Back From The Game - Bolton

[Victor Meldrew]

Agree in particular with pissed off and The Quiet Man and disagree with Winchester who says that Adkins has been working towards this all along.
My take on it is that before the Watford game he thought "I' m in trouble here-I don't have the players capable of playing the possession game that I go on about every day and it looks like I won't be able to sign anybody in this window so what the hell.I'll play Alf ,even though I don't rate him and as he is a fans' favourite if it doesn''t work then I don't lose any cred and if it does work I'll be the hero.
The same goes with playing these youngsters-I will be seen as giving them their chance which is what the bosses and fans want so if they fail it is not my fault"

Fast forward to last night.
"Oh well, we didn't have control of the football so I'm not completely happy but never mind that's 6 points from 2 games playing the way Reading teams have done under the past 2 managers so we'll carry on like this and if it doesn't last I can blame the bosses for not giving me funds to buy players who can play my way.
Oh and good old Pearcey now doing what I told him to do in the week-forget what I have been telling you every day since I have been here and just welly it into touch if you aren't sure.
Now where's that cigar and I must phone Brian for lending me that video so that I could see the way the team used to play and got promoted".

[ZacNaloen]

:|

When at last the team plays in the way that he's always wanted them to It's hardly a tactical change from Adkins.

So the lobs into the channels, or long goal kicks from the goalie to the front men, or the wingers actually playing up the wings in partnership with the full backs (rather than cutting inside) ...... that's what Adkins has been trying to get us to do is it? ...... funny, seems he's been coaching that exact thing out of them.

He was even having a go at some of the players (Obita esp) for being too direct when playing into the channels, instead of slowing it down and passing it short

Time and a place for all styles and yesterday showed that, long may it continue

Our first goal came from a winger cutting inside

[Pepe the Horseman]

I love the way Reading fans just float whichever way the wind is blowing.

Earlier this season everyone was banging on about how amazing Danny Guthrie is and how the intelligent Adkins had got the best out of a player the tactical caveman McDermott didn't know how to. Now it seems Guthrie's the one to blame for slowing down our tempo and his absence is one reason we've notched a couple of wins recently, being replaced by Hope Akpan who was widely castig8ed on this board until two weeks ago.

Same with the possession obsession. 99% of you were going on about possession football and how important it is to dominate possession unlike McDermott's teams. Only now we've won 7-1 with only 48% of it, apparently it's not important anymore.

I look forward to you all revising your opinions about every one of our players at least twice between now and the end of the season.

Lol, yeh, although not sure if this exclusively Reading fans.

[sandman]

:|

When at last the team plays in the way that he's always wanted them to It's hardly a tactical change from Adkins.

So the lobs into the channels, or long goal kicks from the goalie to the front men, or the wingers actually playing up the wings in partnership with the full backs (rather than cutting inside) ...... that's what Adkins has been trying to get us to do is it? ...... funny, seems he's been coaching that exact thing out of them.

He was even having a go at some of the players (Obita esp) for being too direct when playing into the channels, instead of slowing it down and passing it short

Time and a place for all styles and yesterday showed that, long may it continue

Our first goal came from a winger cutting inside

And? No one was saying it was outlawed just that cutting inside should be the exception rather than the rule, that we should look to get the ball to the wings and play through them rather than through Guthrie.

The right footed McAnuff has been playing on the left for the last four years. So it's not as if it's been an alien concept.

[ZacNaloen]

And? No one was saying it was outlawed just that cutting inside should be the exception rather than the rule and that we should look to play through them rather than through Guthrie.

The right footed McAnuff has been playing on the left for the last four years.

Our fourth goal came from a Winger cutting inside and laying it off to his full back who'd come outside of him

I can carry on if you like.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Lets all bicker about who is right & wrong after a 7-1 win. Classic.

We passed well, we counter attacked well, pressed well, took our chances and had a high tempo. They performed as a team. If you play like that, you will do well regardless of who the manager is.

I also love how no fault lies with the players for our poor run - it is solely down to management apparently.

Mags - for you to bring up a possession stat of 48-52 like there is some huge difference between the 2 sides is a little silly. Especially given Bolton kicked off 7 times yesterday. I'd wager 48% is probably still a lot better than most of McD's matches TBH.

Besides, a large slice of football is about confidence & the rest generally follows & I said as much yesterday.

[leon]

I love the way Reading fans just float whichever way the wind is blowing.

Earlier this season everyone was banging on about how amazing Danny Guthrie is and how the intelligent Adkins had got the best out of a player the tactical caveman McDermott didn't know how to. Now it seems Guthrie's the one to blame for slowing down our tempo and his absence is one reason we've notched a couple of wins recently, being replaced by Hope Akpan who was widely castig8ed on this board until two weeks ago.

Same with the possession obsession. 99% of you were going on about possession football and how important it is to dominate possession unlike McDermott's teams. Only now we've won 7-1 with only 48% of it, apparently it's not important anymore.

I look forward to you all revising your opinions about every one of our players at least twice between now and the end of the season.

I've been 100% consistent this season with my love for Kasparss Gorkss. The gr8 big Latvian superman.

[RoyalBlue]

:|

When at last the team plays in the way that he's always wanted them to It's hardly a tactical change from Adkins.

That's not the style of play he or yourself and others have been calling for for the last 9 months or so. If anything it was far more like the "Reading way" that you have been so vocal in wanting us to avoid.

I and others sat in a room with him back in August where he said that he wanted us to be patient, dominate possession and play through the centre. Yesterday we did not play like that at all. Yesterday we tried to get the ball foward quickly as possible, play with width and go long or short depending on what the situation required.

Rewriting history by just picking out the things that happened which support your claims. The reality and truth is that we varied our style throughout the game yesterday. There were times when we went more direct with our style but there were also times when we were patient and played through the centre.

As for those who point to the fact we had less possession than Bolton and use that to rubbish Adkins. Having raced into a decent lead and seen how ineffective Bolton were, we could afford to let them keep possession and just pick them off again when the opportunity arose. Give a better attacking outfit (than Bolton) that level of possession and they will punish you - the very point Adkins is trying to make and safeguard against.

And in any other game had we let the away team had that much possession, no doubt people would be whinging that we were supposed to be the home team!

[winchester_royal]

Agree in particular with pissed off and The Quiet Man and disagree with Winchester who says that Adkins has been working towards this all along.
My take on it is that before the Watford game he thought "I' m in trouble here-I don't have the players capable of playing the possession game that I go on about every day and it looks like I won't be able to sign anybody in this window so what the hell.I'll play Alf ,even though I don't rate him and as he is a fans' favourite if it doesn''t work then I don't lose any cred and if it does work I'll be the hero.
The same goes with playing these youngsters-I will be seen as giving them their chance which is what the bosses and fans want so if they fail it is not my fault"

Fast forward to last night.
"Oh well, we didn't have control of the football so I'm not completely happy but never mind that's 6 points from 2 games playing the way Reading teams have done under the past 2 managers so we'll carry on like this and if it doesn't last I can blame the bosses for not giving me funds to buy players who can play my way.
Oh and good old Pearcey now doing what I told him to do in the week-forget what I have been telling you every day since I have been here and just welly it into touch if you aren't sure.
Now where's that cigar and I must phone Brian for lending me that video so that I could see the way the team used to play and got promoted".

Fair enough, a decent rebuttal.

I still maintain that Adkins was working towards us controlling games rather than just possession, and 7-1 suggests we did just that. I also don't think that results like yesterday come out of a panicking manager's playbook.

Mags also makes a fair point about the hypocrisy of Reading fans, and yes it probably does apply to me, but through the same logic those who blame Adkins when things go wrong, the implication being that he is directly responsible for what happens on the pitch, should be the first ones praising him when things go well.

I also don't think NA or his fans were advocating passing for passing's sake, but as a mean to achieving control of certain games when the long ball isn't on. Taking advantage of space further up the pitch by playing the long ball that is on, and hence less possession at the back, isn't necessarily a contradiction of that philosophy. Imho.

[RoyalBlue]

Does anyone have a link for the NA interview after the game with BBC Berkshire or is it not up yet ?

Does anyone actually go out of their way to listen to him?

Once upon a time we used to all shut up in the car on the way back, so we could listen to the manager interview. Now we've noticed we just carry on talking over Nigel. It's just inane meaningless drivel.

His interview after the game was woeful. We work hard on the training ground, togetherness, give it a good go in the second half of the season.....he repeated each of these soundbites at least three times each.

Then again, he is employed as a football manager, not booked as a guest on Graham Norton. Not his job to be entertaining and enlightening in the media.

So let's all bitch about his delivery style and completely ignore the fact that towards the end of his interview he said something that might be extremely telling. When asked by Dellor about transfers, he pointed out that we currently have eight players out injured and said words to the effect that, with the united squad that we had, we might have to work with those players we have got until the injured ones return and just see how things go if we give it our best shot through to the end of the season.

Now it's quite possible that he was pulling his 'mate' Dellor's leg. On the other hand it could be that he has been warned that, contrary to Madejski's assurances earlier this month, there will not be any funds available for transfers in this window.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Our first goal came from a winger cutting inside

Yeah way, way deeper into the oppo half that Adkins seems to want. Why would anyone have a problem with a winger getting right down the end and then cutting in? That's normal wing play

You know full well the cutting-in being referred to is the constant cutting in near the half way line that's been going on, running into the packed centre, instead of running into the massive amounts of space that are free. Its almost like they'd been told that the wing space in the oppo 3rd is solely the preserve of the full back

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Now it's quite possible that he was pulling his 'mate' Dellor's leg. On the other hand it could be that he has been warned that, contrary to Madejski's assurances earlier this month, there will not be any funds available for transfers in this window.

You didn't notice the slight speech impediment then?

[Royal Ginger]

I love the way Reading fans just float whichever way the wind is blowing.

Earlier this season everyone was banging on about how amazing Danny Guthrie is and how the intelligent Adkins had got the best out of a player the tactical caveman McDermott didn't know how to. Now it seems Guthrie's the one to blame for slowing down our tempo and his absence is one reason we've notched a couple of wins recently, being replaced by Hope Akpan who was widely castig8ed on this board until two weeks ago.

Same with the possession obsession. 99% of you were going on about possession football and how important it is to dominate possession unlike McDermott's teams. Only now we've won 7-1 with only 48% of it, apparently it's not important anymore.

I look forward to you all revising your opinions about every one of our players at least twice between now and the end of the season.

I've been 100% consistent this season with my love for Kasparss Gorkss. The gr8 big Latvian superman.

Keep the faith brother

[P!ssed Off]

His interview after the game was woeful. We work hard on the training ground, togetherness, give it a good go in the second half of the season.....he repeated each of these soundbites at least three times each.

Then again, he is employed as a football manager, not booked as a guest on Graham Norton. Not his job to be entertaining and enlightening in the media.

So let's all bitch about his delivery style and completely ignore the fact that towards the end of his interview he said something that might be extremely telling. When asked by Dellor about transfers, he pointed out that we currently have eight players out injured and said words to the effect that, with the united squad that we had, we might have to work with those players we have got until the injured ones return and just see how things go if we give it our best shot through to the end of the season.

Now it's quite possible that he was pulling his 'mate' Dellor's leg. On the other hand it could be that he has been warned that, contrary to Madejski's assurances earlier this month, there will not be any funds available for transfers in this window.

When was Adkins interviewed by Dellor, I must have missed that?

[Royal Ginger]

Just watched the goals back again.

If that penalty decision had been at the other end we'd be desperately arguing that he was out of the box, it's right on the line.

Also, there's a small shout to say that Ngog's goal may have come off of Gunter, who looks a little sheepish afterwards...

[RoyalBlue]

His interview after the game was woeful. We work hard on the training ground, togetherness, give it a good go in the second half of the season.....he repeated each of these soundbites at least three times each.

Then again, he is employed as a football manager, not booked as a guest on Graham Norton. Not his job to be entertaining and enlightening in the media.

So let's all bitch about his delivery style and completely ignore the fact that towards the end of his interview he said something that might be extremely telling. When asked by Dellor about transfers, he pointed out that we currently have eight players out injured and said words to the effect that, with the united squad that we had, we might have to work with those players we have got until the injured ones return and just see how things go if we give it our best shot through to the end of the season.

Now it's quite possible that he was pulling his 'mate' Dellor's leg. On the other hand it could be that he has been warned that, contrary to Madejski's assurances earlier this month, there will not be any funds available for transfers in this window.

When was Adkins interviewed by Dellor, I must have missed that?

You are, of course, right. He was interviewed by Ady for a change (maybe he said he wasn't going to talk to Dellor again!). However, that makes it less likely that it was a wind up, so even more worrying.

[Ian Royal]

I love the way Reading fans just float whichever way the wind is blowing.

Earlier this season everyone was banging on about how amazing Danny Guthrie is and how the intelligent Adkins had got the best out of a player the tactical caveman McDermott didn't know how to. Now it seems Guthrie's the one to blame for slowing down our tempo and his absence is one reason we've notched a couple of wins recently, being replaced by Hope Akpan who was widely castig8ed on this board until two weeks ago.

Same with the possession obsession. 99% of you were going on about possession football and how important it is to dominate possession unlike McDermott's teams. Only now we've won 7-1 with only 48% of it, apparently it's not important anymore.

I look forward to you all revising your opinions about every one of our players at least twice between now and the end of the season.

I wish people would stop putting words in the mouths of those they disagree with.

No one, repeat no one, has ever asked for us to dominate possession, play like Swansea, play like Barcelona or play pretty tippy tappy football.

All that anyone has wanted us to do was to be able to retain possession when necessary, move the ball quickly and accurately and create good opportunities, preferably through the middle as well as the wings. All anyone who was dissatisfied with how we were playing under McDermott at the end has wanted, was a couple of steps back away from direct football where there is nothing but getting the ball forward quickly to the channels.

I don't see what the difficulty is in seeing that there's a scale of playing style and it's not just binary.

Route 1--Pullis--Alladyce-----McDermott-----Coppell--Adkins---Ferguson--------Wenger--Rodgers--Tippy-Tappy

[Man Friday]

Lets all bicker about who is right & wrong after a 7-1 win. Classic.

So in other words let's not argue..'cos it was you that's been wrong all along. Classic.

[ZacNaloen]

I think it will be much better if we all just stick to our well formed opinions rather than changing them depending on what we see.

Then we'll really get this conversation moving.

[Man Friday]

I'd wager 48% is probably still a lot better than most of McD's matches TBH.

You still haven't got it, have you? More isn't necessarily better. As proved yesterday.