Not Hard to see progress for the forseeable future

[Schards#2]

Ian and Royal with Cheese, rather than the usual pantomine knee jerk reaction, why not actually to a put up a reasoned response to the points you disagree with?

If I was going to knee jerk react to every poor performance, i'd have responded to several by now but I don't and haven't. Yesterday's was another dismal display, if you don't want to take my word for it, take a look at pretty much every other post on the subject. If you disagree, explain why.

Birmingham was our last half decent performance, I missed that the Watford game but understand that was pretty flattering other than that recently, we've had Cardiff at home and in the cup, Southampton, Swansea, Norwich, Blackpool, Wolves and QPR - all of which we have played without any excitement, flair or any discernable talent whatsoever. Some good results in there, noticably Wolves which was understandable given the team's disruption, but the football is just rubbish. Whether we are winning the games or not, first, second or bottom, the standard of football we have been playing is absolutely terrible.

If you guys are happy with how we are performing then good for you but I would suggest that you are blinkered by the results and league position because IMHO the football we are producing at the moment is the worst i've seen since we were last in Division One. To my mind, that does not represent progress, if the result was all that mattered to me, it probably would.

[readingbedding]

We wouldn't be second if we were treated to poor after poor after poor performances.
Yesterday, they were only a couple of cries of 'kebe you half-hearted...hunt, get off the pitch you're phucking useless, and...Reading, that was phucking shite...

Lovely to hear, and only proves my point that we have a few spoilt fans, who demand fantastic football all the time.
Are you lot phucking retarded or something?

[Royal Lady]

Are you SERIOUSLY saying that you thought yesterday's game was a good game of football??

[Hampshire Royal]

Whether yesterday's game was good or bad isn't really the point though, is it? We all talk and think about the 2005/06 season as a golden age, but I remember the two Watford games. If we took those games in isolation we could say that it was a poor season.

The fact remains that we are second in the league and looking a very good bet for promotion. We must be doing something right!

[Royal Lady]

That's as maybe, but isn't anyone a tad concerned that the current team, should we keep them in once piece even, would probably have the distinction of getting us a worse points total than Derby had last year?? And when you consider that SHunt and/or Harper could be of by the Summer anyway, the team could be even worse than that portrayed yesterday. We buy a bloke for £300k or whatever it was in Tabb and he's not even named as a sub?? Yes, we could well go up at the end of the season, but unless we seriously invest and the team learn to play the ball to the feet a bit more often, we're going to wish we hadn't.

[The 17 Bus]

Surely the team is good enough to be second, hard to argue with that, however it would appear that the flair is missing.

Just perhaps the one and only target for this season is to get back out of this division, and SC is being a bit more careful in his selections and playing policy, hence hard fought defensive displays at times.

MAn Utd have raced to the top in a twelve game unbeaten run, in only three of those games did they score more than one goal, Stoke, WBA, and Chelsea, sounds dull as well, for their level of talent.

Perhaps what was really dull was reaching the Premier League, and finding that it is not all it is cracked up to be, meaning that it is less exciting second time around.

[readingbedding]

Whether yesterday's game was good or bad isn't really the point though, is it? We all talk and think about the 2005/06 season as a golden age, but I remember the two Watford games. If we took those games in isolation we could say that it was a poor season.

The fact remains that we are second in the league and looking a very good bet for promotion. We must be doing something right!

Of course, we are doing lots right.

I don't agree with all the bollox that The Championship is rubbish, when we win it's only because the opposition was rubbish and if we draw and lose we were rubbish.
Smacks of frustration and knee-jerk bollox.
We had nothing to fear of any team in this league from the first match onwards though, our position in the league justifies that.

[Royal Lady]

In my opinion the only reason we won against Wolves and got a point at QPR is because their finishing was so woeful. And, of course, the Wolves goal was an own goal. Anyone who hadn't watched us before but watched those two games would think it unbelievable we were second in the league going on those two performances. Kebe disappointed me yesterday, he's good at running with the ball but his passing is bad and backing out of challenges is unforgiveable. It seems that Schards and I are completely wrong though, judging by the other comments on this particular thread, mind you, hardly anyone who has posted was actually at yesterday's game for a start.

[Hampshire Royal]

I don't get to see many games these days, I was recently married and have a young baby, live in Geneva and work in Belfast so the priorities of my life have moved a bit. I don't have to explain to anyone why I can't get to games, but I will say that I have 'done my time' as a Reading supporter since 1967 and remain just as passionate in my support as I ever have. All the in the world won't change that.

Results have always been more important to me than performances. As I said, if the only games I saw in 2005/06 were the two Watford games I would wonder how we managed to win the league so easily.

[Royal Lady]

I'm merely pointing out that it's all well and good to have your opinions on a game, but unless you were actually there and saw the bilge on offer, you can't expect to make a reasoned statement based on the quality of the football. I've only been to a handful of away games this season, if I haven't been to a game, I don't argue with someone who was there.

[Gordons Cumming]

I've always said we should pass the ball and keep possession more.

That's what Southampton did to us didn't they?


Swansea play possession football and all they do is draw games.

Where are they and where are we?

It's not all about possession football I'm afraid to say.

[Hampshire Royal]

I don't think anyone is saying that yesterday's game was anything other than as you describe it. The fact remains that we got a point away from home, we are still in second place and will quite probably be promoted again this season. What i object to is the fact that you are taking yesterday's game and a few others as being typical of our season when it quite obviously isn't.

[Royal Lady]

But Gordy, on the evidence of yesterday's game and the game against Wolves in midweek, do we look like a team that would be ok in the Prem, should be get there again this season?

[Royal Lady]

I don't think anyone is saying that yesterday's game was anything other than as you describe it. The fact remains that we got a point away from home, we are still in second place and will quite probably be promoted again this season. What i object to is the fact that you are taking yesterday's game and a few others as being typical of our season when it quite obviously isn't.

I take your point, but what is it going to take to start playing better and to have 100% commitment from all players? That's what worries me. As our last two games have been so similar, it is concerning me that the next few games will be the same.

[CMRoyal]

Ian and Royal with Cheese, rather than the usual pantomine knee jerk reaction, why not actually to a put up a reasoned response to the points you disagree with?

If I was going to knee jerk react to every poor performance, i'd have responded to several by now but I don't and haven't. Yesterday's was another dismal display, if you don't want to take my word for it, take a look at pretty much every other post on the subject. If you disagree, explain why.

Birmingham was our last half decent performance, I missed that the Watford game but understand that was pretty flattering other than that recently, we've had Cardiff at home and in the cup, Southampton, Swansea, Norwich, Blackpool, Wolves and QPR - all of which we have played without any excitement, flair or any discernable talent whatsoever. Some good results in there, noticably Wolves which was understandable given the team's disruption, but the football is just rubbish. Whether we are winning the games or not, first, second or bottom, the standard of football we have been playing is absolutely terrible.

If you guys are happy with how we are performing then good for you but I would suggest that you are blinkered by the results and league position because IMHO the football we are producing at the moment is the worst i've seen since we were last in Division One. To my mind, that does not represent progress, if the result was all that mattered to me, it probably would.

We're doing what Brum were doing earlier in the season (and continue to do now), grinding out results despite being out of form. If we can hang on in there until form kicks back in, we'll be OK. First third of the season we played some great stuff, but inconsistency meant we got 4 fewer points than we've managed in this "dismal" second third of the season. Such is the nature of the Championship; sometimes you need to scrap as well as play your way out of it.

[Royal Lady]

OK, so say we get promoted - are you not in the slightest bit concerned that we won't improve our playing style or the team to any significance and we'll get hammered week in, week out?

[readingbedding]

I don't get to see many games these days, I was recently married and have a young baby, live in Geneva and work in Belfast so the priorities of my life have moved a bit. I don't have to explain to anyone why I can't get to games, but I will say that I have 'done my time' as a Reading supporter since 1967 and remain just as passionate in my support as I ever have. All the in the world won't change that.

Results have always been more important to me than performances. As I said, if the only games I saw in 2005/06 were the two Watford games I would wonder how we managed to win the league so easily.

Exactly, you obviously understand that football does not always give you what you want and yes, there were poor performances in that season, and yes, guess what... you and I can guarantee that no team ever has performed perfectly in a League season, (Invincible Preston?) because football is a game of mistakes, the better the team you are the less mistakes you have, and that's the game for me more or less.
I was at the game yesterday and was surrounded by clueless, frustrated and moronic RFC fans, they must have come up in the same Sunshine mini-bus...
First time in a very, very long time that I heard ridiculous, frustrated and player baiting comments about our own players, smacked of fans 'on their big day out' to me, arms folded, expectant, ignorant, bullshite comments...anyone would have thought we let in 6 goals, had two players sent off rather than a dour stalemate against a determined QPR.

Don't bring your shite week torments and frustrations to the game, it can't be good for your soul...

In regards to our position, only one team in the league wouldn't swap places with us and that is the team (twice) that could not score against us, and who we battered at their place.

[CMRoyal]

OK, so say we get promoted - are you not in the slightest bit concerned that we won't improve our playing style or the team to any significance and we'll get hammered week in, week out?

Hand on heart, Royal Lady, half of me doesn't want us to go up. A trip to Wembley and a play-off defeat will do for me because I don't think we have enough quality to survive in the Premier League. But I've been wrong before, and the other half of me wants the boys to prove me wrong.

[Sarah Star]

I don't think anyone is saying that yesterday's game was anything other than as you describe it. The fact remains that we got a point away from home, we are still in second place and will quite probably be promoted again this season. What i object to is the fact that you are taking yesterday's game and a few others as being typical of our season when it quite obviously isn't.

I take your point, but what is it going to take to start playing better and to have 100% commitment from all players? That's what worries me. As our last two games have been so similar, it is concerning me that the next few games will be the same.

It could have something to do with the uncertainty surrounding the transfer window, and when it closes maybe the players can go back to concentrating on the game, but it is worrying knowing we went on some dire goalless runs at about the same time last season.

May I refer you to the 'Back From the QPR Game' thread as evidence.

[Franchise FC]

In my opinion the only reason we won against Wolves and got a point at QPR is because their finishing was so woeful. And, of course, the Wolves goal was an own goal. Anyone who hadn't watched us before but watched those two games would think it unbelievable we were second in the league going on those two performances. Kebe disappointed me yesterday, he's good at running with the ball but his passing is bad and backing out of challenges is unforgiveable. It seems that Schards and I are completely wrong though, judging by the other comments on this particular thread, mind you, hardly anyone who has posted was actually at yesterday's game for a start.

So you think the performance of Wolves demonstrated why they are top ? I don't think so.