Reality check

[andrew1957]

I was as gutted as anyone on Saturday but to be fair if in August I could have taken 33 points after the first 18 games of the season I would have grabbed it.

Yes the team were poor on Saturday but we still have a great chance of promotion. It was never going to be like 2005/6 again. This team at its best rolls over teams but at its worst looks fragile - but RFC are still in contention and I think we will achieve top 6 at worst - so in book that will be a good season.

[papereyes]

I was as gutted as anyone on Saturday but to be fair if in August I could have taken 33 points after the first 18 games of the season I would have grabbed it.

Yes the team were poor on Saturday but we still have a great chance of promotion. It was never going to be like 2005/6 again.

According to you, it was going to be better.

[SCIAG]

Well, it's not. I'll have to type up the story. My nephew went to primary school (also secondary) with Stewart, and in their last year Stephen Hunt visited the school. We have a picture that was in the Post, and Stewart is in it, as is Hunt. Hunt signed autographs for every child in their year.

To be honest that really isn't the same as knowing him though is it?

How many kids do Reading players meet over a year?

It's a tragic loss, but the players have pretty much come out and said they didn't know him but it's still a reality check for all of them, and an obviously heart wrenching loss for his family and friends. To put it forward as a possible reason for the appalling performance is really clutching at straws.

No, it's not the same as knowing him. I feel like I'm doing a disrespect to Stewart's memory here, but when I asked my nephew about it he said that Stewart (and a few others) nearly convinced Hunt to watch the school team train. Now, Hunt hears of Stewart's death, then sees a photo, and suddenly you could have "blimey, it's one of those kids from St Peters who tried to stop me going to the cinema!"

I don't actually think this will have contributed to the poor performance though. Doyle lost young relatives last year and played at the same rate that he had for the previous few games. As Shunt is Doyle's brother-in-law it seems a distinct possiblity that he could have been affected by that loss too. Bikey scored two goals despite the death of his aunt. Then there was Sonko's uncle (or something like that), though as Sonko wasn't playing that's irrelevant.

There's still a possiblity that it will have affected them (particuarly if they haven't known death) but I agree that it does sound a lot like clutching at straws.

[Ian Royal]

I'm not arguing it's a major contributory factor either, but it can't be ruled out as having some influence. Lets not forget that this is likely to have effected the whole atmosphere at the club for many more than just the first teamers.

That atmosphere could have translated to them. You can't compare it to a relative of one player either. Thats something that only one person experiences, the whole squad is likely to rally round. But in this case it was someone involved in the club, therefore most at the club would have had some connection to the shock and distress. This would potentially leave less of culture of support, as everyone needed it to a certain greater or lesser degree.

It's a shock hearing that someone you have a connection to, no matter how small has died, especially at that age. Different people deal with this things differently and are affected to different degrees.

There will have been disruption.

[readingbedding]

If a player felt that he couldn't play to his best due to off the field issues, it would have been noticed on the training ground, and even if not spotted, a Pro would ask not to be played.

[londinium]

I'm not arguing it's a major contributory factor either, but it can't be ruled out as having some influence. Lets not forget that this is likely to have effected the whole atmosphere at the club for many more than just the first teamers.

That atmosphere could have translated to them. You can't compare it to a relative of one player either. Thats something that only one person experiences, the whole squad is likely to rally round. But in this case it was someone involved in the club, therefore most at the club would have had some connection to the shock and distress. This would potentially leave less of culture of support, as everyone needed it to a certain greater or lesser degree.

It's a shock hearing that someone you have a connection to, no matter how small has died, especially at that age. Different people deal with this things differently and are affected to different degrees.

There will have been disruption.

I would say the Internatinal break was a bigger influence.


3 International breaks this season 3 defeats in games straight after the break!!!

[S09Royal]

I'm not arguing it's a major contributory factor either, but it can't be ruled out as having some influence. Lets not forget that this is likely to have effected the whole atmosphere at the club for many more than just the first teamers.

That atmosphere could have translated to them. You can't compare it to a relative of one player either. Thats something that only one person experiences, the whole squad is likely to rally round. But in this case it was someone involved in the club, therefore most at the club would have had some connection to the shock and distress. This would potentially leave less of culture of support, as everyone needed it to a certain greater or lesser degree.

It's a shock hearing that someone you have a connection to, no matter how small has died, especially at that age. Different people deal with this things differently and are affected to different degrees.

There will have been disruption.

I would say the Internatinal break was a bigger influence.


3 International breaks this season 3 defeats in games straight after the break!!!

Hmm...let's be greatful that there isn't another one until February then!

[Gordons Cumming]

Southampton game was just a hiccup. That's all.

Look out, Cardiff!!!

[andrew1957]

I was as gutted as anyone on Saturday but to be fair if in August I could have taken 33 points after the first 18 games of the season I would have grabbed it.

Yes the team were poor on Saturday but we still have a great chance of promotion. It was never going to be like 2005/6 again.

According to you, it was going to be better.

What I have said all along is consistent. I believe that 2005/6 was a fluke season in many ways. That season we narrowly won or drew many games and it was sheer momentum that kept us going. The few teams we beat comfortably were usually struggling ones. The current squad on the other hand at its best steamroller even other good teams (Wolves, Bristol City, Swansea etc) but if we go behind at present we look vulnerable. We seem to be having more problem beating lower ranked teams than top teams.

I still think this squad has the bed rock of players needed to survive in the PL for more than the 2 seasons we achieved last time round. Time will tell.

[Mr Angry]

I was as gutted as anyone on Saturday but to be fair if in August I could have taken 33 points after the first 18 games of the season I would have grabbed it.

Yes the team were poor on Saturday but we still have a great chance of promotion. It was never going to be like 2005/6 again.

According to you, it was going to be better.

What I have said all along is consistent. I believe that 2005/6 was a fluke season in many ways. That season we narrowly won or drew many games and it was sheer momentum that kept us going. The few teams we beat comfortably were usually struggling ones. The current squad on the other hand at its best steamroller even other good teams (Wolves, Bristol City, Swansea etc) but if we go behind at present we look vulnerable. We seem to be having more problem beating lower ranked teams than top teams.

I still think this squad has the bed rock of players needed to survive in the PL for more than the 2 seasons we achieved last time round. Time will tell.

I hate it when fans put this sort of thing on the board; FFS - we are in the Championship, and we need to get promotion. Once we have done that, then lets discuss whether the squad is good enough for the next level or not, but to do it now is simply arrogance and disrespectful to the other teams in the Division!

[Wimb]

I won't pretend I've seen every game this year, I'm stuck in Cornwall so my opinions are based on highlights, radio and reviews but this season reminds me of 00/01. At times Cureton and Butler are banging in goals for fun and looking like we own the division, only to come unstuck against far weaker sides (i.e Colchester twice, Northampton) and ultimatly just miss out on the top 2

In my eyes the side was far more entertaining that season then the following year when we went up, but the guys from 01 needed to learn how to gut it out at the top of the division first and that helped form the foundations success in 02.

Obviously this squad is totally different to Pards team that year in terms of what they are used too/where they have come from, but even so I can't help but think that this team will fall short because they don't have the recent experience of playing dogged and determined sides.

Still I don't think the time has come to panic and we'll still be in the thick of it come May, I'm just not sure where in the top 6 it'll be

[Vision]

I won't pretend I've seen every game this year, I'm stuck in Cornwall so my opinions are based on highlights, radio and reviews but this season reminds me of 00/01. At times Cureton and Butler are banging in goals for fun and looking like we own the division, only to come unstuck against far weaker sides (i.e Colchester twice, Northampton) and ultimatly just miss out on the top 2

In my eyes the side was far more entertaining that season then the following year when we went up, but the guys from 01 needed to learn how to gut it out at the top of the division first and that helped form the foundations success in 02.

Obviously this squad is totally different to Pards team that year in terms of what they are used too/where they have come from, but even so I can't help but think that this team will fall short because they don't have the recent experience of playing dogged and determined sides.

Still I don't think the time has come to panic and we'll still be in the thick of it come May, I'm just not sure where in the top 6 it'll be

Well you may not have been to a game but i reckon you've hit the nail on the head pretty much.

We're a high tempo team and when we get things right we can totally bulldozer teams. However when things srent going right and a few players arent on their game then we just look like headless chickens.

Its been my worry for a while that we just look too fragile when things are tough and in this division thats gonna be the case a lot of weeks. Unlike some i'd never doubt the work rate in this squad but it appearss to me they lack the mental toughness to get results when things aren't going for them. We're desperately missing some leadership and i'm loath to say it but thats been the case since Sidwell left.

Having said that I have to say we're doing a lot better than i thought we would at this stage and in a perverse way i'm really enjoying the complete unpredictability of it all.

[Ian Royal]

Agreed,

We're still suffering the mental scars of getting a kicking last season. Our confidence is very fragile. We know we're great, but the doubts set in if we don't score early or go behind. Then it's panic stations and trying too hard. When we relax and enjoy ourselves we're almost unbeatable.

Under pressure with tension we're rather shakey.

[loyalroyal4life]

Southampton game was just a hiccup. That's all.

Look out, Cardiff!!!

Hope you are right!!

[floyd__streete]

We're still suffering the mental scars of getting a kicking last season. Our confidence is very fragile. We know we're great, but the doubts set in if we don't score early or go behind. Then it's panic stations and trying too hard. When we relax and enjoy ourselves we're almost unbeatable.

Under pressure with tension we're rather shakey.

Hopefully tonight's backs against the wall, well merited point will go some way towards erdicating the fear factor. I thought we had 10 heroes tonight, who looked a different team to the leaderless rabble we saw on Saturday.

[Millsy]

Well maybe that thrashing today will do us some favours in the long term. We're not Brazil - we were closer to being Barnet today - so we were never going to go through the long season unbeaten at home in such a competitive league. It might bring some amongst us down to earth too; three wins on the spin had already toasting promotion it seemed and some of the fanciful predictions on another thread belied Southampton's good away form and the fact that we simply aint nowehere near as good as some of you think we are.

Southampton were one of the few teams to come to Reading and try and pass the ball about, and just like against Doncaster and the second half against Swansea we truly struggled. Some of their movement, passing and little flicks were a joy to behold and they were a class above us all game. No complaints at all today - the referee performed well and Southampton played honestly and openly. My only reservations tonight are with the management; Harper on for 80 anonymous minutes? No half time changes having been played off the park in an ineffective opening 45 minutes? Long on for half an hour of the usual honest endeavour with negligible quality? The players can take a look at themselves too; Hahnemann inexplicably failing to come for the first cross for the opening goal for instance, Bikey's showboating bordering on sloppiness. And there is a complete absence of leaders on the pitch for Reading when things go badly wrong as they did today. Not good to watch, but a timely reminder that we aren't head and shoulders above this division like we were 3 years ago.

I fail to see why Jimmy Kebe is hyped up so much to be honest. From a winger you want end product and I cannot recall a single decent cross from him today. Sure, he's pacy but he runs himself down blind alleys and struggles to stay on his feet half the time; if you want to watch a pacy athlete go to Crystal Palace for the sprints, give me a footballer like Glenn Little every time. Luckily for Kebe, as long as Rosenior is playing he won't be the worst player on the pitch; England's right back was atrocious in every department again today, if only he could play football half as well as he talks to the media. Our right side today failed throughout ninety minutes with the exception of any unusually accurate finish at the end of some excellent work by the industrious Doyle who was a class above anything else we had today.

This season was always going to be one of transition and I comfortable and satisfied with where we are the moment. We will finish in the top six and we will win many more than we lose, which is a pretty decent effort. Our squad is a decent one at this level but would we cope in the Premier League? Absolutely not, this isn't remotely as good a side as the one we had three years ago - James Harper's performances, for instance, show what a good player Steve Sidwell was/is.

Very good post and can't disagree with a word of it.

Wolves are pulling away and the difference between us and Birmingham is that when they are 2-1 down their impact sub is Kevin Phllips. And ours is Shane Long.

A point I've been banging on about for so long that I am getting "officially bored of" it.