The Over - Confidence thread

[papereyes]

I will now put my tin hat on and wait for the abuse.

Of all the posters of this board, I think you are perhaps the one who deserves it the most.

That is all.

[Archie's penalty]

I will now put my tin hat on and wait for the abuse.

Of all the posters of this board, I think you are perhaps the one who deserves it the most.

That is all.

Really?

[Baines]

I believe that the current squad is the best we have ever had at the start of a football league (i.e.non PL) season apart from the one that started 2005/6.

Does that view factor in the effect that confidence and momentum, or a lack of either, have on the quality of a squad?

Do you really think that this squad is better than our 94-95 squad?

[papereyes]

I believe that the current squad is the best we have ever had at the start of a football league (i.e.non PL) season apart from the one that started 2005/6.

Does that view factor in the effect that confidence and momentum, or a lack of either, have on the quality of a squad?

Do you really think that this squad is better than our 94-95 squad?

Or even the under-rated 02-03 side?

Its comments like this that just make me think: "idiot".

[Baines]

Surely it's not just the comments, but their combination with the sense of self-satisfaction inherent in the people may abuse me, but I get it right attitude?

Fyi - I think it's hard to call 02-03 vs the current side, but I think that 94-95 vs the current side is simply no contest...

[Agent Balti]

I believe that the current squad is the best we have ever had at the start of a football league (i.e.non PL) season apart from the one that started 2005/6.

That is quite possibly the funniest thing I've seen on the Internet...ever.

[papereyes]

Surely it's not just the comments, but their combination with the sense of self-satisfaction inherent in the people may abuse me, but I get it right attitude?

You might say that. I couldn't possibly comment.

I think it's hard to call 02-03 vs the current side

We'll see. But so far, the system that Pardew developed and the football they played by the end of the season give them the edge.

This makes me want to state that the style, the formation, the system that a squad plays to can be as important a factor as the playing staff. Similar to confidence and momentum but with more managerial control.

[Ian Royal]

What is about football?

I would never go to the theatre or a cinema thinking "this is going to be complete rubbish", I just wouldn't go. But that's exactly what i'm going to be doing on Saturday, spending large amounts of time and money on something I think will be garbage.

You don't support a local theatre, or follow a particular actor everywhere. Incomparable. Football is not about entertainment alone. It is about identity, committment and other such things. Otherwise everyone would just follow whoever was winning at the current time.

[Baines]

I think it's hard to call 02-03 vs the current side

We'll see. But so far, the system that Pardew developed and the football they played by the end of the season give them the edge.

Perhaps a little too reliant on Forster...

[papereyes]

What is about football?

I would never go to the theatre or a cinema thinking "this is going to be complete rubbish", I just wouldn't go. But that's exactly what i'm going to be doing on Saturday, spending large amounts of time and money on something I think will be garbage.

You don't support a local theatre, or follow a particular actor everywhere. Incomparable.

I did. Then she put the restraining order on me.

Football is not about entertainment alone. It is about identity, committment and other such things. Otherwise everyone would just follow whoever was winning at the current time.

I'd ask Kes about that.

I believe that the current squad is the best we have ever had at the start of a football league (i.e.non PL) season apart from the one that started 2005/6.

That is quite possibly the funniest thing I've seen on the Internet...ever.

Even over:

????

[papereyes]

I think it's hard to call 02-03 vs the current side

We'll see. But so far, the system that Pardew developed and the football they played by the end of the season give them the edge.

Perhaps a little too reliant on Forster...

I guess the great thing about mediocrity is that no-one shines.

(I actually think that 02-03 side needed Hughes in it to be the lungs of the team, much like Hunt is to this side. But that may be just me)

[andrew1957]

I will now put my tin hat on and wait for the abuse.

I was right again.

I look forward to RFC winning automatic promotion again this season and then some of you apologising for your ignornace and scorn.

[Ian Royal]

AP and Floyd are intelligent and do have very good points, although I don't agree with them all. AP I know is fairly young. Floyd, I'm not so sure. But the current postings from both strike me as totally disheartened with a period of dissapointment after relative success. As much an angry reaction as a genuine belief we are rubbish.

I recognise what seems to be the same sorts of feelings I was having during the burns years. I'm not trying to be condescending or patronising it's just a feeling I'm currently getting.

I'm all about the gut shot feeling when it comes to the football. Although I'm not exactly stupid so it's usually backed up some sort of intelligent reasoning as well. Most importantly I don't see much point in being depressed and pessimistic about the club unless the going is really really bad. Because if you are you'll spend most of your football following life at best a bit dissapointed.

I follow Reading because I genuinely care and love the club. Staying in the Championship is a decent achievement for me. Any season we don't fall down into tier 3 can't be that bad. That's just me. I recognise there are many many more who want and expect more than that.

[Baines]

I will now put my tin hat on and wait for the abuse.

I was right again.

I look forward to RFC winning automatic promotion again this season and then some of you apologising for your ignornace and scorn.

When accusing others of ignorance, it helps to spell it correctly.

Why not just address the merits of what's been said in response to your post about the quality of the squad?

By the way, I'm interested that our being relegated last season didn't prove you wrong, but our being promoted this season would prove you right.

[Royal Rother]

I believe that the current squad is the best we have ever had at the start of a football league (i.e.non PL) season apart from the one that started 2005/6.

That is quite possibly the funniest thing I've seen on the Internet...ever.

So approximately how many times have we started a season with more than 14 full internationals in the squad?

Caps might not be the be all and end all of course but your exaggeration is one of the most ridiculous I've seen on the internet... ever

[papereyes]

AP and Floyd are intelligent and do have very good points, although I don't agree with them all. AP I know is fairly young. Floyd, I'm not so sure. But the current postings from both strike me as totally disheartened with a period of dissapointment after relative success. As much an angry reaction as a genuine belief we are rubbish.

Assuming you're within a year of me, I think the four of us are all about the same age. In fact, of the the 'we're a bit rubbish' brigade, my gut feeling is that they're all around 25-29 having been younger teenagers in 1994-95 and have a good decade or so of watching Reading - but maybe importantly did not watch much of the rubbish years. Add in irregular posters along that line (certainly I feel WJ, H+P and Mags think along similar lines), there's a common age there. I'm not sure about SKDD's age but that's my thoughts on the matter. Not that you wanted them.

I think there's a shared belief that we could do better and that we should be able to do better. I think also we're of a generation of fans that have seen more Division 2 football than Division 3 (old rules) coupled with the change to the new stadium.

[andrew1957]

I will now put my tin hat on and wait for the abuse.

I was right again.

I look forward to RFC winning automatic promotion again this season and then some of you apologising for your ignornace and scorn.

When accusing others of ignorance, it helps to spell it correctly.

Why not just address the merits of what's been said in response to your post about the quality of the squad?

By the way, I'm interested that our being relegated last season didn't prove you wrong, but our being promoted this season would prove you right.

Of course I was wrong last year - I was not suggesting otherwise.

Football is a game of opinions and I do not believe the 02/03 side was a patch on the current one and equally do not think that 94/95 was the same standard as the current squad. The current squad includes many players with two years PL experience who helped the side achieve 8th place. We have several good youngsters coming through who may well become PL players of the future. Additionally we have players like Matejovsky, Bikey, Rosenior, Kebe and N Hunt who have since been added and "may" if given a chance, become the stars of this season and beyond.

Of course nothing in football is certain but my "opinion" is that this is the second best squad we have ever had. If they achieve automatic promotion they undoubtedly will prove they are.

Having said this I realise that tactics, player selection, injuries etc all play a part. In 2005/6 we had few serious injuries and a very tight squad which may well not be the case this time, but taking everything into account I see no reason why another promotion cannot be achieved this season.

[papereyes]

Just don't jinx us with another fecking "N cup finals to go" thread.

[Baines]

- papereyes - Interesting. As a reference point, my first season was 85-86. I have a similar point of view to Ian's that any season we're above the 3rd tier isn't too bad. But I think that, even if you start from that point of view, expectations have understandably been raised by both the new stadium and 05-07. Additionally, the feeling that last year's wilting away was avoidable without extravagant measures needing to be taken helps to engender the feeling you referred to that we could and should be in a better shape than we are at the moment.

[andrew1957]

Just don't jinx us with another fecking "N cup finals to go" thread.

Fair enough

Oh I cannot stop myself.

There are just 45 Cup Finals to Go!!!