BFTG Bolton (H)

[Ian Royal]

ive seen a few. and agree with the sentiments

I'm at about 9-13 depending on if you count streamed online and i agree also.

[leon]

I wasn't asking either of you mentallists

[Maguire]

Terrible game, can't remember anything that happened, not going to the next one.

[surrounded by saints]

In my opinion, this is the most boring Reading team I can remember......possibly matched by the Burns era team . There is nothing other than disappointment nowadays , seemingly no enthusiasm from most of the players. Nobody seems to know who's running the club,we've been warned to expect little from the transfer window and if we were to get rid of Nigel, who the hell could or would step in and mould this bunch into a challenging team?. roll on summer !.........just my humble opinion folks

[floyd__streete]

What a shame - and wholly predictable - that we couldn't follow up the remarkable result at Norwich with a home win.

[LUX]

UKIP thread

Stick up for the other Nige, at least

[winchester_royal]

Can't help but feel that some of the negativity is just a bit over the top.

Certainly wasn't a particularly scintillating performance, low confidence and lack of form never make for pretty football.

That being said it never felt remotely like a game we were going to lose, indeed barring one ten minute spell after half time following Boltons first sub we always felt like we had a degree of control. Just didn't have the confidence or ability to open the game up.

Just not having the 'players don't give a monkeys/won't play for the manager' thing either. No lack of workrate on display, just seemed quite clear that we had a plan to not really close beyond the halfway line. Favouring defensive shape over winning the ball back early. Its certainly a less aggressive way of playing, but understandable given our recent travails.

Seen far worse performances than that from Reading over the years, and doubtless will again over the years to come....but booing the players off for a nil nil home draw to a team in the same division is just.......words fail me.....

I'd left 15 mins early to get to an Xmas party, but if I'd stayed around I'd have been very tempted to join in.

No excuses to play with so little intent and tempo at home. The management seriously need to start taking the falling attendances into consideration when setting up their team as this club is only going one way right now.

[West Stand Man]

Poor performance going forward but it's another good (ish) defensive display which gets us a rare clean sheet. Albeit against a poor Bolton side.

Can't be a coincidence that Cox hasn't started our last 2 games and in both our attacking play was piss poor. Him in for Kanu and Obita moved back to the wing, please Nige.

Thought Garath looked like he was starting to get his edge back, but he's still shy of fitness and we're not seeing the best of him. Same goes for Williams, getting there but still a bit shy.

Oli Norwood was my MOTM, in an otherwise poor team he supported the defense well and his set pieces were decent and his passing range was good.

This idea that Obita is any good on the wing baffles me. He played there to start and his performances were not that good. He then switched to LB where he was exceptional until he lost form. He has never been any good on the wing ,but even worse in central midfield. Its so frustrating to see Adkins make the same mistakes again and again and again.

+1

Spot on

Cannot beat his man ever
Only crosses he gets over are from dead balls or running on to a through pass

What are you smoking?

[bcubed]

Just saying what I see WSM and seems to be what others are seeing too, judging by several comments on this thread

[bcubed]

I feel genuinely sorry for anyone who doesn't rate Norwood

He is the only shining light as far as I am concerned. The only player who gets into good positions and actually wants the ball, the only one reading the game and able to make quick decions and passes and probably the only one who looks like he wants to win the game

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

bcubed wrote: I feel genuinely sorry for anyone who doesn't rate Norwood

He is the only shining light as far as I am concerned. The only player who gets into good positions and actually wants the ball, the only one reading the game and able to make quick decisions and passes and probably the only one who looks like he wants to win the game

Totally agree. The RFC midfield all season has looked like statues.

Williams has returned to the side in recent weeks and looks half the player he was last season. Where has his box to box play and driving runs gone?

[melonhead]

been a bit spoilt with excitement, and having things resting on games etc in the last 15 years
bit rubbish to have two seasons with nothing of any note to be excited by, but in the grand scheme that isn't so bad.

as of the summer we will ditch some big earners, and have more money to build a proper team around those academy graduates that make the grade for us.


imo nige has been totally hamstrung.
that said, brian was hamstrung for most of his time here, and still got us up.....

[tidus_mi2]

been a bit spoilt with excitement, and having things resting on games etc in the last 15 years
bit rubbish to have two seasons with nothing of any note to be excited by, but in the grand scheme that isn't so bad.

as of the summer we will ditch some big earners, and have more money to build a proper team around those academy graduates that make the grade for us.


imo nige has been totally hamstrung.
that said, brian was hamstrung for most of his time here, and still got us up.....

I certainly agree with you with regards to Brian and Nigel, I would suggest that while we had ambitions of establishing ourselves as a Premier League side as he seemed to have a style of play poorly suited for Premier League survival, like you say, we ditch at least 2 high earners in Drenthe and Guthrie in the summer, Pog and HRK to follow the next summer so I think we can really push on from the summer.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

I didn't go on Saturday, but i can imagine its the same problems every week.

Its a bit of a catch 22 at the moment, the players are scared of playing forward passes because if the lack of confidence, if they play the forward pass and get it wrong the crowd get on their back.

We have a real issue at full back. Gunter is nowhere near the standard he was last year, and gets stretched and fails to stop a lot of crosses. I think part of the reason McCleary is playing on the left is too try to regenerate the partnership they had last year, and moving Obita away from the position where he got POTY last year just doesn't make sense.

We are still lacking any creativity or goal threat from midfield. I would suggest we have under 8 goals and 8 assists from midfield this year. There is no one willing to get beyond the front man which leaves us overly exposed. The football is boring, but i think the team are so low in confidence that we just aren't at the races. ONce Karcan is back and we have a player who can set a higher tempo then we may be ok.

Norwood has been the best player by a country mile this year.

[SPARTA]

----------->
----------->
----------->

Get over to UR&G

[Ian Royal]

I didn't go on Saturday, but i can imagine its the same problems every week.

Its a bit of a catch 22 at the moment, the players are scared of playing forward passes because if the lack of confidence, if they play the forward pass and get it wrong the crowd get on their back.

We have a real issue at full back. Gunter is nowhere near the standard he was last year, and gets stretched and fails to stop a lot of crosses. I think part of the reason McCleary is playing on the left is too try to regenerate the partnership they had last year, and moving Obita away from the position where he got POTY last year just doesn't make sense.

We are still lacking any creativity or goal threat from midfield. I would suggest we have under 8 goals and 8 assists from midfield this year. There is no one willing to get beyond the front man which leaves us overly exposed. The football is boring, but i think the team are so low in confidence that we just aren't at the races. ONce Karcan is back and we have a player who can set a higher tempo then we may be ok.

Norwood has been the best player by a country mile this year.

McCleary played on the right for the first half fyi.

[Old Biscuitman]

Haven't been able to get to a game this season, so rely on these posts to stay informed. It all sounds quite depressing. Must say that, after more than 60 years of association with this club in one way or another, I may take myself off to watch Forest Green Rovers next weekend.

[sandman]

Remember to take your Mac.

[Cureton's Volley]

Lolz

For what it's worth I'll be at Burnham watching Henley Town. Sadly I have no mac, but there is now one on my xmas list.

[Ian Royal]

Haven't been able to get to a game this season, so rely on these posts to stay informed. It all sounds quite depressing. Must say that, after more than 60 years of association with this club in one way or another, I may take myself off to watch Forest Green Rovers next weekend.

Earlier in the season we had a huge list of injuries and a backs to the wall, fight through it approach. We picked up a few unexpected points thanks to this.

I think we then got a bit too relaxed and complacent as new signings settled in. We got turned over by Sheff Weds, then well beaten by Derby in the cup. We lost a good lead against Wolves and couldn't beat Leeds. Suddenly our confidence was shot to buggery and we crumbled like a dry sand castle in a gale the second we conceded. But, we were playing reasonably good football in between calamitous defensive mistakes even then. 0-3 against Derby is probably the best display I've ever seen from a team being comprehensively beaten. It would have been a totally unfair result but for our shambolically suicidal defending.

In the last few games Adkins has been slowly changing the emphasis. Going less attacking and trying to address the defensive frailties. That's resulted in a meaner defence but a more toothless attack and poor creation from midfield. He needs to shift back a little again, but we need enough confidence that we won't fall apart at the drop of a hat & that the defence is improved before that's really likely to work.

That's my view from having seen about half the games so far. But I'm sure someone'll come along to explain I'm wrong and it's all just a simple case that Adkins has an orange tan and can't do his job so we're just shit.