Apologies here please:-

[sucatraps]

For all the vitriol, abuse and doubts cast upon the head of our team manager, his staff and players, the detractors can sign up here for the sack cloth, hair shirts and ashes they deserve!

[Gordons Cumming]

I'd like to apologise on behalf of Alan Partridge, if he doesn't mind.

[sucatraps]

I'd like to apologise on behalf of Alan Partridge, if he doesn't mind.

Sweet!

[g]

so why did we lose 8 games in a row ?

[sucatraps]

Because nobody has a devine right to win, and our opponents scored more goals than us!

[g]

oh

[sucatraps]

HTH

[dennis nelson]

don't be daft, any stick they have received has been well deserved, we have been crap for most of the year, however, credit where it's due, fantastic today and deserve all the plaudits they receive. a few more results and performances like this we'll finish mid-table, but if the RFC who turned up v bolton turn up again, we will be back in the myre!!

[Jerry St Clair]

For all the vitriol, abuse and doubts cast upon the head of our team manager, his staff and players, the detractors can sign up here for the sack cloth, hair shirts and ashes they deserve!

I knew someone would be smug enough to post a thread like this.

So, in your fantasy world, a season of mostly drivel is forgotten about after a couple of good wins? A great result today, but it doesn't render all previous criticism invalid.

[sucatraps]

For all the vitriol, abuse and doubts cast upon the head of our team manager, his staff and players, the detractors can sign up here for the sack cloth, hair shirts and ashes they deserve!

I knew someone would be smug enough to post a thread like this.

So, in your fantasy world, a season of mostly drivel is forgotten about after a couple of good wins? A great result today, but it doesn't render all previous criticism invalid.

Smugly happy to oblige!

[Archie's penalty]

It's all about perspective.

We have played terribly this season and have got some good results as well.

We have to keep calm but we have it in us to finish outside the bottom three as we showed today.

Yes I have swallowed the Coppell handbook!

No-one needs to apologise let's just be happy!

[Royal Rother]

Stick where stick is deserved is fine - it's the lack of faith in, and support given to, the team, its management and the Board that grates with me after years of unparalleled success have shown that they actually have a pretty good idea of how to do their jobs.

[Boston Royal]

For all the vitriol, abuse and doubts cast upon the head of our team manager, his staff and players, the detractors can sign up here for the sack cloth, hair shirts and ashes they deserve!

I knew someone would be smug enough to post a thread like this.

So, in your fantasy world, a season of mostly drivel is forgotten about after a couple of good wins? A great result today, but it doesn't render all previous criticism invalid.

Exactly. Perhaps these two great wins were because Coppell's changes have been in line with the criticisms here - dropping some favorites (e.g. Murty for Rosenior), sensible substitutions. Both the earlier criticism and the current elation can be consistent.

[floyd__streete]

Good win, solid performance. Four more wins and a thread like this will be thoroughly valid, so lets wait til then eh?

[LUX]

Good win, solid performance. Four more wins and a thread like this will be thoroughly valid, so lets wait til then eh?

fair enough.

ps good post RR.

[sucatraps]

I don't have a problem with criticism and I suspect SSC et al wouldn't either, but the truth is probably somewhere between all the negative and positive comments. The extreme comments have been, well extreme! Confidence plays a great part in sporting success and failure, the future for Reading must be built on what will often appear to many as swimming against the tide, ie: splashing millions, sacking managers weekly or sooner and generally joining the deluded masses of premier league fashionistas! I'd sooner follow my team and take a more realistic approach. We can flourish, but we must exercise patience and continuity, qualities that SSC has in spades IMHO

[Geekins]

The only thing i've been mad about regarding the team was the 7-4 defeat against Portsmouth. When we finally beat them, then i will make my apology. I have fully backed Coppell and Reading all the way through this tough period.

[Alan Partridge]

I'd like to apologise on behalf of Alan Partridge, if he doesn't mind.

erm No thanks.

Win 2 games and everything is hunky dorey? Enjoyed the 2nd half today, Coppell finally found a set of balls after 8 straight defeats to drop certain players. It's no coincidence that Rosenior and Bikey have come into the side and Reading have kept 2 clean sheets.

[earleyroyal]

For all the vitriol, abuse and doubts cast upon the head of our team manager, his staff and players, the detractors can sign up here for the sack cloth, hair shirts and ashes they deserve!

So how many games in a row do Reading have to lose before you allow any criticism? Some of the criticism (Coppell out, drop the whole team etc.) has been unwarranted and over the top, but the fact that Reading have now won 2 out of 11 games, as opposed to 0 out of 9, doesn't mean anyone who dared to criticise some aspects of the club's performance should have to apologise.

[sucatraps]

For all the vitriol, abuse and doubts cast upon the head of our team manager, his staff and players, the detractors can sign up here for the sack cloth, hair shirts and ashes they deserve!

So how many games in a row do Reading have to lose before you allow any criticism? Some of the criticism (Coppell out, drop the whole team etc.) has been unwarranted and over the top, but the fact that Reading have now won 2 out of 11 games, as opposed to 0 out of 9, doesn't mean anyone who dared to criticise some aspects of the club's performance should have to apologise.

Criticism can occur anytime, unwarranted attacks from knee jerk extremists are corrosive and destructive, we are better off points wise losing some (even many) and winning some, rather than drawing many, and feeling good about ourselves and getting relegated. Unwarranted criticism can hound managers out of clubs and destroy fragile confidence for no good reason!