They did play better saturday, however i am startled to read the comments on the OS, you'd have thought we won 3-0!! They all sound really pleased with themselves....We lost 1-0 gents. Howard didn't have to make a save in 90minutes.
Defensively we were 100 times better. All 5 of them. Cisse really is atrocious in the air, however he copes admirably. It's quite weird. He never goes to head anything, but has the composure and pace to deal with the bouncing ball. Sonko I was hugely critical of (rightly so i think) but bar 2 or 3 moments where he was hesitant i thought he too did well.
But in the main area of the pitch (final 3rd) we were terrible. Even worse than normal. At Villa (the only other away i've been to this season) we were hopeless at the back but at least we had a threat about us. We've gone full circle.
Oster is absolutely woeful, always has been always will be. How on earth he is contracted to a Premiership club i don't know. There are better players on the English Riveira.
Hunt too was crap, bar his little scuffle in the 1st half he was anonymous. His crossing really is ABYSMAL. Corners straight out of play, I don't think a single cross from Oster, Hunt or Shorey beat the 1st man all day. Awful.
Kitson got continually frustrated and when the upteenth ball was delivered no where near him, he threw his arms around in an understanded strop...he was replaced minutes later. Long again looked lively when he came on, but that's his limit. Proven throughout the season. Impact player for 20mins tops. Any longer and he's crap.
Doyle I'm losing all confidence in. He's lost a yard of pace, he still chases lost causes (you've got to in this team) but he didn't have a meaningful effort on goal all day. Yet we've got no one else banging on the door. LOL @ coppell considering his strikers as his strongest position, Kitson apart the other 3 haven't been remotely good enough. If that's our strongest area it's no surprise we are 18th.
Finally Kebe looked like Bas Savage when he came on, first touch it rolled under his foot out of play, his first cross went out of play (he'll fit in well here) and then he nicked it around the full back, with good pace he bombed into the box and his left foot shot was blocked...where did that come from? I'd start him against Villa, in fact I'd bring back Michael Meaker before starting Oster again.
Everton were there for the taking saturday, it was of no surprise that our end product made it impossible.
We do need a bit of luck agreed, or a bit of inspiration. Look at last season, bad run, 0-1 to Spurs and Shorey thumps one in from 25 yards and lifts everyone. That's what we need now, someone to step up and smack one in from miles out. Doyle is a good player, one of Reading's best players, he needs a tap in or something to go for him.
2 of the last 4 performances have shown we can play relatively well, we have also (Bolton apart) defended well in 3 of the last 4 matches. Tha'ts a positive, a HUGE positive.
What we need is more inspiration from the forwards and wingers. Matejovsky has improved the middle of the park, Harper was better saturday. We need better crosses and better quality in the final 3rd. We also need Kitson back to how he was playing a month ago.
I said before about a month ago (Kitson, Doyle, Lita, Hunt) are the 4 players that will determine which division we are in next season, at the minute they aren't performing and that's why we are struggling.