"I'm sure in the future, this sort of performance cannot and will not happen again" - Jose Gomes on the 1st January 2019
One month and fifteen days later, we get a repeat. Early goal conceded, two more before halftime and another early goal in the second half

You have to give Sheffield credit. To say we gave them the win would be naive, they're quicker, stronger and better in all departments. But we could have done a hell of a lot more. I said from the off the team selection was all wrong, and it was. Richards is not a LB, and that midfield three is a disaster

The tactics were all wrong, none of these players know when to stick or twist. The passing was lazy and sloppy, and the second goal was just an embarassment to concede at any level

Ratings

Martinez - Shocking error for the second goal killed any small hope we had 3

Yiadom - one of the better players, but let the crosses come in too easily, a performance for which Gunter would be crucified 5
Miazga - pulled apart too easily time and time again 3
Moore - same as Miazga 3
Richards - should have done better for their first, just isn't good enough as a LB. Missed Blackett there which is saying something 4

Baker - appalling 3
Ejaria - can't see it with him, hasn't played well once yet for us IMO 2
Kelly - N/A

Meite - surprisingly one of the better players today 5
Oliveira - few nice touches but got frustrated 4
Barrow - he's played worse this season but he just doesn't contribute anything anymore 4

Swift - I've never seen a midfielder miscontrol anything as much as him today, he was the worst one out there 1.5
Bodvarsson - looked OK 5
McCleary - actually looked pretty sharp out there 5

There needs to be changes out there for next week. Same back five as before, Richards on the wing and then Bod and Oliveira up front. Other three positions is up for grabs, they're all pretty poor. Fear the win over Blackburn just papered over the cracks, I'm yet to see a good performance under Gomes with the exception of QPR, and even then we didn't do that much in the attacking third

Well played to United though, their style of play is a pleasure to watch, they're quick, incisive and always pick the right option. Norwood and Madine were class for them, fortunately for us their LWB was pretty average or the scoreline could have been worse. They just need to cut out their pre-match comments

Well done for taking the trouble to attend the match.

Don't blame the players blame the way they are being asked to play.

Don't get the Yiadom love and I agree Gunter would be slated for the same.

Absolute nonsense. There is nothing wrong with the way they are being asked to play as none of our managers have asked them to play stupid passes at the back. Stam, Clement and Gomes have all said they need to use their brains and choose when to play it short (the majority of the time) but to hit it long when playing short is too dangerous.

Oh yes don’t blame the poor little darlings, what sort of mean man could dare to expect the players to be able to control simple balls and do the basics.

Is next week the defining game of our season? Is it a 9 pointer? If we lose, are we as good as down?

Entering March I think so.

Unsure if it was my shitty stream; but they were all turd today.

Absolute nonsense. There is nothing wrong with the way they are being asked to play as none of our managers have asked them to play stupid passes at the back. Stam, Clement and Gomes have all said they need to use their brains and choose when to play it short (the majority of the time) but to hit it long when playing short is too dangerous.

Our passing hasn't been good for a very long time. This current Reading squad would struggle in the lower leagues. You'll see better passing even in league 2 from far less technically gifted players. At least the players graft though.

Thanks for the ratings. I feel for you having to watch that excuse of a performance. Let’s hope lessons are learnt but I doubt it and fully expect to see the same brain dead passing out from the back causing all sorts of near misses.
If we scrape survival we must sort our our midfield next season. We are way too lightweight.

Next 3 games are. Rotherham (H), Ipswich (A) , Wigan (H).

With current injuries threadbare squad is a concern. Even Blakey on BBRB is suggesting O'Shea is played as a holding midfield player!

The game was over before I sat down . . . . . simple as that.

The team on the pitch had absolute no belief that they could pull it back, and it's hard to argue that they had any chance. Sheff Utd are a better team than us in most ways.

After recent results thought there was a good way of losing that game, and that certainly wasn't it.

On a positive - I like Bramall Lane as a ground. It's in a good location, away fans get a decent view and there's some atmosphere.

Not really much to say. They were better in every department. Meite’s performance kind of summed up today. He worked hard, covered a lot of ground but actually achieved nothing. We never looked dangerous going forward. We couldn’t cope with the high press at the back. A win on Saturday against Rotherham is simply vital now.

Read this:


Disagree with many of player ratings.
Back 4 had little chance today.
Martinez has played well overall, except for one dodgy pass in each of his games. Today, if that pass goes to anyone else, not sure its a goal.
Ergo, Kelly is liability in Champ, opposition having a laugh, needs League 1 loan to prove what he's got (if anything).
Squad needs lots of work, we know that. Needs to be adapted to Champ.
Like most everyone else, I expected a loss today anyway (although not like that).
Regroup quickly, tho I'd have taken 3 pts from Black/Sheff games overall, and other results mostly gone our way.

And they have been last couple seasons. Chris Wilder better manager than we've had?

That was Stam's tactical downfall. Opposition managers set their teams up to stop us playing out.

That was Stam's tactical downfall. Opposition managers set their teams up to stop us playing out.
Indeed and we still have no plan B.......or we just don’t use it!

Read this:


Disagree with many of player ratings.
Back 4 had little chance today.
Martinez has played well overall, except for one dodgy pass in each of his games. Today, if that pass goes to anyone else, not sure its a goal.
Ergo, Kelly is liability in Champ, opposition having a laugh, needs League 1 loan to prove what he's got (if anything).
Squad needs lots of work, we know that. Needs to be adapted to Champ.
Like most everyone else, I expected a loss today anyway (although not like that).
Regroup quickly, tho I'd have taken 3 pts from Black/Sheff games overall, and other results mostly gone our way.

And they have been last couple seasons. Chris Wilder better manager than we've had?

We've conceded four goals, surely the back four has to take some of the blame for that? The midfield three were shocking and didn't help the defence one bit but they carved us open one too many times at the back. As for Martinez, it probably is harsh but it's one of the most stupid things I've ever seen and it ultimately killed any (slim) hope we had left. Why can't these players think for themselves, I could see the pass wasn't on. Most of his saves were at 4-0 down but it could help with goal difference in the future so that's a bonus.

On a side note, that's now 3 goals we've scored in 11 away games. People talk about knee-jerk reactions but how do you expect people to react with a record as poor as that

This squad are fcuked in the head and it will take an awful long time for the exorcism to take hold.

Absolute nonsense. There is nothing wrong with the way they are being asked to play as none of our managers have asked them to play stupid passes at the back. Stam, Clement and Gomes have all said they need to use their brains and choose when to play it short (the majority of the time) but to hit it long when playing short is too dangerous.
Sorry, you can't drill players to play out from the back through short balls, splitting your CBs and complain when the team goes long and expect them to choose the right times not to do it.

The emphasis has to be on safety first and clearing your lines, with the decision making being IF you've opportunity go short. Not the other way round.

Personally - I think this is one situation where there is no point in getting angry with the players or manager. The Championship is now a very hard league, and we're a new team, with new leadership, trying to pick up points where we can. I think we have better players than the other teams at the bottom, but it's not like we have a load of class in the squad that should obviously be doing better.

Now is the time for supporting the club and trying to provide some sort of positive atmosphere for them on the pitch.

Not that it would have made any difference to the result, but wasn’t the second an absolutely blatant foul on Kelly?

Got smashed up on the highlights otherwise. They are a seriously good side and I think wilder is an exceptional manager. The best in the division by a distance.

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Disagree with many of player ratings.
Back 4 had little chance today.
Martinez has played well overall, except for one dodgy pass in each of his games. Today, if that pass goes to anyone else, not sure its a goal.
Ergo, Kelly is liability in Champ, opposition having a laugh, needs League 1 loan to prove what he's got (if anything).
Squad needs lots of work, we know that. Needs to be adapted to Champ.
Like most everyone else, I expected a loss today anyway (although not like that).
Regroup quickly, tho I'd have taken 3 pts from Black/Sheff games overall, and other results mostly gone our way.

And they have been last couple seasons. Chris Wilder better manager than we've had?

We've conceded four goals, surely the back four has to take some of the blame for that? The midfield three were shocking and didn't help the defence one bit but they carved us open one too many times at the back. As for Martinez, it probably is harsh but it's one of the most stupid things I've ever seen and it ultimately killed any (slim) hope we had left. Why can't these players think for themselves, I could see the pass wasn't on. Most of his saves were at 4-0 down but it could help with goal difference in the future so that's a bonus.

On a side note, that's now 3 goals we've scored in 11 away games. People talk about knee-jerk reactions but how do you expect people to react with a record as poor as that
Yeah, that's fine, people react however they want/choose to.
We'll be shorthanded, but if there's no reaction/improvement next week, I'll really be peeved.

Well said, it is what it is right now in the Champ, and we knew much work lay ahead.

Read this:


Disagree with many of player ratings.
Back 4 had little chance today.
Martinez has played well overall, except for one dodgy pass in each of his games. Today, if that pass goes to anyone else, not sure its a goal.
Ergo, Kelly is liability in Champ, opposition having a laugh, needs League 1 loan to prove what he's got (if anything).
Squad needs lots of work, we know that. Needs to be adapted to Champ.
Like most everyone else, I expected a loss today anyway (although not like that).
Regroup quickly, tho I'd have taken 3 pts from Black/Sheff games overall, and other results mostly gone our way.

And they have been last couple seasons. Chris Wilder better manager than we've had?
Ha! Of course you'd blame Kelly for someone elses error.

Away performance against one of the best team in the division we were never going to get anything from.

Early goal, ricochet. 4-0 defeat.

Big deal.

Heads up.

We move on.

Let’s concentrate on the important matches. WNG.

Seeing as I got lolwut'd when I said I was unconvinced about having Martinez, today is exactly what I've been worried about.

Great shotstopper and claims crosses well, but Jakkola was decent enough at that side of things . This idea of having a keeper because they are good with the ball at their feet.... Fukk that at this level. The way he plays will cost us a couple of games each season (nearly cost us a goal against Blackburn) so that is a lot of shotstopping to make up those points

Why the 'of course', and rolling of eyes?
I didn't actually blame Kelly.
I said Martinez made a dodgy pass, and has done in all his games.
But yes, imo, if that pass happens to go to someone other than Kelly, I'm not sure its a goal.
You disagree with that, that's fine.

Why the 'of course', and rolling of eyes?
I didn't actually blame Kelly.
I said Martinez made a dodgy pass, and has done in all his games.
But yes, imo, if that pass happens to go to someone other than Kelly, I'm not sure its a goal.
You disagree with that, that's fine.

Then Kelly needs to make the decision for him and push up the pitch.

Yep. Jaakkola is also a decent shot stopper too. None of our keepers have enough sense to pass the ball out when it’s safe to do so. I have lost count of the number of times the pass short has been made to a marked player under pressure. It’s idiotic.

Martinez is certainly better with the ball at his feet than the others

Like I said after Blackburn - for me, playing short passing is no more risky than just hoofing the ball into the oppo CBs head time and time again. It just looks worse

With the exception being that the opposition CB or whoever he heads it to isn't then immediately yards from goal, probably in space and with a great chance to have a shot.

And decent kicks don't go near a CB anyway. They go to the flank between fullback and winger.

With the exception being that the opposition CB or whoever he heads it to isn't then immediately yards from goal, probably in space and with a great chance to have a shot.

And decent kicks don't go near a CB anyway. They go to the flank between fullback and winger.

Sheffield do it perfectly, two of their three CB's pull out wide to create those options, then Norwood tucks in if the centre is free, and then their other CB pushes forward if the short options are marked

Us, on the other hand, play passes to marked players putting them under pressure or hoof it to our smallest player. That's a mixture of either the players not having any spine to make their own choices or more likely they have no idea what they're doing because they're not good enough to play this way

With the exception being that the opposition CB or whoever he heads it to isn't then immediately yards from goal, probably in space and with a great chance to have a shot.

And decent kicks don't go near a CB anyway. They go to the flank between fullback and winger.

Sheffield do it perfectly, two of their three CB's pull out wide to create those options, then Norwood tucks in if the centre is free, and then their other CB pushes forward if the short options are marked

Us, on the other hand, play passes to marked players putting them under pressure or hoof it to our smallest player. That's a mixture of either the players not having any spine to make their own choices or more likely they have no idea what they're doing because they're not good enough to play this way

Yep it’s about doing it well. Sometimes we do it well, other times we are a complete shambles at it. I can’t remember us actually conceding from it other than today for a while (and convinced that was a foul)

Its rare it actually ends in the oppo having a shot - at worse it’s normally a throw in or similar