Reading: Burnley's "Worst Case Scenario"

[papereyes]

Coppell at the time stated the team wasn't big enough and the extra itinery would screw up the second season. Hmmmm. I think it would have been a case of JM having to invest heavier and far and above what the wage structure already was. In hindsight this would have placed an even greater emphasis on the failure to capitalise on the second season and the relegation of last season. This is in respect of selling off the squad to try and balance the finances.

and then they chose to have preseason in Korea.



And fwiw, we had a season long honeymoon in the Prem. While Burnley continue to attack and take every game as one they could win, they will do well. Given that they're expected to be bottom and adrift, like Hull last season, what they are achieving is immense.

[ankeny]

Not gloating at all, but then again you know very little about football royalexile, stick to AE.

One of the best articles i've read in a long time. Why can't we have someone of that calibre down here?

Very fair article and he is right about Europe when we gave up the intertoto, we didn't live a little and now we are back down to the level we started at.

Not quite the level we started at FR but as Dylan said Not Dark Yet but were getting there

[Wimb]

The Premiership is also a lot worse this year then it was in 07/08 IMO.

The year we went down, Sunderland came up and spent Big, Birmingham also constructed a decent team and it was only Derby who were pathetic.

Compare that to this season, where there are numerous poor sides, Wigan, Hull, Burnley, Bolton, Pompy, Sham, Wolves etc. It's been said before but had we survived that fecking season I honestly think we'd be cruising now in mid/lower mid table.

Then again our whole reason for being relegated was dropping 6 points to each of Bolton and Fulham so maybe the amount of shite teams wouldn't make a difference

FWIW, I don't think we've fallen as far as people think.... Yes we've had a dire 1st half of the season but with players back from injury/suspension and slowly building a bit of confidence, we've shown we can mix it with the top half.

[Mad Dog's Ghost]

Perfectly fair article with an admission that Burnley rode their luck a little on the pitch and in the boardroom. Anyone who thinks it's offensive to Reading in any way needs to get over themselves.

Also, he's a journo ... chances are he's not even a Burnley fan.

Good luck to them. Hope they stay up and get the best out of Bikey.

[Nobby]

Very good point. Few journos on local papers come from the area they cover.

He's not going to slag Burnley in the local rag.

Mind you is he really suggesting the Reading players deliberately threw the Watford match that season to avoid Europe?

He could be right of course, but saying so in print is another thing.

[Royal Rother]

We turned down Intertoto place re Fairplay qualification. Poss whoosh I guess...

[Wimb]

We turned down Intertoto place re Fairplay qualification. Poss whoosh I guess...

I was under the impression that it was based on league placing. Back when it was 2 Inter-Toto places they used to hand one out for the FP League, but I believe that year (and it's final year iirc) it was down to league placing.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

we turned it down, regardless, I wanted us to take it at the time, it might have just been a couple of games in the summer.

[Super_horns]

Mind you is he really suggesting the Reading players deliberately threw the Watford match that season to avoid Europeanother thing.

You made a good effort to win that game...jsut Ben Foster was in great form if I remember right.

Ipswich got into Europe (twice) and it didn't really help their cause in the end.

[mr_number]

Did we really turn down the Intertoto Cup? I know officially we weren't keen on making Europe, but I never knew that happened (/not sure it really did...)

[Wimb]

Did we really turn down the Intertoto Cup? I know officially we weren't keen on making Europe, but I never knew that happened (/not sure it really did...)

I believe around the turn of the year teams were asked if they would like to be considered for the Inter Toto or not and in such a case I presume we decided not to apply.

Have to admit it felt odd seeing Blackburn fans going mental despite the fact they finished below us

[Sun Tzu]

You have to remember articles like that aren;t intended for the consumption of any one other than local fans. hence he can be a little bit constructive with the truth (as in how he thinks that Bikey was one of our key players, ignores the fact that while Marcus had been a great servant we had more than adequate replacements lined up and Hunt had been slated by almost every one for much of the previous year !).

If Burnley had not gone up there is no comparison between their situation and ours. Remember we failed to get promoted the season before the 106 points. They had no players who would have committed to one season and then be wanting to return to the top level, a failed promotion attempt would have been seen as a success and their manager would have stayed.

It's a failry interesting piece but fatally flawed given the two teams had very different recent histories. Draw a comparison between us and Sheff Utd perhaps, or look at how Burnely may fair when they get relegated....

[Cookie]

He can stick that article right up his smug Claret arse.

[Man Friday]

I just love looking at old posts!

This one is a real hoot!

[Big Foot]

Almost since that article was written our fortunes have both turned round

[Sun Tzu]

Next season could be interesting for both clubs as well.

I suspect Burnley will not be in the running for an immediate return to the Prem.

[bobby m's syrup]

Of course the article is parochial and patronising. It was intended for consumption of a fan base smaller than the population of Lundy. No worse than the drivel regularly served up by the 'Chronicle'. Why does such 'village fete' journalism even merit a thread?

[Man Friday]

...presumably because it's about Reading FC?

[Wimb]

bump and lolz