Not down yet!

[RoyalBlue]

Obviously today hasn't helped. But either way, even if we had won today, we would still have to take care of business and have our work cut out. And so in that sense, not too much has changed.

On a broader level, not sure why our predicament is a surprise to anyone. We were always one of the favorites by various people to go down b4 season even started. We've been here before, same arguments, lack of ambition and investment, manager is in over his head, etc etc. And, if we get promoted again, we'll likely follow a similar script again.

We are who we are. That can be frustrating at times, especially for us fans, but the club is a tight ship and well run business wise.

Great! So perhaps we should go into some business other than football! We will never, ever be able to buck the way that top level English football operates and that is not by operating as a well run business.

[royal_ross]

don't slit your wrists just yet. Not a lot has changed at the bottom

Actually one rather big thing has changed. One less winnable home game has passed us by.

If you think there are 15 points left in us this season then you're on drugs mate. We are nailed on for the drop. Totally given up after that shower of shit performance today, both on the pitch and the same negative tactics.

Wigan are in a worse place than us, or were, and they played fantastic football. They were in control from the off, kept possession, passed the ball around with confidence and patience, and ripped us a new arsehole time and time again.

Additionally, my spell checker has just tried to change 'arsehole' to 'borehole'. How fcuking apt!

One bad performance out of how many recently? Na I'm not saying we're down yet

[plroyals]

looking at the run ins, and i just cant see how we are going to get more points than Wigan. but we like a challenge i suppose

[creative_username_1]

Nah, pretty certain we'll stay up

[Simon's Church]

I'm disappointed that we lost today but perhaps in the long run it's the best thing for us.

[Big Ern]

don't slit your wrists just yet. Not a lot has changed at the bottom

Correct, but with 1 winnable game in the next 4 we needed to get a result here and this defeat could now prove the fatal blow. In 4 games time we could be seriously adrift which makes today all the more painful. A defeat at home to an improving Villa side and we are relegated..end of.

[creative_username_1]

They're all winnable big'man!

[72 bus]

don't slit your wrists just yet. Not a lot has changed at the bottom

Obvious that you where not at the game yesterday, that side is nailed on for relegation.
They are a team of bottlers when it really matters, they all get on great with each other though, so that's alright.
We move quickly on as brian always says, whilst shiftily looking anywhere but the camera

[RoyalBlue]

don't slit your wrists just yet. Not a lot has changed at the bottom

Obvious that you where not at the game yesterday, that side is nailed on for relegation.
They are a team of bottlers when it really matters, they all get on great with each other though, so that's alright.
We move quickly on as brian always says, whilst shiftily looking anywhere but the camera

That last point is a very good observation! He does keep checking everywhere as he is interviewed. Perhaps Matt Lucas has kidnapped the real Brian, taken his place and is worried that he is about to be found out and nicked!

[TommyF]

To be honest, I might end up happier with that mauling than a draw. I think a draw would have encouraged Brian to stick with 451 at home against teams that are low on confidence with shaky defences.

Fingers crossed even BM can't have failed to notice what a shower of shite that was and might actually abandon caution and set up a team that looks like actually scoring. For similar reasons I'm pleased that Pog is banned, though unlike others I have nothing against him. Just 451 can't work without him.

I stupidly had thought the 442 against ManU was to give the lads the confidence and experience with it so we could really go for it now. Here's hoping that might now happen.

We're probably going down but by f()ck lets go down fighting

[West Stand Man]

No sorry we are down. We still have to get to about 38 points. That was a must
Win game that we have lost. At the mo villa and wigan are playing better than us.
We are way short on quality. We will go down for two reasons. First because our
Transfer policy in the summer was woeful and finally the awful
Start to the season doomed us. We will have to make up for this defeat
By beating Everton or getting results at arse or man u.. I cannot see
Us getting over that crap display.

We are just not good enough! What will we play against Everton on Sat? Prob Hunt and Alf up front
Unless roberts makes a shock return! Hardly a front line to scare Everton or any other
Pl team.

No, we don't have to get 38 pts per se. We have to get at least one pt more than 3 other teams (or equal pts and a better GD). History may suggest that 38 pts is a reasonable figure to stay up but is not an absolute.

[Royalwaster]

To be honest, I might end up happier with that mauling than a draw. I think a draw would have encouraged Brian to stick with 451 at home against teams that are low on confidence with shaky defences.

Fingers crossed even BM can't have failed to notice what a shower of shite that was and might actually abandon caution and set up a team that looks like actually scoring. For similar reasons I'm pleased that Pog is banned, though unlike others I have nothing against him. Just 451 can't work without him.

I stupidly had thought the 442 against ManU was to give the lads the confidence and experience with it so we could really go for it now. Here's hoping that might now happen.

We're probably going down but by f()ck lets go down fighting

I think 4 5 1 would have worked if we'd have had an attacking midfielder behind Pog but all 3 CMs were playing way too deep and did not offer anything going forward, so it was effectively 4 3 2 1 or something like that which is ultra defensive - 4 2 3 1 would have been better.

[Big Ern]

As people were pointing out on BBCRB, today's appalling performance was a replica of the Fulham capitulation last time we went down.

I see it more like the 0-2 home defeat against Watford the lst time we went down. Villa will be the Fulham moment when we capitulate against them.

We have not beaten a single of our relegations rivals so far. Wigna have dine the double over us, Lost to Villa Southampton and only managed a draw aqainst QPR. With the amount of games played so far, the league table doesn't lie and if we cannot pick up points against these teams it is fairly obvious how things are going to pan out.

Still on paper we have 33 points to play for and we should not give up and continue to support the team, however common sense, our performance in 20 of the games this season plus BM tactical fook up's doesn't exact fill me with confidence.

[Big Ern]

And buying premier league experience players and buying big has worked so well for QPR...

Thats it, roll out the "Look at QPR' self comforting statement to justify youe unwavering stance.

QPR are the exception to the rule, there will always be an exception. Look at the 2 other teams promoted with us, Saints and West Ham. Both spent far more than us. I doubt think there is a single nobber or Reading FC fan for that matter who wouldn't want to swap league positions with either of them at the moment. Investment doesn't guarantee success, but generally it improves your chances significantly.

I look forward to you your next comment which will no doubt involve Pompey in some way.

[windermere_royal]

we could well be outside the drop zone if we beat Villa, we all have hard games next week, Villa have city at home while Wigan host Liverpool, (wigan are in cup action the following week, their game in hand will be city away)..but we follow that up with visits to united and Arsenal

[AirRaidSiren]

I'm not going to be naive or gullible, I'm going to be a realist and not a fantasist, we're going down. No chance what so ever of us staying up.

[Royal Lady]

I'm not going to be naive or gullible, I'm going to be a realist and not a fantasist, we're going down. No chance what so ever of us staying up.

Well that's wrong for a start! Of course, there is a CHANCE. But it's dependent on how the other teams also play. The odds don't look great, but there IS a chance of us staying up.

[AirRaidSiren]

I'm not going to be naive or gullible, I'm going to be a realist and not a fantasist, we're going down. No chance what so ever of us staying up.

Well that's wrong for a start! Of course, there is a CHANCE. But it's dependent on how the other teams also play. The odds don't look great, but there IS a chance of us staying up.

It shouldn't be about how other teams play, it should only be about us playing for results, hence why I think there is no chance of us staying up. Because we are utter shit and have been nearly all season, this fantasy of having a chance of staying up is just false hope.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

don't slit your wrists just yet. Not a lot has changed at the bottom

Obvious that you where not at the game yesterday, that side is nailed on for relegation.
They are a team of bottlers when it really matters, they all get on great with each other though, so that's alright.
We move quickly on as brian always says, whilst shiftily looking anywhere but the camera

Sorry but this 'team of bottlers' won 14 from the last 17 games to take the title last season including all the promotion rivals away from home. You sir are talking out of your ass. Show a bit of support when they need it most & get behind them!

Same old sh1t from the same old whiners. Always moan when we lose & nothing good to say when we win.

[cmonurz]

Same old sh1t from the same old whiners. Always moan when we lose & nothing good to say when we win.

Well that's patently not true.