Reading - Chelsea - 10/14/06 - Pre/During/Post Match [R]

[mschofield]

To be fair, the only real chance in the first half was Doyle's shot off the bar. Chelsea were threatening often and had a number of corners and chances deep, especially early in the half. Actually, I think Reading's play had improved right until Chelsea scored.

What would have happened is a mystery. One I wish we knew the answers to. I really wish that the goal hadn't been scored like that, so we could have known what would have happened. But we never will.
I think Chelsea is the class of the prem, there's just so much right in that side (and, my earlier comment aside, I think Sheva is class, just that he was invisible today) but Reading matches up much better with them than they do Arse, which is the matchup that really worries me. Too much speed, too much creativity.

The what ifs are interesting, but what happened isn't bad. We lost, but those last 25 minutes were pace the room exciting, weren't they? We're all right. And we've still got a decent position for 8 games in.

[RichardL]

If the experts were to be believed then there was as much chance of Reading taking points from this game as Frank Lampard quoting Jean-Paul Sartre to explain his latest failure to impress, in French. With Sky TV agreeing with Sartre that Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do, this 5.15 kick off provided Lampard with the opportunity to put a bad week behind him and prove yet again in footballing terms, Sartre was right in that when the rich wage war it is the poor who die.

“I hate victims who respect their executioners” could have been Reading’s theme. After the ultra-defensive match v Manchester United, they opened the game stating their intent to prove that they really don’t possess more reverse gears than an Italian tank, and tried to show an eagerness to get forward. This eagerness resulted in a very early collision between Stephen Hunt, in for the injured Convey, and Chelsea keeper Petr Cech. It forced Cech off and prompted an exchange of words, with the Reading camp maintaining it was accidental, and Jose Mourinho claiming it to be on par with Ben Thatcher’s elbow lunge - and also claiming in a fashion melodramatic enough to be worth of Sir Ian McKellen treading the board at the Old Vic, that Cech was luck to be alive.

It set the tone for what was to be a game stranger than the fat kid at school with the unidentifiable smell. It was certainly an enjoyable game, but clear chances were further apart than a hooker’s thighs on a busy Saturday night. For Reading’s part, for all their endeavour, Kitson was again sorely missed against a strong defence. Convey’s absence was a blow and Seol was subdued, looking rather like his body clock was telling him the match was starting at 1.15 am in Korea. In was Convey’s replacement Hunt, whose playing style is like a small terrier shagging your leg, made a nuisance of himself to set up Doyle for the first real chance of the match. Doyle shot was true, but the right upright, tall white and gangly like one of Peter Crouch’s legs, deflected the shot out rather than in the goal.

With neither side looking like scoring it was ref Mike Riley’s turn to get into the spotlight. Appreciating Sartre’s adage of “It is only in our decisions that we are important”, he decided make his own entertainment and decided to award fouls on a basis so mysterious that they are being considered for inclusion in the next Ruth Rendell novel. Whether the crucial one, just outside the box in the last minute of the first half, was a genuine free kick, or was deserving of the Olympic Diving style points cards held up by a section of the crowd remains to be seen. The resulting free-kick took a double deflection, and gave Chelsea a lead by a stroke of good fortune that they weren’t supposed to need.

The second half was much the same, if livened up somewhat by a couple of two yellow sending offs, both for challenges which could be argued were more rash than a ward full of shingles sufferers, but equally would have gone unpunished by many refs.

Reading had the man advantage first, and with Little on for the sadly sleepy looking Seol, looked to be knocking on the door for an equaliser. Sadly the quality, and the height, wasn’t quite there and a couple of long range shots and an effort cleared off the line were the closest Reading got.

Chelsea had even less chances to score, but they of course, didn’t need a second. Man Utd looked far more impressive 3 weeks ago, but they only got a point, whereas Chelsea took all three. That’s the sort of thing that wins championships.

The 32 match unbeaten home run is over for Reading, but they can take heart from the performance even if they couldn’t take any points from it. Halfway through a spell of games that looked tougher and less attractive than a tattooed barmaid at a lesbian nightclub, we’ve got four points. Four more would be very welcome in the second half, as would a few players getting back to full fitness.

To be honest I don’t feel to down about it. Could be different in the morning though. Jean Paul also said that “Once you hear the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat”, but I don’t think he was reading match reports, let alone writing them.

[prvev]

The what ifs are interesting, but what happened isn't bad. We lost, but those last 25 minutes were pace the room exciting, weren't they? We're all right. And we've still got a decent position for 8 games in.

Yep, and very nerveracking. There were a few times where I really thought we'd put the ball in the net, but it just never happened. I didn't even see what happened to Cudicini originally because I was too busy watching the ball. Still, you're right. It was freakin' Chelsea, and I don't think that many of us expected points from this match.

Great match report again, Richard.

[nicephoras]

so had Reading.

No you weren't. Reading produced three chances of note all game, with the only shot on target being after the keeper was knocked out cold in the final seconds.

As you reasonably speculate Chelsea probably would not have been able to afford to come out passive without that goal , which in another words Chelsea may have come out more agressive if they didnt get that goal. But what about being reduced to 10men?

If we don't score that goal, the game isn't the same. You seem to assume the red card would have happened no matter what, which is a bizarre assumption.

Might Chelsea have only taken zero points from this one? Yes, of course. We were just held to a 0-0 draw last time out. But Chelsea have a pattern over the past several seasons of pulling out just these sorts of games. Its not an accident we took the 3 points, even if the goal was certainly fortuitous.

Chelsea had even less chances to score, but they of course, didn’t need a second. Man Utd looked far more impressive 3 weeks ago, but they only got a point, whereas Chelsea took all three. That’s the sort of thing that wins championships.

Not more impressive defensively, were they? ;)

[RichardL]

No you weren't. Reading produced three chances of note all game, with the only shot on target being after the keeper was knocked out cold in the final seconds.

a couple more wide as well, but not a lot of threat up front in total, although on balance Chelsea's second best effort also came from Ingimarsson.

Our style relies very heavily on our wingers - one of whom didn't play (jeez, can you imagine these boards if it had been Convey, not Hunt, who'd hit Cech?) and the other looked very much like someone who stepped off a 12 hour flight after a match where he'd had lumps kicked out of him. His replacement hadn't played for 8 months. With Kitson out we lose our aerial threat and Doyle was really fit either. It wasn't the ideal time to face Chelsea's defence.




Might Chelsea have only taken zero points from this one? Yes, of course. We were just held to a 0-0 draw last time out. But Chelsea have a pattern over the past several seasons of pulling out just these sorts of games. Its not an accident we took the 3 points, even if the goal was certainly fortuitous.

yep, you can never tell. We had plenty of games last year where home fans went home moaning about us not deserving the win too.


Not more impressive defensively, were they? ;)
All I can say is every time Utd got the ball I thought "oh bugger", whereas chelsea never showed any urgency, even when it was still 0-0. I think it might have been a different story in the second half, as I'm sure Mourinho would have given them a right bollocking, but they didn't look like scoring.

[Pablo Chicago]

How many Reading supporters have you seen trolling the Chelsea match thread? I guess when you're a moderator, you can get away with trolling any time you want. :rolleyes:

[olegunnar]

I appreciate good discussion with opposing fans. This is the first supporter of an opposing team I can recall seeing in this forum all season (I was expecting quite a few of the "big teams" which seem to have all of the fans of bigsoccer). This discussion however seems a little too tit for tat for me.

But I personally want to encourage opposing fans to come to this forum :)

[nicephoras]

a couple more wide as well, but not a lot of threat up front in total, although on balance Chelsea's second best effort also came from Ingimarsson.

Our style relies very heavily on our wingers - one of whom didn't play (jeez, can you imagine these boards if it had been Convey, not Hunt, who'd hit Cech?) and the other looked very much like someone who stepped off a 12 hour flight after a match where he'd had lumps kicked out of him. His replacement hadn't played for 8 months. With Kitson out we lose our aerial threat and Doyle was really fit either. It wasn't the ideal time to face Chelsea's defence.

True, but we were also using a CB pairing for the first time and lost two keepers in the game as well as being reduced to 10 men at one point. Not exactly our preferred way to win. :) (Although Bouhlarouz did look very, very good when paired with Terry.)

yep, you can never tell. We had plenty of games last year where home fans went home moaning about us not deserving the win too.

That's what good teams do. People talk all about how ugly we play, but very few people remember all those "jammy" wins Arsenal had the year they went unbeaten in the Prem. More 1-0 wins than people realize. I didn't see too many Colaship games last season, but I'd guess you finished as the runaway winners because you just had that ability to win, not because you absolutely dominated the opposition in every single game.

All I can say is every time Utd got the ball I thought "oh bugger", whereas chelsea never showed any urgency, even when it was still 0-0.

True. But that's the way we play. Has been for a while. I also have a feeling that after the international break some of our players may have been thinking ahead to Wednesday, too.............
For Reading this is a much bigger game than it is for Chelsea. (No offense meant, but I think you know what I mean.)

I think it might have been a different story in the second half, as I'm sure Mourinho would have given them a right bollocking, but they didn't look like scoring.

That's what I'd have expected too.

[nicephoras]

How many Reading supporters have you seen trolling the Chelsea match thread? I guess when you're a moderator, you can get away with trolling any time you want. :rolleyes:

If I was really trolling (which, for the record, I'm certainly not), believe me, you'd know it. :p

[RichardL]

(Although Bouhlarouz did look very, very good when paired with Terry.)
yeah, I thought he was excellent.



That's what good teams do. People talk all about how ugly we play, but very few people remember all those "jammy" wins Arsenal had the year they went unbeaten in the Prem. More 1-0 wins than people realize. I didn't see too many Colaship games last season, but I'd guess you finished as the runaway winners because you just had that ability to win, not because you absolutely dominated the opposition in every single game.

true, the foundation of any title win is a strong defence - it allowed us to pick up points in 44 or our 46 games last season. Mind you, we did bang in 99 goals as well :)



For Reading this is a much bigger game than it is for Chelsea. (No offense meant, but I think you know what I mean.)

nah, run of the mill for us at the moment (Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal - our consecutive home fixtures, with Liverpool away a couple of weeks later)

[mschofield]

True, but we were also using a CB pairing for the first time and lost two keepers in the game as well as being reduced to 10 men at one point. Not exactly our preferred way to win. :) (Although Bouhlarouz did look very, very good when paired with Terry.)
...
Nine men, at the end. I would think any fan of the prem would agree that Reading missing out on three starters (seol was toasted, convey injured, murty tried but was also injured), is a more serious blow than chelsea losing their entire first 11.
You don't get to pop almost half a billion $ (pds 216m) on players then complain your 19 internationals are bit tired and a couple folks had to be rested.
The difference is that of our four who went off, one returned on dead legs, one returned with a slight injury (doyle), one returned early after being tossed, and the other scored the OG.
As mourinho noted after the game, Coppell has done a great job, brilliant really, given his resources. As Reading fans, we understand this, of course, and accept it as part of the deal. But of all folks, chelsea supporters have no right to whinge about a first time pairing in defense...

[RichardL]

chelsea supporters have no right to whinge about a first time pairing in defense...
could be worse. Could be a Liverpool fan moaning that his team had to make changes from the previous week's line-up.

[Kerry Dixon's Boots]

Just have to say I was impressed with the Reading fans on Saturday - classy reactions all round (wish the same could be said for that ass of a ref who decided to play on after Carlo had been knocked out and have Cech moved with a fractured skull).

Makes me proud to be a West Berks man.

[mschofield]

Just have to say I was impressed with the Reading fans on Saturday - classy reactions all round (wish the same could be said for that ass of a ref who decided to play on after Carlo had been knocked out and have Cech moved with a fractured skull).

Makes me proud to be a West Berks man.
To be fair, he says he didn't insist on moving cech. but that was a trully pathetic scene, the attempt to crawl like that.

[nicephoras]

Nine men, at the end. I would think any fan of the prem would agree that Reading missing out on three starters (seol was toasted, convey injured, murty tried but was also injured), is a more serious blow than chelsea losing their entire first 11.
You don't get to pop almost half a billion $ (pds 216m) on players then complain your 19 internationals are bit tired and a couple folks had to be rested.
The difference is that of our four who went off, one returned on dead legs, one returned with a slight injury (doyle), one returned early after being tossed, and the other scored the OG.
As mourinho noted after the game, Coppell has done a great job, brilliant really, given his resources. As Reading fans, we understand this, of course, and accept it as part of the deal. But of all folks, chelsea supporters have no right to whinge about a first time pairing in defense...

Its not whinging, its fact. Objectively speaking, we were hardly at our best and no one should have expected us to be.
However, we're Chelsea, so we're expected to win.

No one denies Reading (and Coppell) have done a great job, you know. None of us were taking the piss out of Reading after the game. But if we're going to talk about being ready to play, we weren't at our best, is all. Its not an "excuse" (we won, after all).

[nicephoras]

true, the foundation of any title win is a strong defence - it allowed us to pick up points in 44 or our 46 games last season. Mind you, we did bang in 99 goals as well :)

Meaning you averaged just a few more goals per game that we did. ;)
(We were at @1.9, tied for the highest in the EPL.)

nah, run of the mill for us at the moment (Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal - our consecutive home fixtures, with Liverpool away a couple of weeks later)

How right you are - like every other season.