QPR 2-2 Reading: The Alternative View

After a smash and grab at the weekend, Reading FC travelled the short distance to West London to play a Fake Hoops QPR side who were sitting pretty in the league and having a decent run in the League.

I think the display from the Royals not only surprised QPR but also the fans with the latest iteration of the team having a little bit of bite and aggression, sometimes probably a little too much!

There's no doubting what the talking points were around the game, mainly a stunning save by Andy Yiadom, which in reality was a penalty for handball, and Matt Miazga with some “robust” defending and the rest of the team following suit.

In the end a draw was probably a fair result, and the fakes weren’t over enamoured with their team's defending or the “performance” of the referee. Saying that I wasn’t over impressed with an over-eager official.

Social

Can see their point

Is this a library?

Realism

You say…

Pretty? Very!

A Fake Hoops fan being realistic?

Wanna see a few we have had

Don’t think he will be!

Always look on the bright side

Gotta admit – it’s a decent save

Well I never!

Something satisfying about being nasty!

Media

West London Sport firmly put the blame for the draw on the defenders of QPR, saying that they had some ”defensive shortcomings”. They also go onto say that the attacking players are delivering, but in defence they have “limitations”.

Of course a lot of the reaction was around the referee’s performance (or lack of it) and after the 90th minute the clash between Miazga and Jordan Hugill The Transfer Tavern carried a series of tweets around how a QPR favourite is now banned for the next game – the other four well...

Football League World are up next and as per usual they run a poll – this time whether Miazga should have been sent off – a resounding 96% (presume mostly QPR fans) say yes – retrospective action is probably on the cards. They also run an interesting article around Ovie Ejaria and whether he could actually save our season, highlighting all the best bits (well all) of his performance last night.

Read Liverpool have an interesting piece around whether Ejaria has a long-term future – ummm don’t we have a deal agreed to sign him permanently? Anyway their verdict is that he isn’t Liverpool grade but low-end Premier League – hopefully eventually with the Royals!!

There is always a flipside to every story and HITC carry a load of tweets from #LFC fans, some demanding that he is recalled, which goes to show what an impact Ejaria is having on not only our team but also the Liverpool fans' opinion of where they are placed.

FourFourTwo have a fairly non-descript article about the game with interviews from the managers, with Mark Warburton trying to justify his subs and Bowen saying that he wanted to be trying to change people's opinion of #ReadingFC being a bing a bit “soft”

Down at the locals and the Reading Chronicle have a decent interview with Baldock who has a diplomatic viewpoint with the change in mangers, saying that the focus has ‘changed’ within the preparation for games. It's an interesting viewpoint and good to see that Baldock is taking his chance.

Over with GetReading and their “5 things you missed column” included Bowen’s touchline spat with Warburton - which I guess I missed at the time. I must admit at the game I did miss this as I was too enraged with Rinomhota getting a yellow for a “robust” challenge on Eza. While I'm not yet a convert to Bowen, it is good to see.

***RANT ALERT***

Finally, and a final point it is, I very rarely take big exception to match reports. OK I might poke fun or question them, but very few I take to task. However, the report on The League Paper degenerates into absolute made-up fantasy.

This shameful article compares us to Wolves, and compares the approach where both clubs have a Chinese owner and a “super-agent” - however, apparently we are doing it on the “cut price” option without the desires effects. Ok... so let’s looks at the facts - between the 2014/15 season and 2017/18 season Wolves spent £66.51m on player transfers; in the period 2014/15 to 2019/20 Reading spent £43.68m.

They also say that we have a team that’s a “hodge podge of nationalities”, yet seven of the starting line-up on Tuesday night were English. Quite frankly, the Dunlavy Column, you’re pathetic and if you want to compare anything then please look at our record-breaking side of 2006, after 13 years it’s still not been bettered. This is pathetic journalism at its best. Please feel free to take exception.

Final thoughts

Now that my rant over Dunlavy is over, let's get back to the game. Was it an exceptional performance, probably not. Was it a decent result – certainly. Does Bowen have my complete and undeniable support – not yet.

What you can’t argue with is two decent results against to decent teams. What Bowen has done is tinker and get the team being a bit more direct. There is also a couple of tweaks in midfield with Swift seemingly a playing a little closer to Ejaria.

A really good point from the game was both forwards scoring, Puscas has divided opinion with a bit of a goal drought, and some embarrassing misses, however for a forward to miss what he has and still want to get into the box is commendable. Baldock has been a peripheral figure this season, but after coming in Saturday and starting Tuesday, in my mind has firmly cemented his position alongside Puscas.

The big, big difference is we are now a little bit nasty. Whilst I won’t condone dirty play, having that little bit of a bite and “dodgy” tackling isn’t always a bad thing. It’s always been seen that Reading FC have been a “nice” team, maybe we do need to get that little bit streetwise, however we have to be careful that we don’t overstep the mark. Miazga was lucky on Tuesday and still might face retrospective action for a silly lash out a Hugill and lead to a running battle all game. A referee that could actually referee, would have sent him off which would have put a whole new complex on the game.

We have a difficult phase of the season, with games against Preston, QPR and next up Forrest, in the first two Reading have shown enough to make opposition managers worry and this needs to continue.

Am I a Bowen fan, currently not changed my viewpoint that he won’t be here the start of next season, but yeah I am slowly warming to him and another few games of decent results and a playing ethos like he has and you know what, maybe my opinion might just change.