MATCHWATCH : Stoke City (h) sponsored by John Halls

[URZZZZ]

Bloody annoying esp after the Luton equaliser

Really should have been 2 up.

Nevermind, played ok overall. Some good signs but gave them too much possession second half

I thought we really tailed off in the final twenty minutes. Stoke were poor and have got a point out of nothing.
Oh joy. Nothing changes post lockdown.

Tailed off after seven minutes as soon as we scored because that’s the only thing Bowen knows how to do. That aspect hasn’t changed since the lockdown, his mindset is just too negative

[Sutekh]

Well that charge for the playoffs lasted a long time

Really poor second half going forward for Reading but then it seems Joao really is key to the way MB wants to play. Perhaps sell Puscas and look for another striker in the Joao mould to give cover in the close season?

[Snowflake Royal]

Bloody annoying esp after the Luton equaliser

Really should have been 2 up.

Nevermind, played ok overall. Some good signs but gave them too much possession second half

I thought we really tailed off in the final twenty minutes. Stoke were poor and have got a point out of nothing.
Oh joy. Nothing changes post lockdown.

With Meite off Puscas got more isolated. With Olise and Ejaria off we got a lot slower with Rino not so much an attacking player and Adam not really able to run. Plus Obita was seriously tiring at the end.

Think Bowen got those subs wrong.
At least one of Olise, Meite and Ejaria should have stayed on and Obita should have come off. Not sure Adam was really needed.

[Zip]

Well that charge for the playoffs lasted a long time

Really poor second half going forward for Reading but then it seems Joao really is key to the way MB wants to play. Perhaps sell Puscas and look for another striker in the Joao mould to give cover in the close season?

We don’t play to Puscas strengths though. He needs to feed off low crosses into the box. We didn’t deliver them.
We play a lot of pretty stuff but it’s in the middle of the pitch where it doesn’t really hurt the opposition

[Zip]

Bloody annoying esp after the Luton equaliser

Really should have been 2 up.

Nevermind, played ok overall. Some good signs but gave them too much possession second half

I thought we really tailed off in the final twenty minutes. Stoke were poor and have got a point out of nothing.
Oh joy. Nothing changes post lockdown.

With Meite off Puscas got more isolated. With Olise and Ejaria off we got a lot slower with Rino not so much an attacking player and Adam not really able to run. Plus Obita was seriously tiring at the end.

Think Bowen got those subs wrong.
At least one of Olise, Meite and Ejaria should have stayed on and Obita should have come off. Not sure Adam was really needed.

The subs certainly didn’t improve us. I would like to have seen Masika come on.

[JR]

It’s amazing how a football result can change your mood!

For 3 months we’ve lived without that - I’d forgotten how frustrating being a fan was!

[Bristol Paul]

A bit robbed there. Poor referee.

Wasn’t the referee that cost us two points though, we should have gone for it a bit more at times.

I'm sorry that's incorrect, but you do get this lovely watch and a year's supply of Turtle Wax.

And again in English?

[AthleticoSpizz]

It’s amazing how a football result can change your mood!

For 3 months we’ve lived without that - I’d forgotten how frustrating being a fan was!

just keep schtumpf next time JR, right?

[sandman]

Wasn’t the referee that cost us two points though, we should have gone for it a bit more at times.

I'm sorry that's incorrect, but you do get this lovely watch and a year's supply of Turtle Wax.

And again in English?

You are incorrect the referee cost us two points by bottling two penalty decisions.

[royalp-we]

Disappointing but sod it. Reading FC are back!

[sandman]

Bloody annoying esp after the Luton equaliser

Really should have been 2 up.

Nevermind, played ok overall. Some good signs but gave them too much possession second half

I thought we really tailed off in the final twenty minutes. Stoke were poor and have got a point out of nothing.
Oh joy. Nothing changes post lockdown.

Nothing change. The the dire refs of the Championship are still against us.

[Snowflake Royal]

I'm sorry that's incorrect, but you do get this lovely watch and a year's supply of Turtle Wax.

And again in English?

You are incorrect the referee cost us two points by bottling two penalty decisions.

This is just plain nonsense.

[windermereROYAL]

And again in English?

You are incorrect the referee cost us two points by bottling two penalty decisions.

This is just plain nonsense.

The Joao call never a pen, the Morrison was a seen em given. but the ref was poor throughout.

[Snowflake Royal]

Bloody annoying esp after the Luton equaliser

Really should have been 2 up.

Nevermind, played ok overall. Some good signs but gave them too much possession second half

I thought we really tailed off in the final twenty minutes. Stoke were poor and have got a point out of nothing.
Oh joy. Nothing changes post lockdown.

Tailed off after seven minutes as soon as we scored because that’s the only thing Bowen knows how to do. That aspect hasn’t changed since the lockdown, his mindset is just too negative

Unnecessarily harsh view.

Swift hit the post, Joao almost burst through, Olise snapshot, Olise cross Joao couldn't quite reach, McCleary throughball a little too much for Obita, couple of great breaks not quite come off. Couple of crosses from Gunter. Swift being taken out on the windup.

There were periods we lost our rhythm, but not remotely a case of settling for 1 and shutting up shop early on

Plus losing your first choice striker early is always going to upset your plans and play.

[Snowflake Royal]

You are incorrect the referee cost us two points by bottling two penalty decisions.

This is just plain nonsense.

The Joao call never a pen, the Morrison was a seen em given. but the ref was poor throughout.

Yeah, he certainly wasn't great, mostly it was niggly minor stuff he got wrong, rather than crucial moments.

But not taking our chances and shit defending at the end cost us. Not the ref.

[Hound]

Though my McCleary did well.

Just one of those things really - dreadful defending at a corner and that’s what happens. Probably should have scored a second - had some decent chances and situations but still lack a bit of quality up top

1-0 would have been a good result

Annoying but some good signs. Young starting midfield and we looked good with João particularly. Moore and Morro good (excepting that last corner). Full backs and wingers a bit up and down

[SCIAG]

Olise, Moore, Joao and Meite all excellent.

Just needed a little more from one or two extra players.

Surprised how well the soft midfield did. Leaning more and more towards Rino, Swift & Olise being the right mix.

They did a good job at covering so there always seemed to be one sitting in front of the defence (although hard to tell on iFollow). But Swift has constantly been improving defensively while he’s been here and Ejaria doesn’t shirk a tackle.

[Snowflake Royal]

Olise, Moore, Joao and Meite all excellent.

Just needed a little more from one or two extra players.

Surprised how well the soft midfield did. Leaning more and more towards Rino, Swift & Olise being the right mix.

They did a good job at covering so there always seemed to be one sitting in front of the defence (although hard to tell on iFollow). But Swift has constantly been improving defensively while he’s been here and Ejaria doesn’t shirk a tackle.

Yep. Big critic of Swift in the past but he's upped his game a lot, and in particular his defensive game is vastly improved.

[strap]

Our last shot on target was in the 27th minute. Take the lead then sit back to wait for the inevitable equaliser - often in the final stages of the match. It's the Reading way.

[Snowflake Royal]

Our last shot on target was in the 27th minute. Take the lead then sit back to wait for the inevitable equaliser - often in the final stages of the match. It's the Reading way.

We had three shots in the second half, one hit the bar, vs 4 in the first.

You can't just ignore shots because they're off target to evidence we weren't attacking.