MATCHWATCH : Watford (h) sponsored by a difficulty to enthuse

[Hiram K Hackenbacker]

I agree

[Royal_jimmy]

I didn't go tonight but glad I didn't make it as it sounds like it was another lacklustre performance.

I feel sorry for Madejski. His 20 years of legacy and hard work is being undone by a clueless managerial team and board

[Zip]

Clement has made clear that those that came into the side tonight didn’t do enough. So it looks like Bacuna and Meyler in central midfield on Saturday. No problem with these two when we are setting up to try and nab a draw as in Villa away but we need to win on Saturday....but where are the options?

Meyler, Bacuna. Swift, Kelly.Clement, Edwards (injured) and Sims can play there, that hardly fills you with confidence does it?

Nope. Poor options all around. Clement and Edwards should have been moved on and a space opened up for a creative midfielder to play alongside Bacuna but it hasn’t happened.

[Ascotexgunner]

Don't quite understand the pessimism (based on this match at least). Yes, we're not a great side at the moment and I'd be surprised if we finished above about 18th. But that was a very good Watford side with players that would walk into any team in our league.

There were some good moments when the ball was lifted over the top or when a counter attack started, stemming from Walker. Disappointing that we didn't score, but glimpses of a different style.

Don't get me wrong, it was not a great evening of football, but we weren't disgraced and the players looked like they were putting some effort in at least. We faded badly in the second half (again).

Gunter looked good in the opening 20 minutes or so. Gives us a good attacking option and began to link with McNulty.

Speaking of McNulty - I don't want to write anyone off after a few games, but it looks like a large step up for him. Hope he can grab a goal and get going, but he struggled tonight (albeit without much quality service). Meite wasn't miles better, gets into great positions but his touch is awful. Shows a lot of desire, just needs an end product.

Thought Moore and Ilori looked a little shaky but nothing overly concerning. Baldock seemed to give the ball away a bit cheaply when he came on. Swift and Kelly were average, Bacuna had quite a few good moments.

Sorry for the disorganised ramble - but they're my initial thoughts. Not a great evening, but doesn't show us anything new that we haven't seen from the league matches.

REALLY?????? 3 WINS IN 31 and you don't get it?........

[under the tin]

Glad I didn't go the gulf between us and Watford is massive. We have played them 116 times more than any other club. It's hard to imagine we will ever be in the same league as them again.

You having a laugh?

Well we will be relegated and I can't see us bouncing back for many years with the crap we have. They have billionaire owners who will keep them in the prem. Even if they did come down they will go straight back up. Tonight showed a huge gulf in class they made 11 changes and looked 2 divisions above us.

Too right. I was brought up in the town end. Elm Park.
Regular visits from the likes of Fulham, Watford and Bournemouth.
The dice are already loaded in the top division.
The money gap is increasing between the truly big franchises and the rest up there.
Exactly the same is coming to pass in the Champ.
Newly relegated clubs with a relative sh8t load of money, in Champ terms, will surely become the norm for auto promotion back up
the following season. Oddly enough, the bookies tend to agree.
And we used to laugh at Boremuff......

[Elm Park Kid]

I hope i'm proven wrong but I honestly don't think McNulty is cut out to play at this level. Nothing i've seen from him suggests he has the ability to get goals in a league with reasonable defenders and goal keepers.

Baldock on the other hand is a proven Championship striker and he should be given a good opportunity to show it.

All I want this season is a bit of stability - play a reasonably fixed team with as many of our 'promising' players as possible. Mix in the 'old pros' now and again but as long as we stay above the relegation zone just have faith in the team and look to next season.

[alfie9]

Clement has made clear that those that came into the side tonight didn’t do enough. So it looks like Bacuna and Meyler in central midfield on Saturday. No problem with these two when we are setting up to try and nab a draw as in Villa away but we need to win on Saturday....but where are the options?

Meyler, Bacuna. Swift, Kelly.Clement, Edwards (injured) and Sims can play there, that hardly fills you with confidence does it?

Nope. Poor options all around. Clement and Edwards should have been moved on and a space opened up for a creative midfielder to play alongside Bacuna but it hasn’t happened.

It really is woeful. Meyler's a waste of space. Swift's time is up, think he can become a good player (just not here). Kelly needs dropping for a while, maybe a loan spell. Pelle Clement needs consistent game time on loan. Edwards is shite. Sims is a winger.

Bacuna is the only one I'd want as a central midfielder in my championship squad, and he's a confidence player so that's not exactly helping us at the moment.

Our wingers are injury prone, our defense is unreliable, our goalkeeper rarely bails us out, our strikers are a collection of poachers whose only viable strike partner is Bodvarsson.

We are in deep trouble. It's just a cup game but it's yet another step backward, after a promising performance against Villa. How many times have we had the chance to turn a corner after a decent result and just completely bricked it?

[alfie9]

Also: Shoutouts to Paul Clement for changing our formation again for no phucking reason at all coming off two improved performances. Way to kill the momentum you absolute mong

[Lydia Dustbin]

If are whingers are injury’s prone we shod get new ones soon and get moor goales of them

[Ascotexgunner]

I didn't go tonight but glad I didn't make it as it sounds like it was another lacklustre performance.

I feel sorry for Madejski. His 20 years of legacy and hard work is being undone by a clueless managerial team and board

And when we go down at the end of the season (still improving according to some on here), that will be one of the saddest stories. SJM must be a broken man watching this unfold.

[CavershamRoyal]

Don't quite understand the pessimism (based on this match at least). Yes, we're not a great side at the moment and I'd be surprised if we finished above about 18th. But that was a very good Watford side with players that would walk into any team in our league.

There were some good moments when the ball was lifted over the top or when a counter attack started, stemming from Walker. Disappointing that we didn't score, but glimpses of a different style.

Don't get me wrong, it was not a great evening of football, but we weren't disgraced and the players looked like they were putting some effort in at least. We faded badly in the second half (again).

Gunter looked good in the opening 20 minutes or so. Gives us a good attacking option and began to link with McNulty.

Speaking of McNulty - I don't want to write anyone off after a few games, but it looks like a large step up for him. Hope he can grab a goal and get going, but he struggled tonight (albeit without much quality service). Meite wasn't miles better, gets into great positions but his touch is awful. Shows a lot of desire, just needs an end product.

Thought Moore and Ilori looked a little shaky but nothing overly concerning. Baldock seemed to give the ball away a bit cheaply when he came on. Swift and Kelly were average, Bacuna had quite a few good moments.

Sorry for the disorganised ramble - but they're my initial thoughts. Not a great evening, but doesn't show us anything new that we haven't seen from the league matches.

REALLY?????? 3 WINS IN 31 and you don't get it?........

It wasn't great - just don't get why for some it has taken a League Cup game against Watford to realise we're not a very good team right now. It's been like this for well over a year.

[Denver Royal]

Balcock on for OShea

A typo, shirley?

[Getthebeerens]

Well Watford looked like a very decent outfit tonight. And got the result they probably expected a comfortable 2-0 victory. Thankfully there won’t be many teams like that in the Championship this season. But tonight was a real eye opener to how far off we actually are.

Our biggest issue tonight was Liam Kelly and John Swift being on the football pitch. It’s like playing with 9 players. I watched Kelly stand 5 yards away from Moore tonight. He then passes the ball to Moore who then plays the diagonal passes which Kelly should be playing. He offers nothing defensively and nothing offensively. Maybe a spell in the u23 is needed to rediscover some form.

On the plus side glad we rested Barrow for Saturday.

[CountryRoyal]

I didn't go tonight but glad I didn't make it as it sounds like it was another lacklustre performance.

I feel sorry for Madejski. His 20 years of legacy and hard work is being undone by a clueless managerial team and board

Sad right? Things weren’t always rosy under Madejski especially towards the end with our financial difficulties, but we still performed well and we actually had an identity and a bit of soul and character and unity.

Now we’re just another identipcunt mediocre run of the mill club with a soulless stadium, an underperforming incohesive staff and an ever increasing dwindling disconnected and disillusioned fan base.

We’ll be in league one sooner or later which is exactly what we deserve.

[Denver Royal]

It wasn't great - just don't get why for some it has taken a League Cup game against Watford to realise we're not a very good team right now. It's been like this for well over a year.

Well, prior to Stam we finished 17th and 19th. And some would tell you we were still crap, and just lucky, when we finished 3rd and lost in the playoff final on pens. So I doubt too many came to a sudden realization tonight.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

If that had been Liverpool or Arsenal I would not be too worried.

But that was Watford. Reserves. And they totally, wholly and uncompromisingly outclassed us in every department. A club we would have considered to be of a similar standing as ourselves.

Meite, Moore and Ilori, whilst not perfect, can at least consider themselves to have performed well. Everyone else disappointed.

A very poor night that reflects the decline in Reading FC.

[bracksroyal10]

Not surprising but once again concerned about the manner of the defeat.

Week in week out we are getting further and further away from that winning feeling. The mentality of the club stinks from the top down.

I feel for Clement and I don’t think he can be held accountable really, let’s be honest his hands are so tied!

Could anyone else really do a better job with that squad other than Pep?

[Steve_Upper_West]

I feel sorry for Madejski. His 20 years of legacy and hard work is being undone by a clueless managerial team and board

Really... well if he had not decided to sell the club ( or had sold it to someone else ) we might not be in this mess

[Uke]

I feel sorry for Madejski. His 20 years of legacy and hard work is being undone by a clueless managerial team and board

Really... well if he had not decided to sell the club ( or had sold it to someone else ) we might not be in this mess

We’d be broke

The blame lies firmly with Samuelson and Zingarevitch

[Denver Royal]

I feel for Clement and I don’t think he can be held accountable really, let’s be honest his hands are so tied! Could anyone else really do a better job with that squad other than Pep?

Oh, he’s certainly accountable. That’s the way footy is, and they know it going in. Nobody forced him to take the job, so he liked what he saw? As far as anyone else doing a better job, quite a few would think they could. Plus, his managerial resume isn’t strong enough to discount them.