Back in my university days, I used to play Championship Manager 01/02 religiously. The first time that I played the game, I took over Reading who, at the time, were fairly useless. I decided early on that I would completely overhaul the squad, ship out the old timers, bring in some talented youngsters and supplement the first eleven with a bargain or two. I picked a fancy formation and was excited about the prospects of my exciting new team. We were terrible in our first two games, so I decided that the system wasn’t working and changed it. We kept losing, so I tinkered with the starting line-up, trying new formations and combinations to see which worked. Nothing did. I was sacked before Xmas.
All of this is starting to feel a little familiar. The turnover of playing staff, the use of 24 different players in the Championship after just eleven games, the bizarre substitutions and changes of formation half-way through a game that nobody, not even the players themselves, seems to understand. Yes, there will have been pressure from above for Rodgers to move some of the players on; it’s not entirely his fault, but his tenureship all seems to feel a little too much like a game of Champ Man for my liking.
This may come just a day after our 2-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough, but this isn’t a reactionary post. Reading have ten points from eleven games. We sit precariously above the relegation zone, below the likes of Barnsley, Scunthorpe and even Watford, the team that Rodgers departed for so-called better things. The new manager promised a ‘world-class’ model, based around playing good football, when he arrived. Yet the fans aren’t even being treated to pretty football anymore, let alone an effective system. He said that he needed to “change the culture” of the club. This was a club that had finished fourth in the Championship last season; why was such a drastic overhaul required?
Rodgers’ tactics continue to frustrate the Reading fans, as does his team selection. Playing with one striker at home against the likes of Doncaster Rovers appears staggeringly negative. Middlesbrough may be one of the better teams in the Championship, but are two defensive midfielders really required when playing them at home? Three points may have been won at Preston in midweek, but his decision to replace a winger with a centre-back brought about so much pressure that we came very close to throwing at least two of those away.
As for the team selection; sometimes I find myself rubbing my eyes in disbelief at Brendan’s chosen line-up. Under Coppell, when Brynjar Gunnarsson was given a starting spot, he was often taken off as his aging legs struggled to keep up with the younger players. A year on and he is playing two full games in a week. Against Preston he was visibly flagging towards the end of the game, but Karacan (who admittedly had been in wars) was replaced instead. Simon Church appears to be our first-choice striker now, although how he has moved in front of Hunt, Long or Rasiak I’ve no idea. Jay Tabb and Marek Matejovsky can’t get near the first team, despite the abject anonymous start made by Brian Howard to his Reading career. Marek, in particular, must be scratching his head in disbelief as to how he finds himself on the sidelines.
It seems crazy to be saying this so early into his Reading career, but how much longer has Brendan Rodgers got with the club performing this badly. He talks the talk, but when it comes to the walk he’s like a drunk on an ice-rink. We have West Brom and QPR away next, two games that I can’t see us getting anything from, followed by the visit of in-form Leicester. It’s not so long ago that you’d be looking at those three and expecting to get six points. Now I can’t see any.
But what do we do? The squad has been cleared out so thoroughly that it’s now difficult to see anyone other than Rodgers doing any better with the players at hand. I’ve wanted him to do well and I still hope that we can turn a corner, but this season seems to have relegation battle written all over it. It’s a ridiculous fall from grace and is the dual fault of the management and coaching staff. I had a lot of good feeling towards Brendan Rodgers at the start of the season, but it’s fading fast.
October 4, 2009 at 12:34 pm |
Rodgers has made a rod for his own back with his ridiculous banging on about his Chelsea days. First mentally and physically exhausted Pearce was his John Terry, now Karacan can be like Makelele. Next it’s, “Hey Churchie, see this bloke in my Panini stickers book, well watch this DVD of when I used to work with him (did I mention I was at Stamford Bridge?) and you can be my Drogba”.
He talks about the “group dynamic”- well yesterday he put out a “group” (certainly not a team) which despite the youthfulness was about as dynamic as Private Godfrey. And this lethargy and lack of belief was only too apparent in the home crowd as well- we couldn’t even be bothered to boo at the end, and only really livened up with a chorus of ” How shit must you be, we just had a shot” having finally tested their keeper after about eighty-five minutes.
October 4, 2009 at 2:00 pm |
Some interesting and fair points. Allow me to play devil’s advocate if I may. You say you can’t see ‘us getting anything from’ those forthcoming games. Did you predict a win at PNE? Exactly, we’re wildly unpredictable at the moment. Our inconsistency is a worry, but a team that’s capable of winning at Deepdale (and bossing for an hour) is surely capable of anything on its day? I also will have to take issue with the ‘we finished 4th in the Championship’ point. The team was in drastic need of a new direction, and aside from a purple patch during the late Autumn we were not even convincing when winning last season. Steve Coppell had ran out of ideas – he admitted as much towards the end. Brendan was told he had to ship players, and obviously has a different way of doing things, but I doubt he’s radically changed the culture inside the club, no matter what he says. Only new owners would really be able to do that across the business.
With regard to specific players and substitutions, can’t agree with your comments about Howard. I think he’s been OK, but far from abject. I like Marek and think he should start – but he really does fade quickly, and often contributes one decent half at best. He’s not the guy you want on to defend a lead and baton down the hatches either. Tabb is a mystery I grant you, but Steve Coppell liked Jim Harper and Steve Hunt for FAR too long, so we can forgive Brendan the odd anomaly.
Ultimately we need a win at home desperately. The home fans have suffered too long. The players need to at least look like they’re willing to ‘die for the cause’ and fight for every ball. I still think once that monkey is off the team’s back we will kick on – the ability was there for all to see at Deepdale. Am I worried? Yes, a bit. Do I think Brendan should go? No. How long has he got? If we’re bottom 3 in November his position begins to look very precarious.
October 4, 2009 at 2:38 pm |
@Moz
Granted, I didn’t expect us to take any points home from Deepdale, but we very nearly didn’t. It was a great win and we did play quite well for an hour, but the last half an hour was real back-to-the-walls stuff. It wasn’t the performance you’d expect from a team 2-0 up and bossing the game. The team, and Brendan for that matter, seemed to have no idea how to close the game out. We were very lucky to get three points.
That was sixty minutes though. We played well for 45 minutes against Peterborough. Why can’t we maintain that tempo for a full match? Do the players lack stamina? Is it Rodgers’ substitutions? Do we just run out of ideas? I don’t know, but it’s worrying and even more so when these odd half games of good play are the exception rather than the norm.
You’re right, we were just as drab towards the end of last season. We needed a shake-up, but we’ve lost practically our entire first team. Is that the decision of Brendan or the board? I don’t know. Probably a bit of both.
Abject was definitely too harsh about Howard. I think ‘anonymous’ was the word I was going for and I’ll change it, because he hasn’t been that bad. But he hasn’t done an awful lot and I can’t see why he has the starting spot and Tabb and Marek are nowhere to be seen. Of Brendan’s permanent signings, the only one to impress so far has been McAnuff.
That home win has got to come soon. It simply has to. It’s just hanging over them, but we also have to be that bit more positive at home. Simon Church on his own up-front? With two defensive midfielders? Two centre-backs on the bench. Seriously? We’re going to need a lot of luck to spank someone 7-0, as Adam Federici put it, like that.
I’m not saying that Brendan should go. It wouldn’t be fair to demand that so early into his tenureship, he deserves more time. But how much? I’m starting to get really concerned.
October 7, 2009 at 2:07 pm |
I think that you are absolutely right about the need to be more positive at home. We need two upfront with Rasiak alongside one of the smaller strikers – Long, Hunt or Church. Save the “european” 4-5-1 for away games against top half teams where we need to snatch a draw. The sooner Brendan Rodgers realises this the better.
The other major problem is consistency. This is down to the general lack of experience in the team. We have a load of youngsters who have just got in the team and as soon as they win they seem to think they think they have made it, and are taking a slightly slack attitude to the next game. This will change with experience. Look at Lita’s post match interview against us. He was a way more balanced individual than the young brash Leroy Lita that we saw, even though he had just scored a good goal against his old team.
Consistency will also come as Rodgers gains more experience. Steve Coppell was a the master of consistency the way he played down some great wins when we were flying high and showed no loss of belief when we had terrible losses. He kept the minds of the players on a level always, due to his almost bland personality. Brendan Rodgers has not learnt this yet. After every win he is calling comparing Pearce to Terry and Karacan to Makelele. Not exactly balancing the minds of the youngsters.
I still hold out hope that we will be approaching mid-table by Christmas.
October 7, 2009 at 5:00 pm |
Hi Simon,
Good comment, I agree with practically everything, although my first choice stike partnership would probably be Hunt and Long. If we’re going to get that elusive win at home, we’ve got to actually go for it.
What also doesn’t help the consistency is the constant chopping and changing. Granted, naming the same side didn’t do us much good against Boro, but hopefully as the new boys settle in and everybody learns each others style of play, things will improve.
let’s just hope that Rodgers is the type to learn from his mistakes. If he is, then we’ll be ok.
October 10, 2009 at 2:43 pm |
i sure wish brendan would see this!