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Reading v Boro
 

Reading v Boro

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Member
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After a week off Football and recharging the batteries (pacemaker excluded) I’m looking forward to the game today.

 

Sometimes after a disappointing few results it’s good to have a break and then revisit with fresh eyes as the old urge kicks in again to see our favourite team.

 

Hopefully we will see some highness in our league position tonight and after the end of the game give a few Hussars!

 

Boro patronage will then be fully restored and we can resume our patronage. Mind I wouldn’t bet any sovereigns on the result today!

 

I warrant or even decree that we may instead at the end of the game all be chanting at NW “off with his head!”

 

Hopefully we will have a regimented display and a right royal result seeing our manager lauding a majestic performance.

 

We might even at the end of the season be crowned champions and witness the coronation of our return to the riches of the Premiership but it’s more likely to be another season in exile with the other commoners.

 

So will we see a Windsor today ? Or will our defence abdicate?

Me I’m going for eyeballs in the sky !

 

⚽️⚽️

OFB


   
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Ken Smith
Mr
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 2132
 

 I suppose most of you Diasborians can recall the Likely Lads episode when Terry and Bob were determined to avoid the result of an England match as they intended to watch the highlights later in the evening on television only to find that that the match had been postponed due to fog. Well I’m in the same predicament with Boro’s match at Reading today as I’m enjoying the 12+ hours coverage of the Ryder Cup today despite the inevitable defeat for Europe, as some of the USA’s play yesterday was sensational. 

This will be the fourth time that I’ve faced this situation. The first occasion was in 1981, a Rugby League Challenge Cup match away to Widnes which was televised on the BBC on a Saturday whilst I was away on a Housing Benefits course at Eaglesliffe. Cas lost that match 5-7 but that was easy to avoid the result until the following Monday when I watched the match.

The second occasion was Boro’s 2-1 win at Sunderland in 1997 when I was away visiting friends who had no interest in football so managed to avoid the result until the following day when I watched a recording of the Sunday match on the following night.

The third occasion was the Hartlepool v Sheffield Wednesday promotion playoff match in 2005 when I was abroad and watched a recording of the full match a week later not knowing the result. On that occasion Pools were actually winning 2-1 with 15 minutes remaining, but eventually lost 2-4 after extra time.

Hovever today’s Boro match at Reading will prove to be the most difficult test of all, so you won’t hear from me until Monday at the earliest when I hope to find time to watch the full match recording on Sky. It means that I’ll have to avoid any television apart from the Ryder Cup and all the football results until Monday afternoon at the earliest, as well as locking away my iPad as of now. But this might well be the last Ryder Cup I’ll see on television in my lifetime, and although a win for Europe looks very unlikely at the moment I’m determined to see it through until the finish if I can stay awake. Only Clive Hurren and Philip from Huddersfield have my phone number and I’m certain they’ll not phone me until October at the earliest. So Monday and Tuesday will be ‘catching up time’ and with a televised match against Sheffield United coming up on Tuesday, there’ll be little time to do anything else but sleep, shower and prepare meals. 

I’m not a Catholic, but it may well feel like Lent apart from golf this weekend.

This post was modified 3 years ago 2 times by Ken Smith

   
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Member
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It will be good to see today's game live, use our own eyes and reach our own conclusions, since as Philip has rightly pointed out Warnock's comments on recent games, confirmed by a now captive local media, have been both predictable and misleading. 

I did not see the Blackpool game, and so, on principle, will not comment upon it.  But after the Forest debacle, a fair match between two awful teams, I cannot say that I was surprised by the result.

At the moment we have a dysfunctional team, which is a reflection of a dysfunctional club, though you would never guess this from reading the papers.  This is not a Warnock side, but one which has been partly wished upon him. Neither one thing nor the other. A side which even the owner isn't turning up to watch.

We might win, lose or draw today, who knows? But we are on a downward trajectory, which will not be resolved until issues of authority and identity are resolved within the club itself.

I'd be happy just to see us put some coherent moves together and play a bit of football- some "good stuff" - irrespective of the result.  It's not much to ask, but heavens, how we have been deprived of it on a consistent basis for what seems like years now.

One of the few rays of hope at Forest, aside from that splendid first goal, was the late appearance of Uche. He held the ball up, drew a few free kicks, got us up the pitch, nearly scored with a diving header, and gave us a rudimentary pattern to play to, something that had been conspicuously absent until his appearance. He never got a mention from Warnock and the local scribes. He deserves to start today.


   
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Selwynoz
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Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 727
 

Interesting team selection. Looks like a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-1-3-2 depending on where Crooks plays. Of course, most of us will be looking at Payero. Lots to look forward to.

utb


   
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Member
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@werdermouth

any links to streams ?


   
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Site Creator
Joined: 7 years ago
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@original-fat-bob

Here's one but no commentary


   
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Member
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Posts: 1236
 

The starting XI:

Image

0-0 after 25 minutes...


   
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Site Creator
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 2230
 

Here's a better quality link with commentary - though you have to mess about clicking on unmute and closing pop-ups to get sound


   
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Member
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According to Dom Shaw on Vic's Twitter feed:

If Warnock thinks he has injury troubles, Reading boss Veljko Paunovic doesn't have any senior central defenders fit. He has named two defenders and eight midfielders in his team today. And a keeper, obviously.

Still 0-0 after 34 minutes...


   
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Pedro de Espana
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Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 1120
 

Hola Amigos, I have still been reading the blog, however the last year has been really busy and the football not very enticing!!!

Here is also a good link with multiple links on the home page. Hope that the second half is better from the Boro than the dire fare served up from us in the first. 

https://www.vipleague.cc/reading-fc-vs-middlesbrough-streaming-link-1


   
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Member
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Posts: 2247
 

@pedro. Welcome back and good to hear you are safe and well and still suffering Boro performances with the rest of us! 😎


   
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Member
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From the Beeb's live text commentary:

Boro have been left-side heavy, with Isaiah Jones a major impact at present. Marcus Tavernier needs to impose himself more, if Boro are to unlock this game.


   
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Member
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 372
 

That's all been a bit meh!


   
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Site Creator
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 2230
 

@pedro

Glad to see you're match fit - I get worried in these days of Covid when we don't hear from posters for a while.

Though you were right - the first half was dire!


   
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Member
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Posts: 217
 

Not sure why I am still watching this. The game was calling out for Uche against no recognised centre backs.But no NW moves Crooks to centre forward. I give up.

 


   
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Member
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Crooks now wrongly red carded giving NW another excuse to blame the ref instead of himself and the team for another inept performance! 😎


   
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Member
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Red card for Matt Crooks - Vic:

Crooks dived in to try to stab home a loose ball and caught the keeper who have [sic - "would have"?] smothered it. Very harsh. He had to go for it.

🙁


   
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Member
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 2633
 

Atrocious 

game

team

manager

referee

crooks should have been taken off before 

Not a red card in my opinion 

Warnock has to go and now !

OFB


Site Creator
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 2230
 

Well that was Boro's worst display of the season and the fact they failed to have a shot on target against the worst defence in the championship - who had no fit recognised centre-backs. It's also speaks volumes that the players looked even more disjointed and confused after a full week on the training pitch! 

So nine point from nine games - that 46 projected over a season and teams have been relegated with more than that. Warnock running out of time to start getting results.


Member
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Vic's verdict:

FT: 0-1. A poor show. Creaky, flat, laboured & failed to test a makeshift defence going forward & all too easily carved open for the goal. Scrappy final flurry, but not good enough. Harsh red can't disguise disappointing display.


Member
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That game had all the signs of a flailing beached Whale desperately trying to hope the tide comes in quickly because exhausted it has nothing left to give. Very sad for Warnock to end things like this but it is very clearly the end.

Since the January Transfer window we have been less than impressive and downright inconsistent at best. Last season spluttered to a disappointing, spiritless end and this season has just continued spluttering and now looking directionless. Our style of play couldn't be any slower or predictable, our build up was in stark contrast to the swashbuckling Royals.

I don't see any reasons for optimism and no reason for SG to continue with things as they are because this squad is far better than the results. There was nothing today to suggest that better times are just around the corner. This isn't a team of players getting used to each other and reading their team mates intentions. It's a dysfunctional team of individuals who haven't a clue how to execute whatever Warnock is asking of them.

It's very likely that defeat to the Blades midweek will be the tipping point as our League position will then be perilous. My only fear is that SG may think it's a good idea to bring Woodgate back.

 


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Posted by: @k-p-in-spain

Crooks now wrongly red carded giving NW another excuse to blame the ref instead of himself and the team for another inept performance! 😎

And guess what?

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12417639/warnock-ref-had-a-bad-day

 


Member
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Posts: 643
 

@stircrazy

Utterly predictable, just like ineffective, feckless, witless, dysfunctional and clueless Boro. Even mid-table mediocrity looks unachievable with this management.

Mr Gibson please do not be tempted to bring Woodgate back as a quick fix.

UTB, one day,

John


Member
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Posts: 372
 

That was totally unacceptable, dreary football lacking impetus and creativity, he has to go now. As you can probably tell I am angry about the dross that has been served up today.


   
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Member
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@paulinboro. Unfortunately it hasn't just been today, this has been going on since January without any evidence that NW or the team can turn this around.   It will be interesting to see what happens if we see a similar display on Tuesday and lose to Sheffield Utd. 😎


Member
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Posts: 372
 

@k-p-in-spain you are totally right, but for some reason today's performance really "boiled my piss"


   
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Member
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Posts: 643
 

That was grim. Hard to find any positives in it. We offered nothing apart from hard work and some basic organisation that fell apart in the second half. We could have spawned a 1-1 draw at the end but we were lucky not to lose 3-0. Have to say, each substitution Warnock made did nothing for us.

Bottom line is that we are sleep walking into a relegation battle. We have been like a drowning man since January; little flurries of hope but each time sinking lower. 

Right now I see no plan or any sign that things are starting to come together. I notice also that Warnock talked about persevering and not being able to fault his players. That's what a manager says when he knows things are dangerous and his team are losing belief.

If we lose on Tuesday, and I think that's probably the most likely outcome right now, I don't see how Warnock can stay. Problem with replacing him is that if we don't have someone lined up then we run the risk of yet more disruption to no discernible end. 

What would it take for Warnock to turn it around? Wins against Hull and Sheff Utd in which we are playing with a discernible game plan and signs that the new players are bedding in. I don't expect that to happen. In which case, I fully expect Gibson to hand Warnock the keys to the exit as soon as he has a replacement. 


Member
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@deleriad.  My fear is that SG will not act until either the Riverside crowd does his job for him by turning against NW or until SG thinks relegation beckons and then leaves it too late to sort it.  I just hope that you are correct and he is already working on a replacement as long as it is not Woodgate. 😎


Member
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@k-p-in-spain

Why all the talk of waiting, or fixing a new manager, or it's too late! When you have a manager who is worthless and useless. You fire him! At once! Please remember that we have no Good habits to fall back on. No fixed penalty taker, check, no dead ball merchant, check, no captain, check, no system of promotion to the First team, even a hat trick after coming on as a sub would not get you in the starting line up, perhaps a lecture about keeping trying? And as for scoring goals, do not even go there! You will be told that you are hitting the ball too hard, then loaned out to the third division. Get him gone! and waste no time, and I do mean tonight.


   
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Philip of Huddersfield
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Posts: 442
 

Figures don’t lie. 1 win in the last 7 games. No shots in first half - 1 All game?

Tactics in first half , get the ball to Jones with 30 yard passes and by the time the ball got to him he was marked.

No clear cut chances.

Reading had 2 easy chances before scoring and looked dangerous on the break when Boro lost possession in their half.

All in all , a poor performance giving little hope for the future. Can’t see where the next win will come from, making NW’s tenure  very unstable.

It’s going to be a long winter.

Philip of Huddersfield 


   
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