Well done on cup run but fans deserve better

[Schards#2]

A great effort yesterday and, for that, we can all be grateful but does it not underline the fact that this squad has underperformed appallingly week in week out this season?

Much as we all enjoyed it, it's frustrating that the players can take it to one of the best teams in the country when they want to but continually produce inept performances and results against inferior opposition in the league when, demonstrably, they are not giving it everything. Don't take my word for it by the way, Clarke has gone on record about something being wrong in the squad that isn't for broadcast to us mere paying customers and that he has been unable to address.

I've been a season ticket holder for 20 years but have serious reservations regarding renewing unless whatever the problem is is resolved and we can be confident that we are paying to watch a squad giving 100% and all pulling in the same direction. I'm very reluctant to invest the time and effort on watching a team for whom it appears, (at least for some of the squad), the success of the team isn't the number one focus. Even if, as a result, were having to blood the youngsters and are struggling, I could live with that and would prefer it to whatever the current circumstances are.

So over to you Reading FC, convince me that the team you are putting out wants to win as much as I do and are worthy of my hard earned cash because, judging from our manager's comments, you can't currently say that and, until you can, you don't deserve our unconditional support.

[Royalcop]

A great effort yesterday and, for that, we can all be grateful but does it not underline the fact that this squad has underperformed appallingly week in week out this season?

Absolutely - the game yesterday was only the 2nd time I'd seen us this season (I know, plastic) and I couldn't help thinking throughout the game 'how the f*ck are we not challenging for the play-offs at least?' It must be infuriating for a manger knowing your players are capable of this level of performance but not being able to extract it from them.

[sandman]

I can't quite remember exactly what he said but in his post match interview Wenger suggested that they were surprised at the energy we showed because they hadn't seen any evidence of it from the tapes they had of us.

[Portsmouth Royal]

A great effort yesterday and, for that, we can all be grateful but does it not underline the fact that this squad has underperformed appallingly week in week out this season?

Much as we all enjoyed it, it's frustrating that the players can take it to one of the best teams in the country when they want to but continually produce inept performances and results against inferior opposition in the league when, demonstrably, they are not giving it everything. Don't take my word for it by the way, Clarke has gone on record about something being wrong in the squad that isn't for broadcast to us mere paying customers and that he has been unable to address.

I've been a season ticket holder for 20 years but have serious reservations regarding renewing unless whatever the problem is is resolved and we can be confident that we are paying to watch a squad giving 100% and all pulling in the same direction. I'm very reluctant to invest the time and effort on watching a team for whom it appears, (at least for some of the squad), the success of the team isn't the number one focus. Even if, as a result, were having to blood the youngsters and are struggling, I could live with that and would prefer it to whatever the current circumstances are.

So over to you Reading FC, convince me that the team you are putting out wants to win as much as I do and are worthy of my hard earned cash because, judging from our manager's comments, you can't currently say that and, until you can, you don't deserve our unconditional support.

Hard to argue with that really.

[Royal Lady]

Trust me, someone will!

[Nameless]

I'd argue that unconditional support is just that, and not something that has to be earned, or deserved.

But I agree with the sentiment, and from his post match comments so does Steve Clarke.

Yesterday will be just a great day out unless players and fans use it to really up their game next season.

The players must have seen what they as a group can achieve , and the fans must have seen that we can be loud and a positive influence on the players

I have no doubt the day will also have a huge impact on the owners. They must want more of that rather than more Wigan/Blackpool/ Leeds.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Fans deserve better? You've got to be shitting me.

Cast your mind back to Villa home 2013. Booing and mocking our championship winning players and manager. Like they did for a lot of that season as well come to think of it. 'Not good enough' was the verdict then. we've been going backwards pretty much since that game.

I would say our support, as a whole, has deserved every ounce of the shit served up over the past two years, and more.

So no, we don't deserve better.

[paultheroyal]

Ups and downs of supporting a football team.

We have had good days, bloody brilliant days and some absolute tosh.

Am I coming back next year no matter what? Absolutely.

[Martin41]

Ups and downs of supporting a football team.

We have had good days, bloody brilliant days and some absolute tosh.

Am I coming back next year no matter what? Absolutely.

This!!!!!

[CountryRoyal]

Agree and disagree. Everyone wants to see 100% effort and players be playing up to and beyond their ability on a regular bases, however, football is played by humans and consequently there are human things that go with that; mistakes, effort, fatigue...etc whatever you like, it doesn't matter. The point is however is that if the team can put in that effort, play for each other like they did, and leave nothing on the pitch then why can't they do that on at least a semi-consistent basis.

To expect them to do so week in week out is unrealistic, but I think it's fair to say judging, not even on reputations and perceived ability, but that performance alone, that we should be doing mark ably better than we have been.

[Handsome Man]

Trust me, someone will!

There's nothing to disagree with though really. You can't have an argument with pomposity or stating the obvious.

[Gordons Cumming]

A great effort yesterday and, for that, we can all be grateful but does it not underline the fact that this squad has underperformed appallingly week in week out this season?

Much as we all enjoyed it, it's frustrating that the players can take it to one of the best teams in the country when they want to but continually produce inept performances and results against inferior opposition in the league when, demonstrably, they are not giving it everything. Don't take my word for it by the way, Clarke has gone on record about something being wrong in the squad that isn't for broadcast to us mere paying customers and that he has been unable to address.

I've been a season ticket holder for 20 years but have serious reservations regarding renewing unless whatever the problem is is resolved and we can be confident that we are paying to watch a squad giving 100% and all pulling in the same direction. I'm very reluctant to invest the time and effort on watching a team for whom it appears, (at least for some of the squad), the success of the team isn't the number one focus. Even if, as a result, were having to blood the youngsters and are struggling, I could live with that and would prefer it to whatever the current circumstances are.

So over to you Reading FC, convince me that the team you are putting out wants to win as much as I do and are worthy of my hard earned cash because, judging from our manager's comments, you can't currently say that and, until you can, you don't deserve our unconditional support.

We can only take it from you that it is hard earned..................

[Esteban]

You have to put some context around it. A squad massively low on confidence, drilled for 18 months to play a style of football they just aren't up to, playing in an FA Cup semi-final against a side that isn't going to get about us like most Championship sides do. It's a different beast to the slog of league football.

Sometimes it takes a performance like that to convince a squad that they are on the right path. Let's hope that was a turning point.

[leon]

A great effort yesterday and, for that, we can all be grateful but does it not underline the fact that this squad has underperformed appallingly week in week out this season?

Much as we all enjoyed it, it's frustrating that the players can take it to one of the best teams in the country when they want to but continually produce inept performances and results against inferior opposition in the league when, demonstrably, they are not giving it everything. Don't take my word for it by the way, Clarke has gone on record about something being wrong in the squad that isn't for broadcast to us mere paying customers and that he has been unable to address.

I've been a season ticket holder for 20 years but have serious reservations regarding renewing unless whatever the problem is is resolved and we can be confident that we are paying to watch a squad giving 100% and all pulling in the same direction. I'm very reluctant to invest the time and effort on watching a team for whom it appears, (at least for some of the squad), the success of the team isn't the number one focus. Even if, as a result, were having to blood the youngsters and are struggling, I could live with that and would prefer it to whatever the current circumstances are.

So over to you Reading FC, convince me that the team you are putting out wants to win as much as I do and are worthy of my hard earned cash because, judging from our manager's comments, you can't currently say that and, until you can, you don't deserve our unconditional support.

Indeed. So I wasn't alone on coming away from that game thinking that....We have the spine of a championship winning team. Why we are so shit is baffling.

[3points]

A great effort yesterday and, for that, we can all be grateful but does it not underline the fact that this squad has underperformed appallingly week in week out this season?

Much as we all enjoyed it, it's frustrating that the players can take it to one of the best teams in the country when they want to but continually produce inept performances and results against inferior opposition in the league when, demonstrably, they are not giving it everything. Don't take my word for it by the way, Clarke has gone on record about something being wrong in the squad that isn't for broadcast to us mere paying customers and that he has been unable to address.

I've been a season ticket holder for 20 years but have serious reservations regarding renewing unless whatever the problem is is resolved and we can be confident that we are paying to watch a squad giving 100% and all pulling in the same direction. I'm very reluctant to invest the time and effort on watching a team for whom it appears, (at least for some of the squad), the success of the team isn't the number one focus. Even if, as a result, were having to blood the youngsters and are struggling, I could live with that and would prefer it to whatever the current circumstances are.

So over to you Reading FC, convince me that the team you are putting out wants to win as much as I do and are worthy of my hard earned cash because, judging from our manager's comments, you can't currently say that and, until you can, you don't deserve our unconditional support.

Indeed. So I wasn't alone on coming away from that game thinking that....We have the spine of a championship winning team. Why we are so shit is baffling.

The spine of a team needs a centre forward. That is clearly what we are missing.

[sandman]

I'm afraid that you have to take the rough with the smooth, there is nothing on the terms of the season ticket guaranteeing good performances or entertainment.

You've just got to go and have faith and hope that the players out on the pitch can play well and win. If they don't then there is a good chance that they won't be at the club long but the club will always be there.

If you want guaranteed "entertainment" (and a hot goth chick from Norwich) go watch wwe with wiz.

[Cureton's Volley]

Fans deserve better? You've got to be shitting me.

Cast your mind back to Villa home 2013. Booing and mocking our championship winning players and manager. Like they did for a lot of that season as well come to think of it. 'Not good enough' was the verdict then. we've been going backwards pretty much since that game.

I would say our support, as a whole, has deserved every ounce of the shit served up over the past two years, and more.

So no, we don't deserve better.

Couldn't agree more. Booing the lads was bang out of order

[biff]

Trust me, someone will!

Profile bio + this =

[Ian Royal]

Yeah, there's an issue within the club. I don't think it's anything in particular though. Many issues culminating in sheer crapness.

I also find it a bit difficult to believe that Clarke would have played any of those who are part of the problem. But then, if I had to guess who might be, I'd have said Pog and HRK as two of the more likely candidates. Then maybe, Norwood, Cox & Ferdinand given the first two's nose dive in form since Clarke took over.

Interesting to hear that Cox apparently said(according to commos) early in the season that after his first game with Pog he felt he'd never strike up a partnership with the Russian.

Lets not forget that went into the season with an injury crisis and financial difficulties. We got the finances steady in time to make a few signings, most of them good ones. But we were without some of our best players for large swathes of the season. Williams, McCleary, Karacan. And some that others may disagree a bit more about, like Guthrie.

We started pretty well, but things got hard after that and the return of people like Williams and McCleary didn't see them showing what they can really do. And at that point Adkins got the boot and Murray left, throwing us more disruption.

We've barely had a mostly fit squad at any point and by the time Clarke's bounce had finished, we were nowhere with no hope of any success other than not getting relegated, which looked like we'd definitely achieve. Morale has been shot by the poor season we've had brought about by some massive weaknesses in the squad (only two left sided players at all, a decent striking partnership for about 4 months, no continuity in the side), injuries galore and not enough money to fill the holes we needed.

They're all either trying too hard to force it and choking, or they're coasting thinking they're good enough not to need the effort.

This is why I've wanted to see more of the youth. They may not be as good or ready, but they care and they've got that passionate confidence from their youth success.

[Dr_Hfuhruhurr]

The spine of a team needs a centre forward. That is clearly what we are missing.

Good Lord - this.

Our back four is 100% better under Clarke. Ive always been convinced that our midfield is a combination of good players mixed in with a few bad players and its just a matter of picking the right 4/5. But we have NOTHING up front. We did when Murray was here, but even then he was on his own, and we were simultaneously awful at the back.

If the Arsenal game proved anything, it is that we are a lot less vulnerable now than we were in the first half of the season, but, really, we're no more threatening up front. If we really want to translate form into winning points in the championship, we need to find a pair of strikers. Fast.