Reading (A)

[Cheese]

8 minutes ago, tomski said:

Not sure I’ve lost my head either or done/said anything I regret.

Wasn't referring to you.

[tomski]

Just now, Cheese said:

Wasn't referring to you.

Fair dos. 

[radcliffe white]

9 minutes ago, tomski said:

To be fair it’s irrelevant if he or anyone went to this particular match or not. On the whole I wish was in his camp on how he felt about it being early days etc. 

As stated before though I just don’t think the bloke is up to it and another season will be wrote off as he isn’t going anywhere.

Pretty much my thoughts on evatt

Only played 7 games not calling for him out however we don’t go up this time we move on for me

[Farnywhite]

22 minutes ago, radcliffe white said:

Pretty much my thoughts on evatt

Only played 7 games not calling for him out however we don’t go up this time we move on for me

I think you look at it at Xmas if we’re way of the pace  then I think the tide would have turned for him and it’s going to be difficult to get people back on side .  if we’re in with a shout then you strengthen and back him we supposedly have money and we definitely have squad space . 

[radcliffe white]

1 minute ago, Farnywhite said:

I think you look at it at Xmas if we’re way of the pace  then I think the tide would have turned for him and it’s going to be difficult to get people back on side .  if we’re in with a shout then you strengthen and back him we supposedly have money and we definitely have squad space . 

Like I said many times no disrespect to other teams but this season is no better chance to go up, I think the points needed will be lower than previously without doubt 

I must say though on the reference of money will the club throw some more his way when the fees he’s paid so far haven’t delivered (yes I know January is way off still time)

[onefinfrandsen]

41 minutes ago, tomski said:

Can only assume he’s not fit in the slightest. If so doesn’t explain the late cameo though.

A mate of mine bumped into him after the Wigan game I think it was, said he was fit and ready to play but seemed a bit frustrated, that could have been the result we’d just had of course.

[Rizlar]

2 hours ago, ianofcleveleys said:

We're all looking at the start of a new season for signs of evolution, where shortfalls are acknowledged and look like they've been addressed. 

It's early days but I'm not seeing much evidence. We still look flaky mentally, still lack physicality, still only have one way of playing that is easily disrupted and still have too few scoring options (bad luck with CMG noted, might have become one). 

The comments about fatigue and tiredness are concerning. We faded well before the end of the last regular season and were as flat as a pancake in the play off. If Evatt is huffing and puffing about it already there is a real issue either with the robustness of players he's recruiting or the intensity of the physical work in training

Excellent post you have summed it up completely. 

[woolli]

13 hours ago, burnden said:

IE excuses make no sense.

Theve only had two weeks off!

[radcliffe white]

8 minutes ago, woolli said:

Theve only had two weeks off!

Only ones should be the international lads surely?

[Johnnyrotten]

Whatever the rights and wrongs and “it’s early days” which are all valid points, we’ve played the bottom 5 teams already. And only 3 aways so far.  The Derby win was hard to judge with playing the 2nd half v 10 men and getting an OG to win. You can only beat what’s in front of you but It’s reasonable to assume the fixtures will get harder generally.

[Farnywhite]

1 hour ago, radcliffe white said:

I must say though on the reference of money will the club throw some more his way when the fees he’s paid so far haven’t delivered (yes I know January is way off still time)

Well for us to be up there then it means the signings have come off so I can’t see it being a problem trusting him with the money . If we’re not up there there it’s not going to be is problem I suspect 

[1969]

Rightly or wrongly, I'm beginning to sense a feeling of discontent towards IE which if not addressed will snowball.

Sometimes you've got to swallow your pride and change for a better outcome,something I think he will have to do.I'm not talking about ripping everything up and starting again but to carry on regardless is either stupidity or plain stubbornness 

[Bertie]

I thought Reading were a half decent team tbf.  Good press, moved the ball well and may have deserved a point (not 3).  Main problem yesterday was our finishing, end of, simple as that. If Dion gets the another one he should have, and Vic converts just one of his sitters it’s game over by half time and we win comfortably.  It’s still “super Ian Evatt” and we all feel good he’s managing us through the injuries we’re accumulating.  Fine lines eh?  That said I do think he’s stubborn and his subs are SO predicatable (& have a negative impact) I fear that if he doesn’t figure out a plan B this season may be his last.

[London Wanderer]

Whilst I understand people’s frustrations, we do need to calm down a bit. 
 

Only 3 points off the top. If we’re 2/3 points off automatics come the beginning of January, then we’ve a great chance of going up automatically. Especially with the chance of new signings. 
 

Summer signings will also improve. But it’s a shame we’ve had nobody come in and make the same impact the likes of Bradley did. Wigan & today are concerning results, as is the teams discipline. Which I think comes from Evatt’s poor touchline discipline. But there’s a big picture here. Not the worst start.

 

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

11 minutes ago, London Wanderer said:

Whilst I understand people’s frustrations, we do need to calm down a bit. 
 

Only 3 points off the top. If we’re 2/3 points off automatics come the beginning of January, then we’ve a great chance of going up automatically. Especially with the chance of new signings. 
 

Summer signings will also improve. But it’s a shame we’ve had nobody come in and make the same impact the likes of Bradley did. Wigan & today are concerning results, as is the teams discipline. Which I think comes from Evatt’s poor touchline discipline. But there’s a big picture here. Not the worst start.

 

The problem with references to the big picture by this stage is that the big picture could plausibly be "good in favourable conditions but struggle when mentally tested and when Plan A is stifled"

It's reasonable for people to have doubts

[London Wanderer]

4 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

The problem with references to the big picture by this stage is that the big picture could plausibly be "good in favourable conditions but struggle when mentally tested and when Plan A is stifled"

It's reasonable for people to have doubts

Absolutely 

Just seems to be few who have lost the faith in Evatt already, which seems a bit much. 

[tomski]

42 minutes ago, London Wanderer said:

Whilst I understand people’s frustrations, we do need to calm down a bit. 
 

Only 3 points off the top. If we’re 2/3 points off automatics come the beginning of January, then we’ve a great chance of going up automatically. Especially with the chance of new signings. 
 

Summer signings will also improve. But it’s a shame we’ve had nobody come in and make the same impact the likes of Bradley did. Wigan & today are concerning results, as is the teams discipline. Which I think comes from Evatt’s poor touchline discipline. But there’s a big picture here. Not the worst start.

 

The only 3 points off top logic is fine but mine and I’m sure others concern is where we finish in May not September.

Plenty of evidence to suggest we will drop more points than a top2 team would.

Weve had a start that everyone myself included was creaming about and are already under the 2 point average points per game to that traditionally sees you top 2 this season.

 

Edited September 17, 2023 by tomski

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

14 minutes ago, London Wanderer said:

Absolutely 

Just seems to be few who have lost the faith in Evatt already, which seems a bit much. 

Perhaps, but the problems we've had uner Evatt have persisted for quite a while and (thus far) there doesn't seem to be a great amount of evidence they're being dealt with

[desperado]

40 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

The problem with references to the big picture by this stage is that the big picture could plausibly be "good in favourable conditions but struggle when mentally tested and when Plan A is stifled"

It's reasonable for people to have doubts

Reasonable to have doubts I agree.

But yesterday I didn’t feel either of the 2 scenarios you outline were at play yesterday. This wasn’t a Wigan or Barnsley, where we were being tested/out thought/out battled. Nor was it that plan A wasn’t working. We created a shit load of very good chances - we just didn’t put them away.

Yes the subs not making us better, once we had conceded, is fair comment, but I think that’s a separate issue.

Edited September 17, 2023 by desperado

[Mounts Kipper]

Not like me but I’m not over yesterday, how we conspired to lose that game I don’t know, add to that the injury list we’ve now got means I’m far from a happy bunny this Sunday. 

[Johnnyrotten]

I'm Toal's biggest fan but if there's a positive from his sending off it's that it's now time for Forrester to get a chance. Once he's in I'm confident he'll stay in and that will improve our defence and distribution IMO.

[desperado]

Another big reason IMO, for yesterdays defeat, which must have Evatt scratching his head, was our big key players not being at their best. Top of the list being Sheehan, Dempsey Toal & Charles. Would anybody not have picked them in our starting line up yesterday? 

It’s a harsh sense of reality that our best players are still only, at the moment, top end L1 players and unfortunately aren’t going to play well and be as influential as they can be every game.

The hope is that in the majority of games they are at the top end of their games more times than our competitors key players are.

May seem harsh adding Charles to that list as his finish was sublime and everything  sensational about what he can do at this level. But his two other chances; the one where he tries to come back inside and the first time effort he fluffs wide are the reason Stoke and other championship clubs are not going to be breaking the bank the try and sign him.

We can’t afford to have 4 big players like that, not performing at their best on the same day.

FWIW, as people who know me would expect, I think our key players will come back stronger (well Charles will when he’s fit!) from this and will have far more successful days this season than they did yesterday.

Always said 10 games in. That’s not changed for me. 

Edited September 17, 2023 by desperado
Forgot about Toal - very poor day for him

[desperado]

3 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I'm Toal's biggest fan but if there's a positive from his sending off it's that it's now time for Forrester to get a chance. Once he's in I'm confident he'll stay in and that will improve our defence and distribution IMO.

It’s as poor as I’ve seen Toal.

Would still have him ahead of Iredale. As even in a poor game he’s positionally sound, strong and quick. But his distribution yesterday was awful and no argument over his bookings. Can understand his frustration but arguing like that was always a yellow and awful timing for his challenge on the 2nd.

But, as I said above. I’ve got lots of faith and time for our best and most influential players, of whom Toal is one of them. 

Think there’s a reality check from us fans at times about the “quality” of our players.  On their day our best ones look every bit top end L1 and even Championship at times, but there’s a reason they are with us and not higher, not one of them does it on a consistent 9/10 out 10/10 basis. 

 

[Johnnyrotten]

20 minutes ago, desperado said:

It’s as poor as I’ve seen Toal.

Would still have him ahead of Iredale. As even in a poor game he’s positionally sound, strong and quick. But his distribution yesterday was awful and no argument over his bookings. Can understand his frustration but arguing like that was always a yellow and awful timing for his challenge on the 2nd.

I'm not being wise after the event because I'm consistent with this view every game. With almost limitless subs allowed now, the minute anyone is booked they go to the head of the list for being subbed at some point, if that doesn't hugely weaken us (eg not an undroppable like Santos/Charles). I'm not saying haul them off after 30 mins but surely if as you say he's not playing well, and he's got every chance of a red, and Forrester's on the bench...it just seems poor to leave him on. It really does seem like the subs are decided pre-match.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

3 of those 4 players have been away of international duty.

The other is playing through pain, and it appears may have been for some time.

Not necessarily the best thing for him to be doing.