Saints 1 Reading 3 - The Wake

[graveworm]

Not really too disappointed. We were better by a country mile than Reading, except for defending which was dreadful. For a relatively big guy, Fonte was powder puff to put it mildly. Roberts destroyed him and what a **** take for the 3rd goal.....Whats wrong with row Z. On another night we would have won that with a bit to spare. I feel we will have promotion sorted before the last game against Coventry. Got to be optimistic, onwards and upwards.

 

COYRs

[CB Fry]

Come on Jos, how can you say that so blase ?

 

Is this really what NA told them ?

 

Doesn't read as blase to me. Going again on Tuesday is all we can do. And why on earth is our centre back obliged to tweet the post match team talk for your benefit?

[teamsaint]

Heads up..........we played some great football last night, and at palace.

promotion is seldom easy or straightforward, and we are in a great position, and playing well.

 

And poopey could be relegated today !!

[graveworm]

Christ, we've got some arrogant bad losers in our fan base.

 

Calling Reading "plastic c*nts" and describing us as "mugged" - really poor.

 

Completely agree...............Reading are an exceptionally well organised outfit. More power to them...........Admittedly F.U.C.K them all the same

[Legod Third Coming]

Exactly this. It balances out over the course of a seasoning. & ultimately the table never lies. However,having said that, I thought at times in the first half we were genuinely brilliant Lambert-Sharp-Lallana were seriously different class at times.

 

I agree. Reading weren't professional, they were just bloody lucky. Otherwise we can claim Leeds as a professional job well done!

On another night we could have been three up at half time.

[The Kraken]

Another objective view from the Beeb:

"Southampton face a nervous battle with the Hammers for the second automatic place.

But Nigel Adkins' side can take huge credit for the way they played and if they perform like they did tonight in each of their final three games there will not be a team that can live with them."

[graveworm]

I am still stunned. Now I know how Leeds fans felt after our 0-1 up there. That was never a 1-3 game but football is a funny game after all. I couldn't believe how much wrist slitting was going on from some of our "fans". I heard all sorts of shameful stuff.

 

"we are a very, very good league one side, punching above our weight."

 

"we need a all out championship goal scorer." - I had to inform this dumb c*nting c*nt that we have two of the top scorers.

 

"that Nigel Adkins just hasn't got an answer to the best sides in the league, we will get stuffed week in week out if we go up."

 

There were plenty more that just made me cringe. And if you were one of the thousands that left after the third goal, shame on you. Those of us who stayed behind, rightly applauded the players for a fantastic effort and deserved acknowledgement for running themselves into the ground last night.

 

Reading done exactly the same last night as they did at Brighton on Tuesday, fair play to em. But that won't work in the prem. they will get ripped up week in week out. If we go up and play like we did last night, we'll be fine. Ok ok... Less of the defensive slip ups, but you catch my drift.

 

Agree with most of that, except if we defend like that assuming we dont blow promotion we will get many heavy stuffings in the prem with defending like that. We do need to sort our middle defensive set up. May be great football to watch however we are massively open to counter attacking play, unfortunatley as Reading proved to our cost.

[70's Mike]

disappointed last night, still this morning.

we played well and difference between sides was small

main difference imo was about first touch, we always seemed to want that extra touch when attacking whereas Reading for first 2 goals were about. one touch

Kebe hard fast cross, Roberts just needs to put head on it

second goal pulled back Le Fondre hit hard first time.

at the real top level it is about small differences

[Legod Third Coming]

Agree with most of that, except if we defend like that assuming we dont blow promotion we will get many heavy stuffings in the prem with defending like that. We do need to sort our middle defensive set up. May be great football to watch however we are massively open to counter attacking play, unfortunatley as Reading proved to our cost.

 

It hasn't done Norwich and Swansea too much harm. To be fair to Reading, I could not see West Brom, Wigan, Wolves, Villa, Blackburn or Bolton doing what they did to us last night.

If we are promoted, we'll buy new players for sure. Not too many though. This is a bloody good squad - very lean - and still not playing to its full potential.

[gjphilsaint]

I am calming down... a 6 point lead is a six point lead...shame it isnt 9, but life is poor when you have to rely on Gus Poyet to bring a bit of sunshine into my saturday afternoon!!!

[Monk]

Off to training now, kids can be cruel in Portsmouth and the parents are even worse? Struggle to bite my tounge, have had so much **** of Skates since last night yet they fail to realise where they are in the league!!!

 

Still think there's another twist in this and Reading will drop points.

[Legod Third Coming]

Off to training now, kids can be cruel in Portsmouth and the parents are even worse? Struggle to bite my tounge, have had so much **** of Skates since last night yet they fail to realise where they are in the league!!!

 

Still think there's another twist in this and Reading will drop points.

 

Just remind them we can't win the league today, but by 4:55 they will be relegated.

 

And in 15 days liquidated.

 

That should cheer them up

[Benali Saint]

Gutted

The Better team lost

[Norm]

Quite right. That was a sensational game of football which was won by the undeserving side. A brilliant advert for football.

 

 

Not often I disagree with your posts but that is utter twaddle! Reading got exactly what they deserved, and us the same. Take those tinted specs off, please!

[Whitey Grandad]

I woke up this morning and for a couple of minutes had forgotten about last night. Having had time to think about it, I've decided that their second goal was the key to last night's mugging. I've watched the recording and our defending was woeful. Hammond and especially Cork were spectators as that ball was cut back to ALF. He should never have had that much space inside our area. You can even see Cork glance across at him, he should have been standing on his toes!

[Whitey Grandad]

Not often I disagree with your posts but that is utter twaddle! Reading got exactly what they deserved, and us the same. Take those tinted specs off, please!

 

Agreed. Football's not just about passing the ball around with slick moves, great though it is to watch, defending is also an art and so is finishing.

[slickmick]

I was screaming for Frazor to come on. Butterfield slowed us down every single time e got the ball. We would be zipping it about, creating space, pass to Butters... Everything stops. Reading close us down and we are back to square one, he loops a hopeless ball to far post... Reading have possession.

 

Exactly how I saw it, yet some are raving about his performance tonight. Personally I think our full backs were weak tonight.

[Legod Third Coming]

Not often I disagree with your posts but that is utter twaddle! Reading got exactly what they deserved, and us the same. Take those tinted specs off, please!

 

Er, I travelled back with Reading fans who accepted it was a smash and gab raid. I don't deny they were professional finishers who were gifted three goals.

I'm reading plenty of impartial reports this morning who think we were hard done by and the score flattered Reading.

Did we get what we deserved at Leeds??

75% posession and 23 shots to 6. That's not rose tinted, that's the reality of the game.

We were unlucky (or three people made errors, take your pick).

Not taking anything away from Reading, their run has been incredible, but their fans told me 'lucky at Brighton, lucky tonight'...

[Window Cleaner]

I woke up this morning and for a couple of minutes had forgotten about last night. Having had time to think about it, I've decided that their second goal was the key to last night's mugging. I've watched the recording and our defending was woeful. Hammond and especially Cork were spectators as that ball was cut back to ALF. He should never have had that much space inside our area. You can even see Cork glance across at him, he should have been standing on his toes!

 

You are spot on, Hammond gave the ball away in the centre simply because he's not good enough to play against sides like Reading and the rest is history.I keep saying that Hammond isn't good enough for a top NPC side and mugs defend him.Never want to see the bloke in a Saints shirt again but no doubt we will,same goes for Chaplow running around doesn't cut it at this level if you can't control the ball. Why we signed Falqué and gave Puncheon a reprieve just beats me,at least one of them should have been on the bench last night to produce something a bit different if necessary. On to Peterborough, first of the last chance saloons.

[doddisalegend]

Exactly how I saw it, yet some are raving about his performance tonight. Personally I think our full backs were weak tonight.

 

Butterfield was our best player in the back four last night if anyone should have come off it was Danny "I don't like to tackle" Fox with his completely awful passing. I do agree we used Butterfield to much in the last 20 minutes though almost like we had run out of ideas other than balls to the back post.

[The Kraken]

Er, I travelled back with Reading fans who accepted it was a smash and gab raid. I don't deny they were professional finishers who were gifted three goals.

I'm reading plenty of impartial reports this morning who think we were hard done by and the score flattered Reading.

Did we get what we deserved at Leeds??

75% posession and 23 shots to 6. That's not rose tinted, that's the reality of the game.

We were unlucky (or three people made errors, take your pick).

Not taking anything away from Reading, their run has been incredible, but their fans told me 'lucky at Brighton, lucky tonight'...

 

So the opposition fans said that we were robbed.

Impartial football reporters said that we were robbed.

Why are some of our own fans so completely precious about saying the same thing? Very odd behaviour, though admittedly predictable.

[Window Cleaner]

Did Lallana play 2nd half? Didn't really notice him....

 

was looking for the ball in the centre circle a lot of the time,not much supply you see, we seemed to be obstinately giving it to Butterfield to pump speculative balls into the box or De Ridder to dribble it up his own backside.

[Legod Third Coming]

was looking for the ball in the centre circle a lot of the time,not much supply you see, we seemed to be obstinately giving it to Butterfield to pump speculative balls into the box or De Ridder to dribble it up his own backside.

 

Deliberate. Who is Reading's slowest defender? The 54 year old Ian Harte?

[Window Cleaner]

Deliberate. Who is Reading's slowest defender? The 54 year old Ian Harte?

 

But as there was no end product it just doesn't matter.Seemed to me to be our problem again last night, no end product from a lot of chances and Reading were extremely efficient whenever they got a sniff.

[Cabrone]

If I were a Reading fan, I would be quite offended at the "mugging" comments.

 

The defended superbly, harried us for posession, and broke quickly and intelligence.

 

FFS, get over it. The better team won.

 

Bang on Alpine.

 

Reading are the best team I've seen in this division and will be worthy champions. We will be worthy runners up.

 

Their defence was superb and just soaked us up and their attack was like a rapier, ready to pierce us whenever they had the chance.

 

Congrats to them, it was no fluke that they beat us last night.

 

Saints on the other hand were slow and laboured. Every time we got possession we played a flurry of square balls giving the Reading defence ages to get organised.

 

If we get to the prem (and I'm confident we will) we badly need pace and we need a midfield that knows how to exploit pace with piercing balls in a faster, more direct approach. We also need to cross properly, don't just sling in balls from deep positions that do very little against a good defence - cross from the byline..

 

We also need a new GK, not because KD has been bad (far from it) but if we want to give ourselves a chance we need the best we can get between the sticks to stem the goals against.

 

Reading were a class outfit and will do very well in the prem.

 

They gave us an early taste of the ruthless finishing we can expect week in week out if we get promoted.

 

I hope Nige has learnt a few things from last night.

 

SDR was my MOM - the only player who tried to really 'get at' Reading and put in a few decent crosses from the byline.

[Legod Third Coming]

But as there was no end product it just doesn't matter.Seemed to me to be our problem again last night, no end product from a lot of chances and Reading were extremely efficient whenever they got a sniff.

 

De Ridder had a great shot saved, Lallana headed over from close range (should really have scored) but Korgs is a class centre back and Lambert and Sharp had little joy in the air.

Sky says 23 shots, BBC 19...

 

I wish a few more of our fans would read this report in the cold light of day.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17637590

 

Words like brilliant are not used lightly by football journalists.

[musesaint]

2nd Please!

[Roger]

De Ridder had a great shot saved, Lallana headed over from close range (should really have scored) but Korgs is a class centre back and Lambert and Sharp had little joy in the air.

Sky says 23 shots, BBC 19...

 

I wish a few more of our fans would read this report in the cold light of day.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17637590

 

Words like brilliant are not used lightly by football journalists.

 

Watching the game again lambert won everything in the air and was superb. Just sharp couldn't move.

[Roger]

Bang on Alpine.

 

Reading are the best team I've seen in this division and will be worthy champions. We will be worthy runners up.

 

Their defence was superb and just soaked us up and their attack was like a rapier, ready to pierce us whenever they had the chance.

 

Congrats to them, it was no fluke that they beat us last night.

 

Saints on the other hand were slow and laboured. Every time we got possession we played a flurry of square balls giving the Reading defence ages to get organised.

 

If we get to the prem (and I'm confident we will) we badly need pace and we need a midfield that knows how to exploit pace with piercing balls in a faster, more direct approach. We also need to cross properly, don't just sling in balls from deep positions that do very little against a good defence - cross from the byline..

 

We also need a new GK, not because KD has been bad (far from it) but if we want to give ourselves a chance we need the best we can get between the sticks to stem the goals against.

 

Reading were a class outfit and will do very well in the prem.

 

They gave us an early taste of the ruthless finishing we can expect week in week out if we get promoted.

 

I hope Nige has learnt a few things from last night.

 

SDR was my MOM - the only player who tried to really 'get at' Reading and put in a few decent crosses from the byline.

 

De ridder mom?? Are u drunk? He was up against a 34 year old and didn't beat him once or put a decent cross in. Granted he took 2 men out game but mom?

[Window Cleaner]

nce.

 

 

 

 

We also need a new GK, not because KD has been bad (far from it) but if we want to give ourselves a chance we need the best we can get between the sticks to stem the goals against.

 

 

Thought a real keeper might have come out on the cross for their first goal actually.

 

Just a thought that crossed my mind at the time though.

[Legod Third Coming]

Watching the game again lambert won everything in the air and was superb. Just sharp couldn't move.

 

Wasn't just that he won it, he flicked on with his back to players and landed the ball on Sharp or Lallana's foot. He was outstanding.

[Window Cleaner]

Watching the game again lambert won everything in the air and was superb. Just sharp couldn't move.

 

Sharp seemed obsessed with obtaining a penalty, couldn't understand that myself and the commentators couldn't either. Kept saying that Sharp needed to stay on his feet.

[Chez]

SDR was my MOM - the only player who tried to really 'get at' Reading and put in a few decent crosses from the byline.

I simply can't believe anyone could vote for SDR for MOTM ahead of Lambert. Lambert was on a different level last night.

[EBS1980]

I guess I'm not in for a windfall now. £20 at 18/1 for us being champions at start of the season. Was going to buy an iPad with winnings. Ah well as long as we get promoted that's the important thing now.

[Legod Third Coming]

I guess I'm not in for a windfall now. £20 at 18/1 for us being champions at start of the season. Was going to buy an iPad with winnings. Ah well as long as we get promoted that's the important thing now.

 

It's not over yet.

Let's say both Reading and us win our next two games.

Come 28th April they will be 3 points clear and away at Birmingham.

We will be at home to Coventry...

 

Could be fun!

[Chez]

Sharp seemed obsessed with obtaining a penalty, couldn't understand that myself and the commentators couldn't either. Kept saying that Sharp needed to stay on his feet.

spot on. He kept sticking his arse into the defender or even running straight into them. That aside he had a poor night, losing the ball, little movement and he seemed slower than ever. Maybe the pace and power of Roberts et al just showed what we lack with Sharp.

 

He had a great first half at Palace and I thought I saw something there in terms of his all round game, but maybe I was kidding myself as he was back to his normal slow, pedestrian self.

[Chez]

It's not over yet.

Let's say both Reading and us win our next two games.

Come 28th April they will be 3 points clear and away at Birmingham.

We will be at home to Coventry...

 

Could be fun!

didn't think of it like that. Cheered me up. Positive thinking there at its best.

[Thedelldays]

De ridder mom?? Are u drunk? He was up against a 34 year old and didn't beat him once or put a decent cross in. Granted he took 2 men out game but mom?

again...clearly not true

[Cabrone]

De ridder mom?? Are u drunk? He was up against a 34 year old and didn't beat him once or put a decent cross in. Granted he took 2 men out game but mom?

 

Yes he did, twice. The second was a peach and should have been snapped up.

 

I voyed for him because he was the only player that got to the byline and put a ball in, just about every other cross was slung in from deep and dealt with by the twin towers of the Reading defence.

 

I'm not his biggest fan but he was always looking to go direct - not square.

[LostBoys]

Come on boys - we all know what happens when you miss your chances in football. Reading sat back defended well and waited for us to give the ball away and that is exactly what we did. Fox was **** poor all night and when you are not on on song you concentrate on doing the easy things well like marking Kebe. He only came out of his own half a few times and made two goals because we were nowhere.

Edited 14 April, 2012 by LostBoys

[corky morris]

Got home at 1.45am as some **** shut the M40 junction with the A34 & made us go 25 miles out of our way.

Quick scan & the ****e people write is unbelievable............... It was not Sharp's fault!! He set up Lambert for his goal!!!

Been saying since January that Reading are on a run like we were last season. Its called Momentum.

We made 3 mistakes & they scored from all of them. Fox for the first. He has been rubbish for a while now with his passing & crossing very poor. Hammond for the second. When is he gonna learn to pass? And Fonte for the third. He lost out as he did against Blackpool for their 3rd with a lack of strength.

Joss has missed more free headers than soft mick as well.

Adkins does not go in for b o llocking's, but I would read the riot act. Something like there is a reason most of you have not played in the PL - now go & prove me wrong & get promoted.....

Reading did not win, we lost!!!

At 1-1 we let our tempo go & they got back into the game. You could see it happening.

If you look at the stats you have to say we got mugged!!

We have conceded 8 goals in 4 games & got 4 points. Simply not good enough.

As I have said before if or when we get promoted I reckon the whole back 5 will need replacing within 18 months.

Premier League ref's can **** off too!!! But neither where penalties.

I would drop Fox, Hammond & maybe even Fonte. Adkins wont, but there you go.

Off to Peterboro on Tuesday - if we bottle it then the players only have themselves to blame.

[Roger]

Yes he did, twice. The second was a peach and should have been snapped up.

 

I voyed for him because he was the only player that got to the byline and put a ball in, just about every other cross was slung in from deep and dealt with by the twin towers of the Reading defence.

 

I'm not his biggest fan but he was always looking to go direct - not square.

 

Rickie was mom by miles. De ridder crossed too short when he got cross in.

[Window Cleaner]

spot on. He kept sticking his arse into the defender or even running straight into them. That aside he had a poor night, losing the ball, little movement and he seemed slower than ever. Maybe the pace and power of Roberts et al just showed what we lack with Sharp.

 

He had a great first half at Palace and I thought I saw something there in terms of his all round game, but maybe I was kidding myself as he was back to his normal slow, pedestrian self.

 

Palace were an incredibly poor side with nothing to play for, I could have looked good against them.

Sharp still has to show me that he's worth what we paid and that the choice by whoever it was is a good one.

 

If Tad was fit Sharp would be on the bench and Barnard would be playing Southern League football or something.

The injuries to Tad and Morgan may well cost us,already I feel that the title has gone,never mind,but we have to do it on Tuesday because we may not at Boro, unless Morgan is back, missed him desperately last night,the composure that calms everything down,buys time and cuts out the need for speculative diagonal balls down Gorkss,Pearce and Federici's collective throat.

[Thedelldays]

Rickie was mom by miles. De ridder crossed too short when he got cross in.

I would suggest you watch it again

de ridder got a few good crosses and..took two players with him so butterfield could get crosses in

 

for a winger to come off the bench, he is as good as you are going to get

[saintsmonkey]

I thought we were too 1 dimensional( deep crosses from both full backs to lambert),which didn't work out as the crosses were sh*t last night. de Ridder is not a good player,whenever he receives the ball, he just turns on his back and tries to hold it up ,no confidence to carry the ball and go past people,too 1 footed. Chaplow is a much better player. Hammond showed his true class today( mid championship/top league 1 player), Cork has good touches not strong enough to hold up the ball at times, Guly, the quick tempo of the game has got the better of him, he is the sort of player who needs space and time to be successful and therefore wont cut it in the premiership. Both centre backs just didn't have a good day at the office, the movements of their attacking players were just too much for them

 

Lallana is not a winger, he plays in the ' hole' where he is the most effective, but is shifted out wide because of the system we play, but is still easily good enough for the championship.

 

billy worked hard last night, Lambert also played well, good creativity.

 

we will still go up, but not sure if we could still cut it at the premier league playing with this team and style of football

[Saints Warrior]

Wasted chances, too much passing to wing when stood on penalty spot why not shoot. Defence was very poor.

 

All down to saints now 3 wins needed, cant se others dropping nay points

[pap]

I'm a little bit gutted that my bet for Saints to be champions is looking dodgy, and a little bit gutted with last night's result - the scoreline wasn't a fair reflection of the game and I genuinely thought we were going to overhaul them after Rickie equalised.

 

Wasn't our night. It happens, and although it is gutting, Reading took their chances well. Emphatic finishing from Le Fondre.

 

We move on. Hopefully Nigel will look less rattled when we line up against Peterborough.

[Legod Third Coming]

Wasted chances, too much passing to wing when stood on penalty spot why not shoot. Defence was very poor.

 

All down to saints now 3 wins needed, cant se others dropping nay points

 

West Ham's last ten games, most recent first:

 

DWLWDDDDDW

 

And now you're expecting WWWW?

[Mr X]

I'm not being over reactionary but who can see us losing at peterbourough? I can see the wheels coming off and playoffs. Also Agree about de ridder he worked hard but ran round in circles with no end result doesn't seem to have the footalling brain to match the skill. We wont even start on gulys contribution

[Chez]

I would suggest you watch it again

de ridder got a few good crosses and..took two players with him so butterfield could get crosses in

 

for a winger to come off the bench, he is as good as you are going to get

you are right about as good as you will get of the bench, but don't you think there is a better player in there somewhere?