match thread Reading (A)

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Just now, philipl said:

Back To Back!!!???. Boys left everything on the pitch today!! @BradDacks40 and @AdamArma9 coming up trumps again!!? . Great to have @LewisHoltby at the club and make his debut today! All round team effort today. Safe journey home to all!!???? @Rovers #ArteEtLabore ???

 

Great tweet by Greg Cunningham

@AdamArma9 coming up trumps for once!!?

 

There I've corrected Greg's spelling mistake!

[Ossydave]

6 hours ago, 47er said:

If Preston aren't blessed with our riches of depth why are they always above us? 

There's a point being made there----by you!

They finished marginally above us last season. My point is about our squad THIS season.

[Paul Mani]

11 hours ago, Stuart said:

But he keeps altering the line up and expecting players to gel. Good sides are usually based on consistency with players creating partnerships all over the pitch. Last time out Travis was dropped and Johnson didn’t play as well as he had, this week it was the other way around. Prior to that both were being talked about as the best partnership for a good while. We were the post away from 2-2 today but got the points. We won’t achieve that consistency until Tony starts to pick and trust his best XI. Despite a decent strike today, Armstrong isn’t in that yet for me.

Compare us with Preston, for instance. They seem to have a settled midfield and defence and (early days) sit third. We’ve settled on Williams and Lenihan (no knocks or illness for them) and look more solid at the back - why keep tinkering in midfield? (The answer, of course, is that we have too many of them).

The team is picked to win games and we won both matches ffs!! ?

Preston play the the same team every week because they have nothing behind the first XI. They couldn’t dream of having the quality of Nyambe, Johnson, Buckley, Holtby and Graham sat waiting to come on with Tosin and Rothwell sat out of the 18. Not to mention Chapman, BB, JRC etc to be integrated.

This notion of playing the same team every week is completely outdated. You only have to look at every successful team in the last two years to see that other than a core of 6/7, rotation is pretty normal now. It’s based on the idea that you increase the overall squad quality, then there isn’t a dip in performance regardless of who plays. It also prevents injury and keeps people fresh.

 

[Paul Mani]

Just now, Ossydave said:

They finished marginally above us last season. My point is about our squad THIS season.

The hype around Preston is funny. The press are all over it too. “Preston are on an amazing run” “They were brilliant last season and they’ll be even better this season”. It’s just hype.

Jeez, they finished just above us in our first season back and I’m pretty confident that once the injuries and suspensions hit in Nov / Dec we will be above them for the rest of the season. 

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Just now, Paul Mani said:

The hype around Preston is funny. The press are all over it too. “Preston are on an amazing run” “They were brilliant last season and they’ll be even better this season”. It’s just hype.

Jeez, they finished just above us in our first season back and I’m pretty confident that once the injuries and suspensions hit in Nov / Dec we will be above them for the rest of the season. 

To be fair, they are a good side to bench mark us against. They did just finsih above us but they battered us at their place and beat us at ours. I agree Radio PNE sorry Lancashire do seem to overhype them but if we finish above them then we are heading in the right direction.

[Mattyblue]

Though a bit like Dyche, Preston have stumbled upon a good manager, let’s hope he fecks off quickly and they go back to appointing the Darren Fergusons and Graham Westleys of the world.

[neophox]

Evans great? Ok in the first half then lost second half and rightly subbed. The guy is not good enough. Think we have a player in Holtby. A good weeks training and then Luton home.

[47er]

13 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

They finished marginally above us last season. My point is about our squad THIS season.

After the most dreadful start when they looked certain relegation fodder! It doesn't matter if "we're blessed with riches" if we can't get the best out of them.

Burnley got the best out of limited resources and went up and are still up. Preston could well do the same. Neither will be changing the side every week.

 

[47er]

24 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Preston play the the same team every week because they have nothing behind the first XI

Maybe that's the secret of success.

[Doug]

Competition for places is essential for a team with asperations. 

We have a good selection of midfielders, the most demanding position on the pitch IMO, and this should prove beneficial as the season progresses.

Pick a team to exploit your opponents weaknesses or to null their strengths.

Great result yesterday, a couple more wins over the next few weeks could see us right up there!

[LDRover]

Be interesting to see how the next couple of games pan out now. TM like GB before him usually sees his arse when the top 6 is looming, let's hope he takes the handbrake off and goes for it this time.

[Mattyblue]

This run of fixtures between international breaks were pivotal. Flunk them and it would be another season of mediocrity, get a few wins and we will be well set.

Two wins so far with back to back home games to come (struggling Luton, a decent Forest side) and a trip to QPR which is certainly winnable.

We’ve seen so many false dawns since the Bowyer era with regards to even getting in the top 6 for a week I’m not getting giddy, but at least we’ve a bit of that hope thing for once...

Edited September 22, 2019 by Mattyblue

[Paul Mani]

34 minutes ago, 47er said:

Maybe that's the secret of success.

Come back to me when those suspensions and injuries start coming in. Or speak to the Preston fans who are acutely aware of how precarious their squad is in terms of numbers ??

[Paul Mani]

1 hour ago, dingles staying down 4ever said:

To be fair, they are a good side to bench mark us against. They did just finsih above us but they battered us at their place and beat us at ours. I agree Radio PNE sorry Lancashire do seem to overhype them but if we finish above them then we are heading in the right direction.

They’ve had several consecutive seasons in the championship and have a decent base. But we did finish just behind them in our first season in the only metric that matters. The league.

Based on the trajectory of both clubs and squad depth / quality I fully expect us to finish above them.

[47er]

Just now, Paul Mani said:

Come back to me when those suspensions and injuries start coming in. Or speak to the Preston fans who are acutely aware of how precarious their squad is in terms of numbers ??

You really don't think we've accumulated too many players, especially in mid-field? 

Were Preston precariously placed last season when they beat us twice and finished above us?

 

 

[Paul Mani]

Just now, 47er said:

You really don't think we've accumulated too many players, especially in mid-field? 

Were Preston precariously placed last season when they beat us twice and finished above us?

 

 

I genuinely do not believe that we have too many midfielders. There’s very little repetition in the group and most do very different things which give us options. Where there is repetition in skill sets, like Smallwood, Evans, Johnson and Travis who are all combative and deep lying then You can see obvious prioritisation from the manager (BJ / LT) with a rotation option from CE and complete removal of RS. Buckley, Downing, Holtby and Rothwell can play deep lying If we go to a three OR play in the advanced positions with Dack and Armstrong etc. 

Preston are decent and have been building in the Championship for several years. Yes, In our first season back in the league they beat us twice and finished marginally above us. But I’m confident that the extra years experience of our young squad, new signings, emergence of the likes of Travis and Buckley as well as the investment in technology etc will see us finish this season comfortably above them.

They’re still two or three key injuries away from that terrible form from the start of last season. Individual games are always subjective to form, injuries etc. I know something, I’d back our best team against theirs even now.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Paul Mani

[K-Hod]

Really happy with the result yesterday (obviously). When I got the notification on LiveScore that Reading had bagged, I got the usual anxiety, but it turns out it was unnecessary.

Something feels different about us this season, we certainly seem more steely and able to see games out, whereas last season we would have crumbled and drawn 2-2.

Early days yet, but I’m excited to see what this team can do!

Edited September 22, 2019 by K-Hod

[Paul Mani]

Just now, K-Hod said:

Really happy with the result yesterday (obviously). When I got the notification on LiveScore that Reading had bagged, I got the usual anxiety, but it turns out it was unnecessary.

Something feels different about us this season, we certainly seem more steely and able to see games out, whereas last season we would have crumbled and drawn 2-2.

Early days yet, but I’m excited to see what this team can do!

100% agree. That steeliness is a combination of the additions of Johnson, Downing, Cunningham and Walton. The form of Williams alongside Lenihan and another years experience for the likes of Travis etc.

I make that three games now where we’ve won by a goal and managed the game out. Boro, Hull and Reading. That’s progression in anyone’s eyes.

 

[Gary C]

Just now, K-Hod said:

Really happy with the result yesterday (obviously). When I got the notification on LiveScore that Reading had bagged, I got the usual anxiety, but it turns out it was unnecessary.

Something feels different about us this season, we certainly seem more steely and able to see games out, whereas last season we would have crumbled and drawn 2-2.

Early days yet, but I’m excited to see what this team can do!

Totally agree in the past we would have fell apart and drawn or even lost. Seem a bit more resilient at the back. We have some good players. Just need to settle on a system that suits them and we will progress

[DE.]

In fairness in most of the games we've won by a goal we have gifted the opposition a chance right at the death so I don't think we're quite there yet. I remember Hull missing a golden chance at the end when we beat them 1-0, and yesterday Reading had a good chance right at the end from a free kick conceded in a dangerous position. We're definitely improved on last season so far, but I still want us to stop giving away silly chances at the end. 

[Atko's Engine]

Great result yesterday, this ability to see games out is a thing of beauty. Ok they hit the post and had us under the cosh for a bit, but you expect the home team to fight, yet we were able to call on some guile & experience to counter that and bag the win. 

This is what we were crying out for last season. All those point-scoring positions squandered in the last 10 mins. If (early days yet I know) we can keep that side of our game up & maintain what we did last year, that gap between 17th & top 6 becomes much narrower and we should be in the mix. We'll need a bit of luck with injuries & suspensions (esp Tosin, I'm beginning to wonder if he's made of glass) but most teams do across a season.

If we can pull results & performances like that out with Evans in the team, Travis below par, & the likes of Rothwell, Graham, Holtby, Johnson & others waiting in the wings, there's real promise there.

Far from perfect, but I'm definitely in the camp that TM knows where he wants us to be & how to get there, and I can see the pieces of his jigsaw gradually coming together. We have options in the squad in term of systems & styles that can be employed as the situation desires, be if from kick off or mid game. That's a great position to be in imo.

We've 2 very important fixtures coming up now, which can really put a marker down for us. But we mustn't take Luton lightly, arguably that cost us against Charlton. Approach that game right, and there's no reason we can't build on this.

 

[dingles staying down 4ever]

49 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

They’ve had several consecutive seasons in the championship and have a decent base. But we did finish just behind them in our first season in the only metric that matters. The league.

Based on the trajectory of both clubs and squad depth / quality I fully expect us to finish above them.

The only metric that matters is not that we finished behind them last season. A miss is as good as a mile is the old saying. We may have finished 30 points behind them not just 1. If we finish above them this season we've progressed or they've declined but truely the only metric that matters is that we are promoted or not in today's financial world.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

31 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

Really happy with the result yesterday (obviously). When I got the notification on LiveScore that Reading had bagged, I got the usual anxiety, but it turns out it was unnecessary.

Something feels different about us this season, we certainly seem more steely and able to see games out, whereas last season we would have crumbled and drawn 2-2.

Early days yet, but I’m excited to see what this team can do!

Agree with you but the width of the post would have meant we would have crumbled. Maybe we may have signed another signing, Abit O'Luck.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

3 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

The team is picked to win games and we won both matches ffs!! ?

Preston play the the same team every week because they have nothing behind the first XI. They couldn’t dream of having the quality of Nyambe, Johnson, Buckley, Holtby and Graham sat waiting to come on with Tosin and Rothwell sat out of the 18. Not to mention Chapman, BB, JRC etc to be integrated.

This notion of playing the same team every week is completely outdated. You only have to look at every successful team in the last two years to see that other than a core of 6/7, rotation is pretty normal now. It’s based on the idea that you increase the overall squad quality, then there isn’t a dip in performance regardless of who plays. It also prevents injury and keeps people fresh.

 

The teams you refer to Paul may rotate personnel, mainly because of the sheer volumes of games that being involved in four major competitions means. However they very rarely change the way the play. Players come in and out but the shape stays the same.The have a system and they stick to it. When we won the Prem we had a very basic pattern of play that never varied and worked very well for us.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

The teams you refer to Paul may rotate personnel, mainly because of the sheer volumes of games that being involved in four major competitions means. However they very rarely change the way the play. Players come in and out but the shape stays the same.The have a system and they stick to it. When we won the Prem we had a very basic pattern of play that never varied and worked very well for us.

Not just their first teams but also their junior teams. This means even if a younster gets promoted they know their role.