Roll on January

[Schards#2]

In case anyone hadn't noticed, Bolton's record is W 1 D 0 L 5. We were thumped by them.

Sunderland had lost four on the trot without scoring a single goal and they comfortably beat us and couldhave hammered us with better finishing.

We are woeful at the moment and I see nothing in the attitude of the players to suggest that anything is going to change.

[PEARCEY]

Yes Schards we know the stats. We have also achieved two of the best results in our entire history against Man Utd and Everton this season.
We are going through a bad run and playing poorly. No-one is arguing against that but it does not mean we will go down as its simply too early to stay. Sure if this run continues for another three or four games then we have a real fight on our hands. Six points against Wigan and Derby is achievable provided the team get back their confidence, energy levels etc. If we win those games then the position looks considerably better.

[Norfolk Royal]

There's an argument for saying that if we are adrift at Chrismas, that we shouldn't spend big in January and stick new players on big wage bills, anticipating a return to the championship.

However, I think I've lost it already.

[floyd__streete]

Yes Schards we know the stats. We have also achieved two of the best results in our entire history against Man Utd and Everton this season.

Fine, but let us be honest we were more than a tad fortunate to have got the draw at Old Trafford and we were certainly rather lucky to have escaped with a narrow win against Everton. I said at the time that I hoped our season wouldn't peak with a point against the champions, I am getting increasingly convinced that this will end up being the case.

[loyalroyal4life]

play fae instead of harper!!

[winchester_royal]

play fae instead of harper!!

then play cisse instead of gunnarsson

[bcubed]

It is obvious from Steve Coppell's recent interview that he feels he was mistaken to have such confidence in his current squad. If the transfer window was about to close at the end of September rather than August we would see a flurry of activity I am sure.

Instead we have to tough it out with what we've got for the next few months and hope that we are still in reach of safety come January when we can (in theory) strengthen the team.

The thing is that if we are still in the bottom three at that time it will be very hard to attract good players. After all who would want to join a club on the verge of relegation. In that climate Reading will find it a lot more expensive to get players in.

In hindsight the current transfer policy will have proved to be a major failing. I hope it doesn't condemn the team to failure as well.

Accepting this argument for a minute, how many points might we have by the time the transfer window reopens and where will it leave us?

I think we should be able to beat Wigan Derby and Sunderland at home and get draws with Newcastle (H) Fulham (A) and Middlesborough (H), givng us a total of 16 points.

Better than Watford last year, but it doesn't sound too good for attracting new players does it?