MATCHWATCH : Barnsley (a)

[Royal_jimmy]

The pressure is on Barnsley in this one. They have to come at us as they need to win. Whereas we just need to avoid defeat.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

On another note entirely, do you still need to provide proof of vaccination status for away games or have had a negative lateral flow test within 48 hours of kick off?

I've checked Barnsley's website who have said that is required for home fans, but also said that away fans should check their own club's website and our site says that this is no longer required. Is that still the case or do you still need to provide proof at each game?

[LUX]

I was at the Coventry home game, no covid/checks requirements, not even masks. I think things have been relaxed further since then (Feb).

[Once upon a time .]

I like the work you have done Hendo , but I’m not proven wrong until the match is over . I’ve not based my opinion on past records , just on what I have witnessed . I think he struggles in games to be up with the pace of play and to be in the right place , I believe he is likely to panic when he again finds a player going away from him in a dangerous area , in a big game like this . Let’s wait and see .

[South Coast Royal]

but whenever Holmes is on the pitch I’m concerned . If he plays he’s a certainty to be booked or red carded . I wouldn’t play him .

Really? I thought I would give it a look.

This season Tom Holmes has played 29 first team games (2127 mins) and has received 4 yellow cards and 0 red cards. For an average of 1 yellow card every 7.25 games or 1 yellow card every 531.75 minutes. So if you averaged that out over the season he would get between 6 and 7 yellow cards, barely enough for even a suspension.

Over the course of his career, he has played 70 first team games (5044 mins) and has received 10 yellow cards and 0 red cards. For an average of 1 yellow card every 7 games or 1 yellow card every 504.4 mins.

So what you're saying is absolutely wrong.

I think you may have misunderstood his posting.

My take on it is that the poster thinks that Tom will get a red or yellow in this highly charged game.
Clearly the player doesn't get booked every game.

BTW agreed with others on the ref, Keith Stroud (typical little man syndrome).
I think he is seen as the EFL ref to go to for potentially difficult games but in keeping with many refs this season he has been less strict (see also Mike Dean) when it comes to giving cards, especially in the first half of games.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I was at the Coventry home game, no covid/checks requirements, not even masks. I think things have been relaxed further since then (Feb).

Thanks for that.

Our website did say that it was no longer required and Barnsley's site did say refer to what is on your club's website although I didn't know if it was any different anywhere else as I don't want people to miss out on coming because of it.

[Hendo]

but whenever Holmes is on the pitch I’m concerned . If he plays he’s a certainty to be booked or red carded . I wouldn’t play him .

Really? I thought I would give it a look.

This season Tom Holmes has played 29 first team games (2127 mins) and has received 4 yellow cards and 0 red cards. For an average of 1 yellow card every 7.25 games or 1 yellow card every 531.75 minutes. So if you averaged that out over the season he would get between 6 and 7 yellow cards, barely enough for even a suspension.

Over the course of his career, he has played 70 first team games (5044 mins) and has received 10 yellow cards and 0 red cards. For an average of 1 yellow card every 7 games or 1 yellow card every 504.4 mins.

So what you're saying is absolutely wrong.

I think you may have misunderstood his posting.

My take on it is that the poster thinks that Tom will get a red or yellow in this highly charged game.
Clearly the player doesn't get booked every game.

The bit in bold I took to be whenever he is on the pitch, no matter the game.

[Hendo]

I like the work you have done Hendo , but I’m not proven wrong until the match is over . I’ve not based my opinion on past records , just on what I have witnessed . I think he struggles in games to be up with the pace of play and to be in the right place , I believe he is likely to panic when he again finds a player going away from him in a dangerous area , in a big game like this . Let’s wait and see .

But the fact that on past records, he doesn't actually get booked that often would surely be at odds with what you have seen?

He also makes less than 1 foul a game on average, which would indicate that he is actually quite good at tackling or being in the right position to clear the ball.

What evidence do you have that he is likely to panic?

[Hound]

So much for fully fit squad

Rino out for the season. Meite out for a month (basically the season)

At least Baba is back

[South Coast Royal]

I like the work you have done Hendo , but I’m not proven wrong until the match is over . I’ve not based my opinion on past records , just on what I have witnessed . I think he struggles in games to be up with the pace of play and to be in the right place , I believe he is likely to panic when he again finds a player going away from him in a dangerous area , in a big game like this . Let’s wait and see .

But the fact that on past records, he doesn't actually get booked that often would surely be at odds with what you have seen?

He also makes less than 1 foul a game on average, which would indicate that he is actually quite good at tackling or being in the right position to clear the ball.

What evidence do you have that he is likely to panic?

There is not sufficient evidence but that doesn't prevent him from having this fear that Tom will lose it.
Similarly Pepe feels the same about Drinkwater and backs him to get booked in every game as he always looks as though he might get booked for his recklessness.

These are nervous times which tend to make fans fear the worst.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

So much for fully fit squad

Rino out for the season. Meite out for a month (basically the season)

At least Baba is back

It could be worse. Hurt by the loss of both but Meite hasn't featured too much this season, we have good depth out wide and Ince seems to be performing well now. Rino is a big loss but hopefully with the improvement on both Laurent and Drinkwater, we should have enough to see us through, but that's the biggest loss really. I think the only players we could ill-afford to lose more would be Swift or Joao really.

[Zip]

So much for fully fit squad

Rino out for the season. Meite out for a month (basically the season)

At least Baba is back

Yep. It doesn’t really end does it. Agreed about Yaks. That’s his season done too. Also very odd Halilovic is still a few weeks away.

So the injuries are
Rinomhota
Halilovic
Meite
Azeez
Tetek
Araruna

[Hendo]

I like the work you have done Hendo , but I’m not proven wrong until the match is over . I’ve not based my opinion on past records , just on what I have witnessed . I think he struggles in games to be up with the pace of play and to be in the right place , I believe he is likely to panic when he again finds a player going away from him in a dangerous area , in a big game like this . Let’s wait and see .

But the fact that on past records, he doesn't actually get booked that often would surely be at odds with what you have seen?

He also makes less than 1 foul a game on average, which would indicate that he is actually quite good at tackling or being in the right position to clear the ball.

What evidence do you have that he is likely to panic?

There is not sufficient evidence but that doesn't prevent him from having this fear that Tom will lose it.
Similarly Pepe feels the same about Drinkwater and backs him to get booked in every game as he always looks as though he might get booked for his recklessness.

Difference with that though, is that Drinkwater has been booked the most times of any Reading player this season (7), loses the ball a lot and has other midfielders just running past him, making almost 1.5 fouls per game.

Those stats would suggest that DD is probably likely to get booked, or at least concede a decent amount of fouls, whereas for Holmes, I just don't see it.

[Hound]

So much for fully fit squad

Rino out for the season. Meite out for a month (basically the season)

At least Baba is back

Yep. It doesn’t really end does it. Agreed about Yaks. That’s his season done too. Also very odd Halilovic is still a few weeks away.

So the injuries are
Rinomhota
Halilovic
Meite
Azeez
Tetek
Araruna

How is Halilovic still injured? Got a slight pull in January and not played a minute since. Poor stuff

[Zip]

So much for fully fit squad

Rino out for the season. Meite out for a month (basically the season)

At least Baba is back

Yep. It doesn’t really end does it. Agreed about Yaks. That’s his season done too. Also very odd Halilovic is still a few weeks away.

So the injuries are
Rinomhota
Halilovic
Meite
Azeez
Tetek
Araruna

How is Halilovic still injured? Got a slight pull in January and not played a minute since. Poor stuff

He said he was fit on his Instagram! All very odd.
In reality Yaks is a disappointing loss but we do have options there. Rino is a big loss though.

[URZZZZ]

But the fact that on past records, he doesn't actually get booked that often would surely be at odds with what you have seen?

He also makes less than 1 foul a game on average, which would indicate that he is actually quite good at tackling or being in the right position to clear the ball.

What evidence do you have that he is likely to panic?

There is not sufficient evidence but that doesn't prevent him from having this fear that Tom will lose it.
Similarly Pepe feels the same about Drinkwater and backs him to get booked in every game as he always looks as though he might get booked for his recklessness.

Difference with that though, is that Drinkwater has been booked the most times of any Reading player this season (7), loses the ball a lot and has other midfielders just running past him, making almost 1.5 fouls per game.

Those stats would suggest that DD is probably likely to get booked, or at least concede a decent amount of fouls, whereas for Holmes, I just don't see it.

Same reasoning as the name “Van Der Red Card” I.e there is none

[URZZZZ]

Yep. It doesn’t really end does it. Agreed about Yaks. That’s his season done too. Also very odd Halilovic is still a few weeks away.

So the injuries are
Rinomhota
Halilovic
Meite
Azeez
Tetek
Araruna

How is Halilovic still injured? Got a slight pull in January and not played a minute since. Poor stuff

He said he was fit on his Instagram! All very odd.
In reality Yaks is a disappointing loss but we do have options there. Rino is a big loss though.

Given that for some reason Ince sees Meite as a striker, I don’t think we do have options there! Doesn’t fancy Clarke so we’re left with Joao

[morganb]

Yep. It doesn’t really end does it. Agreed about Yaks. That’s his season done too. Also very odd Halilovic is still a few weeks away.

So the injuries are
Rinomhota
Halilovic
Meite
Azeez
Tetek
Araruna

How is Halilovic still injured? Got a slight pull in January and not played a minute since. Poor stuff

He said he was fit on his Instagram! All very odd.

Halilovic played a full 90 for the U23s on 14/03 against Burnley U23s (was also on the bench against Blackpool at the end of Feb) - perhaps he had some kind of setback afterwards?

[Franconian Royal]

If I were the Barnsley lot, I'd look at that news (Meite and Rino out) and think they could do a job on us.

BUT, our team is still much better on paper than Barnsley. BMcD said something v important in Chronicle: play the occasion. I hope PINce tells them to go with a winning mentality on Saturday. I reckon if we can rile them up in the early stages, they'll get nervous and their fans will turn on them. C'mon URZZZZZ

[Zip]

How is Halilovic still injured? Got a slight pull in January and not played a minute since. Poor stuff

He said he was fit on his Instagram! All very odd.

Halilovic played a full 90 for the U23s on 14/03 against Burnley U23s (was also on the bench against Blackpool at the end of Feb) - perhaps he had some kind of setback afterwards?

It doesn’t add up. Ince said he wasn’t match fit but Halilovic said that he was. Perhaps he was injured playing for the u23. No real loss. He isn’t worth signing for another year.