Ryan's Blues Musings

Starting XI Completely unchanged. Again. Game A terrible football match by all accounts. First half, Bacuna and Ruddy failed to move their feet quick enough and it led to a deflected Docherty shot and then Slater shooting wide. Deeney had a half volley saved. A free kick pull back found Longman hose effort was saved. More sloppy play led to a corner that ended with Docherty again seeing a shot deflected wide. Bacuna tried his luck from distance. Second half was similar. Jones ought to have scored after Estupinan's effort was blocked. Estupinan had another effort blocked, this time at the near post. A near post corner saw another effort blocked before Longman got the better of Longelo and forced a save. A poor Deeney cross led to a counter that finished with Longman heading in only to be caught offside. If that wasn't warning shot enough, Bacuna have the ball away, saw Hull move left to right and Estupinan finished a low cross to the near post. James found Chong whose shot was...

Starting XI Completely unchanged. Game When you concede after 48 seconds against the best side in the division on their home turf, you're in trouble. This was the first goal we conceded in the first 15 minutes of matches and the quickest goal of the Championship season to date. Kristian Bielik couldn't sort his feet out on the edge of the Burnley box. That led to a break. Hannibal Mejbri went steaming across the pitch but left his position and when the ball was switched, Emmanuel Longelo was left 2 v 1 against Connor Roberts and Manuel Benson. He didn't deal with the ball in behind, caught in no-man's land. Bielik had been dragged out of position and wasn't on hand to deal with the cut back that found Anass Zaroury. The first half was completely dominated by Burnley and though chances were few and far between, the chances they created were good ones with Benson and Roberts at the heart of them. They were at it again on 25 minutes, Roberts the outlet, finding Benso...

Starting XI Completely unchanged. Tahith Chong up top again. No Scott Hogan, Harlee Dean or Gary Gardner still. Game A game that took just over 60 seconds to warm the hands, feet and private areas of fans that had braved -3 conditions to support the team. Juninho Bacuna moved inside and his attempted cross, which was probably being cleared, was knocked over the top of his own defence by Mamadou Loum to allow Troy Deeney to control and finish. Chances were few and far between in the first half but Reading did test the strength of John Ruddy's hands. Andy Yiadom forced a stop at the near post after a 1-2 over Hannibal Mejbri then Loum headed the resulting corner wide. Tom McIntyre's header fell to Yakou Meite in the area and his cleanly struck volley thankfully found the hands of Ruddy. Blues then won a penalty. Deeney won the ball from Loum and played a 1-2 with Tahith Chong. Deeney reached the ball and though his return was poor, he was taken out by Naby Sarr. The penalty was b...

Starting XI Two changes from before the break. Scott Hogan misses out and Jobe Bellingham is back on the bench. Tahith Chong steps back in but as a striker and Marc Roberts starts for the first time in a couple of months. George Friend is out of the squad, Jonathan Leko is back in. Game A game that never really came to life. It took until 23 minutes for the first meaningful chance at goal, Roberts somehow putting over from 2 yards out. Chong had another great chance ten minutes later, played in by Hannibal Mejbri but his dink over the onrushing Chris Maxwell hit the post. Blues had a goal disallowed on the stroke of half time, Emmanuel Longelo finding opposite wing-back Maxime Colin but the shot deflected in off Troy Deeney, who was offside. The second half wasn't much better. Juninho Bacuna fired wide before Gary Madine headed wide. Deeney volleyed a Longelo cross wide. Sonny Carey fired wide after linking up with substitute Ian Poveda. Lukas Jutkiewicz's snapshot went over ...