I appreciate the win and the much needed three points. It is quite a culture shock to have gone from a side that dominated possession, both home and away, to one that surrenders it. Using turnovers and direct back to front balls to create opportunities. With a detached view of the match, it did look and feel like a team fighting relegation overcoming one with lofty ambition.
I suppose that this is fair and reflects who and where we are now. Still think we have enough to stay up. Marriot is deadly and our centre backs are warriors. There is just something alien about chucking shit into channels, fight balls and percentages that will take some getting used to. Luton looked like a side who are affected by injuries going forwards, and not great defensively. You can see that they want to get the ball down and work opportunities while maintaining possession. We were actually quite good at disrupting this, closed down quickly and effectively, to then go direct when the ball was won. When it works, it is ok. When it doesn’t, what is plan B?
Doyle is an issue, moreover, the Doyle position is an issue. Both Wing and Savage come in for a great deal of criticism for the performance of the midfield. They are effectively working as a pair, often outnumbered and overrun in many matches. If we are going to play in this direct style, the effectiveness and necessity for an out and out number ten is greatly reduced. The position becomes largely redundant. Playing the likes of Rinomhota or Crawley guy would make more sense. I like him as a player, but he has not done enough for us so far, and in a team that will be bypassing him most of the time now, can’t see him really having a role. Knibbs on the other hand, would have slotted in perfectly.

My main frustration is the inability to pass the ball forward when we have the ball in midfield, too often we check and pass backwards in those positions instead of driving/ moving the ball forwards. Dorsett being a prime example, always goes backwards as if he's been told not to cross the halfway line!

Watching back, that D Williams assist was arguably the best bit of CF hold up play we’ve had all season. Brilliant stuff

Wish we could get a manager to build an attractive footballing outfit, instead we have someone wanting to play football from the dark ages.
All we do is pass sideways, backwards and then hoof to one of the opposition defenders.

There is the argument of course that managers see the players we have and decide that that is the best way to play with their skillsets.
Don't think we have many players with those skillsets

It won’t be that extreme, but the side is balanced around one full back pushing up (Abrefa) and the winger using that to come inside, whilst the other fullback stays back to tuck in with the CBs and their winger stays wide.

Pretty well summed up by most posters.
Watching from home it did look as though our sole plan was to hit the ball long and hope and in fact it brought about the penalty because of the panic shown by their keeper.

Our second goal was a decisive 3 man move brought about by their defender just giving us the ball and it showed that we can actually play 3 passes when necessary but at the moment often choose not to .

Two really good clinical finishes from Marriott and Kelvin, the only two real chances that we made in the whole game.

The biggest plus last night was the defensive collective where all 6 showed great commitment in generally keeping Luton out and of course we do have a top keeper who really should be playing at a higher level.

I guess we have to accept that this is now our game plan-defend deep, hit long balls and hope that somebody in an advanced position will take one of the rare chances offered.
Beggars can't be choosers as we are definitely too near the relegation spots but the work ethic is there and we have a few players who can finish which is not always the case at this level.

For those of us who want to see something different than the old Wimbledon we are going to have to wait and just accept that is the Reading way at least for now and hope that next season or the season after will see us playing a more expansive style which will be necessary if we are ever to see higher level football again.

Yep, love him. Only watched the highlights, what was he doing up there?

Financially, it would've been negative. IIRC, the Sky TV money works out to be around £1m per season (notwithstanding any Premier League payments or international broadcast rights). If we say that's over twenty matches (including midweek games on the red button, etc.), it works out to be £50k per game.

£50k would be the equivalent of an extra 2,500 ticket sales (post tax), if we assume the average adult pays £25 for a ticket, and that's not taking into account any expenditure on merchandising; food/drink; etc. Hospitality looked abnormally well occupied last night though.

In terms of the crowd, the club reports turnstile figures (ie. how many turned up, not ticket sales). That can easily be worked out by us having roughly 9,000 season ticket holders; the overall crowd being 9,252; and Luton bringing 1,101 supporters last night - so 8,151 home fans turned up (lower than the reported total season ticket sales). 8,151 is the lowest of the season, but not as low as three matches last season (Cambridge; Shrewsbury; Exeter).

Yep, love him. Only watched the highlights, what was he doing up there?
He'd stayed up from the free kick we had before it.

Yep, love him. Only watched the highlights, what was he doing up there?
Think he stayed up from a set piece.

He also did the best flick on of the season a couple of games ago, I think Posh, that I think nearly put Marriott in.

I was suggesting playing him upfront after that game if we're just going to hoof it. He's not done anything to hurt the suggestion!

Not got much to add beyond what's already been said, but delighted Ehibhatiomhan came on and got a goal - great run; great touch; great finish. Although the initial work by Derrick Williams to bring the ball down and play it was impressive; just shows a more direct style can work when you've actually got someone up the pitch who can do that.

We didn't create much beyond the goals, but then Luton didn't create much beyond their goals. The next best chance I can think of in the game was when Lewis Wing forced Pereira into a save from a corner in the first half or when they fired wide in stoppage time.

Also good to see Fraser; Burns; and O'Mahony get minutes (or more minutes in Fraser's case), as it suggests they'll be available over the Christmas/New Year period.

Interesting this comment. Did not go but listened. Seems were drifiting towards kick and rush as a deliberate philosophy (Pub football on Viagra) - strong solid lumps and lots of intensity , percentage games etc. Sad - dull and not what we've been used to - hey ho

So I guess Wing and Svage are doing what they are told to do by the manager

My thought - we signed Wing early - the best midfielder in the League - you would have expected us to buld a team around him (and Savage) but recruitment either failed to deliver on that or tactically hoofball was all Noel knows and he reverted to type - his consistent comment was Wing plays deep because if he plays higher up he has 3 players on him (no comment on how that would leave 2 players free to exploit this - maybe the lightbulb had not come on , but thats another story).

Is Leam just a more experienced one dimensional dinusaur, than Noel was ?

Is there really a place for Wing (and Savage ?) in the new regime ??? Does leam think he does not need Wing?

Wing has not looked happy this season, his contribution is less effective, is he really enjoying his hoof-meister role?

Having second thoughts on re signing ? Career not moving forwards but backwards. Will he still be here February 1st ?? My guess is if he got the right opportunity he'd be off, though is likely a less attractive proposition than he was in the summer.

He stays - and sees his career out playing this dull football - what a waste

Wouldn't be surprised if the club sold him and Savage to raise cash.....

Tbh I’ve no real issue with hoofball. Quite often more exciting and dynamic than the overdone play out from the back etc

Obvs it has its limitations but I’d rather go forward directly and quickly (albeit with the correct profile of player) than continuously passing it backwards. Man City were one of the dullest teams I’ve ever watched at their peak a few years ago. I don’t think I could watch us under Russell Martin for example

Interesting this comment. Did not go but listened. Seems were drifiting towards kick and rush as a deliberate philosophy (Pub football on Viagra) - strong solid lumps and lots of intensity , percentage games etc. Sad - dull and not what we've been used to - hey ho

So I guess Wing and Svage are doing what they are told to do by the manager

My thought - we signed Wing early - the best midfielder in the League - you would have expected us to buld a team around him (and Savage) but recruitment either failed to deliver on that or tactically hoofball was all Noel knows and he reverted to type - his consistent comment was Wing plays deep because if he plays higher up he has 3 players on him (no comment on how that would leave 2 players free to exploit this - maybe the lightbulb had not come on , but thats another story).

Is Leam just a more experienced one dimensional dinusaur, than Noel was ?

Is there really a place for Wing (and Savage ?) in the new regime ??? Does leam think he does not need Wing?

Wing has not looked happy this season, his contribution is less effective, is he really enjoying his hoof-meister role?

Having second thoughts on re signing ? Career not moving forwards but backwards. Will he still be here February 1st ?? My guess is if he got the right opportunity he'd be off, though is likely a less attractive proposition than he was in the summer.

He stays - and sees his career out playing this dull football - what a waste

Wouldn't be surprised if the club sold him and Savage to raise cash.....
Put Knibbs in front of Savage and Wing and all is good. Doyle and Elliott are not in his league, hence.
their place with us.

It may get the ball forward quickly but 90% of the time it comes straight back as a defender would win it and we struggle to win the second ball in midfield as Wing and Savage are so deep.
Don't think JP is comfortable kicking long either, he's a much better short passer and likes to throw the ball out.
We only had 9 touches in the opposition box on Thursday and 6 shots, Luton had 28 touches in our box and 11 shots with their 65% possession.

It may get the ball forward quickly but 90% of the time it comes straight back as a defender would win it and we struggle to win the second ball in midfield as Wing and Savage are so deep.
Don't think JP is comfortable kicking long either, he's a much better short passer and likes to throw the ball out.
We only had 9 touches in the opposition box on Thursday and 6 shots, Luton had 28 touches in our box and 11 shots with their 65% possession.
That's not a problem with the style, it's a problem with the implentation and player's ability to perform in it.

And we beat Luton.

I'm not a huge fan of the long ball, but it's a weapon any decent team should have in its arsenal. And I agree with Hound that passing round defence is dull as ditch water. Passing and possession for the sake of passing and possession is one of the worst things to ever happen to football.

It may get the ball forward quickly but 90% of the time it comes straight back as a defender would win it and we struggle to win the second ball in midfield as Wing and Savage are so deep.
Don't think JP is comfortable kicking long either, he's a much better short passer and likes to throw the ball out.
We only had 9 touches in the opposition box on Thursday and 6 shots, Luton had 28 touches in our box and 11 shots with their 65% possession.
That's not a problem with the style, it's a problem with the implentation and player's ability to perform in it.

And we beat Luton.

I'm not a huge fan of the long ball, but it's a weapon any decent team should have in its arsenal. And I agree with Hound that passing round defence is dull as ditch water. Passing and possession for the sake of passing and possession is one of the worst things to ever happen to football.
Yes we best Luton, but it could of gone either way at 2_2.
Not asking for passing and possession for the sake of it, just to be able to pass the ball forward through the midfield now and again.
Wouldn't be so bad if we mixed it up a bit and not be so one dimensional and if we haven't the players to perform it, why try and implement it?

Yes I’m not saying play long ball when you have Marriott, DK, and RWilliams as your targets. different outcome if you have a proper target and set up for it (which we actually did on the third goal - maybe more by luck than design)

The Football League and police are now reviewing the incident and action may be taken as a result

Even more Leam compared Derrick Williams to Bruno Fernandes afterwards.

The Football League and police are now reviewing the incident and action may be taken as a result

Even more Leam compared Derrick Williams to Bruno Fernandes afterwards.
I kinda hope the puncher gets away ok. The guy he lamped was being an arse, the puncher seemed to be telling him to wind it in and there was a kid next to him. Tthen the twat shoved him over, and a deserved punch in the face in response.

I enjoyed the commentary with it ‘Not the kind of thing anyone wants to see…’ - as I rewound it for the 20th time to laugh at it