The Relegation Years

[The Royal Forester]

I don't want to alarm anyone, but did you know the following:-
!987-88 Reading relegated to Div. 3
1997-98 Reading relegated to Div. 2
2007-08 Reading relegated to the Championship
2017-18 Reading currently in the relegation zone, but at least with two games in hand of some above us?

At least in those years we had a promotion a year or four before, to soften the blow a bit.
Do you think that the players and Stam are strong enough to overcome the downward force that seems to befall us every ten years?

[From Despair To Where?]

In 88 and 98, the squads were shit. In 2008, we didn't strengthen in January.

Bit early to suggest a continuation of the the pattern.

[bobby1413]

We are far too good a team to go down IMO. We are in a purple patch. Nothing more.

We will finish about 14th I think.

[strap]

I don't want to alarm anyone, but did you know the following:-
!987-88 Reading relegated to Div. 3
1997-98 Reading relegated to Div. 2
2007-08 Reading relegated to to Championship
2017-18 Reading currently in the relegation zone, but at least with two games in hand of some above us?

At least in those years we had a promotion a year or four before, to soften the blow a bit.
Do you think that the players and Stam are strong enough to overcome the downward force that seems to befall us every ten years?

Good spot. No, Stam is too arrogant and doesn't have the strength to admit his system is flawed and needs to change. The players I feel WOULD respond to a decent manager playing a modern system that suits their skills, and as alluded to by Jamie Cureton at the recent RFC Former Players' Assoc do, Alan Pardew would get more out of this group than Stam ever could.

Just to confirm the death of so-called Dutch "Total Football", see the recent article in When Saturday Comes titled Total Disaster, which contains this quote about De Boer's spell at Palace - "his faults partially reflect the inflexible and obsolete thinking that now characterises the Dutch game".

van Gaal, De Boer, Koeman and Stam - all playing boring, pedestrian, one-paced, (allegedly possession based), football that has no chance of success in the English game. The Dutch National team failed to qualify for the recent WC Finals, nor did they qualify for the 2016 Euros. The last Dutch side to appear in a CL Final was Ajax in 1996.

After last night's results we are no in the bottom 3 having spent more in Stam's tenure than any other RFC manager has ever spent.

The case for the prosecution rests. Time for change - unless the Chinese owners relish the prospect of visits to and by the likes of Fleetwood, Blackpool, Scunthorpe, Doncaster, Rochdale, Oldham, Bury and Rotherham. Bet that would do wonders for the MadHouse attendance figures!

[CountryRoyal]

We're shit, but we will gradually get ever so less shit.

Be surprised if we go down.

[CavershamRoyal]

We are far too good a team to go down IMO. We are in a purple patch. Nothing more.

We will finish about 14th I think.

Would be very concerned if this was our purple patch...

[Hound]

I don't want to alarm anyone, but did you know the following:-
!987-88 Reading relegated to Div. 3
1997-98 Reading relegated to Div. 2
2007-08 Reading relegated to to Championship
2017-18 Reading currently in the relegation zone, but at least with two games in hand of some above us?

At least in those years we had a promotion a year or four before, to soften the blow a bit.
Do you think that the players and Stam are strong enough to overcome the downward force that seems to befall us every ten years?

Good spot. No, Stam is too arrogant and doesn't have the strength to admit his system is flawed and needs to change. The players I feel WOULD respond to a decent manager playing a modern system that suits their skills, and as alluded to by Jamie Cureton at the recent RFC Former Players' Assoc do, Alan Pardew would get more out of this group than Stam ever could.

Just to confirm the death of so-called Dutch "Total Football", see the recent article in When Saturday Comes titled Total Disaster, which contains this quote about De Boer's spell at Palace - "his faults partially reflect the inflexible and obsolete thinking that now characterises the Dutch game".

van Gaal, De Boer, Koeman and Stam - all playing boring, pedestrian, one-paced, (allegedly possession based), football that has no chance of success in the English game. The Dutch National team failed to qualify for the recent WC Finals, nor did they qualify for the 2016 Euros. The last Dutch side to appear in a CL Final was Ajax in 1996.

After last night's results we are no in the bottom 3 having spent more in Stam's tenure than any other RFC manager has ever spent.

The case for the prosecution rests. Time for change - unless the Chinese owners relish the prospect of visits to and by the likes of Fleetwood, Blackpool, Scunthorpe, Doncaster, Rochdale, Oldham, Bury and Rotherham. Bet that would do wonders for the MadHouse attendance figures!

So would the case for the prosecution ignore Ajax getting to the Europa league final, us getting 3rd with and average squad, half decent managerial performance from Koeman over the last 3 years?

Seems things moved on very quickly over the summer

[bobby1413]

We are far too good a team to go down IMO. We are in a purple patch. Nothing more.

We will finish about 14th I think.

Would be very concerned if this was our purple patch...

Completely agree, it's nothing. It's only 5 games since our last win. People just seem to go full on d1ck mode in football circles

[CountryRoyal]

We are far too good a team to go down IMO. We are in a purple patch. Nothing more.

We will finish about 14th I think.

Would be very concerned if this was our purple patch...

Completely agree, it's nothing. It's only 5 games since our last win. People just seem to go full on d1ck mode in football circles

Purple patch is a period of good form Bobby, not bad. HTH.

[bobby1413]

Oh shit

Really? That's embarrassing as I've used that tons of times in work meetings.

[KC Royal]

I don't want to alarm anyone, but did you know the following:-
!987-88 Reading relegated to Div. 3
1997-98 Reading relegated to Div. 2
2007-08 Reading relegated to the Championship
2017-18 Reading currently in the relegation zone, but at least with two games in hand of some above us?

At least in those years we had a promotion a year or four before, to soften the blow a bit.
Do you think that the players and Stam are strong enough to overcome the downward force that seems to befall us every ten years?

I remembered at the end of last season that we'd been relegated in 1988, 1998, and 2008, and actually mentioned about our record when the year ends in 8 to a mate a few weeks ago, but weren't we relegated in 1978 as well? Didn't think it would matter this season, at the start of the season thought we'd be lower mid-table and that hadn't really changed when the transfer window closed, though I thought we may end up top half especially if Kermorgant can give us more attacking quality when he returns. But if we're in or around the bottom 3 at Christmas i'll be really concerned.

[Four Of Clubs]

I remembered at the end of last season that we'd been relegated in 1988, 1998, and 2008, and actually mentioned about our record when the year ends in 8 to a mate a few weeks ago, but weren't we relegated in 1978 as well?

...just FTR 77-78 season we finished 8th in Div 4 (old money) after relegation the previous season.

- Were six points off of (4) promotion spots - teams going up Watford, Southend, Swansea & Brentford - (the Sh!ts missed out by 1 pt ) but was only 2 pts per win back in those dark pre-Prem/Sk(h)y(pe) days.

Eleswhere Newcastle were relegated to Div Two whilst Spuds were going the other way. Wigan joined the league for the following season.

We were dumped out of the Cup by NL Wealdstone.

...shuffles quietly back to GF

[KC Royal]

Cheers FoC. Not sure why I thought we went down that season then!

[Forbury Lion]

In 88 and 98, the squads were shit. In 2008, we didn't strengthen in January.

Bit early to suggest a continuation of the the pattern.

But never too early to do something about it.

[Scutterbucketz]

Oh shit

Really? That's embarrassing as I've used that tons of times in work meetings.

LOL!

Hopefully not when you've been trying to explain to your boss about your recent poor performance.

"Don't worry, boss. This is my purple patch."

[Maneki Neko]

We are far too good a team to go down IMO. We are in a purple patch. Nothing more.

We will finish about 14th I think.

wait, what?!

purple is good isn't it? as far as patches go...

[genome]

Yes, bobby, I think you mean the exact opposite of what you've said there

[Jackson Corner]

Chas n Dave would say

It’s unlucky for Royals when the year ends in eight, things ain’t so great when the year ends in eight, for some reason they relegate, every time the year ends in eight, maybe it’s fate when the year ends in eight that is why they end up in such a blimmin state.

[bobby1413]

Oh shit

Really? That's embarrassing as I've used that tons of times in work meetings.

LOL!

Hopefully not when you've been trying to explain to your boss about your recent poor performance.

"Don't worry, boss. This is my purple patch."

I've pretty much said something of a similar nature.

More about sh*tty figures and me saying in the meeting it's only a purple patch.

Everyone looked at me like

Darn it

[Scutterbucketz]

Oh shit

Really? That's embarrassing as I've used that tons of times in work meetings.

LOL!

Hopefully not when you've been trying to explain to your boss about your recent poor performance.

"Don't worry, boss. This is my purple patch."

I've pretty much said something of a similar nature.

More about sh*tty figures and me saying in the meeting it's only a purple patch.

Everyone looked at me like

Darn it

Oopsie.