Reply With QuoteI've always said Sibley is a red card airing to happen get lucky again yesterday Definately should have got one against Sheff U in the friendly Cocu is not getting the best out of because of where he plays him ,spends a lot of time facing his own goal. That's not his game but I did warn these youngsters may suffer second season syndrome Hope I'm wrong and it's just a blip ,but to have four young lads in together is asking an awful lot But they are not getting any help from the senior players ,who have enough problems of their ownOriginally Posted by MadAmster
We are too slow playing out from the back. Obvious for all to see. Some of the time it's a part of the tactics. Nothing wrong in it IMO. However, the rest of the time, it's partly down the the opposition pressing and harrying all over the park thereby not giving us a quick forward option and it's also down to our players being too static.
Reading always had an outlet. You can argue the toss as to whether it was down to them making runs into space or whether it was a (poor one IMO if it is) tactic we are employing in marking zonally as opposed to pressing and harrying players. Of one thin I am certain, we need far more movement from our forward players and by forward I mean all of them ahead of the man in possession.
We look like there is still 2 weeks of pre season to go. That's a worry.
Their first? How on earth did Joao manage to get 3 yards clear just 6 yards out? Why did we not have a man on the post? If we had, that would not have gone in. Having a man on the post at corners will save you at least half a dozen goals a season.
Their second? Great ball out from Cabral. Great control and an audacious backheel fron Joao and where was Wis when his man ran on to the pass and slotted it past Marshall who might have done better with that one. The ball seemed to go under him.
Us? 9 shots. Just the 2 on target. Both from Whittaker from outside the box.
I was not impressed.
Marshall 6 - forced into one very good save 1st half. Could have done better with their 2nd
Wis 5 - Ring rusty at best. It was his man who got their 2nd. He was nowhere near him.
Te Wierik 5 - Not the player I have seen in his time at Groningen. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and give him some time to adapt the the Championship. His biggest error when beaten out on our left he got back and harried the attacker into a mistake.
Clarke 7 - cool, calm, collected. Our best player IMO
Fozzy 5 - strangely for him I thought he was caught out of position too often. Lee B is still my preferred candidate for the LB role
Shinnie 4 - not at the races. I have voiced my doubts on him earlier, to the extent that in another thread I left him out of contention for a place in the squad. This performance was why.
Whittaker 6 - Attacked his man on a few occasions, ought to do somore often. He wasn't helped by, all too often, getting the ball with one, two and one time, three Reading players breathing down his neck. I'll repeat, why don't we do that to them? The lad had our only 2 shots on target.
Bird 5 - A shadow of last season's player. He misses forward runs by colleagues. He seems to have become very left footed over pre season and appears to totally ignore players in space down the right, preferring to put the ball left where it's very crowded and the man getting the pass is tightly marked.
Knight 5 - Works hard, you can't take that away from him but that was about it.
Sibley - 4 Showed his mental achilles heel with that yellow card. He was, IMO, frustrated at not being able to get into the game and lunged, hip high. Cut it out Sibs. Not his best game. Failed to make an impact. Didn't get into those pockets of space he exploited so well last season. His physical achilles heel was highlighted as well. Lack of real speed. The few runs he tried to make came to nothing as he was reeled in by one and sometimes two opponents.
Marriott 4 - a low mark because he wasn't really in the game. Not altogether his fault IMO. Got no ball in the positions he wants it in. Made runs but the ball went the other way. Came deep to try and get it and when he was given it, it came to nought. He has been widely criticised for a lack of shots and goals. If he's not given the ball where a striker ought to get it, he's not going to produce. Worked hard but to no avail.
Patience is a virtue. We fans need it in spades at the moment. There's a team in there somewhere. We just need it come together. With maybe one exception, yesterday's starting XI can all do better, individually, than they did. When that happens, the team will also improve.
