... personally I find it annoying to keep hearing from some of you that “we won’t go down” or “we’ll (just) survive”
Please take your head out of your arse and smell the Bovril.
This team, under this manager, will not win another game this season and will be down before the last game of the season on current / recent form.
Not expecting g a response really....
Just very very very fed up with the hopelessness of the current situation.
Everything Reading is total crap at the moment.

Cool, let's insult everyone that doesn't agree with you, that's an adult way to approach things. I don't think we will be relegated.

I think we will scrape survival but to suggest with certainty that we won’t go down is idiotic.

Absolutely, I would extend that to anyone who is saying we're already down as well.

If you're so sure, put a couple of thousand on it at the bookies.

What's stopping you?

Unless we improve we are going down. If anyone can see from where and when this improvement is likely to materialise, feel free to enlighten the rest of us.,

I've said all along that we will be relegated this season but no one chose to listen to me

I think we’ll stay up. Not by a great deal, but I think we’ll manage it. I think we have just enough ability in the squad, and I’m maybe foolishly banking on Swift giving us a boost when he comes back. A couple of injury free good games from him could make the difference

That’s not saying the threat of relegation isn’t very real. Lose to Forest next week and we are deep in the shit

Not saying you are right but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

If you're so sure, put a couple of thousand on it at the bookies.

What's stopping you?

I Would never seek to profit from my own teams downfall.

Maybe Stam has that bet, though ???
And possibly a few of the team?
It would partly explain several performances.
Surely not...

Not saying you are right but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

No it isn't.

We're certainly in a fight to stay up and things are looking bad. But currently we are the ones with the points in the board. Four teams have to overhaul us for us to go down.

Even at our recent shittest we've matched points with Burton and Sunderland over the last six games. Hull and Barnsley have gained just 1 point on us in the same period.

It looks pretty certain Bolton and Brum will ease past us, but who cares? That won't relegate us. We basically need a point a game, possibly even less. Win one of the next three and we're achieving that. Forest are very beatable and we've had almost as many wins against good sides as shit, so something surprising could happen.

I'd rather be us than Hull or Barnsley right now. Certainly than Sunderland or Burton.

I'd put us about 70/30 to stay up right now. Lose to Forest and have most of the four below us pick up points and I think you have to say it drops to about 50/50.

It's squeeky bum time, but it's not a certainty by any stretch of the imagination.

The only thing the fans can do to help is to loudly back the players during the game. Confidence is so shot to buggery I'm not sure a change of management is anything like sure to bring an improvement.

But if you do want to act to get Stam out. Do it AFTER the game. Not during. Of course, you'd have to actually stay to the end for that wouldn't you.

people said that before Burton.

We absolutely will win another game this season. There's no way we're 17 without a win. It's ludicrous.

If you're so sure, put a couple of thousand on it at the bookies.

What's stopping you?

I Would never seek to profit from my own teams downfall.

Maybe Stam has that bet, though ???
And possibly a few of the team?
It would partly explain several performances.
Surely not...
Given it would be unprofessional, against the rules and ridiculously stupid, obviously they don't. And making the suggestion shows you have less credibility than doubled.

The sad thing is, is that if we stay up, it won't be because we fought a relegation battle and won by showing some backbone or guile, it will only be because those below us carried on playing equally as bad or even worse.

If we stay up it'll be because we held our nerve and also because after our first poor patch we went on a promotion winning run of form around November.

Spot on post. Great assessment of our present situation

If you're so sure, put a couple of thousand on it at the bookies.

What's stopping you?

I Would never seek to profit from my own teams downfall.

Think of it as softening the blow if the unthinkable does happen. You can still get 8/1. How much would you pay to keep us in the division? £100? That'd be a nice £800 consolation if we do go down.

I think if we do manage to stay up it will be by the skin of our teeth, but we are definitely in serious danger of ending up in the bottom three based on our recent form. I put £30 on us to be relegated at 8/1 a couple of weeks ago as a contingency plan if we do go down to go towards a cheaper season ticket next season. I'm hoping it's a bet I lose, but if we did go down I would still be there next season.

Spot on post. Great assessment of our present situation

Disagree. I actually go to games. As ever IR criticises the fans not the manager.

The fact that ANYONE turns up to games shows the resilience of the fans.

Spot on post. Great assessment of our present situation

Disagree. I actually go to games. As ever IR criticises the fans not the manager.

The fact that ANYONE turns up to games shows the resilience of the fans.
Which bit do you disagree with? How do disagree with it and why?

What do you think the fans can do that will have almost no negative impact and possibly a positive one?

To a neutral 8-1 or 9-1 against Reading, based on their poor and worsening form and their injuries, is a hell of a good bet.

Elphick's absence is probably 3-4 more goals conceded if he's only out six weeks, and then he has to blend in and get back to full fitness


Personally (and not just wishful thinking) I think we will stay up.

I think we'll probably stay up if we get just 12-13 points from now (44-45)

I think we will only need 47 at the finish to be 95-100% certain of staying up

Here is a table of the relegated teams (points-wise)

29 44 50 2004-05
38 40 42 2005-06
36 40 42 2006-07
38 46 52 2007-08
39 45 46 2008-09
34 41 47 2009-10
42 42 42 2010-11
36 40 40 2011-12
41 51 54 2012-13
37 39 44 2013-14
26 39 41 2014-15
30 39 40 2015-16
23 42 51 2016-17

So what about those times teams went down with 50-51-52-54?

Well for Reading to go down with 50 requires this

READING 50 1.06 points per game

Wednesday to manage almost exactly a post per game (OK that's likely/possible)

Bolton 50 1.11 ppg (on current form, yes, they'll manage this, but 1-2 defeats and their bubble could burst)

Birmingham 50 1.11 ppg as Bolton

Now these four...

Nothing is impossible, but TWO of these have to do this to get to 50

1.40 ppg HULL
1.29 ppg BARNSLEY
1.60 ppg Sunderland
1.67 ppg BURTON

I think after the next four games we will have a better idea.

Disagree. I actually go to games. As ever IR criticises the fans not the manager.

The fact that ANYONE turns up to games shows the resilience of the fans.
Which bit do you disagree with? How do disagree with it and why?

What do you think the fans can do that will have almost no negative impact and possibly a positive one?

It’s not the fans fault. It’s Stams and the players.

Booing, leaving, not turning up, waving pants. We’ve earnt the right to do whatever we want.

Slavish sycophancy will not save us. This team cannot play coherent football, cannot execute any sort of plan. The managers told us that on numerous occasions.

Desperate times.

Especially vis-a-vis Barnsley's chances. They play close rivals in their next four games

20 Feb Barnsley v Burton
24 Feb Birmingham v Barnsley
27 Feb Hull v Barnsley
03 Mar Barnsley v Norwich

also

Forest v Barnsley
Barnsley v Bolton

=============================================


HULL

Home Sheffield Utd, Millwall, Villa, QPR, Cardiff

Away Boro, Ipswich, Wolves, Brentford


PLUS

Hull v Barnsley
Birmingham v Hull
Burton v Hull
Hull v Wednesday


===================================================


SUNDERLAND

Home to Brentford, Boro, Villa, Preston, WOLVES

Away to Brentford, Millwall, Derby, Leeds, Fulham


PLUS

Bolton v Sunderland
QPR v Sunderland
Sunderland v Wednesday
READING v Sunderland
Sunderland v Burton

=====================================================

BARNSLEY

Home to Millwall, Bristol

Away at Cardiff, Boro, Ipswich, Leeds, Brentford

PLUS

Birmingham v Barnsley
Barnsley v Burton
Hull v Barnsley
Barnsley v Norwich
Forest v Barnsley
Barnsley v Bolton

Which bit do you disagree with? How do disagree with it and why?

What do you think the fans can do that will have almost no negative impact and possibly a positive one?

It’s not the fans fault. It’s Stams and the players.

Booing, leaving, not turning up, waving pants. We’ve earnt the right to do whatever we want.

Slavish sycophancy will not save us. This team cannot play coherent football, cannot execute any sort of plan. The managers told us that on numerous occasions.

Desperate times.
I've never said it's the fans' fault. I've criticised Stam and the players plenty. I have said the fans aren't helping though, and that they would do more good by being loud amd supportive DURING games. Having the right to do something doesn't mean doing it is productive or helpful.

When you look at our truly abysmal home form and that our results and performances seem to be better away, you have to consider that maybe the fans are contributing to that.

Who is asking for slavish sycophancy? It's not sycophantic to encourage your team. It's certainly not sycophantic to encourage the team DURING the game and then boo and chant Stam out at the end.

Perhaps pay attention to what I actually said before disagreeing, rather than doing so for the sake of it.

It’s not the fans fault. It’s Stams and the players.

Booing, leaving, not turning up, waving pants. We’ve earnt the right to do whatever we want.

Slavish sycophancy will not save us. This team cannot play coherent football, cannot execute any sort of plan. The managers told us that on numerous occasions.

Desperate times.
I've never said it's the fans' fault. I've criticised Stam and the players plenty. I have said the fans aren't helping though, and that they would do more good by being loud amd supportive DURING games. Having the right to do something doesn't mean doing it is productive or helpful.

When you look at our truly abysmal home form and that our results and performances seem to be better away, you have to consider that maybe the fans are contributing to that.

Who is asking for slavish sycophancy? It's not sycophantic to encourage your team. It's certainly not sycophantic to encourage the team DURING the game and then boo and chant Stam out at the end.

Perhaps pay attention to what I actually said before disagreeing, rather than doing so for the sake of it.

I’m still laughing at irony of that last statement.

Our away form hardly proves that our fans at home are causing issues. We’re shit home and away.

They’ve been extremely patient.

We have no chance of staying up. One win in eleven that against the bottom team. We average 3 shots on target each game. Confidence is shot, even if a new manager came in it would make no difference. To think most of those players are on 20 to 30k a week Staggering

Based on current form, we will only survive if there are 3 worse teams than us. I think Burton will probably go down but I can't say that we won't be joining them.

As mentioned previously on this topic the next 4 games will be crucial. Personally, I don't see us getting more that 2 points from those games.

It just has the feel of a relegation season, which is what's worrying me and we are such a poor team at the moment.

Well, whatever happens, we will be relegated, or we will stay up (lol)

Either way, it’s been a p1ss poor season....the next one will be better......I’m sure