Everything that I warned about in the preview came back and and haunted us as Reading did the things they do well, well and we did the things we do badly, badly !
In the run up to the game I warned of several things, including the need to tighten up at the back and not make errors, unfortunately we made those errors and in every single one of them we were punished. In truth each of their goals did not just see poor defending from one player, but a number.
The first goal started with a crossfield ball from Danny Fox being intercepted, but this was still a long way from the goal being scored, Reading moved the ball first to the right and then to the left before a cross into the area that really should have been dealt with by Jose Fonte who was caught napping leaving Jason Roberts a free header.
On the second Dean Hammond tried to be clever in a midfield tussle, he tried to turn rather than clear the ball out of danger and was caught, but again he would not be the last culprit, Reading tore our defence to shreds and when Le Fondre slotted home unmarked, both our central defenders had been lost by the men they should have been marking as well as at least one other who was at sea.
The last goal was mainly down to Fonte again, initially it didnt look that dangerous, but the defender rather than clear the ball out of danger tried to shield it and then head it back to the keeper, he failed on both accounts and the game was dead.
Sad to say though this was not an isolated game where this has happened, in fact its not an isolated season, I looked back to the start of last year and I was saying the same things as Im going to be saying today, defenders that for 99% of the game are tight but cant seem to make it 100% and lose concentration and get caught napping, games where we have many shots but dont score that many whereas the opposition score a far bigger percentage than they should do, we have not been learning the lessons well enough.
No one likes a smart arse and im sure i will get told what a great defence we have etc, but the stark reality is we have too many flat track bullies, we can defend very well at times, look at the number of shots on target Reading had, only 4, but when the chips are down and a bit of pressure is applied then we crack, as was shown by Reading's 3 goals from those 4 on target, especiaclly when you realise that Reading only had two off target on top of that, this is the tale of the season though, when teams exert a bit of pressure, our defence is found wanting, Millwall did it a month or so ago, Blackpool did it, even Pompey and now Reading, just at a time when we need our central defenders to be like rocks and stay tight, they are crumbling, some of you will point to clean sheets, but look at the games we have kept them in, Doncaster at home is typical.
The pressure is now on Saints, we have to show that we can come back from a run of four games that has seen only one win and 8 goals conceded earning only 4 points, we have given West Ham a chink of light, we have to now shut up shop and make sure they dont get any more.