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Steve Coppell, the Reading manager, is still able to smile when he hears the phrase “second-season syndrome”, but his team are doing little to disprove the theory. Soon to become an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary, it is becoming an accepted truth that teams always find life harder in their second campaign after promotion and Reading are showing all the symptoms. Poor at the back – they have conceded 16 goals in four successive defeats away from home – they only became an attacking force once the game was over at Ewood Park. They do, however, have players who can win them matches at home, which is partly why Coppell is untroubled by his team’s underwhelming start.
Graham Chase, The Times

...Reading had never previously won at Ewood Park and it quickly became apparent that unfortunate record was not going to change in this fixture. ...Coppell's men deservedly got on the scoresheet when Doyle brushed off the attentions of the Rovers defence to nod in.
BBC Sport

"It's me, it's my fault. I chose the wrong way of playing, 100%. I fiddled around with the team and the consequences were all too evident. At half-time we changed to a more familiar shape and did a lot better.
Steve Coppell, speaking to the Press