THE ROAD TO SUCCESS IS NOT PRETTY

The Amex has now played host to the Championships three Premiership contenders - Southampton, Reading and West Ham United. They aspire to play the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. Were you impressed by the displays of our aspirants? No - neither was I. Sour grapes? - maybe.

Last Tuesday Reading were the last of the three to visit the seaside and gave us a masterclass on how to win, as they say, "ugly".

The Reading manager, Brian McDermott, prowled his technical area like no other sipping his water watching his master plan in frustration and time wasting play out it front of him. It was liking watching Big Sam but without hair.

There were 3 parts to the plan - the team construction, time wasting and frustrating the opposition. Just one chance to score was needed and the rest of the plan would see the team home. And that is how it worked out.

Part One - the team

Get a good goalie - and who would not want Adam Federici between the posts. Then add a centre back whose sole purpose in life is to head or hoof the ball as far down the pitch as possible whenever it enters the penalty area. If that fails commit a foul. Having a beard and looking vaguely Scandinavian helps. To this add a big striker whose main purpose is to wind up the opposing defenders - enter Jason Roberts and Carlton Cole. 

Part Two - time wasting

From the kick off Reading were determined to frustrate the opposition as much as possible by time wasting. A frustrated opposition is more likely to lose its rag and organisation. Strangely the time wasting started before the kick off! The Brighton players were all lined ready to start and the ref had his whistle to his lips. But hold on a moment - where were the Reading players? They were in some kind of pseudo-religious huddle. The message was clear - we are in charge here and please take note ref. Most throw-ins involved some form of ball examination and the obligatory 5 stolen yards. The ref over 20 yards away just waved his arms. When it came to corners a brain surgeon would have been proud of the precision involved in placing the ball on the right blade of grass. The waiting defenders must have been losing the will to live (or more importantly their concentration). 

Substitutions always offer another way to waste time. Step forward Noel Hunt. He staggered from the pitch like an exhausted marathon runner. Putting each foot in front of the other appeared to be agony. This was too much for the ref who ran over to hurry him off the pitch. Hunt shook the ref's hand!

Part Three - frustration

The best way to frustrate an opposition is to simply commit fouls. Reading committed twice as many as Brighton - 18 in all. That is one every five minutes. The most cynical was a handball when LuaLua lifted the ball over a defender and rounded him. He would have been clear through on goal but up went the hand. The cynicism deserved more than a booking.  Every opportunity to delay play was taken as was the chance to argue the toss with the ref.

How long was it between the ref awarding the penalty to Brighton and it  being taken as Federici and his defenders argued the decision? The ref allowed it to happen and Barnes lost concentration. 

All of this is worked out on the training pitch and planned in the murky world of the dressing room.

The annoying thing is the plan worked. The lucky goal arrived courtesy of a Harte free kick that Brezovan appeared to have covered before the ball clipped off a defender and diverted into the other side of the goal. West Ham's goal arrived due to a defensive error. All Reading had to do for 75 minutes was waste time, frustrate the opposition and try (but not very hard) to hit them on the break. 

At heart I am an old soccer romantic. The end of term prizes should go to those who play the best football. As Brian Clough once said if football was supposed to be played in the sky God would have put the grass there. Big Sam please note. 

On the evidence of the Championship's big three the road to success lies down a much more pragmatic and opportunist path. Let's get there by any means possible and worry later. Would Gus play the West Ham and Reading way - I doubt it.

If only Vicente had not chosen the 10th April to attempt to break the south end crossbar and Ashley Barnes to miss his first penalty of the season. We might then have seen how good Reading really are.

On my way home a Reading supporter played compliment to the Seagulls praising the way they got the ball down and tried to play. He thought we were unlucky.

"Enjoy your one season in the Premiership" I rather uncharitably replied.