Why so negative after three games?

[Stuboo]

At the risk of becoming like a broken record, it's been three games, two of which were against Chelsea and Tottenham. There were many positives to take from those games, for example, Pog has scored a couple, McCleary looks dangerous, Guthrie has added a bit of killer passing to our attack, we could have got something from the Chelsea game if it wasn't from a dodgy offside goal and we have largely shown spirit.

Dave and Tommy, please lighten up and get some perspective. We've played three games and got one point. There are 35 left to play. We are not doomed!

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Let’s face facts we are not doomed yet but we need to scrap for every point possible as we are not a top ten club, we will be down the bottom all season so I will take 17th come the end of the season now.

The key fixtures for us are the games against Wigan, Southampton, Norwich, Swansea, QPR, West Brom, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Fulham and West Ham were we must get results if we are to stay up.

not the

Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Newcastle, Everton and Liverpool fixtures where points will be very hard to come by. Anything we pick up from these games will be a bonus.

[under the tin]

Let’s face facts we are not doomed yet but we need to scrap for every point possible as we are not a top ten club, we will be down the bottom all season so I will take 17th come the end of the season now.

The key fixtures for us are the games against Wigan, Southampton, Norwich, Swansea, QPR, West Brom, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Fulham and West Ham were we must get results if we are to stay up.

not the

Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Newcastle, Everton and Liverpool fixtures where points will be very hard to come by. Anything we pick up from these games will be a bonus.

And you can bet your bottom dollar that almost exactly the same list of clubs,(with the addition of our one) and those same sentiments are being discussed in fan forums and boardrooms at the clubs mentioned, because everybody knows that the prem is two leagues.
All Brian has to do is to make sure that we don't finish in the bottom three in our league.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the "Coppell FA Cup attitude" spreading, where ourselves and our genuine peers rotate their squads so key players are fit and fresh for those games that really matter.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Forum being used to voice strong opinion shocker. Forum not being used by people with mild feelings or no opinion either way on the matter shocker.

Just logged in to say I have nothing to say about our last game!

It’s doesn’t happen. Forums are a vent for passion. There aren't a lot of positives to inflate right now, so everyone is busy blowing air into the negatives. That's just the way forums work.

[Libertine]

All I know is we need points...3 games and 1 point? I think we really need to get 4 points from the next 2 to get things back on track.

Anyhoo 4 out of our next 5 are away (including one cup game)

WBA (A)
QPR (A) COC
Newcastle (H)
Swansea City (A)
Liverpool (A)

The next 4 league games worry me. WBA on paper is probably the easiest of the bunch and a trip to the Hawthorns never is. Newcastle was on the cusp of being a Champions League team for the majority of the past season and are off to a decent start again. Swansea City, with the addition of Michu, look to be a very dangerous team (especially at home), and they have also got some great results already, also. Then a trip to Anfield to visit old friend Brendan? I can very conceivably see us only getting 2 points out of a possible 12 in this stretch. I know Brian and the team just, and rightly, look at "the next game" but looking ahead beyond our next it ain't getting any easier from here on out is it?

We need to start playing with an urgency that suggests each game we are playing for our Premier League survival, we must play almost completely error free/flawless football and each player must have their "best game ever" for every successive game. Like every result could represent the end of the (or our PL) world. Not like the pressure is on or anything...

[SydenhamRoyal]

It's easy to say 'ok we've only played 3 games, so what?'. What worries me is that promoted teams normally show spirit and attacking intent. We've done neither.

Not even against Chelsea or Stoke? There were even some spells in the Spurs game when we went on the attack. It showed spirit to keep going at 3-0 down surely.

I must have clearly watched a different game to others but against Chelsea, bar a few good runs down the wing, we were hanging on for most of the 40 mins that we led. It's been nothing like the last time we came up when we actually took the game to the opponents. Against Spurs, we barely crossed the halfway line with 2 players apart from maybe a brief 10 min spell in the second half.

I think you did watch a different game. The possession stats might look scary, but we werent hanging on, we were containing them. Look the their goals - 1 penalty early on; a speculative long shot; Torres unmarked because he was 2 yards offside; the 4th goal only because Feds went up for the corner in the dying seconds.

[RoyalBlue]

Why so negative after three games? Because it was looking pretty clear where we might end up after four!

Given the RTGs reckoned we were going to turn the corner against West Brom, can we now start to say that we are looking pretty shyte, out of our depth and should have signed more class players over the summer?

McDermott's traditional slow start really is too risky in the PL, particularly when he can do f*ck all in the transfer market to turn things around.

[i_kingsley]

oh my god what is going on ..............

4 games in to the season and we havnt won a game yet
sack the board
mc D out
we need better strickers, mid field, defence
we wont get more points than derby

this is all i hear please give the team a chance. yes we all hoped we would do better than this but we havnt yet

JUST GIVE IT A BIT MORE TIME

[TBM]

How long?

Southampton, before today, we're worse than us but at least they looked like scoring goals

We don't

[ManchesterRoyals]

If we play like we did against chelsea were be ok but if we give the ball away like we did today and not create any chances were in trouble remember this was WB not United or City

[urz13]

How long?

Southampton, before today, we're worse than us but at least they looked like scoring goals

We don't

4 in 4

[Carlos]

I think from the first 4 games it does make you, as a Reading fan, panic. Today we played a distinctively average team and played some good football but created one shot on target all game and at the same time conceded from a very soft goal.

I still think McDermott has in it him to turn it around but put simply, if we play like this all season we will get less points than derby did afew years back.

The main problem is creativity. Guthrie looks good but is not particularly creative. Look at Soton. Again an average team but they have players like Lallana and Lambert who can change it, and if both our wingers are off the pace, just like today with McCleary in the second half we look like we won't break down opposition even if we had 4 hours on the pitch.

Hopefully we will turn it around and show why we deserve to be here, but at the moment its just not happening. Therefore I think people are justified in questioning whats going wrong. Doesn't make you any less of a fan, after all the life of a football fan dictates that you will have low moments when you are frustrated at your teams game plans as well as moments of elation, hopefully coming in the next few games.

[TBM]

How long?

Southampton, before today, we're worse than us but at least they looked like scoring goals

We don't

4 in 4

Saints scored 4 in 1 game

(9 in total)

[paultheroyal]

Kebe will make a big difference and McCleary is more an impact player. That
addition alone will help.

[SydenhamRoyal]

How long?

Southampton, before today, we're worse than us but at least they looked like scoring goals

We don't

4 in 4

A penalty, a fluky freak kick, a late consolation against a team that knew they had the points leaves just one goal from open play

[Arch]

HRK's goal was a goal from open play however you slice it. Defences switch off for many reasons at many stages of the match. The opposition tries to make them pay. HRK did. Goal... from open play.

On the main theme, I don't see much panic. Just many people pointing out the same as neutrals see. So far, we haven't played well enough. Today wasn't awful, but we'll need much improvement to get points on a regular basis.

[blueroyals]

What it comes down to is are there 3 teams in this league worse than us? After the first 5 games I am struggling to name 1 team worse than us, let alone 3.

[leon]

What it comes down to is are there 3 teams in this league worse than us? After the first 5 games I am struggling to name 1 team worse than us, let alone 3.

oh just f8ck off.

[royalsteve]

How long?

Southampton, before today, we're worse than us but at least they looked like scoring goals

We don't

agree, helps if you have more than ONE shot on target, like we did today!!

i went, waste of money. poor game, wba werent that good but they were a bit better and deserved to narrowly win

i have faith in BM to turn things around but the we need to beat newcastle at home now

[RepressedRoyal]

What it comes down to is are there 3 teams in this league worse than us? After the first 5 games I am struggling to name 1 team worse than us, let alone 3.

oh just f8ck off.

You might, for some reason, wish to tell Leon to f*ck off...but from the evidence I have see so far, it is a perfectly justifiable statement, though Wigan and Swansea offer some hope? Apart from a gung-ho have a go hero attempt at a giant killing act against Chelsea, I have seen little evidence to suggest that we are not deep in the sh1t.

The retreat of the defence to allow James Morrison about 15 seconds to have a shot at goal was very alarming.