Splitter thread has been merged into mine, the original and best. Thanks Mods.