Absolutely soaked having walked for 50 mins in absolutely torrential rain back across Bristol. Donning tin hat..,,

2-0 was not a fair reflection of the game. Stam's right - the difference was they took their chances, we didn't. But also they were prepared to shoot - our players seem scared to do so. At least Beerens kept going for goal when he came on. Stam has to somehow fix this - we can't keep defending 0!

Finishing aside there was little to choose between the teams and, at times, I felt we were better than them.

Both sets of fans thought the ref was shit but we seemed to suffer more at his hands. He completely bottled out of giving Pack a second yellow for an appalling challenge on Barrow. Also missed Kermorgant held down in the area in last few minutes which led to him missing his header.

City are a good footballing team but also nasty and cynical. Every potential counter from us was broken down by a cynical foul. They also produced several blatant dives which went unpunished. Then, of course, their was their treatment of players like Barrow with some nasty challenges although, to be fair, McShane also got away with a bad/clumsy one in the first half.

And, if Barrow hadn't got caught in two minds between power and placement in the last few minutes I'm sure we would have come away with a point.

Quite happy with the performance. Could have easily nicked it.

Had we won today and also win at Barnsley and didn’t lose to Burton we’d be up Stam’s backside.

Back the boys and make some noise.

URZ

Barrow’s miss was ghastly. JLow didn’t do that justice

Sounds like a point would have been fair, but it’s just not going our way this year

I very much doubt we would be up his backside. Whether we had won today is irrelevant. He's driving fans away from games with this turgid bullsh+t. All I heard after the Burton game was "my god that was awful" and "cant believe I paid 5 quid for that". You maybe happy sitting in a half empty stadium watching turgid dull 1 nils but clearly a large element are not. That's of course if we are capable of actually winning a game 1 nil.

What even was the challenge on Barrow that apparently was deserving of a red? Looked like he was second in a 50/50 although I haven't seen a replay.

Think Japp is talking his usual nonsense. They didn't look great but it wasn't just finishing that let us down. We looked poor all over the park. Crap passing. Suicidal play that will repeatedly cost us. Horrible stuff.

But we didn't win today, and we lost to Burton.

We made a late decision to go and had to pay £32 to sit in the City end.....Listening to how good they are after beating Manure was interesting to say the least.....Then the game started and my first thoughts were how did they win....We matched them for the first half for sure but 2nd half we were ponderous and wanted 50 passes to score whereas City played 2 or 3 and scored, VDB at CB does not work, McShane and Moore run round mopping up after him, Gunter was taken to the cleaners by Bobby Reid and had to switch FB with Bacuna who was then strangely subbed for Beerens or GMac...It all got confusing as we seemed to play 3-1-6 at the end with 4 wingers with big Dave marshalling the midfield on his own.....It was a shambles in my opinion, yes Barrow could of scored but City could of had 3 more, Mannone made great saves......1 last thing....Has Aluko some sort of crisis in his life? The guy is as poor buy as Reading have ever made...The Sean Evers/Paul Brayson standard

But we didn't win today, and we lost to Burton.

Yeh but IF we did. Just imagine.

Imagine if we'd won every game from the start of the season. Just imagine. We'd all be up Stam's backside.

Back the boys and make some noise.


oxf*rd imagine.

But we didn't win today, and we lost to Burton.

Yeh but IF we did. Just imagine.

Imagine if we'd won every game from the start of the season. Just imagine. We'd all be up Stam's backside.

Back the boys and make some noise.


oxf*rd imagine.

Are you dense?

Yeh but IF we did. Just imagine.

Imagine if we'd won every game from the start of the season. Just imagine. We'd all be up Stam's backside.

Back the boys and make some noise.


oxf*rd imagine.

Are you dense?

No but you seem it. What exactly is your point in regards to 2 games we did lose and 1 we're likely to lose?

Boxing day tradition to go to the football. This was a pretty poor performance by both sides. Neither team looked fluent. However only one team needlessly give the ball away inside their own half repeatedly.

Can we really continue to play passing football with no players that are actually good at passing?! Our midfield was pretty anonymous today.

We forced some half chances and barrow should have scored but they had the better chances and mannone made a few really good save.

Overall Stam's stubbornness needs to change as he's not playing a system that plays to the strength of our players.

Thought it was pretty poor stuff really. Defence is imbalanced and disorganised, midfield is fairly weak and the forwards don't offer too much. Apart from Barrows sitter and a couple of half chances, we didn't really look like scoring. We did match them in the first half and probably had the best opportunity, again through Barrow. Second half we didn't come out and Bristol City took charge of much of the half. Thought the only players to come out with any real credit were Mannone, who made 3 or 4 decent saves in the second half and Evans, who was reasonably steady after a long lay off.

For this team to move forward the defence certainly needs sorting out, starting with playing the full backs in the correct position and Bacuna moving to midfield. Aluko looks pretty low on confidence and offered very little again this afternoon.

Like wise are Reading too soft currently. Lacking true grit. Not helped by a makeshift defence and a style of play that results in us playing 2 wingers whatever the opposition. There's no plan B.

Like wise are Reading too soft currently. Lacking true grit. Not helped by a makeshift defence and a style of play that results in us playing 2 wingers whatever the opposition. There's no plan B.

Or 4 wingers in various positions as of today working off either a 36 that sadly can't move and an Icelandic player who can't hold the ball up

That was really frustrating. Despite being pretty shaky and below our best, I thought we gave Bristol City a run for their money and Barrow missed a sitter to lose us out on what would have been a deserved point. The very wet surface from all that rain wouldn't have helped our players get a clean strike on the ball.

Enough is enough with our makeshift team.
We need to go back to having a normal balanced defence. Start Richards and Gunter at full back and McShane and Moore as centre backs at Barnsley.

We looked really nervous at times playing out from the back. What I don't understand is that we've played this system for the best part of 2 seasons and those players still aren't looking confident of executing it when they're on the pitch. Always panicking on the ball when the opposition press us. Stam needs to address that as a matter of urgency.

Bacuna looks knackered and well off the pace at the moment. Bench at best for him at Barnsley. I'd rest him Saturday.

Bodvarsson offered very little too. I hope today was a reminder to the board that we're scarily light up front. Another defender is needed as well to shore our defence up.

The opposition managers have worked us out. Let McShane and Moore have the ball.........

Knock the Madejski down, including the hotel, relocate prospect park to Junction 11, rebuild elm park circa 1986 ish (Inc spread), free on street parking everywhere, delete recent 'success' and you've got me every week, regardless of how shit we are. As it stands, I'm out....

Its been said numerous times on this thread regarding balance and playing players out of position....lets get back to basics and start playing players in their natural positions, its not rocket science its basic footballing principles.
Lets go with 4-3-3, Richards at Left back, Gunter at Right and McShane and Moore in the middle. Play a three man midfield with Bacuna in his natural position with two other midfielders. I would then play one out an out striker with two inside forwards left and right.
Time to bite the bullet and go more direct, theres nothing wrong with passing but it needs to be done at pace if its to work, and we dont have the players to do this at pace.
We have some great players on paper, so theres clearly something going wrong somewhere, it has to be the tactics i'm afraid at this comes down solely on the manager and the coaching team.
I am also really concerned by the owners and the fact that they have not said boo since their arrival, if they are being loyal to the manager and his team then yes i commend them for this, so they need to actively communicate to the fans there loyalty and stance, or visa versa whether they are not happy, maybe some additional pressure will spark Jip jap into some decisions which may well be a benefit to the team.

If we had won every game this year we could have been top. Not sure why Jaap Stam hasn't bloody thought Of this

I very much doubt we would be up his backside. Whether we had won today is irrelevant. He's driving fans away from games with this turgid bullsh+t. All I heard after the Burton game was "my god that was awful" and "cant believe I paid 5 quid for that". You maybe happy sitting in a half empty stadium watching turgid dull 1 nils but clearly a large element are not. That's of course if we are capable of actually winning a game 1 nil.

I suppose the cynics will say that if Reading did get promoted then every prawn sandwich eating casual and his fashionable dog would go to games and we wouldn't have a problem with attendence. Actually, if you were being even more cynical you would say that the owners wouldn't give a cr*p if only one man and his dog turned up if we were getting Premier League money.

If you ask me (and no one does) that defeat to Burton did far more long term damage to Reading than any set of bad results. It sent a message to thousands of people that the team doesn't care about entertaining fans or fighting for results; and that the quality of football at the Mad Stad is extremely poor.

I very much doubt we would be up his backside. Whether we had won today is irrelevant. He's driving fans away from games with this turgid bullsh+t. All I heard after the Burton game was "my god that was awful" and "cant believe I paid 5 quid for that". You maybe happy sitting in a half empty stadium watching turgid dull 1 nils but clearly a large element are not. That's of course if we are capable of actually winning a game 1 nil.

Were you at today's game?

Support was good - at one point after we had gone a goal down, Stam turned and clapped us as we turned the volume up and out sang the home support.

The mass exodus when we conceded the second with moments left to play was perhaps understandable, particularly given the shit weather and it being Boxing Day, but a bit disappointing nevertheless. I think the players earned FT applause today. The players have been accused of not caring for club and fans but affinity is probably a bit more difficult when they play reasonably well but then turn to an empty stand.

I get that sentiment.

I will always have a season ticket. Even if we went into the lower leagues, to Sunday league standard.

However now I'm feeling more resentful going and my vocal support is turning more to vocal abuse.


Any fan other than the hardcore 10k+ who keep season tickets and the 500ish who go to every single away game it's really depressing to see that fans are being driven away.

Anyway. I've just realised I'm talking nonsense on the wrong
Thread .

That's great to hear

I sometimes wish Jaap and players would make a bigger deal of thanking fans.

Some clubs seem to go mad on it. Manager comes right over with all players. Not just in the direction and then walk off.

I very much doubt we would be up his backside. Whether we had won today is irrelevant. He's driving fans away from games with this turgid bullsh+t. All I heard after the Burton game was "my god that was awful" and "cant believe I paid 5 quid for that". You maybe happy sitting in a half empty stadium watching turgid dull 1 nils but clearly a large element are not. That's of course if we are capable of actually winning a game 1 nil.

I suppose the cynics will say that if Reading did get promoted then every prawn sandwich eating casual and his fashionable dog would go to games and we wouldn't have a problem with attendence. Actually, if you were being even more cynical you would say that the owners wouldn't give a cr*p if only one man and his dog turned up if we were getting Premier League money.

If you ask me (and no one does) that defeat to Burton did far more long term damage to Reading than any set of bad results. It sent a message to thousands of people that the team doesn't care about entertaining fans or fighting for results; and that the quality of football at the Mad Stad is extremely poor.

Good point, after the turgid crap served up against Burton i wonder what the attendance against Birmingham on Tuesday will be? i guess Brum may bring 1,000, so lucky to hit 14,000 at a push....

I very much doubt we would be up his backside. Whether we had won today is irrelevant. He's driving fans away from games with this turgid bullsh+t. All I heard after the Burton game was "my god that was awful" and "cant believe I paid 5 quid for that". You maybe happy sitting in a half empty stadium watching turgid dull 1 nils but clearly a large element are not. That's of course if we are capable of actually winning a game 1 nil.

I suppose the cynics will say that if Reading did get promoted then every prawn sandwich eating casual and his fashionable dog would go to games and we wouldn't have a problem with attendence. Actually, if you were being even more cynical you would say that the owners wouldn't give a cr*p if only one man and his dog turned up if we were getting Premier League money.

If you ask me (and no one does) that defeat to Burton did far more long term damage to Reading than any set of bad results. It sent a message to thousands of people that the team doesn't care about entertaining fans or fighting for results; and that the quality of football at the Mad Stad is extremely poor.

Only today I thought they clearly showed they did care and the supporters responded. Perhaps it's not surprising that we pick up some good results away from home because the support is much better. I'm getting thoroughly pissed off with some of the negative, moaning, abusive twats who sit near me at The Mad Stad and am beginning to think about concentrating on attending away games instead.

Can not accept that. Support at home isn't great but it's similar to many home grounds week In and week out.

I think it's poor form to even consider this a factor. And it also takes away the sheer insulting performance on Saturday as it's giving some sort of reason.

Support away from home will always be more supportive. Whether that's 100 or 4000 fans. That's football.

Barrow had got to the ball first and Pack arrived as late as a South West Train, completely wiping him out.

Can not accept that. Support at home isn't great but it's similar to many home grounds week In and week out.

I think it's poor form to even consider this a factor. And it also takes away the sheer insulting performance on Saturday as it's giving some sort of reason.

Support away from home will always be more supportive. Whether that's 100 or 4000 fans. That's football.


Unless you sit near to me your are not in a position to say you can not accept that! I am surrounded by some complete and utter Cs who are on the backs of individual players from the moment the teams are read out before kick off.

I also suggest you talk to some independent sports psychologists before dismissing out of hand the effect that this sort of negativity and abuse can have on most sports persons.

Well at least everyone appeared to be giving 100% today unlike Saturday - plenty of passion on display and several players came over to acknowledge the fans. Evans made a difference but it would be good to see Bacuna playing through the middle too, we should bring Richards in swap Gunter over AND drop JVDB! Bristol did not even look that special and if we were not held back by Stam's unfathomable tactics, we would almost certainly have earned a point. Reading fans were in great voice today - although not sure the players need even more encouragement to pass it backwards...

PS WHAT IS THE POINT of the shooting practise in the warm-up it's a total waste of energy !

Yeah, but you know, we didnt.