davey_wells Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I was interested to read up about how Reading got through last season after having such an awful start. Surprising similarities to us... and a lot of hope! - Begin season with 2-2 draw - Win next game then... Lose 4 in a row (5 if you include a Carling Cup game), including 2 home games against Barnsley and Watford (bear in mind Watford hadn't won a game until then)...here is a snippet of the unofficial match report of this game... "With three new signings making their home debut against a team without a win so far this season, there was an air of optimism among the Reading fans before kick off in spite a poor run of results. What followed left everyone at the club feeling deflated if not demoralised. It was as poor a performance as I can remember. I think I would have go back as far as the Tommy Burns era in Division One for something as poor. It is unforgiveable for any team to fail to produce a single strike on target for the entire game - especially at home." "The back four today was far from comfortable on the ball and resorted too frequently to a long hopeful punt upfield." "Even more worrying is the lack of leadership. For example, we all knew the game was lost by the time added time was being played, but for the captain to hoof the ball aimlessly overhead upfield when there players available to pass to is unacceptable. " Even better, here is a comment from a fan after the game... "What an absolute pile of crap. We don't mind our team losing, they often do, but when that's combined with no effort or passion then the fans have every right to be fed up, to put it mildly. Yes it's early days but we are in deep trouble already. The team seem devoid of ideas, confidence and any imagination." A week later they won 2-0 at home to Donny Rovers, went on an 8 game unbeaten run (even though they were apparently still pretty dire with fans slating their defenders, Simon Church & the likes of Leigetwood who was their hero by the end), stuttered a touch in November & early December but then stormed to win the league. Now, I'm not saying we're going to win the league, nor even come that close, but it just goes to show that very good sides with new players (Reading bought in a few having sold their best players like Shane Long and Matt Mills before that season started) do go through really rough patches. Its about how we build and grow as a team - the win will come soon - and its about a bit of patience and belief that Dave Jones knows his stuff, knows the players, and is striving to get this team doing as well as they possibly can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevdi9 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) but 3 new signings could be cater'd for if you kept the nucleus of the old squad, but putting a team of 9 new signings out with hardly any experiance of playing together is a bit over the top don't you think,yesterday seemed to me a bit of hit and hope tbh only it didn't work , Edited September 23, 2012 by trevdi9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEnchanter Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 OMG WE ARE GOING UP AGAIN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Thanks Wellsy That's right cheered me up...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiJ Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Love to think that'll be the case...but there are quite a few differences between ourselves and Reading. For one they had a well established Championship side, one that was largely unchanged from the team that had just missed out in the play off final the previous season. We on the other hand have just got promoted from League One and have pretty much torn up one side and are starting off with a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spooookie1 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Yes.I posted this on your Huddersfield Matchday thread: To be honest,I feel a little bit gutted for you.But its your first season back,and not every team adapts straight away. Still very early days yet,absolutely anything can happen,shame I couldnt hear the game,but the BBC seems not to want to broadcast outside of the area the matches are played in. Here's a reminder of how things can change (Brighton were up top at this time too) http://www.royals.or...doc/100911.html All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ever the pessimist Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 The only similarity is that we play in the same colour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ecco Owls Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Totally agree, we can't expect the team to come into the championship and not lose any games can we? It'd be nice to think that we wont lose any but that aint going to happen. Let's keep getting behing the team (hard at times I know) but I really believe that if the crowd can remain positive then we can keep the players heads up and cheer them forward and out of this rut...that's got to be better than adding to the rot hasn't it?????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJMortimer Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 People need to accept that football is not like chess where you can map out moves in advance with predictable outcomes. Even our chairman, manager and players can only influence what happens, never control it. So the idea that any of us supporters can earnestly proclaim that we, and only we, understand why and how things will happen is laughable in the extreme. And no matter how many similar examples are used to demonstrate these vagaries, no one will pay anything but the most fleeting attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Bach Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Brilliant first post. We all love football because of the rollercoaster ride it gives. We're in The Championship, it's September, loads of new players who, individually, are quality signings. Remember when Crystal Palace were something like 17th on New Years Day and they ended up finishing in the play-offs? Some people need to pipe down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonofbert2 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Brilliant first post. We all love football because of the rollercoaster ride it gives. We're in The Championship, it's September, loads of new players who, individually, are quality signings. Remember when Crystal Palace were something like 17th on New Years Day and they ended up finishing in the play-offs? Some people need to pipe down. I agree totally. Can't wait until we go up (again). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJMortimer Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Brilliant first post. We all love football because of the rollercoaster ride it gives. We're in The Championship, it's September, loads of new players who, individually, are quality signings. Remember when Crystal Palace were something like 17th on New Years Day and they ended up finishing in the play-offs? Some people need to pipe down. Didn't Roy Keane take Sunderland from bottom of the Championship to the title a few years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Bach Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I agree totally. Can't wait until we go up (again). One win and it will be W3 D1 L4 Who would have took that in June? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarnOwl55 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 One win and it will be W3 D1 L4 Who would have took that in June? I wouldn't have taken it in June but it wouldn't be that bad in all honesty - of course it depends on how many we play before we get that one win you refer to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handball_!! Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 That's cheered me up actually. Wasn't that despondent really but it's a good example of how a season is not completely defined in August and September isn't it? Thanks for that. This place is comedy gold when we lose a few games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetsheri Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I bet they didn't boo the players though eh Neil.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wath-owl Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I made a similar post early last season comparing our start then with Southampton's the previous year when they went on to finish 2nd. Link: http://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/154320-southamptons-start-last-season/ Got a bit of abuse at the time for making the comparison but look what happened there. Great opening post Davey Wells! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest @DSapeyOwl Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 AND we both play in blue & white But I like the OP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theowlsman Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 We're going to win the league? Hallelujah Brother. I believe, I believe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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