Promotion thread 2024/25

[WestYorksRoyal]

Should last night be Huddersfield out of the conversation? If we can get 9 points from our last 5, they would need 13 to catch us which is a tall order. Bolton's next 4 are tricky games too.

It feels like last night it's changed from a hope info something that should happen. That brings it's own pressure. Looking at Northampton on Saturday and thinking it's one of our harder remaining fixtures as they're not on bad form and have some good results at home. Win there and we'll really believe.

[Esteban]

Should last night be Hudson out of the conversation? If we can get 9 points from our last 5, they would need 13 to catch us which is a tall order. Bolton's next 4 are tricky games too.

It feels like last night it's changed from a hope info something that should happen. That brings it's own pressure. Looking at Northampton on Saturday and thinking it's one of our harder remaining fixtures as they're not on bad form and have some good results at home. Win there and we'll really believe.

Agreed. I'd take a draw. 3 wins and a draw should be enough to reach the playoffs.

[stealthpapes]

Bolton
Barnsley (A) 13th
Wycombe (H) 3rd
Lincoln (A) 11th
Peterborough (A) 16th
Stevenage (H) 14th
average position faced: 11.4
form LLLWWL 6 pts

Reading
Northampton (A) 19th
Lincoln (H) 11th
Mansfield (A) 17th
Bristol Rovers (A) 20th
Barnsley (H) 13th
average position faced: 16.0
form WDWLWW 13pts

Huddersfield
Burton (A) 21st
Cambridge United (H) 23rd
Stockport (A) 4th
Exeter City (A) 15th
Leyton Orient (H) 9th
average position faced: 14.4
form LWLLWL 6pts

mildly the easiest run-in.
form easily the best
kind of hope Bristol and Mansfield are on the beach by the time we face them.

[Whore Jackie]

Reading 68pts
Shrewsbury (A) W
Northampton (A)
Lincoln (H)
Mansfield (A)
Bristol Rovers (A)
Barnsley (H)

Bolton 66pts
Rotherham (H) L
Barnsley (A)
Wycombe (H)
Lincoln (A)
Peterborough (A)
Stevenage (H)

Huddersfield 64pts
Wycombe (H) L
Burton (A)
Cambridge United (H)
Stockport (A)
Exeter City (A)
Leyton Orient (H)

Leyton Orient 63pts
Mansfield (A) W
Crawley Town (A)
Barnsley (H)
Cambridge United (A)
Wycombe (H)
Huddersfield (A)

[Sutekh]

Remaining fixtures

Reading 69pts
Lincoln (H)
Mansfield (A)
Bristol Rovers (A)
Barnsley (H)

Leyton Orient 66pts
Barnsley (H)
Cambridge United (A)
Wycombe (H)
Huddersfield (A)

Bolton 66pts
Wycombe (H)
Lincoln (A)
Peterborough (A)
Stevenage (H)

Huddersfield 64pts
Cambridge United (H)
Stockport (A)
Exeter City (A)
Leyton Orient (H)

[WestYorksRoyal]

Winning promotion at Wembley after all we've been through would be a euphoric moment. But it would quickly dawn on us that we'd have to play in the Championship again, and I'm quite enjoying L1.

Some of our players are good enough, but ultimately we'd need Carey to pull a lot of rabbits out of the hat to survive.

Would all be worth it anyway. Everyone associated with the club deserves a golden day at Wembley under new owners. We'd figure the next bit out afterwards.

[Sutekh]

Winning promotion at Wembley after all we've been through would be a euphoric moment. But it would quickly dawn on us that we'd have to play in the Championship again, and I'm quite enjoying L1.

Some of our players are good enough, but ultimately we'd need Carey to pull a lot of rabbits out of the hat to survive.

Would all be worth it anyway. Everyone associated with the club deserves a golden day at Wembley under new owners. We'd figure the next bit out afterwards.

Yes given the circumstances it would be the greatest ever play off win by any club but Reading do have a play off bogey to overcome on top of everything else. If it does happen though Selles and Hunt should get a special joint manager of the year award.

[Snowflake Royal]

Winning promotion at Wembley after all we've been through would be a euphoric moment. But it would quickly dawn on us that we'd have to play in the Championship again, and I'm quite enjoying L1.

Some of our players are good enough, but ultimately we'd need Carey to pull a lot of rabbits out of the hat to survive.

Would all be worth it anyway. Everyone associated with the club deserves a golden day at Wembley under new owners. We'd figure the next bit out afterwards.

Yes given the circumstances it would be the greatest ever play off win by any club but Reading do have a play off bogey to overcome on top of everything else. If it does happen though Selles and Hunt should get a special joint manager of the year award.

It's worth factoring in that if we make it to the POs, and the Final, Hunt has PO experience with us. He started against Swansea. He knows what it's like in the POs, he knows how it feels to lose them.

What an epic story it would be for him to put to bed the memory of that defeat by winning them as manager. And if he doesn't? Well, he was also part of a team that bounced back from losing them by winning the league the next season.

[The Cap]

Winning promotion at Wembley after all we've been through would be a euphoric moment. But it would quickly dawn on us that we'd have to play in the Championship again, and I'm quite enjoying L1.

Some of our players are good enough, but ultimately we'd need Carey to pull a lot of rabbits out of the hat to survive.

Would all be worth it anyway. Everyone associated with the club deserves a golden day at Wembley under new owners. We'd figure the next bit out afterwards.

Yes given the circumstances it would be the greatest ever play off win by any club but Reading do have a play off bogey to overcome on top of everything else. If it does happen though Selles and Hunt should get a special joint manager of the year award.

It's worth factoring in that if we make it to the POs, and the Final, Hunt has PO experience with us. He started against Swansea. He knows what it's like in the POs, he knows how it feels to lose them.

What an epic story it would be for him to put to bed the memory of that defeat by winning them as manager. And if he doesn't? Well, he was also part of a team that bounced back from losing them by winning the league the next season.

Really good post SR and liking the balance between reality and optimism. Nice one

[stealthpapes]

Leyton Orient probably most likely to challenge but our form is still better than theirs.

[LUX]

IIRC he actually scored in that game, in front of us. Flick header from a corner.

[stealthpapes]

Reading (69 pts)

Lincoln (12th) H
Mansfield (18th) A
Bristol R (21st) A
Barnsley (11th) H
Average position: 15.5
Form: DWLWWD - 11pts

Leyton Orient (66 pts)

Barnsley (11th) H
Cambridge (23rd) A
Wycombe (3rd) H
Huddersfield (8th) A
Average position: 11.3
Form: WWLDWW - 13pts
(slightly better form)

Bolton (66 pts)

Wycombe (3rd) H
Lincoln (12th) A
Peterborough (16th) A
Stevenage (14th) H
Average position: 11.3
Form: LLWWLL - 6pts

Huddersfield (64 pts)

Cambridge (23rd) H
Stockport (4th) A
Exeter (15th) A
Leyton Orient (7th) H
Average position: 12.3
Form: WLLWLL - 6pts

Blackpool (60 pts)

Stevenage (14th) A
Wrexham (2nd) H
Wigan (17th) A
Birmingham (1st) H
Bristol Rovers (21st) H
Average position: 11.0
Form: WLWWWL - 12pts

[stealthpapes]

IIRC he actually scored in that game, in front of us. Flick header from a corner.

Hunt's header at the near post from McAnuff's cross was headed into his own net by the Swansea's Joe Allen, making it 3–1.

[windermereROYAL]

So the bottom line is, we need to be within 2 points of Orient on the last day to have something to play for, they have Cambridge Monday which you would expect them to win, so a win and a draw for us at Mansfield and Rovers will do, obviously will be less if the Londoners fail to be Wycombe next week.
We`re not out of it yet but we need to step up on the last 2 showings.

[stealthpapes]

Leyton Orient (69 pts)

Cambridge (23rd) A
Wycombe (3rd) H
Huddersfield (8th) A
Average position: 11.3
Form: WLDWWW - 13pts

Reading (69 pts)

Mansfield (18th) A
Bristol R (21st) A
Barnsley (11th) H
Average position: 16.7
Form: WLWWDL - 10 pts

Bolton (66 pts)

Lincoln (12th) A
Peterborough (16th) A
Stevenage (14th) H
Average position: 14
Form: LWWLLL - 6pts

Huddersfield (64 pts)

Stockport (4th) A
Exeter (15th) A
Leyton Orient (7th) H
Average position: 8.7
Form: LLWLLL - 3 pts

Blackpool (63 pts)

Wrexham (2nd) H
Wigan (17th) A
Birmingham (1st) H
Bristol Rovers (21st) H
Average position: 10.0
Form: LWWWLW - 12pts

The last two for Orient means that its still likely to be quite tight.
Vague sense of nerves and tiredness coming into Reading's performances - see match thread yesterday for many comments on that line.
I think the other three are all but out of it, tbf, Huddersfield collapsing, Bolton not much better, Blackpool too far back?

[stealthpapes]

We'll look back at games like Burton, Leyton O, Exeter, Northampton and this one, all very similar in style and likely one goal here or there would have made such a difference.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Feels like Monday is big. Orient will very like beat Cambridge, so fail to win and they have breathing space.

I said after Northampton 7 points from 4 would be enough. I still believe that but obviously 7 from 3 has minimal room for error.

[bcubed]

Overheard leaving the ground on Friday, typical Reading, as soon as there is any degree of expectation we fold.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Overheard leaving the ground on Friday, typical Reading, as soon as there is any degree of expectation we fold.

Think there's something in it. This season has been a free hit due to off pitch situation. Only priority was avoiding relegation.

The past week is the first time fans have really started believing we can /should finish in the top 6. Then, we had a home game against a mid table side which on paper we should win.

I think the bigger factor was we struggle against physical teams like Lincoln and they had our number. I don't think it was a pressure choke. But I also think it's easier being the chaser and underdog.

I'd take going into the final day behind Orient on GD. They travel to Huddersfield who can hopefully hold them, and our mindset can just be giving it our best against Barnsley.

[bcubed]

Overheard leaving the ground on Friday, typical Reading, as soon as there is any degree of expectation we fold.

Think there's something in it. This season has been a free hit due to off pitch situation. Only priority was avoiding relegation.

The past week is the first time fans have really started believing we can /should finish in the top 6. Then, we had a home game against a mid table side which on paper we should win.

I think the bigger factor was we struggle against physical teams like Lincoln and they had our number. I don't think it was a pressure choke. But I also think it's easier being the chaser and underdog.

I'd take going into the final day behind Orient on GD. They travel to Huddersfield who can hopefully hold them, and our mindset can just be giving it our best against Barnsley.

Yep
And I think this was my mindset too. I hardly go at all these days and I went to this game on the back of watching an excellent performance against Peterborough. After that game, I really thought something amazing is happening here and I want to be a part of it.

So went to this game full of hope. Boy was it disappointing. The set up was all wrong as others have said but Lincoln were too strong, too physical and we always struggle against those sort of teams.

My gut feel now is that we won't quite make it to the play offs But maybe we'll now feel less pressure and get back to winning...

At the end of the day play offs would be nice, but a successful sale is what we all crave above all else.