FiNeRaIn I've had time to digest things after my initial anger, this being the second game since i've been visiting from the states after Burton. I don't mind losing, the very first season I became a Reading fan was the year we went down to Division 2 with Carl Asaba up front, we were crap that season and we were crap for many years after. The problem I have is the manner of the defeats. Few observations.
* As callers said on the radio why are you passing it around at the back when you are 2-0 down with 5 minutes to go? The players are either loyal to Stam ( despite BBCRB callers suggestions) or they are taking the mickey out of him, I think its probably the former so I am not convinced he's lost the dressing room. That's at least a positive, although it doesn't count for much with the way we are playing.
* It is evident we do not have the quality of players for this style. You need movement, vision and ability to execute passes. We don't have any of these attributes. Too many times I am seeing us play the ball out to Aluko or Barrow and they are waiting for the ball to roll to them and by the time it reaches them they've been closed down. It should be early and into space to give them half a yard and stretch the opposition. We only managed this a couple of times and after seeing Burton as well as many other games over the last season I am convinced it simply reached them because of the extra zip from the rain on the turf. Most of the time the opposition gets to the player the pass is intended for before the ball does. I watched Wolves shred Bristol City the other day with quality angled passing and through balls we can only dream of here. Sure they have spent 12/15 million on those players but that seems to be the style Stam is aiming for and we just do not have close to the quality to play it. There is no urgency and know-how with movement and no one that is pulling the opposition out of position creating gaps. It is painful to watch other teams simply organize themselves and effectively say "we will soak up the nothing passing and when they get frustrated we'll press and take possession", that's literally all teams need to do.
* On the rare times we do get the wingers into space, Kermogant and the rest of the team are five yards behind play when the ball comes into the box. I don't think he even won a header last night. He's a model professional and along with McShane I have massive respect for them both, but it looks to me their legs have gone and its a question of when they will be phased out. Kermie is usually good at what he does but last night against a physical defence that knew what was coming he was vastly out of his depth. He did well for the shot that went wide but that was about all I can remember.
* Clement/Swift. Too lightweight. Lots of technical ability between them but in the championship you need to be present throughout the game and you need to be decisive and control the tempo, neither did that.
* Defense. Utter shambles, again. We have a knack of giving teams goals out of nowhere and that's the most worrying thing about this team. Both Burton and City's first goals came from absolutely no pressure by the opposition, routine set piece and a throw we failed to clear and twice their players have been first to the ball lashing in. It doesn't matter how we play or how the tempo of the game is, we are easy to score against and we are good to concede at least two a game bar the odd Barnsley game. We have some talented players back there so there is absolutely no excuse why its so consistently awful.
* Stam. No plan B, consistently trying to implement a failing style despite the changing game environments. He's started snapping at the fans and the media now also which is very reminiscent of Rodgers last days at the club. You can't just continue to play the same style when its evident you do not have the players to play it.
Overall last season was last season, the variables are different and despite what people may think we are in a relegation scrap after spending 18 million on new players. Stam does not take all the responsibility for this. All summer most of the fan base were excited to sign a striker to push on, It was a case of when rather than if. When we complained it was getting too close to the deadline some criticised us raising concerns " you are all idiots, its coming, believe in the club, same crap from you guys every season, you aren't real fans bla bla bla". What happened? We signed an outcast from Wolves who has a track record of not being able to hit a barn door. We dumped our money in wingers and completely ignored the most glaringly obvious weakness with our team. We waited right before the window shut and complained the prices were too high, almost as if the recruitment team haven't been following football for the past decade. Utterly farcical and you reap what you sow.
Sign a striker. If Stam goes then at least we will have some firepower for whoever comes in. Goals win you games and we simply do not have any threat up front. It's not just the lack of goals the non existent movement up front will also be changed. We are not too good to go down, we've been made to look awful by three relegation rivals in a row.
Worrying times but its still my club.
A great post. I think that Stam could still take us down in to league 1 due to his tactical inflexibility but I would hope that the players have sufficient pride to at least make a go at staying up. I find it really frustrating seeing the team struggle so much at the moment. The apparent negativity in performances being shown is really destructive and needs to change. Let's hope that giving Stevenage a good thumping restores some self belief before it's too late......
For the last several interviews he has repeatedly stated that the players need to make their own decisions on the pitch and that too often they have made the wrong ones e.g. 'passing back to Vito rather than hitting it forwards'. For someone who supposedly insists on telling players what to do, he also spends very little time, compared to other managers, shouting and gesturing from the touchline. The most animated he became last night was when he was urging the players to get themselves and the ball forwards. He even stated after the game last night that he was frustrated because Liam Moore had pushed up front and they weren't getting the ball up to him.