Reading (A) Post Match 3-1

[Bert]

Yet Reading (whom you fail to mention) have averaged over 2pts per game since last September. With a squad mainly made up from our acadamy...name our "stars"?

So Federici, Harte, Karajan, Leigertwood, McAnuff, Roberts and Gorkks all came through your academy did they?

You're a good team but your fans and the club are an embarrassment.

[acooling08]

I am not going to any more games this season. Unlike some, when there is nothing to play for I just lose all interest. It's like when England play friendlies, I couldn't care less about them.

[Guest Col city fan]

Maybe those players are showing their best form because they're in a settled, stable organically developed team where their team mates know how to get the best out of them. We keep swapping managers and throwing new players, not just one or two but 5,6,7 etc into the mix and expect instant, consistent winning results, it rarely if ever happens like.

Plenty of people are saying Reading are average and they've lost 2 of the best performing players in the league last year from their squad, but they've simply replaced them and carried on slowly developing their squad whilst making shit loads of money rather than spending shit loads and are currently 2nd equals.

West Ham must have signed more new players than any other Championship club this season and changed their manager?

And Cardiff had a change of manager and major changes to playing Personnel in the close season.

Reading made major changes to their squad ( see Berts post) although kept their manager of course.

Of all the clubs near the top, only Southampton have done as you suggested?

[Kitchandro]

The problem is not individual players being average most teams in this league are made up of average players, what we need is a stable team that know each other so well they know where they are going to put the ball you wont get that with constant changes which we've had for so many years know and all it's brought is ongoing failure to deliver even a modicum of success.

But we want to be better than most, that's why we need better than average.

The teams that have done well in this division have had some real quality players. Maybe not the whole way through but they game changers and match winners. We don't have those. Stability is important yes but a lot of teams near the bottom have that but they have poor players too.

[Stay Positive]

You know what the worst thing is? I turned on the tv this afternoon and saw the result, and I pretty much shrugged my shoulders and went "Oh well, I expected that". I should be annoyed, dammit! And I'm not. That's just WRONG.

[steveherbe]

Someone said earlier:

"Always liked Church... Sorry"

If they meant Charlotte, count me in.

[Guest Col city fan]

But we want to be better than most, that's why we need better than average.

The teams that have done well in this division have had some real quality players. Maybe not the whole way through but they game changers and match winners. We don't have those. Stability is important yes but a lot of teams near the bottom have that but they have poor players too.

Of course they have... And we don't... At least not often enough

For me this has been the difference all season

[Kitchandro]

I do agree... And I don't..

The teams that are doing very well this season generally have some very good players at this level that can change a game with individual ability.

West Ham... Nolan, Noble, Green... Very good, consistent players at this level

Southampton... Ricky Lambert has scored 26? goals in the league and Adam Lallana has been exceptional

Cardiff... Peter Whittingham and Kenny Miller... Both very good at this level.

You're right about changes etc but the better sides do have some better players in.

The 'better players' that we were meant to have in our team (Mills and Beckford) have failed us miserably.

This

Add to that

Norwich - Hoolahan, a true creative player, Holt 30 odd goals last season. And the rest of them could pass the ball quickly.

Swansea - Dyer and Sinclair, two of the best wingers you're likely to see at this level. Great passers in midfield like Allen. Solid, consistent defenders.

QPR - Taarabt took the piss at this level, good winger in Routledge who also had success with another promoted team in Newcastle

West Brom were far from average at this level, even Blackpool had Adam who was a class above and could change a game, and they only finished 6th.

Even with simple stuff like passing and moving at a decent pace, our central midfielders - Danns and Wellens, are they up to that? I don't think so. They are both too slow in possession and Danns isn't a good passer.

[Kitchandro]

Yet Reading (whom you fail to mention) have averaged over 2pts per game since last September. With a squad mainly made up from our acadamy...name our "stars"?

McAnuff and Kebe can change a game in an instant. You obviously have some good defenders as you are very solid at the back. We don't have either of those things on a regular basis.

Obviously team ethic is vital but it's not the be all and end all. If you've got shit players there's only so much you can do. We won't get anywhere with this squad.

Oh and you aren't up yet....

[Stay Positive]

Still, for all the shiteness of our team, let's not forget that not that long ago, we had Craig Levein, Rob Kelly, Martin Allen, Gary Megson, Ian Holloway and Paolo Sousa, all of whom we were either threatened with relegation with, actually relegated, or sacked before they could prove otherwise. We'd pretty much had 8 years of rubbish until NP took over the first time, with the feasible exception of Micky Adams. So I'd still rather be a City fan now than have to endure most of the noughties again.

[THEFATBASTARD]

Still, for all the shiteness of our team, let's not forget that not that long ago, we had Craig Levein, Rob Kelly, Martin Allen, Gary Megson, Ian Holloway and Paolo Sousa, all of whom we were either threatened with relegation with, actually relegated, or sacked before they could prove otherwise. We'd pretty much had 8 years of rubbish until NP took over the first time, with the feasible exception of Micky Adams. So I'd still rather be a City fan now than have to endure most of the noughties again.

thats like saying id rather be kicked in the head rather than the bollocks..big wow.

[MC Prussian]

Stringer's missing the point there. Yeh I don't want us to go skint chasing the dream.

But fvcking hell, I'm fed up of this shitty league. We AREN'T winning a lot of games. We AREN'T entertaining. We AREN'T playing good football. I can't have any pride in my club if it's happy to be midtable in the Championship. That's not what sport is about. Sport is about trying to be the best.

I want the O'Neill years back. I want to go to Wembley and I want to win trophies. I want to be able to say we've won the FA Cup as well. I want to beat big clubs. I want over 30,000 at home on a regular basis, I want optimism and great atmopsheres created by our fans beause we're not depressed.

Yeh so OK, we might finish in the bottom half of the Prem, we might get thrashed occassionally. But we might have some really memorable wins. We'll have a realistic chance of getting to the latter stages of a cup competition. We'll be in the top division and people in other countries will know that when they see Premiership matches. I want to go to Italy in the summer and say 'Leicester are in the Premiership now, we beat Liverpool last week, here's a video of our fans going mental'.

We've been down here too long. When's the last time we spent 9 years outside the top flight? It's not happened for at least 60 odd years.

We are underperforming as a club. This is not even close to good enough.

See, it's all about expectations. If you were really sucked into believing that we'd actually achieve promotion with an almost completely new squad, a new manager and financial backing unheard of, then it's not surprising that you can only be disappointed.

Don't get me wrong, I share your dedication and ambition, but if you really believe we should be further up the table this season, then you're nothing but misguided.

I'd have loved to see us anywhere between 3rd and 6th, but that was mostly wishful thinking, knowing how hard and competitive this league is.

We had the chance of building something longer-lasting, but then the fans got on the previous manager's back (who brought us only a few points off the playoff places, I should repeat ) and the owners suddenly got cold feet.

No wonder we're in the mess we're in right now.

Some of our fans do need a proper reality check. Kitchandro, you want too much at the same time. Bit greedy, innit?

Other clubs, many of the clubs that are in the upper half of the table, have been lingering around in the Championship for longer, have gone through harder (financial) times.

And they deserve to be where they are right now.

And so do we.

Here's to a nice away day at Chelsea.

[Stay Positive]

thats like saying id rather be kicked in the head rather than the bollocks..big wow.

It's not. Because I'd rather be kicked in the bollocks. Nothing kinky in that, I hasten to add.

[singinpete]

Do you think Sven realises that all his decent signings cost us next to **** all and that all his cash drunk, look how much money I can spend, over priced, thoughtless signings have been almost car crash. I would imagine most of our budget is probably gone and the financial clout which should have made us a force in this league has been wasted. I liked Sven when he was here but the more I think about it, the more I realise how much he's ****ed things up. Pearson will need a year or two but I'm convinced he'll sort us right out. Time to experiment now and for the youth to cut their teeth and hopefully we unearth a beast or 2. I really doubt we'll be in this position in 12 months, and I know its hard not to get pissed off with the whole situation but if we stay behind the team as much as humanly possibly it will only make things easier.

[NeilyBoy]

It's not. Because I'd rather be kicked in the bollocks. Nothing kinky in that, I hasten to add.

You must have a very soft head.

[Guest Col city fan]

See, it's all about expectations. If you were really sucked into believing that we'd actually achieve promotion with an almost completely new squad, a new manager and financial backing unheard of, then it's not surprising that you can only be disappointed.

Don't get me wrong, I share your dedication and ambition, but if you really believe we should be further up the table this season, then you're nothing but misguided.

I'd have loved to see us anywhere between 3rd and 6th, but that was mostly wishful thinking, knowing how hard and competitive this league is.

We had the chance of building something longer-lasting, but then the fans got on the previous manager's back (who brought us only a few points off the playoff places, I should repeat ) and the owners suddenly got cold feet.

No wonder we're in the mess we're in right now.

Some of our fans do need a proper reality check. Kitchandro, you want too much at the same time. Bit greedy, innit?

Other clubs, many of the clubs that are in the upper half of the table, have been lingering around in the Championship for longer, have gone through harder (financial) times.

And they deserve to be where they are right now.

And so do we.

Here's to a nice away day at Chelsea.

Excuses.... West Ham have nearly achieved it in the first season after they came down. With new manager, lots of new signings etc..

The fact is our 'big signings' ( eg Mills and Becks) have completely let us down.

[The Guvnor]

Just back from the match,this result wasn't as dissapointing for me as the Bristol City game as I didn't expect us to win. What was dissapointing was our play, apart from 20 mins or so in the second half we were poor, piss poor passing, not closing down, no sense of urgency.

Great support from the faithful

[Kitchandro]

See, it's all about expectations. If you were really sucked into believing that we'd actually achieve promotion with an almost completely new squad, a new manager and financial backing unheard of, then it's not surprising that you can only be disappointed.

Don't get me wrong, I share your dedication and ambition, but if you really believe we should be further up the table this season, then you're nothing but misguided.

I'd have loved to see us anywhere between 3rd and 6th, but that was mostly wishful thinking, knowing how hard and competitive this league is.

We had the chance of building something longer-lasting, but then the fans got on the previous manager's back (who brought us only a few points off the playoff places, I should repeat ) and the owners suddenly got cold feet.

No wonder we're in the mess we're in right now.

Some of our fans do need a proper reality check. Kitchandro, you want too much at the same time. Bit greedy, innit?

Other clubs, many of the clubs that are in the upper half of the table, have been lingering around in the Championship for longer, have gone through harder (financial) times.

And they deserve to be where they are right now.

And so do we.

Here's to a nice away day at Chelsea.

Turns out I was wrong, we shouldn't have expected to be top 6, let alone top 2. But people like you convinced me Sven knew what he was doing. I'd hoped that given a summer and having learnt from the previous season he'd get a squad together that was good enough.

But it was evident early on that neither the personnel nor Sven's tactics would be good enough. Hence the club sacking him when we slipped into the bottom half.

To give a manager that much money and then say it's acceptable to take a couple of seasons to get up is ludicrous. Good managers get their sides in gear having spent a lot less money than us. Good managers buy wisely and get players playing as a team, and playing for their manager.

This is the problem I have with this forum sometimes, there is way too much bias. I was a supporter of Sven up until a few weeks before he was sacked, when it was clear he had got it all wrong. But some people want to justify everything he did. Saying he was sacked too early is one thing (that I disagree with), but to say we shouldn't have expected him to do better is stupid.

Had he stayed here you could say we would have had stability, but we'd have just been stable in midtable. We would have had something long lasting, as in we'd be staying longer in the Championship.

And we're staying here for another season anyway, yes, but mainly because the squad he assembled isn't up to scratch. The mistake was appointing him in the first place. Now we wait to see if Pearson can do better in the same time. We'll see by Octoberish.

[Stay Positive]

You must have a very soft head.

People have said that before. Either that or they said I was soft in the head, I'm not sure...

[MarkHowieLCFC]

Still, for all the shiteness of our team, let's not forget that not that long ago, we had Craig Levein, Rob Kelly, Martin Allen, Gary Megson, Ian Holloway and Paolo Sousa, all of whom we were either threatened with relegation with, actually relegated, or sacked before they could prove otherwise. We'd pretty much had 8 years of rubbish until NP took over the first time, with the feasible exception of Micky Adams. So I'd still rather be a City fan now than have to endure most of the noughties again.

Agreed...we'll support our team through thick n thin, and it could be worse, we could be Portsmouth supporters who might not have a club to support!

[darko2k7]

Well that was results result I predicted pre-match Not as hard hitting as tuesday but still depressing .

Not sure what getting to the prem is about for me now . It used to be about the dream , playing and being one of the best . Now i think it's more just about getting there to say afloat . Not so sure all this money is worth it atm .

[Happy Fox]

I cannot comment but were we really piss poor, anyway onwards and upwards in the FA cup.

[Out Foxed]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17327464

they better take their eye off it sharpish

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

Come back disappoined thopugh i am probably used to it now, so overall i am still glad we went.

They scored due to bad defending then we battered them, and played with spirit and desire, with no end product though.

They scored throught their first attack of the second half and killed the game. Left early and didnt see the last two goals!

[Bettsj2]

Not sure i've ever heard Pearson quite so pissed off.

He's been brutally honest in the past but he really sounded ****ed off to another level today.