Sad lack of ambition - or weird mind games?

[Hampshire Royal]

Chelsea are nothing other than a rich man's toy!! A man, moreover, who made his vast fortune (some say) as a result of the rise of the mafia in Russia. Their team is made up of a collection of talented individuals, most of whom are foreign, and a good proportion are African. Which is ironic, seeing as how the majority of Chelsea fans are small-minded little Englanders who are racist in the extreme. As has been said before, Chelsea were in Div 2 not that long ago.

The trouble with Chelsea, and their fans, is that they are trying to invent a history for themselves to rival genuinely historic clubs such as Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal. They will never acheive that because as soon as Abromivich gets tired of his little toy, and pulls his money out or (as some say is more likely) he gets found out and is brought to book in Russia, they will collapse and disappear. Maybe it's already beginning to happen. After a few injuries, their manager is bemoaning the fact that his squad isn't strong enough for the English season. They are now second in the league and will not win it this season. It looks likely that Mourinho will leave the club soon and then what? Will they break up in disarray in the same way that Hearts have? Almost certainly.

There are not many people who will weep over their inevitable demise. I remember the sixties and seventies when a lot of clubs had many violent fans. Chelsea were always among the worst and most viscious of them. It will be a happy day for English football when Chelsea collapse into chaos and all their nouveau fans crawl back into the holes from which they came.

Nothing personal, Harold!!

[Fubar]

I think we probably both need to get lives.

I used to have one of those. I lost it...

[seahawk10]

I do agree that SC is just managing expectations. We might not be able to beat the top four with any regularity, but we have shown we can play with anyone else in the Prem. That is something to be proud of.

[Gordon Cumming's right ho]

Share the empathy, shades!

The club we should aspire to is Bolton. Similar-ish size, now properly entrenched in the Prem since.... you know when...

We're not a Watford or a Wigan, god forbid.

[Shortbread]

What the management is doing is trying to bring the fans back down to earth so that they enjoy what we do achieve, not get pissed off if we don't make Europe or win some sort of trophy.

I think you're absolutely spot on there, Ian. That was one of our secrets last season - allowing players the freedom to enjoy themselves without putting too much pressure on themselves lets them relax and play football like they know they can. I'm sure that was one of the findings of our falling away at the close of the previous season, when we played like we were tired and the sense of failure was everywhere. We've now brought that lack of pressure into both the next two seasons. Some might call it over-achieving; I call it clever management. I'm sure it also lets us respond to pressure within games better too - look at how many times we've come back from behind this seasons and got a result (or nearly got one). Players playing with freedom and a lack of fear are much better players.

[Gordons Cumming]

A bit of a break from matches,....................... not much going on,..................I know.................let's have a dig at the management.

By the way Shades, I agree with you..............................and I'm a little older than you.

[Huntley & Palmer]

In the last few weeks Sir Steve has pronounced that:
(a) We're not ever going to win the Premier League (proably true, but why not dream)
(b) We're not going to win the FA Cup (although we've just had our best chance of winning it since 1928),

And now Kevin Dillon announces (c) We're not bothered about qualifying for Europe either.

Well I bloody am - it's a lifetime ambition to follow this club into Europe.

If this is all mind games, I'm confused. It seems to be encouraging the players not to try too hard in the last few games and tells us punters that mid-table is the summit of ambition for the foreseeable future, and on no account must we try to win a cup competition. It's beginning to p*ss me off.

a) is most certainly right unless we get bought out by a billionaire that fancies lavishing the cash. We will win the Championship again though

b) we had our best chance of progressing to the quarter finals.

c) i would say they are bothered but just don't wish to whip the fans up into a frenzy by stating it. Just think, the players or staff say that we are gunning for it. We miss out by a long margin, fans start questioning the team's commitment etc

[SpaceCruiser]

Share the empathy, shades!

The club we should aspire to is Bolton. Similar-ish size, now properly entrenched in the Prem since.... you know when...

We're not a Watford or a Wigan, god forbid.

We should aspire to be ourselves. I don't want to be like anybody else.

[Don Finch]

We're not a Watford or a Wigan, god forbid.

We've got a better ground than Watford, that's about it. Watford have played in the top flight before, nearly won the league one season (I think) along with an FA Cup final spot. As Harold has said, there are a hell of a lot of non-Reading fans going to the games nowadays. You only needed to go to the Burnley cup game for a stark reminder of the Division 1/2 days at Madejski, and the attendances we would probably get if we went down + some hangers-on.

I agree with you about Wigan though, god forbid.

Who gives a shit though, as Spacey said, we're Reading. (we're Reading, we'll kick your f'ing head in)

[Man Friday]

Next seaon I'd definitely like to see us go for the cups - especially as we have no chance of winning the league. No point in merely existing, we've got to try to win something - whilst we've got a decent side that can win things. Could be in five years' time we're back in a lower division with a crap manager and a crap team. Let's try to win something while we've got a good manager and a good team.

[rotherwick_royal]

I think they are being realistic. Clubs like Reading, Watford, Wigan should be pleased they are in the Premier League and anything else is a bonus.

I am going to so love it when Abrahmovic jumps ship and Chelsea do a Leeds. You know it's going to happen

[aaronrfc]

What the management is doing is trying to bring the fans back down to earth so that they enjoy what we do achieve, not get pissed off if we don't make Europe or win some sort of trophy.

I think you're absolutely spot on there, Ian. That was one of our secrets last season - allowing players the freedom to enjoy themselves without putting too much pressure on themselves lets them relax and play football like they know they can. I'm sure that was one of the findings of our falling away at the close of the previous season, when we played like we were tired and the sense of failure was everywhere. We've now brought that lack of pressure into both the next two seasons. Some might call it over-achieving; I call it clever management. I'm sure it also lets us respond to pressure within games better too - look at how many times we've come back from behind this seasons and got a result (or nearly got one). Players playing with freedom and a lack of fear are much better players.

completely agree. well said!

[rotherwick_royal]

And now Kevin Dillon announces (c) We're not bothered about qualifying for Europe either.

Expectation management - it matters to the club, it matters to the players and it matters to the fans.

...and slightly off-topic, it might be the only thing that keeps Sidwell here...

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/readi ... or_sidwell

[Top Flight]

I think the management are just trying to keep pressure off the players and focus their minds on what is really important which is beating Pompey on Saturday.

If we start focussing on winning cups and qualifying for UEFA we will get sidetracked and maybe forget that in order to get there we need to pick up 3 points on Saturday.

The only thing that matters is beating Pompey on Saturday. If we keep playing well then results will look after themselves and we will end up achieving something.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Reading's aim every season is to try to win every game they play.

What their aim is not is to set visible targets and say how they're all aiming to get into Europe, win the FA Cup, win the league etc....

So the aim will always remain not giving one iota about anything else other than the next game.

Simple, straight-forward and it works.

[Harold]

Chelsea are nothing other than a rich man's toy!! A man, moreover, who made his vast fortune (some say) as a result of the rise of the mafia in Russia. Their team is made up of a collection of talented individuals, most of whom are foreign, and a good proportion are African. Which is ironic, seeing as how the majority of Chelsea fans are small-minded little Englanders who are racist in the extreme. As has been said before, Chelsea were in Div 2 not that long ago.

The trouble with Chelsea, and their fans, is that they are trying to invent a history for themselves to rival genuinely historic clubs such as Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal. They will never acheive that because as soon as Abromivich gets tired of his little toy, and pulls his money out or (as some say is more likely) he gets found out and is brought to book in Russia, they will collapse and disappear. Maybe it's already beginning to happen. After a few injuries, their manager is bemoaning the fact that his squad isn't strong enough for the English season. They are now second in the league and will not win it this season. It looks likely that Mourinho will leave the club soon and then what? Will they break up in disarray in the same way that Hearts have? Almost certainly.

There are not many people who will weep over their inevitable demise. I remember the sixties and seventies when a lot of clubs had many violent fans. Chelsea were always among the worst and most viscious of them. It will be a happy day for English football when Chelsea collapse into chaos and all their nouveau fans crawl back into the holes from which they came.

Nothing personal, Harold!!

Keep clutching at those straws.

[Ian Royal]

Chelsea are nothing other than a rich man's toy!! A man, moreover, who made his vast fortune (some say) as a result of the rise of the mafia in Russia. Their team is made up of a collection of talented individuals, most of whom are foreign, and a good proportion are African. Which is ironic, seeing as how the majority of Chelsea fans are small-minded little Englanders who are racist in the extreme. As has been said before, Chelsea were in Div 2 not that long ago.

The trouble with Chelsea, and their fans, is that they are trying to invent a history for themselves to rival genuinely historic clubs such as Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal. They will never acheive that because as soon as Abromivich gets tired of his little toy, and pulls his money out or (as some say is more likely) he gets found out and is brought to book in Russia, they will collapse and disappear. Maybe it's already beginning to happen. After a few injuries, their manager is bemoaning the fact that his squad isn't strong enough for the English season. They are now second in the league and will not win it this season. It looks likely that Mourinho will leave the club soon and then what? Will they break up in disarray in the same way that Hearts have? Almost certainly.

There are not many people who will weep over their inevitable demise. I remember the sixties and seventies when a lot of clubs had many violent fans. Chelsea were always among the worst and most viscious of them. It will be a happy day for English football when Chelsea collapse into chaos and all their nouveau fans crawl back into the holes from which they came.

Nothing personal, Harold!!

Keep clutching at those straws.

Keep living in dream land Harold.

[strap]

I think they are being realistic. Clubs like Reading, Watford, Wigan should be pleased they are in the Premier League and anything else is a bonus.

When the Russian mafia goes, (not long now!), Chelsea will be pleased to even be in existence.

[Millsy]

Another thread being hijacked for the benefit of Harold's daily orgasm.

Is HNA going to do something about this sort of fishing from pathetic lonely indivuals with a chip on their shoulder against RFC or HNA (or both) or are droves of us going to be put off visiting HNA?

It's getting tiresome.

Sort it out please HNA.

[Sam Tubber]

Another thread being hijacked for the benefit of Harold's daily orgasm.

Is HNA going to do something about this sort of fishing from pathetic lonely indivuals with a chip on their shoulder against RFC or HNA (or both) or are droves of us going to be put off visiting HNA?

It's getting tiresome.

Sort it out please HNA.

LOL. Just because you can't take them doesn't mean Harold's contributions are any less relevant. He merely provides a needed reality check.