Reading (A) Post Match 3-1

[Guest Col city fan]

Turns out I was wrong, we shouldn't have expected to be top 6, let alone top 2. But people like you convinced me Sven knew what he was doing. I'd hoped that given a summer and having learnt from the previous season he'd get a squad together that was good enough.

But it was evident early on that neither the personnel nor Sven's tactics would be good enough. Hence the club sacking him when we slipped into the bottom half.

To give a manager that much money and then say it's acceptable to take a couple of seasons to get up is ludicrous. Good managers get their sides in gear having spent a lot less money than us. Good managers buy wisely and get players playing as a team, and playing for their manager.

This is the problem I have with this forum sometimes, there is way too much bias. I was a supporter of Sven up until a few weeks before he was sacked, when it was clear he had got it all wrong. But some people want to justify everything he did. Saying he was sacked too early is one thing (that I disagree with), but to say we shouldn't have expected him to do better is stupid.

Had he stayed here you could say we would have had stability, but we'd have just been stable in midtable. We would have had something long lasting, as in we'd be staying longer in the Championship.

And we're staying here for another season anyway, yes, but mainly because the squad he assembled isn't up to scratch. The mistake was appointing him in the first place. Now we wait to see if Pearson can do better in the same time. We'll see by Octoberish.

All this..

[Guy]

Utterly soulless performance. Beckford's performance was reminiscent of West Ham away until Pearson took him off at the break.

There's no heart to this team and it shows. There's some decent individuals but they just don't work together, or indeed hard enough.

Reading were very average; Christ knows how they've won 8 in a row!

I think it goes to show either what a poor league it is that we're in or that having a consistent squad without any frills in it (prima donnas on huge wages) is key to success in this competitive, tight league. I still think that if Mandy hadn't caused Pearson to go to Hull nearly two years ago then we'd have been a force to be reckoned with last season and possibly not have through all the turmoil to the present day since then. I'm not sure if the Thai owners, all the Svenmania and such like since Pearson's first spell have done us (m)any favours really.

[ThurnbyLodgeFox]

just glad it only cost me a tenner, the banter with the home fans was more interesting than the game tbh, another lack luster performance

[Ashley]

Not many chances for either side today and I think this speaks volumes about the whole game. A lot of our players need to play with some actual pride and try and show they actually give a f*** about my Leicester. I swear Kasper was crying at the end of the game, looked that way anyway. Watch us go and draw or win against Chelsea next week...

[FantasticMrFox]

Same price as Matt Mills then!

[Thracian]

At least playing golf in the morning meant I got half a day's enjoyment - I don't know where our pride went to but there wasn't much in evidence.

I don't actually want the hear what Pearson says anymore - I've heard so much crap from managers over the years I'm only interested and what they do.

And that was a sodding shambles.

I didn't join the clamour for Pearson to come here because I wanted someone whose qualities would be reflected in his team - the qualities of nerve, attitude, imagination.

I wanted a manager who could inspire his team to tear opponents to pieces with their skill, their pace, their improvisation and their sheer will to win.

I wanted a manager who really knew how to attack. Ruthlesly, relentlessly and as one united unit.

Yet the team I saw saunter out for the second half of a game they were already losing showed none of those quaities. In fact far too often they looked an unconvincing mess.

[LCFC_FAN_1995]

How shit must they be we scored one away

[The Guvnor]

At least playing golf in the morning meant I got half a day's enjoyment - I don't know where our pride went to but there wasn't much in evidence.

I don't actually want the hear what Pearson says anymore - I've heard so much crap from managers over the years I'm only interested and what they do.

And that was a sodding shambles.

I didn't join the clamour for Pearson to come here because I wanted someone whose qualities would be reflected in his team - the qualities of nerve, attitude, imagination.

I wanted a manager who could inspire his team to tear opponents to pieces with their skill, their pace, their improvisation and their sheer will to win.

I wanted a manager who really knew how to attack. Ruthlesly, relentlessly and as one united unit.

Yet the team I saw saunter out for the second half of a game they were already losing showed none of those quaities. In fact far too often they looked an unconvincing mess.

I thought for the first twenty minutes or so of the second half we played with some conviction and had a few chances,it was the first half that sucked

[Steve Agnew]

At least playing golf in the morning meant I got half a day's enjoyment - I don't know where our pride went to but there wasn't much in evidence.

I don't actually want the hear what Pearson says anymore - I've heard so much crap from managers over the years I'm only interested and what they do.

And that was a sodding shambles.

I didn't join the clamour for Pearson to come here because I wanted someone whose qualities would be reflected in his team - the qualities of nerve, attitude, imagination.

I wanted a manager who could inspire his team to tear opponents to pieces with their skill, their pace, their improvisation and their sheer will to win.

I wanted a manager who really knew how to attack. Ruthlesly, relentlessly and as one united unit.

Yet the team I saw saunter out for the second half of a game they were already losing showed none of those quaities. In fact far too often they looked an unconvincing mess.

You want Paulo DiCanio!

[Legend_in_blue]

We all knew we were in for a long season after the defeats at home to Bristol and Reading.

Those same two fixtures away have all but buried us now.

I can't help but

Still, the season ticket prices will be announced soon. We can all look forward to the same old merry-go-round once again...

[hackneyfox]

Howard!

Why aren't people seething about this?

[Corky]

Howard!

Why aren't people seething about this?

Read the match thread.

[carlhltid]

ive stuck with beckford and always said he would come good but now ive had enough hes crap simple when you bring howard on and he does more than beckford did sorry i cant say anymore ime fuming going to watch some decent football on motd

[lcfcsnow]

Howard!

Why aren't people seething about this?

I expect nothing better from Pearson now. He'll probably start on Tuesday too, part of Pearsons big changes.

[hackneyfox]

After the game at Palace I'd have never had him on the bench again.

I wouldn't have before that though.

If he's the answer then the question is 'give me a reason why FNP should be sacked?'

You play Drinkwater out of position and then sub him, that'll have done his confidence a world of good.

[Thracian]

I thought for the first twenty minutes or so of the second half we played with some conviction and had a few chances,it was the first half that sucked

You're quite right about the first half - I just didn't think the players looked re-galvanised as they came out for the second. They did play some okay football as it happened but nothing that really hurt - not even Danns late goal because by then the game was over.

[Neil_LCFC]

Howard!

Why aren't people seething about this?

When was the last time Howard actually scored when coming on as sub, or even when starting for that matter ? I can't remember is it last season or longer?

[Leicfox]

I've just been reading this and most Reading fans thought we looked decent?

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=112205&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

[daib0]

loads more Reading fan comments here, with a number of posts from Foxes fans too ... http://royalsrendezvous.co.uk/topic/9438464/1

[lcfcadam]

Stringer's missing the point there. Yeh I don't want us to go skint chasing the dream.

But fvcking hell, I'm fed up of this shitty league. We AREN'T winning a lot of games. We AREN'T entertaining. We AREN'T playing good football. I can't have any pride in my club if it's happy to be midtable in the Championship. That's not what sport is about. Sport is about trying to be the best.

I want the O'Neill years back. I want to go to Wembley and I want to win trophies. I want to be able to say we've won the FA Cup as well. I want to beat big clubs. I want over 30,000 at home on a regular basis, I want optimism and great atmopsheres created by our fans beause we're not depressed.

Yeh so OK, we might finish in the bottom half of the Prem, we might get thrashed occassionally. But we might have some really memorable wins. We'll have a realistic chance of getting to the latter stages of a cup competition. We'll be in the top division and people in other countries will know that when they see Premiership matches. I want to go to Italy in the summer and say 'Leicester are in the Premiership now, we beat Liverpool last week, here's a video of our fans going mental'.

We've been down here too long. When's the last time we spent 9 years outside the top flight? It's not happened for at least 60 odd years.

We are underperforming as a club. This is not even close to good enough.

The number of members of this forum who would try to argue against the points made here is depressing in itself.

[surrifox]

The problem is not individual players being average most teams in this league are made up of average players, what we need is a stable team that know each other so well they know where they are going to put the ball you wont get that with constant changes which we've had for so many years know and all it's brought is ongoing failure to deliver even a modicum of success.

I agree that this stability is important but only one aspect of getting out of the league based on what I've seen over the past few seasons. Teams can be stable and settle comfortably in mid table secure in the knowledge they will always get enough points to avoid relegation, to challenge for the prem requires something else as well as a stable set up which I would characterise as 3 key factors:

Goals- it seems essential that a club finds a consistent reliable scorer. You need a go-to striker who will get at least 20 a season as well as the occasional goal from defenders at set pieces. If you are not perceived as a threat at corners and free kicks then the opposition can deploy accordingly. Sides that attack more as a unit and defend as one always have more scoring options - I never have the sense that we do that other than on sporadic periods.

Consistency- every team will have a period of crapness in the course of a season but the trick is surely to harness and ride the impetus and momentum that comes from winning games and playing well , not just winning 2 , losing the momentum and chopping and changing the side. Last year we were building comfortably towards a play off spot until QPR when we bossed the game and yet lost to a goal in the last 5 minutes out of nowhere- we never came back from that. Reading are the classic side for putting runs together , looking at their side with the likes of Gorkss, Leigertwood, Harte and co how is that possible ? There is not one member of that team that in isolation I would be happy to see us sign.This is for the manager to work out and the reason they are paid what they are.

Luck- OK not something you can do much about but I dont buy the "make your own luck" or " all works out over the season" truisms- bad and long term injuries, bad decisions from officials, the way that fixtures come out the hat (so you avoid sides at the end of a long losing run / start of long winning run) all play a part and if you get the rough end of all this that might be more than you can overcome.

[Guest Col city fan]

I agree that this stability is important but only one aspect of getting out of the league based on what I've seen over the past few seasons. Teams can be stable and settle comfortably in mid table secure in the knowledge they will always get enough points to avoid relegation, to challenge for the prem requires something else as well as a stable set up which I would characterise as 3 key factors:

Goals- it seems essential that a club finds a consistent reliable scorer. You need a go-to striker who will get at least 20 a season as well as the occasional goal from defenders at set pieces. If you are not perceived as a threat at corners and free kicks then the opposition can deploy accordingly. Sides that attack more as a unit and defend as one always have more scoring options - I never have the sense that we do that other than on sporadic periods.

Consistency- every team will have a period of crapness in the course of a season but the trick is surely to harness and ride the impetus and momentum that comes from winning games and playing well , not just winning 2 , losing the momentum and chopping and changing the side. Last year we were building comfortably towards a play off spot until QPR when we bossed the game and yet lost to a goal in the last 5 minutes out of nowhere- we never came back from that. Reading are the classic side for putting runs together , looking at their side with the likes of Gorkss, Leigertwood, Harte and co how is that possible ? There is not one member of that team that in isolation I would be happy to see us sign.This is for the manager to work out and the reason they are paid what they are.

Luck- OK not something you can do much about but I dont buy the "make your own luck" or " all works out over the season" truisms- bad and long term injuries, bad decisions from officials, the way that fixtures come out the hat (so you avoid sides at the end of a long losing run / start of long winning run) all play a part and if you get the rough end of all this that might be more than you can overcome.

Tis a good post....

[flowwolf]

Ian Stringer has never seen Nigel Pearson angry.

On another note, Stringer thinks he might be homosexual?

If stringer is correct and Pearson is homosexual it would explain the unease in the changing room.Obviously more to this than meets the jap's eye.

[NeilyBoy]

If stringer is correct and Pearson is homosexual it would explain the unease in the changing room.Obviously more to this than meets the jap's eye.

Ian Stringer: "I've never seen Nigel Pearson like that, he was flaming"

[HoustonFox]

I agree that this stability is important but only one aspect of getting out of the league based on what I've seen over the past few seasons. Teams can be stable and settle comfortably in mid table secure in the knowledge they will always get enough points to avoid relegation, to challenge for the prem requires something else as well as a stable set up which I would characterise as 3 key factors:

Goals- it seems essential that a club finds a consistent reliable scorer. You need a go-to striker who will get at least 20 a season as well as the occasional goal from defenders at set pieces. If you are not perceived as a threat at corners and free kicks then the opposition can deploy accordingly. Sides that attack more as a unit and defend as one always have more scoring options - I never have the sense that we do that other than on sporadic periods.

Consistency- every team will have a period of crapness in the course of a season but the trick is surely to harness and ride the impetus and momentum that comes from winning games and playing well , not just winning 2 , losing the momentum and chopping and changing the side. Last year we were building comfortably towards a play off spot until QPR when we bossed the game and yet lost to a goal in the last 5 minutes out of nowhere- we never came back from that. Reading are the classic side for putting runs together , looking at their side with the likes of Gorkss, Leigertwood, Harte and co how is that possible ? There is not one member of that team that in isolation I would be happy to see us sign.This is for the manager to work out and the reason they are paid what they are.

Luck- OK not something you can do much about but I dont buy the "make your own luck" or " all works out over the season" truisms- bad and long term injuries, bad decisions from officials, the way that fixtures come out the hat (so you avoid sides at the end of a long losing run / start of long winning run) all play a part and if you get the rough end of all this that might be more than you can overcome.

I'd be happy to see us sign McAnuff, Robson-Kanu and heck, even Jason Roberts.

Regarding the motivation comments from people, I wonder if it is poorly kept secret that Pearson is going to make big changes over the Summer and a lot of players know they are on the way out.

When is Konchesky back? I think we really miss his experience at the back.