BFTG Birmingham

[Nameless]

Used to think Coppell had the subs right. Give your wingers an hour, then take them off and put two fresh ones on.

[Ian Herring]

Very solid looking last night against a very capable and busy looking Birmingham City side.

Absorbing game for me. And much to like, especially in comparison to the Ipswich game.

Williams is frustrating in the extreme. If he's going to be persisted with then surely some coaching would assist his game. He's got pace and when going forward in previous times he has shown occasional flashes of being able to make something happen as the team attacks.

I liked the passing being further forward - and this is where Stam's possession game seemed to come into its own. Perfect against a team like Brum who were doing what away sides generally do, steal and break.

As someone else said here, we tackled as soon as they attempted this and nipped it in the bud.

The body language of the team is far improved to its almost non-existent, feeble form of last season. Looks like the players are enjoying Stam's ideas and playing style. So am I!

For the knee-jerkers who want instant success (too prevalent in today's shrieking kind of 'fan') sit back and try to enjoy this as it unfolds. It reminds me somewhat of Mark McGhee's early days at Elm Park when he moved us from bottom two division hoofers and hackers to a smoother style of football played mainly on the ground. This side appears to have a footling sense of the same, albeit in its infancy.

As for Swift, I hope his influence grows and he becomes and established starter in midfield. He looks like the playmaker we have been looking for for more than a few seasons - probably not seen since Sidwell left - and he reminds very much of Kevin Dillon - both in stature and style of football.

A lot to be pleased about from last night's match.

[winchester_royal]

That post pretty much sums up everything I wanted to write, but in a far more readable and eloquent form.

Well said, Ian.

[Maneki Neko]

[McCleary]made some mistakes,(agree on the floaty nonsense) but pretty much won every one of our twelve corners, and delivered most of our crosses. and along with beerens was our only attacking threat.

It's not limited to the floaty nonsense. It was also not seeing Gunter's runs when better placed to cross, over hitting straight-forward crosses for a goal kick, failing to clear the first man on crosses, carelessly losing the ball when played into his feet and relinquishing possession equally carelessly. And I'd like to see how many of the corners he did win was due to failed crosses being cleared.....not a total positive that.

fair point, though many times when there's only one man in the box, they actually play for the corner on purpose.


the refusal to pass to gunter/obita when they were in acres, but instead going back inside was irritating, but was the same from everyone on the pitch, imo

[Victor Meldrew]

You've got to hand it to Stam so far.

10th in the table after his first 7 games in charge. Looks to have a established a solid foundation on which to build on for the rest of the season.

Kes,
What has happened to you?
You forgot to point out that despite playing against a top 6 side the attendance was the second lowest in the whole division and all those empty seats etc., etc.

[Ian Royal]

Just caught the extended highlights. Looked like some very promising stuff that wasn't quite there to come off. Some shoddy defending too that thankfully we weren't punished for.

Interesting to see Evans looking like he was playing as a CB in a 3-4-3 / 3-6-1 as people had noted.

Looked like progress was being made.

[Haag Royal]

Just caught the extended highlights. Looked like some very promising stuff that wasn't quite there to come off. Some shoddy defending too that thankfully we weren't punished for.

Interesting to see Evans looking like he was playing as a CB in a 3-4-3 / 3-6-1 as people had noted.

Looked like progress was being made.

Am I right in thinking you were one of the McD clan who asked for a season ticket refund? Did you ever get it?

[tmesis]

Some nice play, but the big concern for me this season is the amount of balls we play into the box that don't pick out a Reading player.

I saw a stat which says we average more crosses than any other team in this division*, yet the number that result in possession, let alone a chance, is minimal.

Some of that will be due to playing one up front, but the rest of the team don't seem to have much of a goalscoring instinct between them. The very rarely get into a position to attack an incoming ball, nor move into a position to receive one. The net result is nearly every ball into the box either being cleared by the first man, or overshooting as there's nobody there.


*and, funnily enough, play more long balls, although that's no doubt down to us passing the ball more than the other teams.

[Westwood52]

First half was incredibly tedious; punctuated by a couple of chances for Brum-their finishing was so inept however ; that I felt they just couldn't score. We dominated the 2nd half-in particular a twenty minute period when by force of will , the boys drove them back to their 6 yard line-unfortunately however we never looked like scoring, and hardly created a chance. There is however potential there..

Al Habsi 6: Bit scatty & a couple of drops

Gunts 7: Usual Gunts, loads of effort , but please no more lobbed crosses.
Obita 8: Back to his best.
McShane 6: Caught out a couple of times, and once again a bit rustic.
Moore 7: Generally OK.
Evans 8: That's his best position;but he's under so little pressure there.
Quinny 7: Put in his usual shift-the most positive of our midfield players.
Williams 5: Not his night-our worst player-kept on losing/giving the ball away.
Macca 6: Had his moments, but a bit subdued.
Kermit 8: Best I have seen him play; excellent lay offs.
Beerens 7: Had his moments; but not as effective as I had hoped.

Harriot: Lots of effort.
Swift: Not as effective coming on as Friday night.
Mendes:Nothing to say really.

Oh and for once-apart from one poor decision;had a pretty good game-that's our one decent Ref for the season gone!

[Ian Royal]

Just caught the extended highlights. Looked like some very promising stuff that wasn't quite there to come off. Some shoddy defending too that thankfully we weren't punished for.

Interesting to see Evans looking like he was playing as a CB in a 3-4-3 / 3-6-1 as people had noted.

Looked like progress was being made.

Am I right in thinking you were one of the McD clan who asked for a season ticket refund? Did you ever get it?

Yes. Although I don't think many would describe me as in a McD clan.

[Bob1871]

I don't mind the system and think we are playing with more shape and what appears to be a game plan, which is much more than can be said for the last few seasons.

I've read some comments above about Williams and can't help but agree. I feel that he's the player in our midfield that our system doesn't work with, simply as his head is never up when he gets the ball so he has no idea where our players are anywhere in the opposition half and just constantly runs into trouble and gives position away needlessly.

Kermogrant is our other problem and I fully appreciate Jaap was trying to get another CF in. Comments above about crosses not hitting Reading players and I can see two reasons why. Kermogrants distinct lack of movement in the box and lack of effort to gamble. Jordan Obita put a great cross in during the first half and Kermogrant made no effort to make up the 5 yards to get on the end of it and instead berated Obita for the placement of the cross. (I remember Glenn Murray scoring a header for us from an almost identical cross and player placement). Secondly Kermogrants General pace, movement and touch. At times he pulls off the back four to make space and then play the ball out wide, good work for the team but the only issue is that he has the turning circle of a bus and the pace of Keith Scott, so when the ball comes in he's nowhere near the position he needs to be in and your then relying one of the wingers to get on to it.

With the distinct lack of a fit striker to put in his place and I haven't seen much of Mendes, I'd put McCleary through the middle with Beerens and Swift either side, that type of pace and movement in the final third could pay dividends with our system

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

If we had any of those 3 at their best they would have gone to a Prem side in the summer. Or Derby in Jan.

Sadly the days of a 30 goal a season striker has gone, anything over 20 is rare now.

[Top Flight]

Used to think Coppell had the subs right. Give your wingers an hour, then take them off and put two fresh ones on.

I agree.

The Coppell system of attacking football was the best for me. It is Jaap Stams system on steroids. It was still about passing football, but just at a lightning tempo without most of the unnecessary passes. It was all about getting down the flanks and getting balls in to dangerous areas and piling bodies into the box to take advantage. We did it so quickly that often we had equal number of bodies or even more bodies in the opposition penalty area than the opposition. And we had one less unnecessary midfielder and one more necessary striker so that when balls came in we had people who could finish.

Coppell used the width of the pitch whereas Stam uses the length of it. With Coppell we attacked from the sides and switched the play from one flank to the other if the path was blocked. Under Stam we try to draw the opposition out of their half by keeping the ball longer in our own third.

Coppells system was like Fergusons system at Manchester United. I still think it is the best system for winning sh*t.

[Hendo]

Generally please with Tuesday night.

Didn't think we looked too troubled defensively but neither did we look penetrating up-front. Some of the build up was good and there was that 20 minute period in 2nd half where we were really on top and I thought we might nick one but alas it wasn't to be.

The gap between defence and midfield/attack is too big sometimes, think the CB's need to drive with the ball more, although we did do it on occasion.

Thought Obita and Evans had good games, as did Quinn.

I think we have a great base to build on and the signs are encouraging.

[Maneki Neko]

Used to think Coppell had the subs right. Give your wingers an hour, then take them off and put two fresh ones on.

I agree.

The Coppell system of attacking football was the best for me. It is Jaap Stams system on steroids. It was still about passing football, but just at a lightning tempo without most of the unnecessary passes. It was all about getting down the flanks and getting balls in to dangerous areas and piling bodies into the box to take advantage. We did it so quickly that often we had equal number of bodies or even more bodies in the opposition penalty area than the opposition. And we had one less unnecessary midfielder and one more necessary striker so that when balls came in we had people who could finish.

Coppell used the width of the pitch whereas Stam uses the length of it. With Coppell we attacked from the sides and switched the play from one flank to the other if the path was blocked. Under Stam we try to draw the opposition out of their half by keeping the ball longer in our own third.

Coppells system was like Fergusons system at Manchester United. I still think it is the best system for winning sh*t.

that was a one in a million team though. and even he oxf*rd it up after we went down.

[Ian Herring]

That post pretty much sums up everything I wanted to write, but in a far more readable and eloquent form.

Well said, Ian.

Thanks Winchesters. Very kind of you to say so.

[No Fixed Abode]

You've got to hand it to Stam so far.

10th in the table after his first 7 games in charge. Looks to have a established a solid foundation on which to build on for the rest of the season.

Kes,
What has happened to you?
You forgot to point out that despite playing against a top 6 side the attendance was the second lowest in the whole division and all those empty seats etc., etc.

Well, I have discussed this on another thread. Obviously the best marketing tool to get people through the turnstiles is good results.

But Reading really do have a poor marketing department. Ideal opportunity the other week, in the school holidays to allow kids in for free in that EFL trophy game, but they didn't. Not enough presence around the town to whip up much interest. They seem content with their core set of fans and the odd floating fan - never really trying to establish new supporters.

[Mr Optimist]

That post pretty much sums up everything I wanted to write, but in a far more readable and eloquent form.

Well said, Ian.

Thanks Winchesters. Very kind of you to say so.

And a big "plus 1" from me too. I also agree with regard to the shaping of the team and playing style parallels with McGhee c 1992 season. That 92-93 season, and in particular the second half of it, was the one where I started to dare to dream that our little provincial club could do more than aspire to be Division 3 cloggers for eternity. There was finally a plan. We were grateful for the couple of seasons in the late 80s in what was for us was the glamorous Division 2 playing alongside former, fallen, relative big boys like West Brom, Villa, Leeds, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Manchester City, but in truth we were just treading water waiting to sink back down to our place in the football pecking order.

Swift and George Evans are the Sidwell and Harper of 15 years ago and the players our midfield will be built around for the next few years. Great young ambitious talented footballers that have been let go by the Big Four as surplus to requirements as their development wasn't quick enough for their Big Four instant success needs.

The only slightly churlish comment I would make is that as much as I loved Kevin Dillon as a player, by the time he got to us his legs were going so spent much of the games spraying the ball around with deadly accuracy from inside the centre circle, controlling games like a conductor in front of an orchestra! Sidwell is a good comparison though.

[handbags_harris]

I also agree with regard to the shaping of the team and playing style parallels with McGhee c 1992 season. That 92-93 season, and in particular the second half of it, was the one where I started to dare to dream that our little provincial club could do more than aspire to be Division 3 cloggers for eternity. There was finally a plan.

Funnily enough, this was the exact period of time where my Reading FC interest really started to grab a hold of me. I'd been to matches prior to 92/93 of course, about half a dozen or so, but the 92/93 FA Cup run and the 11 match unbeaten run in Feb/Mar 93 made this impressionable 10 year old really sit up and take notice. Trying not to appear up my own a**e, I view my own experience as a near perfect representation of what can be achieved with new, youthful support when you have the first vestiges of a successful side bearing fruit. I have supported the club and attended matches ever since, regardless of my location in the country (and indeed overseas - I was in Germany for the duration of 93/94 and first half of 94/95).

[Top Flight]

You've got to hand it to Stam so far.

10th in the table after his first 7 games in charge. Looks to have a established a solid foundation on which to build on for the rest of the season.

Kes,
What has happened to you?
You forgot to point out that despite playing against a top 6 side the attendance was the second lowest in the whole division and all those empty seats etc., etc.

Well, I have discussed this on another thread. Obviously the best marketing tool to get people through the turnstiles is good results.

But Reading really do have a poor marketing department. Ideal opportunity the other week, in the school holidays to allow kids in for free in that EFL trophy game, but they didn't. Not enough presence around the town to whip up much interest. They seem content with their core set of fans and the odd floating fan - never really trying to establish new supporters.

Totally agree with you there my friend.