And coming up on the rails.....

[RobRoyal]

However, two years ago we finished 8th in the Premiership and now, following a relegation that should never have happened we are, at best, on a par with numerous Championship clubs who have assembled their teams on a fraction of the resources at our disposal.

Where does the idea that recent Premiership success followed by relegation means immediate promotion should be expected and easily achievable?

Fans of Norwich, Charlton, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby, Ipwich etc etc will know how hard it is.

Let's not forget that Sheffield United and Wolves also failed to return on their first season back in the Championship.

How anyone can look at the teams I've listed - which you could essentially extend to fully 2/3 of the Championship - and say that we are a badly run club bewilders me.

[Woodcote Royal]

However, two years ago we finished 8th in the Premiership and now, following a relegation that should never have happened we are, at best, on a par with numerous Championship clubs who have assembled their teams on a fraction of the resources at our disposal.

Where does the idea that recent Premiership success followed by relegation means immediate promotion should be expected and easily achievable?

Fans of Norwich, Charlton, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby, Ipwich etc etc will know how hard it is.

Let's not forget that Sheffield United and Wolves also failed to return on their first season back in the Championship.

How anyone can look at the teams I've listed - which you could essentially extend to fully 2/3 of the Championship - and say that we are a badly run club bewilders me.

Where have I said that we are a badly run club? It bewilders me why people like you seem incapable of reading what others have written.

With the benefit of hindsight, I believe the club was wrong to retain Steve Coppell after relegation and I will certainly be highly critical if he's still here at the start of next season even if, by some miracle, we are promoted.

We are fantastically run club that has been badly let down by it's manager over the last 2 seasons but I can fully understand why Steve Coppell was given an opportunity to rectify his errors that led to relegation.

Whilst it's true that bouncing straight back to the Prem is never easy, we should not have been relegated in the first place and, with a squad significantly stronger than the one that amassed 106pts to gain promotion in the first place, our manager has now grabbed a battle to secure a playoff spot from the jaws of automatic promotion.

There's little wrong with this club that a change of manager won't fix.

[Jeffers217]

However, two years ago we finished 8th in the Premiership and now, following a relegation that should never have happened we are, at best, on a par with numerous Championship clubs who have assembled their teams on a fraction of the resources at our disposal.

Where does the idea that recent Premiership success followed by relegation means immediate promotion should be expected and easily achievable?

Fans of Norwich, Charlton, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby, Ipwich etc etc will know how hard it is.

Let's not forget that Sheffield United and Wolves also failed to return on their first season back in the Championship.

How anyone can look at the teams I've listed - which you could essentially extend to fully 2/3 of the Championship - and say that we are a badly run club bewilders me.

Where have I said that we are a badly run club? It bewilders me why people like you seem incapable of reading what others have written.

With the benefit of hindsight, I believe the club was wrong to retain Steve Coppell after relegation and I will certainly be highly critical if he's still here at the start of next season even if, by some miracle, we are promoted.

We are fantastically run club that has been badly let down by it's manager over the last 2 seasons but I can fully understand why Steve Coppell was given an opportunity to rectify his errors that led to relegation.

Whilst it's true that bouncing straight back to the Prem is never easy, we should not have been relegated in the first place and, with a squad significantly stronger than the one that amassed 106pts to gain promotion in the first place, our manager has now grabbed a battle to secure a playoff spot from the jaws of automatic promotion.

There's little wrong with this club that a change of manager won't fix.

Maybe a stronger squad but not a stronger first team and that is down to Coppell. I just find it funny how when we predict what the line up should be there seems to be a lot of similar views by the fans but Coppell plays a completely different team. We have a much stronger first team than Sheff utd but they now have a very settled first team therefore we'll probably lose

[PEARCEY]

There was always going to be two or three serious challengers to us (and Birmingham and Wolves) emerging from the pack during the last month or so of the season.

I agree with that. People think the top 3 had a massive lead at Christmas. I certainly did. So, to counter your argument I looked at the table after we beat Brum. It was as follows:

1 Wolves 56
2 Reading 49
3 Brum 47
4 Burnley 43
5 Cardiff 40
6 Sheff Utd 37

All teams had played 24 games

Even if the top 3 had kept up half decent form, which we haven't, it wasn't unrealistic to imagine one of the chasing pack hitting form in the New Year and putting real pressure on us. Whilst we could have done better after Xmas, so could all those teams below us and I think there was always a decent chance that it wouldn't be a 2 horse race.

Ummm... not sure these stats support what you say. Sheff Utd have picked up a massive 15 points more than us since Christmas from just one game more (and didn't they have a dodgy spell too in January?)
Cardiff despite average form have collected 5 points more than us and Brum 8 points more(despite being pretty poor as well).
I think the above table shows what a great position we were in and how up until now we have failed to capitalise.

[The Cap]

Tilehurst Mike wrote

and Harding (is he still alive?)