Reading's defending yesterday was terrible

Garry Mann · by **Garry Mann** » 23 Oct 2006 11:23

OK - I only saw match of the day but the team were just not switched on as they have been in previous games. Two minutes in and you leave Henry unmarked on the edge of the box, what is that all about? And Harper's attempted tackle was rubbish. Many a time you were split open far too easily, no one was following the runners, simple defending and you were lucky the score was only 4.

Gordons Cumming · by **Gordons Cumming** » 23 Oct 2006 11:24

Thanks for that.

Hadn't noticed.

readingbedding · by **readingbedding** » 23 Oct 2006 11:26

I know I'm replying to a post desgined to wind Reading fans up but.

Unless you saw the match you cannot say how well Arsenal played.
Highlights in MOTD doesn't do it justice.

Just thought I'd let you know that.

cmonurz · by **cmonurz** » 23 Oct 2006 11:27

readingbedding wrote:I know I'm replying to a post desgined to wind Reading fans up but.

Unless you saw the match you cannot say how well Arsenal played.
Highlights in MOTD doesn't do it justice.

Just thought I'd let you know that.

What the highlights do do justice is how we stood off Arsenal and let them play, no moreso than in the very first minute.

papereyes · by **papereyes** » 23 Oct 2006 11:30

You'd have thought we'd learned after losing 4-0 to United as well ...

John Madejski's Wallet · by **John Madejski's Wallet** » 23 Oct 2006 11:31

cmonurz wrote: What the highlights do do justice is how we stood off Arsenal and let them play, no moreso than in the very first minute.

But that's Reading all over! We are terrible for standing off people, much as it seems to have mostly worked up to sunday

Royal@Norwich · by **Royal@Norwich** » 23 Oct 2006 11:35

any team facing arsenal today would have leaked goals. They were jusy awe inspiring. I was very impressed with how we kept battling right to the end, we aren't gonna stay in this league because we'll play other teams off the park but because we fight hard. Yesterday made me even prouder to be a Reading supporter; we were thrased but the players never once stopped trying even in the face of the best footballing team in the world right now.

readingbedding · by **readingbedding** » 23 Oct 2006 11:39

cmonurz wrote:
readingbedding wrote:I know I'm replying to a post desgined to wind Reading fans up but.

Unless you saw the match you cannot say how well Arsenal played.
Highlights in MOTD doesn't do it justice.

Just thought I'd let you know that.
What the highlights do do justice is how we stood off Arsenal and let them play, no moreso than in the very first minute.

Didn't see the highlights, didn't have to.
I saw us undressed by a fantastic Arsenal side, didn't have the heart to watch edited highlights of us getting annihilated.

It's hard being over-critical because we always give 100% effort.

Put it this way, I would be more concerned if we lost 4-0 at home to Charlton than the CL Finalists 2006 playing football like that.

Our pride's a bit battered, but we can dust ourselves down and start all over again at Portsmouth.

Berkshire Born · by **Berkshire Born** » 23 Oct 2006 11:41

readingbedding wrote:
Unless you saw the match you cannot say how well Arsenal played.
Highlights in MOTD doesn't do it justice.

Agreed. I thought the MOTD2 highlights were pretty positive towards Reading even showing many of our own opportunities. Much more fair than last weeks supposed highlights against Chelsea - you'd never have known that Reading had just held the Premiership Champions to little more than a bizarre goal from a poorly awarded free kick.

fridays child · by **fridays child** » 23 Oct 2006 11:42

Yes Harps got done by a better player,

It happens..

Drive On · by **Drive On** » 23 Oct 2006 11:42

It was only a matter of time before the doom and gloom merchants came out of the woodwork.

This is our first taste of the Premier, we have a lot to learn but learn we will.

Royal and Proud

Ian Royal · by **Ian Royal** » 23 Oct 2006 11:53

we did try to close them down, but they use the space and the extra man in midfield brilliantly. They're so good at turning away from the challenge and keeping the ball, we just couldn't get close enough to put a foot in.

Scarface · by **Scarface** » 23 Oct 2006 12:07

Ian Royal wrote:we did try to close them down, but they use the space and the extra man in midfield brilliantly. They're so good at turning away from the challenge and keeping the ball, we just couldn't get close enough to put a foot in.

Perhaps had we got stuck in early doors, it wouldn't of been so easy for them.

MartinRdg · by **MartinRdg** » 23 Oct 2006 12:22

Garry Mann wrote:OK - I only saw match of the day but the team were just not switched on as they have been in previous games. Two minutes in and you leave Henry unmarked on the edge of the box, what is that all about? And Harper's attempted tackle was rubbish. Many a time you were split open far too easily, no one was following the runners, simple defending and you were lucky the score was only 4.

We all know Harper can't tackle so why was it left to him is a far more important question.

Im Spartacus · by **Im Spartacus** » 23 Oct 2006 12:23

Drive On wrote:It was only a matter of time before the doom and gloom merchants came out of the woodwork.

This is our first taste of the Premier, we have a lot to learn but learn we will.

Royal and Proud

TBH I haven't noticed the doom and gloom merchants at all, what I see is a lot of philosophical Reading fans accepting that we were well beaten by a good team.

Oh and a few Man U fans on fishing trips.

readingbedding · by **readingbedding** » 23 Oct 2006 12:27

Manchester United lost at home to Arsenal too, so they know the feeling.

Maguire · by **Maguire** » 23 Oct 2006 12:27

MartinRdg wrote:
Garry Mann wrote:OK - I only saw match of the day but the team were just not switched on as they have been in previous games. Two minutes in and you leave Henry unmarked on the edge of the box, what is that all about? And Harper's attempted tackle was rubbish. Many a time you were split open far too easily, no one was following the runners, simple defending and you were lucky the score was only 4.
We all know Harper can't tackle so why was it left to him is a far more important question.

He plays in central midfield - it's his job to track his opposite number if he breaks forward! Harper is appalling at tackling though. Didn't get goalside of his man, then half-heartedly dived in when standing up would've been better. Ugly stuff.

Ian Royal · by **Ian Royal** » 23 Oct 2006 12:28

Scarface wrote:
Ian Royal wrote:we did try to close them down, but they use the space and the extra man in midfield brilliantly. They're so good at turning away from the challenge and keeping the ball, we just couldn't get close enough to put a foot in.
Perhaps had we got stuck in early doors, it wouldn't of been so easy for them.

I agree Sonko should have kept an eye on Henry and kept tight to him rather than letting him drop off, and Harper should have stayed on his feet. But there still arn't many strikers who would have put that chance away with such ease. I thought we did quite well despite being outclassed totally until they put the second in just before HT. If we'd have held out, or not conceeded so early it would have been a different game. But at HT it was all over.

To carry on and push for a goal regardless when we could have just given up is a good sign. Arsenal were always gonna get more with us pushing up for 1 ourselves.

Ian Royal · by **Ian Royal** » 23 Oct 2006 12:29

Maguire wrote:
MartinRdg wrote:
Garry Mann wrote:OK - I only saw match of the day but the team were just not switched on as they have been in previous games. Two minutes in and you leave Henry unmarked on the edge of the box, what is that all about? And Harper's attempted tackle was rubbish. Many a time you were split open far too easily, no one was following the runners, simple defending and you were lucky the score was only 4.
We all know Harper can't tackle so why was it left to him is a far more important question.
He plays in central midfield - it's his job to track his opposite number if he breaks forward! Harper is appalling at tackling though. Didn't get goalside of his man, then half-heartedly dived in when standing up would've been better. Ugly stuff.

It's quite hard to get goal side of someone when they're sprinting towards the byeline

Maguire · by **Maguire** » 23 Oct 2006 12:47

Ian Royal wrote:
Maguire wrote:
MartinRdg wrote: We all know Harper can't tackle so why was it left to him is a far more important question.
He plays in central midfield - it's his job to track his opposite number if he breaks forward! Harper is appalling at tackling though. Didn't get goalside of his man, then half-heartedly dived in when standing up would've been better. Ugly stuff.
It's quite hard to get goal side of someone when they're sprinting towards the byeline

He wasn't outpaced, he just got in a bad position so once Fabregas accelerated he was done for.