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Post by chip on Sept 21, 2024 15:49:31 GMT
Goaaaaaaaaal Dempsey
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Post by riochforthereebok on Sept 21, 2024 15:50:56 GMT
One more could be helpful to get that awful goal difference back Good goal Demps
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Post by chip on Sept 21, 2024 15:52:16 GMT
5-2 Ian will be full of it after this it will be trust in me bull shxt but it’s a win and that’s all we wanted COYWM
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Post by OohMac on Sept 21, 2024 17:11:11 GMT
If anyone thinks we've mad progress today think again. Last season was 5-2 as well. So no progress made.
That's a joke. But can anyone think of a time we've scored consecutive hat tricks against the same team?
Delighted with that win. Said on the main page football is fickle and if we scored early the fans would be right back onside. Andif we win the next 4 no one will be talking about Craddock.
However on the flip side. We could win the next three, lose a forth and Evatt is back under the cosh because of the poor start made.
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Post by andyl on Sept 22, 2024 8:59:22 GMT
A much better start to yesterday's game, fast aggressive, strong and completely dominant with crunching tackles from Schon and Johnston really lifting crowd and team. Adeboyejo looked forceful and full of running and Cogley in space got a cross or two in as did Schon. Sheehan and Thomason playing further forward looked incisive and up for the challenge. We battled and won a free kick. It was exactly where we were introduced to Sheehan scoring one of those in aq 3-3 early season draw v ( MK or Oxford-not sure). I had an instinct he would chip it in over the wall like that one. Instead he crashed it to the far right corner. Splendid.
From that point on the pattern of the game was that we lost a bit of vim, defensive creaks started to show and in midfield and attack Reading were really good without necessarily looking threatening. We, by contrast kept getting breakaways and opportunities a bit against the run of play and maybe the possession ( I haven't checked the statistics). Anyway a tangle with Charles with the Reading player wrong sided brought a soft but fair penalty and Charles wellied it narrowly under the bar in the middle.
More scares at the back with both Baxter and Santos far too slow and being closed down at the back, some negative passing and Matete getting caught in possession and some worrying corners. Yet, we broke again, Cogley passed to Charles and he confidently rounded a defender before sliding the ball between the keeper's legs. 3-0. Surely we can relax? No it's BWFC. Another cross comes to the far post and Baxter doesn't go for what live ( not so much in highlights) looked like an easy far post catch or punch ( I for one screamed Baxter!!!!). But then he redeemed himself making a splendid Banks style paw away from a downward header going in. Called later as a wonder save and it was good, but for me the product of his aeerail weakness and general indecision.
Comfort was not to last long. Santos went to sleep as did Baxter and a forward stuck out a leg and caught everyone by surprise by making it 3-1. Santos was to end the game ( and he was fortunate to do even that after a silly first half booking) with two goals against him, his current game by game average. I thought he was really poor throughout exercising almost no control sticking feet and head almost anywhere and generally not in touch and lummoxing about. Stripped of the captaincy, fair enough, but he is so badly out of fitness and form that he is way off his best even re what he is good at. I will give him a 2 crediting one good first half through ball and one good late tackle. More on the penalty later.
We got another penalty- this time 100% with Adeboyejo's pulled shirt blowing in the breeze in front of the referee. Charles crashed it to his favourite right. Phew 4-1 when it felt as if 3-2 was beckoning!
The second half began with nothing very much. Johnston had one really strong run through which fizzled and Schon still looked snappy. Cogley though faded away defensively, spurned one on ones and seldom got close to his men. Toal was often confronted with two and he's way too slow for that. Crosses came in which shouldn't have from that side.
And then a soft breakaway with Schon and Thomason letting a player loose on the right ended with Santos conceding a penalty. A big refereeing mistake this one. I'm just not sure what. I've played the clip back a lot and paused it and I cannot see a touch with hand or foot as the player runs across. I'd need an angle from the other side. I think it was soft and probably should not have been given. But if it was a foul and the offence was by hand pull back Santos goes off for 2nd yellow. No attempt to play the ball. If it was foot even if not deliberate that is less clear but I still think a goalscoring opportunity is denied, arguably denying the player a shot- he is moving slightly away from goal which may not mandate a direct red card but certainly whatever happened or didn't happen Santos made no attempt to play the ball. They scored . Santos stayed on. I have to say that he should have been hooked at half time, with four goals in the bank the risk of dismissal was too high and he was playing like a drain.
Anyway Subs were made. Adeboyejo and Charles rightly feted. Arfield, 100% and Dempsey 60% (not marking) did pretty well, Collins and McAtee less so. Williams did really well with one fast back tackle an assist from a corner and a very good attempt after a short corner. Dempsey reprised his Papa John's Wembley header and also crashed a shot against the bar, We nearly made it six but ended as last season.
OK! better. Certainly. Same defensive problems. Very much so. Santos dire, Toal not much better and as for Matete- caught in possession repeatedly and freezing on the ball after good work wherever he was and wandering all over the place. Letting Morley go a huge mistake. So for me Evatt is not off the skewer. That said once Baxter stopped messing about with short possession tricks and we began chasing second balls, finding onward runners and adopting good out of possession transitions the 3-5-2 actually worked as it can for bits of the game and we made chances enough.
Baxter 5 Cogley 4 Toal 5 Santos 2 Johnston 8 ( one great block) Schon 7 Thomason 7 Sheehan 7 Adeboyejo 8 Charles 8 Matete 3 Arfield 7 Williams 7 Dempsey 6
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Post by riochforthereebok on Sept 22, 2024 10:15:26 GMT
Great honest assessment that Andy and like you I thought it was a second yellow because all I could see was a drag on the shoulders (only slightly) by Santos so a red seemed inevitable
What is the biggest surprise for me, you’re after a reaction to a capitulation (Huddersfield) and your thinking, ok, Reading aren’t a bad side and this Selles seems to be doing all he can ON the field (regardless of off field issues) so here’s me expecting at least a scraping fightback and we might battle and get beat 2-1 or it could be a draw (as my confidence is shot to pieces) so then, where in the world did we find THAT result from and more over, why have we not been like that v Exeter Charlton, even last week?
We know we have the capability and the players to do it, sou what changed from the 90th minute of the Huddersfield game, with all the flack that has been aimed at Evatt for the last 7 days, how did he manage to not only turn the side round to being victorious, but in such the manner of yesterday???
That’s the big question and will we see that return v Crawley
I hope for a respectable defeat v Arsenal (Arteta’s going for this trophy) and to show the TV world that we can compete in this game and you never know, we might just carry on yesterday’s momentum and scrape a surprise 🤔🤔 Maybe not
COYWM
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Post by whitesince63 on Sept 22, 2024 16:32:30 GMT
Let’s be honest rioch, we were all surprised by the win and in fairness the performance but I still can’t help thinking it could have been so different because Reading had umpteen chances to score and they did give us two really needless penalties. Had their centre forward, who’s name I won’t try to recall, not hit the bar at 4-2 it could easily have changed the game, somewhat similar to our second leg against Barnsley where from a seemingly inpregnigable position we concede and panic. In fact much is made of the fact that it was back to the successful system of last season but for me it was still the same one we played at Wembley. I’m not trying to be negative and after such a harrowing week for the players and manager well done to them for coming out all guns blazing but despite the final result I still have severe doubts that our problems been fixed. We need to keep winning now and with the run we now have that should be possible but it all seemed a bit fragile yesterday and our defence still worries me a lot. I remain to be fully convinced and I suspect I’m not alone in that?
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Post by OohMac on Sept 22, 2024 18:12:21 GMT
Was there an ITV highlights show. I cannot find it? Last weeks and next weeks is all I can find. (Worth pointing out it won't allow me to actually watch next week's show, would be against betting rules)
Most impressive thing was the team spirit. Dion has swagger back. (Please get a trim through, sure his hair gets in his eyes) Sheehans smiling, Johnstone is celebrating tackles like its NFL.
I'm hoping in time we improve the basics, sharpen up but keen that intensity and spirit.
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Post by realtrottersforever on Sept 23, 2024 13:45:53 GMT
Was there an ITV highlights show. I cannot find it? Last weeks and next weeks is all I can find. (Worth pointing out it won't allow me to actually watch next week's show, would be against betting rules) Most impressive thing was the team spirit. Dion has swagger back. (Please get a trim through, sure his hair gets in his eyes) Sheehans smiling, Johnstone is celebrating tackles like its NFL. I'm hoping in time we improve the basics, sharpen up but keen that intensity and spirit. Yep. definitely was one. recorded onto my box and watched it. here it is, if you've not caught up with it yet. www.itv.com/watch/english-football-league-highlights/10a2272/10a2272a0110
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Post by realtrottersforever on Sept 23, 2024 13:49:29 GMT
didn't see the game. interesting take from Barnsley fan..Callum Fowler again. seems to tie in with Andy's report. where's David M btw...not seen for a while. have i missed something ? . always good to have those 2 classic match reports from both AndyL and DavidM on any match thread. x.com/Wil1J/status/1837964412532949117
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Post by andyl on Sept 23, 2024 14:19:48 GMT
I was wondering also until I saw David briefly exiting after a recent home game. He said he was taking a break from match reporting for a bit.
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Post by realtrottersforever on Sept 23, 2024 14:23:30 GMT
thanks for that update Andy. missing his reports but good to hear he's still well.
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