Get some perspective

[papereyes]

I am impressed that some of you have so much time on your hands that you can find post that I made nearly two years ago.

We went to the box on the top and searched 'andrew 1957 prematurely smug prick'

[Terminal Boardom]

I am impressed that some of you have so much time on your hands that you can find post that I made nearly two years ago.

We went to the box on the top and searched 'andrew 1957 smug prick'

Corrected for you

[andrew1957]

I am impressed that some of you have so much time on your hands that you can find post that I made nearly two years ago.

We went to the box on the top and searched 'andrew 1957 prematurely smug prick'

Sneering and smug all in one day. You boys know how to flatter me.

[floyd__streete]

My point then as it is now is that a supporter should really support the club

I do, I support them consistently in the only way which truly matters to them - financially. Anything else is conjecture.

For me BR has the making of a great manager. We may not be winning every week but we are playing with much more style than we have for the past two seasons.

I take issue with this. More often than not it is long ball crud; in a desperate second half last night I can recall Pearce and Ingimarsson banging plenty of long balls down the middle of the park towards the ineffectual Rasiak. Sadly, I think that some people are convinced that we are playing 'better football' because our deluded manager tells you so.

This may have consequenses in the short term as the Championship seems to favour team's that clog their way through games and make agricultural tackles - as Palace were guilty of a lot last night.

They were also guilty of scoring 4 goals, two of which were absolute pearlers, and rinsing us for pace time and time again. Get down off your high horse.

I would rather we go down to League 1 playing good football than buy in a few old Championship hardened cloggers just to survive in 20th place for the next three seasons.

I would rather not go back to the days of 6,000 crowds in League One ever, thanks all the same.

Let us hope the owner is not as fickle as some of you are and gives BR the full backing that he deserves.

Why does he deserve backing? Sacking, maybe. What has he done so far to impress you so? Oh yes, I forgot - 'better football'.

I am impressed that some of you have so much time on your hands that you can find post that I made nearly two years ago.

We went to the box on the top and searched 'andrew 1957 prematurely smug prick'

[andrew1957]

To Floyd

The bottom line is that as there is not going to be any serious investment in new players - even if we sacked Rodgers tomorrow - do you seriously think another manager will get more out of the current squad. I really cannot think of anyone who would.

People say Ferguson but Peterborough were hardly top 10 when he left - they were bottom. Tisdale is just as unproven as Rodgers at this level and even Steve Coppell would struggle if he came back.

The recession has put paid to our PL ambitions for the foreseeable future and the best chance of future success is with building a young team, with a young up and coming manager.

I guess this season will tell us how many of our fans were just PL glory hunters - sadly all too many by out ever reducing crowd numbers.

At least I respect the fact that you attend matches, unlike some others on here who constantly slag the team off but have never even been inside the Madstad.

[floyd__streete]

The bottom line is that as there is not going to be any serious investment in new players - even if we sacked Rodgers tomorrow - do you seriously think another manager will get more out of the current squad. I really cannot think of anyone who would.

I actually agree to some extent here. What I would say though is that perhaps if we gave an experienced manager a short-term contract with a nice fat survival bonus at the end of it we might have a chance of staying up. And if we did fail at least we could shrug our shoulders and say that we gave it a go.

People say Ferguson but Peterborough were hardly top 10 when he left - they were bottom. Tisdale is just as unproven as Rodgers at this level and even Steve Coppell would struggle if he came back.

The only difference of course being that Ferguson has actually achieved something in the game unlike Rodgers - successive promotions in his first two full seasons in management. Think of all the useful links his famous father might afford us too. And if we are to go down to League One, Ferguson has proven that he knows how to get teams out of that division; some of their signings from non league have been exceptional.

Oh well, both you and I are fully aware that the club will fail to act until way, way too late anyway. Mr Madejski and the yes men who surround him will fiddle whilst Rome burns and the ashes will be taken to Brunton Park and Spotland in affectionate remembrance of Reading Football Club. And that, sir, in a nutshell why I am continually so cynical towards this club. Happy Christmas to you.

[Terminal Boardom]

Totally agree with you Floyd. This Nero syndrome is what will take us down.

[Dorset-Knob]

after you with the resin Carruthers!

[PEARCEY]

I don't agree with the premise that no-one else could come in and do a better job with the players at his disposal. I think thats wide of the mark.
Alan Curbishley for a kick-off would do a far better job and have the sense to pick a settled side.

[Focher]

I still maintain that the main cause of our current problem is Coppell and last years team, they set the tone for what we are going through now, and Rodgers has been left with the aftermath.

Thats not to say Rodgers hasn't made some almighty f'uck ups so far this season,he has, but to blame him directly for where we are now is in my view harsh.

[working class hero]

The best thing that Sir John can do in my opinion is to simply say Brendan Rodgers is here to stay - whatever happens - even if we get relegated - as he is the right man to build on the new "cut your cloth" youth policy.

What happened to Brick by Brick then?

Coppell dismantled it.

When Coppell left the tower was solid - we had just lost in the play-offs.

Since he left we have been reduced to ground zero. I don't think Rodgers wanted to sell - he had to. So it is Mr M's fault - but if he is hit by the recession we can hardly be surprised that he has had to clamp down.

[Focher]

When Coppell left the tower was solid - we had just lost in the play-offs.

are you joking????????? The tower was well and truly crumbling by the time Coppell left, and by the start of the season it had fallen.

[working class hero]

people are screaming for blood at lack of investment and lack of ambition

Not me.
I think we lacked ambition by not spending the extra to buy Smith - but it is fair enough as I don't pay the bills.
If we go down I think the lack of investment will prove to have been a folly, although League 1 will be enjoyable I guess....

Perhaps the lessons of Barnsley / Bradford / Leeds / Charlton / Norwich / Soton, even Oxford are that on falling from the top it is necessary to fall to a level where you can compete and gain confidence and then build up for another challenge.

The difference is of course that most of those clubs are still able to retain a large core following [even Oxford get 5-6000 in the Conference] and we might not do so.
The time to worry will be when we and Reading Town pass each other [could be in as little as 3 years time]

[working class hero]

When Coppell left the tower was solid - we had just lost in the play-offs.

are you joking????????? The tower was well and truly crumbling by the time Coppell left, and by the start of the season it had fallen.

A play off season by most standards is a high degree of success.... Coppell left us a healthy squad.

[winchester_royal]

When Coppell left the tower was solid - we had just lost in the play-offs.

are you joking????????? The tower was well and truly crumbling by the time Coppell left, and by the start of the season it had fallen.

A play off season by most standards is a high degree of success.... Coppell left us a healthy squad.

Which we had to massively cull in order to survive.

[Southbank Old Boy]

When Coppell left the tower was solid - we had just lost in the play-offs.

are you joking????????? The tower was well and truly crumbling by the time Coppell left, and by the start of the season it had fallen.

A play off season by most standards is a high degree of success.... Coppell left us a healthy squad.

He left us a squad that was always going to be losing its key players

Just like when we lost the likes of Sidwell, Sonko and Litlle Coppell didnt know how to replace them

From the moment we went up Coppell failed to improve the squad and have players come in to replace his trusted players. Thats why we went down, and thats why we didnt have good enough players coming through into the side to replace those players long term Reading players who were always going to leave

If he had, we wouldnt have a squad now that needs such a massive rebuilding

[Focher]

i totally disagree, as far as im concerned the 2nd half of last season was a total and utter disaster. There is no way on this earth we should have been in the play offs last season, we should have gone up. If we didn't go up we were always going to lose the squad, Coppell failed to do that with a total lack of ability to change a losing team/system. When things were good under Coppell they were good, when things were bad they were awful. Dont get me wrong he's the best we've had in the 25 years ive seen Reading, but his inability to turn things round got us relegation from the Premier league, and cost us a place in the top 2 last season, and we are still suffering for that.

[Archie's penalty]

Some good posts here and some drivel as usual.

1) Royalee - Your anti-Coppell stuff just gets on my goat and makes me want to call you names which I will refrain from doing.

2) Yes we could have bred new players through last year and not gambled but everyone (I would say 95% of fans) agreed with the gambling approach. And you have to say that we did bring some players through - Karacan, Pearce etc.

3) I am not altogether upset with the way things are going. It never was going to be the same after Copps and the rest left. But I'm in it for the long haul.

4) I think we will stay up this year if Rodgers is more consistent with his decisions - like he was in the main in the last five games before Palace. Just as he was getting more confident again he tried to experiment - NO! Stay with what was making you successful, stop being bolshie.

[rob the royal]

To Floyd

I guess this season will tell us how many of our fans were just PL glory hunters - sadly all too many by out ever reducing crowd numbers.

At least I respect the fact that you attend matches, unlike some others on here who constantly slag the team off but have never even been inside the Madstad.

What rubbish. Most of the people who come on here to slag off the performances are the ones who are going to the games and have been for decades.

There's a lot to be annoyed about:

A lot of fan negativity has been fuelled by the calamity that was the second half of last season - we threw it away. The Premier League has some real under performers this season and smaller clubs are doing well out of it - no wonder people are annoyed we missed out. If we'd gone up we obviously would not have needed to cut our cloth - another bone of contention for fans - even if it was right and proper.

Also, rather obviously our inability to win home matches (or even to look like winning) - apart from the odd game here and there. Not only have we been unable to win, but often, until recently we never looked like winning and it was dull and heartless - in short a waste of time and money. We're Reading fans - we've paid money to see rubbish teams play with heart in the past, we don't mind that - what we don't like is seeing a team turn up and capitulate without ever giving it a real go.

This leads to the make up of the team. It's great to see youngsters in the team but with so many a bit of leadership is required... yes the older players have more experience but the only one with any leadership qualities is ivar. There are too many natural born followers and/or youngsters out there and not enough leaders.

Rodgers. He hyped up our chances and is failing to deliver and even though most fans would already have thought his aims were unrealistic, we probably all would have expected a few more points than what we've got so far. In addition his formations, team selections and substitutions can be odd or hard to understand.

Relegation is a possibility. If we go down fighting I won't be as disappointed. We're in a sticky position already... how long before we see 11 players out there playing like it's a cup final? This is what I want to see - and if we lose games and go down then fair enough. But at the moment, on the pitch, we are lacklustre and a little lacking in passion in my view.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

If we'd have had the balls to appoint a new manager last year and let him keep a few of last years squad but without going all out like we did, we'd have been in a healthier position now AND probably wouldn't have capitulated quite as badly last year once players like Hunt knew they were off regardless.

It is my 100% belief that Hunt and Doyle would have left after relegation had Coppell been replaced.