Reading v Derby match day thread.

[Ghost of Clough]

1 hour ago, EnigmaRam said:

No idea why we aren’t playing Fornah in a midfield 3

Based on the effort he put in vs Bradford, especially defensively, I can't see him getting another start for a while

[Crewton]

7 minutes ago, Dcfcsr92 said:

Im not saying they would prosper in the championship, im saying we arent even a league 1 side at this point, weve achieved nothing in the last 4 games, and were lucky to make any points off the teams since peterborough! There is no style of football to see and warne has been having his "style" implemented for nearly 2 years now, no further along or better off for it. 

....and yet here we are, still 3 points off top with a third of the season remaining, averaging a smidgen under 2 points per game........

[Barney1991]

Need to get a midfielder in who can get about and at least add goals to our game or least advance with the ball. We’ve now been found out that alls you need to do is double up on us out wide to suss us out. Also it’s apparent we are definitely going to fizzle out at either finish in the top 6 just. 

[Comrade 86]

1 minute ago, Crewton said:

....and yet here we are, still 3 points off top with a third of the season remaining, averaging a smidgen under 2 points per game........

Don't think I've ever felt so out of kilter with our fanbase. There's always been a few on here, but since Covid it's been an absolute deluge. The amount of new members joining just so they can join the pile on is staggering. We've literally gone from being the most staunch set of fans in the entire EFL, to this, all in 18 months or less. Fortunately, our most loyal fans, especially those who seem to go to every game, come rain, wind or shine, seem able more than able to take the knocks without the kind of histrionics we see on the matchday threads. 

Ah well, a big performance is a must now against Cheltenham, or this forum will be toxic beyond belief. 

[Dcfcsr92]

13 minutes ago, Crewton said:

....and yet here we are, still 3 points off top with a third of the season remaining, averaging a smidgen under 2 points per game........

Under 2 points a game doesnt matter! Averages are pointless! Whats the average over the last 2 games? And over the last 8? 

[Dcfcsr92]

6 minutes ago, Comrade 86 said:

Don't think I've ever felt so out of kilter with our fanbase. There's always been a few on here, but since Covid it's been an absolute deluge. The amount of new members joining just so they can join the pile on is staggering. We've literally gone from being the most staunch set of fans in the entire EFL, to this, all in 18 months or less. Fortunately, our most loyal fans, especially those who seem to go to every game, come rain, wind or shine, seem able more than able to take the knocks without the kind of histrionics we see on the matchday threads. 

Ah well, a big performance is a must now against Cheltenham, or this forum will be toxic beyond belief. 

Thats bollxs the reason was coz we were fighting! Now we are expecting again . Thats all 

[Comrade 86]

For balance, my biggest bugbear is that we don't seem to be trying to address the midfield issues and yes, it is frustrating, even for the so-called happy clappers like me. While I'm pleased to see Blackett-Taylor join, I really think we need to be moving heaven and earth to get a dominant midfielder in, but if PW refuses to let the midfield play their game, then would another player even fix the issue? It's a worry, for sure.

Anyway, I'm not going to climb on his back as there's more than enough doing that already, but I honestly don't see how anything changes unless we address this issue. If we do, I think we'll make the autos comfortably. If we don't, then I'm afraid it'll be the lottery of the play-offs with a team that doesn't always prosper under pressure.

[Kinder]

16 minutes ago, Comrade 86 said:

For balance, my biggest bugbear is that we don't seem to be trying to address the midfield issues and yes, it is frustrating, even for the so-called happy clappers like me. While I'm pleased to see Blackett-Taylor join, I really think we need to be moving heaven and earth to get a dominant midfielder in, but if PW refuses to let the midfield play their game, then would another player even fix the issue? It's a worry, for sure.

Anyway, I'm not going to climb on his back as there's more than enough doing that already, but I honestly don't see how anything changes unless we address this issue. If we do, I think we'll make the autos comfortably. If we don't, then I'm afraid it'll be the lottery of the play-offs with a team that doesn't always prosper under pressure.

I agree. I think our biggest issue is tactically. Get it out wide and hope someone gets on the end of a cross. That’s literally all we do. It’s so one dimensional and we don’t seem to have an alternative. We occasionally play through the middle and look so much better for it - it happened a couple of times tonight and I commented on it to my lad, but it was very much a rarity.

If we’re not even going to try to play through midfield, who do we need in there? It’s got to be (a) players who can disrupt the opposition when we lose the ball; or (b) players who can score.

We don’t have any (a) players as far as I can see and it’s a massive hole in the squad. We need a nasty b@stard. The only goal scoring central midfielder we have is Hourianne. This means he has to stay on the pitch more often than not, even if he’s not playing well as he might get a goal out of nothing. We have to sort this midfield out and start playing through it.

[Comrade 86]

6 minutes ago, Kinder said:

I agree. I think our biggest issue is tactically. Get it out wide and hope someone gets on the end of a cross. That’s literally all we do. It’s so one dimensional and we don’t seem to have an alternative. We occasionally play through the middle and look so much better for it - it happened a couple of times tonight and I commented on it to my lad, but it was very much a rarity.

If we’re not even going to try to play through midfield, who do we need in there? It’s got to be (a) players who can disrupt the opposition when we lose the ball; or (b) players who can score.

We don’t have any (a) players as far as I can see and it’s a massive hole in the squad. We need a nasty b@stard. The only goal scoring central midfielder we have is Hourianne. This means he has to stay on the pitch more often than not, even if he’s not playing well as he might get a goal out of nothing. We have to sort this midfield out and start playing through it.

I don't mind us playing down the flanks, but not if it's to the exclusion of any other form of attack, as it's just too easy for opposing teams to disrupt. It also places a weighty onus on the likes of NML to produce every game, which with the best will in the world, ain't gonna happen. 

[Sparkle]

No great surprise at the result tonight 

we play a one dimensional type of football and when we can’t break through that’s us done for 

the basic tactic of get it wide quickly cross it and hope someone is there to maybe score is fine and when we do it’s get the extra centre half on and hope to keep the lead and maybe break away and get another goal - the limitations are there to see. Yes we are missing our best left and right back and a Waghorn type who can actually play a bit of football. Folks moan about our two in midfield but on their own they are overwhelmed defensively so trying to be creative is really a non starter but our game plan doesn’t involve us having a creative midfield 

[CapeTownRams]

Man- the irony is so thick , what with so many folk saying pretty much our only player of note tonight (and MoTM) was Elder. Oh, how two games changes so much 🤪

But whilst most everyone else was crap i have to say that this game was the straw that broke the camel’s back in terms of my view on Max Bird. I love that he’s come up thru the ranks and is sorta one of our own. I think that's why so many people have given him so much latitude in terms of his performances…

But as of tonight I’ve had enough of his disappearing act in games. Yes, he can be good on his day and in spells, but he is too inconsistent and anonymous in too many games, to the point of effectively being a passenger. I look at the midfielders in some of the other top 6/7 sides and I realize that to move on we need to sell him and reinvest in new midfield blood. 

[CapeTownRams]

2 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

Attempts on goal not attempts on target.

No need to thank me.

👍 exactly 

[Ram a lamb a ding dong]

I'm abroad so not too sure what cracked off r,e JJ

[May Contain Nuts]

Essentially you've got to take the rough with the smooth.

This. Is. Warneball.

Accept that the way out of this division may well lie in the peaks it brings us, and that the way back to this division probably lies in the troughs.

There's no evidence it works above this level, but evidence also says that the most recent incarnation of his methods may have kept Rotherham safe, before he left them for us.

[BathRam72]

4 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

Don't think I've ever felt so out of kilter with our fanbase. There's always been a few on here, but since Covid it's been an absolute deluge. The amount of new members joining just so they can join the pile on is staggering. We've literally gone from being the most staunch set of fans in the entire EFL, to this, all in 18 months or less. Fortunately, our most loyal fans, especially those who seem to go to every game, come rain, wind or shine, seem able more than able to take the knocks without the kind of histrionics we see on the matchday threads. 

Ah well, a big performance is a must now against Cheltenham, or this forum will be toxic beyond belief. 

Maybe some of the new members can't remember the tough times and feel we have a god given right to be perfect every game. League 1 is tough because the teams get in your face. Everyone ups there game for Derby because they also see us as a big club. We currently are not a big club. 

Awaiting incoming from Nigel aged 9

Edited January 24 by BathRam72

[IlsonDerby]

1 hour ago, BathRam72 said:

Maybe some of the new members can't remember the tough times and feel we have a god given right to be perfect every game. League 1 is tough because the teams get in your face. Everyone ups there game for Derby because they also see us as a big club. We currently are not a big club. 

Awaiting incoming from Nigel aged 9

Perfect is stretching it. I think they just expect us to have 1 shot on target in a league 1 match and not put in such abject performances when the players we have are better than the players most in the division have… 

[Chester40]

1 hour ago, BathRam72 said:

Maybe some of the new members can't remember the tough times and feel we have a god given right to be perfect every game. League 1 is tough because the teams get in your face. Everyone ups there game for Derby because they also see us as a big club. We currently are not a big club. 

Awaiting incoming from Nigel aged 9

I have consistently argued for fans to stop overreacting, because the results and some performances have been good.

What's concerning is that last night imo it's no overreaction  to say it was possibly the most sloppy performance I can recall and in the circumstances as disappointing as it's possible to comprehend.

The chance to go top and we literally appeared to have been on a stag do all weekend. Elder was decent going forward but defensively he was a liability at times and he was our MoTM.

Hourihane misplaced so many passes it was bizarre. Bird is so passive. Wilson toiled energetically but created little. NML looked like he'd been working down the pit all day. Even after constant offside Collins kept running offside do he couldn't be passed to. Barks barely touched it. Sibley looked so weak, slow and pedestrian.  

Thompson tried hard but was a bit like an enthusiastic puppy. Cashin kept trying the same dangerous pass out, Nelson seemed off it... just all-around it was frustrating as anything.

TJJ missed a good chance and did nothing else till he pulled up injured again.  

We need Fornah to be the player we think he is and get the game by the throat. Nyambe and Wildsmith need to come back. Put players back in their proper position and get the centre midfield taking the ball off the back instead of constantly looking wide.

Fortunately Sat is a very good game to get back on track. No excuses to not win it and address the issues and go again.

 

[Archied]

Ducking disappointing, I do believe there’s a bottle or mindset issue with this squad ( like so many over the years even our Steve Mac couldn’t escape it , 

extremely poor tonight but I’m gonna pull this why don’t we play through the middle stuff ,,,,,, apart from the odd game we cannot play a simple pass and that’s players not anyone in the dug out ,

Also we seem to be between two stalls at the moment , playing out from the back or getting it forward quick ,, we are back to this thing where we set up with our keeper having two defenders either side of him on the six yard line and pass to them and playing suicide passes to cashin under massive pressure to not lose the ball let alone do anything with it ,,, no wonder he s starting to look like a rabbit in the headlights through his whole game 🤷🏻‍♂️,

tjj was just so so so predictable, few games to earn the extra 6 months couple of games and then out for the season may not be his fault but that matters not ,,, why do we keep repeating this stupid costly mistake with players , it’s beyond me,

on to Saturday, will be there but a bit deflated , been derby d again 

[derbydaz22]

6 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

You got torn a new one, as you put it, for posting like a hangry baby. The fact that you welcome others doing the same speaks volumes.

FWIW, If you and others seriously believe that you are the only ones who can see that there are issues with the team, then you need to brush up on your reading skills. Equally, if you think this squad would prosper in the Championship, then I'd beg to differ. That's just something folk say to bash Warne I'm afraid. Same people continuously pumping the same line, then calling the team garbage every week, like nobody will notice the contradiction. We're a L1 side and that's all we are until we're not.

Unfortunately on last nights showing we aren’t even a good L1 side. 😢

[FlyBritishMidland]

My biggest problem last night was not doing the simple things.  Too many passes were astray, overhit or short.  We couldn’t keep hold of the ball, lacked composure and gave it away too easy.  We created our own problems rather than Reading creating them.  I really hope Warne and his team give them a rocket when they show them the video.

Cashin looked poor, as he did on Saturday.  I seem to remember him being poor at the start of the season.  In fact, but maybe his agent is in his ear 🤷‍♂️.

Elder comes out with some praise.  He made a few last ditch tackles to bail out his team-mates. He does look to be getting better the more he plays.

Still a long way to go and on to Saturday 🐏.