Swansea V Reading Official Match Thread

[Maguire]

Last season's result is totally irrelevant. Pointless comparison.

I'm pro-Tommy Smith but as others have said, he's made for that right attacking role. We'd still be relying on Noel or Shane to notch a hatful.

[Para Handy]

I'd just like to say to the Team Forum... Relax. Things will sort themselves out. Stop stressing and chill. We're not in Division 4 anymore.

[Deathy]

Any point away from home is excellent. Chill people.

[winchester_royal]

Any point away from home is excellent. Chill people.

That will fall on death ears (blind eyes) I'm afraid.

[Deathy]

Any point away from home is excellent. Chill people.

That will fall on death ears (blind eyes) I'm afraid.

We're above the riff raff, Winners.

[Wimb]

And we're still 3 leagues above Oxford \o/

[cmonurz]

Any point away from home is excellent. Chill people.

That will fall on death ears (blind eyes) I'm afraid.

Perhaps because picking up 'any point' here and there from away games should not really be a target for a club that came 4th last season.

[winchester_royal]

Any point away from home is excellent. Chill people.

That will fall on death ears (blind eyes) I'm afraid.

Perhaps because picking up 'any point' here and there from away games should not really be a target for a club that came 4th last season.

It's not a target, but it's certainly not disappointing.

[Platypuss]

Any point away from home is excellent. Chill people.

The result may be, but what about the performance ?

[Hoop Blah]

I totally agree about Church.

He must be a decent player to get in the full Welsh squad

Really?

Getting in the Welsh squad should make him good enough for this level.

No it shouldn't.

He got into the Wales squad after a relatively short time in the Under 21's because they have a real lack of quality. When he got drafted into the squad it was when they were missing a lot of players and it was basically a U21's team with a few older heads.

No doubt he took his chance quite well, and he's received some good praise and media coverage because of it, but Wales have to cling to any piece of good news or hope and all the stuff that's been said about Church has been vastly hyped up in my opinion.

Time will tell, but the idea that Church will be better than Bellamy etc etc is looking a little laughable really.

[loyalroyal4life]

Last season's result is totally irrelevant. Pointless comparison.

I'm pro-Tommy Smith but as others have said, he's made for that right attacking role. We'd still be relying on Noel or Shane to notch a hatful.

if smith comes in and plays right side then why not rely on n.hunt for the goals, he will bag the most this season i mean come on he is joint top scorer thus far after all

[Hoop Blah]

As for the game itself, even this early it's a little worrying how little attacking threat we carry as the squad learn to take onboard Rodgers new style. It's still very early though, and clearly Rodgers is still looking to address the weaknesses in the squad to try and add that attacking threat.

We really do need to show some patience though as this is such a massive move away from the Reading of the last 5-8 years.

The parallel someone drew with Pardew is interesting. He took over a squad at rock bottom and had to re-build and turn things around. That's basically what Rodgers is having to do but without the luxury of having the previous managers results being so bad that any comparison looks favourable. Coppell had such a dramatic effect on the club that following him was always going to be a tough ask (however many mistakes a lot of us have attributed to Coppell over the last 2 years).

The attacking issue's are well known and being addresses. By the sounds of the radio coverage last night it looks like we need to tighten up at the back a bit too. Again, it's too early to judge, but the Mills and Pearce combination didn't sound like it had the best of starts last night.

Patience is still the key though...

[cmonurz]

Good post HB, but I'm really going to struggle to discuss actual footballing matters this season until I understand the 'why?' of RFC being in the position it is in. This is completely demoralising.

We have lost the core of a side this summer, and not replaced them, and as a result, we are now facing a tough season rebuilding. Have we chosen this route? If so, why? I just don't really get it, and for some bizarre reason, I feel lower now about RFC than I did at any point during our Premier League relegation season, or last season's post-Xmas debacle.

Sides don't just go from two games from promotion to this; the club does not appear to have made any effort to invest in a side that could even come close to repeating last season's 4th place. Why the hell not?!

[Royal Lady]

Because Mr Madejski doesn't want to spend any money?

As I said on another thread, he should realise that quite obviously no-one wants to buy us, so he's stuck with us and if he wants to attract a buyer in the future, he needs to have a team that looks like they might be going somewhere - what's the use of a nice stadium, a super media suite, a bigger hotel if the team is bollox.

[papereyes]

That's basically what Rodgers is having to do but without the luxury of having the previous managers results being so bad that any comparison looks favourable

No offense but he's at about the same level as Coppell's last few months at the club.

Which is really quite depressing, if you think about it.

Anyway. Looking at the state of affairs - we're not bad, yet. We've got a couple of solid points, been horsed by a team that are in a division beneath their real abilities. There's room for improvement, if the club want to show some cojones. There's room for it to go really bad.

Its in Rodgers', and Hammond's hands.

[loyalroyal4life]

Good post HB, but I'm really going to struggle to discuss actual footballing matters this season until I understand the 'why?' of RFC being in the position it is in. This is completely demoralising.

We have lost the core of a side this summer, and not replaced them, and as a result, we are now facing a tough season rebuilding. Have we chosen this route? If so, why? I just don't really get it, and for some bizarre reason, I feel lower now about RFC than I did at any point during our Premier League relegation season, or last season's post-Xmas debacle.

Sides don't just go from two games from promotion to this; the club does not appear to have made any effort to invest in a side that could even come close to repeating last season's 4th place. Why the hell not?!

Sometimes You have to go through the rain to if you want to see the sun!!!

Sure it will come good and we will all look back at this moment and think nothing of it. 1 thing i have realised is why soooo many people i know didnt renew their season ticket!!! this year is a rebuild, next year they will all come back to see us go for promotion

[Royal Lady]

Good post HB, but I'm really going to struggle to discuss actual footballing matters this season until I understand the 'why?' of RFC being in the position it is in. This is completely demoralising.

We have lost the core of a side this summer, and not replaced them, and as a result, we are now facing a tough season rebuilding. Have we chosen this route? If so, why? I just don't really get it, and for some bizarre reason, I feel lower now about RFC than I did at any point during our Premier League relegation season, or last season's post-Xmas debacle.

Sides don't just go from two games from promotion to this; the club does not appear to have made any effort to invest in a side that could even come close to repeating last season's 4th place. Why the hell not?!

Sometimes You have to go through the rain to if you want to see the sun!!!

Sure it will come good and we will all look back at this moment and think nothing of it. 1 thing i have realised is why soooo many people i know didnt renew their season ticket!!! this year is a rebuild, next year they will all come back to see us go for promotion TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

[cmonurz]

Good post HB, but I'm really going to struggle to discuss actual footballing matters this season until I understand the 'why?' of RFC being in the position it is in. This is completely demoralising.

We have lost the core of a side this summer, and not replaced them, and as a result, we are now facing a tough season rebuilding. Have we chosen this route? If so, why? I just don't really get it, and for some bizarre reason, I feel lower now about RFC than I did at any point during our Premier League relegation season, or last season's post-Xmas debacle.

Sides don't just go from two games from promotion to this; the club does not appear to have made any effort to invest in a side that could even come close to repeating last season's 4th place. Why the hell not?!

Sometimes You have to go through the rain to if you want to see the sun!!!

Sure it will come good and we will all look back at this moment and think nothing of it. 1 thing i have realised is why soooo many people i know didnt renew their season ticket!!! this year is a rebuild, next year they will all come back to see us go for promotion

Fair enough, but you've missed my point. I don't get why we are in this position in the first place.

[Hoop Blah]

That's basically what Rodgers is having to do but without the luxury of having the previous managers results being so bad that any comparison looks favourable

No offense but he's at about the same level as Coppell's last few months at the club.

Which is really quite depressing, if you think about it.

Anyway. Looking at the state of affairs - we're not bad, yet. We've got a couple of solid points, been horsed by a team that are in a division beneath their real abilities. There's room for improvement, if the club want to show some cojones. There's room for it to go really bad.

Its in Rodgers', and Hammond's hands.

I thought that as I typed it, the difference being that Coppell had all the good faith his previous success had bought him. It wasn't as if Coppell was sacked for results in the same way as Burns or Bullivant were. Although we had to sit through some turgid stuff since Christmas, it's not the same as a manager taking over a side destined for relegation.

[Maguire]

As for the game itself, even this early it's a little worrying how little attacking threat we carry as the squad learn to take onboard Rodgers new style. It's still very early though, and clearly Rodgers is still looking to address the weaknesses in the squad to try and add that attacking threat.

We really do need to show some patience though as this is such a massive move away from the Reading of the last 5-8 years.

The parallel someone drew with Pardew is interesting. He took over a squad at rock bottom and had to re-build and turn things around. That's basically what Rodgers is having to do but without the luxury of having the previous managers results being so bad that any comparison looks favourable. Coppell had such a dramatic effect on the club that following him was always going to be a tough ask (however many mistakes a lot of us have attributed to Coppell over the last 2 years).

The attacking issue's are well known and being addresses. By the sounds of the radio coverage last night it looks like we need to tighten up at the back a bit too. Again, it's too early to judge, but the Mills and Pearce combination didn't sound like it had the best of starts last night.

Patience is still the key though...

Sensible post, that. What are you doing on Hob Nob?