Too early for Blackman?

[AthleticoSpizz]

Agree. Just exactly when are you replacing McDermott Ian?

[Ian Royal]

Agree. Just exactly when are you replacing McDermott Ian?

Any time I get the call from the club.

[AthleticoSpizz]

[Para Handy]

The Team Board gets dafter every week.

Blokes analysing the match that weren't at the game but listened to it on the radio, now we've got blokes analysing players and positional choices who didn't even bother watching the game.

Fabulous.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Too darned right Para

Its all kind of predictable and boring, but they are our predictable and boring.

[cmonurz]

The Team Board gets dafter every week.

Blokes analysing the match that weren't at the game but listened to it on the radio, now we've got blokes analysing players and positional choices who didn't even bother watching the game.

Fabulous.

Just an opinion, that's allowed isn't it?

I think prefacing my comment with 'now I didn't watch the game' qualifies my statement somewhat.

Clearly Brian saw something in training that convinced him to start with Blackman, but on the face of it there may have been a number of better options today.

[winchester_royal]

No, you see where he's at in training. And even Akpan got an extra sub appearance and more time training with the team before he started. And was played in position as you say. Playing Blackman today was foolish and too soon.

Wtf. He wasn't even close to being poor today, and put in a good shift for the team. 'Foolish" selection?! No chance.

[Para Handy]

The Team Board gets dafter every week.

Blokes analysing the match that weren't at the game but listened to it on the radio, now we've got blokes analysing players and positional choices who didn't even bother watching the game.

Fabulous.

Just an opinion, that's allowed isn't it?

I think prefacing my comment with 'now I didn't watch the game' qualifies my statement somewhat.

Clearly Brian saw something in training that convinced him to start with Blackman, but on the face of it there may have been a number of better options today.

Yes m8. Of course opinion is allowed. I'm not the arbiter here either. Just strikes me a a bit funny. I realise you prefaced your comment with not not watching the game. Just made we wonder why you felt the need to comment then.

[The Royal]

He never really done much, but he was not played in his favoured position

[cmonurz]

Just made we wonder why you felt the need to comment then.

Because I'm a Reading fan with an opinion about Reading FC, bizarrely.

[winchester_royal]

Put out on the wing to try and counter Stoke's physicality which he did well in the first half, very unselfish in his play and gave way to our impact players in the second half. Did nothing wrong whilst admittedly not setting the world alight. In no way did he look overawed or out of place on the pitch. Some very harsh (but sadly not surprising) comments on this thread.

[Para Handy]

Just made we wonder why you felt the need to comment then.

Because I'm a Reading fan with an opinion about Reading FC, bizarrely.

Who didn't bother watching the game. Just saying.

[cmonurz]

Just made we wonder why you felt the need to comment then.

Because I'm a Reading fan with an opinion about Reading FC, bizarrely.

Who didn't bother watching the game. Just saying.

ooh, you bitch.

[rhroyal]

Put out on the wing to try and counter Stoke's physicality which he did well in the first half, very unselfish in his play and gave way to our impact players in the second half. Did nothing wrong whilst admittedly not setting the world alight. In no way did he look overawed or out of place on the pitch. Some very harsh (but sadly not surprising) comments on this thread.

I really don't feel my comments were harsh. No write off at all; just stating that we're throwing him in at the deep end a little too early.

[mambo3]

Dominic Samuel scored for England U19 against Denmark.

[SpaceCruiser]

The Team Board gets dafter every week.

WTF?!? Did you expect anything different?

EDIT: I'm going to bed now.

[Millsy]

Yep too soon for him it seems to me.

I love Brian but this was an odd choice.

Having said that we don't really know the reasons. Players knackered from internationals, needing physical presence etc etc. I think too many of us think real life is like a computer game. I'm sure Brian knows what's effective and what isn't but in real life you have tired players, off form players, injured players, and you're playing against a team with real people with different threats. Brian sees all this and picks the best side available to him, not the best side in a computer game.

[Big Ern]

Brian gambled and it didn´t work out. I doubt very much he will make the same mistake against Wigan.

With regsards to Blackman´s performance, to put it kindly it wasn´t great today, but still far too early to make a lasting judgement on him. Only the top top players adapt to their new teams almost instantly, so it will take time with Blackman.

[Wimb]

Players with much more experience and much bigger transfer fees have struggled to make an impact at Stoke so I'm not overly concerned that Blackman didn't set the world on fire yesterday, give him time.

[Millsy]

Players with much more experience and much bigger transfer fees have struggled to make an impact at Stoke so I'm not overly concerned that Blackman didn't set the world on fire yesterday, give him time.

This.