Slavi said, "we've learned from last week" in today's press conference. Hopefully that includes team selection and not playing people out of position. It's clear also in his comments about Hyndman and Ince - talented but now isn't the right time for them - that he's going to rely on experience. With Nando back and Fredericks apparently okay, his job is that bit easier. In fact it's pretty much a slam dunk he'll revert to where he was two weeks ago: ......................Lonergan................. .............Madl......Burn...Amorebieta... ..Fredericks....Baird....Parker....Garbutt.. .........................Cairney.......... ..............Dembele.........McCormack...
I think Jokanovic has to start winning games, to instill some sort of confidence into the team about his tactics. Even against top club Burnley he has to win to show supporters his tactics will work and we are ready to compete against the top clubs, and that we don't have to beat the lower clubs just to survive. I think you have the lineup he should use as it seems to be our best setup for playing Reading rather than M'Boro. Didn't understand Boro starting setup Tunicliffe and McC with wingbacks.?
The man in the middle today is Simon Hooper. Mr Hooper has a little more pedigree than some we've seen and this will be his 6th game involving us over last and this season. My take on him is he's low key (which is good) but can let an awful lot of things go (which isn't necessarily so - especially against a, shall we say. robust outfit like Reading). Not that he doesn't brandish cards, having clocked up 80 yellow and 2 reds in his 33 games so far. Just that a fair few of those come in little flourishes.
S B McB tend to agree with much you have said, part of Slavies last comment was we are learning from our mistakes, well this is the third time this statement has been included in match comments me thinks somewhat wearing a bit thin when we are languishing near the bottom. And to say we are to good to be relegated, did we not hear this some time past. MK Dons ,Charlton, Rotherham all now getting points. (5 points from relegation zone ?) Savi its time to prove yourself, before you are added to the list of past ~ toss pot managers ~ we have had.
Find it a bit disconcerting that Slavi changes so many things so frequently. Don't mean formation necessarily but certainly personnel and their positions. With a group of average players with, currently, below average confidence surely some stability is essential. I thought that was where he was heading a couple of weeks or so ago but not so - although accepting that LVC's injury and Nando's stupidity (repeated today) are not in his control. What is in his control, as examples, though is playing Cairney wide left and playing Kaca at all. Before the game most would have settled for a point away to Reading, so well done on that. Less so the lacking ability to hold the ball for any serious period of time. And picking up rosc's parenthesis - we are only 5 points away - and 2 wins in 12 has to be a concern.
I noticed from the TV highlights one of my pet hates that McCormack was back trying to defend and losing the ball near the area for their penalty. I don't mind him dropping into midfield but being near his own area when not at a corner. Our best chances came when we had Reading running back towards their own goal, not when we were keeping possession going nowhere. But Reading were always trying make our defenders face their own goal by putting balls over they top of our midfield.
Agree with what you say SuperBri about him playing deep hindering rather than helping. However in that specific incident McCormack was actually tackled by Amorebieta (which arguably was why McCormack lost the ball). And even then there was no danger. Only Nando can explain why he thought it necessary to subsequently push the guy when neither he nor the ball were going anywhere.
