Too many people below par. Chalobah and Cathcart most notable culprits. Too slow and as Serbian Hornet warned Reading shut the game down after their goal. When was the last time we won before an international break?
I thought we played very well today and were unlucky. Another example of a game we should have won on paper so the result isn't that relevant. We can't help it if the crossbar gets in the way. On another day that's 1-1 or a 2-1 defeat. The goals, chances, attempts on goal, playing with strikers, decent play, quick passing, wide play, wins, good defending, dominance in midfield and goals will come if we believe. A few more huge signings like Barry Douglas and I can see us going on an unstoppable run. It's going to be a busy and expensive (we know Gino likes to spend) deadline day! I have my yellow tie ready!
Just lost to a really poor side. But this is what happens with a ragbag bunch of footballers, numerous injuries and an idiotic suspension. We have no fit out and out strikers other than Murray who looks total garbage. So we play two non-strikers upfront, wasting both of them. We have no left back, so we can't switch to a back four. We have two of our best performers already injured and only on the bench. Then Dele-Bashiru gets injured so we put a wide man into a central position. All over the pitch it's patched up. We were still comfortably the better team for the first half hour, they did absolutely nothing. Then Dele-Bashiru went off, Wilmot gave away a really thick free kick and got booked for kicking the ball away, we never cleared it and they scored. Never looked like getting back in the game after that. Failure to change system is a black mark against Ivic. Take a central defender off, preferably Wilmot, and put old man Murray up front for Sarr and Pedro to play off. Can't wait till this transfer window is closed.
Three CBs marking one striker though, none who bring out the ball or pass forward effectively. Would rather an extra player in midfield or attack
Oh dear how easy was that for Reading. OK the goal was a little fortunate and their tactic of falling over and claiming fouls isn't great to watch but we enabled them to do that. We never looked like scoring from open play and Sarr summed up our second half performance by just getting more and more frustrated before his substitution. NC was lucky not to see red. For all the opening half hour was promising we hardly ever look like scoring.There is no point playing with such width if there is nobody trying to got on the end of the crosses. We will compete with any side in this division(Reading aren't very good)but we need to attack with more urgency. I definitely don't want to see Femenia as left wing back again.He has no ability with his left foot and virtually anyone can defend against someone who has to switch it onto their right foot all the time. A missed opportunity.
With so few goals in the team at the moment games will always come down to very fine margins and a bit of luck. Last week the luck went with us, today it went against us. We probably slightly had the better of things but a draw would have been a fair result. Reading defended well though, and actually had a striker who put himself about and tried to get on the end of crosses. A lot of our attacking play seems to involve the wing-backs ending up in lots of space putting in crosses from fairly deep positions, which isn't a very effective method of scoring goals at the best of times, but is even less so when there's no one in the box to get on the end of any crosses. Disappointed Vlad didn't try going 4-3-3 at the end as well - what's the point in 3 CBs while chasing the game?! We should have Gray and Perica back soon after the international break, which will probably help things, but this must be a lesson for Vlad. The lack of quality in Central Midfield and Centre Forward is something he needs to be confident he can rectify fully, either with players coming back or with another one or two signings.
Could say so much, but the system is ******* HORRENDOUS. If we recruit to play this **** all year I won't go to another game until at least March. If we don't sign a forward, we won't get top 10.
Only one post from me tonight to avoid wasting time arguing. Okay first half, dreadful second half. Ivic looks tactically inflexible with a series of like for like subs when behind. Sarr utterly wasted. Garner and Sema did well. JP poor but he is young so going to have these days. Minimal goal threat. We look terribly light in centre midfield when we get injuries and suspension. The reality should dawn that Ivic has been left a squad that will be performing above par to make the playoffs. It’s going to be a grinding few years. Heaven knows where we will be be this season if Sarr leaves as well.
A typical championship game, where a scruffy deflected goal from a half chance of theirs is the difference. Lacked cutting edge going forward but don't really feel Reading did anything to deserve the win. We come away with a point less than we deserved. Kabs solid again, and Garner looked brighter and more aggressive, unlucky not to score with his free kick.
I see your point but if we are poor in attack we cannot afford to concede too many goals so need the extra defender. This might be the problem which dictates how the season goes.If Vlad solves it then we should be a more threatening team.
Losing DB was pivotal. Disrupted the balance completely. Did not take our chances when presented and comfortably the better side. Poor positioning from Pedro and Sarr but poor service as well to them for the most part. They are not target men but need the ball over the top or down the channel. Once again they were isolated aside from the first twenty minutes and you could see them dropping deeper and deeper to get into play. Badly missed Cleverly compared to Chalobah who was in general mediocre. Sema did not look fully fit either. Crossing to no one in particular is not great tactically. Far too slow a tempo as well in moving the ball after the hour mark. Too many balls backwards or lateral. Wilmot once , Cleverly, Sema at times and Garner showed some positivity in attacking. Garner did well apart from one misplaced pass but too many times the passes were just behind or to the side of the player disrupting momentum. Not enough drive, not enough collected possession and we need a target man. Deeney much as he may be mocked needs to get to full fitness along with Perica who was badly missed to bring Sarr and Pedro into play. Sarr needs to relax a little and looks rusty. Needs to demand the ball more. Pedro needs to learn to attack the near post and hang on the six yard line. Twice a perfect ball across the six yard line no one there. Poor result against a poor team with injuries. They will not be in the promotion hunt but every point dropped is a bad result and makes the job harder. Hopefully Hughes comes back into midfield soon and Deeney gets fitter along with Murray and Perica gets back from suspension. Feel for Dele-Bashiru. Looked top drawer in his cameo and as I said losing him was pivotal. He and Garner showed Chalobah up. Dwells on the ball far too much and so casual and sloppy. That overhit pass to Sema volleyed out of play was typical. Not a great day at all at a mediocre side who barely threatened. Two goals in four games needs to improve rapidly.
Imagine having the best winger in the league, a guy who pissed the Champions of Europe with ease, who's a 40 mil player, putting him up top and just hoofing the ball at him. War crime territory. Hope he hands in a transfer request.
I cannot really complain about the result. We were very average today and Reading defended well enough to win. We have, in my opinion, been pretty fortunate in games so far. Only against Lootown did we play well. Middlesbrough was scrappy and Sheff Wed was awful bar the last 15 mins. Am I happy with two wins a draw and a loss? I suppose so, but we cannot continue to create so little all game. Yes, Ngakita had that chance and we hit the bar, but we have little else. We are not a bad side, we need somebody who can create and get us moving when we attack. Sarr, well.. worst performance in a Watford shirt for some time. Spent half the game sulking. Although I cannot blame him, he is not a striker and this just emphasizes my point. Deeney and Gray out, our two genuinely ok strikers at this level. Pedro was invisible today also but he had nothing to feed off. Ivic is doing his best with what he has, but this formation and passing between defenders when 1-0 down is getting us nowhere. If we don't score first, we may lose a lot of games we concede in at the moment. We miss Hughes, Gray and we badly need a better playmaker. International break may of come at a good time for us. Two weeks to work on a new plan and hopefully better at Derby. Effort was there but most massively shadowed it today. Disappointing result.
The biggest concern for me was the lack of urgency, it was beyond pedestrian. Reading are well organised and as has been pointed out they’re very good at defending a lead. To trouble them we needed to pick up the pace, but we just strolled around.
Today seemed a snapshot as to where most of us suspected we are right now. No natural goal scorer. And still prone to a defensive calamity or two. And still useless on the road. Watching football is meant to be fun, and I appreciate on another day we could have been 3-0 up before their goal, but nonetheless it’s getting quite dispiriting watching us labour to score goals at this level. This could be quite a miserable season if somebody doesn’t step up to the plate soon to assume the responsibility of leading our attack. It could be Gray of course, and his injury was untimely, but I wouldn’t feel confident of putting my mortgage on that. Ironically the only time we’ve scored twice in a match under Ivic was against Spurs, the highest ranked opponents we’ve met. It’s now 5 goals in the other 7 games (including friendlies). I thought Ivc was meant to be tactically flexible but it felt disappointing to keep playing 3 central defenders when chasing the match and when Reading weren’t threatening much. Never mind eh. We’ve got a few million in the bank after yesterday, and the likes of Murray, Deeney, Perica and all left to lumber around trying to score the occasional goal for us. As depressing a day as the weather.
They were missing nearly every single one of their good players, had a left footed centre back playing right back, and about 10 academy kids in the squad. That was a disgrace. Not sure why we are shoe horning the team into 3-5-2 when it so ill suited to our squad.
Fine margins aside, this lot, playing this formation, playing quality players out of position, won’t be in the automatic promotion spots come seasons end. Outsiders for a playoff spot at best and that’s being generous. Toothless, lack of experience and game management. It’s beyond obvious that Sarr and Joao Pedro aren’t strikers who suit being in a one/two striker system. Get them wider and have someone in between them. Murray has been awful so far - but at least putting him in would have given us a better shape to allow our quality players to flourish. I agree that our attacking has been a bigger problem than our defending this season - but I think it’s a product of the system as @UEA_Hornet says. Playing 3 CB’s automatically narrows you at the top end of the pitch - and that’s doesn’t work when we have JP and Sarr at that narrow end, as they both enjoy playing with more width. The perseverance with 3 CB’s is hurting us and I really hope we abandon it now. Last week was a great result to enjoy and was comfortable because the opposition were dreadful - but we weren’t great, let’s be honest. We were 3 out of 5 material. We haven’t played a prolonged period of good football yet since the restart. Ivic deserves time and he says all the right things - but he has to be more flexible tactically and the squad situation needs settling down sooner rather than later.
Lots of bed wetting on here now. Sloppy at times lots of side ways backwards passes nothing really creative but not much movement from forwards either. Hopefully a wake up call to what a lot of teams will set up like against us. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
There wasn't anyone over a 4/10. Not much more to say than that. Lets hope this loss is the wake up call this side and club needs.
Foster - 6 - poor distribution at times Cathcart - 6 - wasn't too bad but maybe could have gotten closer for the goal Kabs - 7 - our best defender again Wilmot - 5 - not the best game from him, should have been subbed to go 4-3-3 Ngakia - 7 - prob our liveliest player Femenia - 6 - showed some urgency going forward at least when on the pitch, not sure it's his fault that he never had anyone in the box to cross to Chalobah - 5 - loads of sloppy passes and a lack of urgency Garner - 5 - similar to Chalobah, shame about the free-kick though which could have made it a different game TDB - 6 - looked our only midfielder with a bit of drive and creativity before he got injured. He should have been subbed after he went down first time. JP - 4 - despite the goal last week, is clearly a way off being able to make a significant consistent impact as a CF, was hardly in the game and mostly useless the few times he got near the ball. I keep saying that he should mostly be an impact sub for us still, and once everyone is fully fit that should be the case. If he occasionally starts it should really be as a winger. Sarr - 6 - caused a few problems in the first half, but either had poor decision making or no one in support (yet again). Faded. Still doesn't look quite fully fit. Hardly looks a £50mil player at the moment. Sema - 7 - put himself about when he came on, we could do with a few more of him
Now will you guys finally believe what I've been saying for at least two seasons..................................... WE NEED A ******* FOX IN THE ******* BOX
We need to use the pace more that we are supposed to have. Too much tippy tap and no end product Made it too easy for Reading to defend and be organised and Sarr/Pedro as you might expect from young kids got frustrated. We won't be ******* the league - that is for sure!
It's worth noting the results of the 4 teams we've played so far this season: P16 W9 D4 L3. 2 of those 3 defeats came against us but only 1 of the wins. It makes our 7 points look slightly better but clearly we need a big improvement in the final 3rd.
Ivic mentioned we have started with 3 at the back for 'many reasons' but said in the buildup to the Luton game that tactics might change. I think now is the time. 4-3-3 with Gray up top when he's back.
Sarr threatens down the right for the only time in the game. Why we stopped knocking the ball down the channel to him beats me Garner strikes the FK against the crossbar.Completely on top still A big loss. Tom Dele-Bashiru suffers a knee injury. Disturbs the balance of the side. A huge miss. No free kick on the edge of the box as Pedro is clearly leaned upon and his shirt is being tugged at. Once again appalling officiating Murray comes on too late to affect the outcome. The need for a target man is obvious Shame this fight in Chalobah and most of the team came too little too late in the second half
Always been in agreement with you in this TVOR. I don’t want to go down that path again but last season Chelsea let in more goals than Brighton and Palace but scored twice as many and hence their at the other end of the table. A proven goal scorer would’ve kept us up last season and it’s what we still desperately need this season.
