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Royals Dominate Possession But Fail To Score

Reading extended their unbeaten run to four games with a home draw against a Birmingham side fresh from consecutive victories over Norwich and Fulham. Before the game many Royals might have settled for a point, but after dominating the game (71% possession) perhaps they felt their team should have taken all three.

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From the Discussion

  • GE genome 13 Sep 2016 · 10:50pm

    My first game of the season. It was pretty absorbing for a nil nil until about the 75th minute when Brum sat back and took the point. I think we have two problems. Lack of movement up front/killer instinct and that we are very close to a costly mistake at the back. Otherwise, in contrast to last season, I was pleased. We had an identity that we sorely lacked last year and I'm pleased to see that. Thought McCleary was good and Williams was poor. Decent point.

  • PI PieEater 13 Sep 2016 · 10:55pm

    A massive yawn from me. Wake me up when we score. Not sure why we played Evans as CB, McShane and Moore as full backs, and Obita and Gunts as wingers. Either way Brum came for a draw and got it. Our attacking threat was pretty non existant, we still look dodgy in defence and liable to gift a goal.

  • RW royalp-we 13 Sep 2016 · 10:59pm

    Thought McShane was going to have his hands full after the Brum striker (Che) absolutely skinned him in the opening minutes. But we completely nullified their attack this evening. We do look much harder to beat this season; we kill the opponents momentum by taking back and keeping possession; which is great, but my god moving forward attacking is predictable. Evans dropping deep worked well, but Williams and lesser so Quinn, were really not wanting to get involved and ask for the ball tonight. They were up for the 50/50 balls, but when we play out of defence they need to put in more of a shift to open up some options for the…

  • CO CountryRoyal 13 Sep 2016 · 11:06pm

    Thought McShane was going to have his hands full after the Brum striker (Che) absolutely skinned him in the opening minutes. But we completely nullified their attack this evening. We do look much harder to beat this season; we kill the opponents momentum by taking back and keeping possession; which is great, but my god moving forward attacking is predictable. Evans dropping deep worked well, but Williams and lesser so Quinn, were really not wanting to get involved and ask for the ball tonight. They were up for the 50/50 balls, but when we play out of defence they need to put in more of a shift to open up some options for the…

  • SN Snowball 13 Sep 2016 · 11:10pm

    Odd game in some ways. Loads of oldies around me (Upper West tonight) were creaming themselves about our "brilliant" play, and walking from the ground all I could hear was moans and people saying "It'll have to change..." Al-Habsi. Made a good double save from his own spill. OK Gunter OK, first half making runs, loads of space, hardly ever got the ball McShane Solid, came forward more, one run as far as their penalty area. Moore Solid, also came forward a bit more so the possession was better Obita Better than solid, seemed more comfortable than Blackett. Good game Evans. Looked more like the central CB of three most of the game…

  • AY ayjaydee 13 Sep 2016 · 11:11pm

    Even thought it was two points fewer I thought this was an improvement on the Ipswich game. There were only 2 or 3 passes back to AAH and we tried to get the ball forward quicker. Still a work in progress though final third was a bit dire despite lots effort. McCleary did really well at times to get into great positions only for his final ball to disappoint. The best cross of the game from Obita saw only Kermie in the box and nobody making a run to the far post. Thought some of Swifts passing was sublime, he needs to start. Overall a decent 0-0. On thier result tonight Barnsley will be a test of our unbeaten run.

  • JM John Madejski's Wallet 13 Sep 2016 · 11:14pm

    Looked solid enough, bar a few dodgy mistakes (mostly from Williams), with ZERO attacking threat One man up front, ball always played to him with his back to goal, and no swift to push on from midfield. Swift needs to come in for Williams. Or at least that should have been the first sub..... taking off Quinn instead of Williams just meant Swift was the deep midfielder. Pointless McCleary had a decent enough game, but he always picks the wrong cross. Rarely playing it across goal and instead cutting it behind our striker. Also, his corned are DOGSH*T. Just chipped weakly diagonally back across goal. Thought Evans had a really good…

  • SA Saaaaaaaammmmmm 13 Sep 2016 · 11:18pm

    Williams infuriates me at the best of times, but tonight was on another level, suppose it's the result of an accumulation of frustrating performances from him He just has no ball control whatsoever. The ball bounces off him for his first touch, and when dribbling he never once looks like he knows what he's doing or where he's going. It was his passing tonight though that was driving me mad, lost count the amount of times we lost momentum because Williams played a simple pass poorly, usually behind Gunter or Obita stopping us from going forward. He literally has no excuse, an international footballer should know which side of a…

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