Reading v Hard to Beat Aston Villa Post Match Thread.

[Pat McMahon]

Was that the yellow and green one? I think it was those colours anyway

The one i saw was yellow with a white cross on it - same style as St George's flag. Some red trim too I think.

[Pat McMahon]

A very dull game yesterday and I couldn’t really see a pattern to our play. It was effing freezing too, though I bumped into Kevin Foley (Villa and Ireland fan) in the pub after the game and he was only wearing his customary short sleeved shirt.

Positives - Kalinin made 2 good first half saves, Mings was probably our best player and McGinn’s work rate was excellent. Elphick is also better than he has been in previous spells in the team and generally we were solid defensively.

Negatives- we just don’t create enough chances. I can only really recall their keeper making that save from Tammy’s Header. Our best chance would have been a though ball from McGinn to Tammy in the second half but the ref immediately stopped play for a blatant hack on McGinn. To be fair, he held his hands up at blowing too soon, which actually earned some respect from me ( he would have  obviously earned more if he hadn’t made the error in the first place).

Overall it feels like we are drifting. Reminds me of the 1973-74 season where after 3 years of momentum we just became directionless.

A good day out with the London Lions blemished by a dreary afternoon at the Madejski. I had a work dinner in Harrogate on Friday so had to be up at 6-30 to get the train to London, back to drop off my stuff then head to Reading. Next year I’ll just stay up there and go to Betty’s..

Give me a shout when you’re next in ‘arrogate. That’s my adopted home.

I go to the same bash first Friday in February every year at the Old Swan. In the past we have ventured on to one of those bars up the hill from Wetherspoons but this year I was tucked up before 2 as I was up at 6.30. See you in 12 months!

[dave shelley]

Flag of Dorset

[Pat McMahon]

Cheers Dave, that's the one.

[eddiemunster]

They will all be gone in the summer

Out of contract at the end of the season;

Bunn, Elphick, Hutton, Jedinak, Richards, Steer, Whelan, De Laet, Clarke, Knibbs, Lyden, McKirdy, Mooney, O'Hare, Rowe, Suliman, Blackett-Taylor, Clark. + all of the loanees.

I'd keep Everyone from Jack Clarke to Mitch Clark in the above list.