BFTG - Burton

[Stockport Royal]

Pretty sure we beat Brizzle when we were in a shit spell last year, strange reason to be pessimistic mate!

[RoyalBlue]

Pretty sure we beat Brizzle when we were in a shit spell last year, strange reason to be pessimistic mate!

I think that was just before the start of our shyte spell. We played really poorly in that game but Blackman popped up in the 90th minute to score his last goal (IIRC) for us.

Yes, Bristol are a much better team this season but we are streets ahead of where we were back then. Plenty of reason to be optimistic.

[Ian Royal]

So roughly?

..........................Al-Habsi
...........Moore, McShane, Blackett
Gunter..........................................Obita
..................Williams....Evans
.....McCleary..........................Beerens
...........................Samuel

[AthleticoSpizz]

Think that it may've been a bit more dynamic and changeable during different phases of the game.

Not that I really get this fixation with formations

[3points]

So roughly?

..........................Al-Habsi
...........Moore, McShane, Blackett
Gunter..........................................Obita
..................Williams....Evans
.....McCleary..........................Beerens
...........................Samuel

McCleary was further forward. Basically a second striker. Beerens was more central. But it was reasonably fluid

[Ian Royal]

Cheers

[Royal Ginger]

Burton were awful but plus marks to Jaap for setting it up exactly correctly to beat them. He clearly asked them to terrorise the right back and wasn't too worried about the defence as Burton couldn't hit a barn door.

Anyone notice that O'Grady has got fat since we last saw him?

Blackett LOOKS lazy and half arsed, but is fairly effective. Better as a CB than a LB in my opinion.

I'd not be surprised to see Al-Habsi out for the next game. He was hurt at the end and was struggling to carry on for the last 10.

[Royal Ginger]

So roughly?

..........................Al-Habsi
...........Moore, McShane, Blackett
Gunter..........................................Obita
..................Williams....Evans
.....McCleary..........................Beerens
...........................Samuel

McCleary was further forward. Basically a second striker. Beerens was more central. But it was reasonably fluid

Moore was in the middle with McShane on the right.

For the most part either McCleary or Beerens were in the middle if the other was on the wing.

[sandman]

Good result although we need to keep our levels up rather than easing off. Really pleased to see Samuel start and thought he did well, albeit against a poor side in Burton.

Al Habsi - 6

Gunter - Didn't do much. 6
McShane - Solid. 6
Moore - Calm and composed 7
Blackett - Best game in a Reading shirt. Great tackle in the first half. 7
Obita - Seemed to enjoy his role further forward and put in some good crosses, including for the second Goal. 7

Evans - Solid if not spectacular. 6
Williams - Typical Williams display, lots of energy and drove us forward. 6
Beerens - Got an assist and was better than in his last few appearances. 7

McCleary - Pace caused trouble, faded in the second half. 6
Samuel - Should have shot across the keeper early on rather than going for the near post but made up for it with the goal. Held the ball up well and ran the number 6 ragged for large periods. 8 MotM

Meite - Did well including forcing the own goal. 6
Mendes - One good bit of hold up play which was let down by the final ball. 5
Kelly - Few nice touches but not enough time to make a real impact. 5

[Lower West]

Although Burton were woeful defensively. Looked an ok outfit going forward. On another day could have scored a couple.

Finally we seem to have moved forward from the very rigid formation. Far more fluidity. With Samuel upfront today. Had the outlet we've been craving. Yann has done a commendable job so far this season. Now that any threat of relegation seems to have passed. Time for Meite and Mendes to be given opportunities.

Still disappointing is Beerans. At least in the positions he has been played.

I'd be looking to strengthen midfield at the moment. As that appears to be the weakest area on the pitch.

[Royal Ginger]

Eh? Midfield!? Really? Swift, Van Den Berg, Evans, Williams, Quinn and Kelly? I'm really not sure what more we could ask for.

[Lower West]

Eh? Midfield!? Really? Swift, Van Den Berg, Evans, Williams, Quinn and Kelly? I'm really not sure what more we could ask for.

How many of the players you named (currently) have the ability to impose themselves and dictate a game?

As yet we don't any sign of a partnership of the Harper/Sidwell ilk.

[NewCorkSeth]

Eh? Midfield!? Really? Swift, Van Den Berg, Evans, Williams, Quinn and Kelly? I'm really not sure what more we could ask for.

How many of the players you named (currently) have the ability to impose themselves and dictate a game?

As yet we don't any sign of a partnership of the Harper/Sidwell ilk.

Well VDB def imposes himself and Swift can dictate a game. Add to that the experience of Quinn, the potential in Evans and the effort of Williams and I reckon were set.

[Jagermesiter1871]

Some on here are talking as if Bristol City are the West Country Real Madrid. Last time I checked they were mid table 8 point's off relegation.

[royalp-we]

Most of our goals have been scored by midfielders?

I'm happy with the performances of all the midfield, also the style we now play has never been seen to this extent at the club before. It's therefore tough to compare. The team are dictating the games; as the stats show.

[Royal Ginger]

Eh? Midfield!? Really? Swift, Van Den Berg, Evans, Williams, Quinn and Kelly? I'm really not sure what more we could ask for.

How many of the players you named (currently) have the ability to impose themselves and dictate a game?

As yet we don't any sign of a partnership of the Harper/Sidwell ilk.

Perhaps i have it all wrong, but i'm personally totally baffled by this. I was of the opinion that our central midfield could go toe to toe with all but the best 2 or 3 midfields in the division. Harper/Sidwell was very special, no arguments there, but to hold that up as a required standard is a bit much. The guys we have are doing a sterling job. With everyone fit one or two of them don't even make the bench, i think what we have is very decent with excellent depth.

[Hampshire Royal]

Forest all over again. Bossed by a poor team for most of the game but again managed to get two goals in front. Gifted a third via an own goal at the end. Once again they had more shots and shots on target than we did and the three at the back looked shaky all game. In fact the starting formation was bizarre to say the least, 3-4-1-2 with Beerens totally lost in his number 10 role. No surprise when he was subbed, I actually felt sorry for him.

Without Swift to pull the strings we're pretty impotent going forward with very little creativity in the midfield. The GMAC is immense though. Frightens the living Oxford out of defenses with his pace and trickery. Why he isn't in the Premier league I'll never know. But for me it was AAH collecting the POTM for October that was the most telling. Excellent again today and when he was beaten Williams headed off the line.

People will of course have their blinkers on because it was a "comfortable" 3-0 win and we're (somehow) third in the league. I'd get a screenshot now if I were you guys because next week when Brizzle and their 3,000 fans roll into town I feel a big reality check coming our way

Do you sit behind me? That bloke was (all the time when we kept possession and switched wings, sometimes passing back to AAH) saying 'Oh here we go again!!'. We did enough to beat an admittedly bad team 3-0. In the second half,he kept up his irrational tirade against the way we play, so I turned round to (politely) say 'We're 3-0 up and third in the league, how much better do you want us to be?'.

I know that everyone who goes to games is entitled to whatever opinion they have, but we are still a work-in-progress and are clearly improving every game and I am really disappointed that there are some people who just can't see what's happening at RFC. We are trying to play like Barca and Arsenal etc, unfortunately we just don't have their level of players. We played today without three influential players and still won 3-0. We've won the last 4 games without conceding a goal - when was the last time we did that.

Of course, it's not all perfect. My biggest criticism is the way we seem to play a zonal type of game, with players sticking rigidly to their positions, when it might be better to break from a position to help out a team-mate. Having said that, watch Moore - he just always seems to be in a good position which,in my opinion, helps to make him among the top Centre backs in the league.

And, yes, the ref was shite!!

[Lower West]

Eh? Midfield!? Really? Swift, Van Den Berg, Evans, Williams, Quinn and Kelly? I'm really not sure what more we could ask for.

How many of the players you named (currently) have the ability to impose themselves and dictate a game?

As yet we don't any sign of a partnership of the Harper/Sidwell ilk.

Well VDB def imposes himself and Swift can dictate a game. Add to that the experience of Quinn, the potential in Evans and the effort of Williams and I reckon were set.

We've had a run of 4 games against teams in the lower echelons of the league. May not have conceded a goal in these games but we've certainly rode our luck at times. Not the time to get carried away.

[Muskrat]

No there wasn't anybody at all in about 6 rows in front of me. I just feel that atm ppl are getting far too carried away with our laboured wins over poor teams. The old mantra that you can't properly judge the division until Christmas holds true imo so let's see where we are come 31st December shall we?

[Woodcote Royal]

4 wins on the bounce without conceding ............................."Laboured"

Jesus wept, as a club we have more than our fair share of utter twats............................nothing to see here as usual these days, sadly