The Tilehurst End - Reading FC 0-1 Queens Park Rangers: Full CoverageReading FC blog run by fans, for fans.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52568/tte_fav.png2018-10-07T22:38:34+01:00http://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/rss/stream/176869052018-10-07T22:38:34+01:002018-10-07T22:38:34+01:00TTE Podcast Episode 171: We Need To Talk About Paul Clement
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<p>Marc is joined by BucksRoyal and PannasAndNutmegs to discuss how the Royals boss can bounce back from two dour defeats.</p> <div id="oGJgzZ"><iframe src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/8xckv-9bc493?from=yiiadmin&skin=3&btn-skin=101&auto=0&share=1&fonts=Helvetica&download=1&rtl=0" height="100" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player"></iframe></div>
<p id="E06Zet">A defeat to West Brom is bad enough, but on the back of a home loss to Queens Park Rangers? Questions have to be asked. And that’s exactly what The Tilehurst End is here to do for Episode 171 of the podcast by Reading fans, for Reading fans.</p>
<p id="XFtV6G">Marc Mayo hosts Simeon ‘BucksRoyal’ Pickup and debutant Matt ‘PannasAndNutmegs’ Lawrence for a rundown of the major errors from the owners, board, manager and players that have led to a poor week to end an otherwise reasonable run of form.</p>
<p id="cyoBZI">A bumper mailbag section answers your questions on Paul Clement, Ron Gourlay, injuries, and much more, after the Recap and Newsbites detail the week’s major goings on. Finally, we look ahead to the five crunch matches that await the Royals following the international break.</p>
<p id="MYO59w">As always The Tilehurst End Podcast can be taken in via <a href="https://thetilehurstend.podbean.com/"><strong>PodBean</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6aQZnCxP2bn6zlQS5zJOcA"><strong>YouTube </strong></a>or <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fgb%2Fpodcast%2Ftilehurst-end-reading-fc-podcast%2Fid683251263%3Fmt%3D2" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>iTunes</strong></a>. Furthermore, thanks to all listeners who continue to pledge to our <a href="http://www.patreon.com/thetilehurstend"><strong>Patreon </strong></a>campaign.</p>
<p id="HD1Djf">Listeners can always get in touch with the podcast via our Twitter and Facebook pages as well as our email, thetilehurstend@gmail.com, with thoughts on the show, opinions on the team, and potential topics to sink our teeth into always welcome.</p>
<div id="CGcR3E"><a href="https://thetilehurstend.podbean.com/mf/play/wwgv9f/Episode_171.mp3">Download this episode (right click and save)</a></div>
<div id="7gH0Ix"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BVClMQUNGAw?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<h3 id="LJBvOg">Show Order</h3>
<p id="y9FcCo">QPR & WBA Recap -<strong> 01:46</strong></p>
<p id="KIOEXj">Newsbites -<strong> 26:13</strong></p>
<p id="I6oeMi">Mailbag - <strong>27:41</strong></p>
<p id="YpnbVl">Any Other Business - <strong>54:36</strong></p>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2018/10/7/17949010/reading-fc-podcast-the-tilehurst-end-paul-clement-qpr-west-bromMarc MayoBucksRoyal2018-10-05T11:49:28+01:002018-10-05T11:49:28+01:00Reading 0-1 QPR: The Alternative View
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<img alt="Newcastle United v A.F.C. Bournemouth - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EzNiscJYEbIyD-DMP9nftOH5ESU=/61x0:1855x1196/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61660339/513915640.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty images</figcaption>
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<p>The fake kind beat the real kind.</p> <p id="n15OtO">After a resounding win against Hull City and a battling game against Brentford, Reading went into this match against the fake hoops supposedly on a high. Oh how foolish we were; - in reality it was a turgid contest with two poor teams, the slightly less poor one getting a deserved win through a scrappy goal. There’s no escaping how dire it was; the midfield did nothing and the forwards created nothing.</p>
<p id="9fwRN4">The contrast on social media could not have been starker. There wasn’t one post on the Reading hashtag that was positive, upbeat or complimentary. The QPR faithful on the other hand were full of praise and happiness (this changed during the game of course!). Steve McClaren before kick-off was probably under a lot more pressure than Paul Clement has been with many Rangers fans calling for his head. </p>
<p id="uIKuOs">After the game the view was understandably different and the jubilation around their Twitter feed was hard to read. Anyway, for those masochistic enough to want to see some examples of the Fake Hoops bragging, feel free to scroll down.</p>
<h2 id="6sC3Sz"><strong>Social</strong></h2>
<h3 id="7sDZPB"><strong>Fake! Check history mister!</strong></h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Decent performance and worth the win. Reading were poor but not gonna complain about a win, however we do it, against the Fake Hoops! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QPR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QPR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheRealHoops?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheRealHoops</a></p>— Gobi Ranganathan (@Gobi_r) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gobi_r/status/1047272619555414017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="2P0EXP"><strong>Quite possibly the worst referee I have seen in years</strong></h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wish we could have that ref every game! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QPR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QPR</a></p>— malcolm jacobus (@maljacqpr) <a href="https://twitter.com/maljacqpr/status/1047235348982632449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="6L7YSh"><strong>Only Reading?</strong></h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I know it's only Reading but 3pts, away, and a clean sheet is a belting result <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QPR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QPR</a></p>— George (@DevsQPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/DevsQPR/status/1047229582884175873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="sE3gwX"><strong>He’s not the messiah, he’s a... (Monty Python fans fill the rest in)</strong></h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE MESSIAH <a href="https://twitter.com/QPR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@QPR</a> ⚪️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QPR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QPR</a>@ <a href="https://t.co/zmDLB3wClU">pic.twitter.com/zmDLB3wClU</a></p>— Dan Vinten (@DannyVin14) <a href="https://twitter.com/DannyVin14/status/1047227776284155904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="lNnsQc"><strong>Probably not far from the truth</strong></h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Both teams very poor. We were less poor. Great three points. Fans great <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/qpr?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#qpr</a></p>— Adam Boxer (@aboxer11) <a href="https://twitter.com/aboxer11/status/1047227367352094721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="UqGoBE"><strong>Shows how poor our home form is</strong></h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Reading?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Reading</a> have lost 83% of home matches when losing 1-0 after 65 mins since the start of last season. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/REAQPR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#REAQPR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/REA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#REA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QPR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QPR</a></p>— cashoutmachine (@cashoutmachine) <a href="https://twitter.com/cashoutmachine/status/1047219812387237888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<h1 id="XTuaJj"><strong>Media</strong></h1>
<p id="aNRiIL">There’s an interesting difference between the reports from <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/reading-vs-qpr/392666">Sky Sports</a> and the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45634935">BBC</a>; Sky reckon that QPR dominated the game and deserved the win, whereas the BBC call it a narrow victory to the Hoops. For those truly in need of punishment you can also watch the video highlights - a whopping 1m38s of them <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/reading-vs-qpr/392666">here</a>.</p>
<p id="qNxkih">Over at <a href="https://www.football.london/reading-fc/bizarre-team-selection-bodvarssons-injury-15230529">Football.London</a> on the Reading section and they are asking a lot of questions which do need answering, such as team selection and the effort the players put in. The <a href="https://www.football.london/queens-park-rangers-fc/reading-0-1-qpr-player-15229593">QPR</a> section of the site however is a little more happy, but not as much around the game as their Reading counterparts, and their team ratings are full of sixes and sevens rather than the fours and fives of the Reading team. </p>
<h2 id="d3KZl7"><strong>Summary</strong></h2>
<p id="o6Za9Z">Let’s not sugar coat it, this was bad, not just bad but really bad. OK so the injury to Dadi didn’t help, but the distinct lack of tempo and the inability to pass more than six yards - or even to one of our players - was a problem. The creative aspects of the game were non-existent.</p>
<p id="klpIUl">Looking at the social feeds and there’s a lot being asked around team selection. Why were John Swift and Yakou Meite (although he did start in the end) left out of the team after good performances on Saturday? Josh Sims must also be wondering why he bothered to come here as it seems that he’s not trusted to start a game which is somewhat perplexing given the form of Sone Aluko.</p>
<aside id="SBotks"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"QPR Fans Verdict: Royals Fall To Yet Another Home Defeat","url":"https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2018/10/4/17933574/qpr-fans-verdict-royals-fall-to-yet-another-home-defeat-reading-fc"}]}'></div></aside><p id="QZ3IIV">It’s a shame, it really is, as this was one of the most winnable games we could have had this season. Yes QPR beat us, but don’t be fooled into thinking they’re a good side - better than us as they got the three points, but in reality a decent team would have put them to the sword.</p>
<p id="KwwDSQ">Where do we go from here? A nice easy trip to West Bromwich Albion. In true form, we will probably get something from this game as we all know football is one of the most difficult things to predict.</p>
<p id="nKJ4Ct">At least after that we have the international break, however going into that with a thumping from West Brom is hardly inspiring. What that potentially helps with though is to give us a chance to regroup and give the players a chance to reflect. Maybe they should spend some time with fans to understand what this club means to them. All we ever ask for is pride, commitment and dedication - get those three right and the rest will follow. At the moment it seems that all are lacking.</p>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2018/10/5/17938552/reading-fc-0-1-queens-park-rangers-the-alternative-view-qpr-royalsdavemc_exile2018-10-04T11:00:01+01:002018-10-04T11:00:01+01:00QPR Fans Verdict: Royals Fall To Yet Another Home Defeat
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<img alt="Reading v Crystal Palace - Pre-Season Friendly" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Oi1FwkFsZ1d3OzGLz37qAdJihbQ=/0x0:2806x1871/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61638925/1006834294.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>How the fans reacted to Reading’s fifth home league loss of the season. </p> <p id="EARJLH">What a shambles. A performance void of any conviction, quality or tempo sentenced the Royals to their fifth home defeat out of six in the league this campaign. After the last two results and performances against Hull City and Brentford, it really did feel like Reading were on their way to turning a corner, but now they’re right back to square one.<br><br>Here are the three main talking points from Tuesday’s game and how the fans reacted on Twitter...</p>
<h2 id="rDUlmS"><strong>Starting Eleven</strong></h2>
<p id="dgwdtT">Paul Clement has become known for shaking things up. I praised him a couple of games ago for his selection against Hull in the 3-0 win, but against QPR he got it all wrong.</p>
<p id="43fsh4">John Swift must be wondering what on earth he did wrong to be dropped to the bench after a standout performance against Brentford, and how many more chances will Aluko get to show that he’s worth even a fraction of his reported £7.5 million fee?<br><br>It was a confusing selection to say the least, and certainly had the fans talking after the game...</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">How can Clement watch the Brentford performance & then pick That team.. watch Sims do more than Aluko in half the time, & pick Aluko ♂️ clueless! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/readingfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#readingfc</a></p>— Robbie Nicholas (@RobbieN_16) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobbieN_16/status/1047196491276849154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/BBCBerkshire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBCBerkshire</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TimDellor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TimDellor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/willow1871?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@willow1871</a><br><br>Hi, can you please ask <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulClement1972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PaulClement1972</a> what Aluko does to get Into the team, and what has to happen for Loader to get a chance? <br><br>Thanks, have a great evening <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/readingfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#readingfc</a></p>— Brightside (@BrightsideRFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrightsideRFC/status/1047222757925294080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Clement got the team selection all wrong again. Aluko and Gunter over Swift and Sims is laughable. Get a manager who will actually rip into the players in ASAP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/readingfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#readingfc</a></p>— Jacob Potter (@pott95) <a href="https://twitter.com/pott95/status/1047228313322889217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Question....with a team selection like this is Clement trying to get himself sacked!? I’m confused, why wouldn’t you start with Sims and Swift? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReadingFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ReadingFC</a> Aluko has been way off his game for a long time but he gets in the starting line up! <a href="https://t.co/CFwawFffyG">https://t.co/CFwawFffyG</a></p>— Samantha Smit (@SamanthaSmit29) <a href="https://twitter.com/SamanthaSmit29/status/1047231742594174976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<h2 id="CidqGK">
<strong>The ‘Defending’ </strong><br>
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<p id="HxU1Q6">I use that term lightly. It was a horror show at the back on Tuesday, and it has been for the majority of the season. But against QPR, it was a whole different world of bad. We were all over the shop all night and it was topped off by 30 seconds of comical defending that ended with Leistner sealing the win for QPR.<br><br>It needs to be sorted out or else we are in serious trouble. You cannot defend like that, especially at home against the teams in and around us at the bottom. Here’s what the Reading fans had to say about it...<br></p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Such a sloppy goal to give away, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/readingfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#readingfc</a>'s failure to clear just sums up their night.</p>— Mick Day (@MickDay99) <a href="https://twitter.com/MickDay99/status/1047338435353235458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The goals we concede never fail to amaze me. Poor. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/readingfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#readingfc</a></p>— Shaun Berry (@sbezzzab1871) <a href="https://twitter.com/sbezzzab1871/status/1047219938858029057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a shocking goal to concede yet again. No one picked up their player on the front post and as a result they won the second ball. Cannot defend from set pieces <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/readingfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#readingfc</a></p>— Jack (@thesimpsonRFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/thesimpsonRFC/status/1047220580754366464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/readingfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#readingfc</a> this is dreadful, same old failings. Concede ridiculous goals and don’t look like scoring. I do blame the players but the direction comes from above.......</p>— Henry (@WadeWarren4) <a href="https://twitter.com/WadeWarren4/status/1047220814616178688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<h2 id="WK0f4e">
<strong>Paul Clement’s future</strong><br>
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<p id="Yu2qGa">Yet again, the future of the manager was called into question. It seems as though fans are really starting to run out of patience. Nine points from 11 games is relegation form, no doubt about that, and the next two or three games are absolutely huge for Clement.<br><br>I’ve said previously that I think the problems at this club lie much higher than Clement (*cough Ron Gourlay cough*) and everybody at the club needs to take a long hard look at themselves. But there is a growing proportion of the fanbase that feel Clement’s time is up in Berkshire...</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lost all confidence in Clement. Wrong formation, wrong starting line up and substitutions too late. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/readingfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#readingfc</a></p>— B Ξ N (@BenParsons89) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenParsons89/status/1047233739305230338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dropping swift tonight after his performance on Saturday is suicidal! Sack Clement the fraud <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/readingfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#readingfc</a></p>— Todd-ED (@TED247) <a href="https://twitter.com/TED247/status/1047245082162860032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a>
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<div id="A3mFO6">
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Seeing too many people say “changing the manager wont help”. It bloody would. The entire ethos/work ethic at this club has been rotten for 2 yrs now. Stam/Clement managerial style, attitude & decision making have been terrible. Players have an easy ride no matter what <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReadingFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ReadingFC</a></p>— LordCKS (@LordCKS) <a href="https://twitter.com/LordCKS/status/1047363581082304512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2018</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">4 wins in 21 games. Not many clubs would accept that. Clement hasn’t got long left tbh. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/readingfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#readingfc</a></p>— cameron macken (@ronniemac93) <a href="https://twitter.com/ronniemac93/status/1047408645141667840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2018</a>
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<h2 id="2EL7yd">
<strong>Conclusion</strong><br>
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<p id="XP686s">It’s looking very bleak for Reading at the moment. We thought last season was bad, but it could be a whole lot worse this campaign if things don’t turn around sharpish. We look rid of any confidence or gut and it’s painful to be in the stands when your club is performing like this - I’m sure you will all agree. <br><br>Next up, recently relegated and promotion favourites West Brom...<br><br>URZ!</p>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2018/10/4/17933574/qpr-fans-verdict-royals-fall-to-yet-another-home-defeat-reading-fcharry.chafer2018-10-04T07:00:02+01:002018-10-04T07:00:02+01:00Paul Clement On A Frustrating Evening Against QPR
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<img alt="Aston Villa v Reading - Sky Bet Championship" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8ok0XO3FMg5Iot2jIL0wl08OxrI=/0x0:2454x1636/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61639015/941499466.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The manager’s post-QPR assessment. g</p> <p id="cXfQtW">After a big performance at the weekend against Brentford, the Royals needed to capitalise on the work that they had done, but in typical Reading fashion, they failed to do so. QPR were the visitors to the Madejski Stadium and came out victorious with a 1-0 win after poor defending,</p>
<p id="G8nUKX">Again, it was another flat performance at home and not something that the fans could get excited about. Here is what Paul Clement told the <a href="http://www.readingfc.co.uk">official club website</a> and <a href="https://www.football.london/reading-fc/reading-fc-boss-paul-clement-15229674">GetReading</a> after the game:</p>
<blockquote><p id="DAyzd9">“It’s a frustrating evening and I don’t think we played very well. We rallied a bit when they scored, but on the whole it was a flat performance.”</p></blockquote>
<h3 id="vjowq2"><strong>Clement on the performance</strong></h3>
<blockquote>
<p id="ckSWnR">“I’m not happy with the performance - even if we had nicked the draw at the end. I would still have been disappointed with the display. We started the season poorly and made some improvements, but at the moment we are a team that has gone from making one forward step and then a backward step.</p>
<p id="SxIeix">“Now we have to make the progression to finding consistency. Our home form is dreadful - five losses out of six is not good. Maybe we’re more concentrated away from home. At home you’ve got to get the fight right and the tactics right.</p>
<p id="ci0MV5">“We were caught between a lot of situations - the shape of the team was not right and then we got caught between pressing the ball and being compact. Maybe we could have nicked a draw at the end - one hit the post and a header went just wide, but overall it was a frustrating evening.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="n3TIjX"><strong>Clement on taking a backward step</strong></h3>
<blockquote>
<p id="zKn1Gc">“We have had a frustrating start. Recently we have taken some forward steps, but we have followed it up with a backward one. And this is a backward step again.</p>
<p id="DCIxdY">“We’re trying to address it. We won away at Preston, then took a backward step when we lost to Norwich. Then we took a forward step by beating Hull and back it up with an away point at Brentford... and yet tonight it’s another backward step. We have to find some consistency.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="ggDOD3"><strong>Clement on defending set plays</strong></h3>
<blockquote>
<p id="K0oxGT">“QPR won too many set plays - and if they were going to score tonight, it was going to be from one of those situations. </p>
<p id="rcz74f">“And it was another ball that went in at the front post and we didn’t get to the first ball - and then we’re in trouble, because it’s right in front of our goal.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="7KY30L"><strong>Clement on making changes</strong></h3>
<blockquote>
<p id="vyPIuP">“I made changes tonight, tried to freshen the team up a little bit because a number of the players were cramping up at the end of the Brentford game,</p>
<p id="4GCwtk">“But maybe I didn’t get the line-up right or make the right changes. I am responsible for that. Overall though, it wasn’t a good performance and it ends up being another frustrating night for our fans.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="jTZ1za"><strong>Clement on Bodvarsson’s injury in the warm-up</strong></h3>
<blockquote><p id="woVvGq">“It wasn’t the reason we played poorly - it wasn’t an ideal situation but we’re always ready for those kind of situations. Bodvarsson hurt his calf in the warm-up so he will have a scan.”</p></blockquote>
<h3 id="udYhJP"><strong>Clement on the referee</strong></h3>
<blockquote><p id="7Zh1rK">“I thought he made a lot of mistakes so not very good. I tend not to bother to go and talk to them afterwards unless I have steam coming out of my ears.”</p></blockquote>
<h3 id="poFsFu"><strong>Clement on the fans</strong></h3>
<blockquote>
<p id="ijXolH">“They are being patient in general. I’ve been at other clubs where fans can be ferocious when the team are not playing well.</p>
<p id="mj4vHW">The fans are being supportive - of course they are disappointed and understandably so but they are being patient.”</p>
</blockquote>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2018/10/4/17931370/paul-clement-on-a-frustrating-evening-against-qpr-reading-fc-royals-hoopssophierfc102018-10-03T08:00:02+01:002018-10-03T08:00:02+01:00Reading 0-1 QPR: Player Ratings
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zdOPVErKU_1A-If2ZMEC00sj7GE=/0x168:4032x2856/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61626353/IMG_20181002_195732.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Simeon Pickup</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Did anyone come out of this with any credit? Not really, no. </p> <h3 id="TndGjw"><strong>Sam Walker: 6</strong></h3>
<p id="ylM0eG">Not at fault for the goal, and made some decent saves to keep the score down. Distribution wasn’t great. </p>
<h3 id="4W73pC"><strong>Chris Gunter: 5</strong></h3>
<p id="HPpszl">The lack of confidence in his game is evident and he should have been stronger defensively, including making a more decisive clearance to prevent the goal. He did still push forwards to a decent extent, but deliveries have to be better.</p>
<h3 id="u32jto"><strong>Tiago Ilori: 6</strong></h3>
<p id="7QDPQr">Looked tidy at the back, comfortable on the ball, and didn’t do much wrong.</p>
<h3 id="kVgv6i"><strong>Liam Moore: 6</strong></h3>
<p id="TMgo7E">Pretty much the same as Ilori, no major issues to report.</p>
<h3 id="z3eJin"><strong>Andy Yiadom: 6</strong></h3>
<p id="qhljYD">Below his usual standard, but still got forward well down the left in support of Modou Barrow.</p>
<h3 id="kQce9m"><strong>Saeid Ezatolahi: 5</strong></h3>
<p id="NSPsAL">Not as defensively imposing as he was in his first two games for the club and didn’t create too much. Tried a few balls over the top to get the attack going, but to little effect.</p>
<h3 id="MHDi1d"><strong>Sone Aluko: 4</strong></h3>
<p id="pbnumq">Anonymous, yet again, and brought off in the second half to jeers from the home crowd. </p>
<h3 id="RUprFk"><strong>Leandro Bacuna: 4</strong></h3>
<p id="90Rfxk">Moved the ball around OK, but in a game like this you need him to take the play by the scruff of the neck and make things happen. He didn’t do that, and Reading lacked threat through the middle as a result. </p>
<h3 id="2EofZM"><strong>Liam Kelly: 4</strong></h3>
<p id="hQSbAA">Also anonymous. Needed to come up with some ideas to get Reading moving and create some chances but came up seriously short. </p>
<h3 id="FWTD5G"><strong>Modou Barrow: 4</strong></h3>
<p id="aW7qeP">Didn’t make anything happen in the first half, a bit better in the second but not creative enough. </p>
<h3 id="uemliY"><strong>Yakou Meite: 5</strong></h3>
<p id="j4KZ9e">Called in late for the injured Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, he worked hard, won a few aerial balls but struggled as a lone striker. Needs to refine his technique and hold-up play if he’s to have a proper impact in that role, rather than out wide where he looks more comfortable. Unlucky to see his second half shot hit the post. </p>
<h2 id="p4uceF"><strong>Subs</strong></h2>
<h3 id="U6PxZy"><strong>Josh Sims: 5</strong></h3>
<p id="OcOjce">Didn’t have much of an impact, although he was asked to play a more central role than usual. Really should have started in the first place. </p>
<h3 id="UXKtEN"><strong>John Swift: 6</strong></h3>
<p id="GMrkey">Gave Reading some forward momentum and tried to make things happen, which had been so desperately lacking before his introduction. Brought a routine save out of the ‘keeper with a well-hit free-kick late on. </p>
<h3 id="sQsPAl"><strong>Marc McNulty: 5</strong></h3>
<p id="RXVKpB">Didn’t get into the game, but the chances didn’t come his way so harsh to mark him down too much. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="Z2Iqwa">
<h3 id="60P1UT"><em><strong>Average: 5.07/10</strong></em></h3>
<p id="utIhDo"><em>Who was your man of the match? Vote in our poll below or </em><a href="https://linkto.run/p/7IK65D7E"><em>use this link</em></a><em>. </em></p>
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https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2018/10/3/17930068/reading-fc-0-1-queens-park-rangers-player-ratings-royals-hoopsBucksRoyal2018-10-02T22:14:50+01:002018-10-02T22:14:50+01:00Reading 0-1 QPR: Match Report
<figure>
<img alt="Reading v Ipswich Town - Sky Bet Championship" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/al8oEBkOkaLx4ApL3r4oZLhZxyM=/0x136:2059x1509/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61625409/952390906.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ugh. </p> <p id="GGJPRK">A part of me thinks that when Graeme Murty tucked away his penalty against QPR in April 2006 to score one of the most iconic goals in Reading Football Club history, all future Madejski Stadium games between the Royals and fake hoops were destined to be drab, tedious affairs. </p>
<p id="6tDsao">Since that historic afternoon 12 years ago, all but one of the nine games between the two teams in RG2 have contained either no goals or just the one. The exception, a 1-1 draw five years ago, hardly makes that statistic any better. </p>
<p id="e6DNh7">There was the 1-0 win for 10-man QPR in February 2011. The 0-0 draw that relegated both sides from the Premier League in April 2013. The 1-0 QPR win in November 2015 that cost Steve Clarke his job. </p>
<p id="fMApmj">October 2018 can now be added to that lacklustre list, after tonight’s miserable 1-0 defeat for the Royals. </p>
<p id="YzRyeA">It didn’t have to be this way. It shouldn’t have had to be this way. Reading came into the game on the back of a satisfying 3-0 win over Hull City and a promising 2-2 draw at Brentford. QPR, in contrast, had lost two games on the bounce. </p>
<p id="GeJZ7H">The fact, then, that the West London side were comfortably better than us is disastrous and hugely disappointing. The singular goal came in the 64th minute from Toni Leistner, as Reading, unsurprisingly, failed to clear their lines from a corner. </p>
<p id="baZLuK">It was what QPR deserved as they had been by far the most dangerous side up to that point, although that is perhaps giving them too much credit as Reading offered virtually nothing at all going forward. Indeed, the closest a man in blue and white had come to scoring was when Tiago Ilori nearly diverted the ball into his own net off his thigh. </p>
<p id="WdJgzl">The fact it took that goal to give the hosts a bit of impetus against a side 19th in the table at the start of play is surely cause for concern. The introduction of John Swift and Josh Sims also helped Reading kick on and asked the question as to why the pair weren’t involved from the start. </p>
<p id="6pg1Qo">Only Paul Clement has the answer (or maybe he doesn’t?) to what appeared to be a confusing team selection not helped by Jon Dadi Bodvarsson’s withdrawal through injury in the warm up. But it will be far from the only question he has to respond to in the lead up his team’s trip to current league leaders West Brom on Saturday. Play with such little inspiration, cohesion or creativity at the Hawthorns and Reading could get beaten handsomely by a team who defeated tonight’s victors 7-1 back in August...</p>
<p id="2jZRq9"></p>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2018/10/2/17929866/reading-fc-0-1-qpr-match-report-efl-championship-royals-hoopsOlly_Allen2018-10-02T11:00:01+01:002018-10-02T11:00:01+01:00QPR Preview: Can The Royals Extend Their Run Of Form?
<figure>
<img alt="Queens Park Rangers v Wigan Athletic - Sky Bet Championship" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x22zHKL6jZqLIeorCwBIMXQ7wLc=/0x43:2436x1667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61612363/1025881792.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A good chance for back-to-back home league wins with the visit of strugglers QPR to the Mad Stad. </p> <p id="E104">Tuesday night is the battle of the hoops (or fake hoops to some fans on each side) as Reading entertain Queens Park Rangers. Both sides once graced the bottom of the Premier League but are now slugging it out at the foot of the Championship. The visitors are experiencing a miserable run of form while Reading have sprung out of their horrid run, but as we all know this is the Championship and form is always temporary.</p>
<p id="E113">Can Reading finally win a mid-week league game at home this season or will QPR again spoil the party at the Mad Stad? </p>
<h2 id="E120"><strong>Reading</strong></h2>
<h3 id="E123"><strong>Form: LWLWD (all competitions)</strong></h3>
<p id="E129">The main news coming out of the Royals’ camp is that Vito Mannone is in contention for selection after a brief spell out through injury. The Italian shot stopper will be hoping to dislodge Sam Walker who has had a bright start to his Reading career. Paul Clement will likely shuffle the defence after the suspension of John O’Shea for his straight red in the Hull City game. </p>
<p id="IYOHpL">New signing Saeid Ezatolahi will keep his place in midfield after an electric performance against Brentford which won him TTE’s man of the match award. The Iranian playmaker looks to be the perfect balance between attack and defence, unlocking the qualities of Leandro Bacuna and John Swift. </p>
<aside id="d8iMwf"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Further Reading: Have The Royals Found Their Best Midfield?","url":"https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2018/9/25/17898174/further-reading-fc-have-the-royals-found-their-best-midfield"}]}'></div></aside><p id="X28unW">Another player in form is Jon Dadi Bodvarsson who is the joint third top goalscorer in the league. Sky Sports reports that, across the top four English divisions, he has the fifth best minutes-to-goals ratio (95). With Sam Baldock being a major doubt for the game through injury, Bodvarsson will either lead the line by himself or be partnered with either Marc McNulty or Yakou Meite up front. </p>
<p id="E188"><strong>Top goalscorer: Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (6)</strong></p>
<h2 id="E196"><strong>QPR</strong></h2>
<h3 id="E198"><strong>Form: WWLLL (all competitions)</strong></h3>
<p id="E203">QPR come to the Madejski Stadium in terrible form with three back-to-back defeats and sit one point above the Royals in 19th place. Steve McClaren’s side have had a shocking start to the season with the defence taking a battering, most notably conceding seven against high-flyers West Bromwich Albion in mid-August with a certain <span>Hal Robson-Kanu</span> scoring the last goal.</p>
<p id="XHH9fL">QPR don’t have any real fitness concerns coming into the match with defender Toni Leister and midfielder Sean Goss returning from injuries. They also have a certain Nakhi Wells up front who has haunted Reading during his time at <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/football-league-championship/teams/huddersfield-town">Huddersfield Town</a>, not to mention the many reportedly failed transfer swoops. </p>
<p id="E254"><strong>Top goalscorer: Eberechi Eze (3) </strong></p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Queens Park Rangers v Sheffield United - Sky Bet Championship" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Jj0x1uiTvPee2zORqdXX6UXVtW4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13194381/1015027374.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<h2 id="E268"><strong>Quick-fire facts</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="E271">Against QPR, the Royals have not won back-to-back matches in the league for 12 years </li>
<li id="kg6M9E">This fixture at the Madejski Stadium has history of not being exciting on the goal front with just seven goals in the last eight games. So, it might be a quiet affair which would match the current mood in the stadium if recent attendances are anything to go by.</li>
<li id="dpyr1L">QPR have conceded 18 goals this season which is only topped by bottom side Preston North End (21). Top of the league West Bromwich Albion put seven of those past Rangers on August 18. </li>
</ul>
<h2 id="E306"><strong>Prediction </strong></h2>
<p id="E308">With Reading’s recent resurgence, I have faith this could be a better game than in previous weeks as the side looks more threatening going forward. The main hump for the team at home seems to be getting the style of football to generate support of the crowd - the atmosphere has been so negative especially in mid-week games but better when we play away. If Reading entertain from the off then we could have a much better vibe in the crowd.</p>
<p id="E324">QPR are desperate for points as they slip closer to the foot of the table with no sign of that changing, and a win for Reading would see them leapfrog QPR and go as high as 16th. I can see Reading just edging this which will be a massive boost for both the players and the fanbase.</p>
<p id="E333"><strong>Reading 1-0 QPR</strong></p>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2018/10/2/17925672/reading-fc-vs-queens-park-rangers-match-preview-royals-hoops-madejski-stadium-efl-championshipCBallard72018-10-02T07:00:01+01:002018-10-02T07:00:01+01:00QPR Town End: McClaren Making Pig’s Ear Of Rangers Job
<figure>
<img alt="Queens Park Rangers v Wigan Athletic - Sky Bet Championship" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xnWfwc_pQaAS-xYsDp9XFGCVgh0=/0x0:2477x1651/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61604755/1023155664.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>How do the QPR fans think Tuesday night’s match will go? We asked one.</p> <p id="gLGn4L"><em>Things are looking up for Reading at the moment, but the mood is very different for Tuesday night’s opposition, Queens Park Rangers, who have struggled for form in recent weeks. To work out what’s going on at Loftus Road, and how worried we should be about Rangers bouncing back at the Mad Stad, we spoke to Clive Whittingham. He writes for </em><a href="https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/"><em>QPR site Loft For Words</em></a><em> - you can find them </em><a href="https://twitter.com/loftforwords"><em>on Twitter here</em></a><em>. </em></p>
<h2 id="FyJDkB"><strong>How’s the season gone for you so far?</strong></h2>
<p id="QHEkf0">It’s been up and down like a bride’s nightie. We lost the first four matches of the league season for the first time in the history of the club, conceding 13 goals in the process including a 7-1 loss at West Brom. We recovered reasonably well from what could have been a profoundly damaging start, going five unbeaten with four wins and ten points put on the board. </p>
<p id="SrZrRx">We won away from home at <a href="https://lionofviennasuite.sbnation.com/">Bolton Wanderers</a> during that stint as well, and getting points away from Loftus Road has been a chronic problem for us for several years now. That run coincided with some team strengthening at the end of the second window, with Nahki Wells and Tomer Hemed coming in to bolster the attack along with Stoke City’s Geoff Cameron – all on loan. We peaked a fortnight ago with a 2-0 home win and very good performance against Millwall.</p>
<p id="JDwMHP">However, we seem to have dropped off a cliff again. Three defeats in a row coming into this one, no goals scored and in truth no real proper shot on target in 270 minutes of football. Steve McClaren spent a lot of credit he didn’t really have with supporters by chucking out a silly team and losing at League One Blackpool in the Carabao Cup last week, spurning a chance to get to the fourth round for the first time in a decade. Then the players he rested all came back in on Saturday and lost 3-0 at Swansea City in pretty abject style. </p>
<h2 id="TtiU2y"><strong>What do you make of the job Steve McClaren is doing at the moment?</strong></h2>
<p id="5qnP5p">Not much.</p>
<p id="gkarkO">The fans were very split on whether Ian Holloway was doing a good job or not, and whether sacking him was the right thing. The pitch from the club was that a number of senior players were leaving in the summer, leaving us with a very young squad of talented but inexperienced players who’ve come up through our under-23s, and they wanted an experienced head coach to come in and develop them, improve them and hopefully then sell them on for big money. Holloway was seen as too erratic, too wild, too inconsistent for that after a number of public outbursts and a series of maddening team selections last season.</p>
<p id="YZsR9m">Once in the job, Steve McClaren has basically ignored all that and gone down a sort of Championship Harry Redknapp route of demanding the club sign him a load of 30-something Premier League players we can’t afford to buy, can barely afford to loan and certainly won’t be able to keep beyond this season. </p>
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<img alt="Queens Park Rangers v Birmingham City - Sky Bet Championship" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/F9a0oo7DTEk8K7o2leeQv0jPRMI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13190189/952364918.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Ryan Manning (right, obviously) in action for QPR last season</figcaption>
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<p id="FYIwr2">A prime example of all this is Ryan Manning, a very promising Irish youth international who was in the team playing well and scoring goals from midfield at the end of last season, has been bombed out on loan to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/football-league-championship/teams/rotherham">Rotherham United</a> where he’s doing exceptionally well and scored against Stoke at the weekend while we’re picking Geoff Cameron, a creaking 33 year-old centre back on loan from Stoke, in the middle of midfield instead. </p>
<p id="Ye4nZZ">Paul Smyth and Bright Osayi-Samuel were also playing well at the end of last season and now can’t buy a minute on the pitch, except when we’re throwing out nonsense teams in the League Cup. Having signed two strikers, Nahki Wells and Tomer Hemed, on loan McClaren is now trying to force the rest of the team into a 4-4-2 system to accommodate them which means our two best players Ebere Eze and Luke Freeman are forced to play out of position on the wings (not going well), Cameron is being asked to go box-to-box in the middle of midfield, the full backs are exposed and the centre backs aren’t good enough.</p>
<p id="lgBfDw">He’s making a bit of a pig’s ear of it so far to be honest.</p>
<h2 id="g3NZmH"><strong>Any fond memories of games against Reading in years gone by? Any you’d rather forget?</strong></h2>
<p id="TlRj9o">I’ll be honest it’s not my favourite ground to visit given its location and lack of atmosphere and I don’t envy you guys having to sit in it every week. The stand out is the 1-0 win in the <span>Neil Warnock</span> promotion season when we went down to ten men early on but still came back to win with a late goal from Wayne Routledge off a glorious pass from the always brilliant Ale Faurlin. Typical of that team to grind out that win with a goal of that quality in that manner. Those really were the days.</p>
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<img alt="Reading v Queens Park Rangers - npower Championship" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HvsEMJNFLp-tX26wqzm7W1yvS1w=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13190199/108830162.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Wayne Routledge celebrates a crucial goal at the Mad Stad in 2011</figcaption>
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<h2 id="hZL7iW"><strong>What are the main strengths of this QPR side?</strong></h2>
<p id="NrRI9j">We’ve got some very good players when used correctly. I love Freeman and Eze, like I say, but they’re both being asked to play as wingers in a 4-4-2 currently which doesn’t really suit them. When they played as part of an attacking three behind a lone striker against Millwall last week they looked sensational. </p>
<p id="RKX7v0">Nahki Wells, unlike Hemed and Cameron, has also really looked the part since he came in on loan and there’s a growing consensus that we need to bite the bullet, drop Hemed and go with Eze playing behind Wells in a 4-2-3-1. </p>
<p id="5zyuh7">What we don’t know, and one of the many reasons that relying on them is such a daft idea, is whether these loan deals include clauses that say the players have to play. We have some really good young kids coming through, but don’t expect to see any of those on Tuesday.</p>
<h2 id="JoHrdu"><strong>And weaknesses?</strong></h2>
<p id="L1OZwi">The defence is poor, particularly at centre-back. Toni Leistner has settled reasonably well since arriving in the summer from Union Berlin but he’s slow. We can’t get Grant Hall fit to partner him and Joel Lynch and <span>Alex Baptiste</span> are League One standard. To try and compensate for that we’ve dropped the two central midfielders very deep to sit right in front of them for extra protection, but that leaves acres of space for opponents to play through the midfield and also means we can’t do any sort of pressing at all. </p>
<p id="viOsLj">When we have the ball, the attacking players are frequently surrounded in possession with no options to pass to. Playing two ‘tens’ as wingers in a 4-4-2 keeps leaving our full-backs exposed. The biggest weakness is the system we’re trying to play at the moment, it suits only two of the ten outfield players and it’s not working.</p>
<h2 id="Oey2UE"><strong>How do you see the game going, and what will the score be?</strong></h2>
<p id="yHrpfG">I think it’ll be one of the worst football games you’ve ever seen before in your life, and one of the teams will accidentally win it 1-0.</p>
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https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2018/10/2/17922770/view-from-the-town-end-queens-park-rangers-home-reading-fc-qpr-hoops-royalsThe Tilehurst End Guest WriterBucksRoyal