Reading 2-0 Watford Fc - Fa Cup Third Round - 07/01/2023

Well if we are playing a 4 at the back, I suspect it'd be Sierralta at RB, and Gaspar will fill in at CM again where he did well last time. Then we have the same 3 up front.

 

Well possibly - if that’s what we do.

It was your use of the word ‘obvious’ that threw me. Because looking at the line-up, there’s a far more obvious and likely formation.

 

Unreserved seating. Don’t go into stadium late if you are in a group - seat numbers on your ticket do not apply

 

There is a radio pass on hive live BTW. 2.50

 

Given that Blake is a winger, it threw me that you seemed to think it was strange or somehow not obvious that he'd be "one of the young attackers [...] playing wide".

 

If anything is sure to cause protests and fisticuffs in the away end it’s this disaster.

 

So rather than just saying that, you threw out a totally unobvious ‘obvious’ alternative. But sure, I ‘threw you…’…

 

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If you know, you know.

 

Hmm, I thought I'd originally typed that the obvious formation for this team would be 343, not 433 - no wonder your reply about a back 4 had me confused.

 

Spot on. Thank you

 

A lot better than I imagined so far.

Hungbo strikes me like the sort who's had to really graft to get to where he is. However he's just nowhere near the standard required, constantly chasing shadows

 

What a good use of £5m Okoye was.

 

Kone looks as if he has a bit of class about him, has that effortless playing style like JP and seems to have so much time when on the ball.

 

Okoye genuinely looks like he has never played in goal before, utterly useless.

 

Okoye is one of the nerviest keepers I've seen. We are farked if Dan gets injured.

Adu-Poku looks rapid, shame he's not really had much service.

Kone composed and largely faultless. Asprilla keeps forgetting that he's one of two midfielders and is not suited to playing there.

Hungbo and Pollock don't look anywhere near it unfortunately

Hope to see a bit more of Blake 2nd half

 

Ah damn was quite enjoying that, was expecting the worse but we controlled the 1st 20 minutes

Kone looks good and when Poku gets it he looks quite strong fast and tricky for such a young lad.

 

Agree with all this, better summary than mine!

 

It's hard to work out if Okoye was massively at fault for the goal or just really unlucky. I don't think anything he could have done would have prevented it

 

The only thing I can think of is taking up a really unusual starting position before the cross came in. Which clearly isn't reasonable. Just have to accept it was a complete fluke goal. Unsaveable in my view.

 

Unlucky. A fluke of a cross that ended up perfectly placed in the goal. But the rest of his performance, makes you think he might be better playing as an outfield player. Bring on the substitute keeper, push Okoye upfront with Asprilla alongside him and sub number 50

 

I don’t think the goal was on him. The Reading lad just got lucky that his shanked cross went top corner, off the post and out of reach.

It’s every other situation he’s been in that makes Okoye look lost.

 

I think he was unlucky dont think him in goal with Bachman would of saved it. But regardless of that, you are spot on, he looks so nervous.

 

Favourite part of the half was Gaspar and Ekong yelling at Hungbo for being lazy. Visibly seeing Gaspar yell “your lazy, that’s lazy” when Hungbo couldn’t be bothered to track his man and chase back. Just let the Reading player go on a run and all he did was jog. Hungbo needs to go.

 

Yeah I think that's a fair assessment.

It amazes me that a scout has seen him and thought somebody should spend actual money on him. He's got 80 odd senior appearances and International caps, literally looked like he was making his professional debut

 

I honestly don't think the lads lazy, not from what I've heard about him. He just so utterly overwhelmed with the game that's in front of him

 

Bacuna injured. They haven’t said but potentially hamstring which is an absolute joke!

 

Just about to say. Absolutely ridiculous

Was about to post the other day, would be so Watford is the panic injury signing got injured.

I'd get Kone off asap

 

That injury is all on Bilic, moronic to bring him on

 

Lol, so we did stupidly risk him for this - the outcome was inevitable.

 

100%. Unless Blake was injured there was absolutely no need for it

 

He has not future at this level

 

Okoye available at €1m in the September before we signed him.
There was a reason for this....if you bother to watch Dutch football, read fans forums and read the Nigerian Press.
We paid £5m in the following January. This is the power of an agent and a club too dumb to do any due diligence.
It was the same with Bayo, valued at €1m we paid £5m.
Someone is making a lot of money from these deals.
It will be interesting to see how the investigation into claims of money laundering against the agent Bayat pan out.

 

Yep. It's a shame as I thought he could be one that really pushed on this season.

Definitely looks like he's won a competition