Has the Times got it wrong again?

East Stand Royal 500 · by **East Stand Royal 500** » 14 Aug 2006 12:50

According to today's Times, Reading, Sheffield United and Watford will finish in 18th, 19th and 20th places this season and will all go straight back down.

Let's prove them wrong! Come on URZ!!!

bobby1413 · by **bobby1413** » 14 Aug 2006 12:51

I doubt that all 3 promoted teams will be relegated.

I do believe we have the strongest team and strongest base for launching a successful premiership campaign.

southbank1871 · by **southbank1871** » 14 Aug 2006 12:54

I hope they've got it wrong, but if I wasn's a Reading fan, I would more than likely be tipping us for the drop.

Big Ern · by **Big Ern** » 14 Aug 2006 13:07

southbank1871 wrote:I hope they've got it wrong, but if I wasn's a Reading fan, I would more than likely be tipping us for the drop.

Well I am a Reading fan, and as much as it pains me to say it, I believe we will go down.

by **hobnob** » 14 Aug 2006 13:12

If I'm not mistaken the Sunday Times said we'd stay up in 17th place with Fulham in 18th!

Forbury Lion · by **Forbury Lion** » 14 Aug 2006 13:17

Big Ern wrote:
southbank1871 wrote:I hope they've got it wrong, but if I wasn's a Reading fan, I would more than likely be tipping us for the drop.
Well I am a Reading fan, and as much as it pains me to say it, I believe we will go down.

Maybe so, but I'm confident we'll do it in style with a touch of class and not do a Sunderland or Swindon.

mydak · by **mydak** » 14 Aug 2006 13:19

ffs i haven't even read my paper yet, and you;ve ruined the best bit.

Forbury Lion · by **Forbury Lion** » 14 Aug 2006 13:21

mydak wrote:ffs i haven't even read my paper yet, and you;ve ruined the best bit.

You should do what we do and download tomorrows edition on limewire. Always usefull the day before the lottery draw.

jimmy_jive · by **jimmy_jive** » 14 Aug 2006 13:22

I think Reading do have the ability to stay up, not for individual players, but for working as a team, which Coppell seems to have down to a T. Up front we have no problems, though Im a little worried about the back line.

Very impressed with Seol on Saturday, though he doesent come back like Convey.

There are some weak teams in the premiership, who are beatable.

Due to the small squad of first team player I think injuries will be a major factor.

As was stated in other posts, journalists dont know anything about Reading, all they talk about is Sidwell, who in my opinion was not in the top 5 players last season.

As for Sheffield United - Colin is way above his depth and will get found out. I also think the man simply istnt the sharpest tool in the box!

East Stand Royal 500 · by **East Stand Royal 500** » 14 Aug 2006 13:44

Forbury Lion wrote:Maybe so, but I'm confident we'll do it in style with a touch of class and not do a Sunderland or Swindon.

I thought Sunderland did do it in style!

Anyway, Reading doesn't begin with an "S"

Greenwich Royal · by **Greenwich Royal** » 14 Aug 2006 13:56

hobnob wrote:If I'm not mistaken the Sunday Times said we'd stay up in 17th place with Fulham in 18th!

Correct! - Reading 17th, Fulham 18th!!! I took great pleasure in bringing this to the attention of my sisters new boyfriend who's a Bladesman(19th)...

clauski · by **clauski** » 14 Aug 2006 19:49

I think Watford may be the surprise package but could then fade. We'll be good, bad and indifferent and hopefully depending on the measures of each we'll just about stay up. Defence will be the key, especially if we don't manage to strengthen it before the transfer deadline.

URZZZZZZZZ · by **URZZZZZZZZ** » 14 Aug 2006 20:10

I suppose time will only tell, but one of the following is happening:-

1) The newspapers are being very naive about our chances, and are just writing us off because we're an easy target, without really putting any thought into it.

2) We are being very naive about our chances, we havent signed enough backup, and as soon as we get some injuries we'll be easy pickings.

My heart says that number one is true, I cannot comment on what my head thinks, because I'll be biased!

Royal Rother · by **Royal Rother** » 14 Aug 2006 20:26

We are a youngish squad and there is every reason to think that there is significant scope for further improvement from last season's displays.

Of course it'll be a lot lot tougher but Top 5 or 6 apart who should, by rights, destroy us, I see no cause for pessimism about our chances. Stick to the gameplan from last year (largely), play good football, be disciplined and avoid daft suspensions then we can compete as well as Wigan and West Ham did.

BLUES & ROYAL · by **BLUES & ROYAL** » 14 Aug 2006 20:27

I think that deep down we all know that we are up against it this season.

Not a single fan really knows what we are going to do, as it is a trip into the unknown,
What ever happens we will have been to the top and no one will be able to take that away from us.

What I do know is that every game will be a cup final and if we come out the other side still in the same division it would be classified as one of our greatest ever seasons.

southbank1871 · by **southbank1871** » 15 Aug 2006 08:10

hobnob wrote:If I'm not mistaken the Sunday Times said we'd stay up in 17th place with Fulham in 18th!

The Game, the Times' football supplement on a Monday has us down as finishing 18th though, with Sheff Utd 19th and Watford 20th.

Royal Fleet · by **Royal Fleet** » 15 Aug 2006 08:31

What these writers lack is the ability to look at the existing premiership teams and see who has been weakened enough to get into a relegation dogfight. Last year Brum and West Brom spent money badly and ending up going down.

My candidates for this year are Wigan, who have lost two key players in Bullard and Roberts, and bought the same rubbish that took Brum down.

Also Charlton. I don't rate Dowie greatly at the top level, and I think they could get blindsided in a relegation fight.

I predict one of the above, plus two from three of the promoted teams will go down.

Wycombe Royal · by **Wycombe Royal** » 15 Aug 2006 08:49

Royal Fleet wrote:My candidates for this year are Wigan, who have lost two key players in Bullard and Roberts, and bought the same rubbish that took Brum down.

They have brought in one player from Birmingham. Are you suggesting that Emile Heskey was solely responsible for Birmingham being relegated?

THey have also replaced Bullard with a player from the Dutch national squad, Danny Landzaat. In defence they have signed Fitz Hall and Emerson Boyce.

Based on that they certainly haven't weakened their team. The second season is normally tougher so it remains to be seen if they will do as well as last season.

79Royal · by **79Royal** » 15 Aug 2006 09:02

Much as I hate to say it, we're already screwed. Spending Â£1.85m will not keep you in the Premiership.

I'm going to try to enjoy myself as much as possible and wherever we end up, it'll be our best ever finish. But I'm now looking towards the 2007/08 season.

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 15 Aug 2006 09:08

79Royal wrote:Much as I hate to say it, we're already screwed. Spending Â£1.85m will not keep you in the Premiership.

I'm going to try to enjoy myself as much as possible and wherever we end up, it'll be our best ever finish. But I'm now looking towards the 2007/08 season.

As I've said before, rubbish.

We are going in to the Premiership like nobody else has before, our first time after getting 106pts so there is no real precedent. Sunderland are closest and they didn't strengthen significantly (more than us I'll concede) and finished 7th.

Yes, it will be hard, very hard but to write us off before a ball has been kicked is laughable.

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