Apologies here please:-

[The 17 Bus]

So a forum with active users that would account for less than 1% of a match day attendance filter through to the players. What a load misinformed bollocks

which would be why in the past Pardew told his players not to go on to internet sites like this, also many of the views on here are repeated in the EP on a thursday, so it does get through to the players, what effect it has is another question.
In life it is often a small minority that can cause ripples bigger than the mass involved.

[winchester_royal]

Get real!!

We were extremely lucky at Middlesbrough, and having watched the replays on MoTD from yesterday, we were also extremely lucky not to have conceded 2 pens, (although at the game I felt they were both dives too, but slow-mo proved that wrong), and also having Dunne carried off.

In some respects, we have more to be worried about. All of sudden, we are 13th and everything in the garden is rosy???? You are having a laugh!!! For example, Oster still defies logic in that he is picked for the first XI ahead of footballers. Lita ... well don't even go there ... etc etc

However, at least yesterday we played some football! Mateovsky is clearly going to be key for us. Why oh why he was taken off is beyond me, (as is much of what Sir Steve has done this year). It was a clear signal with 15 odd mins left that we were going to shut up shop, when we all know we can't do that! The biggest plus point was the almost tangible injecion of confidence once we took the lead. It was a joy to behold, and it is a wonderful feeling being able to read the Sunday papaers knowing we're looking down the table on 7 clubs. Despite Doyler's lack of goals, his work rate is phenomenal, and he directy created both goals. The assist for Long's goal was obviousl, but it was the way he drew 2 defenders away from Kits, allowing him room to continue his run forward that really made me sit up and realise that even though he's not scoring right now, his contribution is still immense.

Just don't get caried away that everything is now wonderful in the team - 'cos it most certainly ain't!!

but when he took matejovsky off, he brought on cisse who layed on the ball for kitson for the goal didnt he?

either way, scoring a goal after the subs probably says we werent shutting up shop

a six yard pass, which andy hughes could have made, from a free kick does not vindicate a substitution

[brendywendy]

which is why i said the later goal suggests we werent shutting up shop like you said, i saw no difference in our attitude before or after the subs

[strap]

Just don't get caried away that everything is now wonderful in the team - 'cos it most certainly ain't!!

Quite but apparently it was OK to get carried away and say everything was doom and gloom. As far as I am concerned the play yesterday was not so different to the previous months but we got 3 points, it is such a fine line between success and failure that the wholesale changes do not seem to me to be the solution. The tweaks in the team seem to have done enough to make the players just that little bit more determined and less nervous and long may it last.

So 8 defeats on the bounce is equivalent to 2 wins???? Wrong.

Fortunately for us, yesterday WAS markedly different to the Bolton and Villa home games. So WRONG again.

This country still allows voicing of opinions, (but only just), so I defend your right to yours, HOWEVER, this from the Independent clearly shows many people don't actually attend Reading games before spouting :

"Many of City's problems were coming from Oster's growing influence down the right and Reading almost doubled their lead when Doyle rose to meet his testing cross and Hunt's follow-up shot was blocked.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/reading-2-manchester-city-0-kitson-underlines-return-of-better-form-at-reading-793420.html

You couldn't make it up!

[The whole year inn]

It does look like Reading are well on their way towards turning the corner, but the stats still show 6 points from the last 10 league games.

If Reading repeat that form between now and the end of the season (6 from 9 games) will it be enough to stay up? 34 points wont be IMO.

[cmonurz]

So a forum with active users that would account for less than 1% of a match day attendance filter through to the players. What a load misinformed bollocks

which would be why in the past Pardew told his players not to go on to internet sites like this, also many of the views on here are repeated in the EP on a thursday, so it does get through to the players, what effect it has is another question.
In life it is often a small minority that can cause ripples bigger than the mass involved.

I think posters on HNA have an inflated view of their importance.

[Ian Royal]

So a forum with active users that would account for less than 1% of a match day attendance filter through to the players. What a load misinformed bollocks

which would be why in the past Pardew told his players not to go on to internet sites like this, also many of the views on here are repeated in the EP on a thursday, so it does get through to the players, what effect it has is another question.
In life it is often a small minority that can cause ripples bigger than the mass involved.

I think posters on HNA have an inflated view of their importance.

Haven't several of our players said they don't read any of th estuff on here because of the utter bollocks and venom that gets spouted? I seem to recall that.

[cmonurz]

I think they have. I think it is natural as a professional sportsman to want to read what others think of your performances, but I don't for a second believe that the collective opinion of this messageboard has any effect at all on the players when they take to the field each week.

[Ian Royal]

I think they have. I think it is natural as a professional sportsman to want to read what others think of your performances, but I don't for a second believe that the collective opinion of this messageboard has any effect at all on the players when they take to the field each week.

IMO it's like the atmosphere at a game, it's unlikely to have a huge impact, but it can tip the scales one way or another quite easily.

[Royal Rother]

When Karen Murty apologised on BBCRB for causing offence on the internet forums for saying that the supporters needed to do all they could to help the team it became apparent that at least some knowledge of the content of Hobnob was filtering its way to the club and its employees.

[Fezza]

Dear All,

I would like to apologise for my obvious lack of faith, now that we are perfectly safe from relegation I can sit back and admit how wrong my concerns and criticisms were about the state of the team. I freely admit that the gamble of sending away 25% of our strike force with us stuck in the relegation mire has paid off. I take all criticism of our strikers back as they have now proved that at least two of them can hit a cows arse with a banjo by scoring enough goals to right the 8 game blank streak.

How wrong I was to have a view!

Fezza

P.s. In all seriousness, well done the team a cracking result, it's back in our on hands, we can send the mackams down!

[weybridgewanderer]

before christmas we were 12th and 5 points ahead of relegation and 4 behind Newcastle

PREMIERSHIP 22 Dec 2007
Pos Team P Pts GD
11 Newcastle 17 25 -2
12 READING 18 21 -11
13 Tottenham 18 18 -1

after a run of games of 10 games which have included 7 defeats we are now 14th and level on points with newcastle.

the only team to have really capitalised on our poor run has been Tottenham.

[Dirk Gently]

the only team to have really capitalised on our poor run has been Tottenham.

Very true - I remarked on Saturday that it took us 8 games to drop from 13th to 18th, but only 1 game to go from 18th to 13th.

[Fezza]

before christmas we were 12th and 5 points ahead of relegation and 4 behind Newcastle

PREMIERSHIP 22 Dec 2007
Pos Team P Pts GD
11 Newcastle 17 25 -2
12 READING 18 21 -11
13 Tottenham 18 18 -1

after a run of games of 10 games which have included 7 defeats we are now 14th and level on points with newcastle.

the only team to have really capitalised on our poor run has been Tottenham.

Tells half the story! How many points were Bolton / Wigan / Birmingham / Sunderland behind us then, how much closer (if at all) are they now, who has a game in hand over us?

[weybridgewanderer]

before christmas we were 12th and 5 points ahead of relegation and 4 behind Newcastle

PREMIERSHIP 22 Dec 2007
Pos Team P Pts GD
11 Newcastle 17 25 -2
12 READING 18 21 -11
13 Tottenham 18 18 -1

after a run of games of 10 games which have included 7 defeats we are now 14th and level on points with newcastle.

the only team to have really capitalised on our poor run has been Tottenham.

Tells half the story! How many points were Bolton / Wigan / Birmingham / Sunderland behind us then, how much closer (if at all) are they now, who has a game in hand over us?

well we were 5 ahead of relegation, we are now 3 ahead of relegation

Bolton have a game in hand, away at old trafford

[Stranded]

before christmas we were 12th and 5 points ahead of relegation and 4 behind Newcastle

PREMIERSHIP 22 Dec 2007
Pos Team P Pts GD
11 Newcastle 17 25 -2
12 READING 18 21 -11
13 Tottenham 18 18 -1

after a run of games of 10 games which have included 7 defeats we are now 14th and level on points with newcastle.

the only team to have really capitalised on our poor run has been Tottenham.

Tells half the story! How many points were Bolton / Wigan / Birmingham / Sunderland behind us then, how much closer (if at all) are they now, who has a game in hand over us?

As others were saying prior to the result on Saturday, it's all about points on the board. Bolton & Brum do have a game in hand but they've got to win them. Man U and Pompey away are those games - am quite glad we have the points.

[Man Friday]

I too apologise for stating that I thought we were heading for relegation and that tactics and players needed to improve in order to avoid such a situation. Thankfully we have now avoided relegation and everything is o.k.

[Crowthorne Royal]

Certainly no apologies from East Berkshire. Whilst I am thrilled that we have won 2 games, we could have and perhaps should have lost both. Lady luck has smiled on us in the last 2 games and this has helped hugely. Of course you'll still have half the crowd saying that 'Rennie was bent' and so on but let's be honest Johnson's 'Dive' was a PEN and if that goes in it's a whole different ball game. On a positive note (yes I can be very positive when justified!) the one thing which really pleased me and has been mentioned by others was our clear surge of confidence once we had scored. I was calling for Long to be sub'd as I didn't think he'd contributed a great deal.....and then he scored! A great goal as well I thought. Looking at our remaining games we definitely have a fighting chance. Players like Little coming back could be the difference between us staying up or not. Midfield remains a problem area and we must replace Sidwell next year if we stay up. None of his 'replacements' are anywhere near as good and this has hurt us this year. Long may Bikey stay in the side, even though he has a rush of blood now and again he looks confident, something which Sonko has lost.
All in all well done the boys, but I'm afraid that even if we stay up it will be in spite of Coppell not because of him. He has made poor decisions at crucial times culminating in his latest 'calculated gamble' with Lita which was completely unneccesary. Long may our luck continue, we will need it if we are to survive.

[weybridgewanderer]

Johnson's 'Dive' was a PEN

looked like a dive from the north stand

looked like a pen on match of the day (taken behind johnson)

looks like a dive from the picture on the website (taken behind inga)

[Man Friday]

Crowthorne - I was being sarcy. We haven't avoided relegation (yet). Agree with your comments by the way, particularly about Sonks and some of Steve's decisions.