Abject Royals lose at home

It has been on the cards for some time and true to current form a lacklustre performance resulted in defeat to Bristol City today. Somewhat predictably Coppell kept faith with the same eleven that began the goalless draw against Preston and looked so average. Surely we needed to be more adventurous and far less predictable against a decent passing side like City? Steve didn't think so and to almost nobody's surprise City took the lead with a Dele Adebola header midway through a first half that we were second best in. The goal itself was simple, a hanging cross to a big lad at the far post, it was not really representative of the style with which City played: neat, tidy, easy-on-the-eye stuff. By contrast we looked pretty devoid of attacking ideas save for lumping it up field aimlessly and hoping that something might come of it. Plan A didn't work. Notable absentees from the game were Stephen Hunt (clueless), Jim Harper (ditto), Jimmy Kebe (wretched), but Doobs and Federici looked culpable for their opener...I could go on through the team, but it's far too depressing. With vociferous support behind them the visitors looked well up for it, strangely we looked a little disinterested. Surely Coppell would change things at half time, because it seemed plain for all to see that these players playing like this were not going to get us back into the game. No changes. Two minutes after the break City were two up thanks to a calamitous goal mouth scramble. 'How did that go in?' somebody asked. They wanted it more was the simple answer, or at least it appeared that way.

WIth the game pretty much up Cisse and Harper were replaced by Bryn and Marek, and shock, horror we looked far better. Marek in particular changed the way we played, always looking for the angled pass, the clever little ball, always trying to get us moving forward. He also made more tackles in his 30 minute cameo than Harper and Cisse put together. Whilst we certainly looked better in the final half an hour we never really looked like getting back into the game. City deserved the points and we have some serious questions to answer. Bongo's defeat to Coventry limited the damage somewhat as far as the table is concerned, but we need to bounce back immediately against Forest on Saturday. The home fans deserve better and Coppell cannot possibly consider leaving Matejovsky out, he is quality and the only person doing something different for us right now. Nobody was free from blame for that performance on Saturday. It's time to stand up and be counted and start performing like promotion candidates.

-- Post From My iPhone

Convey knows the way to San Jose

He's only gone and joined the San Jose Earthquakes, and now their 'offence' is complete!
Read all about it here!

A really interesting article about Reading FC

Tired of all this nonsense? Yeah me too. You can read something really good about us here, from the BBC website.

Bobby Convey leaves

His star shone all too briefly during the halcyon days of '05/'06, and now Bobby Convey has left the club by mutual consent. Convey was one of the revelations of that season, but hardly featured after that with injury giving Shunty his opportunity which he duly took. Convey's last contribution of note was over a year ago, when he supplied the pass to set-up Jim Harper's goal against Liverpool. Since then he has become an increasingly peripheral figure, though one who remained well-liked by the fans. Stand out Convey moment for me?  A goal that lingers in the memory was one he scored at Molineux, typical marauding run, cuts in from the left and drives a low shot home. Quality. Nicky Hammond offered some gracious words on his departure, suggesting he 'has a place in our history'. Quite so.

Bore draw as Royals fail to score again

Reading gave it a good go against Preston but couldn't find a way through a well-organised North End defence. If you leave aside the own goal against Wolves it's the third match in a row that we have failed to find the net, but on the plus side of course we haven't conceded either. Preston lined up with one of the fattest teams I have ever seen in a game at this level. I don't want to reinforce any stereotypes here, but they sure do eat a  lot of pies. Parkin is a mighty lump of a lad, and missed their best chance in the second half. There's a few others that look a little on the rotund side.

Anyway not much happened in the first half, and with time running out in the second SC threw caution to the wind and brought on Marek for the anonymous Jim Harper. After that to nobody's surprise we looked far more positive and showed some attacking intent. Shane Long did pretty well after he came on for Doyler, although he completely fluffed a cross from a sublime Marek pass which opened up the PNE defence. Leroy Lita did OK starting along side Doyle, and Alex Pearce looks like an able deputy for Ingar. In truth neither keeper was really troubled, and PNE have to go down as one of the most negative sides to have played at the Madejski Stadium this season. This could have been a tactic, or it could have been the result of a complete lack of fitness from a side that look like they could beat all-comers in a pie-eating competition.

Other results mean that little damage was done by dropping the points, but we need to get back to winning ways at home to Bristol City in two weeks, which you'd like to think will be a better game altogether, with hopefully the right result to match.

Royals deadline day deals as they happened...

....<whistles>


Good news really, we didn't lose anyone - and despite my feelings about Harps and Hunt right now, this is probably for the best at such a crucial stage of the season. I fully expect Shunty to knuckle down and have one of his all-too-infrequent purple patches now. Don't be surprised if you see more arm-waving and faux tackling from Jim Harper.


And now for some debate: I don't want to give you the impression that I don't rate Jim, it's just he used to do so much more, and to qualify this I have nominated my top three favourite Harper moments, see if you can come up with more of your own.


1. That equaliser against Crystal Palace
A tense Friday night affair at their place, and Andy 'Andrew' Johnson does what he did best (eh?!) by falling over and converting the subsequent penalty. Within two minutes a slick move ends with JH blasting it past their hapless keeper to extend the 29-match unbeaten run. This is how the Independent described that night and it's a joy to read, what a team.


2. That winner against Boro
On the back of about 54 Premier League defeats, Jim turns up from nowhere to bury a late winner at the Riverside. A few hundred Royals fans go bonkers; Gareth Southgate looks more glum than usual.

3. That goal against Liverpool
Yes, that result did really happen. The coolest of finishes from Jim as he puts the nail in the coffin and sends Rafa's lot packing with their first league defeat of the term. Easily our finest moment of a miserable season.

Got any more?

'Arry in the Hunt for, erm, Shunt?

The ongoing saga that is Stephen Hunt's impending move to any old Premier League outfit in the bottom half of the table continues. Now rumours abound that Spurs could launch a surprise £5m deadline day bid for the wantaway (allegedly) winger (allegedly!!). Frankly if Redknapp is offering that sort of money for the lad I will get my car keys and head for 'The Lane'. If it happens will we snap up Jamal Campbell-Ryce from Barnsley to fill the, erm, 'void'? Let's hope so. The most likely event is that nothing will happen at all, in which case Hunt will probably go on to have a blinding spell similar to the one he had after the last move in the summer fell through, can't fault him in that respect so either way it could turn out good for us.

Stalemate once again in Battle of the Hoops

Reading and QPR went another 90 minutes without producing a goal on a cold and blustery afternoon at Loftus Road on Saturday. By most accounts there wasn't an awful lot to report on really, with perhaps QPR creating the better chances in a match that barely tested either keeper. We'll be happy with an away point despite losing ground on Wolves (who beat Watford at home) as Bongo failed to beat Sheffield Wednesday, thus retaining the two-point lead over Mcleish's lot.