I think Reading may be relegated this season.

[ROKERITE]

In the early months of the season, when some were bleating about possible relegation, I dismissed it as nonsense. Although it soon became apparent that promotion was highly unlikely, I'd no doubt that as the season progressed, and Rodgers sorted the team out, mid-table security was almost certain.
Then came the disgraceful and ridiculous sacking of Rodgers. However, even this didn't mean disaster. If Madejski had Dowie or Hoddle lined up then although the longer term future of Reading may have been damaged, the prospects for this season were quite probably brighter because of the change of manager.
Now, with the increasing likelihood that McDermott will be in charge, added to the decisive action by P.N.E., Sheffield Wednesday and others, relegation is a real danger. Nothing is certain; McDermott may be excellent; I hope he is. He's surely going to have a baptism of fire; the next month contains some very difficult matches. If Reading start February in the bottom three then it is too big a gamble not to bring in Ian Dowie. Otherwise, you may be renewing derby matches with your neighbours from High Wycombe next season.

[LWJ]

Can't wait if we get relegated Swindon here we come!

[Jack Celliers]

I'd go along with most of that apart from the Ian Dowie thing. Anybody but Dowie please.

Rodgers could come back: he could appaer coming out of Madejski's shower claiming it had all been a dream or something.

[PEARCEY]

Its been obvious from an early stage we could go down. To say those chances of going down have greatly increased because Rodgers has been sacked are laughable. We averaged 1 point a game under Rodgers during the first half of the season. With a string of tough matches coming up whose to say it would get any better under him?
I would definitely like to see an experienced man at the helm. If its McD then I agree our chances of going down are increased. If it is him though we have to accept it and back him.

[bobby m's syrup]

It is a distinct possibility. However, relegation from the Prem was probably avoidable as is the drop from this division. We are poor, but there are at least 8 worse sides. I would like to see a strong and proven boss take control and stop the rot. Is it too much to ask? A decent striker would also be a start, but we need confidence and belief more than anything.

[howser]

Every possibility that we could go down again, the last relegation from the Premiership, as has already been said, was avoidable, investment in players (Sidwell replacement) would have seen us safe, likewise this season it is avoidable, but the club are doing very little to alay these fears, ambitionless, passionless from the top down, the words "Our Financial Situation" keep appearing , how the hell do we have a financial situation ? loads of dosh from the Premier league 2 x parachute payments and we have long been known as low payers, in relation to cubs of a similar size an support.

And for god sake get a manager with a track record, and not some mumbo jumbo scout, otherwise known as the "cheap option"!

[Terminal Boardom]

Every possibility that we could go down again, the last relegation from the Premiership, as has already been said, was avoidable, investment in players (Sidwell replacement) would have seen us safe, likewise this season it is avoidable, but the club are doing very little to alay these fears, ambitionless, passionless from the top down, the words "Our Financial Situation" keep appearing , how the hell do we have a financial situation ? loads of dosh from the Premier league 2 x parachute payments and we have long been known as low payers, in relation to cubs of a similar size an support.

And for god sake get a manager with a track record, and not some mumbo jumbo scout, otherwise known as the "cheap option"!

The way this football club has been managed, I really don't care what happens now.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

We've got one month for Hammond to save us by pulling out some miracles in the transfer market like he has before.

This current team doesn't have the goals or the quality to stay up.

Whoever is in charge.

[tee peg]

What he said ^

[Sir Rodger Doyle]

Would relegation be that bad?

If we dropped into league one we may be more able to compete. If the chairman is skint and cannot (as opposed to will not) cover the loses anymore, would it not make more sense to lose all the top earners and rebuild at a lower level. You could argue that it is in the chairman's and therefore the club's long term interest to exist at a lower level where the financial level of the club would make it competitive. The way things are at the club at the moment, is anyone enjoying their football? Would it not be better to have a real chance of a promotion to the Championship than years of frantic cost cutting and relegation battles in order to stay there?
The club was at a real low ebb under Tommy Burns at the foot of league 1, but after Pards came in there was a re-building process that everyone enjoyed. This building process culminated in our promotion to the Premier league, the seeds of which were sown not by Coppell, but by Pards in league one. To be perfectly honest watching your team win against any opposition has got to be more satisfying than the depressing spectre of a relegation battle. What would be the financial implications of relegation to league 1?

Championship = 16K average?
League 1 = 12K average?

Players wages halved?
Does anyone know how TV revenue would be affected?

I know that myself and my kids would still go, it would probably be cheaper as well. So come on Brian get us down, it'll save me a few bob.

[Big McC]

Agree relagation is now a very distinct possibility - maybe even inevitable. If we do go down, I believe it will be entirely due to the gross mismanagement of the club by SJM and the board. The continuing cloth cutting and under-investment, failure to bring in players to effectively replace all those that were shipped out last summer and the continuing farce over team management have all contibuted. Nobody is saying that investing in players will guarantee success, but sure as hell if there is no investemnet we may well go down. I have said before that I believe that a football club should be more than a business - The board of a football club may be considered to have an unwritten duty of care to provide safe stewardship of the team for the town and its people and fans. Relegation will be a dereliction of those duties.

[Muskrat]

In the early months of the season, when some were bleating about possible relegation, I dismissed it as nonsense. Although it soon became apparent that promotion was highly unlikely, I'd no doubt that as the season progressed, and Rodgers sorted the team out, mid-table security was almost certain.
Then came the disgraceful and ridiculous sacking of Rodgers. However, even this didn't mean disaster. If Madejski had Dowie or Hoddle lined up then although the longer term future of Reading may have been damaged, the prospects for this season were quite probably brighter because of the change of manager.
Now, with the increasing likelihood that McDermott will be in charge, added to the decisive action by P.N.E., Sheffield Wednesday and others, relegation is a real danger. Nothing is certain; McDermott may be excellent; I hope he is. He's surely going to have a baptism of fire; the next month contains some very difficult matches. If Reading start February in the bottom three then it is too big a gamble not to bring in Ian Dowie. Otherwise, you may be renewing derby matches with your neighbours from High Wycombe next season.

Laughable but the with a name like Rokerite what else would we expect.

You make it sound as if Reading have Dowie dangling on a piece of string just gagging to join us - as if Dowie would leave a safe job at Blackpool to to take over at Reading and frankly I wouldn't want him any way. And as for suggesing HoddleLOL that's just destroyed any sembelance of credibility that your post might have had. PNE are welcome to Ferguson as well.

Just goes to show what you know when Wycombe are second bottom of league one and pretty likely to go down so even if we did as well we still wouldn't be playing them.

Oh the LOLability of some posters..

[floyd__streete]

You make it sound as if Reading have Dowie dangling on a piece of string just gagging to join us - as if Dowie would leave a safe job at Blackpool to to take over at Reading

Oh dear.

[tee peg]

Dowie/Blackpool

[tee peg]

[Oh the LOLability of some posters..[/quote]


lol

[Royal_Delight]

In the early months of the season, when some were bleating about possible relegation, I dismissed it as nonsense. Although it soon became apparent that promotion was highly unlikely, I'd no doubt that as the season progressed, and Rodgers sorted the team out, mid-table security was almost certain.
Then came the disgraceful and ridiculous sacking of Rodgers. However, even this didn't mean disaster. If Madejski had Dowie or Hoddle lined up then although the longer term future of Reading may have been damaged, the prospects for this season were quite probably brighter because of the change of manager.
Now, with the increasing likelihood that McDermott will be in charge, added to the decisive action by P.N.E., Sheffield Wednesday and others, relegation is a real danger. Nothing is certain; McDermott may be excellent; I hope he is. He's surely going to have a baptism of fire; the next month contains some very difficult matches. If Reading start February in the bottom three then it is too big a gamble not to bring in Ian Dowie. Otherwise, you may be renewing derby matches with your neighbours from High Wycombe next season.

Laughable but the with a name like Rokerite what else would we expect.

You make it sound as if Reading have Dowie dangling on a piece of string just gagging to join us - as if Dowie would leave a safe job at Blackpool to to take over at Reading and frankly I wouldn't want him any way. And as for suggesing HoddleLOL that's just destroyed any sembelance of credibility that your post might have had. PNE are welcome to Ferguson as well.

Just goes to show what you know when Wycombe are second bottom of league one and pretty likely to go down so even if we did as well we still wouldn't be playing them.

Oh the LOLability of some posters..

And with a laughable name like Muskrat any person with an interest in football would know that Dowie is not having a job at the moment. Holloway in the current manager at Blackpool you wang!

Oh the LOLability of some posters.

[bassavage]

Jan 30 Barnsley (H)
Feb 6 Doncaster (A)
Feb 9 Plymouth (H)
Feb 13 Derby (H)
Feb 16 Crystal Palace (A)
Feb 20 Blackpool (A)
Feb 27 Sheffield Wednesday (H)
Mar 6 Scunthorpe (A)

A huge 5 weeks. Out of the remaining 11 games scheduled after that at the moment (depends when Newcastle is rearranged), 6 of them are in the top half, Watford are level on points with 11th and Coventry a point behind them. 2 of the other 3 teams are Preston and Ipswich, neither I can see going down and the other is Peterborough.

If we don't get a lot of points in them above games, I fear for us.

[Jackson Corner]

Can't wait if we get relegated Swindon here we come!

Not to mention Exeter, Rochdale, Southend, Oldham, Orient and Yeovil God I can hardly wait.

[Terminal Boardom]

Can't wait if we get relegated Swindon here we come!

Not to mention Exeter, Rochdale, Southend, Oldham, Orient and Yeovil God I can hardly wait.

Don't forget Hartlepool

[Muskrat]

You make it sound as if Reading have Dowie dangling on a piece of string just gagging to join us - as if Dowie would leave a safe job at Blackpool to to take over at Reading

Oh dear.

Oh dear indeed I appear to have had an abboration

Nevertheless my point remains that I don't think Dowie would be any good for Reading.

Humble apologies for my schoolboy error though..