Rovers vs Reading at Virtual Ewood

[Lancs Rover]

This season, it has been possible to follow the Rovers from the comfort of your front room with a beer for a measly tenner on iFollow.

Plus the quality of our play so far - we are an attacking team - and the hatful of goals we'r currently scoring and chances we are creating.

This adds up to a boon for the club.

Fans who normally wouldn't attend Ewood maybe because of distance, other commitments or who have simply got out of the habit have seen possbily some of the best football in the last ten years.

The club couldn't have timed the situation better if it had tried. Hopefully, Waggott is lining up some interesting deal to get us out of our armchairs and into the ground. Because that day will surely come. And I hope it is before the end of this season. Because, if we keep up our present levels of intensity and key players remain injury-free, (Ayala and Kaminski are recent incumbents on the treatment table as I write) we must have a decent chance of the playoffs.

All we have to do is keep this up for the next 39 games.  ?

Our ground will open up to all fans sooner or later. We could be building up a decent TV following.

if we played in front of a paying crowd, what would the attendance be? Has our play warrented a big attendance or has the famous Rovers fan scepticism - in evidence throughout my fifty-plus years, it has to be said - started to give way to genuine enthusiasm and translated into higher attendances? Plaudits from the armchair are one thing, creeping praise on the messageboard is emerging, but the real proof times are a-changing would be in terms of attendances.

 

Rovers vs Reading Tuesday 27 October 2020

Reading are top of the league with some fans saying they are not playing that well. Not a club to get you out of your warm seat on a wet and windy Tuesday evening in Blackburn with doubts after two mediocre home performances still in the air.

I'd predict 11,000 hopeful virtual souls scattered around the ground largely expecting a dour draw against a resilient Reading team with Lucas Joao leading line like he did for the occasional brilliant ten minutes in games for us.

250 Reading fans adding nothing at all to the atmosphere.

Come On You Blues - We're virtually there. ?

[Mattyblue]

Midweek on the red button? It wouldn’t  have mattered that we’d been handing out a few beatings. Presuming we’d sold the usual number of STs, It would be 10/11,000 (real crowd about 7,000).

A reasonably priced 3pm against decent opposition would get a decent walk on crowd - alas Waggott likes to bang those at Cat A/A+, so snuffing out any support building momentum.

(I like this virtual attendance scenario game).

[philipl]

Having lost 3 games to teams which will surely be top half by season end, here come another 3 all within 7 days for us to try to beat.

A casual look at the table and Reading are already out of sight at the top 5 points clear.

P7 W6 D1 L0 F10 A1 Pts 19

A careful look at their opponents to date though- well you can only beat the team you are playing, but...

I know I have stuck my neck out and said Reading are going to stay in contention all season. If they keep this up beating bottom half teams every time they play them, there's 78 points available... so I am sticking with that prediction.

However, regardless of opponents, that is still a mighty fine record Reading have so will Rovers prove even mightier?

I would have been much more nervous about this one had we not returned to Genghis Khan form against Coventry and slaughtered another bunch of footballing innocents.

Against Reading, I would start with Ayala in place of Lenihan as the height of Joaoa needs defending against and Williams had the more assured performance against Coventry.

We might see Pears make his debut if Kaminski really did himself some damage with that late late save against Coventry.

Otherwise same team and same result please...

Not being greedy but we should be a different level of forward threat for the Reading back line to try to cope with.

[Lancs Rover]

1 minute ago, philipl said:

Having lost 3 games to teams which will surely be top half by season end, here come another 3 all within 7 days for us to try to beat.

A casual look at the table and Reading are already out of sight at the top 5 points clear.

P7 W6 D1 L0 F10 A1 Pts 19

A careful look at their opponents to date though- well you can only beat the team you are playing, but...

I know I have stuck my neck out and said Reading are going to stay in contention all season. If they keep this up beating bottom half teams every time they play them, there's 78 points available... so I am sticking with that prediction.

However, regardless of opponents, that is still a mighty fine record Reading have so will Rovers prove even mightier?

I would have been much more nervous about this one had we not returned to Genghis Khan form against Coventry and slaughtered another bunch of footballing innocents.

Against Reading, I would start with Ayala in place of Lenihan as the height of Joaoa needs defending against and Williams had the more assured performance against Coventry.

We might see Pears make his debut if Kaminski really did himself some damage with that late late save against Coventry.

Otherwise same team and same result please...

Not being greedy but we should be a different level of forward threat for the Reading back line to try to cope with.

True.

My one concern is that Tony will have one of his 'Spider in the bath' moments when he sees the league table.

And revert to type.

I hope not. ??

[G Somerset Rover]

Other than manager, can anyone explain the turnaround at Reading? Much by the way of personnel changes too? I see Meite scored a screamer yesterday - he’s always been a threat.

[jim mk2]

So can the "flat track bullies" beat a team in a much higher position than them?

This is a good test for Rovers, who need to show they aren't just a team who smash the poor sides but lose to the better ones.

Odds must be on a draw.

Rovers 1 Reading 1

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

I think we'll give the Berkshire Hunt's a right Royal pasting 3-1. 

Or 0-0. 

Apparently, according to Quest, Reading have not been behind at any stage this season. 

Edited October 25, 2020 by Hoochie Bloochie Mama

[darrenrover]

8 minutes ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

I think we'll give the Berkshire Hunt's a right Royal pasting 3-1. 

Or 0-0. 

Apparently, according to Quest, Reading have not been behind at any stage this season. 

They've only conceded once in 7 games

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

Just now, darrenrover said:

They've only conceded once in 7 games

Aye, it's going to be tough. And Joao and Meite are a handful. 

But you'd think they're due a loss. 

[darrenrover]

2 minutes ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

Aye, it's going to be tough. And Joao and Meite are a handful. 

But you'd think they're due a loss. 

We beat them 4-3 in July, so something similar perhaps.

[G Somerset Rover]

3 minutes ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

Aye, it's going to be tough. And Joao and Meite are a handful. 

But you'd think they're due a loss. 

Yeah - I just checked and personnel wise they haven’t changed that much. A couple of loans from Portugal aside and Ejaria from Liverpool. Hopefully it’s a bit of a ‘new manager bounce’ and we can burst that bubble on Tuesday night.

[bluebruce]

What worries me is that yesterday Reading won 3-0 with 36 percent possession and less shots than their opponents. That's exactly the kind of trap we fall into.

Throw in that they've only conceded one goal, and this becomes another big test. They're almost certainly going to come with a plan to spoil our play.

[Paul Mani]

3 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

What worries me is that yesterday Reading won 3-0 with 36 percent possession and less shots than their opponents. That's exactly the kind of trap we fall into.

Throw in that they've only conceded one goal, and this becomes another big test. They're almost certainly going to come with a plan to spoil our play.

I agree...this is a big test of whether the new signings have improved us enough to create chances, take them and then draw these teams out!

Any result is possible. I feel that IF we get the first goal then Reading will come at us and we’ll take them apart. Looking forward to it! 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

They seem to have the happy knack of not conceding a goal in spite of having lacklustre spells in the game. When they do click they'll still in the game and one goal is then enough. A bit like Howard Kendall's promotion team.

[chaddyrovers]

same team as yesterday please. No changes are need

 

[jim mk2]

35 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

What worries me is that yesterday Reading won 3-0 with 36 percent possession and less shots than their opponents. That's exactly the kind of trap we fall into.

Throw in that they've only conceded one goal, and this becomes another big test. They're almost certainly going to come with a plan to spoil our play.

 Suggests they're a counter attack side who defend deep and then hit on the break .... a bit like us in fact. Mowbray needs to be canny. 

[Sparks Rover]

Fancy a fairly straight forward win. 3-1 rovers, BB hat trick.

[philipl]

36 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

same team as yesterday please. No changes are need

 

But Coventry didn't have a 6' 5" forward. 

Ayala has to come in.

[chaddyrovers]

50 minutes ago, philipl said:

But Coventry didn't have a 6' 5" forward. 

Ayala has to come in.

and? 

Keep the same team and Ayala might not be 100% fit

[Mercer]

Nothing to fear here.

Let Reading worry about us.

Be bold, positive and on the front foot from the first whistle.

If all fit, same team for me except Ayala for Lenihan. 

Rovers to edge it by the odd goal it in a 5 goal thriller (stuck a tenner on @ 36/1).

Edited October 25, 2020 by Mercer

[arbitro]

2 hours ago, bluebruce said:

What worries me is that yesterday Reading won 3-0 with 36 percent possession and less shots than their opponents. That's exactly the kind of trap we fall into.

Throw in that they've only conceded one goal, and this becomes another big test. They're almost certainly going to come with a plan to spoil our play.

There are several teams in the Championship who are happy to let their opponents have the majority of possession in certain areas and then squeeze play when they advance. I remember in the October of our promotion season when we had a few home draws despite dominating all the statistics. Mowbray said after one of these that we have to find a way of playing against and beating these teams. I don't believe that he has consistently found that way yet. For that reason I think he should just set us up to play exactly the way we have in most games this season. Intensity, high press and good shape has stood us in good stead so far so we should just impose that style on opponents in every game. These qualities were lacking for me against Forest and Cardiff and we allowed them to impose their defensive style on us.

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

They'll come to stop us playing and try and nick it with a single goal. A good chance to see if Tony and the team have learnt anything from Cardiff & Forest games. Fingers crossed we have enough to beat them but I'm thinking 0-0. 

[roversfan99]

This is a big game. Reading have very much made themselves a team to beat at the top of the table and we could do with 3 points to put a bit of a marker down against a better side and also to make up some ground both on Reading and the top 6.

Same side unless Kaminski is injured and Pears to come in if so with the Greek on the bench. Ayala if fit on the bench over Bell.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

Nothing to fear here.

Let Reading worry about us.

Be bold, positive and on the front foot from the first whistle.

If all fit, same team for me except Ayala for Lenihan. 

Rovers to edge it by the odd goal it in a 5 goal thriller (stuck a tenner on @ 36/1).

How's was the meal, bottle of red and the hangover? 

I agree on letting them worry about us approach

 

 

Edited October 25, 2020 by chaddyrovers

[chaddyrovers]

27 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

This is a big game. Reading have very much made themselves a team to beat at the top of the table and we could do with 3 points to put a bit of a marker down against a better side and also to make up some ground both on Reading and the top 6.

Same side unless Kaminski is injured and Pears to come in if so with the Greek on the bench. Ayala if fit on the bench over Bell.

Have you seen much of Reading and how they play tactical and formation wise?