HOW ARE WE GONNA GET OUT OF THIS SH*T-ST8?

[Richi Royal]

So if barnsley beat us, does the season start the game after? I kind of like this, its like the big game doesn't actually start until we get a win

I don't actually see anyone on this thread suggesting the 'season starts' on saturday.

It happens that the next game and the next 3 available points is on saturday against barnsley.

The is nothing we can do about the sheffield performance, but we can look forward to trying to get 3 points on saturday. If that fails then we look to the next game (i have no idea who that is) and try and get 3 points there. To use a football cliche the biggest game is the next game.

or alternativly we could just resign ourselves to relagation and not bother for the rest of the season....

[Royal for Sale]

How far in trouble are we? Typically, 50 points is needed to avoid the drop, so we are roughly 5 points behind where we need to be after 26 games. That just needs two or three quick wins to get back on target, then you're looking at maintaining an average of a point per game from there. It won't be easy or comfortable, but it's not out of the question.

[Focher]

I bet Brendan is having a jolly good laugh at home in Purley at the moment

[Millsy]

at how we're pussyfooting around the obvious.

[Focher]

at how we're pussyfooting around the obvious.

you're joking right?

[Big Ern]

We Got To Pray just to make it today!

[Alan Partridge]

I bet Brendan is having a jolly good laugh at home in Purley at the moment

Fair play if he is, cos it's his fault Reading are where they are.

He's left McDermott with a dire squad that is top heavy with central midfielders, has next to no decent attacking options, no specialist right back and little cover or choice at centre half.

McDermott has addressed certain areas of the squad but until Reading find a decent formula going forward they are absolutely going down.

I would like to see a new manager come in but I have already resigned myself to the fact McDermott is getting the job. 2 cup wins and the bloke is brilliant despite not pickign up a single win in the league, and anyone thinking Barnsley is just going to be a walkover is very much mistaken. They are a totally different side to the one Reading beat earlier in the season...since the new manager has gone in.

[joe999]

Simple. Madesjski out. Wont happen but thats what it'll take. Otherwise we're going down.

Enough money to go on a luxury holiday in the canary islands somewhere, can't even spend a fiver on the team.

Idiot.

[loyalroyal4life]

bring back SSC

[Millsy]

at how we're pussyfooting around the obvious.

you're joking right?

Yeah of course it' a joke.

Bloody hilarious.

Best manager in history flagging and needed a break ---> As I predicted, we TOTALLY fall apart ---> we're now more desperate for a manager than we've ever been ---> Best manager in our history had his break, fully refreshed and giving very strong hints he's free to return ---> ....???

Of course it's a joke. What idiot could possibly want him back?



FFS.

[glenroyal]

It's the clear that the answer to "how" is gonna be more or less with the squad we have.

I think our striking difficulties can be fixed with the current options ... (and some more shooting practice and shoot more often / on sight instructions) and a bit of luck.

My main worry is the too many midfield options, but what seemed like a really soft defence last night - the specialists just don't seem up to it / up for it. (Strangely, one of the things that impressed me about both Liverpool games was the team defending. The latter is motivation related I believe.)

If BigMaccyD can't fix that, then I believe an inspirational experienced manager is the only change worth making - a rejuvenated and refreshed Coppell would seem ideal.

However as Schards says - Blades may be a team we traditionally like to beat - but losing to them in current form is not itself a disaster - we have to focus on the teams we need to beat - like Barnsley.

[Stranded]

Simple. Madesjski out. Wont happen but thats what it'll take. Otherwise we're going down.

Enough money to go on a luxury holiday in the canary islands somewhere, can't even spend a fiver on the team.

Idiot.

Strange, I must of imagined the two loans we brought in this month or are they free.

Whether JM stays or goes will make no difference to whether we stay up or go down.

[CMRoyal]

How far in trouble are we? Typically, 50 points is needed to avoid the drop, so we are roughly 5 points behind where we need to be after 26 games. That just needs two or three quick wins to get back on target, then you're looking at maintaining an average of a point per game from there. It won't be easy or comfortable, but it's not out of the question.

Two or three wins is a hell of an ask for us at the moment. We've only won 5 games all season. I seriously think we are only a Best or a Boyd or a Sharp away from relative safety, but who's out there who is available and affordable? We can't afford Phillips.

[BobKnows]

SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND!!!!

Just like Portsmouth!! Just like West Ham!! Just like Crystal Palace!! Just like Cardiff!!

OH.

[CMRoyal]

Not really.

[RoyalBlue]

Simple. Madesjski out. Wont happen but thats what it'll take. Otherwise we're going down.

Enough money to go on a luxury holiday in the canary islands somewhere, can't even spend a fiver on the team.

Idiot.

Strange, I must of imagined the two loans we brought in this month or are they free.

Whether JM stays or goes will make no difference to whether we stay up or go down.

No but I’m pretty sure they would have been cheap. And that is the crux of the problem. Madejski’s expectation/requirement that successive managers succeed in turning a pig’s ear into a silk purse.

Whether Madejski wakes up and moves into the real world of football and its finances will determine whether we stay up or go down. Much as I'd love to see the back of him, it's too late for a new ownership to change things this season.

[Focher]

at how we're pussyfooting around the obvious.

you're joking right?

Yeah of course it' a joke.

Bloody hilarious.

Best manager in history flagging and needed a break ---> As I predicted, we TOTALLY fall apart ---> we're now more desperate for a manager than we've ever been ---> Best manager in our history had his break, fully refreshed and giving very strong hints he's free to return ---> ....???

Of course it's a joke. What idiot could possibly want him back?



FFS.

you like a few others on here have an extremely short memory of the last 2 seasons.

[winchester_royal]

I bet Brendan is having a jolly good laugh at home in Purley at the moment

Fair play if he is, cos it's his fault Reading are where they are.

He's left McDermott with a dire squad that is top heavy with central midfielders, has next to no decent attacking options, no specialist right back and little cover or choice at centre half.

McDermott has addressed certain areas of the squad but until Reading find a decent formula going forward they are absolutely going down.

I would like to see a new manager come in but I have already resigned myself to the fact McDermott is getting the job. 2 cup wins and the bloke is brilliant despite not pickign up a single win in the league, and anyone thinking Barnsley is just going to be a walkover is very much mistaken. They are a totally different side to the one Reading beat earlier in the season...since the new manager has gone in.

Yet a narrow defeat at Forest (who thrashed QPR 5-0 last night), and a defeat at Sheff Utd (If we'd scored that penalty we probably would have got a deserved point from the game) means that BMc isn't up to the job????

FFS, the last 2 league games were write-offs for a team in our position. Get some perspective people. The next 4 league games are massive. Anything less than 7 points and I may start to panic, but for now, the situation is not as bad as you would think reading this board.

[Man Friday]

Note McD's subtle references to the need to fight ("big hearts are needed"). He knows the players just didn't compete last night. No team is good enough to rely on skill alone - and we certainly ain't!

Trouble is, if the manager can't motivate them we are in deep sh1t.

The Barnsley chief scout said we don't defend as a unit. Essentially, we don't track back, we don't fight for the ball in every corner of the pitch, etc. Try as much as we did in the Cup matches and we're be OK. Try as much as we did against Plymouth and Sheffield Utd last night and we're be in League 1 before you can say "ball-winning, tenacious midfielder".

[CMRoyal]

I bet Brendan is having a jolly good laugh at home in Purley at the moment

Fair play if he is, cos it's his fault Reading are where they are.

He's left McDermott with a dire squad that is top heavy with central midfielders, has next to no decent attacking options, no specialist right back and little cover or choice at centre half.

McDermott has addressed certain areas of the squad but until Reading find a decent formula going forward they are absolutely going down.

I would like to see a new manager come in but I have already resigned myself to the fact McDermott is getting the job. 2 cup wins and the bloke is brilliant despite not picking up a single win in the league, and anyone thinking Barnsley is just going to be a walkover is very much mistaken. They are a totally different side to the one Reading beat earlier in the season...since the new manager has gone in.

Yet a narrow defeat at Forest (who thrashed QPR 5-0 last night), and a defeat at Sheff Utd (If we'd scored that penalty we probably would have got a deserved point from the game) means that BMc isn't up to the job????

FFS, the last 2 league games were write-offs for a team in our position. Get some perspective people. The next 4 league games are massive. Anything less than 7 points and I may start to panic, but for now, the situation is not as bad as you would think reading this board.

I'm not so sure when I read between the lines of what McDermot is saying about fight and pulling together. We are clearly not 'up' for games such as these - treating them as write-offs, as you yourself have. But as our first two games under him, and those against Liverpool, showed that we can nick the odd point from some of these teams. Even Brian admits that last night was a lost opportunity given the chances we had and how the Blades played. Time to get those blinkers off and realise that we can't write any game off from hereonin - the players seemingly aren't rising to certain occasions and if McDermott can't make them do it, he must do the decent thing and make way for someone who can.