The Royals went down 1-0 at home to Leicester on Monday night, but the performance at least would have given Reading fans some encouragement.
Well, what can you say after a game like? The Royals played really well in the first half and did everything but put the ball in the back of the net and the link up play between the midfield, Marek Matejovsky in particular, and the strikers was a joy to watch at times.
Jobi McAnuff tested the Leicester keeper Chris Weale after less than 30 seconds at the end of a nice passing move, set up by Simon Church. The Welsh striker then saw an effort deflected wide at the end of another run and before we had even played 10 minutes Grzegorz Rasiak turned and shot from the edge of the area, inches wide.
Despite a Matty Fryatt effort at the other end, the Royals continued to dominate and should have gone ahead following another effort from McAnuff. Church again flicked the ball on and the Jamaican winger raced into the area and his low drive cannoned off the inside of the post before falling back to him but his second attempt was deflected wide, however the ref gave a goal kick! It was no excuse though; at least one of those should have gone in.
The chances kept coming though, and every player was looking to get on the ball and Church had a great chance when he was put through on goal but his effort was dragged just wide of the far post. The Welshman probably had more chances in the first half than he would have done in all his other games this season, and from a neatly worked corner he lashed Brian Howard`s pull back goal wards but Weale was equal to it once more.
He had another chance when he lashed wide from 25 yards but completely against the run of play, just before the break, Leicester took the lead from a corner. On loan Sunderland defender Martyn Waghorn headed towards the far post where Jay Tabb had left his post and it looped over the right back and into the net. Rodgers said post match that Tabb was to blame, but with a man completely unmarked in the 6 yard box he had to leave his post to pick him up, surely?
As has been the way this season, heads dropped and there only looked like one winner at the end of a poor second half display. Rodgers again made completely the wrong substitutions; Shane Long for Simon Church was baffling considering Rasiak got worse as the game went on and despite Church missing chances, at least he was in the right place a number of times.
A number of crosses from sub Jimmy Kebe went agonizingly across goal without a striker in sight and Long`s only chance fell 25 yards from goal but his finish would have been more suited to a London Irish game.
It was another home defeat but this was not dull and uninspiring like most games in the long run stretching back to January without a win on home soil. If we play like we did first half then surely we will have enough to avoid relegation, but the stark reality is we must start scoring goals and if the strikers that are here are not going to do it, then Rodgers must enter the loan market – soon!
Marek was class, why Rodgers hasn’t picked him every week is beyond me. Must act quick and get a striker in on loan.
dominate?? didn’t think so myself, but a better performance, but with the amount of changes made, you have to wonder if Rodgers does know what he is doing?
We must have had 10 clear chances in that first half, and whilst we didn’t have so many in the second half, we had all of the ball as Leicester sat back to defend the goal lead they had. I would say we dominated.