A second successive 0-0 draw - on the face of it, it was another disappointing result for Reading FC. However there are lots of positives to be taken from this game over the Wolves one. Primarily it seems that the team worked hard for this result against a high-flying Burnley side.
There were a few 'sharp' challenges and niggles all game, so when a manager comes out and complains about gamesmanship for roughing up the pitch, whilst its OK for his own players to allegedly dive, it's a little hypocritical.
There is definite mileage in the theory that this result and performance was exactly what Reading FC need. @BucksRoyal makes this point excellently in his Further Reading article and it's well worth the read purely for this point! This should mean that in our coming FA Cup game that the team will have an "us against the world" mind-set.
Back to Saturday’s slugfest and a number of contentious comments, decisions and actions pretty much dominate all things social and media wise. With comments about gamesmanship, opinions on players' actions and people using photos to prove things, there’s a fair bit of debate to be had.
What is noticeable are the Reading FC players surrounding Andre Gray when he misses the penalty, however there are fewer tweets around Joey Barton appearing to push Quinn down the steps at half time. This may be a trick of the lens, but if it did happen it needs looking at.
I wish I could post a lot more of the tweets and videos but unfortunately the language on a number of them that I wanted to use is somewhat "choice".
Social
Well as you can imagine, Twitter was dominated by the furore surrounding the penalty call...
Keeper of his line, re-take it please #cheats #twitterclarets pic.twitter.com/jbxccYi4CG
— Jon Hewson (@JonHewson) February 14, 2016
Glass houses and all that
@RobsonKanu cheat! Simple as that @BurnleyOfficial #twitterclarets
— Smeg (@smitters1981) February 14, 2016
You might want to look at the videos of Barton seemingly pushing Quinn
Violent conduct from al habsi, raised his arms #twitterclarets #readingfc pic.twitter.com/AHTmvVfmjh
— Rob (@Rob44665392) February 13, 2016
And comments from managers…
I'd be embarrassed if I was Brian McDermott for his sides petulance and shocking conduct today. #Embarrassing #TwitterClarets
— Jordan Webb (@JordanWebbx) February 13, 2016
Sure Hal was just being nice and flattening it out…
Shows how much teams are desperate to stop us, when their idea of digging in is to dig up the penalty spot ! #twitterclarets #poortactics
— Colin Meredith (@ClaretColin) February 13, 2016
Might be an idea….
Burnley:why r we concentrating on what reading did & not what we didn't do enough of t beat an av midtable side #weRnoangels #twitterclarets
— RichardC (@1882RC) February 14, 2016
£9m and predictable?
Very predictable from Gray, he usually goes that way from the spot with that casual run up. Nevertheless a good away point #twitterclarets
— George Poole (@GeorgePuddle) February 13, 2016
And back on planet earth..
A point against one of our bogey teams is a good result. Missed penalty or not, we should be pleased to have got something #twitterclarets
— Andrew Tipler (@andrewtipler) February 13, 2016
Would have taken that before the start & our defence looks rock solid (taking the positives)...!!! #twitterclarets #burnleyfc
— Rupert Booth (@MrLongsider) February 13, 2016
Nearly but not quite
Setting off to watch the mighty clarets in what should hopefully be a routine win!#twitterclarets
— Derm Martin (@Slurpyyyy) February 13, 2016
Film link – "There's something about Derby"
could be worse, could be derby #twitterclarets
— sarah (@swhittz) February 13, 2016
Media
Well there is only one place to start, we have to go to Sky Sports and check out the video highlights. In a seemingly standard two minutes twenty seconds, Sky manage to cram everything in, and have a good write-up of the action. There’s also the interview with Dyche which will be a dominating theme throughout this review of the media.
The BBC continue with 'brief' reports and reckon that Reading FC could have won the game and make the point that Reading created little, however the stats paint a fairly even story – oh apart from the fouls where Burnley have 15 to Reading’s 10, make of that what you will.
There’s a surprisingly fair report from Suzanne Geldard at the Lancashire Telegraph who makes a telling point that the penalty was probably given for intent rather than any content. However over at the Burnley Express their reporter calls it an afternoon to forget for Andre Gray. They also have a report with Burnley Defender Michael Keane saying that Hal Robson Kanu should have had a red card for stamping on the penalty spot. Really, honestly, let’s just think about that for one second. (There are hashtags I could use…)
ESPN FC carry Sky’s report whereas Clubcall have their own this week but still centres around, yep you guessed it, Hal’s improvised gardening skills.
Get Reading have numerous reports as always and Charles is bang on the money saying that it was a good point against a good Burnley side. There's also a good number of thoughts about the game, including a report in which Obita is particularly direct labelling Gray as embarrassing. In that report he also mentions that he went up to Gray and said "you shouldn’t be doing that." Yep Jordan, I’m sure those were the words you used...
It was a 0-0 draw and given some of the other results around, it's not really that shocking that there's little coverage of us. We do have the FA Cup this weekend, so after we knock out a Premiership side (you heard it here first 2-1!) hopefully there will be a bit more for us to digest.
Onto the cup, keep the support, keep the faith and keep believing!
C'mon urzzzz