MATCHWATCH : AFC Wimbledon (h)

[Sutekh]

With all the dialogue around Hunty getting his P45, I honestly think that if it got to a point whereby he thought there was somebody else out there who could do a better job, he would more than likely stepped down anyway. He's clearly a man of integrity and has the club in his heart. Plus he would no doubt have had those convos with JJ and the owners, should that time ever arrive. Hopefully it won't.

You really believe this?

Yes I do and particularly if it was for the betterment of the club. Although, as I concluded, hopefully that time will never arrive.

Yes, hopefully he won’t be sacked until the board panic after losing three games in the row at the start of our 5th consecutive PL season.

[The Cap]

With all the dialogue around Hunty getting his P45, I honestly think that if it got to a point whereby he thought there was somebody else out there who could do a better job, he would more than likely stepped down anyway. He's clearly a man of integrity and has the club in his heart. Plus he would no doubt have had those convos with JJ and the owners, should that time ever arrive. Hopefully it won't.

With a three year contract to be paid up, nice bloke with the club in his heart but he's not that daft.

Point taken there 72 regarding the contractual side of any potential situation arising and I know it's been mentioned in other quarters that the club couldn't afford to sack him. In which case they'd clearly have to come to an agreement regardless.

[traff]

I see Hull have signed Brandon Williams on a contract to play left back, even though he has a suspended jail sentence hanging over him and hasn't had a club since Man U released him end of 24 season.
They must see him as a better prospect than Jacob.
Early days but I think we may have been pranked with this one.

[WestYorksRoyal]

With all the dialogue around Hunty getting his P45, I honestly think that if it got to a point whereby he thought there was somebody else out there who could do a better job, he would more than likely stepped down anyway. He's clearly a man of integrity and has the club in his heart. Plus he would no doubt have had those convos with JJ and the owners, should that time ever arrive. Hopefully it won't.

With a three year contract to be paid up, nice bloke with the club in his heart but he's not that daft.

Point taken there 72 regarding the contractual side of any potential situation arising and I know it's been mentioned in other quarters that the club couldn't afford to sack him. In which case they'd clearly have to come to an agreement regardless.

The club can afford to sack him. They're choosing to monitor budgets tightly but have more resources with several investors involved. If they think there is a risk of a costly relegation, the calculus will change quickly.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

With all the dialogue around Hunty getting his P45, I honestly think that if it got to a point whereby he thought there was somebody else out there who could do a better job, he would more than likely stepped down anyway. He's clearly a man of integrity and has the club in his heart. Plus he would no doubt have had those convos with JJ and the owners, should that time ever arrive. Hopefully it won't.

With a three year contract to be paid up, nice bloke with the club in his heart but he's not that daft.

This.

[tmesis]

Booing always helps new team of youngsters improve. Top work.

It's senior football and we're losing at home to relegation favourites. Get used to the pressure.

I wasn't there but I can't say I blame anyone for booing. We've looked flat all season and clearly well short of our best. The players and manager are due some criticism for the start even if we are a couple of players short.

At the moment, with so many new players, it's difficult to know what 'our best' actually is. We don't know the players we've brought in well enough to know if they are underperforming, or this is just their level.

As for sacking Hunt, I don't really see any way that three games this season are more representative of his ability than the 20 or so games he had last season. It's not as if it's certain we'd get someone else in who's any better either.

[Sutekh]

It's senior football and we're losing at home to relegation favourites. Get used to the pressure.

I wasn't there but I can't say I blame anyone for booing. We've looked flat all season and clearly well short of our best. The players and manager are due some criticism for the start even if we are a couple of players short.

At the moment, with so many new players, it's difficult to know what 'our best' actually is. We don't know the players we've brought in well enough to know if they are underperforming, or this is just their level.

As for sacking Hunt, I don't really see any way that three games this season are more representative of his ability than the 20 or so games he had last season. It's not as if it's certain we'd get someone else in who's any better either.

Alan Pardew needs a job

[AthleticoSpizz]

Lock-up your WAGs and daughters

[under the tin]

It's senior football and we're losing at home to relegation favourites. Get used to the pressure.

I wasn't there but I can't say I blame anyone for booing. We've looked flat all season and clearly well short of our best. The players and manager are due some criticism for the start even if we are a couple of players short.

At the moment, with so many new players, it's difficult to know what 'our best' actually is. We don't know the players we've brought in well enough to know if they are underperforming, or this is just their level.

As for sacking Hunt, I don't really see any way that three games this season are more representative of his ability than the 20 or so games he had last season. It's not as if it's certain we'd get someone else in who's any better either.

Largely agree with this.
Noel is on a learning curve. He clearly doesn't know his best X1 yet, nor where the pieces of the squad jigsaw can be used most effectively.
Any new manager would be in exactly the same boat.

My concern is how little work opposition keepers have had to do when playing against us.
The majority of my time watching the team has been in the lower leagues (I started early seventies), and these really are leagues that you have to scrap to get out of. In Sam Smith, we had a player who knew our high press game and made a complete pest of himself for defences and goalkeepers alike, on top of scoring goals. He knows the dark arts needed for this league.
If the entirely plausible scenario outlined on another thread about him being pushed down the pecking order at Wrexham is real, then this club should be on the phone to Parky, pronto.

[John Smith]

I think Daniel Kyerewaa might very well be in the running for the worst player to have ever donned a Reading shirt. Hopeless.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Hey John, where've you been lately? As a fellow EatB fan, it’s always nice to see your posts.

The chagrinned subject of your post above, played the full 90+….think you might need to dig a bit deeper for doing some finger-waggling than just picking your seasonal scapegoat after just three games tbf.

All the best lad

[John Smith]

Hey John, where've you been lately? As a fellow EatB fan, it’s always nice to see your posts.

The chagrinned subject of your post above, played the full 90+….think you might need to dig a bit deeper for doing some finger-waggling than just picking your seasonal scapegoat after just three games tbf.

All the best lad

I've been disgruntled. Maybe you're right. The board consensus seems to be around Jacob but I haven't seen much from this guy who has a record of 1 in 5 in the second tier of German football

[Snowflake Royal]

Hey John, where've you been lately? As a fellow EatB fan, it’s always nice to see your posts.

The chagrinned subject of your post above, played the full 90+….think you might need to dig a bit deeper for doing some finger-waggling than just picking your seasonal scapegoat after just three games tbf.

All the best lad

I've been disgruntled. Maybe you're right. The board consensus seems to be around Jacob but I haven't seen much from this guy who has a record of 1 in 5 in the second tier of German football

Kyerewaa is clumsey and raw, but he commits defenders and makes things happen.

Absolutely delightful nutmeg to start his breakaway run that led to Garcia missing an open goal instead of us taking the lead against Wimbledon and probably winning the game.

He's not great, but he's one of the few enthusiastically trying to make something happen and having a bit of luck about it. He's young and he's stepping up.

By contrast, Jacob is a bit older and stepping down. When we have 5 ok LB options already, he's got to step in and perform straightaway, or its not good enough and we might as well develop our own young raw player.

[Orion1871]

I wasn't there but I can't say I blame anyone for booing. We've looked flat all season and clearly well short of our best. The players and manager are due some criticism for the start even if we are a couple of players short.

At the moment, with so many new players, it's difficult to know what 'our best' actually is. We don't know the players we've brought in well enough to know if they are underperforming, or this is just their level.

As for sacking Hunt, I don't really see any way that three games this season are more representative of his ability than the 20 or so games he had last season. It's not as if it's certain we'd get someone else in who's any better either.

Alan Pardew needs a job

Not any more now he's working with Big Sam and Tony Pulis to advertise Uber Eats.

[West F]

I think Daniel Kyerewaa might very well be in the running for the worst player to have ever donned a Reading shirt. Hopeless.

Sean Evers

That is all.

[West F]

Hey John, where've you been lately? As a fellow EatB fan, it’s always nice to see your posts.

The chagrinned subject of your post above, played the full 90+….think you might need to dig a bit deeper for doing some finger-waggling than just picking your seasonal scapegoat after just three games tbf.

All the best lad

I've been disgruntled. Maybe you're right. The board consensus seems to be around Jacob but I haven't seen much from this guy who has a record of 1 in 5 in the second tier of German football

Kyerewaa is clumsey and raw, but he commits defenders and makes things happen.

Absolutely delightful nutmeg to start his breakaway run that led to Garcia missing an open goal instead of us taking the lead against Wimbledon and probably winning the game.

He's not great, but he's one of the few enthusiastically trying to make something happen and having a bit of luck about it. He's young and he's stepping up.

By contrast, Jacob is a bit older and stepping down. When we have 5 ok LB options already, he's got to step in and perform straightaway, or its not good enough and we might as well develop our own young raw player.

I watched Jacob closely on Saturday. He is what Brendan Rogers used to refer to as, looking like a player. That is not a compliment by the way.
He got walked round twice, allowing two dangerous crosses into the box. One they scored from. He attempted 8 progressive balls either down the line or into runs, with a completion success of 0%.One poor pass was made into a successful one that only the athleticism of Garcia allowed him to catch. But required so much to get on the end of it, that Garcia’s attempt to put the ball in the middle was compromised by being off balance.
He is good in the air and times his headers well, with good judgement. He is physically strong in the challenge and would favour playing up against an opponent who was reliant more on their strength than pace.
Did not seem willing to follow his attempted passes to overlap his left midfield player or wide forward. Preferring to hold station where his lack of recovery pace would not be exposed. Was more inclined to carry the ball into midfield rather than down his flank. Would likely be more comfortable playing in a five, with a quick left sided centre back who could cover across if he was out of position.
Most of the effective natural width on the left hand side came from Savage working with Garcia and with Jacob sitting, to create crossing opportunities that were delivered early and with pace. This stopped after 20 mins when Jonnie Jackson dropped to a five in midfield out of possession to close the half space Savage was operating in.