* The Unofficial "Official" Reading V Boro Match-Day Thread *

[Andy_W]

At least the defence looked solid today, was surprised by how open we were in the first 4 games but that was much better today. Keep doing what we're doing, add a few more quality players and we will be fine.

McNair needs to be in that RCB role for the forseeable.

Yeah, good point, but we’ve not been all that shaky in previous games (compared to last year), just everything has been punished. It’s a terrible points return, but how anyone can watch these games and think we’re getting what we deserve is beyond me. Today we were not so great but still the far better team, with by far the better chances, and all of the ball.

I must be watching a different game this year, as last year when we won, with barely any possession, shots and chances, people were saying we were playing well. When we lost people said we were **** (which we largely were).

McNair is a better defender, but I think when we play poor teams like that we need to be more on the front foot/ attacking with more risk, so would make more sense to play dijsteele there, as fry and McNair aren’t as good on the ball, turning defence into attack. Same as why crooks probably would have been better in the middle from the start, more attacking in possession. Hard to know if a team is gonna sit right back against us like that though. They probably watched the stoke game and setup exactly to nullify it, and it worked for 45 mins.

 

[Rayman]

On a positive note we must make a special mention of the striking railway workers. Thanks to them I saved a significant amount of money and I would have felt quite short changed if I had paid to see that; train fares, beer money and admittance.

 

[h_m_boro]

The only form of attack we have is crossing into the box, nothing else, no one runs into the box, it's so predictable

That's a very good point. When was the last time one of the forwards was put clean through, rounds the keeper.

Or midfielder smashing one from 25 yards.

We do seem to be pretty predictable......hoping the new forwards will offer something different.

 

[Zoophonic]

On a positive note we must make a special mention of the striking railway workers. Thanks to them I saved a significant amount of money and I would have felt quite short changed if I had paid to see that; train fares, beer money and admittance.

Yes theres always a positive side. Just like England losing the test within 3 days just as Piers Morgan jets over from the States specifically for Day 4.

 

[Ravs]

Fry should not play anywhere else but CCB. Playing on the right or left, he just puts us to sleep.

 

[Andy_W]

That's a very good point. When was the last time one of the forwards was put clean through, rounds the keeper.

Or midfielder smashing one from 25 yards.

We do seem to be pretty predictable......hoping the new forwards will off something different.

Hard to do that when there’s 11 defenders in front of us, but we need to create more through the midddle in games like this, missed the Akpom/ big lad link up option, or crooks to press on through the middle between the lines.

 

[Glover_elbow]

Time to give this place a swerve for a while I think. Some ridiculous comments on this thread alone. Results are nowhere near good enough, can't argue with that.

But players not playing for the manager? That's absolute nonsense. We wouldn't have dominated Stoke or QPR second half if that was the case.

Combination of individual errors, being harshly punished for them and deficiencies in recruitment is the main problem at present. Even today we don't deserve to lose (although don't deserve to win either).

Anyway can't be arsed trawling through the giant babies' posts that have inevitably appeared. Frustrating and disappointing start to the season, no-one is going to argue with that. But we deserve far more out of it than we've had so far, if you take emotion out of it.

I will see you at Xmas when we climb to the heights of mid table then🖐

 

[h_m_boro]

Hard to do that when there’s 11 defenders in front of us, but we need to create more through the midddle in games like this, missed the Akpom/ big lad link up option, or crooks to press on through the middle between the lines.

Not a big criticism per se, but just wondered the last time we scored a goal that wasn't from a cross from out wide.

Agree, if 10 defenders are sat on the edge of the 18 yard box it's pretty difficult, but even counter attacking we seem to automatically push the ball wide.

 

[Andy_W]

Fry should not play anywhere else but CCB. Playing on the right or left, he just puts us to sleep.

He can’t play LCB or RCB against crap sides, as we need more going forward but I’d play him against better sides who will come at us, or where we’re expecting to defend more.

He’s a bit of a luxury we don’t need, could do with off loading for a true attacking LCB, or just stick with Bola there and improve centre mid. Adding muniz might be enough up front, one everyone’s settled, and had time to bed in.

 

[Glover_elbow]

Fry should not play anywhere else but CCB. Playing on the right or left, he just puts us to sleep.

Wilders too stubborn to admit he's wrong with fry and lenihan

 

[viv_andersons_nana]

Good grief. Some of the stuff on this thread is absolutely amazing.

 

[SuperStu]

We desperately need these CF signings completing and get them on the pitch.

 

[TeaCider]

Wilders too stubborn to admit he's wrong with fry and lenihan

Lenihan had a good game in the centre, so what does he need to admit today?

 

[uncle_rico]

We desperately need these CF signings completing and get them on the pitch.

Pointless when you’ve (still) got a slow midfield devoid of any creativity.

 

[Glover_elbow]

Lenihan had a good game in the centre, so what does he need to admit today?

That changing the dynamics of the back 5 has completely messed things up consequently we can't stop conceding game after game is that simple enough to understand

 

[Andy_W]

Not a big criticism per se, but just wondered the last time we scored a goal that wasn't from a cross from out wide.

Agree, if 10 defenders are sat on the edge of the 18 yard box it's pretty difficult, but even counter attacking we seem to automatically push the ball wide.

Yeah we push it wide as teams have not set up well to counteract that in preivious games. Obviously reading did their homework for the first half!
In games where we play against good wide lads who come at us we will get more space in the middle, but there won’t be many teams doing that at all.
Not sure if today would have been the day for chances through the middle, as it was all jam packed.
We didn’t get many low crosses in 1st half as the balls to the wing backs were ****, when we had the chances to get it to them.
We got more success with higher crosses second half, and higher diagonal balls once crooks and hoppe were on.

Least with getting Muniz in, Akpom back and maybe Hoppe up to speed we should be able to do both high and low balls in from all angles, all game. Limited on that option today with starting McGree but it worked against stoke, but forss and Watmore won’t get many high balls as they won’t score headers, even less likely to do it with Crooks off.

 

[SuperStu]

When was the last time one of the forwards was put clean through

About an hour ago! Watmore, just to the right of the pen spot. He ballooned it over.

 

[parmoboy]

Lenihan had a good game in the centre, so what does he need to admit today?

Lenihan has played well the last two games but we shouldn't have signed him. Fry at CB, Djiksteel at RCB and McNair at LCB wokred really well for us last season. Why didn't Wilder decide to stick with this combination until the club signed a LCB, then you can possibly have McNair competing with Djiksteel for the RCB position - that's what I thought Wilder would do.

Wilder now doesn't have a clue what his best combination is at the back.

 

[TeaCider]

That changing the dynamics of the back 5 has completely messed things up consequently we can't stop conceding game after game is that simple enough to understand

We conceded 4 in the last game of our settled back 5.

 

[SuperStu]

Pointless when you’ve (still) got a slow midfield devoid of any creativity.

We created chances in that second half imo. Watmore and Hoppe could have had two each. First half terrible I agree. McNair in the midfield doesn't work.