Back from the game - Norwich

[Z175]

I think that we still have a problem with the character in the squad.

When the going is good, the likes of Williams, McCleary, McShane. Swift, Beerens, Obita, even Blackett and Gunter can be very good. I think they would possibly be at a higher level if they had the consistency. This isn't unusual in the Championship, if a player can turn it on week in week out they pretty quickly move up, like Sigurdsson and Long.

But previously our players like Parkinson, Williams, Viveash, McAnuff, Federici, Kitson, perhaps Gorkss, Kebe, even Harper, just from the top of my head, had some sort of mentality trait that they believed in themselves so much that they dug deep when the going got tough. When they started a game badly players like this just stepped up and dug in. You could sing "get into them etc" knowing there would be a reaction.

This season when we go 2-0 down it is a horrific site. As above this isn't a one off - we have conceeded 4 or more 4 times now! The positioning falls apart, they can't string a pass together and they become headless chickens. Remembering Williams and McCleary squaring up last season. Clearly the amount of loanees last season turning the lack of team spirit into a season defining problem and that lack of leadership has been addressed a bit with Kermorgant and Van Den Berg arriving but I still think we don't have that inspirational Captain figure, let alone the "team of captains" we have been blessed with before.

When you throw in these fragile mercurial talents with 3 loanees - it all seems a bit inevitable that one penalty can blow you away. Particularly when the style of play requires a lot of self belief to toy with the ball in front of your own goal to draw the opposition out.

I'm sure the potential return of VDB, Williams McShane will help matters, but I still think leaders in the squad don't even have to be in the XI to inspire the team. I think we have a real leader in Jaap Stam but he needs someone more like him in the squad!

I think the verdict on the bizarre decisions to regularly leave out players like Beerens. Williams and Swift who have created most of our goals, and bring in Mutch and Grabban will wait until the end of the season. There is no doubt to me that Williams, Beerens and Swift look pretty fighting fit and if they inspire us to end the season with 3 wins then the loans will have been worth it.

Although I think I read the deal with Mutch is to sign him permanently in the summer, hopefully we can pull out!

[Nameless]

LOL at Norwich thinking this was embarrassing for us !
They are a team fresh from the Prem, loads of very good players, financially secure and yet they have already been ruled out of even taking part in the playoffs, whilst we are odds on to be there.
It was a horrible result for us but it was one game. Their season in it's entirety has been embarrassing and if we're giving our players 0 for this game you would suggest their players deserve it for an atrocious season in which they appeared to simply not care for a large chunk of it.

[Vicky Pollard]

I think that we still have a problem with the character in the squad.

When the going is good, the likes of Williams, McCleary, McShane. Swift, Beerens, Obita, even Blackett and Gunter can be very good. I think they would possibly be at a higher level if they had the consistency. This isn't unusual in the Championship, if a player can turn it on week in week out they pretty quickly move up, like Sigurdsson and Long.

But previously our players like Parkinson, Williams, Viveash, McAnuff, Federici, Kitson, perhaps Gorkss, Kebe, even Harper, just from the top of my head, had some sort of mentality trait that they believed in themselves so much that they dug deep when the going got tough. When they started a game badly players like this just stepped up and dug in. You could sing "get into them etc" knowing there would be a reaction.

This season when we go 2-0 down it is a horrific site. As above this isn't a one off - we have conceeded 4 or more 4 times now! The positioning falls apart, they can't string a pass together and they become headless chickens. Remembering Williams and McCleary squaring up last season. Clearly the amount of loanees last season turning the lack of team spirit into a season defining problem and that lack of leadership has been addressed a bit with Kermorgant and Van Den Berg arriving but I still think we don't have that inspirational Captain figure, let alone the "team of captains" we have been blessed with before.

When you throw in these fragile mercurial talents with 3 loanees - it all seems a bit inevitable that one penalty can blow you away. Particularly when the style of play requires a lot of self belief to toy with the ball in front of your own goal to draw the opposition out.

I'm sure the potential return of VDB, Williams McShane will help matters, but I still think leaders in the squad don't even have to be in the XI to inspire the team. I think we have a real leader in Jaap Stam but he needs someone more like him in the squad!

I think the verdict on the bizarre decisions to regularly leave out players like Beerens. Williams and Swift who have created most of our goals, and bring in Mutch and Grabban will wait until the end of the season. There is no doubt to me that Williams, Beerens and Swift look pretty fighting fit and if they inspire us to end the season with 3 wins then the loans will have been worth it.

Although I think I read the deal with Mutch is to sign him permanently in the summer, hopefully we can pull out!

[Z175]

Kebe

Ok he had a debatable attitude in refusing to play and demanding a move...

But when that guy was on form and on the pitch he wasn't just pace, goals and assists. He was crucial in our box in the air repelling corners, free kicks, and even the occasional off the line blockage.

That is the sort of attitude I want from our players. That sort of extreme personality is exactly what we miss in my humble opinion!

Look how insane Roy Keane was.

[The Cap]

Z175 wrote:
Ok he had a debatable attitude in refusing to play and demanding a move...

But when that guy was on form and on the pitch he wasn't just pace, goals and assists. He was crucial in our box in the air repelling corners, free kicks, and even the occasional off the line blockage.

That is the sort of attitude I want from our players. That sort of extreme personality is exactly what we miss in my humble opinion!

Look how insane Roy Keane was.

Spot on mate. When I'm in the shower, I still sing, 'He does what he wants, he does what he wants, he's Jimmy Kebe and he does what he wants'. Had to love Jimmy. Unconventional in the extreme. However, the bloke put bums on seats with his general trickery and speed. And as for the Wet Sham affair. Say no more

[The Royal Forester]

In one way I'm happy with that result - not only is it a wake up call and should leave to some of the loan signings being set aside but it keeps alive the dream of going up with negative goal difference.

To be the club with the most ever FA Cup defeats, highest championship points total and only British team ever to be promoted with negative goal difference would be quite a set of achievements!

Can you explain to me how this is possible? Every club who does not win it that year is defeated once in the cup that season. So, surely that would make clubs who have played in each season that Reading have, would have the same number of defeats? Don't forget that any club who has gone out of the League will still have played in the F A cup.

[Ian Royal]

In one way I'm happy with that result - not only is it a wake up call and should leave to some of the loan signings being set aside but it keeps alive the dream of going up with negative goal difference.

To be the club with the most ever FA Cup defeats, highest championship points total and only British team ever to be promoted with negative goal difference would be quite a set of achievements!

Can you explain to me how this is possible? Every club who does not win it that year is defeated once in the cup that season. So, surely that would make clubs who have played in each season that Reading have, would have the same number of defeats? Don't forget that any club who has gone out of the League will still have played in the F A cup.

We're allegedly the oldest club to have consistently entered who hasn't won it. Not sure if it counts Preliminary rounds or not... we've never been non-league.

[The Royal Forester]

In one way I'm happy with that result - not only is it a wake up call and should leave to some of the loan signings being set aside but it keeps alive the dream of going up with negative goal difference.

To be the club with the most ever FA Cup defeats, highest championship points total and only British team ever to be promoted with negative goal difference would be quite a set of achievements!

Can you explain to me how this is possible? Every club who does not win it that year is defeated once in the cup that season. So, surely that would make clubs who have played in each season that Reading have, would have the same number of defeats? Don't forget that any club who has gone out of the League will still have played in the F A cup.

We're allegedly the oldest club to have consistently entered who hasn't won it. Not sure if it counts Preliminary rounds or not... we've never been non-league.

We were non league until the Third Division was formed in 1920 by 22 clubs. Most of those clubs are still in the Football League and not won it, so will have the same number of defeats. However, if you do count pre-1920 then you could be right if qualifying rounds are included, How many defeats have we had and who comes second and how many defeats do they have?

[The Cube]

Hopefully kill this off before more people get things wrong.

Reading first entered the FA Cup in 1877, and have entered every season since when the competition took place (there were some gaps during wartime). Some of those entries were into the qualifying round stage. None of the 91 other Premier and Football League clubs entered before us, but Notts County did enter for the first time in the same season as did Reading.

We have lost one tie each year. Notts County won the FA Cup in 1894 so have lost one fewer tie than us. Reading therefore have more FA Cup defeats than any of those other 91 clubs.

In fact, it goes a bit further than that. Only Marlow and Maidenhead have entered more times than Reading, and so are the only clubs of any type to have more defeats. Marlow have entered every year, Maidenhead missed one (which was 1877/78). Reading therefore also have the equal second longest run of successive entries.

I carefully say "one tie" each year rather than one game, because of the 2-legged ties in 1945/46, and the fact that Reading scratched in 1879 after the club captain died. The 1999 "lucky loser" Darlington, who lost two ties that season, affects none of the above.

[marlowuk]

Hopefully kill this off before more people get things wrong.

Reading first entered the FA Cup in 1877, and have entered every season since when the competition took place (there were some gaps during wartime). Some of those entries were into the qualifying round stage. None of the 91 other Premier and Football League clubs entered before us.

I'm sure you are right but Crystal Palace did enter in the first ever FA cup competition in 1871 which was before us. Presumably you have done the research and found that they dropped out of the competition in some of the subsequent years?

[Gobsheik]

Looking at the 'Faces in the Crowd' on Getreading website, the fans looked pissed off even before the game started!!!

[The Cube]

Hopefully kill this off before more people get things wrong.

Reading first entered the FA Cup in 1877, and have entered every season since when the competition took place (there were some gaps during wartime). Some of those entries were into the qualifying round stage. None of the 91 other Premier and Football League clubs entered before us.

I'm sure you are right but Crystal Palace did enter in the first ever FA cup competition in 1871 which was before us. Presumably you have done the research and found that they dropped out of the competition in some of the subsequent years?

Different club.

[The Royal Forester]

Thanks Cube, Appreciate your response and clarification.

[Pandoras Box]

Looking at the 'Faces in the Crowd' on Getreading website, the fans looked pissed off even before the game started!!!

Yep. Because the seats are like a chartered Monarch flight.
The view at lower levels is shite.
Stewarding is heavy handed and gets worse every year .
Coppers, safety stewards, game stewards and even paramedics staring you down waiting for some slight 'incident'. Police often filming you (just in case).
If you stand for ten seconds you get threatened with being thrown out, even though the web footed fvckers can stand all match with no reprimand, so it can't be down to a safety issue.
The whole place is solely based on Norwich having a great afternoon (which might make sense) but to the detriment of any away support. Probably my last time there even though I used to enjoy it.

[The Cap]

Pandoras Box wrote:

Gobsheik wrote:
Looking at the 'Faces in the Crowd' on Getreading website, the fans looked pissed off even before the game started!!!

Yep. Because the seats are like a chartered Monarch flight.
The view at lower levels is shite.
Stewarding is heavy handed and gets worse every year .
Coppers, safety stewards, game stewards and even paramedics staring you down waiting for some slight 'incident'. Police often filming you (just in case).
If you stand for ten seconds you get threatened with being thrown out, even though the web footed fvckers can stand all match with no reprimand, so it can't be down to a safety issue.
The whole place is solely based on Norwich having a great afternoon (which might make sense) but to the detriment of any away support. Probably my last time there even though I used to enjoy it.

Safe to say you didn't enjoy it then, Pandoras. Understatement. As for 'web footed'. Put me in mind of some Dr Who movie. And regarding the faces in the crowd.....on the whole, I thought it looked as though they were anticipating a decent afternoon's entertainment. Now if those pics had been taken half an hour later, then I'm sure 'pissed off' would have been the general theme.

[LoyalRoyal22]

433 with three play makers in central midfield. He got the team wrong basically.

Has Ilori had an injury setback ?

[marlowuk]

Hopefully kill this off before more people get things wrong.

Reading first entered the FA Cup in 1877, and have entered every season since when the competition took place (there were some gaps during wartime). Some of those entries were into the qualifying round stage. None of the 91 other Premier and Football League clubs entered before us.

I'm sure you are right but Crystal Palace did enter in the first ever FA cup competition in 1871 which was before us. Presumably you have done the research and found that they dropped out of the competition in some of the subsequent years?

Different club.

Thanks Cube. A quick 'Google' confirms that the current Crystal Palace was not formed until 1905.

[maffff]

Looking at the 'Faces in the Crowd' on Getreading website, the fans looked pissed off even before the game started!!!

Yep. Because the seats are like a chartered Monarch flight.

Least it's not like a United flight.

[CountryRoyal]

Looking at the 'Faces in the Crowd' on Getreading website, the fans looked pissed off even before the game started!!!

Yep. Because the seats are like a chartered Monarch flight.

Least it's not like a United flight.

Dragged out for seemingly not going a lot wrong? Sounds like the madejski.

Echoe the monarch seat pitch sentiment. Did Gatwick - Sharm (shithole) and it was arguably the worst 5 and a half or so hours of my life.

[Flyingkiwi]

Left when the fifth went in, jumped on a bus and now back home. I'm claiming the fastest ever BFTG thread.

Did you swear at all Norfolh (Like I did at Ipswich)?