Sent Off From The Bench

Reading allowed the chasing pack to move within two points with another disappointing defeat, this time away at AFC Bournemouth. Although the loss isn't exactly surprising, given the two sides' recent form, the manner of defeat was particularly frustrating. The opening two minutes was all Reading, with Gorkss eventually putting a free header over the bar after getting completely underneath the ball - but that's where Reading stopped playing football, and started imploding. Matt Ritchie scored with less than ten minutes gone, when a ball into the left channel was pulled across the six yard box by Lewis Grabban. Royston Drenthe made a blistering run down the right-wing at 1-0, but only ended getting bundled off the ball with ALF screaming for it in the middle. 1-1 is a completely different game, and Drenthe's aversion to passing the ball so often ends with the team on the defensive after losing possession. However the reason the fans chant his name is, not only becaus...

Somehow with Reading faltering at home without a win in six they've managed to remain in the playoffs; it's fortunate that they've managed to pick up 16 points from 18 away from the Madejski. A game against Charlton should be a certain three points for The Royals sitting in the play-off places, but as a hard-fought game against Birmingham a fortnight ago showed it's not always that simple. The first half was completely devoid of any sort of quality, or passion. Drenthe overhit several crosses, and everything was so rushed. Charlton looked like a side who had the ability to cause problems, with pace and skill all over the pitch. Half an hour in and Reading started to take more time in possession, and play the ball around on the floor. There was no way through, and no chances, but it was a much better way to end the first forty-five minutes. The most excitement came when Gorkss wasn't allowed on the field for a couple of minutes after taking a knock to the head. I...

So the first game I've been to in a while, scheduling my coming back from university in time to make it. What an idiot. Two goals within the first 12 minutes of a game against a team in the bottom half of the table is not good enough. Okay, so yes their first goal - a lovely flowing counter attack which ended in a goal after two defenders blocked an earlier cross, leaving a man free on the edge of the area - was nice, but it highlighted the fact that Reading were playing without a midfield . Both Dannys (DD) were pushed up far too high, and with Gunter attacking up the wing as he normally does with no cover, it was far too easy to exploit all the space on our right hand side. The exact position which Jem Karacan was so adept at filling was where at least one-half of DD should have been. It was more Pearce at fault for the second goal, who was pulled off early in the second half for McCleary - but we have no other choices at CB, something which should have been addressed in the ...

My trip to Nottingham didn't start exactly to plan, with me and my mate losing our tickets for the match but after making our way towards the City Ground it turns out they beat us there - and we somehow ran into the steward that had a hold of them. Thank goodness! The Reading end was one of the better atmosphere's I've been in in a while, lots of chanting - and very quickly rewarded with Pavel and Kaspars both seeing the ball cross the line in the opening 15 minutes. The first saw McCleary with some nice play down the wing before sliding across to Pog who bundled the ball in. The latter a well worked corner routine with Gorkss getting his head on the end of it, as so often before. After the quick start Nottingham came back into the game a bit, and although Reading had some nice passing there was never any killer ball, and never really threatened the Forest goal other than one occasion when McCleary broke through but couldn't score against his old team - striking it ...

An away trip to league leaders Burnley proved fruitless for Reading, who inflicted only the second defeat of the campaign. Reading came into the game having not lost in six, but with only a draw from the midweek game against Barnsley. Burnley quickly pressed Reading and some poor defending left the in-form Danny Ings with a simple finish. A flat ball went over Pearce's head, and Morrison couldn't get a foot on it to leave Ings with a one-on-one with the keeper, and somebody who already has ten goals this season rarely misses chances like that. Burnley had a spell of pressure until Sam Vokes went down to give the away side a respite. From there Reading looked safe, never really troubling Heaton in the opposition goal - apart from one looping Pogrebnyak header that was tipped over - but also managing to dispel Burnley. In the second half the action was again mostly around Alex McCarthy, who once again showed his worth with some terrific saves. In the 80th minutes Danny Guthri...

So I took my seats rather late today, the players were already out on the pitch and the team was just being read out, but I couldn't manage to miss the lack of Billy Sharp. Widely reported yesterday to sign for Reading in time for the game today, but instead up front was our Russian striker who, up to this point, had seen red more times than he'd found the back of the net this year. Also notable was a first league start for academy graduate, Jordan Obita. In a largely dull first period there were glimpses of hope for Reading. McCleary having a few good runs down the right side, reunited on that wing with ex-Nottingham Forest team-mate Chris Gunter. It was also noticeable how Jordan Obita, supposedly playing in the Drenthe free-role, enjoyed sticking to the left-half of the pitch. The new-boy did play well, even if he didn't look anything special he didn't look like a young player coming into a team in transition. Alex McCarthy pulled off a couple of good saves, gene...

So, back from a game that the majority of people seemed to class as awful. I honestly didn't think it was that bad, and there's a lot of unnecessary doom and gloom around a club who tends to pick up after the start of the season. Especially seeing as in our first six games we've played three rivals for promotion and another who currently tops the league. Yes, maybe we should have won a couple of our earlier games - and there's no way we should have lost against Blackpool - but really it's the 6-0 cup defeat to Peterborough that's casting shadows, and our inability to sign the players promised by Adkins and Anton during the transfer window. We have to put that to the back of our minds, and there's no better way to do that than with the first game since the window closed. With Pogrebnyak starting up front alongside Drenthe and Le Fondre in what appeared to be a 4-3-3, and our record of beating Brighton in our previous six meetings with The Seagulls there see...