BFTG - Villa

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Enjoyed that

Chalk and cheese from Saturday. Fast, incisive passing.
Clement, Swift, Kelly looked like a really dangerous trio

The less said about the weird subs (Beerens when you're trying to hold a lead FFS!), and switching off for the goal (nearly two) the better.

keep that up and we'll have a fun season

[PieEater]

Despite the odd team selection with no striker I thought we played really well tonight. First half we just kept the ball and occasionally played some really nice stuff, it looked only a matter of time before a goal was coming. I think the formation was 4-4-2 diamond with the 2 being Popa and Barrow but really it was more 4-7-1 with Clement at the top of the diamond and effectively a striker.

I didn't know we had goal line technology but then spotted the new camera at the top of Y25, in real time it look like a save but from the replay it looked way in. Pleased for Barrow to get a goal, I think we was probably MOTM before tiring in the second half.

Really surprised how poor Villa were, if you didn't know their players you'd worry about relegation, they were really that poor and most of the team looked like they didn't want to be there, despite some decent support from a full away end. Only Green looked decent, but he missed their best chance after a couple of mins. Their goal late on was well worked, nice lay off and put away nicely, not much Manone could do about that.

They've also sorted out the F1 buses so they go straight out - topped off a gr8 night

Roll on Preston

[Wycombe Royal]

I think the formation was 4-4-2 diamond with the 2 being Popa and Barrow but really it was more 4-7-1 with Clement at the top of the diamond and effectively a striker.

Sshhhh don't tell anyone we had 13 players on the pitch......

[PieEater]

Lol I need even more beer

[JR]

WWell this is all very encouraging!

First game of the season for me, so lack some comparison to the QPR and Fulham performances, but we were terrific tonight.

A lot of people saying Villa were terrible on the match thread, but whilst that may be to some extent true that was largely because we bossed them and were hungrier with much more quality.

First half was comfortable and dominated - possession stats at one point were incredible - without creating too much clear cut and grateful that there striker fluffed his lines when our somewhat typical once a game back line clanger invited them in.

Second half we came out a different animal - extra edge and desire and the two goals were fully deserved in the first 15 minutes. The second goal was of the highest quality - a set piece that if it was Barcelona and MSN that delivered it then the world would be purring.

We then enjoyed twenty minutes or so of comfortable playful dominance and despite the late lapse that made it unnecessarily nerve wracking (but even more satisfying at the end) this was a thoroughly deserved win.

MoM for me was Barrow - but good performances all over and Mannone gave me great comfort with his confidence and speed on the ball.

When we bring in Oliveria later in the month we will have a squad that will compete right at the top of this division.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

At times the interplay with Swift, Clement and Kelly was a fukkin' joy.
Barrow was tenacious and really impressed by his tracking back and tackling. He's like the anti-Beerens.

Have to admit to being worried for parts of the first half as we were getting up the wings but literally had no-one in the box. Wore them down in the end though.

Not sure if Villa were rubbish or we just played them into submission. Bit of both I guess

[Crowbar6753]

Good game, great result against a poor Villa side. Just shows that money isn't everything in this league. Some of the passing tonight was top notch and i'm pretty sure that if we can string some good results together the confidence and speed of passing will get even better still. No really sure on my MOTM, i thought Barrow was good, as well as Poppa, but i was really impressed with Pelle Clements performance..i thought he had a really good game and could prove to be a steal at 1 Mil.
Preston will be tough but i would take 4 points from them and Barnsley

[genome]

Anyone else see Bruce absolutely lose it with his midfield in the first half? Proper slammed his water bottle into the ground.

[windermereROYAL]

Good game, great result against a poor Villa side. Just shows that money isn't everything in this league. Some of the passing tonight was top notch and i'm pretty sure that if we can string some good results together the confidence and speed of passing will get even better still. No really sure on my MOTM, i thought Barrow was good, as well as Poppa, but i was really impressed with Pelle Clements performance..i thought he had a really good game and could prove to be a steal at 1 Mil.
Preston will be tough but i would take 4 points from them and Barnsley

Birmingham after Preston.

[Crowbar6753]

Bruce said in his after match comments the Reading didn't deserve to win? was he watching the same game as i was? we totally dominated the whole game and Villa were pants....I understand being a little bias towards your team but to say such a thing is a joke and makes him look stupid lol.

[Crowbar6753]

Good game, great result against a poor Villa side. Just shows that money isn't everything in this league. Some of the passing tonight was top notch and i'm pretty sure that if we can string some good results together the confidence and speed of passing will get even better still. No really sure on my MOTM, i thought Barrow was good, as well as Poppa, but i was really impressed with Pelle Clements performance..i thought he had a really good game and could prove to be a steal at 1 Mil.
Preston will be tough but i would take 4 points from them and Barnsley

Birmingham after Preston.

My bad

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Bruce said in his after match comments the Reading didn't deserve to win? was he watching the same game as i was? we totally dominated the whole game and Villa were pants....I understand being a little bias towards your team but to say such a thing is a joke and makes him look stupid lol.

What an absolute bell end.

Saying something so ridiculously stupid is not gonna get the fans onside

[Royality creeps In]

I think as a previous poster said. Where we good or Villa poor. A mixture of both I reckon.
A much better performance with 67% possession.
Swift played Well, Van den Berg was much improved from his cameo Saturday and McShane a rock. Having said that everyone put in a shift in tonight and even the wally's on this site will have trouble finding fault in the team this evening..
When I saw the line up without a striker I was concerned. I suppose I must put my faith in Stam because his tactics worked..

On another note, great support from Villa. They deserve better than the rubbish team that turned up tonight. I have seen all four games so far and Gillingham put up a better performance than them.

[blueroyals]

JVDB was great!

[Lower West]

Roll on the next game, Appears if the momentum is building.

[biff]

Brilliant all round. McCleary looked dead on his feet after 15 minutes, poor lamb.

[Gunny Fishcake]

Well played Reading ! Having watched every minute of this season this was by far our best performance all be it against a woeful Villa side. Movement was excellent and great to see Swift returning to form with a fine game as did most of the team. Thought McShane was outstanding while Barrow continues to impress . Also a mention for JVB he may make the odd gaff but he was great tonight holding the midfield together like a colossus.

[NewCorkSeth]

Well. Back from the stream and very happy.
Tactics were fantastic. Hopefully a taste of what our game plan will be throughout the season.

Make no mistake that was not a full strength team. If our squad players are able to produce displays like that it should not only allow us more impressive sub options during games but should also give Stam something to think about.

Our movement of the ball was crisp and clean throughout the pitch. The only criticism I would make is given the pace of some of our forward players we dawdled on the ball at times allowing the opposition too much time to reform. Kelly and Swift were most guilty of this which follows as they were the players asked to move the ball around most. JvdB drove forward much more but often visibly gesticulated at his teammates to get into positions. While his movement on the ball was more threatening I have a suspicion his teammates were not prepared for such movements. Perhaps it wasn't our tactics and he was doing his own thing.

Villa were woeful. Unable to control the midfield when in possession.

Defensively we were confident. McShane again had a miscommunication with Mannone. They spoke after and McShane made it clear, by the looks of it, what Mannones responsibilities are.

Mannone: Very assured with the ball at his feet. Confident under pressure. 2 (?) Very good saves. I'm confident in him as things stand! - 7.5
Gunter: Again much more dangerous when further up the pitch. Solid display. - 7/10
McShane: Has been commanding thus far. No complaints. - 7/10
Moore: He's top quality. Amazed we have him. - 7/10
Blackett: I feel harsh but again he made some minor errors. The cross for the goal was a result of his confusion over who to defend. - 6/10
JvdB: pashun defined. Mislayed 3 passes in the first 20 minutes. His drives forward threatened often. Harried the opposition fantasticly. - 7/10
Kelly: He's consistent. Move the ball well mostly. Understands our tactics very well and is becoming the driving force behind our team. - 7/10
Swift: Best performance thus far from him. With a proper forward he would have been a real danger. - 7/10
Barrow: Looks like a gem. He's quick and clever on the ball. Glad he scored. Motm. - 8/10
Popa: He works hard but was the least effective of our forwards. I often lost track of what he was doing. Fairly decent shot in the first half which forced a good save. - 7/10
Clement: It was almost his day. Took a fair few shots and was moving up and down the pitch well and got in much better positions than he managed against Fulham. - 7/10

Subs:
Evans: N/A
Beerens: N/A
McCleary: He's such a great player. 2 silly fouls. Best cross we've managed thus far came from him. Shame Clement can't jump. - 6/10

Ref was good.

[genome]

A lot of people saying Villa were terrible on the match thread, but whilst that may be to some extent true that was largely because we bossed them and were hungrier with much more quality.

Yeah. They looked utterly shit, but that's mostly because they let our best players play, and had no answer to Stam's tactics. There were a lot more runs off the ball from our players today, and it worked a treat. Quicker, more incisive, more adventurous. Swift and Barrow were excellent, and Popa and Clement deserve plaudits too. I think we were a striker away from properly thrashing them, which is a really good sign.

On the subject of Villa, they had a poor setup IMO. A decent scout would've identified the best way of countering our tactics would be to sit in deep, or press us high. They did neither. Even the Villa fans were screaming at their players to put pressure on our defence in the first half, I was baffled that it took Bruce until well into the second half to figure it out. Where was their midfield? Swift and Kelly were just bypassing it. The only player who looked like he gave a shit was Onomah and he's not even their player.

RE: JVDB, better today, but he still looked a liability at times in the first half. He makes me nervous.

[NewCorkSeth]

A lot of people saying Villa were terrible on the match thread, but whilst that may be to some extent true that was largely because we bossed them and were hungrier with much more quality.

Yeah. They looked utterly shit, but that's mostly because they let our best players play, and had no answer to Stam's tactics. There were a lot more runs off the ball from our players today, and it worked a treat. Quicker, more incisive, more adventurous. Swift and Barrow were excellent, and Popa and Clement deserve plaudits too. I think we were a striker away from properly thrashing them, which is a really good sign.

On the subject of Villa, they had a poor setup IMO. A decent scout would've identified the best way of countering our tactics would be to sit in deep, or press us high. They did neither. Even the Villa fans were screaming at their players to put pressure on our defence in the first half, I was baffled that it took Bruce until well into the second half to figure it out. Where was their midfield? Swift and Kelly were just bypassing it. The only player who looked like he gave a shit was Onomah and he's not even their player.

RE: JVDB, better today, but he still looked a liability at times in the first half. He makes me nervous.

Onomah looked great! Thought he played very well.