Thoughts v Reading

SteveJonesLegend said:
I don’t like to single any one person out from tonight as there were few isotopes from that second half… but… It all starts from the back. Kelly has been the root of our problems for the last three games. So slow and too casual in possession. How many times does he get the ball, run 10 yards forward and then check back to play a sidewards pass, or back to the keeper, at which point the opposition are set… He needs to be dropped There are simply no excuses for that second-half performance.
Click to expand...
Agree. On the back foot he's good as he has pace. With the ball at his feet he just switches off. Passing is atrocious. Not sure we have any better options though, Phillips and Cahill or Mepham would be too slow.
 
The Peterborough performance wasn't as bad as many make out. We massively lacked quality in and around the area but created enough openings that their keeper should have needed to be MotM to get them a point. Whereas our shooting and decisions were so bad, I don't think he touched the ball.

Tonight was a soporific sleepwalk into throwing two points away. Once we switched off there was nothing at all to like about our play.
 
I’ve felt like the team has been “overcoached” for a while now. The general lack of individual flair, getting stuck in predictable patterns etc. Someone on here commented that there was a moment against Peterborough where Billing looked over to Parker to know exactly what to do in the moment, when on the ball in the middle of the pitch in acres of space.

It’s interesting that the team seemed to collectively forget how to function as a sports team during the one game he’s not on the touchline. Honestly, after the first 20 minutes might be one of the most unacceptable team performances I’ve ever seen. Do they literally need Parker there to hold their hand on how to pass, press, seek the ball, run, breathe? Very concerning. Absolutely no initiative shown by a single player out there.
 
We are just so wasteful. I was thinking about the old line that there are no pictures on the scorecard and that a lazy 1-0 would do ... but no whammies.

Some interesting games tomorrow and I'm pretty much past the point of predicting outcomes. We are simply dragging this out much longer than need be.
 
SlowDownDerek said:
Peterborough was nothing like tonight. We had the ball most of the Peterborough game and had good spells in both halves. Tonight we didn't even try to win the ball second half. The worse I've seen in a long time.
Click to expand...
Still got the same amount of points for both games......that's all that matters isn't it?
 
SteveJonesLegend said:
I don’t like to single any one person out from tonight as there were few isotopes from that second half… but… It all starts from the back. Kelly has been the root of our problems for the last three games. So slow and too casual in possession. How many times does he get the ball, run 10 yards forward and then check back to play a sidewards pass, or back to the keeper, at which point the opposition are set… He needs to be dropped There are simply no excuses for that second-half performance.
Click to expand...
Ok with Kelly what options did he actually haveBoth him and Phillips end up trying to hit Hollywood passes .

we have 2 wide men stuck on the touchline , neither move or attempt to go beyond solanke or in fact anywhere near him .
The setup , surely Parker in the stands must have seen what we see .
 
Topfarrier said:
Still got the same amount of points for both games......that's all that matters isn't it?
Click to expand...

There’s legitimate discussion to be had on both sides of the Parker in/out debate. Peterborough certainly wasn’t close to good but it was a damn sight better than tonight.
 
Shoot me down, call me out, whatever. I don't care. Second in the league I don't really care. Promotion? I don't really care. What I do care about is the time,money,effort, planning that goes into attending these matches to get that type of football as a reward. Parker has sucked the fun out football. I don't blame the players. I don't blame the supporters. I blame Parker. Its just dull, dull,dull and the worrying thing is no matter what league we are in next season we'll be going through it all again
 
SteveJonesLegend said:
I don’t like to single any one person out from tonight as there were few isotopes from that second half… but… It all starts from the back. Kelly has been the root of our problems for the last three games. So slow and too casual in possession. How many times does he get the ball, run 10 yards forward and then check back to play a sidewards pass, or back to the keeper, at which point the opposition are set… He needs to be dropped There are simply no excuses for that second-half performance.
Click to expand...

Spot on about Kelly.
 
Fucking indefensible dross, I can't believe I keep paying to watch it. Highlight of the game was the return of the crossbar challenge.
 
kirsikka said:
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.
Click to expand...
Can't argue with any of that.

They were told to slow it down and keep the ball, i was watching the signals from the bench.

At one point the bench signalled to zemura, he signalled to Kelly, Kelly signalled to Phillips and then Kelly booted the ball straight to a reading player.
 
NWCherries98 said:
There’s legitimate discussion to be had on both sides of the Parker in/out debate. Peterborough certainly wasn’t close to good but it was a damn sight better than tonight.
Click to expand...
How much better?....are we really reduced to discussing the level of cr@p we're watching now??
 
Notmarcjackson said:
Can't argue with any of that.

They were told to slow it down and keep the ball, i was watching the signals from the bench.

At one point the bench signalled to zemura, he signalled to Kelly, Kelly signalled to Phillips and then Kelly booted the ball straight to a reading player.
Click to expand...
I wonder why the bench wanted Kelly to pass to a Reading player?

Makes sense, though, would explain why he did it so often
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

;