Brighton & Hove Albion vs Reading *** Official Match Thread ***

[portlock seagull]

Norwood was slammed with faint praise by Reading commentary on Radio Berkshire. Many didn't seem to rate him at the Madstad including his free kick abilities. Think we panicked bought him because of Stevens.

Ince's contribution was also questioned by their commentators. Does seem a shadow of potential shown 2 seasons ago. Really want him to do well, come on Rohan get back to your best please! Don't just drift out of the club and into lower leagues, you're better than that!

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Norwood can quite simply **** OFF

 

[Plake]

Brighton's biggest problem, well one of them, was the sheer predictability of the final ball into the box. Lost count of the number of times the ball was lobbed forward from the centre right to a Reading defender's head. Secondly, don't know what happened to Norwood, he used to be good but can't remember him doing much at all this match. Guess it was a bit of a reserves match for both teams.

Have to say we did well to hang on for the win, surprised you didn't score again in the last 10 minutes and am very pleased I didn't have to sit through another half hour of the siege. Am looking forward greatly to being knocked out by Preston now.

Good luck in the league, you're a lot better than that and would be pleased to see you go up.

 

[portlock seagull]

he didn't play any of the players who really make the difference between winning and losing. Doing well in this competition is NOT what Chris has set his sights on this season. You all know what our goal for this season is

That's just boringly predictable losers bull and simply not true. As if Stam sat down pre match with Readings owner and decided to give the Championship a miss this season and 'concentrate on the League Cup instead? They won. With 10 men. Away from home. With a second fiddle side too. It's embarrassing. And does matter when we play a club such as Reading

 

[portlock seagull]

Norwood can quite simply **** OFF

That's what Reading fans said and to their amusement he did...only we're not laughing. They are mind.

 

[tigertim68]

Let's face it , the club didn't want to be in the competition , not taking the it seriously at all . no help to get the fans there , which is why only 6000 turned up , CH plays a reserve team , and uses it as a competitive practice match , and people wonder why the team put in a performance like tonight's match .

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

If you had stayed at home you could have seen the goal on SSN, beer in hand.

That's what I did.

Year but I'm a fanatic

 

[sir albion]

That's what Reading fans said and to their amusement he did...only we're not laughing. They are mind.

Very strange signing and he's a defensive midfielder too....How often do we play with a defensive midfielder?Even the reading fans said he slows games down the game in which is not the way we play...bloody strange signing.

Must say I was also disappointed that we offered sidwell a contract as he's well past it and offers very little,bet he's on 20k a week as well

 

[sir albion]

Let's face it , the club didn't want to be in the competition , not taking the it seriously at all . no help to get the fans there , which is why only 6000 turned up , CH plays a reserve team , and uses it as a competitive practice match , and people wonder why the team put in a performance like tonight's match .

Think fans would have preferred more youngsters playing as they're the future

 

[Munchkin]

Let's face it , the club didn't want to be in the competition , not taking the it seriously at all . no help to get the fans there , which is why only 6000 turned up , CH plays a reserve team , and uses it as a competitive practice match , and people wonder why the team put in a performance like tonight's match .

These are the idiotic post's that wind me up, of course the club want to be in the competition, and the club have to weigh up all the options Ina competition 'where spectator levels are going to be low' look at every game tonight and the attendance figures back that up, we are not unique in our approach, factor in the travel costs and the associated cost of park and ride and various travel options I can totally get where the club are coming from.

My main gripe is the comment 'CH played a reserve team' absolute tripe, CH played a team that are very much in the first team picture, in fact our reserve team played last night against Newcastle. these were 11 players performing to force their way into CH plans and not one of them did that tonight IMO.

The term 'competihe practice match' winds me up even more, for long periods of the game I saw Reading players work hard and strive to impress, whereas we look laboured and half hearted, nothing like a bunch of players looking to impress the manger.

Don't be short sighted and blame the competition, these guys are professional footballers and tonight the performance levels simply weren't acceptable.

 

[BensGrandad]

The writing was on the wall at 6.45 when the team was announced. Any team that starts with Sidwell Norwood and Ince in midfield has no ambition to get forward and score goals either Skalak or Murphy should have started to provide the service for the front men. Nobody showed as likey to be considered to start in the first team in the near future other than Hunte if Bruno is injured.

 

[portslade seagull]

Manu was mom tonight god knows how Baldock bagged it

 

[sir albion]

Just on the train back from the game, not overly concerned about the result to be honest, what I am concerned about is the following:

- What has happened to Glenn Murray? He's a shadow of himself the past few weeks.

- Sam Baldock, terrible this evening, MOM? Not in a million years.

I'm genuinely concerned that not one player stood out tonight and said to CH 'I deserve to be in the starting 11' seriously we were terrible.

If Kayal or Stephens get injured we are seriously screwed, Sidwell, Ince and Norwood were shambolic tonight.

People will say 'it doesn't matter, it's only the cup' but I'm afraid it does matter, too many fringe players showed tonight we simply don't have the depth of squad that is needed in The Championship IMO.

Said at the start of the season we need quality box to box midfielders as we have no quality behind the best two....three strikers and one called baldock is utter gash and only two quality midfielders is a massive massive problem.

 

[sir albion]

The writing was on the wall at 6.45 when the team was announced. Any team that starts with Sidwell Norwood and Ince in midfield has no ambition to get forward and score goals either Skalak or Murphy should have started to provide the service for the front men. Nobody showed as likey to be considered to start in the first team in the near future other than Hunte if Bruno is injured.

Yep a very very very very very defensive midfield....very strange that we can't produce and good young attacking midfielders or even select a senior one bar kayal and Stephens.
We have so many shite midfielders on the books and it's such a waste of money.

 

[Sheebo]

Wasn't bothered about the results in this competition at the start of it & really not bothered by tonight's result. Some good performances from the likes of Manu & Hunt - these games are more about giving game time to those who don't play enough and individual performances. Whole night felt like a friendly TBH.

 

[portlock seagull]

These are the idiotic post's that wind me up, of course the club want to be in the competition, and the club have to weigh up all the options Ina competition 'where spectator levels are going to be low' look at every game tonight and the attendance figures back that up, we are not unique in our approach, factor in the travel costs and the associated cost of park and ride and various travel options I can totally get where the club are coming from.

My main gripe is the comment 'CH played a reserve team' absolute tripe, CH played a team that are very much in the first team picture, in fact our reserve team played last night against Newcastle. these were 11 players performing to force their way into CH plans and not one of them did that tonight IMO.

The term 'competihe practice match' winds me up even more, for long periods of the game I saw Reading players work hard and strive to impress, whereas we look laboured and half hearted, nothing like a bunch of players looking to impress the manger.

Don't be short sighted and blame the competition, these guys are professional footballers and tonight the performance levels simply weren't acceptable.

This. In spades!

 

[perseus]

cf: Norwich played the 10 reserves away at Everton (with five reserves) and won 0-2.

 

[Machiavelli]

It's probably you guys having a look

How strong was your side today, was it reserves?

From the little I know, our side on paper was better than yours. Yet you won, playing with 10 men for 50 minutes, and deserved to win. There were a fair few players starting for us tonight that had an opportunity to demand a starting place in the Championship, but fluffed their lines. They were little better than the stadium announcer, who had one thing to do, and got that wrong. The bigger problem is that those that came on to 'turn the match round', fluffed their lines too.

 

[portlock seagull]

cf: Norwich played the 10 reserves away at Everton (with five reserves) and won 0-2.

Yes but who cares it's only the cup, no one gives a toffee (see what I did there) blah blah blah (because we're out and played gash)

 

[Machiavelli]

Brighton's biggest problem, well one of them, was the sheer predictability of the final ball into the box. Lost count of the number of times the ball was lobbed forward from the centre right to a Reading defender's head. Secondly, don't know what happened to Norwood, he used to be good but can't remember him doing much at all this match. Guess it was a bit of a reserves match for both teams.

Have to say we did well to hang on for the win, surprised you didn't score again in the last 10 minutes and am very pleased I didn't have to sit through another half hour of the siege. Am looking forward greatly to being knocked out by Preston now.

Good luck in the league, you're a lot better than that and would be pleased to see you go up.

You're too kind, and decent analysis of the game too. Norwood really hasn't done much here. I really like the way that he strokes the ball around, but it's all from so deep, and devoid of ambition. He doesn't seem terribly mobile either, and have been unimpressed thus far with his set-pieces. Can you offer a few shards of light?