Reading Cut Adrift in Bottom Four

[AthleticoSpizz]

a lot of supporters think we're a Premiership club/ Premiership club in waiting.

not sure where the word "lot" figures here

A lot had sensibly accepted the fact that we are not (premiership) a long time before the season had even started

[T.R.O.L.I.]

You might not expect it, but quite often it happens. Look at our two losses in 05/06 - Plymouth (H) who finished 50 points behind us in 14th and Luton (A) who finshed 45 points behind us in 10th.

This season, Plymouth (currently 23rd) won away at Cardiff (currently 5th) and Scunthorpe (currently 20th) beat Newcastle (currently 1st).

Whoever we'd lost to that season would have been 50 points behind us - THEY ALL WERE !!

I didn't realise we won the league by 50 points - though it was more like 15.

[Franchise FC]

You might not expect it, but quite often it happens. Look at our two losses in 05/06 - Plymouth (H) who finished 50 points behind us in 14th and Luton (A) who finshed 45 points behind us in 10th.

This season, Plymouth (currently 23rd) won away at Cardiff (currently 5th) and Scunthorpe (currently 20th) beat Newcastle (currently 1st).

Whoever we'd lost to that season would have been 50 points behind us - THEY ALL WERE !!

I didn't realise we won the league by 50 points - though it was more like 15.

I know - but it felt like 50 didn't it !!

[Compo's Hat]

By the time we play next in the league we could well be in the bottom three. Sheffield Wednesday play twice including a massive game at home to Peterborough while Plymouth host Barnsley on Saturday.

[Terminal Boardom]

By the time we play next in the league we could well be in the bottom three. Sheffield Wednesday play twice including a massive game at home to Peterborough while Plymouth host Barnsley on Saturday.

And if this is not bad enough, the game on 30th against Barnsley is a MUST WIN for us. On the same day, Wednesday are home to Plymouth. No pressure there then

As I see it, in the bottom 3 at the start of Feb would be a nightmare as we would only be able to rely on a limited number of emergency loan signings. Assuming we got any in that is.

[Scarface]

Last season when it all fell apart it was inevitable we'd blow promotion even though the agony was extended to the play-off. This season feels similar in that sense, so just accept we're relegated and you'll feel a lot less angry come the last day of the season when we go down on goal difference again.

Lets face it, this season has been an utter shambles on and off the pitch, so we deserve to go down

[brendywendy]

kinda have to agree

if we stay up its just because there are three clubs in an even shitter state than us

[Eastkentroyal]

Last season when it all fell apart it was inevitable we'd blow promotion even though the agony was extended to the play-off. This season feels similar in that sense, so just accept we're relegated and you'll feel a lot less angry come the last day of the season when we go down on goal difference again.

Lets face it, this season has been an utter shambles on and off the pitch, so we deserve to go down

As somebody said earlier, by the time we play our next league game (Shefield United away) we will almost certainly be in 23rd place and will probably stay there until relegation. I accepted relegation some time ago.

[Millsy]

Bring in a proper manager NOW.

[andrew1957]

Bring in a proper manager NOW.

Too late for a new manager now I think. We are much better to stick with B McD. At least we are playing with more spirit now.

But unless we win both the next two games we are almost 100% certain to be in the bottom 3 at the start of February looking at the other teams games. We may be 5 or 6 points adrift of 21st place in the worst case scenario.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

We're in so much trouble if we dont get in 3 - 4 players.

Doesn't matter who the manager is.

[Ian Royal]

Even if we decided to get a new manager now. It would take an absolute minimum of 2 weeks to get one in post. More likely 4-6 weeks. We're better off sticking with BMcD. Three managers in a season is too many.

We're likely to dip into the bottom 3 at some point in the next few months. I'd rather do it in the next couple of weeks than in a months time. It's where we are at the end of the season that counts we are good enough to string a few results together with the right team and tactics.

[andrew1957]

We're in so much trouble if we dont get in 3 - 4 players.

Doesn't matter who the manager is.

Really think that with Thor and Griffin we have enough now. We just need some consistency.

[andrew1957]

Even if we decided to get a new manager now. It would take an absolute minimum of 2 weeks to get one in post. More likely 4-6 weeks. We're better off sticking with BMcD. Three managers in a season is too many.

We're likely to dip into the bottom 3 at some point in the next few months. I'd rather do it in the next couple of weeks than in a months time. It's where we are at the end of the season that counts we are good enough to string a few results together with the right team and tactics.

Agreed. It will be tight but if we can have a good February we should be ok. If not we probably have had it. Feb is the key month with several winnable games.

[Ian Royal]

I think we could do with an experienced winger to free Sig up for the middle. We're at least covered now.

TBH I'd be ok with relegation if I knew we'd keep and play Hamer, Pearce, Karacan, Sigurdsson, Davies, Robson-Kanu, Church and Henry. At least it would be exciting watching them develop together and backing a mostly home grown team. I think we'd have a pretty good chance of bouncing back too.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

We're in so much trouble if we dont get in 3 - 4 players.

Doesn't matter who the manager is.

Really think that with Thor and Griffin we have enough now. We just need some consistency.

We still miss so many chances and our midfield gets played through by any decent side.

We need a Cisse that you can trust for certain. Gylfi should be playin in the middle or at number 10 and I love Ivar to bits but he gets done for pace every game and he's still quicker than Pearce.

I also cant believe we've got to the point were people say they can accept relegation.....

[Only one Trevor Morley]

We're looking at the wrong teams if we look at Sheff Wed. They'll stay up particularly with the manager they have

I'd be much more interested in studying the poorer teams - ie Barnsley, Scunthorpe and then Derby who we have a game in hand over.

Ultimately if we start winning at home (the old winning at home problems have been forgotten in all the personnel changes) we'll stay up, particularly as we still have hime games to play against the bottom 3, Coventry Donny and Derby. If we dont then we're in trouble.

We havent had a decent run all season so I cant help thinking that will happen at some stage.

I think Kamara had it right when he predicted we'd finish 20th - we'll stay up but only just.

Oh and if we bought another manager in (other than Coppell who knows the ropes) then its relegation. Look at charlton the season they had 3 managers........

[Ian Royal]

If McDermott finds a settled team and plays it through the pain in the next week or two (that doesn't involve Cisse in a two man midfield, or Gunnarsson at right back every game [he'll get rinsed by pace to easily even if he's spectacular against anyone not quick], or Pearce and Ivar together) then I think we'll stay up. Just about.

If he doesn't. We're down.

[andrew1957]

Agree with Trevor Morley.

The next couple of weeks are scary though because the teams below us are all playing each other or ones just above.

Before our first game in Feb others have -

Plymouth have Barnsley H - Derby H, and Sheff Wed A

Sheff Wed have Blackpool A, Peterborough H, Scunny A and Plymouth H

Peterborough have Sheff Wed A, Preston H and Palace A

In the worst case scenario that would leave the table -
Sheff Wed Played 28 - 32 points
Plymouth 27 - 28
Peterborough 28 - 24
Reading played 27 and will have something between 23 and 29 points depending on results.

[Ian Royal]

I don't think it would be that bad a result for us to dip into the zone because the lower teams won, because that would drag a whole bunch right into the mire. At the same time the higher teams winning and pulling away leaving the bottom three stranded wouldn't be a huge loss.

We desperately need a couple of wins in the next three or four games to start getting the points ticking over again though.