A Fan Assesment

[Lack of Action Man]

Well as we all sit at home considering todays result I thought I might post a thread based on how I saw the game and how a few people around me saw it. Sometimes I can be critical as I want every player in the team to do well and it is frustrating to see it go wrong so I'll be the first to admit I do get a bit carried away. Anyway today I hope not to do that I want to instead give a fan's insight into the opposition, the players and the fans around me.

So we'll start with the players and I've decided not to give individuals ratings.

Adriano Basso - Hanneman may have taken the camera's save of the day but for me the reaction save he made when the ball was deflected away and above him was superb. I was however disapointed to see the second goal come from a similar position as the first. Nevertheless Basso could do little to stop their third and fourth goals.

Bradley Orr- Tried hard and let his marker know he was their but too many times was looking slow or not up to the pace of the game. I also noticed that in the first half he was organizing Sproule who seemed reluctant to pick up his man but after a while Bradley was acting in the same way. A mixed performance and was the second error maker in their second goal.

Jamie McCoombe- Did the basic things right but was caught lacking pace when Hunt or Doyle ran through the middle. Looked slightly more assured than Fontaine but also had panicy moments.

Liam Fontaine- Slightly edgy when faced with their fowards and could have put a few more challenges in but looked more capable of dealing with their strikers pace. He and McCoombe will surely be questioned for the first and second goals though.

Brian Wilson- I felt for him today. Many fans will cite his performance as the reason McAllister is in the side but what I saw from Brian today was lots of effort but not the usual quality that comes with him. Before half time I heard the shout for a substition: bring on webster for Sproule with Fontaine moving to left back, Wilson moving to right wing and then Webster at centre half. How much of an impact this would have made in hindsight I do not know but it is innevitable that Wilson made errors and for their second goal his run which did gain ground and looked promising lost possesion at a key area then when Bradley had a chance to clear he didnt and so both will feel a slight feeling of guilt for that goal.

Ivan Sproule- Without sounding too critical, after the first twenty minutes, was he there? Largely quiet but he did help Bradley out intermitently with defensive duties along the right wing. The cheer when he came off was suprising as was the one for Lee Johnson...

Lee Johnson- The cheer when he came off was something I had never experienced before at the gate. I know that the side for Lee was as big as the side against but today I was thrown into doubt over that. Even those around me who rated Johnson were either silent or cheering from their seats. As for his performance too many times he looked to flick the ball over his head or get it into the air it was largely frustrating. It was a brave move to take Lee off and Gary now has heard the voice of the fans.

Marvin Elliot- He was good, but not as good as he can be. His shot in the first half that landed on the top of the net was one of few bright moments to remember from the initial performance. Did the basics right.

Michael Mcindoe- On the wing he was average and could have taken the ball into better positions. Once he moved into central midfield though something seemed to click. He was running into space, receiveing and laying it off better and played several sublime crossfield balls to Trundle and Orr.

Nicky Maynard- Sadly Nicky once again looked lightweight with a heavy touch. Frustrated but did challenge for most balls however he was rash in the challenge he was booked for.

Stern John- Looked likely to score without acutally recieving decent service. Held the ball up well and had accurate lay offs to players. Unleashed powerful strikes well. Scored our only goal of the game which in my opinion only really looked like coming from him.

The subs: The subs that came on did make impacts in their various playing styles. John Akinde proved to be a tough man to mark for their defence and also looked strong and ready to pounce on any loose ball. Lee Trundle created several key crosses that could have been taken advantage of. His corners were a little dissapointing but was always there to regain possesion on the right. Showed nice skill to skip between two players and through him we had a creative outlet. David Noble came into the game and shored up our midfield without looking tired.

And finally Reading themselves...

Reading today showed us, in the same way Birmingham did, the gulf between being a good Championship side, a Very good championship side/Premier league contender. They had vision, pace, finesse and deft control. Reading were a far better side than the Middlesborough team that came to Ashton Gate not so long ago yet Boro remain in the premier league. Doyle surely stole the headlines with a star performance. Hunt whilst not looking at his best still contributed to their teams good performance and Hanneman pulled off two great saves. It's evident we can't become this good overnight but today Reading for me showed what we have to aspire too in 2-3 years time with young blood and quality signings.

[Guest LJ is our King]

would agree entirely with your assessment of the game, city's man of the match today had to be stern john (pity he can't play against saints) with basso being our second best player. I think the subs did well considering today's weather wasn't ideal for skilfull players like noble and trunds.

Always Believe.

[Brizred]

Fair assessment Oddball, my general take on the situation is football's about flair, hard work and confidence, so in a team game some players have flair, awareness and balance and others are hard workers, tacklers and battlers when you get these to gel it breeds confidence which in turn makes you a force to be reckoned with. The side could be built around Trundle and Noble these two lads are quality footballers.