Reading Preview

[Eddie]

How many times are we going to try and blow our own season? Another chance missed to get 3 points, simply not acceptable. The table will probably look ok tonight because Villa will hopefully lose to United, but we have tough games coming up and we needed to create a bigger gap between ourselves and the others.

[mrsjansen]

We've moved up to 7th, will have to hope united get a result at Utd.

[Rover Down Under]

How many times are we going to try and blow our own season? Another chance missed to get 3 points, simply not acceptable. The table will probably look ok tonight because Villa will hopefully lose to United, but we have tough games coming up and we needed to create a bigger gap between ourselves and the others.

Please... when have we ever done enything simply? May 14th 1995 ring any bells? It's a Blackburnian genetic trait in case you haven't realisied by now. Seriously, get it tested, it's true - just waiting for it to be published in New Scientist.

[ally]

We've moved up to 7th, will have to hope united get a result at Utd.

I think Utd will win seeing as they have only conceded 5 goals at home all season plus with arsenal winning they cant afford to slip up. Good results for Brum helping us out beating man city.

[Rovers in America]

Utd go up 1-0. I feel kind of dirty cheering for Manure.

[American Rover12]

He really is the best player in the world.

[brian_gallagher85]

Utd go up 1-0. I feel kind of dirty cheering for Manure.

I feel very dirty doing so, but I had a tiny little smile watching Tevez getting them a second

[philipl]

well we managed to officially go out of europe in the most frustrating way possible. Yes, Reading had great chances too, but we missed a ridiculous amount. Santa Cruz is going to have to shoulder the blame for this one, his misses were unforgivable.

Minor correction Mr E.

We move into Intertoto-qualifying 7th position if as seems likely, Pompey win the FA Cup.

Well, cross-eyed officials, flat ball, driving rain, bumpy pitch, poor pass selection- that game had nothing except a bonkers rash of yellow cards. We had the better chances, played the better football when we were on top but just couldn't make it count.

Really pleased about Nelsen- he's still not the quickest but this was pretty well our old admiral back with some superb interventions. Clattenberg is going to have kittens when he sees Hahnamanamanaman swing his arm and ball into Nelsen's chest. I don't think I can quite remember so many throw-ins and corners being mis-called. Perhaps the horizontal rain was getting in their eyes?

Reid was very poor today and on that showing will be the one to make way for Vogel. For a long time until that fantastic run two thirds the length of the pitch, Roberts couldn't control the ball. MGP's option selection was poor but generally what he decided to do he did well.

[RoyRover]

A very disappointing result today. Another game passes us by and reduces our chances of finishing 5th.

[brfcshabba]

Minor correction Mr E.

We move into Intertoto-qualifying 7th position if as seems likely, Pompey win the FA Cup.

Portsmouth haven't applied for the intertoto either so it doesn't actually matter if they fail to win the FA Cup

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Disappointing result but keep a level head folks...we are still in with a shout.

[farhanology]

K wins MoM for me, apart for the horror lapse in the 86th, he looked tremendously confident and perhaps he missed the free header due to being candid feeling that he was already going to be offside.

We should add Reid to Hughes' 'untouchables' - Pedersen, Samba, Nelsen, Santa Cruz. Disappointing performance today (cept for the odd challenge). With all due respect (considering his reputation at rovers) , he didnt look confident enough to even dribble or get the ball past the first man. Ooijer/ Warnock did all the dribbling dirty work for him. Perhaps we should try getting Emerton/Vogel to replace him temporarily, and using him Mokoena-style until he proves his merit/ gets his form back.

[den]

An away draw is always acceptable.

[den]

MOTM time.

[thenodrog]

That was a horrible yellow against Dunn. That was a simple challenge, wasn't anything bad about it. Clattenburg has lost control of this game which is rare for him.

You're bloody kidding aren't you. Granted there is/was a myth surrounding him that he is one of our bright new refereeing hopes, but I've never seen Clattenberg ever have a good game. The man is one of the worst and right down there with Rennie, Wylie and Riley.

[thenodrog]

What a horrible game by Clattenburg who is usually one of the better refs. We needed 3 points in that game.

You again?!? Are you related to the useless bgugger?

[thenodrog]

Suprising descent by Sparky into Souness old tactics of chucking every available striker on in the last 10 minutes when we needed a goal. It rarely works (apart from Bolton away a few years back) cos they get under one anothers feet. The tactic I would have used would simply have been to introduce Tugay in a 3-5-2 formation with instructions to play higher up the pitch and with two wingers hugging the touch lines to stretch Reading as much as possible and give Toogs and Bentley room to create.

[DanLad]

Suprising descent by Sparky into Souness old tactics of chucking every available striker on in the last 10 minutes when we needed a goal. It rarely works (apart from Bolton away a few years back) cos they get under one anothers feet. The tactic I would have used would simply have been to introduce Tugay in a 3-5-2 formation with instructions to play higher up the pitch and with two wingers hugging the touch lines to stretch Reading as much as possible and give Toogs and Bentley room to create.

Tugay wasn't in the 16. Presumably you mean you would have selected him and then brought him on.

Would Vogel have been able to do a job in the last 10 mins against 10 men?

I'm also not keen on just chucking 4 men up front. It sounds like it left us a bit exposed! Use the numerical advantage in midfield and create more chances.

[Rovers in America]

You again?!? Are you related to the useless bgugger?

And who would you say is one of the better refs in the premiership? I'm talking in comparative forms here. Of those that are doing premiership games regularly, he's probably up there as one the better ones on a consistent basis. Everyone is going to have their bad days, refs included, and today was definitely one of Clattenburg's bad days. Usually he'll call a fairly even game without mucking things up too badly by throwing cards around.

Maybe I just notice a referee a lot more given that I used to referee quite a bit. That's the thing with refs. They do a good job, and nobody notices, but the times they do muck things up, they're vilified. You never really see praise of them from people that haven't refereed themselves. Oh well though, I'm not going to get into an argument with you about refs.

[thenodrog]

And who would you say is one of the better refs in the premiership?

Refs are like players they have good games and bad ones. And just like footballers some refs are not good enough for the Prem..... Clattenberg being one.

My personal favourites not that it matters much are Martin Atkinson and Howard Webb. My most disliked are the rest!

Used to like Dermot Gallagher too but he's retired now. He made mistakes but imo they were always honest ones.

[Mr. E]

from all our strikers I'd say Robers looked the most dangerous, managed to get away from a couple of defenders every now and then. The only two chances though fell to Roque and he missed them.

[RoversFanUSA]

Disappointing result but a point is better then nothing at all. Glad to see were still within reach and need to get our butts in gear and start getting points. Glad to see that Santa was able to shake off his knock and play today and glad to see that Nelson is back. Still havent seen the highlights but itll be nice to have Samba back soon and of course Big Brad MOM from the few reports i read. UP ROVERS!!!

[JAL]

What i'd like to know is how did Dunn perform, as he wasnt on international duty hed be fresh, did he drive the midfield and provide the inspiration that many on here see he can do.

[Rovers in America]

What i'd like to know is how did Dunn perform, as he wasnt on international duty hed be fresh, did he drive the midfield and provide the inspiration that many on here see he can do.

Not particularly. To be honest, I don't really remember anything he did today outside of the yellow card that seemed a fair shoulder to shoulder style challenge. He was largely unseen the whole game until being subbed off.

[DP]

What i'd like to know is how did Dunn perform, as he wasnt on international duty hed be fresh, did he drive the midfield and provide the inspiration that many on here see he can do.

Thought he was our best player and looked a cut above the rest of the midfield on both teams. I'm not sure what you mean by drive the midfield but yes he did keep the ball moving and always eager for a forward pass as usual. Reid and MGP were guilty again of slowing the play down. Bentley drifted in and out of the game and I thought when he moved infield tried to do too much on his own when a simple pass would have worked better.

Hughes' tactics messed it up in the end as when you're facing a team with 10 men you want to stretch the play. Not put your best crosser of the ball in the middle and replace your creative midfielder with a 4th striker and stick him on the wing!

A word about the Majedski stadium. I know it was horrible weather but what an awful ground in a soulless place. 2 miles out of the town centre and nothing nearby. If this is the future of football stadiums I'm not sure how long I'll carry on going. Give me Brammall Lane or Loftus Road any day (and Ewood, of course)