Back from the (last PL) game

[Southbank Old Boy]

nice to hear marcus pledging his future to the club after the game
few more people with hearts like his, and we'll be fine next year

Pledging his future? All he's said is that he is pretty sure he'll be here because he has a contract.

You can bet that if his contract clause that triggered a new contract earlier this year wasn't in palce he'd be looking elsewhere right now.

I've got a lot of time for Marcus. But don't be so naive to think that he's committing for any other reason but for the money, and rightly so really.

[Arch]

However, if he is going to go he must go in the next few days and we must appoint his replacement as soon as possible so that he has as long as possible to build the team he needs before the start of next season.

Wouldn't recommend to anyone to do a PAul Jewell. Give it a couple of weeks holiday and some long talks with the chairman before coming to any kind of decision. Also, if he does go, I'd like to give it a few weeks to find out who's going to be out there. There could well be some unexpected movement, a relatively successful manager who wants a change of scene for example. We have to remember, the Reading job is a very good job - relatively secure, good structure and reasonably well-paid. That's a market we can hope to compete in.

[brendywendy]

nice to hear marcus pledging his future to the club after the game
few more people with hearts like his, and we'll be fine next year

Pledging his future? All he's said is that he is pretty sure he'll be here because he has a contract.

You can bet that if his contract clause that triggered a new contract earlier this year wasn't in palce he'd be looking elsewhere right now.

I've got a lot of time for Marcus. But don't be so naive to think that he's committing for any other reason but for the money, and rightly so really.

he said theres no way im going, ill be there to get reading back up
thats good enough for me, contracts dont mean nowt anyway

admittedly he had nowhere else to go
just good to hear it thats all

[RoyalBlue]

gloating? about being relegated?
when they've been relegated themselves?
im looking forward to an easy 6 points against them next season,
remind me again,
how on earth did they make to the premier league?

its must've been pretty horrible being at the match at the end.
now we know,
dont rely on other teams to do you favour

LOL at the Derby fan who sent a text to BBCRB moaning that Reading fans had been disrespectful to the Derby fans!! Who can forget their visits to the Mad Stad in previous seasons when they were gloating about it being our cup final and that we were only there to see their team!!

[LoyalRoyal22]

I have arrived home now. We outclassed Derby, great for Lita,kitson and Doyle to all score, also great finish from harps. superb atmosphere and good day out, untill the fulham goal. We will keep most the squad and we will blitz the championship. And hopefully we can make some big investment if we do. Also would like to see some good signings this summer, not like we cant afford it. Would love to see Coppell stay. Reading will only lose Shorey, and Hunt i think. Losing Hunt would probs be a good thing. Hopefully have Convey and Little back on the wings. Remember most of the players that got us promoted are still here and have improved.

[Denver Royal]

We will blitz the championship.

How many other relegated teams thought the same thing?

[Southbank Old Boy]

Remember most of the players that got us promoted are still here and have improved.

Or had perhaps just improved for a season and then spectacularly imploaded.

The spirit of that promotion squad, which took a couple of years to cultivate, has been ripped out of the team. They're going to be on a downer from here until the start of the season, Marcus alluded to it on the radio, saying how hard it is for relegated players once they leave the spot light and intensity of the big time, and thats before any of them start to jump ship. To top it off their all three seasons older since the promotion campaign kicked off.

Don't be fooled into thinking it's going to be easy next season or that the current squad are in as good a shape as the 05/06 vintage.

[floyd__streete]

What happened down the front at the end when it all kicked off? Stewards seemed a bit humourless all afternoon; what is it with folk who don the luminous jacket, it makes them power-crazed, jumped up prats?

LOL @ Reading fans singing PLAY UP POMPEY as if they were ever going to be bothered enough to do us a further and additional LOL @ the fella who announced Pompey being 1-0 up which swept deliriously across the stand

[crodonilson]

Pretty irrelevant, really, as performances a few weeks ago made what we did on the pitch today pretty academic as long as we won, which we did at a canter.

A few random observations :

Inflatables good fun but not as good as at Blackburn where the stand was more compact and not as deep.

Our first goal was truly a peach, we knocked it around with real style, then a great finish by Harps.

Derby truly are abysmal - their worst ever PL team record is well deserved. I've seen 4th division teams with more desire, flair and invention than them. And a good proportion of their fans are charmless oiks too - gloating is fine, but when you're 4-0 down?

Last PL game but I'm sure you'll be able to attract a Prem team to your stadium for a pre-season glamour friendly so it won't be the last PL club at the Mad Stad this calendar year.

[oxmiller]

Fantastic atmosphere and a great day until 14 minutes to go - any other time Pompey would stuff Fulham.
Fans were great, team played like a team, Derby were truely awful and will struggle in the fizzy pop league next year on that performance.

[Royal Lady]

Why do we have w@nkers in our support who think it's amusing to shout out that Pompey are one up and thus get everyone excited. They are a disgrace.

We played like our old selves in parts, including Oster who was still rubbish imho. Gutted at the end, especially now I realise if we'd scored another 4 we'd be staying up at Fulham's expense. Still, over the course of 38 games, sadly we deserved to be where we are, but it was nice to go down fighting and seeing Lita, Kitson and Doyler all score. Feeling more upset at the thought that Steve Coppell is leaving, but Schards and I were lucky enough to speak with him this morning and tell him what a legend he is in the eyes of all true Reading supporters. I love that man and what he's done for this team, he gave us a taste of the Prem and for that I'll always be grateful, whether we ever come back up or not. God bless Steve Coppell.

[Man Friday]

Pis*ed of with the Reading fans who thought it'd be funny to start a rumour that Pompey had gone ahead and, later, equalised. Hate Pompey more than ever - c'mon Cardiff. Most Derby fans I came across were pretty decent. All we need now is Colin W to go up and it would cap a shi* season.

[Royalshow]

Why do we have w@nkers in our support who think it's amusing to shout out that Pompey are one up and thus get everyone excited. They are a disgrace.

We played like our old selves in parts, including Oster who was still rubbish imho. Gutted at the end, especially now I realise if we'd scored another 4 we'd be staying up at Fulham's expense. Still, over the course of 38 games, sadly we deserved to be where we are, but it was nice to go down fighting and seeing Lita, Kitson and Doyler all score. Feeling more upset at the thought that Steve Coppell is leaving, but Schards and I were lucky enough to speak with him this morning and tell him what a legend he is in the eyes of all true Reading supporters. I love that man and what he's done for this team, he gave us a taste of the Prem and for that I'll always be grateful, whether we ever come back up or not. God bless Steve Coppell.

I was so pissed off when i found out it was still 0-0. They deserve to have there spines ripped out and be subject to an extreme battering with them.

[PEARCEY]

Why do we have w@nkers in our support who think it's amusing to shout out that Pompey are one up and thus get everyone excited. They are a disgrace.

We played like our old selves in parts, including Oster who was still rubbish imho. Gutted at the end, especially now I realise if we'd scored another 4 we'd be staying up at Fulham's expense. Still, over the course of 38 games, sadly we deserved to be where we are, but it was nice to go down fighting and seeing Lita, Kitson and Doyler all score. Feeling more upset at the thought that Steve Coppell is leaving, but Schards and I were lucky enough to speak with him this morning and tell him what a legend he is in the eyes of all true Reading supporters. I love that man and what he's done for this team, he gave us a taste of the Prem and for that I'll always be grateful, whether we ever come back up or not. God bless Steve Coppell.

I remember some moron saying one of our rivals was losing when we were drawing 0-0 at home in a must win final game in 1988 against Hulll(i think)..Of course the moron was telling a porkie and I remember being very annoyed by his little skit.
From what I gather the support was superb today and at least you saw our best ever Primiership away win

[Row Z Royal]

What a great day out.

We had a good 300 mile round trip, enjoyed the inflatables (especially baby Bikey taking one of my flowers home ) and the football and Championshiply scinilating.

However, I was the mug with a radio, so whenever a cheer went up, 50 people would turn to me and I'd have to shrug until Alan Green at the JJB updated me on no change in the score at Fratton

I did have the last 80 seconds of the Fulham game in my ear after our final whistle went and that was pretty tough, but everyone was resigned to relegation at that point.

I was disappointed by the reaction of the Derby fans, though. I hope that their attitude comes back to bite them in the arse next season.

And I welled up at Coppell's wave goodbye. So long and thanks for all the fish.

I should also publically apologise to Lita for not celebrating his goal. I'm really pleased for him and I really hope he's not included in the Summer Exodus. At that point, I knew we were going to go down and I couldn't raise myself to even stand, let alone cheer and clap.

[Royalshow]

I came away with a very strange feeling considering the day out was fantastic,yet events elsewhere had sealed are fate,be it at Portsmouth or in the weeks before. Brilliant support .Well done everyone at the game.

[When Hicks went up...]

Very very proud of our support today. And everything was perfect until I got a bit over zealous celebrating the second, and was promptly ejected for "invading the playing surface". Even though I didn't. Not even close.

[rg6royal]

Very proud of the support today was immense....Dispite cutting my hand whilst celebrating the first goal!

[floyd__streete]

Today encompassed the whole gamut of emotions and will be as memorable as Leicester was, as Brentford was. Tension at half time, elation at 2-0 with a very quick realisation that there was half an hour to go in the game at Fratton Park. A slight tingle of excitement when rumours of a Pompey goal abounded, followed by heart-sinking realisation that my phone wasn't buzzing with a promised update. A gut-wrenching fifteen minutes of nervousness set in and it was almost relief when news of the Fulham goal came through. Relaxed, I enjoyed watching the amusing pitch invasion and the fisticuffs down the front at the end with a wistful smile on my face .

I am still 3-2 up on promotions vs relegations, with 2 further 'promotions' disallowed on a play-off final losing technicality. All part of life's rich tapestry. Reading - inevitably - 'til I die.

[RoyalBlue]

However, if he is going to go he must go in the next few days and we must appoint his replacement as soon as possible so that he has as long as possible to build the team he needs before the start of next season.

Wouldn't recommend to anyone to do a PAul Jewell. Give it a couple of weeks holiday and some long talks with the chairman before coming to any kind of decision. Also, if he does go, I'd like to give it a few weeks to find out who's going to be out there. There could well be some unexpected movement, a relatively successful manager who wants a change of scene for example. We have to remember, the Reading job is a very good job - relatively secure, good structure and reasonably well-paid. That's a market we can hope to compete in.

Silly money for transfer fees and wages though!

Just how many managers are there that can make a silk purse out of a rotting sow's ear?