Overall I'm pleased with the manager and the football we are seeing, unfortunately though after watching the majority of our games I think we are a soft touch. We've lost games to the good (and bad) sides in the division. Loosing against those in and around where we want to be is a good indicator of how good we are. So I'm predicting a 6th place finish and getting knocked out in the playoff first round. If we are to improve then the keeper needs to change (individually or performance wise) as does the attack. Unfortunately I don't believe the strikers we have have the ability to take us up. We need a game changing striker(s). What's everyone else predict?
A long way to go still. After 17 games last season Reading only had 21 points. We all know what happened in the end. IMO, When City are on there game nobody can live with us. Sadly 3 of our worst performaces have been at Lesta - Middlesboro - Cardiff. Lessons indeed need to be learned. Still 6 pts from 9 so far in November is good and we stay 4th in the table.
I largely agree with you Jobbo. Nice to see us playing better football and adapting during a game. I think for some its experience, but overall, Id say we are where we should be, and on course for an exciting last 2/3 of the season. Bruce was a brilliant decision as manager, and its nice to see such a wide range of loans and new players being brought in. Its so much nicer seeing us win more often than we lose too. I still think this is a messed up league too, hard to predict from one week to another who will win, there sure as hell are no dead cert nailed on winners usually. Exciting times!
I agree the keeper, would like to see a Charlie Austin type striker to offer a different type of threat. I still think we are losing too many games.
Hasn't there been something like 6 different teams in the top spot this season? Last season I think it was only West Ham and Southampton. The league has got even closer this season, and if you look at the teams who were relegated from the premier league, came up from League 1 and just missed out last season it is great to see us 4th at this stage. At the moment though I think we're good enough for the play offs rather than the top 2, as indicated by our performances and rseults against Cardiff, Boro and Leicester. However, we have a good squad already, and with players to return from injury and the possibility of more additions coming in January we have the potential to kick on. We welcome the said trip of teams to the KC after Christmas, hopefully we can make home advantage count. If we can still be where we are now after the final whistle at Blackpool on New Years Day I think we'd all be delighted, and it would give us the perfect base to push on from.
16 games 28 points At this rate, that's 80.5 points come May. (Not quite sure where the .5 point came from?)
We've been a work in progress since relegation so we should analyse the team over 2 & 1/3 seasons. I'd say we are now very very close to being a promotion team and if it doesn't quite happen this year then we'll win it next.
On the Cardiff board they're saying we were a decent team and that they were very lucky that we had no strike force. If we seriously want promotion, we need a better striker.
I think that's a bit harsh. It was only our last game that we didn't play that well, but our strikers won it for us with two moments of brilliance. The game before that, the same thing happened with Aluko and the game before that they teamed up to score an awesome combination goal. I don't really see what more they can do? Our problem isn't individual positions any more, we've got a very well balanced squad. Our issue is depth, injuries and 3 games in a week, the 3 of them always combine to make us **** up badly in one of the 3. Other teams can cope with 3 and for whatever reason, we just can't. Bruce might be a massively experienced manager, but this is one thing he hasn't figured out yet and once he does we'll be a real force. We also seem a little bit scared to go and beat the other top sides. We had the same problem last year, we can play as well as teams around us but just don't seem that confident of winning and sure enough when they take their chances and we don't, we come away with nothing.
As I have said before, the problem we have is that the lone striker we blew a wad on in the Summer has turned out to be a dud. Whether he remains a dud I have no idea, I suspect so. The point now is that we cannot replace him and our other strikers are not good enough to pick up the slack that he leaves. With the service our skill players have delivered so far we should have had 50% more goal scored. I like Jay Simpson, but even playing well he is not a 20 goal a season player at this level. Aluko is only a bit part striker as well, not a MAIN striker, something that every successful club needs at this level. Another problem is 352. Even if we did get promoted, we would have to completely change the way we play. Using that formation with the quality of player we could afford in the Premiership would only enable us to beat the minimum points acquired record. It would be 10-0 every week. Consequently, at Championship level, the clever managers with good players available to them will find an easy way to out-tactic a wingback formation, and that is what we have found so far. 4231 is the best formation to play in today's game. It was with Nick last season, but he had to try and make it work without a main striker. That problem is still with us. I expect we will make the play-offs this season because we have more experience in the squad. But I don't think we will get promoted until the existing problems are solved.
We need somebody who, when he picks up the ball in their half, you really get the feeling he's going to score. That's not to say Simpson hasn't got talent, because he has, but I don't think he'll be in the starting line up all season. I think come January we'll see the back of McLean and we'll get somebody else in.
We are talking about a team that has serious injury problems. Elmo, Bruce, Rosenior, all playing with injuries. Koren just back. This list goes on. No excuses, but injuries are our weakness at the moment. If we can get a settled squad in the second half of the season we will do very well. Bruce will not bring a striker in until he has coached Prozzy into the English and seen if he makes it. He is perhaps a little too light to be forceful in the area.
I have really enjoyed the games so far despite not playing quite so well in the last couple of home games yet we still won them, Its a shame we have lost the three away games against teams around us but lets not forget they have all got to come to the KC. The signings have been good overall and i now think with Myler signing and Hobbs due back soon that the Midfield and defence are good, we cannot complain to much about the forwards but i do think we need another, lets not forget if we lose Aluko in January for the African nations then he will be a big loss. Overall i have got to say i am very pleased and hope in January we are still in with a decent chance and if so i am sure we will strengthen again
Almost solid everywhere now Hobbs is nearing fitness, and Mcshane hasnt been a liability. Quality experianced goalkeeper on a permanent and an experianced proven goal scorer to fill Fryatts boots and then i think were good to go.
Completely agree with this. Our current strike force is nowhere near as bad as people are making out as they're all popping up with goals and we're 4th. A stable, experienced keeper and a consistent goalscorer would go a long way though what with Fryatt missing.
I think it's a bit simplistic to say that, other teams aren't managing to perform and get results in all 3 of the games either. Cardiff lost to Charlton midweek and last weekend. When Leicester beat us they'd won midweek but had lost the previous weekend. And there are times when we're handling them perfectly well, when we beat Bolton it was our 3rd game in 8 days (it was actually our 5th in 15). Sheff Wednesday was our 3rd game in 8 days but it was the first 2 we lost. Middlesbrough we lost to midweek but won the first and third games in that 8 day run.
I hope to god we never go back to one up front again. Right from the point that Brown switched to it in the Prem and throughout Pearson and Barmby's reigns it's been the main reason goals have dried up for us. Long live attacking football with two strikers.
The season has gone far better than I would have thought possible and the players that Bruce has brought in have earnt respect from me as they are the calibre we need to go up. Unlike some on here am very happy Brady is back he is ideal cover for now and typical of some of the shrewd signings. Hobbs will be back soon and will be like a new signing for us. Was a Bruce denier at the start of the season am now liking what I see.
To say we have a new manager and a different squad from the end of last season I think we've done better than anyone could have realistically expected. To be in the top six at this stage of the season is great, if we can keep there until the January transfer window then Bruce will be shouting out for some big signings to take us higher. Allam said the cash was there for Barmby, I would hope that this will be the case for Bruce - and he will spend it.
