Am I the only one who noticed that we dominated and terrified one of the top teams in the division yesterday? We are short of a striker with a killer instinct, but we played some lovely football and bossed the game. We did this without having the luxury of a full squad and the lads played out of their skins. I saw this as progress and I wouldn't sack the manager just yet.
Don’t be fooled that Reading are one of the top teams in the division. They were also missing several key players, and their recent form is an anomaly. They will eventually settle into bottom-half mediocrity.
We played better but didn’t create much again , and they were poor and played a similar style to us too . He’s turned a hard to beat ,well drilled team into a team expecting to lose
Where is this striker with the killer instinct coming from though? Certainly there’s no one within the ranks right now. I still think it’s our midfield (or lack of it) that’s the main problem.
Well considering they're waiting for a points deduction you're probably right. We matched them in all departments other than the striker with the killer instinct who got the goal. If we change the manager we won't immediately have a better squad. I think they played for him yesterday.
We were weak in midfield and toothless up front. We looked better organised and seem to have more of a plan. So some progress but glacially slow.
It was ludicrous to completely rip up what we did last season. The players knew their roles, were well drilled and we would undoubtedly have more points on the table now. The goals against column is on a par with most of the division though. It's scoring goals which is the main problem. I suspect the majority of our 58 goals last season were as a result of forcing mistakes in the final third with our press and that isn't happening at the moment. Getting Morris back on the pitch and Iseka 100% fit will help. There's the hope that 1 goal in 8 in the French top tier is improved upon in the English second tier. I think we will climb out of the bottom three regardless of what happens with Schopp, but preferably it will be without him.
Often wonder the reasoning in letting Herbie Kane and Chappers go.. maybe not top championship quality, but way, way better than what we have starting at present..
I thought Reading looked poor yesterday and we still couldn't get anything from them. The only progress Schopp is making is to league 1.
Performance was progress on the very low bar which has been set in recent games, however, the outcome was the same.
Reading aren’t a top team, and whilst there were some glimmers of at least a performance yesterday, the fact remains that we have been beaten, again, playing the same formation, again, and with baffling substitutions, again. Isn’t his fault half the first team are injured. Isn’t his fault the squad when fully fit is weaker than last season. It isn’t a bottom three squad though. And it is his fault that we have no identity to our play, it is his fault that our young players look under-coached and lost. It is also his fault that one of our most experienced central midfielders, much as he’s proven nothing for us, is out on loan whilst he has picked centre halves and full backs in midfield. At least he rectified that yesterday, at least to start. I’d get rid. But most of his bosses need to go first.
They're not stealing a living. That's just a stupid and disrespectful thing to say. They try their best for the wages THE CLUB offered them. If you have a bad day at work do you tell your bosses not to pay you? A player may not be good enough at the level his club is at but he neither forced the club to sign him nor, once signed, forced them to play him.
No but if I had lots of bad days I'd be sacked contract or no contract unlike professional footballers who can sign a contract and take the piss for the entire length of the contract and unless they do something completely stupid there employers can do absolutely nothing about it, Apart from offer to buy out the contract for a lump sum pay off.
Victor’s a bit of an enigma to me. His close control and ability to hold up the ball is surprising, but he doesn’t have the instinct of a striker. Shame really.
Sorry SR. Do I think Victor is good enough for the Championship? No. Do I think he's taking the p**s? Absolutely not. I've never seen anyone suggest he 's not given 100% in a match. That's never been the case when ever I've watched him. To suggest he's stealing a living is bang out of order.
We played well and still lost that's what concerns me. Forget the pretty football, it means **** all if you can't score and win. We play well and lose, we play poorly and look like a L2 side. I don't know where the next goal from open play is coming from!!
I thought he had a decent game yesterday, holding the ball up and laying it off and winning possession back, played a nice one two in a crowded box that didn`t quite come off, but then its easier to say he`s a touch like an elephant or pinching a living without watching his contribution.