Top half? You're having a laugh.

[Avon Royal]

Not wishing to stick the knife in I will just add one thing. I was in the South Stand and as Pennant was getting ready to centre I saw Kuyt free and I was screaming for him to be covered. If I can see it, how come Bikey and Gunnar didn't? Any sort of challenge would have prevented a free header and therefore the goal.

Are you for real?

Are you saying that Gunnar and Bikey did the right thing in giving Kuyt a free header? Or that a premiership defender shouldn't be expected to see a danger and react to it?

Neither. I'm saying that your view sat on your arse halfway up the South Stand may be a little more conducive to spotting every potential danger on the pitch than that of two players in the middle of the game.

[RG30]

I wouldn't say SC comments were the root of our recent form, but much is made of the famous 40 points that it was inevitable we would slip up, many clubs do so after getting to that total.

We actually got a decent run in, with the target I expect to be 12 points minimum, but I'll be surprised if we get anything at Bolton and Blackburn.

[Woodcote Royal]

Some fans love to dream but we've always needed a European campaign next season like a hole in the head.

But, I'm still gutted at missing out on the point we richly deserved yet delighted by what I saw as our best performance for at least the last 7 games.

Coppell picked the best available 11 for the job, IMHO, as we played 4-4-2 against a top 4 side.

It was tough on Leroy getting dropped but removing the luxury of a box player, whilst resisting the temptation to play an extra defender, so nearly paid off handsomely.

If we've had one persistent fault over the last 2 fantastic seasons, it's been not placing enough value on keeping possession.

Last season we regularly hammered teams despite having much less of the ball, but that will rarely work against the elite and the stats suggest that yesterday we took a big step in the right direction.

Despite the stick they regularly get from the usual quarters, Hunt and Oster's contribution in this respect should not be under estimated, especially when the general consensus after Tottenham was that the whole of our midfield failed to perform

As much as I love to see Little and Convey in full flow, I think it's becoming clear that 2 out-and-out wingers is another luxury that will have to be sacrificed in order to live with the best.

Glen Little has been fantastic this season but his omission was a blessing in disguise, allowing the more all round Oster to tuck-in when required but still deliver more quality crosses than all his team mates including Shorey.

On current form I doubt there's a better side in Europe than Liverpool but we were only 4 minutes away from taking a point off them.......................not bad for a team with nothing to play for

[Seal]

Since beating Villa, our run of league games has been:-

Boro (a)
Arsenal (a)
Pompey (h)
Spurs (a)
Liverpool (h)

And shock horror, just as in earlier in the season when we had a similarily tough run, we haven't picked up many points. Hardly suprising.

We now have by far the easiest run-in of all those teams around us...don't lose the faith yet!

[Handsome Man]

I think we have played some brilliant defenders recently and our strikers have struggled a lot. We're not getting the early dangerous balls into the box that we need to set up chances so we aren't getting many shots in. Other than that we look great - well organised, quick and strong. There's not too much to worry about at the moment.

I am a bit worried for next year. We only really have two superstar players in Shorey and Sidwell, but as long as one of them stays, it should be fine.

Be optimistic. We might buy somebody fantastic, Long or Halford could prove to be brilliant beyond our wildest dreams, Harper might flourish without Sidwell (who might even stay anyway). Times are good.

[Dirk Gently]

We now have by far the easiest run-in of all those teams around us...don't lose the faith yet!

I hear what you're saying, but faith for what, exactly?

We're effectively safe from relegation, we're not going to get into Europe (and in fact our manager has stated he doesn't want us to, anyway).

So it's really now just a question of playing out the season with nothing much to motivate the players. (I know we get 480k for each place higher we finish but that's hardly likely to appeal to the players.)

Out of interest, when was the last season we had that just fizzled out like this - 2000, maybe. Every year since then we've been going up, in the play-offs or at least in with an outside chance of play-offs right up to the last match.

Welcome to the Premier League - where success is a matter of not going down, and we'lll never, ever actually win anything!

[shadesrwrf]

Welcome to the Premier League - where success is a matter of not going down, and we'lll never, ever actually win anything!

There's nothing like a bit of optimism to get you going first thing on a Monday morning is there?

I really don't understand this attitude. So the big four are dominating right now. It's not always been like that and I don't expect it to always be so. Why can't Reading continue its rise and become a force to be reckoned with nationally and internationally? If you don't believe that's possible then you might as well give up now and start following hockey.

[Seal]

We now have by far the easiest run-in of all those teams around us...don't lose the faith yet!

I hear what you're saying, but faith for what, exactly?

We're effectively safe from relegation, we're not going to get into Europe (and in fact our manager has stated he doesn't want us to, anyway).

So it's really now just a question of playing out the season with nothing much to motivate the players. (I know we get 480k for each place higher we finish but that's hardly likely to appeal to the players.)

Out of interest, when was the last season we had that just fizzled out like this - 2000, maybe. Every year since then we've been going up, in the play-offs or at least in with an outside chance of play-offs right up to the last match.

Welcome to the Premier League - where success is a matter of not going down, and we'lll never, ever actually win anything!

Charlton (a)
Fulham (h)
Bolton (a)
Newcastle (h)
Watford (h)
Blackburn (a)

There is quite conceivably 12/13 points there, which would put us on 56/7 points. That could well be enough for 7th, baring in mind the more difficult run-ins of teams around us.

I would much rather be going into the last few games with something to fight for - even if we don't make it at least it keeps things interesting.

Unless you are suggesting that the manager is going to encourage us to lose to ensure we don't get into Europe, then I don't see how you can say there is nothing left to play for...

[The Goat was fed]

I must admit to sharing the sentiments expressed by Floyd that Sir Steve has made an error by saying we don't want Europe.

We need to win games to get into Europe...is Sir Steve saying don't win games?

[VOR]

I must admit to sharing the sentiments expressed by Floyd that Sir Steve has made an error by saying we don't want Europe.

We need to win games to get into Europe...is Sir Steve saying don't win games?

Agree that psychologically it doesn't make sense, though I can undestand Sir Steve wanting to manage expectations. IMHO, we have a good run-in but too much to do now to qualify. Finish 8th?

BTW, thought Liverpool looked really well organised at the back and Carragher showed his class yet again so we did well to create more chances and get close to a point. We lost it through naive mistakes - no great surprise for a team who want to attack and came into the Prem with virtually no top-flight experience in the squad.

[Vision]

Don't agree with the complacency theory at all.

If we were being complacent on Saturday then we would have sat back for the closing stages of the game and patted ourselves on the back for earning a point against one of the Big 4. Instead we went for the game. OK, we came unstuck but personally I was well pleased with our attitude.

Even last night when it was Charlton who were supposedly more in need of the 3 points than us, we were still the side pushing for the win.

Can't fault our attitude in either game it's just at times we lack the quality and composure needed to unlock stubborn defences.

Sometimes you don't always get what you deserve.

[Stranded]

Don't agree with the complacency theory at all.

If we were being complacent on Saturday then we would have sat back for the closing stages of the game and patted ourselves on the back for earning a point against one of the Big 4. Instead we went for the game. OK, we came unstuck but personally I was well pleased with our attitude.

Even last night when it was Charlton who were supposedly more in need of the 3 points than us, we were still the side pushing for the win.

Can't fault our attitude in either game it's just at times we lack the quality and composure needed to unlock stubborn defences.

Sometimes you don't always get what you deserve.

Can't disagree with that.