Back from the Swansea Game

[Gordons Cumming]

Passing the ball accurately is actually a pretty basic football skill.....

HTH

[Ian Royal]

Passing the ball accurately is actually a pretty basic football skill.....

HTH

Having the control, awareness, passing and movement throughout your team to play the way Swansea do is actually pretty advanced. Swansea couldn't play the way we do (when we're on decent form anyway), why should we expect out players to be able to play their way without masses of work?

[Wimb]

I think they'll be very much in a relegation battle come the end of the season.

What, Swansea? No way.

Swansea have played QPR (A), West Ham (H), Stoke (A), Sunderland (H), Everton (H), Villa (A) & Reading (H) and have 8 points. That's not a terrible haul but you'd hardly call it an amazing start especially as they've arguably only played one top 6 side in Everton.

I think they've lost a lot of talent in Sigurdsson, Allen and Sinclair and if you throw in the fact that Taylor is out for the year I think they've taken a significant step backward. If you add in the fact that teams know a lot more about them and there's always a slight drop off in intensity from first season to second, it is a recipe for struggle.

They won just two of the last nine to end last season and two in seven this year, so that's only 4 wins from the last 16 games. I think there will probably be three worse teams this season and they'll just about survive but I don't think they've got the quality to be as comfortable as last season.

[melonhead]

It's interesting that almost without exception the fans who were at the game are bemoaning a shyte performance and two lost points, yet in his post match interview McDermott was celebrating a point won!

Quite how throwing away a 2-0 lead can be a cause for celebration for a manager is beyond me and the fact that McDermott doesn't appear to recognise the value of points in this league is really worrying.

The fact he celebrated a point won suggests he very much recognises the value of points you muppet.

I don't think that's what RB meant, he's saying McD should have said it was 2 points lost. FWIW 3>1 You muppet.

since we hardly got a kick in the 1st half, scored two fortunate goals, and were under the cosh for most of the 2nd half, id say mcdermott has it spot on

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Roberts is obviously above the average intelligence for a footballer but he is bloody brainless at times.

Yeah, his yellow card was silly and rather pathetic to be honest.

In a week where we have been discussing trying not to 'ref the game', he decides it would be clever enough to do it.

[winchester_royal]

We are playing the same game plan as last year which relies on keeping it tight & a work ethic. We never really controlled or dominated games last year & rode our luck at times, but our wing play & tight defence meant we just about came out on top more often than not, even when we didn't deserve it sometimes (Brighton away?).

With (largely) the same personnel facing significantly better opposition we can't rely on that opposition giving the ball back if/when we concede possession & can expect to be punished more by better forward lines.

We built a head of steam up to get promotion & team spirit carried us over the line, but were we really THAT good? Let's face it - we overperformed, and BMcD should have noted the obvious weak areas & recognised that there are clearly personnel that needed strengthening to compete in the PL.

The fact that Karacan & Tabb was regarded as an option against a team that retain the ball so well & can pass their way round a rigid 4-4-2 is odd in itself. Yesterday we needed to retain the ball, stifle Swansea & counter attack, but even defending a fortunate 2 goal lead we kept 2 strikers on, kept giving the ball back & invited them onto us in waves.

I understand we are going to be outplayed in some of these games. But why try to "impose your identity" when 2-0 up? Get a midfielder on who can keep the ball & close the game out.

If we don't learn & learn fast we won't be in a position to attract the players we need in January to give us a chance of staying up.

Excellent post, and sums up my frustrations about yesterday better than how I was attempting to do over on the latest McD thread.

I'm sure he'll get it right eventually, but we do need to adapt the way we play from last season or we're going to really struggle away from home.

[handbags_harris]

. The above stat shows just why the players tired so badly; if you haven't got the ball you are working doubly hard to close down your opponents,

Shirley if you have the ball you have to work hard to find space. If you get back and are well organised i'd say the attacking team has to make some of the running. I'd like to see some decent analysis done on this rather than anecdotal

At any level the game is played at it is significantly more tiring working without the ball than with it. When you don't have the ball you are at the mercy of opposition players, attempting to work with them as much as against them to ensure that any movement is covered defensively as well as trying to ensure that enough pressure is placed on the ball in order to be best positioned to regain possession. When you have the ball you only have to work with yourself to try to exploit the opposition positioning.

Or in other words, if the opposition has 71% possession then you spend a shitload more time chasing the ball around and trying to prevent opposition attacks from amounting to anything.

[Royal Rother]

Roberts is obviously above the average intelligence for a footballer but he is bloody brainless at times.

Yeah, his yellow card was silly and rather pathetic to be honest.

Most of his yellows with us have been.

He needs to learn to shut the fcuk up.

[ManchesterRoyals]

Roberts is obviously above the average intelligence for a footballer but he is bloody brainless at times.

Yeah, his yellow card was silly and rather pathetic to be honest.

Most of his yellows with us have been.

He needs to learn to shut the fcuk up.

And hes on MOTD 2 now hes a superstar

[akranes]

Roberts is obviously above the average intelligence for a footballer but he is bloody brainless at times.

Yeah, his yellow card was silly and rather pathetic to be honest.

Most of his yellows with us have been.

He needs to learn to shut the fcuk up.

I think our teams needs to learn how to see out a game, then he can be taught how to stfu

[RoyalBlue]

It's interesting that almost without exception the fans who were at the game are bemoaning a shyte performance and two lost points, yet in his post match interview McDermott was celebrating a point won!

Quite how throwing away a 2-0 lead can be a cause for celebration for a manager is beyond me and the fact that McDermott doesn't appear to recognise the value of points in this league is really worrying.

The fact he celebrated a point won suggests he very much recognises the value of points you muppet.

Another who trades intellectual ability for name calling. Try reading it again carefully. Either you know damn well what I meant or you have problems.

[RoyalBlue]

I don't think that's what RB meant, he's saying McD should have said it was 2 points lost. FWIW 3>1 You muppet.

since we hardly got a kick in the 1st half, scored two fortunate goals, and were under the cosh for most of the 2nd half, id say mcdermott has it spot on

But that completely overlooks the fact that, despite Swansea's dominance of the first half, we started the second half two goals up and threw it away. There are teams lower down the leagues who would have done a better job at shutting up shop and seeing out the game from there.

[Royal Lady]

Got back last night. Anyway, as per usual I found myself shouting out for us to run with the ball and take players on - time and again we treated the ball like a hot potato and gave it away far too easily. We gave them too much space. I love Jimmy to bits, but he really wasn't in that game and Tabb is a great guy but he's not a Premier League standard footballer imo - I would have preferred to see Guthrie and McCleary given a chance - maybe as soon as the start of the second half - though that would have been a gamble in case of injuries or whatever later on.

I feel sorry for Pearce, he's done nothing wrong but Gorkss and Marriappa are equally as good as him. I would have been alot more defensive second half too - shut up shop and stop them having so much space. But what do I know.

To the old man (even older than me) sat behind us, who insisted on shouted "sit down" even as early as when the whistle was blown for kick off - DO ONE!! He spend more time telling people to sit down in front of us, than he did encouraging the team. And, tbf, people around were only standing at pertinent points in the game, like a corner to us or whatever. His wife was just as bad, he made some comment about our midfield and she said "I don't really know player positions" - FUKK OFF.

It wasn't all bad, as I had Pog to score first amongst other bets and also £10 on the draw - so came away £55 richer, but would have preferred to have lost my stake and seen us get the 3 points we so desperately need at the moment. Can't see us getting anything against Liverpool and Fulham won't be easy - then you're into Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd territory. We need to mix it up and we need to drop players like McAnuff if they're not performing properly - captain or not - there's no room for misguided loyalty at the moment - everyone needs to do their bit - and the fans were pretty rubbish for an away game too.

Have we all given up already? Players and fans alike?

[creative_username_1]

At any level the game is played at it is significantly more tiring working without the ball than with it. When you don't have the ball you are at the mercy of opposition players, attempting to work with them as much as against them to ensure that any movement is covered defensively as well as trying to ensure that enough pressure is placed on the ball in order to be best positioned to regain possession. When you have the ball you only have to work with yourself to try to exploit the opposition positioning.

Or in other words, if the opposition has 71% possession then you spend a shitload more time chasing the ball around and trying to prevent opposition attacks from amounting to anything.

Whilst i'm inclined to agree intuitively i'll only be convinced when i see the 'work done' by both teams compared. Does anyone
know if the stats for how far the players run is published. It may be psychological as much as physical - bombing forward has
greater chance of personal reward than chasing back which offers less

[Alexander Litvinenko]

At any level the game is played at it is significantly more tiring working without the ball than with it. When you don't have the ball you are at the mercy of opposition players, attempting to work with them as much as against them to ensure that any movement is covered defensively as well as trying to ensure that enough pressure is placed on the ball in order to be best positioned to regain possession. When you have the ball you only have to work with yourself to try to exploit the opposition positioning.

Or in other words, if the opposition has 71% possession then you spend a shitload more time chasing the ball around and trying to prevent opposition attacks from amounting to anything.

Whilst i'm inclined to agree intuitively i'll only be convinced when i see the 'work done' by both teams compared. Does anyone
know if the stats for how far the players run is published. It may be psychological as much as physical - bombing forward has
greater chance of personal reward than chasing back which offers less

TBH I'm surprised there's such doubt. I thought it was a universally accepted truism that chasing to gain possession means working much harder than hanging onto possession does. With the latter you just have to pass to put the ball to wherever an teammate in space is. To win possession you have to chase the ball all the time wherever it's played, and close down every opposition player to make sure none of them are ever in space.

Who spends the most effort in a game of "piggy-in-the-middle" - the two people throwing the ball to each other or the person in the middle chasing from side to side to try and get it off them? On Saturday, the Swansea back four were doing exactly that to Hunt, Tabb & Karacan.

[No Fixed Abode]

Well, I've finally found something more pathetic than our utter capitualtion and all round dire performance on the pitch today - Reading fans generally.

The clown next to me managed to get both of his moronic anti-welsh chants out of his system within 30 seconds of kick off and generally what little noise generated around me seemed to be directed entirely at the disinterested opposition fans rather than getting behind our team who had almost accidentally stumbled into a 2 goal lead. I'd loved to have seen some of these little punks open their gobs outside the ground instead, they'd have got an absolute and well deserved shooing. From the comfort of the bus back in to the town afterwards there were more dregs of society banging the windows and singing yet more embarassing abuse, none of it remotely funny or original. And I have been made aware that some of those who took the train back this evening hardly covered themselves in glory either.

Reading FC: Championship players, GM Vauxhall Conference fans.

Whilst a lot of football fans are moronic and the same all around the Country, it's taken you this long realise Reading fans are terrible? Long gone are the days it used to be fun going to watch Reading away.

[The Rouge]

Whilst a lot of football fans are moronic and the same all around the Country, it's taken you this long realise Reading fans are terrible? Long gone are the days it used to be fun going to watch Reading away.

But:
- This was back when you were more popular and it was an acceptable age to still be living at home
- You were perhaps looked upon in the same way people look at these kids on the train
- You can't comment that much when you occasionally watch/support Chelsea (pretty bad/quiet fans IMO)

[creative_username_1]

TBH I'm surprised there's such doubt. I thought it was a universally accepted truism that chasing to gain possession means working much harder than hanging onto possession does. With the latter you just have to pass to put the ball to wherever an teammate in space is. To win possession you have to chase the ball all the time wherever it's played, and close down every opposition player to make sure none of them are ever in space.

Who spends the most effort in a game of "piggy-in-the-middle" - the two people throwing the ball to each other or the person in the middle chasing from side to side to try and get it off them? On Saturday, the Swansea back four were doing exactly that to Hunt, Tabb & Karacan.

'Piggy in the middle' with two in the middle marking the throwers, both teams have to work equally hard

Depends how you defend. Headless chicken running about or a unit

Just want to check the figures

[Big Ern]

We were outplayed and came away with a point away from home, but because we found ourselves in the lead at HT and were unable to hold on to that we "threw away" 2 points?

So it's our fault we didn't come away with all 3 points?

Sorry, that's just a completely bollox way of looking at the game / result.

I think any team that less a 2 goal advantage would feel they threw away 3 points.

Before the match a draw would have boon a good reslt, but the manner of the draw would justifiably disappoint most people.

[melonhead]

not when we had fluked being 2 nil up imo