We are just not good enough.....

[sucatraps]

Mildly amused by some of the remarks here about how bad we are, how useless the players are and how they will all leave if we're relegated. If we and they are so bad where are they going to go? who is going to buy them? I don't play poker, but is there not an adage about playing the hand you're dealt? I guess that's what we are obliged to do and hope for the best! Personally I think our manager is top and probably in more demand than any of our players, strange that isn't it!

In poker, can you arrange with the dealer to give you better cards?

I don't know, I DON'T play poker!

[kieran]

[/quote]Last year we overachieved playing well. This year we've underachieved playing badly.[/quote]

I dont think I can agree that we are underachieving this year. We have the worst squad in the division and have spent the least. We have nobody that can change a game and no real quality. I would say we are still over achieving. But long may it continue

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

Maybe our natural home is the Championship, the Club certainly seem to think so.

I dont think they actually do. We've be caught out by inexperience. Coppell seemed to convince a lot of people last year that you could keep a team in the premiership 'on the cheap', and, as a club that has never been in the Premiership before, we didnt know any better. We've simply been caught out. We've played the season 'off the pitch' all wrong, but I dont think thats a deliberate ploy, just simple naivety.

[Tommy Jones]

Another disappointing display on Saturday !
Four games, no goals scored, one attempt in the past two games . . . .
Away record this season is dismal, defence has been poor, strike force severly lacking. . . . . Where do we go from here?
It is still possible we may survive. We are good enough to at least get a point at Wigan. We are capable to beat Tottenham at home and we should beat Derby even though its away from home . . . 7 points, giving us 39 for the season . . .Yes it can be done!! The big question is what do we do for next season?

This team needs strengtherrning in all departments . . . . Shorey and Lita have shown their true loyalties this season and they have to go. Kitson and Long are not going to score the goals necessary to win games. We lack competetive midfield players barring Harper and Hunt although Matejovsky looks as if he has potential to do extremly well. Murty, Iggamarson, Sonko and Bikey all lack pace. Little is a liability injury wise. Result being a major overhaul of the squad is required, requiring extensive funds . . . . Will this happen?

Reading are capable of establishing themselves in the premiership. If the likes of Bolton, Portsmouth, Wigan, Sunderland, Middlesborough can do it then why not Reading ? The fan base is there but can we expect to see significant funding from the board to ensure it happens? If this club goes down it will be a long time before we ever get to these dizzy heights again . . . if ever !!!

[sucatraps]

'koff newbie! welcome

[Yorkshire Royal]

Definitely needed another post on this subject.

[zummerset]

Kitson and Long are not going to score the goals necessary to win games. We lack competetive midfield players barring Harper and Hunt although Matejovsky looks as if he has potential to do extremly well. Murty, Iggamarson, Sonko and Bikey all lack pace.

Obviously feck off newbie

Kitson does have the class but he is either defending or has poor delivery to him. Harper may be competitive but only at table tennis which is f all good on a Saturday afternoon. How dare you criticise Bikey according to most the posters on here recently he's the new Paul Scholes!

Of yeah welcome..

[kieran]

Reading are capable of establishing themselves in the premiership. If the likes of Bolton, Portsmouth, Wigan, Sunderland, Middlesborough can do it then why not Reading ? The fan base is there but can we expect to see significant funding from the board to ensure it happens? If this club goes down it will be a long time before we ever get to these dizzy heights again . . . if ever !!!

Would love to agree, but sadly cant.

Wigan - are not established. They could drop out at any moment. No player of any quality really considers a move there.

Sunderland - Much, much bigger club

Bolton - Much bigger club

Middlesborough - Much bigger club

Portsmouth - Much bigger club.

Now before everyone says "Whats a bigger club got to do with it" then I think it has a lot to do with it. With the exception of Wigan all the mentioned clubs are far more fashionable, desirable and have a richer heritage. All of the above also have a larger fanbase and most players have actually heard of those clubs.

I know we have a new stadium and get around 20,000 each week now, but if you consider that clubs increase their attendance by 45% on average after a new stadium and we are in the premiership it makes you realise that our attendance is pretty poor really.

[Ian Royal]

Reading are capable of establishing themselves in the premiership. If the likes of Bolton, Portsmouth, Wigan, Sunderland, Middlesborough can do it then why not Reading ? The fan base is there but can we expect to see significant funding from the board to ensure it happens? If this club goes down it will be a long time before we ever get to these dizzy heights again . . . if ever !!!

Would love to agree, but sadly cant.

Wigan - are not established. They could drop out at any moment. No player of any quality really considers a move there.

Sunderland - Much, much bigger club

Bolton - Much bigger club

Middlesborough - Much bigger club

Portsmouth - Much bigger club.

Now before everyone says "Whats a bigger club got to do with it" then I think it has a lot to do with it. With the exception of Wigan all the mentioned clubs are far more fashionable, desirable and have a richer heritage. All of the above also have a larger fanbase and most players have actually heard of those clubs.

I know we have a new stadium and get around 20,000 each week now, but if you consider that clubs increase their attendance by 45% on average after a new stadium and we are in the premiership it makes you realise that our attendance is pretty poor really.

our attendence is about as good as it can get right now. Had we got a 30k capacity this season we'd have had crowds of about 26k on average at least I reckon, and still a fair few sell outs.

[SpaceCruiser]

I know we have a new stadium

How long does it have be considered a new stadium before it becomes old?

Is 10 years still considered "new"?

[Toby_Jugs]

Reading are capable of establishing themselves in the premiership. If the likes of Bolton, Portsmouth, Wigan, Sunderland, Middlesborough can do it then why not Reading ? The fan base is there but can we expect to see significant funding from the board to ensure it happens? If this club goes down it will be a long time before we ever get to these dizzy heights again . . . if ever !!!

That really sums it up to be honest. Unless we spend comparative amounts we cannot expect to comepete with those teams. All we can look forward to is the odd season in the Premiership.

If we go down, we will have taken a very large step back. The clubs unwillingness to try and compete (more so on wages than actual transfer fees) will have cost us dear and the fans will be the ones that really suffer. Unless we change that, we will be a yo yo club at best. All this talk about being the next Arsenal.....

[Ian Royal]

Also our average attendence isn't 20,000. It's 23,423, but hey, what's accuracy got to do with anything when you're trying to make a point. Virtually three and a half thousand people are nothing important.

Also our lowest attendence this season was ~21,300 so still significantly above the estimated average there. and that was against Wigan, who I'm fairly confident won't have brought a huge away following. Given Spurs is sold out home and away we should slightly increase that average too.

Not bad going for a tinpot plastic club with no history who are clearly the worst team in the league and guaranteed to go down failing to score another goal let alone win a game.

[seahawk10]

Now before everyone says "Whats a bigger club got to do with it" then I think it has a lot to do with it. With the exception of Wigan all the mentioned clubs are far more fashionable, desirable and have a richer heritage. All of the above also have a larger fanbase and most players have actually heard of those clubs.

You have to start somewhere. Reading is already starting to make a name for themselves. If we can make it through this year and make the right additions in the summer then I can see this team staying up for a good stretch. The fact that we might be looking at three years in the Prem with the same 2005-2006 Championship winning side is an amazing accomplishment. But to go beyond three or four years we need some smart buys. I think everyone realizes that we have gotten lucky this year to be where we are now. (Which isn't so bad, 1 point off the drop with three games to go.)

We can do it!!! Fcuky Offy!! (Ooops, I meant Keepy Uppy!!!)

[Ian Royal]

Reading are capable of establishing themselves in the premiership. If the likes of Bolton, Portsmouth, Wigan, Sunderland, Middlesborough can do it then why not Reading ? The fan base is there but can we expect to see significant funding from the board to ensure it happens? If this club goes down it will be a long time before we ever get to these dizzy heights again . . . if ever !!!

That really sums it up to be honest. Unless we spend comparative amounts we cannot expect to comepete with those teams. All we can look forward to is the odd season in the Premiership.

If we go down, we will have taken a very large step back. The clubs unwillingness to try and compete (more so on wages than actual transfer fees) will have cost us dear and the fans will be the ones that really suffer. Unless we change that, we will be a yo yo club at best. All this talk about being the next Arsenal.....

bar Wigan and Pompey(?) all of those clubs have made their way into the premiership by way of being a yo yo club for several seasons.

In fact the way you tend to stay in the prem these days is by yo yoing for about 5 years and then finally getting a proper foothold. All the benefits of being there what with parachute payments without the no chance of competing for half a season every season.

[papereyes]

Reading are capable of establishing themselves in the premiership. If the likes of Bolton, Portsmouth, Wigan, Sunderland, Middlesborough can do it then why not Reading ? The fan base is there but can we expect to see significant funding from the board to ensure it happens? If this club goes down it will be a long time before we ever get to these dizzy heights again . . . if ever !!!

That really sums it up to be honest. Unless we spend comparative amounts we cannot expect to comepete with those teams. All we can look forward to is the odd season in the Premiership.

If we go down, we will have taken a very large step back. The clubs unwillingness to try and compete (more so on wages than actual transfer fees) will have cost us dear and the fans will be the ones that really suffer. Unless we change that, we will be a yo yo club at best. All this talk about being the next Arsenal.....

bar Wigan and Pompey(?) all of those clubs have made their way into the premiership by way of being a yo yo club for several seasons.

In fact the way you tend to stay in the prem these days is by yo yoing for about 5 years and then finally getting a proper foothold. All the benefits of being there what with parachute payments without the no chance of competing for half a season every season.

There are one or two examples of clubs that haven't gone straight back down as there are examples of teams who have gone up, gone down, almost gone up and dropped away for some time.

I think it might be better avoiding relegation this season, but I guess its getting towards being too late for that now.

[kieran]

Also our average attendence isn't 20,000. It's 23,423, but hey, what's accuracy got to do with anything when you're trying to make a point. Virtually three and a half thousand people are nothing important.

Also our lowest attendence this season was ~21,300 so still significantly above the estimated average there. and that was against Wigan, who I'm fairly confident won't have brought a huge away following. Given Spurs is sold out home and away we should slightly increase that average too.

Not bad going for a tinpot plastic club with no history who are clearly the worst team in the league and guaranteed to go down failing to score another goal let alone win a game.

Thing is - our attendance isnt acctually that though is it? There are loads of empty seats each week. There is no way there was anywhere near 24k for fulham. The rest are chelsea fans that have bought a season ticket to ensure some good local football.

[CholseyRoyal]

A couple of years ago most people on here were quite happy at the thought of doing a Charlton and yo-yoing for several seasons before becoming established in the Prem. Why all the despondency now when it is about to happen for the first time?

[kieran]

A couple of years ago most people on here were quite happy at the thought of doing a Charlton and yo-yoing for several seasons before becoming established in the Prem. Why all the despondency now when it is about to happen for the first time?

totally agee. we should be over the moon to be even an established champioship side. I think people forget that we have spent nearly all our existence in the lowest 2 divs. This is an absolute dream, forget about competing with Sunderland (massive club) and pompy (one of only 7 teams to win back to back championships)

[Ian Royal]

Also our average attendence isn't 20,000. It's 23,423, but hey, what's accuracy got to do with anything when you're trying to make a point. Virtually three and a half thousand people are nothing important.

Also our lowest attendence this season was ~21,300 so still significantly above the estimated average there. and that was against Wigan, who I'm fairly confident won't have brought a huge away following. Given Spurs is sold out home and away we should slightly increase that average too.

Not bad going for a tinpot plastic club with no history who are clearly the worst team in the league and guaranteed to go down failing to score another goal let alone win a game.

Thing is - our attendance isnt acctually that though is it? There are loads of empty seats each week. There is no way there was anywhere near 24k for fulham. The rest are chelsea fans that have bought a season ticket to ensure some good local football.

You know these things called toilets? And then of course there is the bar.
When you compare how full it looked a few years ago at the 19k mark for big games, it is easily believable there were 24k at Fulham IMO.

So yes, our attendence is exactly that.

[kieran]

Also our average attendence isn't 20,000. It's 23,423, but hey, what's accuracy got to do with anything when you're trying to make a point. Virtually three and a half thousand people are nothing important.

Also our lowest attendence this season was ~21,300 so still significantly above the estimated average there. and that was against Wigan, who I'm fairly confident won't have brought a huge away following. Given Spurs is sold out home and away we should slightly increase that average too.

Not bad going for a tinpot plastic club with no history who are clearly the worst team in the league and guaranteed to go down failing to score another goal let alone win a game.

Thing is - our attendance isnt acctually that though is it? There are loads of empty seats each week. There is no way there was anywhere near 24k for fulham. The rest are chelsea fans that have bought a season ticket to ensure some good local football.

You know these things called toilets? And then of course there is the bar.
When you compare how full it looked a few years ago at the 19k mark for big games, it is easily believable there were 24k at Fulham IMO.

So yes, our attendence is exactly that.

Be serious, there were at least 1500 empty seats. The capacity is only 24,200. The released attendance was something like 24089 or so. I bet if you asked the club they would tell you they count all tickets bought(incl chelsea fans st's) and not those that attended.