More misery heaped on Rodgers as Royals disappoint again

With two weeks worth of international break to play with, I was interested to see whether Brendan had managed to make good use of the time to provide his players with a better understanding of his tactics and the way that he wanted his team to play. For fifteen minutes, it looked as though he had. Then we scored and, as though awoken from a beautiful dream, Reading went back to their merry old ways and could have been on the end of a six or seven goal thrashing were it not for the heroics of Adam Federici.

Reading started the game very much of the front foot, keeping the home crowd quiet with wave after wave of attack and Jimmy Kebe causing carnage of the right-wing. It didn’t take long for a breakthrough; Matt Mills, whose effervescent girlfriend was in attendance, finding space in the penalty area and heading home from a Howard free-kick. Minutes later, Jobi McAnuff squandered a brilliant chance to double the lead, but West Brom were fighting their way back into the game and soon began to turn the screw.

Having defended stoutly for almost half-an-hour, we then threw away their good work with a moment of madness that started with a Reading corner. The ball was cleared as far as MacAnuff, who inexplicably chose to pass back to his goalkeeper rather than continue the attack. He sliced the ball badly though and left Federici with the choice of either racing forward to try and clear it or back to his box to face a one-on-one with the onrushing Jerome Thomas. He went for the former, but wasn’t quick enough and the Arsenal academy product was able to run it into the open net for a calamitous, yet deserved, equaliser.

A draw was probably a fair result at the break, but it was WBA who had been on the front-foot as it approached and would continue to do so after the restart. I don’t know what world-class rehydration formula Brendan Rodgers has chosen for his players half-time drinks, but he’d be better off with a glass of warm milk and a nytol. At least then we’d only be asleep for the second-half of games rather than completely comatose.

The second goal had been coming. When it did, it was from an all too likely source. West Brom had been targetting their former player, Shaun Cummings, as a weak-link in our defence and he proved only too happy to oblige his former colleagues. Caught out of position on the half-way line, he was nowhere near Jerome Thomas who burned him for pace and slotted home easily. The pressure on Reading’s goal continued and the only surprise about their third was that it was so long coming. Federici didn’t clear well enough from a corner and Mulumbu scored with a dipping half-volley from the edge of the area.

It was a case of same old story for the Royals; a good first half display, but woeful in the second. The chant that followed Brian Howard’s late attempt at goal summed up the final 45 minutes – “how shit must you be, we’ve just had a shot.” It was true; to allow a player as limited as Howard the time and space to spoon a shot over the bar like that was criminal. It would be unfair to single out Howard though; Cummings was by far the weakest player on the pitch and seems to have no redeeming features for the gaping holes in his game. Karacan and Cisse were busy in midfield, but ultimately outplayed by their counterparts who, from 15 minutes onward, completely controlled the pace of the game. MacAnuff actually played quite well in patches, but his backpass was horrific.

Emerging with credit were Federici, who could have done better for the first and third WBA goals, but without whom Reading would have been given a sound beating, Ingimarsson and Mills, who did OK under wave after wave of attack and Jimmy Kebe, who was utterly electric until Roberto Di Matteo got wise of his abilities and had his defenders double up on the Malian magician.

Little credit for the manager though, whose position is starting to look unsteady as the fans turn against him. It’s a results business and, at the moment, Rodgers isn’t getting them. Or looking like he will get them in the future. It’s a tough trip to QPR next, followed by Leicester at home. That home game will be the key; if he comes away with less than three points from the next two games he, and we, could be in real trouble.