Accepting defeat

[Top Flight]

I would have thought that most fans are intelligent enough to realise that we are going into the toughest league in the world where the quality gap between divisions has got to be the widest on earth......

I don't think RFC fans will be negative if we start losing games...

If you look at similar clubs who have been promoted with similar expectations as ourselves they certainly weren't complaining when they were struggling. I'm talking about the likes of Barnsley, Palace and Norwich in recent years, Watford etc.

I would hope that RFC fans don't have their heads stuck so far up their jacksies that the expectation is to achieve Europe or comfortably stay up.

We got a massive battle on next season and we have a high chance of getting relegated again. According to the bookies the third highest chance of going down! I'm realistic about what we can achieve. For me, survival = success.

Relegation, I can live with. I've seen relegations in the past and I will see them again. Thats football!

[Mr Angry]

This was pretty much the point of my "We the undersigned" thread from a couple of months ago.

[Pants of Primus]

I think everyone should do whatever they want. Makes the world a more interesting place. If you pay your entrance fee, you should be able to be over-optimistic when we are shit and over-critical even if we win - if that's what you want.

[londinium]

No matter how we perform we are always going to get people moaning that 'Coppell should have done this, Coppell should of done that'.

Thats life, I am preparing for a hard slog in the premiership but am hopeful that with a half decent start we can safely end up 13,14 or 15th.

My only problem is how my kids are going to react to us losing a lot more than normal. I am used to it as i have been a fan for 30 years but I have only been taking the kids for the last 2 seasons and even then they miss most of the post Xmas season before last and consequently have never seen us lose either a league or cup game home or away. I think this will be a rude awakening for some.

We need our great home form to stand up, and if it does then we have a great chance of not only surviving but surviving with ease.

Anyone know where to find details of the best team this millenium as I believe we had the best record since the new milleniium a while back and was intrerested to see where we stand now... very close to top I should imagine!!!

[Alan Partridge]

I think everyone should do whatever they want. Makes the world a more interesting place. If you pay your entrance fee, you should be able to be over-optimistic when we are shit and over-critical even if we win - if that's what you want.

I would agree to this, also it will make the board 1000 times more interesting when some numpty has a go because Man Utd beat us 3-0 at Old Trafford.

[Top Flight]

Exactly....

Why are people trying to dictate how everyone should feel and behave?

[Top Flight]

[quote="londinium"]No matter how we perform we are always going to get people moaning that 'Coppell should have done this, Coppell should of done that'.quote]

Exactly, and thats what HNA is for.... Complaining, moaning, talking nonsense. Being positive, being negative, stressing about lack of signings, complaining about poor performances.

Everyone backs the team to the hilt on a Saturday Afternoon regardless of what gets said.

And whose to say that being positive is always the best way to motivate the team.

I remember standing on the South Bank and if Gilkes was standing still, he would get lambasted by the angry South Bank. Next minute Gilkes was like a rocket down the left flank!

Being nasty can help players raise their games!

If Kitson thinks the fans don't rate him and think he's gonna struggle in the Prem, then it gives him a motivation to prove everyone wrong and make us shut the hell up!

Why is being positive all the time always the best way?

Piling on pressure and being nasty works as well. Thats how Fergie runs affairs, the old hair dryer treatment!

[Only one Trevor Morley]

I think everyone should do whatever they want. Makes the world a more interesting place. If you pay your entrance fee, you should be able to be over-optimistic when we are shit and over-critical even if we win - if that's what you want.

I think that depends - of course has the right to say exactly what they think - but is that beneficial to the team. I cant see the logic in wanting reading to win and then helping to create a negative atmosphere which prevents that.

[Alan Partridge]

I think everyone should do whatever they want. Makes the world a more interesting place. If you pay your entrance fee, you should be able to be over-optimistic when we are shit and over-critical even if we win - if that's what you want.

I think that depends - of course has the right to say exactly what they think - but is that beneficial to the team. I cant see the logic in wanting reading to win and then helping to create a negative atmosphere which prevents that.

Unless there are 20,000 people booing every touch or moaning at the same time whenever something goes wrong I don't think it'll have much effect in what some people feel like saying. Despite the Mad House being a morgue all of last season our players still did alright.

[Ian Royal]

remember the seasons where we couldn't string 3 wins together? barely 2 even. this is likely to be one of them. hopefully enough of us are prepared for it.

[West Stand Man]

Unless there are 20,000 people booing every touch or moaning at the same time whenever something goes wrong I don't think it'll have much effect in what some people feel like saying. Despite the Mad House being a morgue all of last season our players still did alright.

Yawn, we get the old 'morgue' cracks again already. My 'rose tinted' recollection is that it was quite a lively atmosphere for most of the time last year as fans really enjoyed the success.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

No matter how we perform we are always going to get people moaning that 'Coppell should have done this, Coppell should of done that'.quote]

Exactly, and thats what HNA is for.... Complaining, moaning, talking nonsense. Being positive, being negative, stressing about lack of signings, complaining about poor performances.

Everyone backs the team to the hilt on a Saturday Afternoon regardless of what gets said.

And whose to say that being positive is always the best way to motivate the team.

I remember standing on the South Bank and if Gilkes was standing still, he would get lambasted by the angry South Bank. Next minute Gilkes was like a rocket down the left flank!

Being nasty can help players raise their games!

If Kitson thinks the fans don't rate him and think he's gonna struggle in the Prem, then it gives him a motivation to prove everyone wrong and make us shut the hell up!

Why is being positive all the time always the best way?

Piling on pressure and being nasty works as well. Thats how Fergie runs affairs, the old hair dryer treatment!

Incorrect - Gilkes would get motivated by ther South Bank cheering him on - which is why he always played better in the second half

[Top Flight]

I think everyone should do whatever they want. Makes the world a more interesting place. If you pay your entrance fee, you should be able to be over-optimistic when we are shit and over-critical even if we win - if that's what you want.

I think that depends - of course has the right to say exactly what they think - but is that beneficial to the team. I cant see the logic in wanting reading to win and then helping to create a negative atmosphere which prevents that.

This is where I disagree.....

I am not one of the people that creates a negative atmosphere at the Mad Stad but I do think that a bit of criticism can work for players.....

People from the Elm Park (South Bank) days will remember that poor performance by any player was never tolerated. If a player was not up to the standard the shouts of get him off, your Shet, used to ensure that the players had to perform......

Why else did a poor RFC team often have such a good home record and were dire away from home? The home crowd used to pummell the players if they were poor! If that team was playing in the positive, prawn sandwich eating Madejski arena they would be certs for the drop every season.

Elm Park made a poor team, spill guts to win games at home. In the days of Trevor Morley as well and Quinny and Gooding. That team were rubbish, but we always won at home and that kept us up every year. Meaker was destroyed from the South Bank if he didn't give everything!

These days our players can get away with poor performances because people like you wanna protect them from criticisms!

[Alan Partridge]

Unless there are 20,000 people booing every touch or moaning at the same time whenever something goes wrong I don't think it'll have much effect in what some people feel like saying. Despite the Mad House being a morgue all of last season our players still did alright.

Yawn, we get the old 'morgue' cracks again already. My 'rose tinted' recollection is that it was quite a lively atmosphere for most of the time last year as fans really enjoyed the success.

The home crowds were awful in terms of noise, unless banging away on a drum and doing a wave constitutes 'atmosphere'

Anyway that's been done to death and that's all that i will say on the matter.

[Top Flight]

No matter how we perform we are always going to get people moaning that 'Coppell should have done this, Coppell should of done that'.quote]

Exactly, and thats what HNA is for.... Complaining, moaning, talking nonsense. Being positive, being negative, stressing about lack of signings, complaining about poor performances.

Everyone backs the team to the hilt on a Saturday Afternoon regardless of what gets said.

And whose to say that being positive is always the best way to motivate the team.

I remember standing on the South Bank and if Gilkes was standing still, he would get lambasted by the angry South Bank. Next minute Gilkes was like a rocket down the left flank!

Being nasty can help players raise their games!

If Kitson thinks the fans don't rate him and think he's gonna struggle in the Prem, then it gives him a motivation to prove everyone wrong and make us shut the hell up!

Why is being positive all the time always the best way?

Piling on pressure and being nasty works as well. Thats how Fergie runs affairs, the old hair dryer treatment!

Incorrect - Gilkes would get motivated by ther South Bank cheering him on - which is why he always played better in the second half

When Gilkes played well he was cheered on.... When he was just standing around and not doing much he was pummelled. The Pummelling combined with the cheering made sure he raised his game in the second half when he was in front of the South Bank.

The South Bank was always fair. If you played well you were cheered, if you were poor you were hammered! Most weeks the team played well. It was away from home and away from the vociferous critical but fair south bank that the players didn't perform at the same level. Our home form and powerful south bank often kept what was then a poor side up most years. These days of course we have a very good team so they don't always need the pummelling from the stands they have done well regardless.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

I think everyone should do whatever they want. Makes the world a more interesting place. If you pay your entrance fee, you should be able to be over-optimistic when we are shit and over-critical even if we win - if that's what you want.

I think that depends - of course has the right to say exactly what they think - but is that beneficial to the team. I cant see the logic in wanting reading to win and then helping to create a negative atmosphere which prevents that.

This is where I disagree.....

I am not one of the people that creates a negative atmosphere at the Mad Stad but I do think that a bit of criticism can work for players.....

People from the Elm Park (South Bank) days will remember that poor performance by any player was never tolerated. If a player was not up to the standard the shouts of get him off, your Shet, used to ensure that the players had to perform......

Why else did a poor RFC team often have such a good home record and were dire away from home? The home crowd used to pummell the players if they were poor! If that team was playing in the positive, prawn sandwich eating Madejski arena they would be certs for the drop every season.

Elm Park made a poor team, spill guts to win games at home. In the days of Trevor Morley as well and Quinny and Gooding. That team were rubbish, but we always won at home and that kept us up every year. Meaker was destroyed from the South Bank if he didn't give everything!

These days our players can get away with poor performances because people like you wanna protect them from criticisms!

So lets get this straight in the critical hot bed that was Elm Park (not quite my recollection when it was a wet Saturday and 3,000 has turned up) the criticisms created our best ever sides.......

but in the dull plastic madjeski where we're all protecting players from criticism we've managed to create a team of underachievers who could only get 106 points last season.

[Top Flight]

I think everyone should do whatever they want. Makes the world a more interesting place. If you pay your entrance fee, you should be able to be over-optimistic when we are shit and over-critical even if we win - if that's what you want.

I think that depends - of course has the right to say exactly what they think - but is that beneficial to the team. I cant see the logic in wanting reading to win and then helping to create a negative atmosphere which prevents that.

This is where I disagree.....

I am not one of the people that creates a negative atmosphere at the Mad Stad but I do think that a bit of criticism can work for players.....

People from the Elm Park (South Bank) days will remember that poor performance by any player was never tolerated. If a player was not up to the standard the shouts of get him off, your Shet, used to ensure that the players had to perform......

Why else did a poor RFC team often have such a good home record and were dire away from home? The home crowd used to pummell the players if they were poor! If that team was playing in the positive, prawn sandwich eating Madejski arena they would be certs for the drop every season.

Elm Park made a poor team, spill guts to win games at home. In the days of Trevor Morley as well and Quinny and Gooding. That team were rubbish, but we always won at home and that kept us up every year. Meaker was destroyed from the South Bank if he didn't give everything!

These days our players can get away with poor performances because people like you wanna protect them from criticisms!

So lets get this straight in the critical hot bed that was Elm Park (not quite my recollection when it was a wet Saturday and 3,000 has turned up) the criticisms created our best ever sides.......

but in the dull plastic madjeski where we're all protecting players from criticism we've managed to create a team of underachievers who could only get 106 points last season.

You know that you have just made a ridiculous point.......

I don't need to explain why that is.....

Big difference in Financing of the first team between those era's

[Top Flight]

I think everyone should do whatever they want. Makes the world a more interesting place. If you pay your entrance fee, you should be able to be over-optimistic when we are shit and over-critical even if we win - if that's what you want.

I think that depends - of course has the right to say exactly what they think - but is that beneficial to the team. I cant see the logic in wanting reading to win and then helping to create a negative atmosphere which prevents that.

This is where I disagree.....

I am not one of the people that creates a negative atmosphere at the Mad Stad but I do think that a bit of criticism can work for players.....

People from the Elm Park (South Bank) days will remember that poor performance by any player was never tolerated. If a player was not up to the standard the shouts of get him off, your Shet, used to ensure that the players had to perform......

Why else did a poor RFC team often have such a good home record and were dire away from home? The home crowd used to pummell the players if they were poor! If that team was playing in the positive, prawn sandwich eating Madejski arena they would be certs for the drop every season.

Elm Park made a poor team, spill guts to win games at home. In the days of Trevor Morley as well and Quinny and Gooding. That team were rubbish, but we always won at home and that kept us up every year. Meaker was destroyed from the South Bank if he didn't give everything!

These days our players can get away with poor performances because people like you wanna protect them from criticisms!

So lets get this straight in the critical hot bed that was Elm Park (not quite my recollection when it was a wet Saturday and 3,000 has turned up) the criticisms created our best ever sides.......

but in the dull plastic madjeski where we're all protecting players from criticism we've managed to create a team of underachievers who could only get 106 points last season.

Where did I say that our best ever side had played at Elm Park?

You are continuosly not understanding my point.

[firstdivision]

Well they say that pessimists are never disappointed and we seem to have our fair share.

I can understand new fans may be swept along on the wave of invincibilityfrom last year but this year will be different. But I support the team win lose or draw, and I know many of us do.

So let's wait and see, and remind the moaners when they come onto the board.

Urz!
.

[iang040563]

The realms of probability suggest that this season is going to be a struggle. I know a Watford supporter who went to most of their games last time they went up in the Premiership. The supporters knew it was going to be a struggle and made every game like their Cup Final.
We have achieved something really good here - whatever happens let's get behing the Royals and make our status of being no 13 valid. We have the capacity to be an extra man on the pitch and reading are going to need us next season. Lets get behind our team, be heard and enjoy our team.. Be loud - be heard, but above all be proud.