Player ratings - Reading

[Billy the Fish]

Is JFC going to be the new Barnes?

He does a lot of good work for the team and is very neat and tidy on the ball. He had a good game today

There seems to be a large portion of our support who are only ball watching and don't see the stuff off the ball, or only rate a player based on the big moments with the less obvious stuff going unnoticed.

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

Let's face it, a midfield three of Andrews, JFC and A half fit Ince is never going to be good enough against one of the stronger Championship sides.

True but even so I think some of the criticism is a tad harsh. I'm not implying that I think he's brilliant and can do no wrong but today I thought he played well and in general does what is asked of him on and off the ball.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Without keeping harking on about JFC I do think it's very easy to miss what he contributes the team. He doesn't go tearing around winning crunching 50/50's, he doesn't have the pace to roast defenders but what he does do is a very intelligent job for the team and he has a cracking shot on him usually.

Try to look for the positions he takes up between the oppositions back four and midfield and then how he covers defensively, he really does a good job most games. If he had pace he would be worth in excess of £5 million in my view, vastly underrated by the majority.

This says it much better than I did ^^

 

[Skaville]

Agreed, as it is the red card is doing quite a grand job of hiding another awful performance from us. We've got nothing in attack, yet the bench is loaded with wingers

THREE! Why have three wingers on the bench and none starting? Just bizarre. He did this against Hull. It's weird. It's like having Brez AND Ankergren on the bench.

 

[big nuts]

Interesting to see differing marks for JFC I didn't think he contributed anything today yet others saw his performance so differently, though Bruno was MOM been very impressed with Bruno in recent weeks

He played well for the most part, but made a unforgivable mistake by being to casual when the last man, which gifted Reading a glorious opportunity to take all 3 points which would have a huge blow to our play-off ambitions. The big Pole has absolutely got him out of jail today, so despite a lot of good work I struggle to see him as MOTM.

His mistake was far worse then any by Greer in my opinion.

 

[Silk]

Without keeping harking on about JFC I do think it's very easy to miss what he contributes the team. He doesn't go tearing around winning crunching 50/50's, he doesn't have the pace to roast defenders but what he does do is a very intelligent job for the team and he has a cracking shot on him usually.

Try to look for the positions he takes up between the oppositions back four and midfield and then how he covers defensively, he really does a good job most games. If he had pace he would be worth in excess of £5 million in my view, vastly underrated by the majority.

I think there may be a very subtle difference between it being "easy to miss" what he contributes, and him actually not contributing much. Personally I think he's on the wrong side of it, but perhaps I'll watch him more closely on Tuesday. If he plays.

 

[Brighton Mod]

Buckley's one on one at the end. Can't remember any others though.

Whats going on at the moment, too many long balls to Ulloa who is struggling to stand up, but the real difficulty I have is the formation. When a team plays one up top it needs, the midfielders to be mobile and able to support the lone striker. So we have Ince, the fifth defender, Andrews a holding midfielder, JFC who can push forward but needs to win the ball, Dave the playmaker and Linguard. What happens when we win the ball in midfield, we have nowhere to go and this was most evident today. No pace, no width and no idea in the first half today. The substitutions were evident way before they were made. We are not scoring anywhere near enough goals and after two and a half seasons at the Amex is not becoming evident that playing one up top is not working for us, either under Poyet or Garcia, I am forming the opinion that we are pursuing the wrong ideology for the players that we have at the club.

 

[bhawoddy]

Doesn't lose the ball, is the only one from midfield breaking ahead of Ulloa. Thought he did well. He's not a player who is going to dribble past players or win lots of tackles, but he does make tackles and he's the only one breaking forward from midfield - and he's only 19

that's fair enough tim.

Its not my opinion though..

 

[Weststander]

I like Ward, but I do think he looks very average when he's up against a pacy, tricky winger. So many of their dangerous moves (and the goal) came down that side but his cover was JFC who simply can't tackle. I can't believe Adkins took Drenthe off.

Said that a few weeks ago and got pilloried on NSC. Not a bad player, but you can clearly see why he plays for a mid/upper Championship team, at best. I think he is vulnerable defensively for pace or 1 on 1's and a couple of levels below the perfect Wayne Bridge - the best Albion LB I've seen.

 

[bhawoddy]

Agreed, as it is the red card is doing quite a grand job of hiding another awful performance from us. We've got nothing in attack, yet the bench is loaded with wingers

agreed. even with 11 v 11 I thought they looked a better side

 

[One Love]

Whats going on at the moment, too many long balls to Ulloa who is struggling to stand up, but the real difficulty I have is the formation. When a team plays one up top it needs, the midfielders to be mobile and able to support the lone striker. So we have Ince, the fifth defender, Andrews a holding midfielder, JFC who can push forward but needs to win the ball, Dave the playmaker and Linguard. What happens when we win the ball in midfield, we have nowhere to go and this was most evident today. No pace, no width and no idea in the first half today. The substitutions were evident way before they were made. We are not scoring anywhere near enough goals and after two and a half seasons at the Amex is not becoming evident that playing one up top is not working for us, either under Poyet or Garcia, I am forming the opinion that we are pursuing the wrong ideology for the players that we have at the club.

I think this post is spot on.

Really don't think our way of playing is getting anywhere near enough out of our squad.

 

[Skaville]

Said that a few weeks ago and got pilloried on NSC. Not a bad player, but you can clearly see why he plays for a mid/upper Championship team, at best. I think he is vulnerable defensively for pace or 1 on 1's and a couple of levels below the perfect Wayne Bridge - the best Albion LB I've seen.

I remember it well, it was about six weeks ago. I can't remember the opposition though and I'm pretty sure I was one of the few who agreed with you then. Who was it? Would be interesting to see if the player he was facing was a similar type to Drenthe

 

[The Lemming Stomper]

Lopez -8

I'm guessing you're a 'glass half full' person

 

[Skaville]

I remember it well, it was about six weeks ago. I can't remember the opposition though and I'm pretty sure I was one of the few who agreed with you then. Who was it? Would be interesting to see if the player he was facing was a similar type to Drenthe

Just checked the player ratings threads. It was Birmingham Weststander and Burke was the player. Nippy, good feet and strong with it, the characteristics which Ward struggles with. Check the thread.

 

[Knocker15]

He played well for the most part, but made a unforgivable mistake by being to casual when the last man, which gifted Reading a glorious opportunity to take all 3 points which would have a huge blow to our play-off ambitions. The big Pole has absolutely got him out of jail today, so despite a lot of good work I struggle to see him as MOTM.

His mistake was far worse then any by Greer in my opinion.

I must admit I'm talking as a recent convert as in the past he's always worried me, and have preferred the reliability of Caderon. Also feel we missed a trick not getting Lua Lua on and getting him running at there defence

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Kusczack - 8
Bruno - 7
Upson - 7
Greer - 5
Ward - 7
Ince - 6
Andrews - 7
JFC - 7
Lopez -8
Lingard - 8
Ulloa - 6

Dunk - 7
Buckley - 7
March - 6

Was a good point given the circumstances.

I've got to ask, what did Lopez do to justify an 8 from you?

 

[Seagull1989]

Pig - 9- motm . Was called upon often and made a lot of good saves
Bruno -3- could have cost us the game getting caught In possession
Greer - 6- unlucky to be sent off.
Upson -7- did his job well
Ward -6- got skinned a few times and dived in dangerously
Ince -7- sat In a different seat to usual today he's good but not excellent
Andrews -6- did his job
JFC -6- see above. Could have contributed more
David -5- not a winger
Lingard -6- home debut did well .
Ulloa -7- held ball up well constantly fouled


Dunk -6- solid. Will be good to see him get 90 mins v qpr
Buckley-7- get fit soon. Flashes of brilliance
Solly -6- hope to see him play more often

 

[nwgull]

I must admit I'm talking as a recent convert as in the past he's always worried me, and have preferred the reliability of Caderon. Also feel we missed a trick not getting Lua Lua on and getting him running at there defence

I think that went up in smoke when we went down to 10 men.

Something odd - and I may be reading too much into this - is that KLL didn't have his usual jog and warm up in front of the WSL until well into the second half today. It was as if he knew he was out of favour and unlikely to get on, as he's usually up and down from about the 30th minute.

 

[Icy Gull]

]Kusczack - 7 one great save a couple of good ones but should he have saved the goal?
Bruno - 7
Upson - 7
Greer - 5
Ward - 5 worst I've seen him play
Ince - 5 pretty poor by his recent standards
Andrews - 6
JFC - 6
Lopez -6
Lingard - 6
Ulloa - 4

Dunk - 6
Buckley - 7 made a difference
March - 5

We were lucky not to lose.

 

[dazzer6666]

Interesting difference of opinion on JFC. I thought he contributed nothing except a clearance in the first half and the through ball for the offside goal. Drenthe left him for dead for the goal. Can't tackle, does nothing with the ball... What happened to the prospect of two seasons ago?

Agreed. Poor.