Anyone else think we will lose?

[Maguire]

Nice to see the "I'm a better fan than you" brigade are out in force, telling people they can't enjoy the day.

Whatever guys.

TBF they're in direct conflict with the "it's only football get a life" brigade

[Red]

Well football is tribal I guess.

[Royal Rother]

If the match is so terribly important to you that you'll be so massively distraught if we lose, then I'd suggest you're not emotionally equipped to follow a football team.

Indeed, it's only a bloody game. A diversion, an entertainment. How will these people survive when something really bad happens in their lives?

Next season we'll still have a football team to follow, and it'll be one that still has a secure future due to the sensible way it is run. That's enough for me, whichever league we are in.

And, whilst at it, why do people keep saying SJM is scared of the money in the PL? Load of bollocks. He's not scared, he's just not prepared to jeopardise the club, or his fortune (smaller though it has become) by gambling.

That is not fear, that is pure good sense.

Sure, he has taken risks in his business life but they will have been calculated risks - he looks at football and knows he cannot compete with the upper echelons of the PL through spending so has to compete in a different way. Running the club in an ultra professional way, with integrity on and off the pitch with good, non-flash managers creates popularity. Reading became many people's 2nd Team when we were in the PL last time - the aim will be to do the same again as that will create goodwill that lasts.

[Meeko]

In my opinion whether people think to themselves we will win or lose as long as the moment when it counts they are supporting the team and willing them on, creating that positive feeling then, thats all that counts. For the 90 minutes the players need the positivity, this can make a difference but what people say behind closed doors won't effect the outcome what so ever.

For those that expect and are open to the chance of a loss can deal with it far better if this happens, but will feel just as good if we win. For those that cant even comprehend a loss then defeat will be sole destroying and can ruin weeks on end. Im pretty sure when we got to the prem that only a handful of people couldnt see that at some point we would be relegated, whether it was one year, or 5 years after promotion it was always likely to happen. To me the beauty of supporting Reading over the years is seeing relegation battles, promotion battles, play off games, from season to season you never know what your going to get.

Friends have asked me if i think we will win, my answer is if I was putting £50 on it I would select Swansea, but when im there as with all the other 'negative' people mentioned I will be backing the team from start to finish wanting to be proven wrong and if we win, I will feel just as good as the next man-being a realist doesnt make someone a better fan than another as long as it doesnt actually effect the outcome.

[Alan Partridge]

If the match is so terribly important to you that you'll be so massively distraught if we lose, then I'd suggest you're not emotionally equipped to follow a football team.

Indeed, it's only a bloody game. A diversion, an entertainment. How will these people survive when something really bad happens in their lives?

Next season we'll still have a football team to follow, and it'll be one that still has a secure future due to the sensible way it is run. That's enough for me, whichever league we are in.

And, whilst at it, why do people keep saying SJM is scared of the money in the PL? Load of bollocks. He's not scared, he's just not prepared to jeopardise the club, or his fortune (smaller though it has become) by gambling.

That is not fear, that is pure good sense.

Sure, he has taken risks in his business life but they will have been calculated risks - he looks at football and knows he cannot compete with the upper echelons of the PL through spending so has to compete in a different way. Running the club in an ultra professional way, with integrity on and off the pitch with good, non-flash managers creates popularity. Reading became many people's 2nd Team when we were in the PL last time - the aim will be to do the same again as that will create goodwill that lasts.

He's scared of the numbers he said so himself not so long ago and won't pay the going rate in fees and wages. Like you say it's good sense really but it means Reading simply can't compete financially in the Premiership. Again that's a lot down to the kamikaze and totally ridiculous way football has gone at the top level as anything. When you get shite like Stephen Hunt requesting £25k a week, you've got problems in the football world.

It probably will create goodwill just like it's done for Blackpool who like Reading I'm sure a lot of neutrals were desperate to see survive, alas it didn't happen with either because the players they had weren't good enough.

[Royal Rother]

I'm sure that goodwill has paid dividends somewhere along the line. Whether it is in transfer dealings, loans, recruiting academy players, arranging friendlies, attracting a few dozen more fans along to games because of the way we handle ourselves etc. etc., our seasons in the PL were of significant long-term benefit even if we came out of the experience with no great financial gain.

I do think the type of manager we employ helps the popularity factor - if say we'd had an Allardyce, Curbishley, Roeder, Warnock, Ince etc. it wouldn't have worked as well as with a Coppell or McDermott type.

[Svlad Cjelli]

I'm sure that goodwill has paid dividends somewhere along the line. Whether it is in transfer dealings, loans, recruiting academy players, arranging friendlies, attracting a few dozen more fans along to games because of the way we handle ourselves etc. etc., our seasons in the PL were of significant long-term benefit even if we came out of the experience with no great financial gain.

We are almost universally liked in football - the way we go about things, the way we always act honestly and with integrity has won us lots and lots of friends.

[Alan Partridge]

I'm sure that goodwill has paid dividends somewhere along the line. Whether it is in transfer dealings, loans, recruiting academy players, arranging friendlies, attracting a few dozen more fans along to games because of the way we handle ourselves etc. etc., our seasons in the PL were of significant long-term benefit even if we came out of the experience with no great financial gain.

Staying up > goodwill.

Stoke despite how much i hate their style of play should be the business model in terms of promotion not Blackpool, IF you want to be succesful. But Reading will never spend £6-7million on a single player. Go up, stay up comfortably and then improve the squad so you hover around 10th place and have a decent cup run.

if Reading want to go up, give it a shot like Blackpool, fair play it's the 'safe' way of doing things but to be succesful you have to take the odd calculated gamble and realise £1million on a player isn't 'stating intent' in this day and age anymore.

Suppose there's a certain event happening before any of this talk becomes relevant again though.

[Royal Rother]

I'm sure that goodwill has paid dividends somewhere along the line. Whether it is in transfer dealings, loans, recruiting academy players, arranging friendlies, attracting a few dozen more fans along to games because of the way we handle ourselves etc. etc., our seasons in the PL were of significant long-term benefit even if we came out of the experience with no great financial gain.

We are almost universally liked in football - the way we go about things, the way we always act honestly and with integrity has won us lots and lots of friends.

Did Rodgers undermine any of that in his short tenure?

[Red]

I'm sure that goodwill has paid dividends somewhere along the line. Whether it is in transfer dealings, loans, recruiting academy players, arranging friendlies, attracting a few dozen more fans along to games because of the way we handle ourselves etc. etc., our seasons in the PL were of significant long-term benefit even if we came out of the experience with no great financial gain.

We are almost universally liked in football - the way we go about things, the way we always act honestly and with integrity has won us lots and lots of friends.

I'd never attributed it to that, I always thought it was more an almost patronising kind of "Nice little club, good to see them doing well" fashion, like Wycombe Wanderers, Chesterfield, Leyton Orient or Barnet. But perhaps you're onto something.

[Svlad Cjelli]

I'm sure that goodwill has paid dividends somewhere along the line. Whether it is in transfer dealings, loans, recruiting academy players, arranging friendlies, attracting a few dozen more fans along to games because of the way we handle ourselves etc. etc., our seasons in the PL were of significant long-term benefit even if we came out of the experience with no great financial gain.

We are almost universally liked in football - the way we go about things, the way we always act honestly and with integrity has won us lots and lots of friends.

Did Rodgers undermine any of that in his short tenure?

Nope - well, only with players, for a short while.

Administrators, officials and those at the majority of other clubs still hold us in very high regard - we keep promises and we do things properly. and honestly.

[Big Ern]

One should not be harsh on the pessimistic posters, irritating though they are.

Their negativity is just an instinctive reaction. It is how they get through life, preparing themselves for the worst because they cannot easily handle major disappointments. Whatever they might say, through publicly sharing their pessimism they will be less devastated should we lose than those who have been blindly optimistic.

Me? I think we will win but it won't ruin my week if we don't.

Utter Bollox sunshine...you must be kidding.

If it makes you feel better by labeling people in this way, great, but it is only an opinion on a football match, nothing more nothing less.

However, if you do want to demonstarte to the Hob Nob Massive what a "Great Fan" you are, then well done. I look forward to you recieving a standing ovation when you take your seat at Wembley.

[Ian Royal]

I personally think we're gonna lose. Whether that's genuine belief or a self defence reaction to prevent disappointment I have no idea. It's really very close between us.

[RobRoyal]

I personally think we're gonna lose. Whether that's genuine belief or a self defence reaction to prevent disappointment I have no idea. It's really very close between us.

I'm seriously beginning to suspect myself of this Question is, does that mentality end up dulling you to the joy of success?

At least there's some genuine (not self-defence) reason for taking failure with a shrug. For one, most here feel that the playoffs were an expected bonus this year. Also, though we'll expect to lose a couple of players if we stay down, at least we're producing decent young players and we should at least be pretty competitive next year.

In contrast, when we lost the 2001 PO final I thought the squad would be dismantled and might be stuck in league one for years, our support dwinling away. for me, of course, but there you go.

[Ian Royal]

I personally think we're gonna lose. Whether that's genuine belief or a self defence reaction to prevent disappointment I have no idea. It's really very close between us.

I'm seriously beginning to suspect myself of this Question is, does that mentality end up dulling you to the joy of success?

No.

Prepare for the worst, expect disappointment, enjoy the moment, hope for the best.

[Royal Rother]

You guys need prozac. If you are one who takes football "too" seriously then preparing for disappointment won't really make it any easier on you if we do lose - best to go into it full of confidence and enjoy the whole thing. If we lose it'll hurt but when we win you'll have got the most possible out of the experience, build up and everything.

[Sarah Star]

So long as no-one is so utterly convinced that it's going to be a loss and everything after that will be so bad they feel the need to slit their wrists before the game...

EDIT: ...or afterwards, in case any of you had that thought.

[Royal Rother]

It'd make a great story though.

[rhroyal]

Of course I care about the game and I want us to win.

However, if you're unable to enjoy the occasion of a play-off final and trip to Wembley before a ball is kicked, what point is there being a football fan? You might get by supporting Man U perhaps. These are the games and trips we live for as Reading fans. Stop worrying about the game; reflect on a great season and enjoy your day out.

That is all.

[Ian Royal]

You guys need prozac. If you are one who takes football "too" seriously then preparing for disappointment won't really make it any easier on you if we do lose - best to go into it full of confidence and enjoy the whole thing. If we lose it'll hurt but when we win you'll have got the most possible out of the experience, build up and everything.

Different strokes for different folks.

The only thing wrong is ill-considered / unjustified criticism.