MATCHWATCH : Millwall (a) sponsored by Ricky Newman

[Bristol Paul]

I understand why people are sceptical of Aluko but oxf*rd hell, have people already forgotten that he scored a goal against Bournemouth? Put in a really good defensive shift in the first half too.

Seems like a bit of a double standard that Aluko is being blamed for the first goal because he got a bit too narrow while Richards is seemingly being reprieved even though he lost his man. Or Ejaria being praised his his good defensive work even though he didn’t win the ball a single time. Sure, Bournemouth were mostly attacking down our right, so Aluko has more opportunities to win the ball, but the winner came from down our left.

God, can’t believe I’m defending Aluko.

Agree with you. Those ruling him out as “toss” are ignoring this seasons performances where he’s actually been decent and just basing it on previous years, when he actually has been “toss”

[royalp-we]

I think VP may see Holmes primarily as a right back, get the impression he’s being coached that way. I too would bring Holmes back in, not only because he’s more of a defensive minded player, but he also will give a bit of height to the team. I’d also restore Meite and Olise to the starting XI, so...

Rafael
Holmes
Richards
Morrison
Moore
Rinomhota
Laurent
Meite
Joao
Ejaria
Olise

Subs

Southwood, Tetek, Aluko, Baldock, Gibson, Esteves, Semedo, Bristow, Puscas (if fit)

Agree with all of that. Rafael has to start, he’s our best GK and our fans have awfully short memories. Millwall away isn’t a game to try an untested GK. If they’re all fit then Olise, Ejaria, Meite & João should all start and are our best chance of carving out chances in what’s going to be a really tough night at the den. I’m slightly optimistic, hoping we can recapture our form and get another midweek performance like we had up at Ewood Park

[Old Man Andrews]

More Rafael errors inbound, another defeat. We aren't getting anything at Millwall.

[Bristol Paul]

More Rafael errors inbound, another defeat. We aren't getting anything at Millwall.

You must be so much fun to be around...

[Old Man Andrews]

More Rafael errors inbound, another defeat. We aren't getting anything at Millwall.

You must be so much fun to be around...

They are facts. We have nothing to be positive about and we will lost the game this evening. Your ridiculous and idiotic positivity will get you nowhere.

[paddy20]

I understand why people are sceptical of Aluko but oxf*rd hell, have people already forgotten that he scored a goal against Bournemouth? Put in a really good defensive shift in the first half too.

Seems like a bit of a double standard that Aluko is being blamed for the first goal because he got a bit too narrow while Richards is seemingly being reprieved even though he lost his man. Or Ejaria being praised his his good defensive work even though he didn’t win the ball a single time. Sure, Bournemouth were mostly attacking down our right, so Aluko has more opportunities to win the ball, but the winner came from down our left.

God, can’t believe I’m defending Aluko.

He was shit. The goal was about the only positive contribution he made. And I reckon any of our forwards would have scored that.

Aluko is our best player at moving into space and his positioning for the goal was perfect. Unfortunately he has no physical presence and rarely wins a 50/50 and is too easily knocked off the ball. He's also a terrible defender. Basically he can only play as an attacking forward and that's not enough in todays game.

[Old Man Andrews]

I understand why people are sceptical of Aluko but oxf*rd hell, have people already forgotten that he scored a goal against Bournemouth? Put in a really good defensive shift in the first half too.

Seems like a bit of a double standard that Aluko is being blamed for the first goal because he got a bit too narrow while Richards is seemingly being reprieved even though he lost his man. Or Ejaria being praised his his good defensive work even though he didn’t win the ball a single time. Sure, Bournemouth were mostly attacking down our right, so Aluko has more opportunities to win the ball, but the winner came from down our left.

God, can’t believe I’m defending Aluko.

He was shit. The goal was about the only positive contribution he made. And I reckon any of our forwards would have scored that.

Aluko is our best player at moving into space

Team board never fails to provide laughs.

[Millsy]

I understand why people are sceptical of Aluko but oxf*rd hell, have people already forgotten that he scored a goal against Bournemouth? Put in a really good defensive shift in the first half too.

Seems like a bit of a double standard that Aluko is being blamed for the first goal because he got a bit too narrow while Richards is seemingly being reprieved even though he lost his man. Or Ejaria being praised his his good defensive work even though he didn’t win the ball a single time. Sure, Bournemouth were mostly attacking down our right, so Aluko has more opportunities to win the ball, but the winner came from down our left.

God, can’t believe I’m defending Aluko.

Agree with you. Those ruling him out as “toss” are ignoring this seasons performances where he’s actually been decent and just basing it on previous years, when he actually has been “toss”

Agreed. Aluko is as good as any of the rest of the team atm.

I no longer consider him useless, he's proven himself as a reasonable player at least.

[Hound]

I understand why people are sceptical of Aluko but oxf*rd hell, have people already forgotten that he scored a goal against Bournemouth? Put in a really good defensive shift in the first half too.

Seems like a bit of a double standard that Aluko is being blamed for the first goal because he got a bit too narrow while Richards is seemingly being reprieved even though he lost his man. Or Ejaria being praised his his good defensive work even though he didn’t win the ball a single time. Sure, Bournemouth were mostly attacking down our right, so Aluko has more opportunities to win the ball, but the winner came from down our left.

God, can’t believe I’m defending Aluko.

Agree with you. Those ruling him out as “toss” are ignoring this seasons performances where he’s actually been decent and just basing it on previous years, when he actually has been “toss”

Agreed. Aluko is as good as any of the rest of the team atm.

I no longer consider him useless, he's proven himself as a reasonable player at least.

I think he's been pretty poor in the last couple. But thats not writing him off. I think we all know he isn't brilliant on the wing - if there is a gap at ACM I'm ok with him there and Meite, Ejaria or Olise further out wide.

[URZZZZ]

More Rafael errors inbound, another defeat. We aren't getting anything at Millwall.

Whilst we’re on bad form, Millwall have as many wins in the last four as we do

They’ve also only won 1 home game all season (out of 6). No way we should be written off so easily

[Old Man Andrews]

More Rafael errors inbound, another defeat. We aren't getting anything at Millwall.

Whilst we’re on bad form, Millwall have as many wins in the last four as we do

They’ve also only won 1 home game all season (out of 6). No way we should be written off so easily

Just got a bad feeling about this one, I sense a bad evening full of misery and pain. Like going to a Radiohead gig with Ian.

[URZZZZ]

More Rafael errors inbound, another defeat. We aren't getting anything at Millwall.

Whilst we’re on bad form, Millwall have as many wins in the last four as we do

They’ve also only won 1 home game all season (out of 6). No way we should be written off so easily

Like going to a Radiohead gig with Ian.

What’s so bad about that

[Stranded]

More Rafael errors inbound, another defeat. We aren't getting anything at Millwall.

You must be so much fun to be around...

They are facts. We have nothing to be positive about and we will lost the game this evening. Your ridiculous and idiotic positivity will get you nowhere.

Impossible for those to be facts as you know, they are predictions which may come true.

Football is strange as we all know, am not expecting much tonight but it really wouldn't surprise me to either see us win 1-0 with Rafael making a couple of key saves (as he was doing regularly just a few weeks ago) or us getting done by 3 again with Rafael throwing in the 3rd.

Crazy thing about this run, is when it stops, and it will stop - is we could still well be in a play-off place.

[Hound]

More Rafael errors inbound, another defeat. We aren't getting anything at Millwall.

Whilst we’re on bad form, Millwall have as many wins in the last four as we do

They’ve also only won 1 home game all season (out of 6). No way we should be written off so easily

I don't think this is the Millwall we are used to tbh. No fans makes a huge difference for them, they've a lot of injuries and are struggling to create any chances. You'd also back our team to deal with their height - Laurent, Holmes, Morro, Moore, Joao, Meite all big lads who are decent in the air. They've been rubbish at home since lockdown 1, but have been playing pretty well away.

I'll be pretty disappointed to lose this one tbh

[Stranded]

Hadn't seen their form - 1 win in 6 - at Preston.

Which includes games against the teams in 1st, 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th and 23rd.

In comparison our 4 defeats are against sides who are 2nd, 7th, 15th and 21st.

Very winnable but gut says as we have a chance to re-open a gap to 7th tonight, we won't. Would be very Reading to have a change to minimse the damage of the 4 defeats but simply add a 5th to it.

[URZZZZ]

More Rafael errors inbound, another defeat. We aren't getting anything at Millwall.

Whilst we’re on bad form, Millwall have as many wins in the last four as we do

They’ve also only won 1 home game all season (out of 6). No way we should be written off so easily

I don't think this is the Millwall we are used to tbh. No fans makes a huge difference for them, they've a lot of injuries and are struggling to create any chances. You'd also back our team to deal with their height - Laurent, Holmes, Morro, Moore, Joao, Meite all big lads who are decent in the air. They've been rubbish at home since lockdown 1, but have been playing pretty well away.

I'll be pretty disappointed to lose this one tbh

Yeah, it’s all about limiting their strengths (I.e dealing with that massive lump Smith). He hasn’t seemed to play too much this season which surprises me, always think he’s a handful, but in saying that he scored on the weekend so likely to start again tonight

We were awful last year at Millwall under Bowen, allowed cross after cross to come in. Our fullbacks were Gunter and Blackett that day I guess, in which standing too far off their winger was one of their main weaknesses

[URZZZZ]

Hadn't seen their form - 1 win in 6 - at Preston.

Which includes games against the teams in 1st, 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th and 23rd.

In comparison our 4 defeats are against sides who are 2nd, 7th, 15th and 21st.

Very winnable but gut says as we have a chance to re-open a gap to 7th tonight, we won't. Would be very Reading to have a change to minimse the damage of the 4 defeats but simply add a 5th to it.

Would take 3/4 (even 2 draws isn’t bad) points from the next two which leads us onto an easier set of fixtures (Wednesday, Forest, Birmingham, QPR)

If we get a decent tally out the next 6, the next few fixtures after that will make or break our season IMO (Norwich, Swansea and Brentford)

[Hound]

Whilst we’re on bad form, Millwall have as many wins in the last four as we do

They’ve also only won 1 home game all season (out of 6). No way we should be written off so easily

I don't think this is the Millwall we are used to tbh. No fans makes a huge difference for them, they've a lot of injuries and are struggling to create any chances. You'd also back our team to deal with their height - Laurent, Holmes, Morro, Moore, Joao, Meite all big lads who are decent in the air. They've been rubbish at home since lockdown 1, but have been playing pretty well away.

I'll be pretty disappointed to lose this one tbh

Yeah, it’s all about limiting their strengths (I.e dealing with that massive lump Smith). He hasn’t seemed to play too much this season which surprises me, always think he’s a handful, but in saying that he scored on the weekend so likely to start again tonight

We were awful last year at Millwall under Bowen, allowed cross after cross to come in. Our fullbacks were Gunter and Blackett that day I guess, in which standing too far off their winger was one of their main weaknesses

Jed Wallace is a quality player. All about sticking on him I think. Smith can't move but decent in the air. Parrott has just come back from a long time out and they may chuck him in - be an unknown.

[Sutekh]

Despite the win at Blackburn it should be noted that Reading’s away midweek record is still pretty grim (3 wins now from 37 games since going to Elland Road in April 2014). Rather oddly all three wins that the club has managed have come against teams beginning with B (Blackburn, Birmingham and Burton) so a three point haul for the Biscuitmen tonight could be seen as quite an achievement.

[South Coast Royal]

I understand why people are sceptical of Aluko but oxf*rd hell, have people already forgotten that he scored a goal against Bournemouth? Put in a really good defensive shift in the first half too.

Seems like a bit of a double standard that Aluko is being blamed for the first goal because he got a bit too narrow while Richards is seemingly being reprieved even though he lost his man. Or Ejaria being praised his his good defensive work even though he didn’t win the ball a single time. Sure, Bournemouth were mostly attacking down our right, so Aluko has more opportunities to win the ball, but the winner came from down our left.

God, can’t believe I’m defending Aluko.

He was shit. The goal was about the only positive contribution he made. And I reckon any of our forwards would have scored that.

Aluko is our best player at moving into space and his positioning for the goal was perfect. Unfortunately he has no physical presence and rarely wins a 50/50 and is too easily knocked off the ball. He's also a terrible defender. Basically he can only play as an attacking forward and that's not enough in todays game.

I think that is a fair summary and I agree with your conclusion of "not enough in today's game" which for me means that he should only start a game if we are down to the bare bones through injuries.
I will be most disappointed if he starts tonight.