No excuses

[floyd__streete]

Nigel Adkins is a lucky man. Our position has improved today without even playing. Who would have foreseen Brighton dropping points at home to a Blackpool side who haven't won since the last Ice Age?

I don't want to hear any more guff about the ownership issue and injuries; despite a largely underwhelming season we have a real opportunity to clinch a play off place now with two wins against midtable Boro and a Burnley side very ably managed by Sean Dyche but who - despite having sold their best goalscorer in the summer to a rival - are now 'on the beach' having vastly outperformed sides such as Reading. That opportunity lies squarely with the players of course - many of them have hugely let this club down this season and the commitment of a number of them must be in doubt - but the bloke in charge is the one who tactically advises them as to the gameplan, he is ultimately responsible and needs to step up to the plate at long last because I can't think of many games which Adkins has 'won' us.

It isn't just the prize of saving this largely dire season on offer now. It is the very financial future of the club.

Messing up a top 6 place from here would be an abject failure.

Come on Reading.

[Rax]

I totally agree Floyd - we've been terrible of late but it is in our hands now - Adkins must now man up and earn his job.

It is possible, 3 wins and it's job done.

Step up Nigel, this is your destiny calling!

[andrew1957]

Nigel Adkins is a lucky man. Our position has improved today without even playing. Who would have foreseen Brighton dropping points at home to a Blackpool side who haven't won since the last Ice Age?

I don't want to hear any more guff about the ownership issue and injuries; despite a largely underwhelming season we have a real opportunity to clinch a play off place now with two wins against midtable Boro and a Burnley side very ably managed by Sean Dyche but who - despite having sold their best goalscorer in the summer to a rival - are now 'on the beach' having vastly outperformed sides such as Reading. That opportunity lies squarely with the players of course - many of them have hugely let this club down this season and the commitment of a number of them must be in doubt - but the bloke in charge is the one who tactically advises them as to the gameplan, he is ultimately responsible and needs to step up to the plate at long last because I can't think of many games which Adkins has 'won' us.

It isn't just the prize of saving this largely dire season on offer now. It is the very financial future of the club.

Messing up a top 6 place from here would be an abject failure.

Come on Reading.

I often don't agree with you but do today. It seems no one wants the 6th spot and now RFC have been given yet another lifeline and really don't have any excuses.

Failure to get 6th now and heads should roll.

[Ian Royal]

Obviously we should do what we should ave done several times already, take the bull by the horns and go and bloody secure our place with some wins. But with a patched up, out of form team absolutely devoid of confidence or ideas, let alone a discontent fanbase ready to turn from supportive at the first sign of capitulation, does anyone actually expect us to win tomorrow?

Probably draw just to string out the death throes of the season to the very end.

[melonhead]

Throes

[Ian Royal]

Throes

Damnit, I had that and changed it. What a mug.

[sandman]

Nigel Adkins is a lucky man. Our position has improved today without even playing. Who would have foreseen Brighton dropping points at home to a Blackpool side who haven't won since the last Ice Age?

I don't want to hear any more guff about the ownership issue and injuries; despite a largely underwhelming season we have a real opportunity to clinch a play off place now with two wins against midtable Boro and a Burnley side very ably managed by Sean Dyche but who - despite having sold their best goalscorer in the summer to a rival - are now 'on the beach' having vastly outperformed sides such as Reading. That opportunity lies squarely with the players of course - many of them have hugely let this club down this season and the commitment of a number of them must be in doubt - but the bloke in charge is the one who tactically advises them as to the gameplan, he is ultimately responsible and needs to step up to the plate at long last because I can't think of many games which Adkins has 'won' us.

It isn't just the prize of saving this largely dire season on offer now. It is the very financial future of the club.

Messing up a top 6 place from here would be an abject failure.

Come on Reading.

Agree 100%. You'll still get the Avon Royal's of the world lining up to give the excuses if he fails.

[Platypuss]

Classic Floyd before-timing.

[Y21]

The way this season has been going, just one win and a draw will probably end up being enough from here. However...I seriously doubt our squad of chokers will be able to even manage that. This season has been so very frustrating, all the pieces seemed to be there but we just seem to be constantly snatching failure from the jaws of success.

I don't know who to blame for it, the squad certainly isn't as strong mentally as perhaps it should be. NA doesn't seem to be able to inspire them to go out and take a game by the scruff of the neck and dominate it all the way to 3 points. And the lack of a solid base of support from the ownership situation isn't helping anything.

Frustrating, certainly...but I don't have the belief that next season will be any better. Clearly something needs to change at the club to progress forward...but what is actually going to change? We don't seem to have the money to overhaul the squad significantly, or replace Adkins...and currently, there aren't many noises about the ownership situation changing either.

So, while this season has been frustrating and mainly disappointing, if we are in a similar position in the table at this point next season, I will be reasonably, well, not exactly happy, but certainly relieved.

[Millsy]

The ownership cockup and funding fiasco cannot be overlooked when we review the season and are still playing a large part now. To blame Adkins, if that is what you're suggesting, for not making the playoffs from here would be short sighted.

But yes agree with this sentiment. from now on in, it's basically ours to lose. 3 wins and we're there. If we do, we'll deserve it. If we don't, we won't. Can't be any fairer than that.

If we DO somehow manage to go against the odds and pull of a miracle, we'll be in such good momentum that I can see us winning the playoffs. It's a big if though and my bet would be we come 7th.

[JakeTheRoyal]

Wouldn't mind sitting in on the pre match team talk if those players come out and give another unispired performance, theni will start to question if there is a desire to get into the playoffs from anyone but the fans.

[St. Brynjar]

Ipswich, Bournemouth and Brighton dropping points is impressive. If they hadn't lost to Millwall the other day I'd have backed Middlesbrough for the play-offs the way it's going.

[Blue & White Soup]

I totally agree Floyd - we've been terrible of late but it is in our hands now - Adkins must now man up and earn his job.

It is possible, 3 wins and it's job done.

Step up Nigel, this is your destiny calling!

"In our hands now" ? Its been in our hands the past three/four weeks, with teams dropping points, yet we keep failing to take advantage, whats changed that will make us do it now?

[Sutekh]

Unfortunately we're at home against Middlesbrough and with our stunning home record of 2 wins since 3rd December (in 12 attempts) I think it'll take quite some performance turn around to get 3 points.

[P!ssed Off]

I fully support the Reading 1st team in their battle to avoid qualifying for the play-offs tbh.

I Think it was said best on the "Boro - Turn Your Back Protest" Thread:

I will stay after being outplayed and beaten 3-0 and clap the team from the pitch,
Will I be alone ?

No.

On Tuesday, I too will clap the team off after an embarrassingly pathetic display of football, relieved in the knowledge that at least we will not be suffering such embarrassment on the telly, in front of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of viewers.

[HoneyRoastHoax]

No excuses for the fans either, be supportive and loud the entire game.

[The Rouge]

I agree in part. I tend to fight against the overwhelming desire of the football fan to make something not-that-simple a simple thing, and to conveniently put all the blame on the door of one person - often the manager.

I find it hard to blame Adkins for (and in some cases praise him for):

- the form of players like Pog (who had a good part of the season and indeed was mentioned as POTS at one point)
- signing Bridge, who was excellent last season.
- Williams has been a great signing, albeit either injury prone/or unlucky with injuries.
- bringing Obita into the team and giving him a key role
- having the tactical nous away from home to gain some valuable victories
- the markedly different home form (very quickly from 5-1 and 7-1 type scorelines to cannot win at home - not the result of a huge tactical/personnel switch)

I do blame him for:
- Not really stamping a certain style of play on the team and being well drilled
- Not performing beyond par with the squad we have
- Not being tactically excellent (even if he has been good at times)
- stupid statements like 21 clean sheets
- the signing of Drenthe, to a degree

[winchester_royal]

Nigel Adkins is a lucky man. Our position has improved today without even playing. Who would have foreseen Brighton dropping points at home to a Blackpool side who haven't won since the last Ice Age?

I don't want to hear any more guff about the ownership issue and injuries; despite a largely underwhelming season we have a real opportunity to clinch a play off place now with two wins against midtable Boro and a Burnley side very ably managed by Sean Dyche but who - despite having sold their best goalscorer in the summer to a rival - are now 'on the beach' having vastly outperformed sides such as Reading. That opportunity lies squarely with the players of course - many of them have hugely let this club down this season and the commitment of a number of them must be in doubt - but the bloke in charge is the one who tactically advises them as to the gameplan, he is ultimately responsible and needs to step up to the plate at long last because I can't think of many games which Adkins has 'won' us.

It isn't just the prize of saving this largely dire season on offer now. It is the very financial future of the club.

Messing up a top 6 place from here would be an abject failure.

Come on Reading.

Absolutely.

Any player that doesn't put every ounce of themselves into tonight's game should be sacked on the spot. If Adkins sends a team out that isn't sufficiently organised and set up to win a game of football then he should be sacked on the spot. If the stewards try to interfere with attempts to create a decent atmosphere inside the ground then they should be sacked on the spot.

Today's the day gentlemen.

[Winchester Royal]

After it looked like we'd thrown it away with the Wigan game, it's bizarrely now back in our hands with just three games to go. I agree that there should be no excuse for not finishing 6th, when we're due to play a team with nothing to play for, a team who are probably (but not definitely) safe from relegation, and a team who are already up with their eyes on the beach. This team have been consistent in their inconsistency and it wouldn't surprise me if we go into the Burnley game needing a whole array of results to go our way, but given our position after 43 games, the team will only have themselves to blame if they can't do a job and get 6 points in the next two games. With the form of the teams around us, I reckon 6 points would probably see us over the line, but in the circumstances, we need to be aiming for 9.

No excuses.

[JakeTheRoyal]

I dont know Adkins put so much pressure on himself and the team with his stupid statements at the start of the season like 100 goals etc. No one expected to go on and storm the league but what he said just put huge pressure on the club