Will we be dishing out a right Royal thrashing? Reading v BWFC 18/8/18 3pm

[enrdentw]

Watched the full game by the pool on a rooftop in Palma, Mallorca. The coverage on iFollow is much improved from last year, not only do we have the completely unbiased commentary from Tower it also has the score and clock like an actual televised game!

We were in full control from start to finish. Reading were very poor. Had a lot of possession in their own half which we were very happy to give them. Clement won’t be in that job come October. They had nothing in the middle and their most creative threat was Swift who was lightweight, he’d get nowhere near our team.

On to us. Nobody had a poor game. First half we played some lovely stuff at times, some good interchanges and movement on and off the ball when we attacked. Megennis was a little isolated at times and often had to feed off his own knock downs. Despite not getting on the scoresheet he ran his socks and was a handful for Reading. He is an absolute steal for 200k.

Olkowski and Noone are a force down the right. The way they are playing, I doubt there is a better partnership anywhere in this division. Noone was my man of the match, just a constant threat, every time he got the ball in their half he looked as if he’d cause some trouble. The assist for the goal was superb and his tracking back and defensive work is there for all to see. My worry with Olkowski is that he’ll be an ideal replacement if a challenging Championship side lose or need a RB in Jan. He’s worth 2million, easily. He didn’t put a foot wrong today.

Lowe was quietly effective all game. Plenty of interceptions, blocks and positioning that made us difficult to breakdown.

Alnwick and the back 4 have real confidence in one another - great to see.

Wildschut could do with some work on his first touch, just tends to let him down a bit when in good positions.

Shout out to Vela who was everywhere.

Just hope PP can keep the lads happy because he ain’t changing that team in a while.

Might bin off the tapas and the Mrs and head to Magaluf tonight!

[twilight]

Somebody pass me a tissue, I've got a nosebleed!!!

[GhostoftheBok]

Craig Noone looks like the player he was 4-5 years ago. Quick thinking, good feet and determined. Not seen him play like this in a long time. Hopefully it lasts.

[Harry Genshaw]

Today showed just what a remarkable job Parky''s doing. A legend in Reading, I bet they'd kill to have had him as their manager instead of their last couple of appointments.

We're riding our luck, making silk purses from sows ears and just being a right bloody nuisance to teams with way more spending power than we can dream of. Significantly, we look stronger each season under him.

It won't always be pretty, we're going to have a lot of tough times this season but I'm confident we'll finish higher than we did last year and continue the upward trajectory. Strap yourselves in!!

[Prufrock]

100% away record! Haven't been behind all season. We're going up*!

*We may not be going up but f*ck enjoy this while it lasts!

[GhostoftheBok]

My expectation for this season was that we'd be okay away from home and struggle to find our rhythm at home. Along with that, I thought we'd take some time to find our feet.

We've started far better than I'd expected, but we now need to show we can win at home. Thrilling stuff, thus far.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Absolutely wonderful result. Slightly gutted I couldn't go, but heyho.

Keeps the pressure off, hopefully that frees up our attacking players to feel able to try stuff. We haven't been free from pressure for a long time.

This league imho is a bit of a lower level this year. A number of decent managers have either been promoted, or have left their clubs, and there are a lot of managers with no or little experience of the Championship. Also a number of teams of financial pressures and haven't strengthened. We have improved a lot, I don't think today was anywhere near our most talented eleven. I see 10th-14th. Hopefully that will include some kind of flirtation with play offs at some point during the season (this might be it now ). I think this season will be fun.

[GhostoftheBok]

Lowe and Vela together are nearly worth an extra midfielder with their work rate. If we can add Ozzy in there for a bit of creativity in the final third we might have the makings of something very good for the league. If you're playing 3 mids you've got to have a goal threat - Ozzy is hopefully that man.

[TANGODANCER]

100% away record! Haven't been behind all season. We're going up*!
*We may not be going up but f*ck enjoy this while it lasts!

Aye, I think I'd probably prefer an attainable top half finish for the season as a target and keep building both team and finances. If, by some miracle, we did go up, all things being as they are I'm pretty sure we'd probably go straight back down. Festina Lente etc.

[The_Gun]

100% away record! Haven't been behind all season. We're going up*!
*We may not be going up but f*ck enjoy this while it lasts!

Aye, I think I'd probably prefer an attainable top half finish for the season as a target and keep building both team and finances. If, by some miracle, we did go up, all things being as they are I'm pretty sure we'd probably go straight back down. Festina Lente etc.

Ha, we'd definitely go straight down. We'd probably be the worst team in premier league history, but at least we'd be sorted financially. Think how much dosh our mate Ken would make, though.

[GhostoftheBok]

100% away record! Haven't been behind all season. We're going up*!
*We may not be going up but f*ck enjoy this while it lasts!

Aye, I think I'd probably prefer an attainable top half finish for the season as a target and keep building both team and finances. If, by some miracle, we did go up, all things being as they are I'm pretty sure we'd probably go straight back down. Festina Lente etc.

We'd probably be the worst team in premier league history

No chance. I don't think anyone will ever beat that Derby side.

[nelson66]

Am having to stop and pinch myself.....
Great to see our progression as a team
Fair play to PP and his staff for turning our ship around
It would be interesting to see what he could create if he had a few quid to spend

[DJBlu]

Am having to stop and pinch myself.....
Great to see our progression as a team
Fair play to PP and his staff for turning our ship around
It would be interesting to see what he could create if he had a few quid to spend

Woke up and thought, we won away again. It's a good feeling.

Long may it last.

[BWFC_Insane]

Am having to stop and pinch myself.....
Great to see our progression as a team
Fair play to PP and his staff for turning our ship around
It would be interesting to see what he could create if he had a few quid to spend

People underestimated how poor our squad was last season. It was absolutely shocking. Was a bottom 3 squad all day long. Probably on paper weakest or joint weakest with Burton’s.

Our first 11 before Madine went was not bad. It was passable. But behind it was a lot of league one and league two players. And we didn’t get luck with injuries. When Madine went we had nothing at all up front. Tyler Walker is now playing at Mansfield and Zach Clough’s only option appears to be the Scottish league. Le Fondre has gone to a nothing league to get games and Wilbraham is at Rochdale.

None of those players were championship quality players. And certainly none were good enough to do a job up front in our team with a midfield of Henry, Pratley and Vela behind them.

It was nothing short of a miracle that the rag tag, unbalanced blend of shite survived last season. And Parky was the one thing we had that gave us an advantage. A good manager goes a long way. It was skin of the teeth stuff. But talking to other managers in the game, they have absolutely nothing but admiration for the job Parky has done and is doing. He’s the respect of his peers, which takes some doing.

[TANGODANCER]

Am having to stop and pinch myself.....
Great to see our progression as a team
Fair play to PP and his staff for turning our ship around
It would be interesting to see what he could create if he had a few quid to spend

People underestimated how poor our squad was last season. It was absolutely shocking. Was a bottom 3 squad all day long. Probably on paper weakest or joint weakest with Burton’s. Our first 11 before Madine went was not bad. It was passable. But behind it was a lot of league one and league two

Not arguing for arguing's sake, which people do you mean, fans or people outside the club? . Amonst our own fans I doubt anybody underestimated it at all and our problems were media fodder all season. The club's situation and our one-step away from the I.R was never underestimated as a prime reason we were where we were, as was the embargo. Most fans and supporters knew the score weekly and much of it was down to how we were playing. Giving goals away and losing points late in games or even in extra time ( a big factor in where we finished up) was down to poor play and defence from much the same squad where, a season before our central defenders were scoring for fun. I'd rather think our current success is due as much to the current new players being more confident, using their experience and playing well without "wallop it and see" being the only option and pressure easing generally within the club making for a better atmosphere. Karajan, Morais, Alf and co weren't part of a bad squad, just not playing with much conviction. Madine's skills in winning and holding balls probably helped stop the wallops being a total disaster, that's a fact few would argue with especially his suitors. In short, our failings were down to the lack of midfield, which just about everybody and his uncle Billy knew perfectly well.

[TonyDomingos]

Th'ighlights. https://youtu.be/SCD5ZF-nAUU

[Jugs]

Cracking win. I expected it, mind. Clement isn't a manager and we caught them at the right time.

It's a breath of fresh air to see us clean through 1v1! Great goal.

Also, the Vela chance from Magennis' knockdown had shades of Davo and Nolan. Vela needs to have more conviction. We need goals from him.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Th'ighlights. https://youtu.be/SCD5ZF-nAUU

Thanks, Tony. It looks like we dodged a couple of bullets....

[TANGODANCER]

Th'ighlights. https://youtu.be/SCD5ZF-nAUU

Thanks, Tony. It looks like we dodged a couple of bullets....

We did Monty, but that miss/poor shot of Buckley's was a real let-off for them.

[GhostoftheBok]

Not arguing for arguing's sake, which people do you mean, fans or people outside the club? . Amonst our own fans I doubt anybody underestimated it at all and our problems were media fodder all season. The club's situation and our one-step away from the I.R was never underestimated as a prime reason we were where we were. Most fans and supporters knew the score weekly and much of it was down to how we were playing. Giving goals away and losing points late in games or even in extra time ( a big factor in where we finished up) was down to poor play and defence from much the same squad where, a season before our central defenders were scoring for fun. I'd rather think our current success is due as much to the current new players being more confident, using their experience and playing well without "wallop it and see" being the only option and pressure easing generally within the club making for a better atmosphere. Karajan, Morais, Alf and co weren't part of a bad squad, just not playing with much conviction. Madine's skills in winning and holding balls probably helped stop the wallops being a total disaster, that's a fact few would argue with especially his suitors. In short, our failings were down to the lack of midfield, which just about everybody and his uncle Billy knew perfectly well.

Last season we had a group of players who might be squad filler at some Championship clubs and some who would get games at quite a few places, but the group as a whole made no sense.

Some players who were fairly shite in that squad are looking much better this season, because the players around them complement what they want to do on the pitch.