The best thing about our slow start...

[seahawk10]

The good news is that it is painfully clear that we need to add some experienced, skilled players to our squad. We have a week before the deadline and should be able to address at least some of the holes. If we had gotten lucky with a fluke goal or three the people in charge might have been tempted to let things alone and try to get by with the current squad.

The bad news is that even with two or three additions we look nothing like a side pushing for promotion. I still don't think we are headed for relegation but I don't see anything more promising than that for this year. Best case scenario is the young ones grow and we push again next year.

Am I still being overly optimitic? Or do most agree this is what our immediate future holds?

[Thou Voice]

Overyly optimisitic I'm afraid.

Reading have a five year plan to start again and this is year one.

For the forseeable future there is no plans to push forward in any shape or from.

The bottom line is, the cloth needs to be cut and the Club is being run as a business (at the fans expense) and the league and cups and merely secondary.

There is no ambition and no hope.

Within a few weeks, we will be at the bottom of the league unless something changes drastically this week.

Bring back the Balding Guy.

[shoey]

SC is the past, should be present, and I really really wish future

[andrew1957]

The good news is that it is painfully clear that we need to add some experienced, skilled players to our squad. We have a week before the deadline and should be able to address at least some of the holes. If we had gotten lucky with a fluke goal or three the people in charge might have been tempted to let things alone and try to get by with the current squad.

The bad news is that even with two or three additions we look nothing like a side pushing for promotion. I still don't think we are headed for relegation but I don't see anything more promising than that for this year. Best case scenario is the young ones grow and we push again next year.

Am I still being overly optimistic? Or do most agree this is what our immediate future holds?

I really hope we don't waste money signing anyone now - unless of course Tommy Smith does the unexpected and turns down Portsmouth and signs for us after all . The danger of going out and signing people for the sake of it is that this could make a bad mess even worse. I would rather we persevered with what we have and then target some players that could really make a difference in January. We may at least survive then, rather than wasting what little resources are available now in panic buys.

[UpNorth]

The failure to sign Smith could cost us dear. BR saw Smith as the key link up player between midfield and attack. Who else can we afford who will do this job? Will anyone decent want to come to a club that looks like relegation material?

We clearly need several new players but may have left it too late.

[Dirk Gently]

The good news is that it is painfully clear that we need to add some experienced, skilled players to our squad. We have a week before the deadline and should be able to address at least some of the holes. If we had gotten lucky with a fluke goal or three the people in charge might have been tempted to let things alone and try to get by with the current squad.

The bad news is that even with two or three additions we look nothing like a side pushing for promotion. I still don't think we are headed for relegation but I don't see anything more promising than that for this year. Best case scenario is the young ones grow and we push again next year.

Am I still being overly optimitic? Or do most agree this is what our immediate future holds?

Was this ever going to be anything different this year, though? I had this marked down as a "mid-table, might sneak into the play-offs" year of consolidation. It was always going to be a slow start.

[shoey]

greed dirk, i was the same, deffo when you see how strong the championship is now.

Its the lack of promise which I think scares most

[Dirk Gently]

The only way is up ....

[Once were Biscuitmen]

Overyly optimisitic I'm afraid.

Reading have a five year plan to start again and this is year one.

For the forseeable future there is no plans to push forward in any shape or from.

The bottom line is, the cloth needs to be cut and the Club is being run as a business (at the fans expense) and the league and cups and merely secondary.

There is no ambition and no hope.

Within a few weeks, we will be at the bottom of the league unless something changes drastically this week.

Bring back the Balding Guy.

Hi Blakey, are you actually a complete schizo or does your SDR account have a daily drivel limit?

[2.8 lita injection]

Hopefully they will bring back 'The Only Way Is Up' from the elm park days.

[Ryn]

Sings *Doom doom doom and gloom* over and over...

Mid table maybe pushing for playoffs, and mid table fending off relegation are two very different situations to be in.

Look at the squad, how many of our starters have at least one season of recent Championship experience under their belts, where there were starting most weeks?

Rosenior, Kebe, Long, Mills, Bertrand. Even some of those are pushing it.

Federici - back up goalie last season.
Pearce - a few games in the first team last year.
Cisse - a bit part player last year.
Tabb - got the second half of the season.
Gunnar - bit part.
Harper - lots of games over the last few years, seems he has no role this season.
Marek - International experience. Vanished.
Robson-Kanu - reserves
Karacan - a few first team games. Lightweight.
Church - A few appearances. Some nothing games at the International level.
Bignall - Reserves
Noel Hunt - played second fiddle to Doyle last year, wasted stuck out on the right wing
Gylfi - Reserves

Am I missing anyone?

[Norfolk Royal]

I agree. Best to have a crisis early in the season.

[The Silk]

Very true NR.

Personally i'm finding the current crisis, given the circumstances, far less frustrating than the past two seasons second half capitulations which yeilded relegation and blowing a shoe-in automatic return to the prem.

This isn't pessimistic but fact. We haven't been relegated nor missed out on the playoffs yet and we have 42 games left to wait to find out.

[Thou Voice]

This isn't pessimistic but fact. We haven't been relegated nor missed out on the playoffs yet and we have 42 games left to wait to find out.

Thou Voice is yet again disapointed by another showing of RTG's.

We'll be lucky after we end up in the relegation zone at the weekend to be able to crawl out of it.

RFC had it's glory days, now due to consistant cutting the cloth, no investment to maintain our positions we will be playing lower league football, year in, year out.

Blue Square South here we come - but hey - at least according to all you RTG fools it'll be all right on the night. Oh yess.

[The Silk]

This isn't pessimistic but fact. We haven't been relegated nor missed out on the playoffs yet and we have 42 games left to wait to find out.

Thou Voice is yet again disapointed by another showing of RTG's.

We'll be lucky after we end up in the relegation zone at the weekend to be able to crawl out of it.

RFC had it's glory days, now due to consistant cutting the cloth, no investment to maintain our positions we will be playing lower league football, year in, year out.

Blue Square South here we come - but hey - at least according to all you RTG fools it'll be all right on the night. Oh yess.

No RTG's here thanks in fact pretty far from it!

Just pointing out that it is breathtakingly naive to be so assured of relegation at this point

[RobRoyal]

Bring back the Balding Guy.

When will you stop finding that funny? Could you let me know so that at at that point I can resume reading your posts?

[Franchise FC]

The best thing about our start is that we're two points better off than last season.

Draw at home to Forest - PLUS ONE
Loss away at Newcastle - loss at Burnley - NO CHANGE
Draw away at Swansea - PLUS ONE
Loss at home to Sheff UTD - NO CHANGE

ergo - PLUS TWO

simples

Obviously assumes we win at both Middlesbrough and West Brom if Newcastle are the new Burnley

[gonesy]

The best thing about our start is that we're two points better off than last season.

Draw at home to Forest - PLUS ONE
Loss away at Newcastle - loss at Burnley - NO CHANGE
Draw away at Swansea - PLUS ONE
Loss at home to Sheff UTD - NO CHANGE

ergo - PLUS TWO

simples

Obviously assumes we win at both Middlesbrough and West Brom if Newcastle are the new Burnley

This is a very good point. When I looked at the fixture list before the start of the season, I couldn't see us getting many points from our first 4 matches, not with a new team, management team, way of playing etc. Plus we had no form from last season anyway. Change had to come and it will take time to get it right. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. When did we last have a boring season? I'm just grateful for that

[Blue and White Toucan]

This is a very good point. When I looked at the fixture list before the start of the season, I couldn't see us getting many points from our first 4 matches, not with a new team, management team, way of playing etc. Plus we had no form from last season anyway. Change had to come and it will take time to get it right. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. When did we last have a boring season? I'm just grateful for that

It is not just about the results compared to last year. For one Swansea are way off the team from last year with a new manager and we SHOULD be winning our homes games even against Sheff Utd or at least getting a point!!!

The other rather disturbing point is that we don't even look like creating any scoring chances and don't have the neccessary players to put them away.

It could all go so very wrong!!!!

[Dorset-Knob]

"Slow start" is to my mind at least, a bit like a man falling from the top of the Empire State building telling people floor by floor on the way down that everything is OK so far................... ing!

If its true that you never get a second chance to make a first impression or set the tone for the future, then this is it!