*Negative Post Alert*

I have to say, City v Reading was the first match I've been to this season and I attended with Slumdog Snr. The difference between this game, and the last match I watched (the win against Norwich at home in the Prem) was huge.

Admittedly, we have let a raft of players go (or are refusing to play them) but what I saw was truly worrying. The team lacked any sort of cohesive strategy and appeared tactically inept. Slade stood on the touchline, arms folded and mute. Meanwhile, Steve Clarke was up and down with his coaching team, issuing orders and making changes and adapting throughout.

I will admit that I was in a bad mood before the start of the match as City's signing of Revell and Malone shows the worrying lack of ambition now evident within the management of the club, as I would rather Macheda/Maynard/Mason partnering Kenwyne than Revell and I do feel Fabio and Declan John are raw and defensively suspect but offer a lot more than Malone. Having watched the game, Revell was significantly worse than I had feared, looking like a parks player who had found his way on to the pitch. In fairness, he must be very fit as he ran around a lot, but then a chicken with nothing above its shoulders moves around a lot but is not best suited to football. Jones will always score goals as he is a Prem player with a work ethic problem and is too good for this level, if slightly too lazy for a division higher.

Our midfield was hopeless, with Whitts offering nothing outside of producing reasonable set piece deliveries from 50% of his attempts and Gunns appeared incredibly angry with even the ball boy who dared delay his party piece of lobbing the ball from a throw in incredibly slowly into the box, where it was telegraphed time and again by Reading, who had so much time to intercept the throw that they had usually run off the pitch to talk to Steve Clarke then return to their position before the ball dropped. Has no-one ever taught him to throw flat throw-ins? Noone was a shadow of the player that terrorised defences under the ultra rigid and defensive (racist?) Malky Mackay and who even gave Liverpool difficulties last season. I did think Kadeem Harris could be a good player however.

At the back, Malone was fairly average and while relatively solid showed nothing classy. Perhaps it is unfair to judge as the team was, by and large, awful. Fabio showed a work rate only matched by Revell, though Fabio didn't look like the donkey that Revell is, despite the Brazilian appearing to believe that clearing the ball involves putting it 60 yards directly vertical into the sky rather than 60 yards downfield. Morrison and Turner didn't show much although I thought Connolly looked a better centre-back than both despite City conceding both goals with him on the pitch.

I have no idea why we don't play something like four at the back, with Gunns and Adeyemi playing deep defensive midfield, Whitts just behind Kenwyne and Noone and Pilkington on the wings. Surely that would give us a bit more bite and allow a bit more licence to our creative players, but what do I know. What I do know is that Slade is no doubt a capable League One manager, but the gulf between League One and the Championship has become glaringly obvious as Slade has shown, that at this level, he is devoid of ideas, has only one plan, dislikes flair or foreign players, has no tactical nous, is useless at handling the media and can't motivate a team.

I don't believe we are in a relegation battle as it would be truly horrifying to think that a team with Bruno Manga, who was tracked by Arsenal, David Marshall, last years Prem goalie of the year, Whitts, one of the country's top set piece takers (according to Gary Neville) and a plethora of former Man Utd youth players cannot finish near the playoffs. Even someone incompetent could put those 11 players on the pitch and get a few results...right?!

Is anyone out there left feeling positive?

I wasn't aware you were writing down everything I said during the game but well done anyway

I'm still angry and had to vent!

On reflection, most of what I said during the game isn't printable.

tend to agree with you all. you either tuck whitts in behind jones or don't play him because he cannot tackle.
bit unsure about noone as he missed two golden chances and is i think a bit selfish, but certainly pair gunns and tom

maisie'sdad wrote:tend to agree with you all. you either tuck whitts in behind jones or don't play him because he cannot tackle.
bit unsure about noone as he missed two golden chances and is i think a bit selfish, but certainly pair gunns and tom

Agree with you about Whitts here Dave. I don't mind wingers being selfish though, as long they are not obviously taking it on at the cost of providing a better chance to another player - Bale has carved a very fine career out of doing much the same!

I'm normally one to keep a even head when it comes to managers and teams and am always willing to give them time but, I have to say, I'm feeling it like Slumdog right now. The team appears to be going backward on the pitch at an alarming rate and I sincerely hope that Slade pops off soon so we can at least get someone like Nigel Adkins (WHO IS STILL AVAILABLE) in instead.

Well until a new manager is given guarantees on there being minimal interference, we will only be able to attract a lesser calibre of manager. The likes of Lennon, Pulis and Di Matteo were never going to be interested in having Tan dictate to them who plays where and what players have to go. All of the guys interested in the City job are now elsewhere doing a good job with other clubs

Great report Jnr and good to see you back with us......

Nope.... Nothing positive to say at all... as soon as reading scored the winner i left.... you knew it they were going to score... and they did... utter crap... and we will get spanked by Derby sat..