Issue 5 - October 1998

We hate to say that we told you so but, well, we told you so! In Issue 4, this column predicted that the early days would be tough and that, despite the expectations, Reading might struggle in the first half of this season. However, not even the most pessimistic of commentators (i.e. me), would have envisaged the rapid return of last season's doom and gloom and certainly did not expect us to look so inferior yet again.

Tommy Burns still has the support of the majority of the fans but this could well be severely tested over the next few weeks. In fact, supporter discontent has been remarkably restrained given the facts: in the last thirty competitive fixtures, we have won just four, drawn five and lost twenty one. Obviously, some of these fixtures were under Bullivant but Burns statistics do not look a great deal better. In his first eighteen games in charge, Reading have won only three, drawn four and lost eleven.

In you look at the comparison (below) of Bullivant's last eighteen games in charge with Burns' first eighteen, they are remarkably similar. Indeed, Bullivant comes off slightly better, especially as one of the games listed as a draw was the home cup tie with Cardiff, which we won on penalties after a draw over 120 minutes. Remember, Bullivant got sacked for this run of poor results.

So, what is the problem? Why is it that we just do not seem to be able to compete, even at this level?

There is mounting evidence, both on the pitch and in his press statements, that Burns has under-estimated the professionalism of the English second division. The quality of the football is not that great but most teams are well organised and, perhaps crucially, extremely fit. Burns' startling admission that the £50k players he bought are not good enough merely confirms the evidence of the seven league games so far.

Reading haven't been unlucky or robbed by poor refereeing - we've been soundly beaten and generally made to look second best. The after-match fifty minute lock-in the dressing room is becoming a new Royals ritual - yet another enquiry into yet another poor perfomance.

But there is a pattern emerging. In each and every game, the opposition look physically stronger, fitter, quicker and more determined than we do. We seem to try to establish a pattern of neat passing but end up being swept away by the more physical approach of the opposition. These teams all have a recognised game plan which usually involves getting the ball forward quickly, closing down space and forcing the defence into errors. It's not pretty and would not work at a higher level where quality defenders would simply gain possession and use it effectively for their own advantage.

But, given that this is the predominant style of play at this level, a basic requirement for any team is the ability to defend against it. The simple truth is that we can't, and haven't been able to do so for some considerable time - remember the problems we had against Cheltenham and Cardiff last season?

This season, this is very much linked to a number of problems: injuries, Burns desire to create his own squad and the purchases he has made. He seems to have bought a particular type of player - neat, sound technique and a willingness to play a patient possession game. Gray, Crawford, Reilly, Brayson, each of them has these qualities but they all lack pace and are seemingly unable to cope with the physical demands. In too many games, Reading seem to have been brushed aside by more forceful teams. Even the ten men of Burnley were able to impose themselves when really, we should have dominated the last hour.

This inability to command the games illustrates another area where Reading are lacking - leadership on the pitch. We have no players (apart, possibly, from Houghton) who can be heard shouting, cajoling and organising the team. We desperately need players who are not only willing to take responsibility on themselves, but are capable of exhorting others to greater effort. The whole team lack belief and heart and every demoralising defeat or poor performance merely increases the problem.

Injuries have, no doubt, played a very important part in our demise. The extraordinary run of bad luck has continued from last season with important new purchases Murty and Polsten not even playing for the reserves yet. Hunter is still not ready - his patella tendon injury has healed but the soreness is exacerbated by the way he runs. Currently, they are trying to develop special insoles to re-distribute the stress elsewhere in his knee. Sarr has been playing with an injury which, hopefully, will have healed by the end of his three match ban. Also missing, of course, since the early games have been McIntyre, Kromheer and Van de Kwaak.

All this means that Burns has not been able to field his best team and any plans he does make are constantly upset by fresh injuries. The win against Luton was a huge relief but we then lost Kromheer and McIntyre. The team has changed every week which is not conducive to success at the best of times but when the squad are trying to play to new tactics, it becomes well nigh impossible to achieve consistently good results.

Burns hasn't helped himself, however, by alienating certain players who would have been useful in the current circumstances. The Davies situation is bizarre - we have a weak defence, poor in the air and struggling with the physical demands. We desperately need a centre-half who is committed, strong and good in the air - someone just like Gareth Davies, in fact. The only possible explanation is a clash of personalities but what about Legg? He would surely be a better proposition at left back than Gray who just looks out of position.

Going forward the major problem is still the lack of any kind of penetration down the flanks. This has been a problem ever since Bullivant preferred Bowen to Meaker but is now made far worse by the injury to Murty and the alienation of Lambert. The latter is certainly good enough to play at this level and would have given us the width we are so badly lacking but his professionalism was always questionable and so a clash with a strict disciplinarian like Burns was not unexpected.

Burns is very much his own man and, let's face it, the manager gets paid to make judgements and accept the consequences. He has decided that only a handful of the previous playing staff meets his requirements and so the rest will have to go. This has resulted in a great upheaval in the squad, which, couple with the horrendous injury situation, is taking time to settle down.

A change in manager now would be disastrous, if only because most of Burns' purchases would not be required and yet be on long, probably lucrative, contracts. The mixture is not yet right, given the level we are playing at but that is no reason to throw the baby out with the bath water. Burns will need to compromise his principles somewhat in order to meet the physical challenge of the second division and we still need a greater cutting edge up front but all is not yet lost for this season. The passing game is the right way forward - football is all about the ball not about big kicks, aerial challenges and getting stuck in.

Reading vitally need a reduction in the injury crisis and a three or four good results - when this happens (as it surely will), we should see the Burns era really begin to take shape.