Are Reading the WORST team...

[Weststander]

Excluding us under Poyet? I NEVER saw us play that ineffectually under Poyet. To play that way you have to be able to play it out from the back, we did that in the championship under Poyet, but they just couldn't do it tonight.

Our 4-4-2 totally foxed them and their best chances came from long balls. However they should carry on, we developed that style in league 1, its hard to do it in the champ, and especially away at the league leaders - I'll give them a pass

Poyet's Withdean possession football - was fantastic at the time and opponents didn't know how to play us. They'd normally chase our defence down but couldn't keep up all game, when Murray/Calderon/Barnes/Bennett would eventually take them apart.

Poyet's Amex tactics were the same, but every club in the Championship had better, athletic footballers. Boring much of the time.

 

[Stat Brother]

Warnock's Cardiff without the ability.


Loved Murphy scoring from their only attack.

 

[Medwayseagull]

Did McShane make a single forward pass?

I certainly recall him making one to Sidwell.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

...to have that amount of possession at the Amex?

Excluding us under Poyet and Garcia of course.

I think they created one chance? ONE.

Stockdale made a good save with his feet and the header that Duffy cleared, which were good opportunities and well worked.

To be fair they weren't awful, but Stan was out-coached and his team met a far superior opposition.

I thought all their team were of a similar robust build, and looked very uncomfortable when they had to turn or chase, which happened quite a lot!! [emoji2]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[oldboyroy]

To think I was worried about today they were rubbish poorest team we have played all season. It wasn't as if they parked the bus they were tacticly clueless.

Agree I was a bit worried about them but hey no need to have been

 

[Lush]

I was tempted to start ole-ing the passes, just to wind them up.

 

[El Turi]

I don't think their tactics were helped by Al-Habsi's lack of ability with the ball at his feet. The passing between the centre backs was quite pointless though as they'd usually end up playing it long in the end anyway.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Welcome to Big Boy's School, Jaap. Most teams know the way to play against teams that just pass it around a lot is high pressing and counter attacking. You need a Plan B. Try as you might, you can't play like Barcelona with Championship players.

 

[Sheebo]

Did McShane make a single forward pass?

I must have witnessed Paul McShane make 100 sideways or backwards passes tonight. His stats will look amazing - the critics that say Reading don't do much with their possession & have no plan B were right on tonight's performance. They stick to their guns and played into our hands massively. It will work grinding down lower teams - but not teams at the top. To try & out-football us at home was bold. And failed. Miserably.

 

[Miximate]

Its seemed to me that they only wanted to play one way, that is, playing short out from the keeper. CH certainly did a job with his tactics of pressing high when there were any goal kicks awarded.

Some of our passing and moving in the 2nd half was reminiscent of Barcelona at times!

 

[Wardy's twin]

I don't think Reading were a bad team, very reminiscent of Poyet's Brighton but with zero cutting edge. We totally outplayed tehnm and it could have been 6 -1 .The table does n't lie playing that type of football against lower opposition will get you points in the Championship.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Talking to [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] at half time he asked if we were as dull as that under Poyet, to which my answer was yes - but not at Withdean. If you're a lover of several nice passes across the back line followed by giving it away under pressure Reading are your very team. Literally no idea how they have so many points.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

To play like that, you need a goalkeeper with excellent distribution and kicking ability......

 

[Guinness Boy]

To play like that, you need a goalkeeper with excellent distribution and kicking ability......

 

[Gazwag]

I don't think their tactics were helped by Al-Habsi's lack of ability with the ball at his feet. The passing between the centre backs was quite pointless though as they'd usually end up playing it long in the end anyway.

Having just watched the game though on sky I realised it was great tactics playing so high up the pitch for goal kicks as Readings were clueless what to do

 

[Stat Brother]

Talking to [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] at half time he asked if we were as dull as that under Poyet, to which my answer was yes - but not at Withdean. If you're a lover of several nice passes across the back line followed by giving it away under pressure Reading are your very team. Literally no idea how they have so many points.

Tonight should be a wake up call to those on here who still maintain Poyet's AMEX team was a thing of beauty.

I know at the time I couldn't have been happier, but that also came with the caveat of:-

'blimey we're gonna batter a team real soon, I can feel it'.

In all honestly, bar the odd mismatch, we never did.


Scroll forward 5 years, at it's:-

'Oh so we've battered another team, which is nice'.

 

[upthealbion1970]

I am mystified as to how Reading are above Rotherham to be honest

I can't fathom how reading are top 6

 

[Buzzer]

Tonight should be a wake up call to those on here who still maintain Poyet's AMEX team was a thing of beauty.

I know at the time I couldn't have been happier, but that also came with the caveat of:-

'blimey we're gonna batter a team real soon, I can feel it'.

In all honestly, bar the odd mismatch, we never did.


Scroll forward 5 years, at it's:-

'Oh so we've battered another team, which is nice'.

I used to think that Reading's keeper was pretty decent. Totally revised my opinion after today's match.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Tonight should be a wake up call to those on here who still maintain Poyet's AMEX team was a thing of beauty.

I know at the time I couldn't have been happier, but that also came with the caveat of:-

'blimey we're gonna batter a team real soon, I can feel it'.

In all honestly, bar the odd mismatch, we never did.


Scroll forward 5 years, at it's:-

'Oh so we've battered another team, which is nice'.

There were odd batterings. Peterboro and Charlton away. The St Pats massacre. Blackpool at home. But not many.

At the time I defended the "We are Brighton and we play only one way" thing. It made us have an identity and helped in getting the academy / training ground going if you ask me. But all too often we looked one dimensional and today we showed what can happen when a team with a a very good tactical manager with Championship experience comes up against a manager with a one line philosophy in this division.

 

[Weststander]

Tonight should be a wake up call to those on here who still maintain Poyet's AMEX team was a thing of beauty.

I know at the time I couldn't have been happier, but that also came with the caveat of:-

'blimey we're gonna batter a team real soon, I can feel it'.

In all honestly, bar the odd mismatch, we never did.


Scroll forward 5 years, at it's:-

'Oh so we've battered another team, which is nice'.

Good post, the demolitions you felt were on the cards at the Amex never came (bar say 3-0 versus CPFC).

That team/squad had many gifted footballers, but other than Buckley lacked real pace in attack. Opponents simply used to sit back, and counter against us when we eventually gave the ball away.

Hughton's tactics and squad including some players with great pace and/or directness, is light years ahead of Poyet's boring product.

After Poyet squeezed out Murray, we never solved the striker conundrum, getting through so many strikers bought or loanees, including Obika, CMS, COG, Barn Door, etc, etc.