Reading Post Match Thoughts

[flourbasher]

On train coming back.
Yes a game of two halves. They were better first half but only had one real chance and scored with a scuffed shot that looked like it was going to miss.
Vastly improved second half and the subs helped. RUFC better side and had a lot of possession but they had the more clear cut chances.
Newell missed an absolute sitter from just inside pen area right in the middle. Only keeper to beat on his favorite left foot and drags it past the post. About 88 mins.
Shooting was poor yet again

Having said that we gave it a right go and still tried to win it even after we equalised. Not settling for a point at all.

[gm_gm]

Just on way back.
Yet again negative tactics first half.
Second half better I really don’t understand why Warne only allows us to play when we are losing ?
His negativity is going to cost us imo.
Today was another game we could and should have won.
How many times have we said that this season ?
Maybe we could only pay half the match fee seen as we only try and win for half the game.

His pre match press conference admitted he was scared , hence his negativity

[rolymiller]

https://www.skysports.com/football/r.../report/392946

Scary stuff after we equalised as usual. How did their player miss that chance but credit to Vaulks, I think, for getting back on the line (Did he handle it?)

And whar was Rodak playing at with their other chance he should have booted it out.

The Newell chance wasnt easy to be fair because ir was bouncing quite high and had a player on him.

Watching those highlights that is a bloody good point.

[Ronners]

Pleased with the point cos I thought we had blown it and I was thinking of out trip to Donny next season when up pops Ajayi. The simple answer is that we have to start winning now to stay up. But how long have we been saying that? Blackburn have nowt to play for. We have to go for the win. Oh for 3 wins on the bounce. Even 2 would be good!

First point Roly is that even if we get relegated, we aren't forced to be playing donny next season as at this moment in time they are in the play offs and may well get promoted. As for Blackburn having nowt to play for, I have been saying for a while now that even though our run in looks tough, we will be playing against some good teams who, at this stage of the season will now be playing with a bit of fear as the reality that any mistake could be crucial, and also playing against teams who's chance of the play offs has all but disappeared so have nothing to play for.
As for our team, we have had to play every game this season like our lives depended on it, so whatever people think about our style of play, we will play exactly the same way against top of the league Norwich, in a couple of weeks time, as we did today against our main relegation rival UTM

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

My thoughts?

Just 3 words

Negative negative negative

[great_fire]

His pre match press conference admitted he was scared , hence his negativity

I think he got PTSD after that first game at Brentford.

[rileyev.the.third]

I genuinely think we are a tad better than at least 3-4 teams in this league and will just stay up. Will be close though folks.

[CTMilller]

I do feel we need to try to play the ball forward more. Time and again it was passed back to Rodak who booted is as best he could giving somebody in a forward position a slight chance of gaining possession. Better to cut out the back passes and try the 50/50 forward pass anyway - it's more likely to work and relieves that sense of negativity that frustrates fans and players alike. We sometimes looked too frightened when we were on the ball.

Forde was a bit flawed today in my book. He does some things very effectively but time and again he was guilty of the slightly misplaced pass. As has already been said he also struggled with set-pieces.

I thought Towell had a decent first half but seemed to fade in the second as Reading began to mark him more closely. Perhaps would have been better to bring Crookes on earlier.

When we weren't making the unnecessary back passes, we seemed capable of playing some decent passing football. For a period, I think at the start of the second half, we looked very neat and tidy.

We regained one point on Millwall and widened the gap with Bolton which is for the good.

[harpo88]

Interesting CT, I thought Towell was a bit off it until 40 minutes and then he led our little spell then that set the tone for our second half, and he was good then too scampering about.

I know it’s tempting to say we should press all the time but we have to be selective - Reading are decent on the ball but not world beaters, when we dropped back a bit they were hesitant and not very creative. It was only when the ball was loose or on the counterattack they got behind us. So we need to be patient and wait for them to make the mistake in possession which they will. Obviously boxing em in when Martinez had the ball they were making a couple of mistakes too so that worked well but we can’t leave too much soace behind us.

I’m impressed that when I’ve been this year (no home games and 7 away) if it’s not working out Warne has usually got some improvement out of them.

[CASPER-64-FRANK]

A scrappy first half where neither team imposed itself on the game. Two poor teams
Second half much better value for money.
A game that we could have won and one we almost lost.
All these draws are keeping us hanging in there.
Win v Blackburn Mr Warne....