MATCHWATCH : Shrewsbury Town (h)

[RoyalBlue]

Some right melts overreacting to today. It was a bad result and bad performance, it happens even to the best team in this league. This squad must be out on its feet after such a packed schedule in February. Respond with 4 or 6 points from Carlisle and Wycombe and all is fine.

Agreed, On a level playing field that would be fine. Unfortunately, we're still not sure whether the EFL have another Ace hidden up their sleeve ready to produce at the latest possible point in the season (end of March?). Given that, we really have to build up a healthy reserve of points as an insurance.

Therefore, whatever the reasons (fatigue may well be a valid one or maybe just plain out of luck) yesterday was a valuable three points lost.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Some right melts overreacting to today. It was a bad result and bad performance, it happens even to the best team in this league. This squad must be out on its feet after such a packed schedule in February. Respond with 4 or 6 points from Carlisle and Wycombe and all is fine.

Agreed, On a level playing field that would be fine. Unfortunately, we're still not sure whether the EFL have another Ace hidden up their sleeve ready to produce at the latest possible point in the season (end of March?). Given that, we really have to build up a healthy reserve of points as an insurance.

Therefore, whatever the reasons (fatigue may well be a valid one or maybe just plain out of luck) yesterday was a valuable three points lost.

The HMRC thing seems to be taking ages to sort, been at the Independent Commission since November and it is a worry until we hear. Selles also said something the other week that he was factoring it in. I'm hoping the fact that no EFL side has been docked points straight up for late payment of PAYE will mean we'll get a suspended deduction at worst.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Some right melts overreacting to today. It was a bad result and bad performance, it happens even to the best team in this league. This squad must be out on its feet after such a packed schedule in February. Respond with 4 or 6 points from Carlisle and Wycombe and all is fine.

Agreed, On a level playing field that would be fine. Unfortunately, we're still not sure whether the EFL have another Ace hidden up their sleeve ready to produce at the latest possible point in the season (end of March?). Given that, we really have to build up a healthy reserve of points as an insurance.

Therefore, whatever the reasons (fatigue may well be a valid one or maybe just plain out of luck) yesterday was a valuable three points lost.

I get it, but there will be chances to recover. We have beaten Derby and Stevenage recently, so while we dropped points in a game we should have won, I expect a few more points out of games which are tougher on paper, plus we still have plenty of winnable fixtures.

[leon]

yes agree…it’s easy to judge and wax lyrical from the usual ‘Royals TV’ and BBC Berks coverage

Guess you had to actually be there

Yeah I was. And luck doesn't come into it. To say we were robbed is a joke. Playing the ball around at the back isn't dominating. We had about 2 shots on target second half. Shrewsbury were completely comfortable 2nd half. Completely.

There's a difference between passing at the back and overplaying at the back between centre backs and keeper. This was not a Jaap Stam situation. Even when we had the ball at the back we were looking to create angles and play vertically.

They certainly weren't comfortable and we were threatening every time we went forward. Shrewsbury were just lucky that our final ball wasn't there.

We could still be playing now and we’d not have scored and probably only had got a couple more shots off. We looked one dimensional and blunt. I don’t like the way we play but I get that results have been good and everyone has a different perspective.

[St Pauli]

Yeah I was. And luck doesn't come into it. To say we were robbed is a joke. Playing the ball around at the back isn't dominating. We had about 2 shots on target second half. Shrewsbury were completely comfortable 2nd half. Completely.

There's a difference between passing at the back and overplaying at the back between centre backs and keeper. This was not a Jaap Stam situation. Even when we had the ball at the back we were looking to create angles and play vertically.

They certainly weren't comfortable and we were threatening every time we went forward. Shrewsbury were just lucky that our final ball wasn't there.

We could still be playing now and we’d not have scored and probably only had got a couple more shots off. We looked one dimensional and blunt. I don’t like the way we play but I get that results have been good and everyone has a different perspective.

Do you travel to Reading for home games on the regs Leon?

Had you down as a Royals TV man, but may have to update my spreadsheet.

[Hound]

Don’t think we ever especially looked like scoring second half but we still had lots of ‘opportunities’’.

Can think of Mola and Kelvin having shots which didn’t miss by much, Azeez should have scored when the keeper made that decent save, Knibbs (rightfully) pulled up for a foul when he scored, savage air kick in the box, Kelv miscontrolling when through, Azeez putting a dreadful ball straight to the keeper when smith unmarked in the middle, Azeez shot deflecting just wide from a long throw….

None absolutely nailed on chances except the save but all half chances. Plus any number of crap crosses from Azeez and Mukairu, plus useless corners from Wing

One of those days when the build up play wasn’t bad but the final ball was appalling

[WestYorksRoyal]

1st half we looked very good going forward and I thought we'd win. But the 3rd goal knocked the stuffing out of us, and our decision making and final ball wasn't there 2nd half.

[bcubed]

1st half we looked very good going forward and I thought we'd win. But the 3rd goal knocked the stuffing out of us, and our decision making and final ball wasn't there 2nd half.

Agreed

I was just hoping we could get to half time without conceding. Had we done so I reckon we'd have nicked it. All the messing around before the corner, for whatever reason (I couldn't see what) didn't help

[Orion1871]

There's a difference between passing at the back and overplaying at the back between centre backs and keeper. This was not a Jaap Stam situation. Even when we had the ball at the back we were looking to create angles and play vertically.

They certainly weren't comfortable and we were threatening every time we went forward. Shrewsbury were just lucky that our final ball wasn't there.

We could still be playing now and we’d not have scored and probably only had got a couple more shots off. We looked one dimensional and blunt. I don’t like the way we play but I get that results have been good and everyone has a different perspective.

Do you travel to Reading for home games on the regs Leon?

Had you down as a Royals TV man, but may have to update my spreadsheet.

He does but sadly it appears they don't allow his guide dog in with him.

[leon]

There's a difference between passing at the back and overplaying at the back between centre backs and keeper. This was not a Jaap Stam situation. Even when we had the ball at the back we were looking to create angles and play vertically.

They certainly weren't comfortable and we were threatening every time we went forward. Shrewsbury were just lucky that our final ball wasn't there.

We could still be playing now and we’d not have scored and probably only had got a couple more shots off. We looked one dimensional and blunt. I don’t like the way we play but I get that results have been good and everyone has a different perspective.

Do you travel to Reading for home games on the regs Leon?

Had you down as a Royals TV man, but may have to update my spreadsheet.

Season ticket holder for about 30 years. Rain or shine. Mostly rain.

[leon]

We could still be playing now and we’d not have scored and probably only had got a couple more shots off. We looked one dimensional and blunt. I don’t like the way we play but I get that results have been good and everyone has a different perspective.

Do you travel to Reading for home games on the regs Leon?

Had you down as a Royals TV man, but may have to update my spreadsheet.

He does but sadly it appears they don't allow his guide dog in with him.

Do you think dogs can talk? That explains a few things.

[St Pauli]

We could still be playing now and we’d not have scored and probably only had got a couple more shots off. We looked one dimensional and blunt. I don’t like the way we play but I get that results have been good and everyone has a different perspective.

Do you travel to Reading for home games on the regs Leon?

Had you down as a Royals TV man, but may have to update my spreadsheet.

Season ticket holder for about 30 years. Rain or shine. Mostly rain.

Fair play.

I struggled to motivate myself even when I lived in Reading since Paul Clement, let alone shlepping in from W London.

How did you get away with that with the Mrs when the kids were ickle?

[Clyde1998]

1st half we looked very good going forward and I thought we'd win. But the 3rd goal knocked the stuffing out of us, and our decision making and final ball wasn't there 2nd half.

That's my view. If we'd gone in at half-time still at 2-2, I think we would've won the game. We didn't really look like we would score in the second half, despite having a decent number of chances. Agree the final ball and decision making just wasn't good enough for us to get a third goal - nor in some situations was our ball control. It just felt like one of those days, rather than anything to be overly concerned about (at this stage anyway).

[leon]

Do you travel to Reading for home games on the regs Leon?

Had you down as a Royals TV man, but may have to update my spreadsheet.

Season ticket holder for about 30 years. Rain or shine. Mostly rain.

Fair play.

I struggled to motivate myself even when I lived in Reading since Paul Clement, let alone shlepping in from W London.

How did you get away with that with the Mrs when the kids were ickle?

I did a lot of childcare during the week some weeks all of it. Jnr leon II come has come with me since he was 6. Jnr I used to for a few years if mrs leon was working.

I know - it’s a form of child abuse.

[Hound]

1st half we looked very good going forward and I thought we'd win. But the 3rd goal knocked the stuffing out of us, and our decision making and final ball wasn't there 2nd half.

Agreed

I was just hoping we could get to half time without conceding. Had we done so I reckon we'd have nicked it. All the messing around before the corner, for whatever reason (I couldn't see what) didn't help

The shrews chap was wasting as much time as possible to run the clock down so it was the last attack of the half. See it done quite a bit. Was pretending he couldn’t get the ball to sit on the line then making a fuss about Mbengue and their forward pushing each other about

Tbh it was borderline booking territory as he was clearly taking the pee. And yeah I think it contributed to the goal as we lost concentration from it

So fair play I suppose, total job done for him. And he let the crowd know afterwards…

[windermereROYAL]

1st half we looked very good going forward and I thought we'd win. But the 3rd goal knocked the stuffing out of us, and our decision making and final ball wasn't there 2nd half.

Agreed

I was just hoping we could get to half time without conceding. Had we done so I reckon we'd have nicked it. All the messing around before the corner, for whatever reason (I couldn't see what) didn't help

The shrews chap was wasting as much time as possible to run the clock down so it was the last attack of the half. See it done quite a bit. Was pretending he couldn’t get the ball to sit on the line then making a fuss about Mbengue and their forward pushing each other about

Tbh it was borderline booking territory as he was clearly taking the pee. And yeah I think it contributed to the goal as we lost concentration from it

So fair play I suppose, total job done for him. And he let the crowd know afterwards…

They did the same in the 2nd half when they had a corner in front of 1871, the bloke placed the ball a good foot outside the quadrant, he certainly got a reaction, obviously taking the piss as well.

[bcubed]

Agreed

I was just hoping we could get to half time without conceding. Had we done so I reckon we'd have nicked it. All the messing around before the corner, for whatever reason (I couldn't see what) didn't help

The shrews chap was wasting as much time as possible to run the clock down so it was the last attack of the half. See it done quite a bit. Was pretending he couldn’t get the ball to sit on the line then making a fuss about Mbengue and their forward pushing each other about

Tbh it was borderline booking territory as he was clearly taking the pee. And yeah I think it contributed to the goal as we lost concentration from it

So fair play I suppose, total job done for him. And he let the crowd know afterwards…

They did the same in the 2nd half when they had a corner in front of 1871, the bloke placed the ball a good foot outside the quadrant, he certainly got a reaction, obviously taking the piss as well.

Have you seen this guy properly winding up the crowd ?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3hjCdJN ... BtMzNleXNl

[Hound]

The shrews chap was wasting as much time as possible to run the clock down so it was the last attack of the half. See it done quite a bit. Was pretending he couldn’t get the ball to sit on the line then making a fuss about Mbengue and their forward pushing each other about

Tbh it was borderline booking territory as he was clearly taking the pee. And yeah I think it contributed to the goal as we lost concentration from it

So fair play I suppose, total job done for him. And he let the crowd know afterwards…

They did the same in the 2nd half when they had a corner in front of 1871, the bloke placed the ball a good foot outside the quadrant, he certainly got a reaction, obviously taking the piss as well.

Have you seen this guy properly winding up the crowd ?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3hjCdJN ... BtMzNleXNl

Haha, good work

[JedMaxwell]

I think we just have to chalk it down to a bad day against opposition who wanted it more than us.

It happens, and the progress shown over the last few months indicates we have more than enough to stay out of the bottom four.

This defeat reminded me of the one at Luton in 05/06 although obviously in a vastly different context. It should act as a kick up the arse, and re-focus us for the last 11 games of the season.

[WestYorksRoyal]

This was the first game in ages I felt very confident. Throughout the improved form, I've remained nervous but Saturday I fully expected a comfortable win. Perhaps the players had a bit of false confidence or complacency too. Old cliche that there are no easy games. Hopefully a kick up the arse as you say.