this board boils down to this

[Gus the teenage cow]

When a team is going through a difficult patch and make no mistake, that's what 6 successive defeats is, and when that same team is not performing to its potential, or perhpas is but just isn't good enough how should the support react?

Does the club and team need criticism from the fans? If so, what does this solve?

We all know Reading FC have not strenthened during the window, that was Coppell's choice so having a pop at the board is not fair unless you criticise their wage restrictions which we are not privy to. Bearing in mind HUnt has signed a new contract and there are positive signs that Shorey will do so too, perhaps the wages on offer are not as prohibitive as some might think.

So after a splendid first season, we ask ourselves what's the reason for the dreaded downturn in fortunes, this season, the second season syndrome

You could point at the departure of Sidwell but I would argue
a) one player doesn't make such a difference
b) he was intent on leaving no matter how much the Board was willing to offer him

so really where can we point the finger? What is the reason for our troubles this season?
Have we been found out? I don't buy that, if you play well enough you will win no matter how you play or what style of play you use.

As far as I am concerned other teams have strengthened while we have stayed still, the reason for this is that Coppell is a loyal manager and rightfully so after the success this group of players has brought us in recent seasons but the simple fact is they are not good enough to survive in a League of this quality.

The paradox that kills us here is that the teamwork and close bond and "all for 1" spirit that has brought us this far and that Coppell believes in so much is also what will drag is down as he fears unsettling the team with big name signings or flair players with expensive wages, perhaps he is right, perhaps he is wrong. Personally I think a few big name additions wouldn't unsettle the squad and he is overplaying the "teamwork" thing.

Thus my final point is this, what are the fans to do?

I don't think levelling criticism at transfer inactivity or saying individual players are not good enough or even suggesting that we lack ambition are at all helpful to us in our current plight. We now, more than ever need the fans to get behind the team and Coppell and let them sink or swim by the principles that Coppell is abiding by. He has taken us this far so don't lose faith as we enter stormy waters, this captain hasn't let you down up to now. Survival is on his neck, if he pulls it off I truly hope he reconsiders his slightly stubborn views on squad quality being dependent on all players being of a similar ilk/background .

But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not, as all groups tend to do at times like this, split into polarised groups

a) the coppell can do no wrong brigade who will follow him blindly anywhere and not question any decision he makes
b) the gloom-mongers who feed off bad results and believe relegation is inevitable and find anything to blame for such an outcome

The reality is that none of was want Reading to go down, that having a positive enthusiastic support is helpful to the team and that no club is perfectly run and we must continue to support the club passionately even when mistakes have been made, rather than point out the mistakes to vindicate ourselves at the expense of the club.

Let's all row in the same boat in the same direction...towards Premier league safety, the window is closed, save the recriminations, reflections and reviews for the end of the season

Until then, all aboard......the club needs your support and deserves it too

[Dickie Davies]

What he just said.

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

I can't be bothered to read all that
+1

[handbags_harris]

Fcuk me Gus, you make sense for once!!

[Uke]

I don't agree with"Gus the Teenage Cow'"

I only agree with "The Teenage Cow Gus"

Splitter...!

[Victor Meldrew]

I thought this was a discussion board where fans that worry about their club chat about the rights and wrongs of their club.
The "support" and all that "back the boyz" stuff is what happens at a game and not on here.

[Geekins]

I can't be bothered to read all that
+1

[Gus the teenage cow]

I thought this was a discussion board where fans that worry about their club chat about the rights and wrongs of their club.
The "support" and all that "back the boyz" stuff is what happens at a game and not on here.

yes so lets discuss the way forward rather than crying over spilt milk.

what do you believe is the way forward victor?

[AF1]

I can't be bothered to read all that
+1

Yep

[strap]

I can't be bothered to read all that
+1

Yep

Ahhh, the "soundbite" generation! Bless 'em!

TBF, much of the post is cock. The board is meant to be the forum for views to be aired and discussed. Differences of opinion are bloody healthy! So Gus, you want us to "row in the same boat in the same direction"?

Well in my opinion, the direcion Sir Steve is charting at the moment is the wrong one. Staying too loyal to a team that is so out of form it is embarassing, failing to change things around during a match when it is obvious that changes are needed, selling off academy stars who warrant at least a chance in the match 16, failing (for 4 consecutive transfer windows) to bring in proven Premiership quality to supplement the quality we already have .... etc etc.

Sorry chap, that boat and that direction is leading us only one way at the moment. Just because the dissenting voices don't happen to agree with your views does NOT necessarily make them wrong.

As I say, it is healthy to have a diverse range of views, and if RFC just happen to stumble across those variouos views on this board, and it makes them stop and think just for a minute, then so much the better. Who knows, RFC may not atually think they have made any mistakes!!! Emporer's new clothes and all that!

[Gus the teenage cow]

i agree with a lot of what you say, hmmmm but the fact is the window is closed and we have to accept the squad as it is until the end of the season so are we going to cry about the fact that we didnt strengthen and sold cox and have a conservative coach until the end of the season or are we going to get behind the team? which of these two courses of actions is most beneficial to the football club?


at the end of the season by all means have your pound of flesh but while she is still alive let's try resusitating her rather than eating her alive

[papereyes]

i agree with a lot of what you say, hmmmm but the fact is the window is closed and we have to accept the squad as it is until the end of the season so are we going to cry about the fact that we didnt strengthen and sold cox and have a conservative coach until the end of the season or are we going to get behind the team? which of these two courses of actions is most beneficial to the football club?


at the end of the season by all means have your pound of flesh but while she is still alive let's try resusitating her rather than eating her alive

Odd. At the start of the season, it was "but you can't criticise now, there's 30 odd games left"

In the middle of the season, it was "But we have the transfer window to come, you can't criticise now"

And now, again, it appears that any dissent about the direction of the club is again to be silenced for a different set of reasons.

[howser]

I dont believe that there is anyone on this site that wants to see us go down, however there are fundamental points that cannot be ignored, and if that is seen as a critisism to the management, then they are the ones who have put themselves in this position, by no sense of the imagination can it be suggested that we are not "understrength" because the fact is we are, and very little has been done to correct this position. All the "we havent signed anyone again" comments on this board are fair critisism of the clubs unwillingless to come to terms with Premiership life, we now find ourselves in the position of having an understrength squad, low on confidence and in most of the next few games having to go with the same side that has proven itself to be not up to the job over the past few weeks, yes we had a difficult month in January, opposition wise, but we then had the opportunity to put some light between ourselves and the other relegation threatened sides against Bolton and again we did not step up to the mark. It was the manager who clearly stated that we needed strenghening
and we did nothing about it, again we have taken the "cheap" route.

Where as this in itself tends to migrate into a blame culture, this is no surprise when you consider, with our present situation, and by what means we have attempted to try to correct it. I fully appreciate the managers comments on the OS today that he wanted to remain "loyal" to his players, but sadly in this proffession loyalty will bring its own downfalls, as we can all see at the moment.

[Royal Spangle]

With only 6 more home games to go untill the end of the season we should be getting behind the team whatever our thoughts are about how the club/team have been managed.We may get rellegated , we may not , but I shall be as positive as possible cheering the team on whatever the outcome.These maybe our last 6 games in the Premiership for years to come ( I hope not ) or we may NEVER play in the top league again, so try and enjoy it while it lasts and go to the next 6 home games with a smile and raise the roof with some positive reaction to what has been in large a terrible season and maybe , just maybe things will turn out ok.

[Gus the teenage cow]

i agree with a lot of what you say, hmmmm but the fact is the window is closed and we have to accept the squad as it is until the end of the season so are we going to cry about the fact that we didnt strengthen and sold cox and have a conservative coach until the end of the season or are we going to get behind the team? which of these two courses of actions is most beneficial to the football club?


at the end of the season by all means have your pound of flesh but while she is still alive let's try resusitating her rather than eating her alive

Odd. At the start of the season, it was "but you can't criticise now, there's 30 odd games left"

In the middle of the season, it was "But we have the transfer window to come, you can't criticise now"

And now, again, it appears that any dissent about the direction of the club is again to be silenced for a different set of reasons.

i dont recall any criticism at the start of the season, everybody is wise in hindsight, last season we didn't exactly go on a major spending spree and it did us no harm

what i am criticising here is not the right of the fans to criticise, of course the paying punters have that right

what bothers me is the timing of that criticism, every thread on this board is saying the same thing at the moment yet these things (transfer inactivity, low wages, not bringing younger players through, conservative coaching) were equally true last season.....so why stab the hardest when the patient is in pain...what does that solve??? what does it achieve?

ok imagine a club offical released a statement on the official website "yes, the fans slagging us off for being tight on HNA are right and Coppell is a stubborn git, too loyal to average players"...where would that get us?


the matters that are being argued on this board these days are all dead ducks, unchangeable, let it go and support the team or you'll consume you will be consumed by the bitterness and mourning for something that is not lost or has not died yet

[papereyes]

i agree with a lot of what you say, hmmmm but the fact is the window is closed and we have to accept the squad as it is until the end of the season so are we going to cry about the fact that we didnt strengthen and sold cox and have a conservative coach until the end of the season or are we going to get behind the team? which of these two courses of actions is most beneficial to the football club?


at the end of the season by all means have your pound of flesh but while she is still alive let's try resusitating her rather than eating her alive

Odd. At the start of the season, it was "but you can't criticise now, there's 30 odd games left"

In the middle of the season, it was "But we have the transfer window to come, you can't criticise now"

And now, again, it appears that any dissent about the direction of the club is again to be silenced for a different set of reasons.

i dont recall any criticism at the start of the season,

Then you must have missed the people suggesting we might miss Sidwell, then ...

so why stab the hardest when the patient is in pain...what does that solve??? what does it achieve?

Because, and its something I've been getting at for a while, at the start of the season, there was a very loud and very forceful group that shouted down any dissent from anyone. Losing 3-0 to Bolton and feeling a touch annoyed? Overreaction. Suggesting that Bryn is not as good as Sidwell? Bunch of statistics showing absolutely nothing in particular. Concede 7 goals in a game? No, that's not a thrashing.

There's a reason why people's criticism will get louder and louder and its because people were, by and large, not allowed to express their doubts and misgivings from about July onwards.

[Gus the teenage cow]

yes i agree and that's exactly the prob with this board, the polarisation between the everything is fine and dandy fascists and the everything is shite and we're on suicide watch types

where is the in-between?

and what binds these 2 groups=supporting Reading FC so instead of trying to find out who is wrong and who is right, lets do what we have in common, support the team

[Hoop Blah]

i dont recall any criticism at the start of the season, everybody is wise in hindsight, last season we didn't exactly go on a major spending spree and it did us no harm

what i am criticising here is not the right of the fans to criticise, of course the paying punters have that right

Go back and look. There have been a few threads dredged up these last few days already. I'm sure there are plenty more.

There were quite a few 'dissenters' pointing out how our squad was lacking in key areas and that Coppell and the rest the of the management team needed to try doubly hard to plug those holes. They failed, for whatever reasons we'll probably never know.

All we do know is that Coppell admitted those holes were there. He admitted he wanted to fill them. We didn't. He's since said it was a mistake. He's repeated. We're paying the price.

The dicussions on here the last few days and weeks have followed pretty much the same path and they did last January, in the summer, and in the build up to this window that's just past. You're right there is nothing we can do about it, but that doesn't mean we don't have an opinion on whats going on. This is where a lot of people can air those opinions and probably stop a few cats getting kicked in at the same time!

[Hoop Blah]

yes i agree and that's exactly the prob with this board, the polarisation between the everything is fine and dandy fascists and the everything is shite and we're on suicide watch types

where is the in-between?

and what binds these 2 groups=supporting Reading FC so instead of trying to find out who is wrong and who is right, lets do what we have in common, support the team

This isn't a forum for supporting the team though is it?

If it is how does that work then?

This is somewhere to discuss the team, the club etc etc. There is an in between. Plenty of posters are 'in between' the extreme views, they just get lumped in with the extremes or drowned out in the arguements between the so called extremes.

Perhaps you should volunteer to group posters so we all know where we stand.

[Gus the teenage cow]

yes i agree and that's exactly the prob with this board, the polarisation between the everything is fine and dandy fascists and the everything is shite and we're on suicide watch types

where is the in-between?

and what binds these 2 groups=supporting Reading FC so instead of trying to find out who is wrong and who is right, lets do what we have in common, support the team

This isn't a forum for supporting the team though is it?

If it is how does that work then?

This is somewhere to discuss the team, the club etc etc. There is an in between. Plenty of posters are 'in between' the extreme views, they just get lumped in with the extremes or drowned out in the arguements between the so called extremes.

Perhaps you should volunteer to group posters so we all know where we stand.

i'll get on it, would you like a poll for this?