Excited?

[SouthDownsRoyal]

We have a 1 in 4 chance

True that.

[roadrunner]

I would be if I had half a chance of getting ticket for either leg or hopefully the final, but I bet they are snapped up by those jumping on the bandwagon without the real fans who go week on week, home and away, getting a look in.

How do you figure that? they will go on sale in royalty points order so if you are bandwagon jumping you wont have many/any points.

And if you go week in week out you will.

^^ this. Tickets will not be a problem to those that go regulary and have the points to show for it.

[Winnershroyal]

I would be if I had half a chance of getting ticket for either leg or hopefully the final, but I bet they are snapped up by those jumping on the bandwagon without the real fans who go week on week, home and away, getting a look in.

Anyone who goes week in week out will get a ticket.

[tink]

I am more excited by these play-offs than i was a couple of years ago. In 08/09 we entered the play-offs with an air of disappointment because we really should have sealed automatic. It also felt like being the ex-prem team that finished 3rd we were favourites.

This time i think we're going into the play-offs as definite underdogs. we've crashed the party and although our last few performances have dampened the mood somewhat, i'm still quite excited by the play-offs.

In 08/09 i couldn't justify all the travel costs of getting back to reading for the play-offs, but this time i am definitely going to try and get tickets, so judging it on that basis, i am definitely more excited than i was 2 years ago.

[bobby m's syrup]

Sky offering customers a free 1 month trial of Sports n Movies. Thinks...Playoff tickets loadsa money. Sky...Free! Job Done!

[Ian Royal]

Having slept on it, I think it's pretty obvious we'll really raise our game for the play offs and if Kebe plays obviously we'll have a chance. Mills is also a bit of a big game charlie so will probably be much improved.

Saying that, of the teams who are likely to be in the play offs (Cardiff, Swansea & Forest) I think the team we'd struggle the most against is Swansea. Rodgers knows most of our players. He knows the club. They've beaten us twice already this season, and they play keep ball with the ability to actually score, which we are likely to struggle against. And they are now just starting to hit form again after dipping.

Finishing 5th I think gives us our best chance of beating Swansea. If we can get a draw or sneak a win at our place then they'll have to come at us at theirs and I think under those circumstances we'd be fairly good at soaking up the pressure and hitting them on the break. Though I'd give us a 30-70 chance.

If we can beat Swansea then actually I think we've got a great chance. But TBH I've not really thought we were good enough all season. We need to give it a good go to try and convince the likes of Kebe and Long that they can afford 6 more months to see what happens. I may be a bit pessimistic short-term sometimes, but long-term I'm very optimistic about how we'll do.

[FiNeRaIn]

Thats a fair post, but just get used to seeing swansea pitch invade giving it the big one when they win. That way when it happens it won't be as gutting.

[Bucks Dave]

Facaldaqui sums up my view. Last year our form was horrific, relegation threatened, then we got a cup game and transformed ourselves for those games. This season we looked distinctly average, got a cup game and same again.

Now for the last three games we've looked average at best, are about to get some cup games and .........

[Stuka]

Kebe = excited
No Kebe = meh

Nail on the head.

[brendywendy]

that boy is povotal to our success.
club seem convinced he will be fit for derby though.


ive just had a mad panic about tghe PO dates as i have a holiday in wales booked, but it works out great cos i can go to the swansea game from my mums mobile holiday home.

get in!

[Royal Lady]

Radio Berks this morning stated that the club were trying to get Kebe fit for the play-offs. Which made me think he wouldn't be playing on Saturday. But I hope he does. I also hope we can remain injury-free after Saturday's game.

[Ferris]

Excited by the prospect of a day out at Wembley, but dreading the prospect of having to watch us play at Wembley.

[facaldaqui]

I'd like to counter all the Kebe-dependent posts here. If ever we learnt anything under Coppell and McDermott it's that it's the team that counts, not individuals. Many people on this board, however, still interpret team form on the basis of individuals, either negatively or positively. But we've seen time and time again that Reading can do well without its stars--for example, this year we've done so without Sigurdsson, without Leigertwood, without Griffin, and, with the exception of the last few games, without Kebe.

Are posters quite sure that we would have been less lacklustre in the past three games if Kebe had played? Kebe is quite capable of lacklustreness himself, especially when the whole team's affected. I hope the team's dip in energy has merely been psychological, because the main job was done--if that's the case, Kebe would've been affected as well. Kebe was certainly in a rich vein of form; but it seems to me that Kebe's form is fragile and decreases alarmly when he feels he has a niggle. If he goes into the playoffs feeling slightly injured, I doubt we'll see match-winning performances from him, to be honest. I hope he gets fully fit, but there's more to our chances than that.

[Maguire]

As the day gets closer then I have to admit that yeah, I am.

It's the hope. That little glimmer of hope you cling to even though you knwo you shouldn't.

[zummerset]

I am well excited -taking my son to the Madstad, meeting my bro - a beer and pie beforehand....the buzz is building

[1871 Royal]

I am very excited about it but also bricking it at the same time! I shall be very nervous come tomorrow evening and tuesday evening.

[Ferris]

Still dreading it. I'd like to skip the next few days and just find out if we got through on Wednesday morning.

[muddyfeet]

will be more nervous than excited tomorrow - you can just never be sure which Reading team will turn up

[Maguire]

will be more nervous than excited tomorrow - you can just never be sure which Reading team will turn up

I'm hoping for Whitley Tavern or Unity.

[Archie's penalty]

Very and a little nervous of course. It's going to be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.