Victoria Swan
Key Player
Just shows how many aspects of the game we have yet to master. Atrocious to let this slip away from 4-1. Gifted it back to them.
Reading Away
- Thread starter Yankee_Jack
- Start date
Well, we've done it and thrown it away. Wonder what Russell Martin's excuses will be for that shambles? Disgraceful, there's no other word for it and how this overpaid bunch of tossers have kicked the travelling fans in the teeth. They don't deserve the support they get and they should be made to reimburse those loyal fans from their own inflated ill-deserved wages. Shame on you, Swans, you played like the bunch of amateurs you so obviously are.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
Martin should have taken care of this decline at 2-4.
So it does, but you have to question the idiot players who were the ones that allowed it to happen on the pitch. I have often accused our team of being flat track bullies and this game offered more confirmation of that. Where was the character? Where was the fight? Where was the attitude to stop it happening? Nowhere to be seen is the answer.
When we are allowed to play we look like a team of world beaters. But as soon as a team faces up to us and presses us, we look like a team of panel beaters (Paul Jewell's brilliant quote). I'd sure as hell wouldn't like to go in the trenches with our lot. As soon as it gets tough they disappear with a whimper. I don't know what Russell Martin said or did to his flock of sheep in the dressing room after the game but I know of one person from the past by the name of Ducks who would have had sore hands from the number of throats he would have throttled.
The players would have been too afraid to go back in after a performance like that. So, is Mr Nice Guy, Russell Martin to blame for the farce this afternoon? Do the players respect him enough? It would seem not. No doubt they were greeted by a "hard luck, lads", followed by Martin describing how 'brave' they were in reaching 4-1. I wonder how much real criticism he offered along the lines of, "how did you manage to fuck that up, you bunch of stupid twats!!!!" Until we sign players with fight, of character, of pride, this sort of thing will happen again and again as it did with Barnsley last week.
That's four invaluable points we've butchered in the past couple of days but, until Martin sorts out this problem by signing new blood, we can forget about next season as well. As the saying goes: you can't educate pork....... so let's get some beef instead.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
We go 4-1 up at minute 58.
2-4 at minute 61
Fulton on for Downes at 65
Ntcham on for Pato at 69
3-4 at 71
Manning on for Piroe at 83
4-4 at 90+5
In fairness, Martin was making changes. In hindsight you could question Ntcham for Pato, when Smith might have been the better choice.
We just couldn't stand up to the big boys that Reading were putting on. Certainly not in the air, and sadly we couldn't put our foot on it, up our tempo and move it around. Can't help by think that Ayew would have killed this game in the corner all by himself.
2-4 at minute 61
Fulton on for Downes at 65
Ntcham on for Pato at 69
3-4 at 71
Manning on for Piroe at 83
4-4 at 90+5
In fairness, Martin was making changes. In hindsight you could question Ntcham for Pato, when Smith might have been the better choice.
We just couldn't stand up to the big boys that Reading were putting on. Certainly not in the air, and sadly we couldn't put our foot on it, up our tempo and move it around. Can't help by think that Ayew would have killed this game in the corner all by himself.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
P6 is still a possibility depending on Sheff Utd and those below playing at or below par. But we need to harvest all possible points.
KVetch
Key Player
I didn't think anyone would be optimistic at this point. 71 points on the table. I think there are too many sides ahead of us.
I would agree they should train on running into the corner like Ayew. Maybe this will show our owners we can't afford to lose any starting players.
Some stats from the debacle today:
POSSESSION: 35-65 SHOTS: 9-11 OT: 6-5 CORNERS: 5-3 FOULS: 12-12 GOALS: 4-4
Martin made several comments all of which damn him.
I'm disappointed in the mentality of the team for the first time in a long time, 4-1 up our intensity dipped. So what about Barnsley, which was only three days ago? And it's YOUR job to ensure that the team mentality is not only right but is spot on!!
The game turned into a game that suited them more than that (?) and we allowed that to happen. Poor coaching for me. And terrible English!
We allowed the game to become a stereotypical Championship game and we are not very good at that. So, why not? We PLAY in the Championship against competitive teams most of which won't sit back and let us weave our pretty patterns. It is the manager's job to make sure that his team is prepared and able to combat any style of play. As I've said, we're flat track bullies who collapse when opponents face us down. Any player who can't deal with that because of lack of ability, character or attitude is no sodding use to us. GET RID!!
The mentality wasn't right for the last half hour and for the first hour it was brilliant. I predicted he'd use that pathetic excuse. It is HIS job to ensure that the mentality IS right and he should remember that football is at least a 90 minute game. We need to be at it for the entire time. Players who can't or won't do that kindly sod off, you're not required.
We have to learn from this. God, I've lost count of the number of times he's said that. But do we learn? Do we hell!!
Sort it out, Mr Martin, it's what you are well paid to do.
POSSESSION: 35-65 SHOTS: 9-11 OT: 6-5 CORNERS: 5-3 FOULS: 12-12 GOALS: 4-4
Martin made several comments all of which damn him.
I'm disappointed in the mentality of the team for the first time in a long time, 4-1 up our intensity dipped. So what about Barnsley, which was only three days ago? And it's YOUR job to ensure that the team mentality is not only right but is spot on!!
The game turned into a game that suited them more than that (?) and we allowed that to happen. Poor coaching for me. And terrible English!
We allowed the game to become a stereotypical Championship game and we are not very good at that. So, why not? We PLAY in the Championship against competitive teams most of which won't sit back and let us weave our pretty patterns. It is the manager's job to make sure that his team is prepared and able to combat any style of play. As I've said, we're flat track bullies who collapse when opponents face us down. Any player who can't deal with that because of lack of ability, character or attitude is no sodding use to us. GET RID!!
The mentality wasn't right for the last half hour and for the first hour it was brilliant. I predicted he'd use that pathetic excuse. It is HIS job to ensure that the mentality IS right and he should remember that football is at least a 90 minute game. We need to be at it for the entire time. Players who can't or won't do that kindly sod off, you're not required.
We have to learn from this. God, I've lost count of the number of times he's said that. But do we learn? Do we hell!!
Sort it out, Mr Martin, it's what you are well paid to do.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
If we hadn't messed up the last two games, we'd be the top of the form table today and putting huge pressure on those praying for P6
Victoria Swan
Key Player
Yep, if we had some bacon we could have bacon and eggs for breakfast, if we had some eggs.
To be honest I didn't find the period when we went from 1-4 to 4-4 the least bit entertaining. I found it extremely frustrating, very disappointing and my anger at the end totally overshadowed any pleasure I derived from the first hour of play. I have to admit, that in our position with an outside chance of top six, I'd have much preferred a scrappy 1-0 win rather than the eight goal fest we saw. Get the result first and we can entertain in other games.
CroJack
Key Player
It was already too late for the top six after the Barnsley draw. Also, we are not ready for the Premier League, and we can't be relegated, so I'll take the entertainment.
We still had an outside chance if we'd beaten Reading but I do agree that promotion would have been unlikely. As for not being ready for the PL that's probably correct as well but I'd expect the owners to dig deep if we did get up there to bring in some quality players. We should be better equipped next season but that's providing we don't sell off the likes of Piroe and Downes etc. Our owners are that greedy and that stupid, they are quite likely to do so. Wish they'd go to hell in a handcart and do it quickly. They are the single biggest obstacle to our success.
CroJack
Key Player
I doubt it, and I'd never count on outside chances. Also, we have the toughest run of fixtures:
Middlesbrough (H)
Bournemouth (H)
Nottingham Forest (A)
QPR (H)
Ok, Boro and QPR are not in form, but Bournemouth and Forest are. Two wins and two draws is the maximum points we could expect from these games, and 8 points together with 2 Reading points would be 69 points. Mind you, Shefiield United already have 66 points and much, much better goal score. They need to beat Cardiff in their next game and that's it. Millwall have 65 points and play Birmingham and Peterborough next. They also have a much better goal score than Swansea (11 goals difference). Even WBA who play Coventry, Reading and Barnsley are in a better position when it comes to run of fixtures.
So, Reading points were not enough in my opinion. A totally different story would be if we'd beaten both Barnsley and Reading.