Reading v Bolton - 12/2/06 - Pre/During/Post Match [R]

[prvev]

Agreed..I don't know how he didn't get a red really.

Tied for 4th now, I think, with the other results so far. GD puts us in 6th, but a game in hand over Liverpool.

[aguy2die4]

4 games 4 wins

4x3=12pts......who would have thought it.

[olegunnar]

joint 3rd, but yes goal difference puts us 6th. However we do have a game in hand over Portsmouth and Liverpool.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/live/tables/premiership.html

[olegunnar]

Well I was very pleased with the performance today. A very professional job. I liked that we weren't defending on our heels for most of the match (which we seem to do very well by the way) but we were putting pressure on Bolton players when they were on the ball disrupting them. I suppose we were a bit lucky that they didnt finish better, but we had a couple good chances of our own.

Oster MOM for me. Doyle is great as always. Just watching him run his heart out all over the pitch for us is fantastic. He truly leaves everything out on the field. He could be MOM every single week and he would deserve it.

We are in the "easier" run of games right now, but I didn't expect 12 points from the first 4, thats insanity. Even though Newcastle is in the relegation zone now, I think our trip there will be quite difficult.

[jkritchey]

Little concerned that Reading did not / could not maintain control of the game in the second half. i thought they had Bolton well on the ropes in the first. I'm not sure if they changed tactics or just had an emotional let down, but they seemed to let Bolton back into it. Fortunately, Bolton weren't up for it and never really looked like they were going create their own goal.

Doyle seemd to have lost a bit of his energy for the second game in a row (albeit with lead he created). It would have been nice for Reading to have Convey turn to for a spark.

Seol was decent, but I liked him better on the right.

At any rate, when they are on (the first half) Reading looks like one of the better teams outside the top two. Early this season, they seemed all huff and puff, wear down teams with their intensity, like so many promtoed teams. But now it seems to have a bit more method to the midfield play, with smart running off the ball and good team mate awareness. Kudos to them!

(BTW, there are not many circumstances that warrant Campo not starting. Irritating or not, he's a very good d mid and can create good chances for his team mates 50yds. from goal. I guess the mid week fixture for Bolton is that circumstance)

[olegunnar]

Yes I agree with you about Campo. I thought it was him coming on that changed the game in Bolton's favor. I was very happy not to see him in the starting 11 today.

[korean_soccer123]

hey im an american who started watching reading because of convey and hanenham (or wateva), and i can't believe some of u r syaing good proffesional play by reading? i just watched the game earlier today and the only thing that stopped my from changing the channel was oster's play, and bolton's play...... i watched about 4 reading games so far this year, and i have to say it was one of the most boring encounters i ever faced with. Reading were lucky to get the 3 points today, bolton were the better side. Doyle can't do much, he was lucky to get half his goals this season. but congrats to reading, just dont get over ur heads:p . i predict a strong 11th place finish for reading by the end of the season

[korean_soccer123]

hey im an american who started watching reading because of convey and hanenham (or wateva), and i can't believe some of u r syaing good proffesional play by reading? i just watched the game earlier today and the only thing that stopped me from changing the channel was oster's play, and bolton's play...... i watched about 4 reading games so far this year, and i have to say it was one of the most boring encounters i ever faced with. Reading were lucky to get the 3 points today, bolton were the better side. Doyle can't do much, he was lucky to get half his goals this season. but congrats to reading, just dont get over ur heads:p . i predict a strong 11th place finish for reading by the end of the season

[jkritchey]

Well, I'll just disagree with you across the board. Perhaps next time, go ahead and change the channel.

[RichardL]

Young and keen v old and mean was very much the theme of the day as Bolton's tried and tested pit-bull determined approach fought for a bone with the young yapping terrier that is Reading's season so far.

Some had billed it as a chance to bury the ghost of a play-off final defeat at Wembley 11 years ago (was it really that long ago? Was Wembley really open that recenty?) but those with longer memorires will recall that paricular ghost was already exorcised with a 3-2 win in '97, with metal-plate headed Trevor Morley getting a hat-trick, while leading goalscorer Jimmy Quinn played in goal for the whole of the second half after wig-wearing Bulgarian Borislav Mikhailov sloped off injured, presumably to find some more toupee glue.

Today was instead a clean slate. With Bolton you know what to expect, and the game was always likely to have less beautiful moments than Iain Dowie walking through a funfair's hall of mirrors. It was a game that purists would watch through their fingers as players propelled themselves towards each other as if fired by steam pistons. The ball at times looked like an incidental spectator in all this, but when it did join in it was Reading who looked most adept at moving it towards the big thing with the net attached, romoured to be among the key objectives of the game. Not that Bolton were particularly physical, just harder to break through than a kevlar chastity belt.

It took couple of fine pieces of skill to make the breakthrough. First Oster, making a rare start for the unfortunately yet again injured Little, tricked past a defender and chipped a ball in towards the back of the six-yard box, where Doyle rose and powered a header back across goal that gave Jaaskelainen less chance than a one-armed man auditioning for a bullworker advert.

Bolton emerged early in the second half having clearly been kicked so far up the backside by Allardyce that they'll be crapping shoe-polish for the rest of the week. It nearly worked, as they were on top at first, but Reading got back into it, outcompeting a team who've become masters of outcompeting teams.

Oster should have capped an impressive game with what would probabaly been the winner - a ball finding him at the back post, but his shot was wider than a middle-aged auntie's fat arse, and so vanished in reality the last clear chance of the game.

Beyond that Bolton had a few half chances as the ball pinballed in the Reading area from set-pieces, but they had no wizard named Tommy and could be no meaner than prodding the ball tamely past the post.

Reading also were limited to half-chances as both defences, looking more drilled than a north sea oil-field, kept attacks at arm's length. Lita, on for the more industrious than usual Seol late in the game, almost lived up to the sparkle of his yellow boots on one or two occasions, but those chances stayed more tantalisingly out of reach than a lap-dancer's assets, and Reading could only imagine how nicer it would be to have to have something more to hold on to.

As it was it was enough. Bolton had the threat of a midget with flick-knife. The ability to cause damage wasn't in doubt, but it would have been disappointing to have let them do so. Hahnemann even had a chance of an ultimate bit of glory. Having been extended less than an agoraphophics walking map of the Serengeti plains for most of the match, he was offered the chance to punt the ball towards an empty net in the 92nd minute. Jaaskelainen, who'd come up for the corner, realised he was ever so slightly off his line and launched himself at Marcus like a cat attacking a string. It hurt Marcus, but it ultimately hurt his team more, as the injury and resulting free kick ate up almost all of the remaining 90 seconds.

So another win. Reading march on to a 4th consecutive win and 6th place in the premiership. Talk of Europe may be something of a dreamworld, but Reading fans are pinching themselves to see if they are really awake as it is. Who knows where we'll finish, but those estimates, like those from a dodgy builder, seem to just keep rising.

[Katsbox]

...

At any rate, when they are on (the first half) Reading looks like one of the better teams outside the top two. Early this season, they seemed all huff and puff, wear down teams with their intensity, like so many promtoed teams. But now it seems to have a bit more method to the midfield play, with smart running off the ball and good team mate awareness. Kudos to them!
...

Agreed. Reading are playing with real confidence and they just keep getting better and better. I'm dreaming of January when hopefully they'll have Convey and Kits healthy again. I think those two on and playing well for Hunt and Seol - that's got to be Reading's strongest team. Although, after this game it's official, we are deepest at right winger.

My favorite unsung moment of the game was in the early lead up to the goal. Shorey gets the ball and with just a touch to the inside moves around the Bolton player who, what? suddenly thought he was a lampost?? I was still chuckling when Oster crossed the ball.

[Pablo Chicago]

That was a nice build up to the goal. I don't know who the Bolton lampost was, but I'll bet Big Sam had a few choice words for him at the half. :D

[mschofield]

A couple points:
1. amazing season thus far. to be on 25 points with 23 games to play is flat out amazing. I'd have been happy, preseason, on 25 points with 15 to play. at this pace, by the time we reach midway (four games) we'll be safe.
2. it pays to speak the language, even if you think you understand the international footie language, the fehner-gala game I was watching today, convinced it was live, was 1997. the actual game is tomorrow, they're showing old matches all day long as a warmup.
3. this is a huge win, and will be remembered as important, at the end of hte season. Bolton may not be pretty, but they scramble and win points as well as anyone in the prem. Reading were simply better today, from what I heard.
4. A Kevlar chastity belt? Nice one.
5. As I thought when being befriended by the fellow who followed me up from the golden horn tonight, extolling the virtues of his "collection" ("I have russian girls, georgian girls, syrian girls, turkish girls...") all I can think at this point is, can it possibly get any better.;)

[prvev]

2. it pays to speak the language, even if you think you understand the international footie language, the fehner-gala game I was watching today, convinced it was live, was 1997. the actual game is tomorrow, they're showing old matches all day long as a warmup.


Brilliant. I'd rep you if I could.


Anyway, agreed that today was huge, and this season has been..amazing.

[RichardL]

5. As I thought when being befriended by the fellow who followed me up from the golden horn tonight, extolling the virtues of his "collection" ("I have russian girls, georgian girls, syrian girls, turkish girls...") all I can think at this point is, can it possibly get any better.;)
I don't believe it - being hassled in the street by a turkish salesman who's actually offering you something you might want. After about two hours I just wanted to get a T-shirt printed bearing the phrase "no I don't want to buy a f'ing carpet". Salesmen almost seemed to operate on a tag team basis. You'd just shake off one guy and be approached by another saying "...ah, he's a very bad man. I think he gives you bad impression of my country. Turkish people are very hospitable. Come with me back to my shop and..."

One guy grabbed my foot to try and allow him to shine my shoes - I was wearing trainers.

As an extra souvenir of my trip to Istanbul, I've found that as a result of flying out on BA0676 on Oct 27th I may well now be slightly radioactive.

[mschofield]

I don't believe it - being hassled in the street by a turkish salesman who's actually offering you something you might want. After about two hours I just wanted to get a T-shirt printed bearing the phrase "no I don't want to buy a f'ing carpet". Salesmen almost seemed to operate on a tag team basis. You'd just shake off one guy and be approached by another saying "...ah, he's a very bad man. I think he gives you bad impression of my country. Turkish people are very hospitable. Come with me back to my shop and..."

One guy grabbed my foot to try and allow him to shine my shoes - I was wearing trainers.

As an extra souvenir of my trip to Istanbul, I've found that as a result of flying out on BA0676 on Oct 27th I may well now be slightly radioactive.
Polonium does clear the sinuses, though, doesn't it? According to the many, many friends I appear to have here, they would not try to sell anything bad to me, because I look like a turkish man (as did, shockingly, the other 20 visiting business folk around me).
Must give Reading credit here, too, though. As an actual friend (who lives just a bit outside, but in the "reading catchment" a term he's very proud of:eek: ) explained to a new mutual friend new to both of us, who was offended that, at 2 a.m., we were heading into our hotels when there were so many pleasures awaiting, say, at a place he knew.
Convo. My new friend, " but you look like turkish man, and that is not turkish way, I know a place, many beautiful girls..."
Tom: "F-off you f'ing rude ba*****, we're talking footie."
But in a friendly way.

On a side note, I head into actual rug territory today. Oh goody, more friends await ...

[RichardL]

As an actual friend (who lives just a bit outside, but in the "reading catchment" a term he's very proud of:eek: ) explained to a new mutual friend new to both of us, who was offended that, at 2 a.m., we were heading into our hotels when there were so many pleasures awaiting, say, at a place he knew.
Convo. My new friend, " but you look like turkish man, and that is not turkish way, I know a place, many beautiful girls..."
Tom: "F-off you f'ing rude ba*****, we're talking footie."
But in a friendly way.

I received many offers around Taksim Square to visit dingy sidestreet clubs where I could be charged a fortune to have non-alcoholic drinks in the company of women whose company I'd pay to avoid, with violence thrown in for good measure. Those weren't the actual words used, but the true meaning was clear enough.