Reading v. Fulham 4/12 [R]

[Derrida]

No thread yet? Good game for the first 19 minutes. Reading's had the bulk of the play, but both sides have challenged without putting together a really solid chance.

Kitson's out. So far I haven't seen much from Long. It's mostly been Doyle, Matejovsky, and Oster attacking.

We've been controlling the ball pretty well - better than most of the year - though perhaps that's more to do with the opposition than anything else.

[Derrida]

0-1. Sloppy defending and a great finish from McBride. It was slightly against the run of play, but not particularly surprising.

[Laudy]

1-0 Fulham
Nice goal from McBride. Reading needs to put the pressure on and get a goal back quickly. If they give Fulham hope it will be a long day.

[Derrida]

They're getting the crosses into the box, but without much pace on them. And the strikers are rarely in a good scoring position. Doyle has been terrorizing them on the wing, but that's only so useful if there's no one in the box to make use of his crosses.

[Derrida]

Very good chance on a corner, but McBride (I think) heads it over the bar to stop a Bikey goal.

And now Long just taps it out of play off a throw in for no apparent reason.

[Derrida]

Shot off the mark from Doyle. Oster picks off a terrible pass, brings it all the way upfield into the box, sets up a nice one-two and Doyle is just a little off in his efforts to control it so his shot goes high and left.

[Derrida]

Doyle misses by less than a foot! Incredibly close. Reading hit them on the counter, a nice cross floated right into the box. Doyle beat his defender and got a solid head on it, but punches it JUST left of the goal.

[Derrida]

A pile of chances but nothing comes of it. Given the apparent inability of scoring with their heads, you'd have to think Coppell will encourage them (especially Matejovsky) to simply SHOOT when they're holding it at the edge of the box.

[Laudy]

Halftime:

Reading looks flat again. They look like a team that is comfortable and has no worries. Fulham is playing like a team that must win at all costs and will do anything to make it happen.

The back line looks average at best and the forwards cannot finish anything. I'll give Doyle the benefit of the doubt because he has played well but he is just off his game. As much as I worry about Kitson and Doyle together I think we need Kitson to deal with the size of Fulham's back line. Long is getting pushed around and has been a non factor. Matejovsky has looked off as well. He had several chances to pull the trigger and shoot on goal but he has decided to force passes and turn the ball over. Oster as much as I hate to say it, has been solid and has made several decent crosses that have challenged Fulham. Let's hope Coppell can get them together at halftime.

[Derrida]

Shoot! Yikes, just holding the ball 15-20 yards out, looking for something perfect. At least test Keller. He's been punching all day - see if he is off his game.

Rosenior is playing terribly. I'm thoroughly unimpressed. And I agree that Oster has been one of the few players who have really posed a threat.

Ridiculous volley by McBride that by all rights should have made it 2-0 somehow rebounds off the bar. Incredibly lucky for Reading.

[Laudy]

Hahneman shows again why he is clearly the main reason Reading is still above relegation with a magnificent save.

[Derrida]

Little coming on, which is great. But coming on for Oster, which is a little weird since Oster is one of the few playing well.

Kitson comes on for Long, which was desperately needed.

[Derrida]

It's official. Bikey is our best attacking threat.

That is not a good thing.

[Derrida]

We are just getting torn apart and are incredibly lucky to only be losing by one. Fulham is attacking at will, controlling the ball, winning corner after corner. On the other side, Reading is lucky if they can string together two or three passes without throwing it away.

And again, a solid header off the bar with Marcus getting just a finger on it to prevent a goal. Then Reading counters, has a great chance that is totally wasted by a ridiculous cross from Kitson.

[Laudy]

Coppell brings in Kitson and Little which is good for the size matchup but can someone please tell what the hell Matejovsky is doing in the middle?

Another great chance for Fulham and it is official Fulham is the better team today. It should be 3-0 Fulham.

[Derrida]

And ANOTHER off the crossbar on a Bullard free kick.

If we get any points from this game it will have been handed to us on a silver platter. It's amazing that with this much luck, I still can't see a way that we'll get back into it.

[Laudy]

I am going to start the official "Bring back Lita" thread. Maybe he could provide a spark. At least he can score for Charlton.

[Laudy]

Another thing that is bothering me is that fact that the Fulham fans are louder than the Reading fans.

I have another question, when did Kitson forget how to dribble the ball?

Now Cisse in for Matejovsky. Normally I would call this a dumb move but Matekjovsky has been brutal today.

I have little hope for a point today it is just so frustrating.

[Nyghtewynd]

It is difficult to determine how the team can play so heartlessly in a must-win game.

[Laudy]

Finally a good call from the referee with a yellow card to Fulham. Doyle is definitely playing well and deserves to get a goal.

This game is full of questions and I am curious as to what Hunt is doing today? He has been pretty much a non factor as well.