Players who virtually won us games/promotion/avoided relegation on their own

[sandman]

Ian Harte won that game for us against Brighton where they battered us for the full 90 yet he slotted that free kick. He got a couple of games for us that season.

Also Kaspars (love hearts in my eyes) Gorkss

I think Federici's penalty save might have had something to do with winning that Brighton game as well.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Great shout on Fozzy in 02/03. I still think we'd have won the playoffs without his injury against Wolves. Not sure how Harper won POTS.

Moore in 17/18 is not a bad shout. Very good season in a poor team. No surprise Brighton were interested at the time, but he hasn't really kicked on since then.

[tmesis]

If you want to talk individual games, I'd probably opt for Steve Francis at Ipswich on the last day on the 86/87 season.

We only drew, but that was possibly the best goalkeeping display I've seen.

Didn’t Steve win the player of the season that year and he only joined part of the way through 86/87 didn’t he? Best 15 grand ever spent by the club.

I just checked and that was only his 14th game for Reading.

[Royal_jimmy]

Ibrahima Sonko single handedly got us relegated from the premier league in 2008 with all the stupid penalties he gave away

[Hendo]

Ibrahima Sonko single handedly got us relegated from the premier league in 2008 with all the stupid penalties he gave away

[SWLR]

Nicky Shorey - in one game vs Middlesborough. First game of Premier League, losing, from left back he took the ball and in one move and overall performance said "we deserve to be here". No relegation and best ever season followed because the whole team then believed, despite the pundits having us down to lose every week.

[URZZZZ]

Ibrahima Sonko single handedly got us relegated from the premier league in 2008 with all the stupid penalties he gave away

I agree with RJ

Wasn’t anything to do with the fact we got 0 points out of 12 from the two teams directly directly above us (Bolton and Fulham)

[Hendo]

Ibrahima Sonko single handedly got us relegated from the premier league in 2008 with all the stupid penalties he gave away

I agree with RJ

Wasn’t anything to do with the fact we got 0 points out of 12 from the two teams directly directly above us (Bolton and Fulham)

[Franchise FC]

Ibrahima Sonko single handedly got us relegated from the premier league in 2008 with all the stupid penalties he gave away

I agree with RJ

Wasn’t anything to do with the fact we got 0 points out of 12 from the two teams directly directly above us (Bolton and Fulham)

And conceding in at least two of those games very late on. It's almost as if the goal difference wasn't the problem in the end

[Sutekh]

I agree with RJ

Wasn’t anything to do with the fact we got 0 points out of 12 from the two teams directly directly above us (Bolton and Fulham)

And conceding in at least two of those games very late on. It's almost as if the goal difference wasn't the problem in the end

Lost 3-1 at Fulham and also lost 2-0 at home to them. I believe that on both occasions their final goal came in injury time of each game, if Reading had managed to keep both out out they would have stayed up at the expense of Fulham.

[Hendo]

I agree with RJ

Wasn’t anything to do with the fact we got 0 points out of 12 from the two teams directly directly above us (Bolton and Fulham)

And conceding in at least two of those games very late on. It's almost as if the goal difference wasn't the problem in the end

Lost 3-1 at Fulham and also lost 2-0 at home to them. I believe that on both occasions their final goal came in injury time of each game, if Reading had managed to keep both out out they would have stayed up at the expense of Fulham.

Yep, 90 minutes in both of them. We would've stayed up by 1 GD.

[WestYorksRoyal]

And conceding in at least two of those games very late on. It's almost as if the goal difference wasn't the problem in the end

Lost 3-1 at Fulham and also lost 2-0 at home to them. I believe that on both occasions their final goal came in injury time of each game, if Reading had managed to keep both out out they would have stayed up at the expense of Fulham.

Yep, 90 minutes in both of them. We would've stayed up by 1 GD.

I still remember Stephen Hunt missing a sitter in the 85th minute or so at home to Blackburn a couple of weeks before the Fulham debacle. So many moments. But I never really liked Hunt, so I blame him

[SCIAG]

I do think we’d have stayed up if Coppell had been less loyal to Sonko and instead picked someone more reliable, like Andre Bikey. But the margins were so narrow that we can blame literally everyone and still be correct.

[Franchise FC]

I do think we’d have stayed up if Coppell had been less loyal to Sonko and instead picked someone more reliable, like Andre Bikey. But the margins were so narrow that we can blame literally everyone and still be correct.

Failing to put the finishing touches to signing Gary Cahill didn't help

[Only one Trevor Morley]

Undoubtedly Trevor Morley. We were completely toothless without him in 96/97 and definitely kept us up. But then I would say that wouldn’t I?!

And then Michael Gilkes for all second halves at home when we were kicking towards the tilehurst end in 1993...

[Franchise FC]

How did we manage to get relegated in 82/3 with the top scorer in the division ?

Ah, it's all right, I remember now.
We had the sh!ttest defence ... so much so that poor Kerry managed to score 4 in a game and still lost.
I think that's another record we may have

[URZZZZ]

Lost 3-1 at Fulham and also lost 2-0 at home to them. I believe that on both occasions their final goal came in injury time of each game, if Reading had managed to keep both out out they would have stayed up at the expense of Fulham.

Yep, 90 minutes in both of them. We would've stayed up by 1 GD.

I still remember Stephen Hunt missing a sitter in the 85th minute or so at home to Blackburn a couple of weeks before the Fulham debacle. So many moments. But I never really liked Hunt, so I blame him

Yes, remember this, we were under the cosh for most of that second half with Matejovsky sent off, then S Hunt missed the ball at the end

As you say, lots of if's and but's, but I think the double header of Spurs (A) and Pompey (H) was the catalyst for the downturn in form. To score 4 goals away from home and still lose, with their 5th goal being completely unfair, you need a strong reaction in the next game, not your CB being sent off after four minutes. Prior to those two games, we were unbeaten in 5

[blueroyals]

Nick Blackman was only here for a few months of the 2015/2016 season but still finished our top scorer, and if you take his goals & assists away we finished 21st and only narrowly avoided relegation.

Our squad performed so poorly that season that, if the club had allowed votes for him, I'm sure he would have won player of the season.

[Hendo]

Nick Blackman was only here for a few months of the 2015/2016 season but still finished our top scorer, and if you take his goals & assists away we finished 21st and only narrowly avoided relegation.

Our squad performed so poorly that season that, if the club had allowed votes for him, I'm sure he would have won player of the season.

Because yes, if you take away his goals and assists, no one else would've scored or provided assists with him not being in the team.

[Sutekh]

I do think we’d have stayed up if Coppell had been less loyal to Sonko and instead picked someone more reliable, like Andre Bikey. But the margins were so narrow that we can blame literally everyone and still be correct.

Failing to put the finishing touches to signing Gary Cahill didn't help

As I recall Reading were also at the time very heavily linked with signing proven PL players Matthew Taylor and Gary O’Neil but got the likes of Fae and Matejovsky instead. Not sure whose bright idea that was, whether it was doing things cheap again or whether those players just didn’t want to come, but I’m sure Reading would have been comfortable in the PL if they had arrived at the club.