Just How I Thought it Would Be This Evening.

[Mince n Tatties]

Tight,bit of nerves,the first legs are often like that.
I thought it might be 0-0 or 1-1.
Be different game on Tuesday everyone will be making them favs with the home leg,but our away form and scoring away from home is good.
They'll come at us and we'll catch them 1-2 or 1-3..Coyw... 049:gif

[bog]

I knew that Stam would have them well organised. But I really fancy our chances on their ground.


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[Fulhamerica23]

Let's be honest, we have to feel pretty comfortable still. Reading lone shot on target came after a foul and handball went uncalled setting up numbers in their attack. Not worried heading into Tuesday.

[Lighthouse]

Yeah my thoughts were that if we were no more than a goal behind we could still turn it around. Reading have a strong home record and finished third.. We have a strong away record. One thing, I do hope the ineffectual Martin stays on the bench.

[Slaphead in Qatar]

We looked nervous. We were sleeping for most of the match.

We can get through but we need to up our game. At least we did not lose and no a away goals rule here.

[Milo]

Agree with us looking nervous. We kicked it up a gear after going a goal down. At that intensity it would've been 3-1 like a few times this season. But we took our foot off the pedal AGAIN. Poor management? We will see on Tuesday I guess.

[Couchy]

Does anybody know who the ref is for Tuesday

[Milo]

Thought Ayite was poor today. Bad decision making at times. I was calling  for Sess for Ayite at the 70-75 min mark. Then Cyriac came on ... again shocked it wasn't Sess.

[NogoodBoyo]

We were far too casual until they scored.   After being kicked around a bit in the first half we were playing for free kicks in the second half - leading directly to their goal.  We should have stayed on our feet.
Having said that, we looked a better team all round - including our defence!  The one weak link in our "offense" was Bettinelli.  I'm sorry, I don't mind watching him doing the defensive keeper duties, but I CANNOT STAND WATCHING HIM WITH THE BALL IN HIS HANDS OR AT HIS FEET!!!!
I believe he cost us the win today; his indecisiveness, the time he wasted in deciding where to hoof it long and, after all that his appalling distribution were all painful to watch. I suppose he would argue that our players were not making themselves available and that Reading were pressing high, but he was just too slow.
This is the biggest tactical challenge that the coaching staff need to work on before Tuesday.
Nogood "he might be dropped for it, see" Boyo

[Mince n Tatties]

Agree with us looking nervous. We kicked it up a gear after going a goal down. At that intensity it would've been 3-1 like a few times this season. But we took our foot off the pedal AGAIN. Poor management? We will see on Tuesday I guess.

Poor management?
These playoffs are not league games they are like
Cup ties,he knows what he is doing,and Sess will be our Tuesday night weapon.

[Mince n Tatties]

Nogoodboyo..Correct he was poor.
Amateurish distribution.

[PokerMatt]

I couldn't tell if they looked tired or nervous. On reflection I think it was nerves.

[NogoodBoyo]

Nogoodboyo..Correct he was poor.
Amateurish distribution.

So un-Fulham-like (or un-Jocanovic-like) too. 
I'm not a great Button fan, but I think his reputation would have been far higher up the scale if he had been given license to stall and hoof like Betts has been.  That change in tactics certainly surprised the opposition teams in the run-in to our benefit, but Stam played Betts like a child today.  Interesting to see how Slavisa deals with this one in the next three days.
Nogood "this will be the margin between success and failure this season, see" Boyo

[NogoodBoyo]

I couldn't tell if they looked tired or nervous. On reflection I think it was nerves.

Definitely, as they woke up to good effect after the goal.
Nogood "wakey-wakey they scored, isit" Boyo

[cmg]

Atwell's not that great a referee - to be fair there ain't many of them around - but his extraordinary decision to suddenly apply 1970 refereeing standards to a 2017 match made for an interesting and, to an oldster like me, and nostalgic spectacle. Didn't really work out all that well (at least for Reading) as the tempo got more and more frenetic until McShane came up with an assault that would have got a red card even in those bad old days (maybe not, for those who remember McCreadie's head high job on Bremner in the 1970 replay).

We certainly looked nervous and suffered from the excellent job that Reading did on our midfield and our lack of an incisive finish.

I'd say we can get this job finished next week. Hope the old ticker can take it.

[davew]

Nogoodboyo..Correct he was poor.
Amateurish distribution.

He could have kicked the ball into the crowd, they were more available than our players!! Reading did their work, I don't blame Bett's at all!! Where was Cairney most of the game, normally he is always willing to make himself available to accept a pass, today not the same player!!

[FortCollinsFulham]

Take away the red incident and was two bookings each.

With all their fouling and timewasting

Joke

Indeed. I'm still fairly incredulous how their goal occurred. One, probably two fouls, followed by a hand ball leading to their attack and goal (was a great finish though after the previous shenanigans).

If they're held to one shot on goal on Tuesday I think we'll be a great place.

[AlexW132]

Thought Ayite was poor today. Bad decision making at times. I was calling  for Sess for Ayite at the 70-75 min mark. Then Cyriac came on ... again shocked it wasn't Sess.

Ayité was way too selfish in his decision making, always tried to get a shot away even though there were better options.