Reading – Post Match

[SimonNo7]

I think we've lacked movement throughout the team for ages, we don't pass and move anymore, most of the time our players are stationary waiting for the ball. Today I thought there was plenty of space available but no one moved into it

Couldn't agree more. We seem to think if we just stand anywhere on the pitch the ball will come to us and be the liller pass rather than us creating space for the killer pass!

[Shanks]

Add their values and compare, maybe that'll shed some light your end.

Thing is, they have much less pressure than us. They're a club at the top, whilst we have the tremendous pressure of winning the league for the first time in 20 years. This has all its associated problems. Ask Ferguson is it was easy for them winning his first title.

Values have nothing to do with it.

Fergie puts that pressure on his squad of wanting to win every competition.

The players have to have that motivation and hunger.

Surely it must be a bigger challenge to keep the players hungry for success every season?

[Guest]

Values have nothing to do with it.

Fergie puts that pressure on his squad of wanting to win every competition.

The players have to have that motivation and hunger.

Surely it must be a bigger challenge to keep the players hungry for success every season?

Yes they have, they arguably have a better squad than us.

Do you not think Rafa puts pressure on his players to perform?

[Shanks]

Yes they have, they arguably have a better squad than us.

100 mill bench and yet midfielders playing in defence.

[Guest]

100 mill bench and yet midfielders playing in defence.

That's why they've probably cost that much.

In all seriousness, it's the only disastrous season we're having with Rafa in charge. It's all a bit premature to be calling for his head, even more when the best we can hope for a replacement is Jurgen Klinsmann.

[Icon]

True. Easier though when you have a £100m bench and an established / settled squad.

I thought we had the virtually the same squad as last season?

[Shanks]

an established / settled squad.

There's is no more established than ours and I would say Fergie has rotated a lot more than Rafa.

[Kinell]

Couldn't agree more. We seem to think if we just stand anywhere on the pitch the ball will come to us and be the liller pass rather than us creating space for the killer pass!

The Alonso factor.

We need proper wide players, we saw Reading play narrow today and it really hurt us in the first 30 minutes.

[Spanishfly]

Sacking Rafa and putting another manager in charge (which will probably be Jurgen Klinsmann - I doubt the Americans have a vast football knowledge which will make them see past the Germans' merits) will put our club in an even deeper quagmire.

Then we'll all have to endure your constant tediousness about how bad Klinsmann is .... Some things will never change.

100% agree with that! We need to keep Rafa. Hopefully with a few good loan deals and a purchase this month we can turn it around.

[Guest]

There's is no more established than ours and I would say Fergie has rotated a lot more than Rafa.

When Rafa rotated, that was the problem, as Fergie wasn't seen to be rotating much then as it was the only explanation why they were better than us. Now he isn't rotating much, motivating the team seems to be another problem.

Rafa must be utterly useless judging by the list of frailties associated with his managership.

[Icon]

Rafa must be utterly useless judging by the list of frailties associated with his managership.

So he needs to go now?

[Lee]

I thought we had the virtually the same squad as last season?

We've lost an influencial centre back, one of the best midfielders in the league and also a regular full back. Our left midfielder has also been injured all season. We've even missed the likes of Agger too. Plus we've also had a less-than-fit Torres, Gerrard & Johnson.

There's is no more established than ours and I would say Fergie has rotated a lot more than Rafa.

Less than established?! They've got the likes of Giggs, Scholes, Berbatov & Owen on the bench every week. They're pretty established players / winners in my opinion.

[SimonNo7]

The Alonso factor.

We need proper wide players, we saw Reading play narrow today and it really hurt us in the first 30 minutes.

Or just the lack of creativity factor!

What we saw was hungry Reading players wanting to win a football match and not sure what to call Liverpool players scared ****less of another team having a go at them, bullying them, harrassing them, hassling them. We are such a set of soft *******s.

[sitoca]

Didn't watch the match but as usual, as soon as we have a bad performance, you always see the same faces getting on Rafa's back. They're nowhere to be seen when we win or do well.

Its the FA cup FFS. Lower div team do up their games against Premier League teams. Just look at the number of upsets over the years.

Few observations. Gerrard should be dropped for a couple of games for rest as well as a wake up call. Ngog is a good foil for Torres and looks a good holding striker too. A couple of times last night he holds the ball up well. Aquilani needs more game to accustom to the speed of the English game. He was too casual and got caught out a couple of times last night in dangerous areas. We desperately need better quality wingers. Insua is still prone to defensive errors. This might be due to inexperience or lack of concentration or both. Darby despite his mistake against fiorentina is a solid defender - in the Carragher mould. Good time to play him with the Johnson's injury to gain more experience.

Base on current form and availability, I would go for the following lineup

Reina
Darby - Carragher - Agger - Aurelio
Kuyt - Lucas - Aquilani - Benayoun
Ngog
Torres

[The Birdman]

I avoided this thread yesterday for obvious reasons but my opinion for what it's worth is - Leave Insua, Darby, Lucas and NGog alone, they are all young players and regardless of how many games they have played they will have ups and downs.

Gerrard was a disgrace. Club captain my ****ing ass. Still now in interviews he'll say he wants to play centre midfield yet we played 4-4-2, so did Reading and he was outplayed, out muscled and out desired (I know that isn't a proper phrase) by the 2 lads playing for Reading. Lucas was miles better than Gerrard, his passing was terrible, workrate non existent, positionally off by yards and the worst sin for me was he didn't provide inspiration, I know he can't do it himself every week but the very least you expect of the captain is to get onto Aurelio and Insua when they were struggling, get in Torres' ear asking for a bit more rather than letting NGog do all the donkey work for him.

Souness was a proper captain, Roy Keane was a proper captain hell even that cunt John Terry is a proper captain.
We have a tempremental prima donna.