v Reading (a) - 20/3/22

[joey_big_nose]

Only two days away... Reading generally poor but got a good draw at Bournemouth

Obviously after the Tuesday we should (!) stick with the 4231 that was so effective in the second half. The main question will be whether Mowbray risks Dack from the start or he puts Buckley in and then brings Dack on second half. Probably the latter. 

For all of how good we looked throwing people forward on Tuesday I do wonder if it will open up our defence again. Hopefully playing Lenihan at right back will help a bit to maintain the defensive solidarity we've had. 

One of those games it's very hard to know what to expect. 

Team likely to play imo :

                          Kaminski

Lenihan   Van Hecke   WHarton   Pickering

                    Travis    Rothwell

       Dolan        Buckley       Khadra

                       Gallagher

Subs : Pears, Rankin Costello,  Davenport, Hedges, Giles, Johnson, Dack

[JHRover]

This lot score goals and have firepower, but also a very leaky defence.

This is must win for me. There won't be many better opportunities and we need to get some momentum going.

With the ridiculous games in hand situation (how the hell do all but one of our rivals still have these games in hand?) we can't afford more slip ups.

Whilst they won't all win their games in hand and indeed can't (Sheff U v QPR one of them) there is a strong chance at least a couple of the teams will.

Line up wise I think something similar to the 2nd half v Derby although I am loathe to change the defence which has worked well we do need goals and probably more than one to win here.

[jim mk2]

Reading and Peterborough who we also play soon are fighting for their lives. This is a very difficult game

I’ve never seen us get a point at the Majedski and am in 2 minds whether to go but should probably stay away. 1-1 draw at best

[TruRover]

Important game this. Must win if we are to cement ourselves in the playoffs. 
 

This may also seem wild but I still haven’t given up on chasing down Bournemouth. Their run in is extremely tough, and busy, which followed by there clear inconsistency almost guarantees the dropping of points. Furthermore they have to play Fulham at home Swansea away and then us away all in the space of 7 days before the final gameweek of the season. That week offers a potential swing of 6 points. All we need to do is make sure we are in range of them heading into that week. However for that to happen we don’t have much room for error. 
 

I would stick with 3 at the back. But it needs tinkering. 
 

kamisnki 

lenihan Van Hecke Wharton 

buckley Travis rothwell giles

dolan gally khadra 

No false 9. Gally up top with two excellent crossers in the wingback positions. Simple as that. 
 

 

[Admiral Nelsen]

Hugely important game. Seven points from the Millwall game onwards is less than we would've liked, but wouldn't be disastrous. Four points on the other hand...

I'd carry on with 3 at the back from the start. We'll be playing that way when Brereton returns anyway, although I would bring in Giles. 

 

                 Kaminski

      Lenihan  VH    Wharton

JRC    Travis   Rothwell      Giles

                 Dolan

          Gally         Khadra

 

Hopefully Gallagher can bring the same energy from the start that he managed from the bench against Derby. 2-0 Rovers.

[chaddyrovers]

I would go 4-2-3-1 formation and play similar to how we played that second half

                      Kaminski 

Lenihan Van Hecke Wharton Pickering 

                   Travis  Rothwell 

Dolan         Dack or Buckley      Giles

                        Gallagher 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

34 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

I would go 4-2-3-1 formation and play similar to how we played that second half

                      Kaminski 

Lenihan Van Hecke Wharton Pickering 

                   Travis  Rothwell 

Dolan         Dack or Buckley      Giles

                        Gallagher 

 

Interesting. There’s obviously going to be a debate as to which system to play on Saturday given the game of two halves on Tuesday. I wonder which way Mowbray will jump. I’m just a bit concerned about the fullbacks, Lenihan isn’t a natural right back and Pickering hasn’t really got going since his return from injury. It’s a shame both of Nyambe and Edun are injured.

Edited March 17, 2022 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[arbitro]

I think we can nick this with the right formation and square pegs in the right holes. For anybody who hasn't been before it's a soulless place, probably the worst of the new grounds primarily for the lack of amenities around the place. Parking isn't great neither and last time we were able to go the standard charge for parking was £10.

Paul Ince - enough said.

[rigger]

1 hour ago, TruRover said:

Important game this. Must win if we are to cement ourselves in the playoffs. 
 

This may also seem wild but I still haven’t given up on chasing down Bournemouth. Their run in is extremely tough, and busy, which followed by there clear inconsistency almost guarantees the dropping of points. Furthermore they have to play Fulham at home Swansea away and then us away all in the space of 7 days before the final gameweek of the season. That week offers a potential swing of 6 points. All we need to do is make sure we are in range of them heading into that week. However for that to happen we don’t have much room for error. 
 

I would stick with 3 at the back. But it needs tinkering. 
 

kamisnki 

lenihan Van Hecke Wharton 

buckley Travis rothwell giles

dolan gally khadra 

No false 9. Gally up top with two excellent crossers in the wingback positions. Simple as that. 
 

 

If we concentrate on catching the teams above us the rest will take care of itself. 8 games left, 22 points needed for automatic promotion.

[Fraserkirky]

Kaminski

Lenihan Van Hecke Wharton Giles 

————-Travis Rothwell—————-

Dolan————Dack———Khadra

——————Gallagher—————-

[jim mk2]

Paul Ince as Reading manager..... the immutable law of the ex will no doubt come into play

 

1 hour ago, rigger said:

If we concentrate on catching the teams above us the rest will take care of itself. 8 games left, 22 points needed for automatic promotion.

So we're going to glean 22 out of 24 points from here

Pass the smelling salts please

Edited March 17, 2022 by jim mk2

[Gav]

As one poster mentioned recently, we've not struggled to create chances, we've struggled to score them, which should give us all hope we can push on from here after Tuesdays goal fest. 

Reading 0 Rovers 2

Edited March 17, 2022 by Gav

[rigger]

19 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Paul Ince as Reading manager..... the immutable law of the ex will no doubt come into play

 

So we're going to glean 22 out of 24 points from here

Pass the smelling salts please

At this point in time it is possible. It is probably on a par with Brereton scoring 20 goals this season before New Year.

Edited March 17, 2022 by rigger

[martonrover]

3 hours ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

Hopefully Gallagher can bring the same energy from the start that he managed from the bench against Derby. 2-0 Rovers

It’s worrying to read that Mowbray says he’s got a hamstring niggle.

The decision not to sign a striker, (as in an actual centre forward), in January continues to haunt us.

[jim mk2]

37 minutes ago, rigger said:

At this point in time it is possible. It is probably on a par with Brereton scoring 20 goals this season before New Year.

Next year Rodney we'll be millionaires. Dream on... 

[roversfan99]

I would be wary of moving away from the back 3 to be honest.

I think the 2 main questions would be whether Dack is fit to start and whether Nyambe is fit as Rankin Costello is crap.

I would definitely go with Dolan, Gallagher and Giles from right to left, Travis and Rothwell in central midfield. Dack if fit enough in a number 10 role but I doubt he is, in which case I would bring Nyambe in, failing that either have Buckley reluctantly at right wing back and the usual back 3, or Buckley as a number 10 with Lenihan at right back.

[simongarnerisgod]

2 hours ago, arbitro said:

I think we can nick this with the right formation and square pegs in the right holes. For anybody who hasn't been before it's a soulless place, probably the worst of the new grounds primarily for the lack of amenities around the place. Parking isn't great neither and last time we were able to go the standard charge for parking was £10.

Paul Ince - enough said.

had the worst ever away trip there in the hughes era,soulless place in the middle of nowhere and a dreadful 0-0,you are miles away from reading and the ground is so nondescript it makes the dw stadium look an archetectural masterpiece

on the game itself,i think mowbray will go back to the false nine b*****s,in the second half on tuesday,he`s seen a system that works so in typical tony logic,he`ll go back to one that does`nt,i expect to see buckley back in,gally on the bench(apparently he`s got a sore hamstring according to tony,though i`ve never seen anyone with a dodgy hamstring move as quickly as he did the other night) and giles back on the right,that quality cross he put in for the last goal was a flagrant display of flighty wingmanship and must be cut out🙂,hopefully we`ll manage to get a result,you just never know with these days with rovers

[Ossydave]

4 hours ago, JHRover said:

This lot score goals and have firepower, but also a very leaky defence.

 

Do they?  They scored a few in Ince's first couple of games but in the last 4 games since they've been beaten 4-1, 1-0 and 4-0 then drew 1-1 midweek.  We can't wave our willys about too much after Tuesday as we've been struggling for goals too, Reading aren't free scoring of late though.

[joey_big_nose]

3 hours ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

Hugely important game. Seven points from the Millwall game onwards is less than we would've liked, but wouldn't be disastrous. Four points on the other hand...

I'd carry on with 3 at the back from the start. We'll be playing that way when Brereton returns anyway, although I would bring in Giles. 

 

                 Kaminski

      Lenihan  VH    Wharton

JRC    Travis   Rothwell      Giles

                 Dolan

          Gally         Khadra

 

Hopefully Gallagher can bring the same energy from the start that he managed from the bench against Derby. 2-0 Rovers.

I don't see why we couldn't stick with 4231 when BBD is back. He'd just play on the left I think.

[Admiral Nelsen]

3 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I don't see why we couldn't stick with 4231 when BBD is back. He'd just play on the left I think.

 

We could I suppose - I don't expect that we will though. Three at the back continues to make us very hard to score against, and Brereton was scoring plenty in this system before his injury. 

[Gav]

1 hour ago, jim mk2 said:

Next year Rodney we'll be millionaires. Dream on... 

 

[Guest]

Don't personally think the 4-2-3-1 works with anyone but Dack in the 10 role. If Dack isn't ready to start then I think you have to wait til he can come on to switch to that. Start 4-3-3 for me. 

[roversfan99]

1 minute ago, JoeH said:

Don't personally think the 4-2-3-1 works with anyone but Dack in the 10 role. If Dack isn't ready to start then I think you have to wait til he can come on to switch to that. Start 4-3-3 for me. 

Surely if Dack isn't fit enough to start, then we stick with the 3 at the back unless it means playing Rankin Costello?

[joey_big_nose]

7 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Don't personally think the 4-2-3-1 works with anyone but Dack in the 10 role. If Dack isn't ready to start then I think you have to wait til he can come on to switch to that. Start 4-3-3 for me. 

Why would we switch to yet another formation? We have struggled with 433 since halfway through last season. 

I can see Mowbray going back to 343 but it will be serious dispiriting for all the attacking lads who have struggle hugely for 10 games, find a way to score goals, and then go back to the way we played when we couldn't score.

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Surely if Dack isn't fit enough to start, then we stick with the 3 at the back unless it means playing Rankin Costello?

The 3/5 hasn't been working, we've been nervous with it. I think you go 4-3-3 personally. Gallagher central, Dolan or Khadra on the right, Giles on the left. Try and get the first goal. Go to the system that suits Dack as soon as he can play.