20/10/12-Reading(H)

[Guest San Don]

The lino on the centenary side of the pitch was fucking incompetent today. HTF he didnt give Suarez anything at the end of the 1st half for that assault on him right under his nose was truely baffling.

 

Funny as fuck though when everyone got up and clapped the ref when he did finally give us a freekick for a foul on Suarez. Can see that reaction happening more at home too.

[xerxes]

Glass half empty, eh?

 

Overall, half full.

 

Three better league results on the spin, Sterling coming good, Jones doing well, and the heat coming off Rodgers.

 

If we can keep in the EL hunt for Christmas and get lucky in the transfer window with a goalscorer we could move to three quarters full. Darren Bent looks likley an increasingly likely target.

[corro]

Overall, half full.

 

Three better league results on the spin, Sterling coming good, Jones doing well, and the heat coming off Rodgers.

 

If we can keep in the EL hunt for Christmas and get lucky in the transfer window with a goalscorer we could move to three quarters full. Darren Bent looks likley an increasingly likely target.

 

Darren Bent? Have you been having pre match nosebags with a couple of cleaners or stewards again, tipping you the wink. Darren Bent? Come on now.

[gingerhulk]

Klose in January please Brendan

[Newport]

The lino on the centenary side of the pitch was fucking incompetent today. HTF he didnt give Suarez anything at the end of the 1st half for that assault on him right under his nose was truely baffling.

 

Funny as fuck though when everyone got up and clapped the ref when he did finally give us a freekick for a foul on Suarez. Can see that reaction happening more at home too.

 

And then some. He waved off Sahin when he was a couple of yards onside early on.

 

Actually, one of the free kicks we received shouldn't have been, it was a blatant dive from Suarez, so now we know what the media will focus on from this game.

[Strontium]

People have spent weeks ignoring brilliant performances, complaining about results. Now that we win, some focus on the performance.

 

 

That's a bit harsh. The win is definitely the main thing, but I don't believe anyone who says they aren't concerned about our continual profligacy in front of goal. We should have won about 6-0 today, luckily we managed one and had a goalkeeper with a point to prove. but not every team we meet will be as shit as Reading. Actually most won't.

[Section_31]

That's a bit harsh. The win is definitely the main thing, but I don't believe anyone who says they aren't concerned about our continual profligacy in front of goal. We should have won about 6-0 today, luckily we managed one and had a goalkeeper with a point to prove. but not every team we meet will be as shit as Reading. Actually most won't.

 

We can be concerned all we want though, the fact is we simply won't have the tools to do the job until January at least as our forward options are as threadbare as the Spartan paralympics team.

[RedKnight]

Quietly satisfied with that performance today, especially what we did in the first half where I thought we dominated the game quite comfortably. We were able to release Sterling in behind their right back a few times and it caused them a few problems; his finish for the goal was excellent. Second half Reading tried to come into it more but frankly we should've been out of sight. Shelvey, Suarez and Johnson all had good chances to score but once again the name of the game for us is profligacy. Those misses I feel mentally affected the team and we became slightly tighter as they were nervous about making a mistake with such a slender advantage. That allowed Reading more of the ball but the first time in a while I was pretty confident that they wouldn't score. The same can't be said for a large portion of the crowd who moaned and panicked every time there was a ball that wasn't cleared in outer space from inside our own penalty area.

 

Player wise I thought Allen was great and made a couple of darting runs forward like he did against Scotland last week. Suso flitted in and out of the game but I love watching him play and I think his intelligence with possession and his strength (which might be underrated) make a first choice at the moment. Same can be said of Sterling who certainly isn't the 'head and run' merchant that you might think would be his game. His use of the ball is also very clever but I suppose it's easier for Rodgers to impress his ideas on the younger lads. Sahin flitted in and out of the game, he makes some tremendous forward runs but I don't feel overall his contribution over the course of a game in midfield warrants his inclusion over Shelvey, who is firing an all cylinders at the moment. Suarez was infuriating and looked a bit leggy, and since he's just come back from a long flight I'll let that slide. It also says a lot about Downing's current standing when we send on the human velcro that is Enrique in his position. Enrique was his usual Enrique self, holding onto the ball for far two long but he did put in two good crosses.

 

This is the sort of performance I expect to see a lot of this year. We're not at full compliment but we're good to watch and we're starting to build a rhythm to how we play. Not flashy, just effective.

 

P.S. I think Everton could turn us over quite handily next week as those games are nearly always blood and thunder.

[Gym Beglin]

One needs only look at Chelsea's trio of Oscar, Mata and Hazard to see what we're missing.

Money, stacks of it. Something close to £80m for them three.

 

Unfortunately we spent our £80m on Carroll, Downing and Henderson.

 

That's the brutal truth of it, and those three highlight perfectly just how critically injured we have been by the irresponsible spending of Kenny and Comolli. We've got the bones of a very good squad, but we miss the elite creative talent to compliment the team. You can't bargain or argue your way out of the fact that we need anther injection of tens of millions on players if we want to challenge again.

 

Sell Carroll, Suarez, and Coates and that'll pay for most of it hopefully. Love Suarez but by far his biggest contribution will be the price we get for him. If evr the term style over substance related to a player its Luis.

 

Bring in Konoplyanka, Gomis, and a couple of others, lets get this show on the road.

[KopOut]

Finally, a win at home. Magic moment for Stirling, and just before he scored, even though his usual touches hadn't quite been present, the fact that Johnson was well forward on the left, with Stirling's brief obviously to get inside and shoot, I just KNEW he was going to get his goal today, and when he finished so cooly after that wonderful thru pass from Luis, I had a grin like a cheshire cat. FANTASTIC! If he keeps working hard and continues to fit in to the plan, he's going to be very special.

 

A few dicey moments in the 2nd half (we really do go to sleep at the back sometimes) but all in all, apart from a flattering (to Reading) scoreline, a good performance. Onwards and upwards.

 

GO RAHEEM.

[mgw100]

Same can be said of Sterling who certainly isn't the 'head and run' merchant that you might think would be his game. His use of the ball is also very clever but I suppose it's easier for Rodgers to impress his ideas on the younger lads.

 

I agree. It's the most impressive thing about him. He has the qualities of an attacking centre forward, but with pace to burn on the wing. He holds the ball up really well, has a cracking cross-field ball and can see what's going on around him.

 

That's not just against Reading. At times in the City game, he was the most potent player on the pitch. On his debut. Against City. At 17 years of age.

 

He's really fucking exciting.

[Rico1304]

I was in the Centenery stand today, the linesman in front of of us was honestly rubbish. Its got to be a sign when 2/3 of the ground stand up when he finally gave a decision in our favour.

 

Other than that we played ok, dominated 1st half, let them I. 2nd half. Shelvey is a fucking ace sub, he'll score 10 this season.

[corro]

One needs only look at Chelsea's trio of Oscar, Mata and Hazard to see what we're missing.

Money, stacks of it. Something close to £80m for them three.

 

Unfortunately we spent our £80m on Carroll, Downing and Henderson.

 

That's the brutal truth of it, and those three highlight perfectly just how critically injured we have been by the irresponsible spending of Kenny and Comolli. We've got the bones of a very good squad, but we miss the elite creative talent to compliment the team. You can't bargain or argue your way out of the fact that we need anther injection of tens of millions on players if we want to challenge again.

 

Sell Carroll, Suarez, and Coates and that'll pay for most of it hopefully. Love Suarez but by far his biggest contribution will be the price we get for him. If evr the term style over substance related to a player its Luis.

 

Bring in Konoplyanka, Gomis, and a couple of others, lets get this show on the road.

Who are the couple of others you have in mind to replace Luis you debilitating wretch.

[Captain]

One needs only look at Chelsea's trio of Oscar, Mata and Hazard to see what we're missing.

Money, stacks of it. Something close to £80m for them three.

 

Unfortunately we spent our £80m on Carroll, Downing and Henderson.

 

That's the brutal truth of it, and those three highlight perfectly just how critically injured we have been by the irresponsible spending of Kenny and Comolli.

 

Sad but true.

[G Richards]

Three points is the main thing here. Those points are much needed. Sterling took his goal well. As for the team performance we have played better this season and got no points, so again, the points haul is the main thing. It was a little below par all around though, at least to my eyes. Suarez was just off. Suso was fairly anonymous compared to his last few showings.

 

Still, it was more experience for our younger players and a welcome win. Can't really complain about that. Oh, and Enrique made a decent impact when he came on. If he is hungry and concentrating on what he is doing, he is a very good player.

[Jonjo Baldy]

Was made up for young Raheem, long overdue a goal to put some icing over his top performance and I hope its the first of many as he has plenty of goals in him.

 

Also pleased for Jones, didnt have much to do but did really well when called upon.

[gingerhulk]

10 years ago this weekend Rooney scored against arsenal, could this be the weekend sterling makes his "name"?

[Faustus]

Getting shut of Suarez to bring in a lumbering carthouse like fucking Gomis.

 

Christ, I've seen it all now. Fucking hell.

[lebron]

Sad but true.

 

While I called and criticised those signings more than most at the time, it's not lie we had any option on buying either of the three you were mentioning. However much cash we splashed, none of the world's biggest talents would have come to us during that period. It was always a gamble, and we would be overpaying for anyone (esp Carroll), with everyone knowing how desperate we would be to bring in new faces, having already cut key faces from the staff.

 

What I'm saying is, no doubt they were bad buys, but we probably wouldn't have gotten world beaters in no matter how deep we dug. There was a reason Torres left us, and it was not that we were in great shape... Just as big a mistake as the actual transfers was that Kennykept playing them no matter what when there were better options available.

[Guest ShoePiss]

A clean sheet and 3 points, step in the right direction.

[Unrighteous]

How dare we beat Reading 1-0 , I'm outraged etc.

 

The Scandal!

[Jhinge Machha]

Getting shut of Suarez to bring in a lumbering carthouse like fucking Gomis.

 

Christ, I've seen it all now. Fucking hell.

 

for some reason he wanted suarez dropped against norwich, stoke etc. and now he wants him sold. hard to understand funneee on this.

[Unrighteous]

I'm baffled by the stick Enrique takes on here, although he's not perfect he's very solid and a good passer of a ball, I see no reason why Wisdom should be in the side ahead of him, dont get me wrong wisdom impressed but, this team needs more balance and enriques left foot would add to the balance.

 

It's because he's not very good.

[stringvest]

We didn't impress today. Second half not good - apart from Suarez being pants in front of goal, Sterlings first touch let down badly on occasion where a better take would have given him more scoring opportunities. Enrique coming on and playing ahead of Johnson was another odd one. It didn't take him more than 5 minutes to showcase his trademark run forward with the ball into a cul de sac.

 

Still, a wins a win

[Joso]

Despite some concerns, I'm really just so happy for Sterling. Its like this dream we all always had but always instead chose playing fifa.