Match Day Thread Reading v Hull City

Just look at the table and sort by goals (we're 15th):-

 

And the xGs and DLBs…

 

Statistical tripe, we often have half a dozen passes from a goal kick before we're thirty yards up the pitch, and then the ball goes back to the keeper.


The views expressed in my posts are not necessarily mine.

 

20th on xG
4th on xG conceded

 

I’m going to confidently say this is baagood is it. Well is it?

 

Well we’ve created the 4th least amount of chances and given away the 4th most amount of chances. And also made the 4th highest amount of saves. I wonder how much of that is carried over from Shota’s time, when we were almost certainly by far the worst in terms of defensive stats, considering we had the worst defensive record in the entire country.

 

**** me, I bet Cardiff are a joy to watch.

 

I think that tweet was about this weekend only. Our season stats will be much worse, partly because of the first half of the season under Shota.

 

The goal on Saturday was particularly tripe. Loads of messing about at the back for no reason, left back to centre back to right back and back again, until suddenly Seri has space to turn and a gap to pass into. Seconds later we've scored.

 

It was such a poor goal it was almost embarrassing cheering it.

 

A good job we've never hit a stray pass, or the opposition press leads to panic at the back, oh...


The views expressed in my posts are not necessarily mine.

 

Think the goal was more down to a moblie midfielder playing centrally running thirty yards down the middle laying it off and running on for the return and a finish most of our forwards can’t seem to achieve - very little to do with the defence play
If you run at the opposition down the middle you can go in two directions not one . Liverpool came to Fer Ark in the cup and they were brilliant at it - it causes havoc - plus if it draws defenders to you the wings are free’d up

 

This seems so obtuse to me. As we surely all know by now, the idea of building from the back is to open up those spaces so that you can ultimately go forwards and through teams. It worked perfectly for that goal. You don't just get the space to run through the middle at goal without somebody being dragged out of position or something.

 

Agreed. It was an excellent example of a goal constructed through breaking the press, and a joy to watch. Shame Slater bumped Jones off the ball to allow them to equalise, but he was still my MotM.

 

Oh I appreciate the effect of a successful press , but if it’s not done with what they call a quick transition then it’s a waste of time and enables opposition pressure . How often do we actually see that type of move ?
I am praying we can make this a habit .

 

I think it was the other way around, Slater was there making the challenge, Jones still decided to barge in to it anyway, and in doing so both took the ball off Slaters head, and left Carol with an unobstructed sight of goal under no pressure.

 

Don’t encourage Shark to start posting.
He will be getting twinges in his groin area at the thought of stats.

 

Ward should have a conference game next time out - but that's harsh on the conference