It’s getting tedious now. Concede an early goal and then don’t have the ability to break them down. And I’m getting tired of it. Where was this “2 points per game” we were looking to achieve? We haven’t even achieved that in 6 now. It’s nothing short of a disgrace

Their goal is an absolute shocker. Eliasson always cuts inside. It’s oxf*rd simple. I know that, so why doesn’t Omar Richards? And then the marking of Diedhiou is frankly pathetic. We have three centre halves FFS. It’s a shambles. Now it’s easy to say “we played well in the second half” but we wouldn’t have scored if we’d played till Christmas bar an individual wonder strike

Onto individual players :

Back three did well apart from their goal. They Harried Diedhiou all game and were on the front foot. Moore played well when he stepped up in the second half

Yiadom is a brain dead footballer. His lack of crossing is ridiculous considering he’s the outlet from the flank. Cuts inside every single time. Richards isn’t much better

Pele is an average holding midfielder. But he’s horrific going forward. Time and time again he takes 5 touches on the ball to give it away anyway. Touch to control. Touch to move it on. Simple, right? Rino did well carrying the ball forward as always. Ejaria was so poor in the first half but on the left side of midfield improved and put a delightful ball in for Puscas

Meite isn’t good enough. He has no sense and was so sloppy with his passing and control. But by large, I’d prefer him to Joao. What a waste of a wage he is. He came on, he didn’t jump for a single header and just kept losing the ball. Puscas is just a terrible footballer at this moment in time. He cannot control the ball and he cannot finish. So poor

Boye was brilliant when he came on. Close first touch, carried the ball forward, really impressed

I’d like Gomes to go now but for some reason I can’t see it happening. Most people will look at today’s results and think it was a close game but in reality, we were toothless. Bristol weren’t great but each player had a role and performed it. Unlike our lot who amble around the pitch doing nothing. Gomes out

Decided not to go to the game, met up with Mrs SP in the Eldon aka Weather something as she’d not been before. Then went to the Retreat to watch the scores come in on BT score. Lovely afternoon all in all.

jog-on to the ‘Back from the Eldon’ thread

Not really back from the game in fairness then is it?

Game of two halves (again). Tactics wrong first half, must have been told to let them have the ball as put no pressure on at all. Second half, different team, pushed up, harried, started to do the niggly fouls that City did all game that throws teams out of their stride.

Puscas just doesn’t look like a top striker. We had enough good possession to have at least equalised but don’t really look like scoring and I think that’s down to the lack of width. Brizzle get wide, cross quickly and create chances from it. We either don’t cross, or take 5 touches to come in side.

One special mention to the teen Royals on the train station platform shouting at the Bristol fans opposite. Truly tragic.

Broadly the right XI. Wrong tactics as usual.

Gomes 2

Cabral - 6 not doing a lot to save games, but also not doing a lot wrong

Yiadom - 3 brain dead. Doesn't cross, doesn't mark, doesn't get goal side, isn't as good as he thinks.
Richards - 6 decent effort but not his best game. Cross more please.

Miazga - 5 awful for the goal, but better after
Morrison - 6 fine
Moore - 6 clearly not a midfielder, but did what asked and not a calamity for a change

Pele - 5 slow and cumbersome
Rino - 7 best midfielder
Ejaria - 6 you don't have to turn twice. Every. Single. Time. Play quicker ball.

Puscas - 5 bounced off him a lot and missed a tough chance. Also blazed over stupidly.
Meite - 7 threatened them a lot and had a couple of semi chances. Moore got the better of him first half but more joy second

Boye - 6 plays too intricate and fancy, but best effort of the game
Barrett - 6 actually looks to play the ball early and cross.
Joao - 5 barely involved except to challenge Liam for the goal mouth scramble.

Ref - 7 pretty good display. Didn't miss a lot, pretty fair and balanced.

Are we genuinely capable of scoring in the first half?

fair assessment Ian....but how many have you had? Yiadom “brain dead” disgusting

Disappointing first half. As mentioned what is the point of 3 centre backs if they can't mark their only striker and stop a header from 6 yards out.

Second half looked like a much better team, Moore at centre mid looked ok but Ejaria was clearly a class above the rest of the team. He was our only creative outlet and layed it on a plate for Puskas.

Other than him we are pretty average but on another day had we scored early in the second half could have won. Draw would have been the deserved result.

Gomes is running out of time as he has good players at his disposal but is not shaping them into a solid team that opposition sides need to grind down.

Good beers in Bristol though. Probably would have had a better day spent drinking in Bristol.

Very bizarre behaviour this week from Ian towards Yiadom. Almost out of the blue.

time of the month..ooops I meant season

Ejaria doesn't turn twice. He turns twenty times before releasing the ball. No-where near the same level as Swift and that's coming from someone who didn't rate Swift much so props to him

On another note, the ref was very good. He didn't fall for our ridiculous diving (which seems to now be a common feature of our game) and made the correct decisions throughout. It's easy to criticize refs when they're poor so it's important to praise them after a good game

Hopefully this game is the end of the 5 at the back. The 4-2-3-1 was yet again more effective. I'd keep Moore in midfield next game next to Rino, behind Boye, Barrett and Swift with Meite up top (desperate times indeed)

Why the hell is Meite getting a good rating?! Too many games this season he's missed the chances he should be scoring because he's made the wrong decision or doesn't think. It does my nut in he's getting plaudits for running and being strong. Even Gooding has been having a go at Meite recently.

He's not a young player learning the game anymore. If he doesn't know when to hold up the ball, went to dink the ball over the keeper and when to stay onside now then he will be luckily to stay at this level for long. Sorry but I am just getting fed up of this.

Weeeelll I’d play Ian Royal in place of “brain dead” Andy Yiadom

Doesn't matter the scenario of the game, it doesn't matter how well the opposition play, the result is we always lose. That is a sign of a horrific team, the longer we wait to replace Gomes the worse it'll get.

So what do you want Finers’?

92 clubs, only one can be ‘top dog’ successful

After all the money spent in the summer, you do wonder how we're starting games with an 11 so lacking in technical quality and pace. Meite and puscas may well be the clumsiest strike force in the division.
Not sure how far we have to drop before olise and Barrett are given a proper chance.

You been on the sauce? A competent manager and some progression. Spending 15 odd million and looking worse than last season means we have neither. Is that a lot to ask?

Depends what you see as progression I suppose

Scraping relegation with boring football
Scraping relegation with (obviously) better football

Just chill a bit, it’s only a game..the success and failures are cyclic at Reading

That’s why we love it

Playing with wing backs is an out and out disaster. Just how many goals do we need to concede from crosses going into our box for Gomes to learn? Sure our centre backs should be doing a lot better but our wing backs are totally failing to stop the crosses going in.

I wouldn’t mind if they were putting over their own crosses at the other end but as I mentioned a number of months ago Yiadom rarely crosses the ball and never gets to the by line and cut the ball back. Please can we start playing proper wingers. If that means a recall for GMac then fine because this nonsense needs to end.

Those that didn’t rate Barrow also need to think again because his pace is badly missed. What a shambles we are.

It isn’t better football at the moment. It’s slow and predictable.

I think Olise must be considered.

Subjective opinions

However, what we have is the potential to kick-on (unlike in previous seasons).

We have a team that is under performing...yes

Needing a kick up the arse ....yes

But capable of winning this league?......well yes...it won’t happen obvs.

A change of management....with this talented squad, what’s the point? Nobody knows them better than Jose

Mate. I think you are over estimating how talented this squad really is.

Maybe

But the potential is there

Mate. I think you are over estimating how talented this squad really is.

Way way way overestimating it, but then Cardiff, West Brom and Huddersfield made us all do it.

Although Spizz obviously didn't feel the bump when we all fell back down to earth.

We have some skilful players but are very naive. We really lack technical ability upfront.

Yes, already noted

Feeling a little depleted and cheated since the Cardiff game tbh

Mate. I think you are over estimating how talented this squad really is.
It's a good squad when they work hard. It's a poor squad when they don't. We seem to specialise in signing players who look good for 2-3 games, then fade away.

Puskas is a good player, for example, but looks mediocre at the moment. There was a real spirit of togetherness among the players for the second half of last season. It doesn't seem there now.

Mate. I think you are over estimating how talented this squad really is.
It's a good squad when they work hard. It's a poor squad when they don't. We seem to specialise in signing players who look good for 2-3 games, then fade away.

Puskas is a good player, for example, but looks mediocre at the moment. There was a real spirit of togetherness among the players for the second half of last season. It doesn't seem there now.

I certainly agree about the spirit of togetherness last season. That’s gone,

We have some skilful players but are very naive. We really lack technical ability upfront.

I’m not accepting Loader, Joao, Meite, Puscas and Baldock are not good players who would thrive in the right environment and set up