Positive fans must go

[akranes]

and continue to be positive.

[andrew1957]

The irony is that on here I am classed as an RTG most of the time whereas my wife thinks I am a manic depressive.

What that says about the STG's on here I really don't know.

[handbags_harris]

You are an RTG in the Rosey sense of the phrase.

I, however, like to think of myself as an RTG in the Realistic sense of the phrase.

Personally I accepted as soon as we were promoted that we were going to struggle this season, there was absolutely no way we were the best side in the division last season. It was painfully obvious that we lacked Premier League quality at times, the number of ground-out 1-0's against the likes of Burnley, Bristol City and Ipswich Town suggested as much. It would have taken wholesale changes across the board to ensure that we had any hope of staying up this year and there was no question of us doing that, it isn't the Reading way. So this season I accept that we will struggle, we were obviously going to add to the squad with Premier League quality and we have attempted to do that to varying degrees of success with the acquisitions of Shorey, Pogrebnyak, McLeary, Gunter, Mariappa and Guthrie. If we can get the best out of those that clearly are Premier League quality, add to them in January and by hook or by crook stay up, we should be in a position to be able to further strengthen in the summer. Unfortunately at the moment we are not seeing anything of Guthrie, very little of Pogrebnyak, sporadic bursts of quality from McLeary, a horribly out of his depth Gunter and an unfortunate Mariappa who did nothing wrong IMO in his spell in the side. The only consistent performer is Shorey who we knew about anyway. So given the personnel on offer, I'll settle for a competitive side which is why you won't hear me moaning about the team or management not being good enough, you'll not hear me calling for McDermott's head or certain players to be shifted out of the side. I may pick up on their all-too-obvious weaknesses but it'll be in a matter-of-fact tone rather than a . I expected this season to pan out as it has, I can't see how anybody else could predict differently and then whinge about it.

[Millsy]

You are an RTG in the Rosey sense of the phrase.

I, however, like to think of myself as an RTG in the Realistic sense of the phrase.

Personally I accepted as soon as we were promoted that we were going to struggle this season, there was absolutely no way we were the best side in the division last season. It was painfully obvious that we lacked Premier League quality at times, the number of ground-out 1-0's against the likes of Burnley, Bristol City and Ipswich Town suggested as much. It would have taken wholesale changes across the board to ensure that we had any hope of staying up this year and there was no question of us doing that, it isn't the Reading way. So this season I accept that we will struggle, we were obviously going to add to the squad with Premier League quality and we have attempted to do that to varying degrees of success with the acquisitions of Shorey, Pogrebnyak, McLeary, Gunter, Mariappa and Guthrie. If we can get the best out of those that clearly are Premier League quality, add to them in January and by hook or by crook stay up, we should be in a position to be able to further strengthen in the summer. Unfortunately at the moment we are not seeing anything of Guthrie, very little of Pogrebnyak, sporadic bursts of quality from McLeary, a horribly out of his depth Gunter and an unfortunate Mariappa who did nothing wrong IMO in his spell in the side. The only consistent performer is Shorey who we knew about anyway. So given the personnel on offer, I'll settle for a competitive side which is why you won't hear me moaning about the team or management not being good enough, you'll not hear me calling for McDermott's head or certain players to be shifted out of the side. I may pick up on their all-too-obvious weaknesses but it'll be in a matter-of-fact tone rather than a . I expected this season to pan out as it has, I can't see how anybody else could predict differently and then whinge about it.

That's a fair post.

I am bit confused and don't know what to think tbh.

[Forest Gump]

...and share with the rest of us details of what they are on because back on planet reality it feels fairly cr@p.

[jellytot]

and continue to be positive.

No positive fans need to start wearing glasses and be realists!! We are doomed. Down down dobbie do down!

[rhroyal]

I struggle to see what moaning about players and management will do; we have a lack of options and a lack of quality. We even had Bryn on the bench today. Leigertwood is an excellent example; very rarely looks capable of stepping up to this level. So who can we replace him with? Nobody, until January.

We're out of our depth and if McD left, that wouldn't change.

As for the wrong decisions in the summer, QPR are struggling because they signed too many "quality" players who don't have the fight and heart. Southampton spent a shed load and are still down there. Norwich and Swansea did well last season with modest spending.

It's such a difficult balancing act to get right with a promoted side; adding enough quality without taking away the momentum and positivity of the existing squad. As it is, we can now see clearly where our greatest weaknesses are and what we need the most in January. So long as we're in touch (say within 6 points or so) and we have a chance to make the right decisions.

It will be a hard, and most likely disappointing season. However I still find it hard to blame the manager or players for this. and if the worst happens we have the resources to build upon this season and come back stronger.

[Green]

Yeh send 'em back to Spencers Wood/Charvil/Mortimer

[PBR]

trying to find something positive in our season is like trying to find something positive from the exxon valdez

[Rex]

trying to find something positive in our season is like trying to find something positive from the exxon valdez

Well built but tended to leak.

[leon]

trying to find something positive in our season is like trying to find something positive from the exxon valdez

fucks cormorants?

[BenReadingFC]

I, however, like to think of myself as an RTG in the Realistic sense of the phrase.

Personally I accepted as soon as we were promoted that we were going to struggle this season, there was absolutely no way we were the best side in the division last season. It was painfully obvious that we lacked Premier League quality at times, the number of ground-out 1-0's against the likes of Burnley, Bristol City and Ipswich Town suggested as much. It would have taken wholesale changes across the board to ensure that we had any hope of staying up this year and there was no question of us doing that, it isn't the Reading way. So this season I accept that we will struggle, we were obviously going to add to the squad with Premier League quality and we have attempted to do that to varying degrees of success with the acquisitions of Shorey, Pogrebnyak, McLeary, Gunter, Mariappa and Guthrie. If we can get the best out of those that clearly are Premier League quality, add to them in January and by hook or by crook stay up, we should be in a position to be able to further strengthen in the summer. Unfortunately at the moment we are not seeing anything of Guthrie, very little of Pogrebnyak, sporadic bursts of quality from McLeary, a horribly out of his depth Gunter and an unfortunate Mariappa who did nothing wrong IMO in his spell in the side. The only consistent performer is Shorey who we knew about anyway. So given the personnel on offer, I'll settle for a competitive side which is why you won't hear me moaning about the team or management not being good enough, you'll not hear me calling for McDermott's head or certain players to be shifted out of the side. I may pick up on their all-too-obvious weaknesses but it'll be in a matter-of-fact tone rather than a . I expected this season to pan out as it has, I can't see how anybody else could predict differently and then whinge about it.

+1

[Mike Hunt]

You are an RTG in the Rosey sense of the phrase.

I, however, like to think of myself as an RTG in the Realistic sense of the phrase.

Personally I accepted as soon as we were promoted that we were going to struggle this season, there was absolutely no way we were the best side in the division last season. It was painfully obvious that we lacked Premier League quality at times, the number of ground-out 1-0's against the likes of Burnley, Bristol City and Ipswich Town suggested as much. It would have taken wholesale changes across the board to ensure that we had any hope of staying up this year and there was no question of us doing that, it isn't the Reading way. So this season I accept that we will struggle, we were obviously going to add to the squad with Premier League quality and we have attempted to do that to varying degrees of success with the acquisitions of Shorey, Pogrebnyak, McLeary, Gunter, Mariappa and Guthrie. If we can get the best out of those that clearly are Premier League quality, add to them in January and by hook or by crook stay up, we should be in a position to be able to further strengthen in the summer. Unfortunately at the moment we are not seeing anything of Guthrie, very little of Pogrebnyak, sporadic bursts of quality from McLeary, a horribly out of his depth Gunter and an unfortunate Mariappa who did nothing wrong IMO in his spell in the side. The only consistent performer is Shorey who we knew about anyway. So given the personnel on offer, I'll settle for a competitive side which is why you won't hear me moaning about the team or management not being good enough, you'll not hear me calling for McDermott's head or certain players to be shifted out of the side. I may pick up on their all-too-obvious weaknesses but it'll be in a matter-of-fact tone rather than a . I expected this season to pan out as it has, I can't see how anybody else could predict differently and then whinge about it.

Quality post HH

[Terminal Boardom]

I would much rather see Reading go down all guns blazing rather than quietly slip into the coma that is relegation. Reading have all the hallmarks of the English cricket team between 1989 and 2004. Lifeless and impotent.

[Libertine]

Ok...I am going to be generally positive in this comment.

We have 7 games remaining until the window reopens. 4 of those games against teams we can conceivably beat in Soton (A), Sunderland (A), Swansea (H) and West Ham (H). The other 3 games, Man Utd (H), Arsenal (H), and Man City (A), I don't see us having much of a chance of getting a result from. But if we do take maximum points, some how (and my confidence is low but it realistically could happen I guess), from the 4 games where we possibly can we would be on 21 points, at least, and could still be able to attract the players needed to keep us up. Anything less and, well....I don't want to go there with this comment. I want to keep it positive and all.

[Rex]

Libertine - i love the positivity but there is a schism involved in the reasoning. This is a team struggling for balance and cohesiveness.

[The Beardy Man]

I struggle to see what moaning about players and management will do; we have a lack of options and a lack of quality. We even had Bryn on the bench today. Leigertwood is an excellent example; very rarely looks capable of stepping up to this level. So who can we replace him with? Nobody, until January.

We're out of our depth and if McD left, that wouldn't change.

As for the wrong decisions in the summer, QPR are struggling because they signed too many "quality" players who don't have the fight and heart. Southampton spent a shed load and are still down there. Norwich and Swansea did well last season with modest spending.

It's such a difficult balancing act to get right with a promoted side; adding enough quality without taking away the momentum and positivity of the existing squad. As it is, we can now see clearly where our greatest weaknesses are and what we need the most in January. So long as we're in touch (say within 6 points or so) and we have a chance to make the right decisions.

It will be a hard, and most likely disappointing season. However I still find it hard to blame the manager or players for this. and if the worst happens we have the resources to build upon this season and come back stronger.

^This really

[Libertine]

Libertine - i love the positivity but there is a schism involved in the reasoning. This is a team struggling for balance and cohesiveness.

Well I based my reasoning on the possibility that the team will start performing in game conditions the same way Brian says they do in practice...which would mean 2-4 of the players elevating their games over what we have seen from them in game conditions so far. Likely? No. But we haven't been far off from getting wins, even if we haven't yet got more than one win. And the games I have listed are games that, up until now, there might have been a reasonable expection we possibly could nick a win.