BFTG Wednesday.

[Lower West]

Is Stam actually building something?

Takes time for players to gel and get an understanding of each others games. Past weeks there's been signs of improvement.

[Victor Meldrew]

Clement will be a star

Pele was a star.
Our Pelle is this season's version of Piazon (who now plays for Fulham Reserves)-he looks as though he could be a good footballer but is generally ineffective.

The same Piazon who broke his leg in the middle of August? If he is back fit might explain why he is in the reserves.....who wasn’t before his injury.....

Last season he was in and out and you could hardly call him a first-teamer this season after one game in August.
That is hardly the point though is it?
IMHO Clement looks and plays like Piazon for US and contributes little but don't worry as, according to snowball he is going to be a star, which will be very good for Reading.

[Victor Meldrew]

Is Stam actually building something?

Takes time for players to gel and get an understanding of each others games. Past weeks there's been signs of improvement.

But will our owners feel the same as they see last season's very good start for the manager as history as we now toil in the lower reaches of the same division having spent many millions in an attempt to improve the team , not make it worse.?

[AthleticoSpizz]

I do wonder if there is certain age group of young supporters around 16-18 (i.e. the seat bangers) who feel more entitled to success than older Reading fans.

They would have been children around the 05/06-06/07 era and grew up watching the best Reading team of all time - and haven't really seen us languishing in the lower divisions. I mean, I'm not exactly old, but I still witnessed us get relegated to and struggle to get out of (what is now) League One - and that's not even close to what older fans had to go through.

Food for thought, I guess

that and.......

They have probably never stood up at a football match

[Victor Meldrew]

I do wonder if there is certain age group of young supporters around 16-18 (i.e. the seat bangers) who feel more entitled to success than older Reading fans.

They would have been children around the 05/06-06/07 era and grew up watching the best Reading team of all time - and haven't really seen us languishing in the lower divisions. I mean, I'm not exactly old, but I still witnessed us get relegated to and struggle to get out of (what is now) League One - and that's not even close to what older fans had to go through.

Food for thought, I guess

It's a good point, in many ways how can one expect someone to have an appreciation for something based on history they've never experienced.

A lot of our more grumbly fans are those in their 30s - 60s in my experience.

It's a valid point on expectation and experience though.

I agree with you Ian that it is not just spoiled youngsters, it is oldies as well.
Speaking on behalf of the oldies, we grew up with little success in Divs 3 and 4 when the club never had any money and occasionally the begging bowl came out to get the fans to give more of their own money to the cause.

When the Mad Man arrived and subsequently got the Mad stadium we were suddenly a club with loads-a -money ( a bit like Wigan) so managers like Burns and Pardew were able to spend unheard- of- before fortunes on players.
Subsequently we reached the top table with a couple of good managerial appointments but the previously wealthy owner didn't then back those managers financially as he had previously.

So we have seen a slide , interrupted briefly last season when, for whatever reason, things clicked, but we now find ourselves in the lower reaches of the division despite a big spend during the Summer when the latest owners backed the manager.
It is because of that backing IMHO and the extremely dull football that we are now watching that both old and young are grumpy-we had hoped for better and at least to be at the upper end of the table rather than where we find ourselves now.
I know oldies who, probably more out of habit, go to all games home and away and they have started to question themselves because what we are watching isn't exciting-one shot on target in a home game yesterday is poor.

The oldies will probably carry on going (and moaning) but the younger ones brought up on success might find one of the many other things to do-one lad behind me said that he is considering getting a Saturday job as work might just be more interesting and exciting.

I am semi-retiring at the end of the year and had been thinking of going to more away games again but with performances like the Derby game being the exception rather than the rule I might not,especially with the cost of petrol (bearing in mind that I have an extra 130 miles or so to travel).
Still, when we put 6 past Barnsley win at Sunderland and then thrash Colin's lot I will probably change my mind-such is the average football fan, old or young Mr, Mrs, Ms, Master (and whatever the transgender version is) Fickle.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Good post, but I don’t think (with the exception of £1m Lita) Steve Coppell had that much of a budget in his years leading up to (and including) our 106 season.......he himself was probably our biggest wage earner?

Some of those Div 3&4 games weren’t so bad, mind

[marlowuk]

Is Stam actually building something?

Takes time for players to gel and get an understanding of each others games. Past weeks there's been signs of improvement.

I agree. And to get those players to gel you need to be playing a settled side. This is not helped by the chronic injury problems we seem to get. Swift was getting back to his imperious best before his latest mishap! Nevertheless I did not find Saturday's match boring. Frustrating - yes - but not boring.

When we attack at speed down the wings we look good (even shades of the 106 team!). But too often there is no-one (or very few) in the opposing box to take advantage of this play. That's frustrating! Although not as bad as last year, we are still playing it slowly, to and fro, across the back four. But few of the more forward players are making runs or showing the movement which invite forward passes. That's frustrating! And, of course, seeing gilt-edged chances being missed is also frustrating.

But we do have a talented group of players and their recent performances against Forest, Derby and Wolves show that they can work well together. We need to get behind them and encourage them more but calling for JS's head doesn't help.

[genome]

I do wonder if there is certain age group of young supporters around 16-18 (i.e. the seat bangers) who feel more entitled to success than older Reading fans.

They would have been children around the 05/06-06/07 era and grew up watching the best Reading team of all time - and haven't really seen us languishing in the lower divisions. I mean, I'm not exactly old, but I still witnessed us get relegated to and struggle to get out of (what is now) League One - and that's not even close to what older fans had to go through.

Food for thought, I guess

that and.......

They have probably never stood up at a football match

I imagine it's hard to sit down with all those broken seats everywhere

[P!ssed Off]

I do wonder if there is certain age group of young supporters around 16-18 (i.e. the seat bangers) who feel more entitled to success than older Reading fans.

They would have been children around the 05/06-06/07 era and grew up watching the best Reading team of all time - and haven't really seen us languishing in the lower divisions. I mean, I'm not exactly old, but I still witnessed us get relegated to and struggle to get out of (what is now) League One - and that's not even close to what older fans had to go through.

Food for thought, I guess

that and.......

They have probably never stood up at a football match

I imagine it's hard to sit down with all those broken seats everywhere

Can we just assume you're in a permanent state of distress over the behaviour of other Reading fans?
Then you won't have to bother with your hourly update.

[genome]

that and.......

They have probably never stood up at a football match

I imagine it's hard to sit down with all those broken seats everywhere

Can we just assume you're in a permanent state of distress over the behaviour of other Reading fans?
Then you won't have to bother with your hourly update.

Can I just assume you're in a permanent state of general distress?

[RG7Fan]

1. It was farking cold today

2. Atmosphere was terrible from both RFC and the Wednesdayites

3. I really would welcome the drummer back. Just for times when it's dead, I quite liked the old heartbeat type drum which at least was something. It also helps some fans and areas with chants like "blue army"

D. Gunter had a great game. One of his best I think. I sit in Y25 and some of his crosses were brilliant. As someone else said, an inform striker or attacking player of any type would smash them in.

5. Some criticised Yann but I can't fault his effort. I also feel that since he's come back we look much more threatening even if we still lack an end product.

6. Some fans need to stop groaning and shouting "forward" ALL the time. I hear it a lot and it's at times like at throw ins where I'd say 90% of the time it's better to throw back rather than forward into a gaggle of players achieving nothing.

7. Additionally it's unfair to shout forward at present. We are really pushing Up the pitch in recent games and the intensity has gone up. If you disagree I'd suggest you rewatch some of the earlier games this season which were just miserable to witness.

8. I don't buy the whole "we need a striker" argument. We have some solid players already. We should be able to rely on Yann, bacuna, Kelly, illori, etc etc to at least bag 1-2 between them each game.

But we do need a decent LB so that we can free up Bacuna to be in midfield.

Agree Bacuna needs to be in midfield
As he was so effectively at Derby
But we have options at left back we (JS) just need to pick them

Blackett and Richards?

One out of favour/form and the other probably too inexperienced at the moment.

That Blackett has lost out to Gunter (our main RB) on about 4 occasions recently says something to me. Its why, with Obita screwed for the year, I say Stam could be in for a LB in Jan - even if just a loaner. Barnsley should see Richards start in my view, with Bacuna to midfield.

[Royal Rother]

Good post, but I don’t think (with the exception of £1m Lita) Steve Coppell had that much of a budget in his years leading up to (and including) our 106 season.......he himself was probably our biggest wage earner?

Some of those Div 3&4 games weren’t so bad, mind

In some of the games we were absolute dogshite but I can’t remember it ever being boring.

I can remember being a bit frustrated because of the lack of ability of the players in some games, but never because the majority of our possession was in our own bloody half of the pitch.

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

I do wonder if there is certain age group of young supporters around 16-18 (i.e. the seat bangers) who feel more entitled to success than older Reading fans.

They would have been children around the 05/06-06/07 era and grew up watching the best Reading team of all time - and haven't really seen us languishing in the lower divisions. I mean, I'm not exactly old, but I still witnessed us get relegated to and struggle to get out of (what is now) League One - and that's not even close to what older fans had to go through.

Food for thought, I guess

It's a good point, in many ways how can one expect someone to have an appreciation for something based on history they've never experienced.

A lot of our more grumbly fans are those in their 30s - 60s in my experience.

It's a valid point on expectation and experience though.

Old boy at the back of Y24 always shouting get it forward. When we go long and lose it he suddenly shuts up...