kirsikka
UTC Legend
Another game where three points should have been seen as needed given the struggling opposition. Also another chance to try and put in a good performance to keep the crowd onside.
The goal was a thing of absolute beauty. Zemura started the game back to his early season bright best, taking players on. One of his runs was the spark for the goal. Add in a lovely touch from Lerma and excellent work and finish from Solanke. Lovely stuff.
In the first half L Cook continued his recent excellent form, now with some important tackling added in to his game.
And then... we stopped. It was as if we assumed the game was over and we didn't need to bother anymore.
At half time I wrote:
"It isn't comfortable right now. Reading don't look bereft of confidence going forward. If we don't score, they will. We need to knock the stuffing out of them."
We did the absolute opposite and spent 40 minutes inviting them to come and grab something from the match.
The second half was abysmal. There's no other word for it. So safe when we had the ball until we crossed the halfway line when we were sloppy and lacking in numbers.
We sat back and let them dicatate. You could see the way it was going ten minutes in and I was urging Parker to change it somehow. He did nothing until 75 minutes when he made us even more cautious with the Pearson sub.
Seeing how we sparked into life after the equaliser almost made what went before even worse. We had it in us but didn't show interest in making it happen. Or had been instructed to sit back.
This was a game where after 10 minutes we absolutely had them on toast but a complete lack of attacking bravery combined with poor quality on the ball let them back into it. Ponderous, ponderous, ponderous.
Points thrown away and a performance that was, frankly, rubbish after the first ten minutes.
Whatever the halftime changes were meant to do, they didn't work. The fact that we carried on hoping it would get better was a managerial failing. If Parker takes the plaudits when we pick up the points, he should take the ire when we don't win games that were there for the taking.
Positive performances:
Phillips - A wholehearted performance. The only player I can think of that deserves credit for the full 90.
L Cook (first half) - Tailed off in the second period but was good in the first 45.
Room for improvement:
Cantwell - I said at the weekend I can see what TC has about him but feel he's yet to be really effective. After the initial good opening minutes, he was really poor. Wayward passing and bad challenges. Rightly hooked at half time.
Kelly - Some terrible distribution again. Needs to get his head back in the game.
The goal was a thing of absolute beauty. Zemura started the game back to his early season bright best, taking players on. One of his runs was the spark for the goal. Add in a lovely touch from Lerma and excellent work and finish from Solanke. Lovely stuff.
In the first half L Cook continued his recent excellent form, now with some important tackling added in to his game.
And then... we stopped. It was as if we assumed the game was over and we didn't need to bother anymore.
At half time I wrote:
"It isn't comfortable right now. Reading don't look bereft of confidence going forward. If we don't score, they will. We need to knock the stuffing out of them."
We did the absolute opposite and spent 40 minutes inviting them to come and grab something from the match.
The second half was abysmal. There's no other word for it. So safe when we had the ball until we crossed the halfway line when we were sloppy and lacking in numbers.
We sat back and let them dicatate. You could see the way it was going ten minutes in and I was urging Parker to change it somehow. He did nothing until 75 minutes when he made us even more cautious with the Pearson sub.
Seeing how we sparked into life after the equaliser almost made what went before even worse. We had it in us but didn't show interest in making it happen. Or had been instructed to sit back.
This was a game where after 10 minutes we absolutely had them on toast but a complete lack of attacking bravery combined with poor quality on the ball let them back into it. Ponderous, ponderous, ponderous.
Points thrown away and a performance that was, frankly, rubbish after the first ten minutes.
Whatever the halftime changes were meant to do, they didn't work. The fact that we carried on hoping it would get better was a managerial failing. If Parker takes the plaudits when we pick up the points, he should take the ire when we don't win games that were there for the taking.
Positive performances:
Phillips - A wholehearted performance. The only player I can think of that deserves credit for the full 90.
L Cook (first half) - Tailed off in the second period but was good in the first 45.
Room for improvement:
Cantwell - I said at the weekend I can see what TC has about him but feel he's yet to be really effective. After the initial good opening minutes, he was really poor. Wayward passing and bad challenges. Rightly hooked at half time.
Kelly - Some terrible distribution again. Needs to get his head back in the game.
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