If just Michus humongous chance had gone in or Dyers header then the performance would have been alright. Not particularly brilliant but not really poor either.
Valley - It wasn't that we were bad, but we rarely looked like we could score. Reading basically put 10 men behind the ball every time we got hold of it - couple this with very slow build up play by us and it was always gonna be a stalemate.
We weren't bad at all , just ponderous , Definitely missing Rangel and Pablo imo , although a point away is no disgrace ,its just disappointing that we all know we can play at a quicker tempo to our game .The result today it keeps us ticking over nicely until January when hopefully who every comes in can help us improve in front of goal .I think we've become a bit stale in all honesty .
We actually have the top scorer in the Prem in our false #9 in Michu. What we really need are some more energetic and enterprising support players. Dyer needs to find his mojo again - he has been steadily going off the boil since Pablo got injured.
Is Michu okay? Reading have a habit of taking out influencial players, they did Lallana a couple weeks ago, bastards.
Thing he'll be ok, took a kick to the ankle, swollen up but no ligament damage so Laudrup has stated!................
We were toothless and played without tempo back in the bad habits of passing and possession and getting nowhere in no particular hurry. This team needs a lot of work, imo, and two or three players who can move the ball - and themselves - at pace. Tired now, just got home so more later.
But reading parked the bus, trailer and caravan across the penalty box. We have no divine right to beat anyone. We should remember where we've come from so quickly. Look at the table - we're NINTH on the premier league FFS!!!!
Irrespective of how Reading played we were still toothless and lacked pace, intensity, urgency and creativity in their third of the field. Because of this we almost (thank you, Chico) LOST a game where we were at least two goals better than the opposition. Does this scenario ring a bell? Yes, we are ninth in the Premier League but to look at that and settle back into a routine of self congratulation and back patting is only papering over the cracks and is a recipe for bad things further down the line. We struggle to break down teams like Reading and struggled to take 2/6 from them, one of the worst sides I have seen at this level; and I don't give a flying fcuk that Citeh took almost the entire game before they scored against them. All I'm concerned is about how WE perform and we were not very good against yesterday. Of course I'm delighted at what we have achieved but teams only get better by looking at what they haven't achieved..... and the reasons for it. Consistency is an obvious factor. How is it that we go to Arsenal and craft a superb win yet be three goals down at half time to an honest but limited Norwich City? How can we match Man United all the way in one game then struggle against a totally dire team the next? Yes, yes, I have heard it all before eg. "We can't perform in every game". But we are taking this from the sublime to the ridiculous - quite literally. We seem to produce a performance of breathtaking proportions such as the first half against WBA, then go into the next game seemingly just going through the motions. I'm sure that Michael Laudrup is asking the same question. We know our players have the talent but they seem to take the view that they only need to bring it out occasionally. With all due respect to Stoke, I don't think that across the board, they have the same quality of players that we do but they make up for this with attitude and determination. No one gets an easy day against them and they are above us in the table. It can be argued that they should be, having been established at this level for far longer than us but I think that, had we applied ourselves more strongly as a team in certain games, not only would we be above them but could even be pushing the top four - not breaking into it because, understandably, that is beyond us, but certainly pushing for it. To be honest, I'm over the moon at what we have achieved so far this season and am delighted to congratulate ML and the players for their great efforts. But, it could and, perhaps, should, have been so much more. It is all the more annoying that our team certainly has the ability to be even higher in the table and, but for a few inexplicable lapses, we would have been. Here's hoping that Michael Laudrup can sign the missing pieces in our jigsaw to ensure we nail those type of games that we have let slip this season.
One reason is that our squad isn't good enough to maintain a consistent level. I am hoping for one or two signing in Jan to take us up a level. Some of our players are not performing and a look at our bench yesterday showed there was no one to come on and win the game for us.
Ivor 100% correct. Our passing was slow and although we kept possession it just seemed that it was like we were playing a pre season friendly. we just lacked any fizz. No atmosphere, from either fans. just seemed very flat. Mind you did laugh at the Reading fans. The swans fans were singing Going down, going down going down at them and they responded with so are we so are we so are we.
