Analysis of the goal conceded against Reading (16/9)
Hal Robson-Kanu’s goal – Adam Le Fondre picks up the ball between Vertonghen and Gallas, and flights the perfect cross, dissecting Walker and Friedel and allowing Robson-Kanu to tap home at the back post.
Kyle Naughton is caught out when a long-ball down the line finds him up-field. Jan Vertonghen, very solid throughout the game, gets a little unlucky – he comes out to the left back area to cover for Naughton, but the pass (I think from Noel Hunt), goes between his legs.
Gallas doesn’t get tight enough to Le Fondre, who flights a very clever pass between Walker and Friedel. Note Walker – caught on his heels as Robson-Kanu busts a gut to get on the end of the cross.
Friedel has come out to protect his near post so is taken out of the game by Le Fondre’s clever pass, and Walker’s slight delay means that he is caught underneath the cross.
Robson-Kanu slides in to meet the cross on the volley and put it into an empty net.
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walker also lost his man.
I also feel that Friedel ended up in no mans land, but he did not stay on the line (as he usually does), if he had done that he might have had a chance at the finish.
He tried chipping it, he missed, but luckily Robson-Kanu was there to tap it in. Yes, Walker was caught out though.
In fact, ALL of Reading's attack originated from the space behind the 2 Kyles or being overloaded in these 2 areas.
Sweetsman
Only grumble from me was Gallas still seems to want to wander into midfiled with the ball ignoring passes until tackled and leaving three people to defend a counter, this was directly the cause of two goals last season and several dangerous free kicks (one of which scored). But then I guess he did clear off the line.
We were playing keep-ball earlier and yet we were so out of position with minutes to go.
Three goals in the last three matches in the closing minutes.