MATCHWATCH : Stoke City (h) sponsored by Dylan Kerr

[genome]

Stoke, 3 shots on target

xG is trolling us

[Zip]

Is that another game where Rafael didn't make a single save?

I like him as a keeper, but he's made a lot of errors this season.

Even in the good run, he was dropping some alarming flaps at crosses, passes and one save straight at an opposition forward that bounced off him and safe.

His distribution is my biggest concern. It’s awful too often.

[Snowflake Royal]

It's all about the defence. If we don't keep suiciding, our slow plodding play will eventually have a moment of magic where we can score. If we concede we've got not up tempo aggressive alternative and the other team can stop trying to break through and wait for mistakes.

Football is a straightforward game. Play safe in defence, and get creative in attack.

We do the reverse at the moment.

[genome]

Football's funny isn't it, distribute those 3 losses in amongst the first 8 games and no-one bats an eyelid

[NewCorkSeth]

Stoke, 3 shots on target

xG is trolling us

Yeah but watch that prick on The Second Tier posldcast say he was right. The entire reason he was against us was our xG and shot numbers. Now that we have a high xG and high shot numbers while other teams just take their chances against us he's gonna say how amazing his insight is.

[CountryRoyal]

Worst thing about this is the oxf*rd smug oxf*rd out there are going to be saying "See, we told you they'd fade away"

Literally 23 other fan bases in the league

[genome]

Worst thing about this is the oxf*rd smug oxf*rd out there are going to be saying "See, we told you they'd fade away"

Literally 23 other fan bases in the league

Who gives a fcuk?

[alfie9]

Rafael has hardly made a save since Blackburn (the Preston pen was straight at him) and seems extremely uncomfortable with the ball at his feet, not saying it's time yet but when is it time to give Southwood a chance?

[Snowflake Royal]

Rafael has hardly made a save since Blackburn (the Preston pen was straight at him) and seems extremely uncomfortable with the ball at his feet, not saying it's time yet but when is it time to give Southwood a chance?

Lose the next two and you've really got to think about it.

[CountryRoyal]

Football's funny isn't it, distribute those 3 losses in amongst the first 8 games and no-one bats an eyelid

I was thinking this earlier, and would have much preferred that.

Unless your San Marino any team losing 3 games in a row, 2 of which at home, against average opposition is always going to suck.

Especially for a team that was top of the league.

[URZZZZ]

Really wish Puscas or Joao would move off the ball, miles too static today

Baldock came on, ran the channels and made some good runs in behind. The problem is Baldock lacks the quality to make the next step which makes his prior work slightly redundant

[CountryRoyal]

Worst thing about this is the oxf*rd smug oxf*rd out there are going to be saying "See, we told you they'd fade away"

Literally 23 other fan bases in the league

Who gives a fcuk?

Having smug twatth arsebandits wetting themselves at us oxf*rd up is just annoying. Fed up of getting DMs of wheels falling off bikes and bubbles bursting

[genome]

Football's funny isn't it, distribute those 3 losses in amongst the first 8 games and no-one bats an eyelid

I was thinking this earlier, and would have much preferred that.

Unless your San Marino any team losing 3 games in a row, 2 of which at home, against average opposition is always going to suck.

Especially for a team that was top of the league.

Yeah it's the momentum which is the concerning thing. Hopefully the international break and some of Ejaria/Meite/Moore coming back will arrest that.

[URZZZZ]

Olise been excellent

He’s a talent but his end product is poor, needs to be worked on

Think he’s playing a bit too much for his stage of development, but with the injuries we’re getting, we have no real choice. Expect to see him rotated a bit more once we get numbers back

[Simmops]

Literally 23 other fan bases in the league

Who gives a fcuk?

Having smug twatth arsebandits wetting themselves at us oxf*rd up is just annoying. Fed up of getting DMs of wheels falling off bikes and bubbles bursting

Whose sent you abusive messages? You should report them.

[Simmops]

Paunovic out!!!

Rafael out!!!!

[genome]

please stop posting

[Sutekh]

Issue is that there are around 14 top players in Reading’s squad after that it’s youthful inexperience that may (or may not) be good enough. A run of concurrent injuries and/or suspensions and the club starts struggling for results.

Have to hope the club can hang around the top 6 until January and then hope some deals can be done to add depth to the squad as presumably there are no current free agents that the club wants (unless things get truly desperate).

[Snowflake Royal]

Football's funny isn't it, distribute those 3 losses in amongst the first 8 games and no-one bats an eyelid

I was thinking this earlier, and would have much preferred that.

Unless your San Marino any team losing 3 games in a row, 2 of which at home, against average opposition is always going to suck.

Especially for a team that was top of the league.

The losses aren't of any concern to me, it's what they mean for the rest of the season. And three in a row in that manner has really bad connotations, whilst three scattered throughout the games so far would be of no concern at all.

[Hound]

Don’t think it’s a great surprise our form has gone to shit since losing Meite, Ejaria and Moore tbh

3 players who were pretty significant in our early season form