The more or less halfway poll

[Sutekh]

Now we are around the halfway mark this season and seen how Reading have done

Overall, so far it hasn't really been very good and Reading have failed to reach the same consistency as last season and as a result support is tending towards the negative, attendances are poor and, most importantly, the team performances have largely been dreary at best.

That said things have been on a slight upward trend in recent weeks as the team seems to have adopted a slightly more direct and less "pass it for passing's sake" approach but it still looks very edgy in most games.

The January window will soon open and Reading will no doubt get for Liam Moore while desperately searching for that elusive striker the never materialises. Therefore I really only see Reading finishing around about where they are now... midtable.

But what do you lot think....

[Hound]

Much the same

Wouldn’t say we’ve been to dreary since around Forest though - been quite entertaining

Be happy enough with Top half now

[windermereROYAL]

I believe people need to get a grip on reality. before Stam came in we were in real danger of going down. he turned it around last season. whether it was luck or not as some believe it didn't take away the massive improvement on the dross from the previous 3 seasons we had to endure.
This year we will very probably win a few and lose a few on a regular basis and finish about where we are now.

[Snowball]

My first thought is that there's something fundamentally wrong with the defence (or game management).

I expected us to start with a rock-solid, stingy defence and build from there.

We have let in 28 goals in 22 games. Had we been on 22 from 22 we might well have
half a dozen more wins.

Remember last season, despite a remarkable win percentage we got absolutely TONKED
a fair few times

7-1 Norwich
5-0 Fulham
4-1 Newcastle
4-1 Brentford
3-0 Preston

23-3 in just five games WTF! (and 4-0 at Man U) (27-3 in six)

Frankly, I can't see a massive difference in set-up this season (at the back)
but I am presuming that we ARE doing something different. Yes we can get
beat, but we don't look like shipping 4s, 5s, 7...

For me McShane, though a good servant, doesn't look like a top-six CB any more, Ilori, despite having class, is ATM, still not right, Blackett is very patchy and rarely works at LB; Gunter, tho' maybe worth his place overall would not get in many sides for his RB defensive work.

We also haven't quite worked out who our DM is. My God I wish we had Leighterwood as he was in our promotion year. With that one change, IMO we would be top six.

I think we need a stronger defence, an imperious one, where we concede well less than a goal a game average. I think if we really shut out other sides we would regularly win 2-0, but (tho' that's obvious) I think then we would be "amazing" going forward because we have skills and pace with Barrow, Aluko, Bacuna and would dramatically IMPROVE in attack from confidence alone.

Predicting the second half is very hard. It depends a lot on January. Yes Hugill would be nice, but I'd rather see a Moore-class CB to play alongside him, a terrifying fullback or two, and a DM who is JVDB on his best days (but every game)

I think, overall, if we creep up the table, don't ship any 4s, 5s, 6s and finish maybe 8th, I would back us for automatic next year

[Snowflake Royal]

Thoroughly disappointing start to the season, beginning with signing a million wingers and midfielders and only one striker, when we clearly needed more (admittedly something the club had tried to address). Thus followed an injury riddled, play off and short preseason hangover first dozen games filled with individual errors, questionable team selection, constant squad rotation and lack of confidence and ideas.

This was followed by much improved performances and results, although things still haven't quite fallen totally into place and it's still a slightly patchwork side.

All in all, I'd been hoping (and expecting) for us to be competing at the top all season and hopefully automatic promotion. Instead, we're looking at midtable mediocrity. Maybe pushing towards the top 10 if we can continue to grow.

It's going to be a failure of a season. But it could, and hopefully will, end up being a successful failure. And by that, I mean that you tend to learn more through failing than succeeding, and I think there's the opportunity for Stam to have learnt a lot so far, with only half the season gone. And if we can have a decent end to the season, with a mostly fit side, we should be able to do relatively minor maintenance to the side and start next season with a bang under Stam.

We'll see how we go. There's always next year.

[Y21]

As a club, we need to be pushing on and moving forward. So far, this season has been backwards. I do not understand Stam. Why did he change the team again on Saturday? Why did he bring Blackett back in? It's almost like he gets us safe using a team he doesn't want, and then goes back to the team he wants. If that carries on, he can feck off.

I don't get it. If your system and style isn't working, why not change it? To me, it seems to me that he is determined to play the game his way, even if it is to the detriment of the team. The only time he'll change it to a more direct and attacking way is when we are struggling at the arse end of the table. I think his ego is the biggest threat to our team this season. He needs to be more flexible and perhaps more open to playing the game in different ways.

[Elm Park Kid]

As a club, we need to be pushing on and moving forward. So far, this season has been backwards. I do not understand Stam. Why did he change the team again on Saturday? Why did he bring Blackett back in? It's almost like he gets us safe using a team he doesn't want, and then goes back to the team he wants. If that carries on, he can feck off.

I don't get it. If your system and style isn't working, why not change it? To me, it seems to me that he is determined to play the game his way, even if it is to the detriment of the team. The only time he'll change it to a more direct and attacking way is when we are struggling at the arse end of the table. I think his ego is the biggest threat to our team this season. He needs to be more flexible and perhaps more open to playing the game in different ways.

In my opinion spending £7.5m on Aluko was a big mistake. They could have picked up decent left back for that and had some stability in defence.

[muirinho]

As a club, we need to be pushing on and moving forward. So far, this season has been backwards. I do not understand Stam. Why did he change the team again on Saturday? Why did he bring Blackett back in? It's almost like he gets us safe using a team he doesn't want, and then goes back to the team he wants. If that carries on, he can feck off.

I don't get it. If your system and style isn't working, why not change it? To me, it seems to me that he is determined to play the game his way, even if it is to the detriment of the team. The only time he'll change it to a more direct and attacking way is when we are struggling at the arse end of the table. I think his ego is the biggest threat to our team this season. He needs to be more flexible and perhaps more open to playing the game in different ways.

In my opinion spending £7.5m on Aluko was a big mistake. They could have picked up decent left back for that and had some stability in defence.

Presumably they thought we had one with Obita. With Omar Richards as very decent backup.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing - McShane so far, IMO, is a shadow of the player he was last season - that cannot help the situation.

I dont' think the criticism of the team selected is totally fair either. He moved Bacuna to midfield presumably because Kelly didn't play well last game(and Swift is injured). Which meant switching Gunts back to RB (where he was fine), but bringing Blackett back in from the cold at LB. I dont' think that was him being stubborn, I think it was him trying to fix a problem. And I don't think Blackett had a particularly bad game

Would we have done better if he'd left the team unchanged? .

[AthleticoSpizz]

The prevalent criticism (at this moment in time) can only be the exclusion of Jon Dadi from the starting line-up.


As an aside...how much do we reckon £7.5m Sone is worth on the open market right now?

[Snowflake Royal]

The prevalent criticism (at this moment in time) can only be the exclusion of Jon Dadi from the starting line-up.


As an aside...how much do we reckon £7.5m Sone is worth on the open market right now?

Given Kermie is the one who'd miss out for JDB, I don't think it's any surprise he's on the bench, although he has been underused at times and is probably due another go ahead of Kermie soon.

We're very unlikely to start both.

Odd that people are criticising Stam for trying to play a defender at rightback rather than a midfielder. It seems obvious to me that Bacuna is a short term fullback fix and Stam wants him in midfield. Has it occurred to anyone now we're out of crisis he's giving Blackett a chance to win his place back so Stam can field a properly balanced side? And just maybe if Blackett fails he'll be off and / or a new LB will be a priority signing.

[Hound]

Not sure we’ll be signing another LB - maybe a loan. But we have 3 players inc Gunts who can play there. Obita hopefully back for next year

Aluko didn’t cost 7.5m. Thought that had been made pretty clear. However do agree his signing wasn’t really necessary and would have been better to keep the money for a striker. Still, he’s a good player.

[tidus_mi2]

It'll be interesting to see what people will think of the season at the true halfway point, Burton at home is pretty much a must-win purely for the reason, and no offence intended to Burton, that we should really be winning this one, especially with a bumper crowd expected for the 500th game.

Could well be into the top half for the first time since August.

[John Smith]

My first thought is that there's something fundamentally wrong with the defence (or game management).

I expected us to start with a rock-solid, stingy defence and build from there.

We have let in 28 goals in 22 games. Had we been on 22 from 22 we might well have
half a dozen more wins.

Remember last season, despite a remarkable win percentage we got absolutely TONKED
a fair few times

7-1 Norwich
5-0 Fulham
4-1 Newcastle
4-1 Brentford
3-0 Preston

23-3 in just five games WTF! (and 4-0 at Man U) (27-3 in six)

Frankly, I can't see a massive difference in set-up this season (at the back)
but I am presuming that we ARE doing something different. Yes we can get
beat, but we don't look like shipping 4s, 5s, 7...

For me McShane, though a good servant, doesn't look like a top-six CB any more, Ilori, despite having class, is ATM, still not right, Blackett is very patchy and rarely works at LB; Gunter, tho' maybe worth his place overall would not get in many sides for his RB defensive work.

We also haven't quite worked out who our DM is. My God I wish we had Leighterwood as he was in our promotion year. With that one change, IMO we would be top six.

I think we need a stronger defence, an imperious one, where we concede well less than a goal a game average. I think if we really shut out other sides we would regularly win 2-0, but (tho' that's obvious) I think then we would be "amazing" going forward because we have skills and pace with Barrow, Aluko, Bacuna and would dramatically IMPROVE in attack from confidence alone.

Predicting the second half is very hard. It depends a lot on January. Yes Hugill would be nice, but I'd rather see a Moore-class CB to play alongside him, a terrifying fullback or two, and a DM who is JVDB on his best days (but every game)

I think, overall, if we creep up the table, don't ship any 4s, 5s, 6s and finish maybe 8th, I would back us for automatic next year

What a bloody good post.

How much do we feel was down to Steven Reid's departure? I can't think of much that has really changed since

[Hound]

agree on McShane, and the majority of the post

Don't want to keep hammering the guy as I like him, and has done well for us, but so many goals seem to come via his defending, along with plenty of mistakes which don't get end up as a goal.. He is making the kind of balls-ups that led to Cooper leaving the club basically

I can't see us keeping clean sheets regularly until he is replaced Im afraid

[Snowball]

Yes, sadly.

Consider if we had a CB alongside Moore, who was as good or better.

It isn't just the saved goals (say 5-15 a season) but the frustration that wears
the opposition down, the increased confidence growing in your own midfielders
and attackers.

I think we are very much a "confidence" side, and I believe we have enough
going forward to do real damage to teams. We just need to shut the back door.

[Coppells Lost Coat]

Top half finish. We will have some very good results in the rest of the season mixed with some stinkers. Stams team selections seem to be about right, balance is there on the pitch, just needs to stop the injuries and get some consistency.
Confidence is a priority over every signing IMO. It looks / feels like the attackers on the pitch don't trust that the forward passes will come. Dropping deep, over cautious in their runs just in case the pass is wayward and then caught well out of position.

[Elm Park Kid]

Not sure we’ll be signing another LB - maybe a loan. But we have 3 players inc Gunts who can play there. Obita hopefully back for next year

Aluko didn’t cost 7.5m. Thought that had been made pretty clear. However do agree his signing wasn’t really necessary and would have been better to keep the money for a striker. Still, he’s a good player.

Am I really the only one that thinks the light-weight left winger we forced into being a left back is maybe not that great a long term solution? Sure he's fine going forward but he really can't defend that well. I mean, he's ok as a mid-table championship player but against anyone at a higher level he's is going to get found out. We need a proper defender in that position to provide some stability - if we have ambitions of promotion that is.

I honestly think that football fans are just too blind to the weaknesses of their own players . . . .

[Hound]

Obita? Would have agreed end of 2016 but he was excellent second half of last year. Wouldn’t say he was lightweight at all, toughened up a lot

Obvs whether he comes back at the same level is a big ‘if’ at the moment

[royalp-we]

Comfortably bottom half.

The missing ingredient has to be all those rebound penalties which we were scoring last year.

How many penalties have we actually been awarded this season?

[bcubed]

comfortably bottom half for me too

Agree re McShane been saying the same

Some combination of Ilori Blackett and Moore would work well. All are comfortable on the ball and can play out of defence without panicking (unlike McShane)

I still think Bacuna in front of defence is the best I've seen us play all season, if not for years
We are not making best use of him playing him elsewhere