MATCHWATCH : Carlisle United (h)

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Conversation overheard at full time.

Bloke number 1: "Well, that was sh1t."

Bloke number 2: "Nah mate, it wasn't that good."

[Sutekh]

You all take this far too hard and personally. It’s just a not very important match.

Shit happens. We've lost out on some money. It's not like we were in with a chance of winning the thing. Everyone gets turned over by a non-league team sometimes.

The beauty of football is as long as there's life in the club there's a better future out there eventually.

Sometimes being 2022, 2023 and now 2025 & when not even in the lowest division of the FL! Well done Reading, a truly ******* cr@p football team for getting on for 5 years now but I suppose at least you can’t say they’re inconsistent.

[Half Horse]

I would argue that this is pretty much the perfect result for Richardson.

He can be absolved of all blame having been in charge for only a matter of days. The only criticism one could offer would be the timing of his subs but I don't believe that had any effect on the result.
He can tear the players apart in the dressing room without any comeback after such an abject performance.
He can drop who he likes without any complaint from any of them.
The team is rock bottom and the only way is up.
The fans are in despair and if there's notable improvement he will be hailed as the new messiah.
He has an extra weekend without a game to work with the players.

I suspect he's inwardly delighted.

[PieEater]

I left at 90min when the ridiculous 7mins were added, I expected 3 or 4,

To let in 1 goal to a team that had really had zero chances in 90mins is shambolic, to let it 2 is a disaster,

We played ok in the first half and were well worth the lead. The usual half time team talk turn us into shit and we did nothing until MoM came on and scored. There is a good team somewjhere and you'd think the goals and win would give us confidence, but to leak 2 goals on 7 mins of injury time is the definition of what fans hate, Let's hope it's another Shrewsbury moment (yes I left when we were winning there too)

[Armadillo Roadkill]

One of the worst performances and results of the 25 years I've been watching Reading. A truly catastrophic collapse.

Fair play to Carlisle - the first half looked like it was only matter of time before it turned into a bloodbath. That they hung in there speaks volumes. Very decent turn out from their fans too.

That result goes a long way towards vindicating the decision to replace Hunt, because that was his team, playing his way, with all of the fallibilities that entailed. Richardson will now be fully aware of the size of the task in hand. As, presumably, will be the owners.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

To add insult to injury I went to the early Norwich game today, which they lost 0-2, with the fans attempting to storm the directors box after the game.

What on earth is going on at Norwich this season?

[SouthDownsRoyal]

I would argue that this is pretty much the perfect result for Richardson.

He can be absolved of all blame having been in charge for only a matter of days. The only criticism one could offer would be the timing of his subs but I don't believe that had any effect on the result.
He can tear the players apart in the dressing room without any comeback after such an abject performance.
He can drop who he likes without any complaint from any of them.
The team is rock bottom and the only way is up.
The fans are in despair and if there's notable improvement he will be hailed as the new messiah.
He has an extra weekend without a game to work with the players.

I suspect he's inwardly delighted.

Agree with this

[Ascotexgunner]

Jesus H but you #lads are shite!

I love it when you pop up, it shows how small time you and Utd are these days.

Listen, I want you guys to win, but losing to an NL team when you're 2-0 up is like us losing to Grimsby i.e., it shouldn't happen

It not like we spent 1.5 billion quid to be shit and beaten by Grimsby though is it.

[Hound]

I would argue that this is pretty much the perfect result for Richardson.

He can be absolved of all blame having been in charge for only a matter of days. The only criticism one could offer would be the timing of his subs but I don't believe that had any effect on the result.
He can tear the players apart in the dressing room without any comeback after such an abject performance.
He can drop who he likes without any complaint from any of them.
The team is rock bottom and the only way is up.
The fans are in despair and if there's notable improvement he will be hailed as the new messiah.
He has an extra weekend without a game to work with the players.

I suspect he's inwardly delighted.

Agree with this

Yep some truth in that. As I said whilst watching, doubt we’ll see a number of these lads in the near future (or again) in the first team

[9165]

First match this season for me, I will just say

Agree, if we had gone in 2 or 3 up at HT it would have been deserved.
Wing (and Savage first half) a class apart. Lane, Jacob (1st half) and Stickland did OK, Abreefa good when he came on. We definately need another CF, I dont think Kelvin is the answer,MoM looks a bit limited.

We did more than enough to win today, you do wonder what was said at HT.

[West F]

I would argue that this is pretty much the perfect result for Richardson.

He can be absolved of all blame having been in charge for only a matter of days. The only criticism one could offer would be the timing of his subs but I don't believe that had any effect on the result.
He can tear the players apart in the dressing room without any comeback after such an abject performance.
He can drop who he likes without any complaint from any of them.
The team is rock bottom and the only way is up.
The fans are in despair and if there's notable improvement he will be hailed as the new messiah.
He has an extra weekend without a game to work with the players.

I suspect he's inwardly delighted.

If he is inwardly delighted with that, he needs to find a new line of work or go back to the golf course.

[Royals and Racers]

3929 there today.

[Jackson Corner]

You all take this far too hard and personally. It’s just a not very important match.

Shit happens. We've lost out on some money. It's not like we were in with a chance of winning the thing. Everyone gets turned over by a non-league team sometimes.

The beauty of football is as long as there's life in the club there's a better future out there eventually.

Your right but that’s now 3 times in the last few years how many times have we Beaton teams higher than us in the cup?
Clearly you enjoy being humiliated.

[Jackson Corner]

3929 there today.

Hardly surprising 17 quid a ticket to watch a non league team. The ones who stayed away were the sensible ones.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

3929 there today.

Hardly surprising 17 quid a ticket to watch Reading. The ones who stayed away were the sensible ones.

Corrected for you.

[Orion1871]

You all take this far too hard and personally. It’s just a not very important match.

Shit happens. We've lost out on some money. It's not like we were in with a chance of winning the thing. Everyone gets turned over by a non-league team sometimes.

The beauty of football is as long as there's life in the club there's a better future out there eventually.

Your right but that’s now 3 times in the last few years how many times have we Beaton teams higher than us in the cup?
Clearly you enjoy being humiliated.

Cuckflake Royal

[Clyde1998]

Well now I’m hope and digested the game a bit. Let’s get the moans out the way first - injury time and extra time was absolutely awful. Embarrassingly terrible. Carlisle offered very little and somehow scored 3. They were barely chances they scored from. Need to see the goals back but they looked shocking. Stevens especially had a mare

——

For the first 90 we weren’t bad at all. Would have been the most routine of cup wins. Carlisle barely threatened and we could have scored 3 or 4 more

Jacob actually had an excellent first half. Lane was good. Kelvin in and out but threatened. Jacob was playing very high and wide and Yiadom more in a back 3. In fact up to about 75 mins I’d say it was pretty positive - the only disappointments were Doyle and Kyeweraa who I can’t see LR sticking with at all

The subs really hurt us. Taking Kelvin off meant we lost any real physicality (WTF has signed all these ‘midget’ forwards?) and that killed us. Mom had some nice touches and linked with Kelvin but that all went with him going off

In terms of system Wing was much further forward and we were hammering in a series of decent crosses through Lane and Jacob and almost scored through a great header from Kelvin (I think). Kyeweraa didn’t put a single cross in, but did one nice cut back.

There were plenty of positive signs. It’s a huge shame we crumbled so embarrassingly. Stickland is just invisible and Stevens was awful. We just totally lost the plot

I think we’ll sign one if not two CFs in the window

I don't feel the much was particularly different to those under Hunt: we broadly played like we did in the home cup matches against lower league sides, only with our strongest available side out (ie. in control of the ball, without much cutting edge up front).

We have to keep in mind we were playing against a side two divisions below us, who brought four of their regular starters off the bench after resting them and were playing their second choice goalkeeper. I think if it was the side that finished the game for them starting, we wouldn't've looked so comfortable for so long.

Broadly agree with the player reviews. I do think Jacob is a bit like Matty Carson: he looks good going forward, but lacking defensively. Probably a proper wing-back or wide midfielder; not someone who should be playing full-back with a central defensive two.

Can't say I saw much of the high press, front-footed stuff today; certainly nothing different to what we were doing. Obviously that can't be expected to change after a couple of training sessions, but would've expected a little more of it.

They allowed us to have a lot of the ball, imo, and were sat very deep for a lot of the game (especially in the first half). I think that enabled Wing to get further forward; we'll see against Stevenage if that's something that persists.

I think what we saw today shows how limited the squad is - especially with players like Marriott; O'Connor; and Williams out.

There's clearly a mentality problem to collapse like that, as even with the changes Carlisle made we shouldn't be losing that tie after being 2-0 up in stoppage time.

Really don't know how much of a budget we'll have in January to make the required changes needed to the squad.

Attendance 3,929 !

Including 529 Carlisle fans.

3,400 is the lowest Saturday attendance at the Madejski Stadium in terms of home supporters. The previous low was the 3,592 against Fleetwood in the same round last season.

[The Royal Forester]

Well. that manager change didn't go well did it? Perhaps Neol was good and the players are useless after all. I wonder what club1871 will be chanting on Thursday.
When were we not the last Berkshire team left in the FA Cup?

[Hound]

Agreed not hugely different but I do think we were very clearly trying to cross the ball more (from the left) and wing definitely further forward

[leon]

To add insult to injury I went to the early Norwich game today, which they lost 0-2, with the fans attempting to storm the directors box after the game.

What on earth is going on at Norwich this season?

The Curse of Norfolk Royal