Blackpool 4-1 Reading: Player Ratings

David Button: 5

Although there were no howlers as such, conceding four goals tends to mean the keeper’s not had their best day at the office. I feel like he should’ve done better with the penalty, and he also got away with a complete air-kick in the second half.

Andy Yiadom: 5

I honestly don’t know what’s happened to Yiadom in the last couple of years. He looks a shadow of the full-back we signed in 2018 - and as captain we need to expect a lot more from him in situations like today.

Tyler Bindon: 4

He’s been brilliant in every game he’s played up to now, but today he had a bit of a horror show. It was the first time I’ve seen Bindon and Abbey really struggle, and boy did they struggle.

Nelson Abbey: 4

Very similar to Bindon in that this is the first time I’ve seen him really struggle this season. Kylian Kouassi had his number from the get go. A poor afternoon for Nelson.

Clinton Mola: 3

He looked so, so out of his depth today. Blackpool had a field day down their right hand side in the first half and Mola just couldn’t cope. Mola was beaten far too easily in the air for the second and if Jordan Rhodes hadn’t had tucked away the third he probably would’ve given away a penalty too. Was hooked as part of a half-time triple change.

Ben Elliott: 6

By no means did his performance blow me away, but he still looked like the only player to show any kind of quality going forward. Like I said, that’s not to say he was mesmerising, but there were much bigger problems than Ben Elliott today.

Charlie Savage: 5

It’s getting to the stage where a serious conversation needs to be had about whether Savage can play in a midfield two at this level just yet. He clearly has quality, but he and Hutchinson were opened up far too easily far too often - particularly in the first half.

Sam Hutchinson: 3

Digging out players isn’t something I tend to do, but this was genuinely one of the worst individual performances I’ve seen from a Reading player in recent times. He gave away a penalty with a ridiculous challenge, lost the ball too easily for Blackpool’s fourth and got himself booked. Horrendous.

Femi Azeez: 4

Femi has looked a lot more effective in recent weeks, but today he was non-existent again. It’s easy to point the finger at the defence on days like today, but we were depressingly blunt going forward and Azeez was part of that. Another one who was part of that half-time triple change.

Dom Ballard: 5

Just non-existent really. Huffed and puffed but didn’t impact the game anywhere near enough. He missed a really good chance just before half-time as well. That would’ve only made it 3-1 but you never know.

Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan: 5

Similarly to Ballard, just forgot he was on the pitch for large proportions of the game. A shadow of the player we’ve seen so far this season. You could probably count the number of touches he had on one hand.

Subs

Lewis Wing, Tom McIntyre and Amadou Mbengue: 5

All came on at half-time in a change of formation as Ruben Selles moved to three at the back with Mbengue and Yiadom at wing-back. It worked in the sense that we only conceded one instead of three, but none of the subs managed to conjure up anything to change our fortunes.

Paul Mukairu: 5

Came on for Yiadom who went off injured not long into the second half. The ineffectiveness of the attacking players was obviously contagious as Mukairu wasn’t able to do anything anyone else wasn’t able to do in terms of making us look half decent going forward.

Caylan Vickers: N/A

Came on far too late into a game that was already lost.

Average: 4.6

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