Team v Reading (First Leg)

In his press conference today the Gaffer said that Ragnar Sigurdsson and Michael Madl are out but everyone else is fit.

Bit surprised that Jap Stam said in his own press thing yesterday that he didn't know if he'd be at Reading next season. Whatever, we know pretty much what he'll do on Saturday evening - he'll put out a dour, try to break up our play and 'park the bus' side.

One player Jokanovic did single out in his few word was Chris Martin, saying, “we are not so experienced in this situation, he is one of the most experienced and he can be useful for us in this play off game”. Certainly in the games we've had with Reading this season Martin has had quite an influence, one way or another:

Dec 3rd the 5-0 victory at the Cottage - Martin getting the first and fifth goals
Dec 30th Match abandoned - Martin refused to play [no point now dwelling on the impugned ref James Linnington calling the match off at half time]
Jan 24th Revised fixture which Reading won 1-0 - they scored with a penalty, Martin missed one

Against Wenesday the re-called Martin looked rusty and sorry, but a shirt outside the shorts can't hide the truth. Honestly don't see him starting this game despite the Gaffer giving him a star billing. Believe the mission statement for the game is "focus and mobility" .... with a bit of the experience he talks about thrown in. So going for:

.................. Bettinelli.............
..Fredericks..Kalas..Ream..Malone..
.....................McDonald...
......Cairney.....Johansen...Sessegnon
........Aluko......................Ayite......

 

My view would be that Martin will be more valuable in the second leg than the first, particularly if we have a lead to protect.

 

I'm with you on the starting team selection Cottager. Just need to play our game and be patient. I reckon too they will park the bus and try and keep the contest alive for the return fixture. I'm more confident of winning the away leg than I am for Saturday but still optimistic. Speed, width and patience is the key.

I'm ridiculously excited for Saturday and anxiously hoping there will be tickets available for the away fixture tomorrow morning. I go with a load of friends and although many of us already have enough points we all want to watch it together so tomorrow morning everyone will have enough loyalty points, if there are any left - otherwise we're all down the pub.

 

All the other teams left in the play-offs have certain characteristics. Huddersfield play open football, but seem to struggle against teams playing the same style, they lost their main keeper for the 1st leg. Wednesday have individuals that can turn a game and probably the best defence of the 4 teams. And Readings is that they can grind results out when not playing well. Having said that if we are losing after the 1st leg this Fulham team gives me the confidence that we still have the chance to overturn a small loss.

I'm hoping the Ref is a good one. Is it true they give it to a Premier Ref, so that is a bit worrying.
The starting line-up should be close to what C58 has put up. I guess that Martin & Sessegnon will be the ones who might be swapped. Other than this, that is the strongest starting line up

 

Right on all counts SuperBri. It's Stuart Attwell.




Well, he is kind of Premiership but he's done a fair few Championship games this season. One of them ours, when we lost 2-1 to Brighton at the Cottage in January. Five got booked that day, Ryan Fredericks and Matt Smith for us. but that only tells part of the story (penalties aside!).

Attwell has only had 26 games this season and his 86 yellows are below par. However he does stand out a bit for his 7 reds.

 

To get people in the mood ... Here's the most important moment of the season so far!

https://t.co/YJv7SHStVT?ssr=true

 

Gonna be a full house as you said earlier Cookie. Even Khan Snr has made the trip.

 

As much as I would love to win the play offs I'm just desperate to see us at Wembley, I have seen us promoted and relegated... Seen us home and away in every division in England, home and away in every domestic cup, home and away in Europe and seen us in a major European final... Wembley would complete it!

I read the other day out of the 92 professional clubs only five have not played a competitive game at Wembley since 1975... Fulham, Hartlepool though they had a play off final in Cardiff and the other three have spent most of those years in non league Crawley, Accrington and think it was Fleetwood!

 

It was Walsall rather than Fleetwood, Cookie, if you read the same 2015 article I did. However Walsall did play at Wembley subsequent to the article, so it is now only 4 teams.

 

On my way up the the Cottage. To say I'm excited is an understatement. COYW

 

Nervous butterflies everywhere on social media.
Whatever happens today, we go again on Tuesday.
Most of us are stunned to be in such a great chance of getting to Wembley.
CCCCCCOOOOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.......!!!!!

 

Looking forward to watching the game, starting to feel a wee bit nervous now though.

All those on their way to the Cottage, enjoy your day and lets hope we all have something to celebrate tonight.

 

Reading parked the bus and tried to nullify Cairney and Johansen which they did to great effect. Its all to play for and will be more open. Well that's what Roy Hodgson said when I met him after the game! What a ledge! COYW.
Great atmosphere right throughout the game.

 

Not a classic. Understandable perhaps, with so much at stake, and utterly inevitable with the game plan adopted by Reading. Sure they were very organised and pressed in numbers, especially first half when our midfield was stifled. However, thrown in with that was a large degree of physical and cynical force. Aided by Mr Atwell's strange interpretation of "allowing play to flow".

Credit to the lads though ... they showed plenty of desire and a never say die attitude after losing that goal. One I'm anxious to see a replay of, since from where I was sat there were at least three incidents (including a Reading hand ball) which Atwell could/should have called immediately before they scored.

I'm guessing opinions will be split over Chris Martin's performance but for me his inclusion didn't work. Of course he was buffetted around, arguably unfairly at times, but there seemed no rhyme or method in our attempts to play the long ball to him and he rarely had support. So, not saying he played poorly, rather that his role seemed less than clear to the others. Consequently we lost some of the potency of Aluko. Ayite and Cairney (especially first half). McDonald was also left in no man's land with both teams whizzing long balls over his head.

But hey what an atmosphere. Nothing like the Cottage when it's buzzing and as the saying goes ... "it's only half time".

 

Mr Atwell bottled it big time. I'm still angry about the lumps Reading kicked out of our team (even if I expected it), so I'm going to bed.

 

There was plenty of gamesmanship just to disrupt our style of play. I've never seen someone get a yellow for taking time on their own corner, thats how bad it was! I did think they were looking very tired half way through the second half. Reading didn't offer anything and I just think that them be I g at he it really will open up for us. Hopefully!

 

He was shocking. Mentioned earlier their goal - have a look at this and how well Atwell is placed to see the hand ball





What the clip doesn't show is the foul on Johansen immediately before.

 

Couldn't believe no foul was given in the build up to their goal, it was a definite foul on Johansen and then the hand ball is just ridiculous. These are the sort of decisions that could cost us this tie.

Well done to the players though, not at their best for most of the match but they bounced back well after going a goal down and showed a bit of heart and desire to get back into it.

Ideally we obviously wanted to be taking a lead into the 2nd leg but with our away form this season it still gives us that bit of belief of going there and getting the win.

 

Atwell seemed to be the type of Ref who revelled in being the panto villain. The more he was booed the more attention he wanted. Did say before I was worried about the type of Ref we'd get for both games. As C58 says the clip doesn't show if it was a foul on Johansen immediately before, I wanted to see that as I didn't see the handball at the time.
Johansen seemed to be holding his thigh 5 minutes before the end, so I hope it was nothing serious.
Still 90 minutes (ET & dreaded Pens) to go, our away form is good, but Reading have only lost 2 at home, so let's hope we make it 3.

 

Sorry, posted without 're-reading. Should have said 'I just think that them being at home it will open up for us. Hopefully'