Minority Report is usually about systems, but tonight it is mostly about players. I was very, very disappointed tonight, because I felt that Reading were there for the taking. I do not know whether that is the reason that I am less happy with my work. The match has left me even more depressed than usual, and I saw little in our play to suggest that we might stay up. Like the players, Minority Report does not seem to be up to the usual standard. Anyway, I will start with a bit about systems. We started the game in a 4-3-3 formation, which became 4-5-1 when we did not have the ball. The system announced that Struber want to put more emphasis on keeping a clean sheet, and at half-time, it looked a good plan. Reading had troubled us once, but we should have scored two or three before the break. It was much less open after half time and we scored because of a real blunder at the heart of the Reading defence. I was confident of keeping a clean sheet at that point, but Ben Williams was forced off and as Reading threw players further forward, particularly in the direction of Williams’ replacement (Sibbick) we looked less and less assured. When the equaliser came, it was another mess. A corner to the near post was not dealt with and the Reading player had all the time in the world to score from 8 yards. We had already reverted to 4-4-2 and the diamond, by that time, and we went through a very rocky period, when it looked like we might concede again, before gradually reasserting dominance and missing 3 or 4 late chances. As I say, today was not about systems. It was about players, and the players were not good enough. Both teams had periods when they looked good, but equally, both teams had periods when they looked awful. Just exactly why was that. At times, our passing was as good as it has been during the previous 4 matches. At times it was dire, but at least we had more cover goal side of the ball. The problem is how you work out why that was. Was it the fault of the passer, or was it the fault of the players ahead of the passer who failed to provide him with a pass. To the watcher who is not educated in the ways of the game, and who is often simply following the ball, it is often very hard to work out which. Sometimes it is obvious, for example when the ball is under-hit or when it is over-hit. The fault is with the passer. But when the whole team has come too narrow, because they are under pressure to score, whose fault is it then. It is the pressure exerted by the balance of the game, and when a team lacks confidence and know how, the balance can often disappear and order quickly descend into chaos. That is what I felt had happened after the equaliser. The team panicked. It became disorganised and it looked like it might not get even one point from a game that it had largely controlled. It is hard to say what the catalyst was, whether it was the injury to Williams and Sibbick drawing the short straw to play on the left, whether it was Reading throwing caution to the wind or whether it was the pressure that comes from not winning games and having no-one on the field to calm it down. For all that, during that period, we looked a very poor side. In the absence of Halme, the Chief Coach elected to change his system. Why did he do that? If the team lacked height, why did he not play Sibbick at the defensive point of the diamond instead of Dougall? Why did he chose a very different system, when the players had spent the last 4 games getting used to it. I am not sure because Sibbick, rather than Dougall would have been my choice for the replacement. Reading did not seem to offer a greater threat out wide and Adam takes even longer than he once did to get forward. It is all a bit of a mystery. Having said all that, the team did not play well, particularly in the second half, and I am unsure why. Woodrow was particularly poor, especially after he moved to the attacking point of the diamond with 20 minutes remaining. He even missed our best chance of the second half. Many chastised me last week for saying that he is not a good footballer, but I give you tonight’s performance as evidence. He was not on his own. Dougall’s passing was poor and even Mowatt was not at his effervescent best. He simply failed to engage, and I wondered whether his change of role was the reason. Bahre was back to being Bahre, promising much, but delivering little. Our two in central defence were their usual selves. Both have a mistake in them fighting to get out. Ben Williams looked too small and Radlinger had little to do. Rookie Watch Sami Radlinger had little to do. Bambo Diaby continues to be a huge contradiction. He looks great for 90% of the time, and then makes a mistake that cost a goal. Mads Andersen see Diaby. Conor Chaplin he is not at his best when playing wide left, but he stuck to his task and he set up our goal Toby Sibbick is not happy on the left side of defence and was given a proper chasing tonight. Patrick Schmidt as usual, he was virtually anonymous Man of the Match The above analysis limits my MotM nominations to Jordan Williams, Jacob Brown and Connor Chaplin. Jordan Williams’ passing was faultless during the first half, and for that reason, he is my MotM. It was a tough choice though on the basis of that second half.
I agree with a lot of that & in particular your praise of Jordan Williams who I thought had a very solid game but seemed to go unnoticed by people around me at the match. The one thing I disagree on is Dougall, I thought he got better as the game went on & he played numerous brilliant passes into the feet of our attackers deep in the Reading half
But can you ever be disappointed Mr Rain when the books balance and we are fully compliant with the SMCP thingy?
Sibbick’s cameo was up there with Ferry and Regis. Proved himself to be a true utility player, terrible in every position.
Once - and it was a gift. Other than that he was poor. Not the worst on the pitch, but a liability in the role that Struber keeps forcing him into. His passing isn't good enough.
Wow you know it’s bad when Red Rain is depressed. His posts normally exude joy and positivity. Now I’m worried.
I thought we played well last night. Let down by Bahre's inability to shoot. Brown's inability to cross and Diaby's inability to defend, Schmidts inability to finish and Sibbicks inability to play football.
It is called facing up to facts Mr Kaht. It isn't easy, but at least I do not have false expectations.
I’d take issue with Diaby being good for 90% of the match. He is not a footballer and was terrible in the second half. Sibbick was uncomfortable from the minute he came on and it was evident that he’d been asked to perform a role that was outside of his skill set. Maybe if he’d started for Diaby? I would have opted for Dougall at the back of the diamond before the match, but I was wrong. A catalogue of misplaced passes under and over weighted. I’d be surprised if we have the players to fit Strubers style of play and I don’t know where to start on fixing it. Radlinger did OK against a poor side who didn’t trouble him. The two William’s full backs did well. Bahre was quality and in a better team would do well. If we sell Mowatt in January we’d better plant taties on the pitch, because we’ll have no chance as a football side. Woodrow and Chaplin don’t provide the venom we need up front, nor the muscle to upset defenders. We praise Woodrow, because he’s the best we’ve got rather than because he’s good. Brown caused havoc down his wing and really needs to concentrate on the quality of his passing and crossing, both were hopeless. I agree with Red Rain tonight was about players turning up for 90 minutes and they took a holiday after our goal. They didn’t even look like they wanted to kick off. It’s almost like they told themselves Reading were going to equalise and didn’t start to play again until they did. God knows what the mentality is among them. We are not capable of a clean sheet with this kind of thinking. A game and three points there for the taking and we blew it.
If the defence did what we paid them to that once is enough. But yes poor management is ruining our best player who in an absolutely abysmal team will score 15-20 goals.
Of course I was disappointed. Our performance over the 90 minutes was very poor, against a side that was also very poor. We changed our shape to be more defensively secure, we fluked our way into the lead and we still gave away a goal. Why wouldn't I be disappointed.
