BFTG - Arsenal (a)

[jd82]

Might be my only chance to be first home (shout out to TF)

Pretty much a non-event. Lost the game to two poor goals, didn't offer much going the other way. Away fans never really got going, possibly due to some over enthusiastic stewarding. 4/10

[NewCorkSeth]

A picture is being shared on Facebook that seems to show Rob Holding take the ball across the line just before the Oxs second goal. Can anyone offer any insight?

[Scutterbucketz]

To anyone who travelled from Reading by train; what chance would someone have had of getting to the game if they got to the train station at 6pm?

[leon]

To anyone who travelled from Reading by train; what chance would someone have had of getting to the game if they got to the train station at 6pm?

Why, are you up to mischief?

[leon]

Might be my only chance to be first home (shout out to TF)

Pretty much a non-event. Lost the game to two poor goals, didn't offer much going the other way. Away fans never really got going, possibly due to some over enthusiastic stewarding. 4/10

A little harsh. Which part of North London do you live?

[Scutterbucketz]

To anyone who travelled from Reading by train; what chance would someone have had of getting to the game if they got to the train station at 6pm?

Why, are you up to mischief?

No, not me. Long boring story really, but the missus supposed to go with her younger brother but he couldn't get to the station til 6pm at the earliest. Probably more like 6.30pm. To which she said there was no point as they'd miss most of the first half. And that was well before there were massive delays on the Paddington line.

So I'm just trying to work out if he will have got there at all.

[George_]

Terrible atmosphere. It's a lot better when we take 800 to places like Cardiff. Tonight was a glorified day trippers paradise with people who haven't been to an away game since we were last in the Premiership.

[Top Flight]

Damn, I wasn't first back.

That game was there for the taking tonight. Arsenal looked an average to bottom half league one outfit and we weren't good enough to punish them. Our lack of attacking capability is really holding us back at the moment. Tonight we really lacked confidence and threw away the game with more playing out from the back and more mistakes.

[arthurfondrelli]

Firstly, I'm glad it wasn't a humiliating scoreline like many predicted. 2-0 was a fair result, although on another day we may have nicked one.

Al Habsi - 8 - played a part in gifting the first, but made some blinding saves second half. Still not sure on distribution

Watson - 6 - a big step up for him, struggled at times
Moore - 7 - still oozed confidence
Blackett - 6 - good shift at centre back
Obita - 6 - looked to get forward at every opportunity which is good to see

McCleary - 5 - very quiet, but very little service
Evans - 7 - was guilty of giving the ball away at times, but played some very nice passes out wide
Kelly - 6 - played well considering Saturday. Made a goal saving challenge first half (think it was him)
Van den Berg - 5 - got found out at times
Harriott - 6 - needed to get him on the ball more as he's a threat, but lacked final ball

Samuel - 7 - lacked composure at times, but short of match time recently. Held the ball up well and battled hard

Subs:
Kermorgant - 8 - changed the game, won everything in the air. Could have scored
Quinn - 8 - looked very energetic, possibly should have started
Gravenberch - 6 - strange sub, but wasn't horrendous


Was sat in block 20, where the atmosphere was virtually non-existent. Few handbags at the end from the Arsenal fans, probably at their one game a season. Was also kept being told to sit down by other Reading fans, despite needing to stand up to see what was going on

[Huckleberry Hound]

To anyone who travelled from Reading by train; what chance would someone have had of getting to the game if they got to the train station at 6pm?

Why, are you up to mischief?

No, not me. Long boring story really, but the missus supposed to go with her younger brother but he couldn't get to the station til 6pm at the earliest. Probably more like 6.30pm. To which she said there was no point as they'd miss most of the first half. And that was well before there were massive delays on the Paddington line.

So I'm just trying to work out if he will have got there at all.

My train left Reading about 5:50 & I got in with 5 minutes to spare.

[bobby1413]

I was in block 25 and the entire place was standing. Atmosphere was alright, 5/10.

It was pretty much like my last and first visit to the emirates - just a bit meh.

I can't complain and I won't. 2-0 loss isn't too bad. What did we do to stop that? Very little.

I feel very happy to be a reading fan - at least my club and fellow fans appreciate my support and existence. I have. No idea how anyone feels passionate about supporting a club like Arsenal ... but there we go. Horses for courses.

[sloughroyal123]

Terrible atmosphere. It's a lot better when we take 800 to places like Cardiff. Tonight was a glorified day trippers paradise with people who haven't been to an away game since we were last in the Premiership.

Agreed, but like MK dons last year, pockets of supporters tried to get an atmosphere going but was made difficult by the day trippers who sat on their hands all game

[Top Flight]

This is why we need terraces back and people being able to stand where they want with who ever they want.

[Royal_jimmy]

Terrible atmosphere. It's a lot better when we take 800 to places like Cardiff. Tonight was a glorified day trippers paradise with people who haven't been to an away game since we were last in the Premiership.

Agreed, but like MK dons last year, pockets of supporters tried to get an atmosphere going but was made difficult by the day trippers who sat on their hands all game

Also agree. But think about it Villa bought 4k down last week and they were co-ordinated despite it being an all-seater. They got behind their team and it made a difference. There were a few batches of our fans singing different chants with no co-ordination. Those fans who left when the second goal went in.. why did you even bother going? We were playing Arsenal and getting a result would have been monumental ask as their reserves are far better than ours. Back the team or just don't bother going to games. It irritates me when people sit on their hands not backing the players then leave when we are getting beat

Overall we gave a decent enough account of ourselves. 2-0 is not a shameful scoreline and we could have scored a couple ourselves with a bit more luck tonight

[Royality creeps In]

Plenty of passion in Block 24 with Reading fans (Pissed up adolescents) throwing handbags at each other.

[leon]

Not sure what block I was in - but we stood all the way through. Atmosphere was OK - not raucous but better than the home fans.

Thought we missed a trick. The Arsenal team looked quite raw and we should have bullied them and harried them rather than mincing around passing the ball around and then making mistakes at the back. We had no one who could pick the ball up in mid field and drive it forward. Too many times the players received the ball facing their own goal and immediately look to play the ball backwards.

Of the youngsters Watson looked sound, Kelly gave the ball away too much either from being too ambitious or through lack of concentration. Samuel, I thought did OK when he actually got the ball, which was not nearly enough.

Very disappointing, but at least we didn't get a bumming.

[McDermolenko]

Few people on Twitter saying that some of our fans were singing ISIS related chants about Al-Habsi? Anyone able to say whether true or false?

[leon]

Few people on Twitter saying that some of our fans were singing ISIS related chants about Al-Habsi? Anyone able to say whether true or false?

Well I didn't hear any. And I was leading the Madejski Ultras setting off flares and smashing up the stadium.

[St Pauli]

Soo....

Getting to the game was a nightmare.

We could have been 4-5 down in the first 20 minutes so the result was ok.

Standing: fine. Stood all 90.

Atmosphere: bit flat but then that's inevitable taking 6000 away, was still better than the home end.

Football: could have done better, the first goal was given away, but then...see above.

Stewarding: people getting chucked out for comparing Habsi with ISIS. Not necessarily in a racist or negative way, but it was a retarded thing to chant, when you think about it, and when you got dragged out, people were applauding, and that from standing, singing fans, not your day trippers. So bear that in mind when you turn up to games at the age of 14 with your baseball cap pulled down over your eyes like a real casual. You're not. Them times are gine, deal with it, join a boxing club.

[tidus_mi2]

I'm actually glad Arsenal's first goal happened in what is essentially a meaningless game, it has been threatening to happen for the past few games so hopefully the players learn from that.