Relegation

[NathStPaul]

I think as long as we can win our home games, especially vs the weaker sides; the likes of Huddersfield, Peterborough, Blackpool, Coventry, Millwall, Derby and a couple of the mid table sides then we should scramble enough points to stay up.

I'd take 21st place right now

We are one of the weaker sides, not sure why you're differentiating us from the sides you mentioned. All of them will want to play us and see it as a chance for a win.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Let’s look at a worst case scenario.We go down(despite my personal and the general gloom yesterday;I put it at 50/50).The Dai s didn’t invest all that money;to get L1 football and so they pull the plug.We don’t own the ground,so get thrown out in a hissy fit on their part.
Whatevers left of the Club,scratches round for somewhere to play.Loftus Road ? I for one don’t fancy going up to West London,every other Saturday and midweek.Southampton? Maybe;but I go to the Aegeas and it’s a bloody trek.So here we go Oxford?Probably best option.But OMG,shades of the Maxwell/Smee era.How many fans would be left by then ? Probably only the hard core 8000.
An extreme scenario;but going bust and hitting rock bottom has hit some very big Clubs;Sunderland,Leeds,Bolton,Pompey.
RFC losing the Ground seems a bit unlikely doesn’t it ? I mean what do you do with it ? Happened to Coventry ;leaving just the Wasps playing there,and didn’t the Council take it over ?Realistically however the Stadium would just be a big White Elephant off the M4;without RFC ?
As mentioned though I still believe relegation is at worst 50/50.Plus the Dai s don’t deal in failure.Just my Sunday morning musings .

Wtf

[Brogue]

Not sure why people think ejaria is going to be out saviour. He’s been bang average for a long time. Slows the game down, and doesn’t score enough. Tempo has been talked about a lot in the last couple of weeks, lack of tempo I mean. Ejaria is just going to make it worse. Rather we cashed in on him tbh.

4 goals in 54 games for us and 4 assists last season. Style over substance with him.

[Elm Park Kid]

So there's two approaches to this that us fans can go with.

We can create an awful atmosphere around the clubs and at games, calling for the manager to be sacked and for the owners to spend money. This is what we've done for roughly the last 6ish years - which, to be fair, resulted in one play-off final and zero relegations. But also some very poor matchday experiences and us being a financial basket case.

Alternatively, we can support the manager and club and try and build a positive environment. You know, cheer when players do well, not jump on their backs when things don't go right immediately. Why not just try it for once?

[Hound]

Not sure why people think ejaria is going to be out saviour. He’s been bang average for a long time. Slows the game down, and doesn’t score enough. Tempo has been talked about a lot in the last couple of weeks, lack of tempo I mean. Ejaria is just going to make it worse. Rather we cashed in on him tbh.

4 goals in 54 games for us and 4 assists last season. Style over substance with him.

He is a quality all round midfielder. The ‘slows the game down’ tag is rapidly becoming my new least favourite RFC cliche.

Yes he doesn’t always make the best choice in the final third but that’s why he is in the champ not the Prem. and he’s still learning

We’re a much better side with him in than not

[SCIAG]

We go through this every year.

Get a grip. It isn't even September, we're 18th after 4 games and we've scored 7 goals without any significant contributions from Joao, Meite, or Ejaria. Add a left back and get the missing players fit and suddenly we'll have a really solid squad. We looked very very good against Preston, don't get carried away by a couple of poor performances. You win some and you lose some.

Yeah, we might go down. But to be honest, we're just as likely to finish in the top half.

[blythspartan]

We go through this every year.

Get a grip. It isn't even September, we're 18th after 4 games and we've scored 7 goals without any significant contributions from Joao, Meite, or Ejaria. Add a left back and get the missing players fit and suddenly we'll have a really solid squad. We looked very very good against Preston, don't get carried away by a couple of poor performances. You win some and you lose some.

Yeah, we might go down. But to be honest, we're just as likely to finish in the top half.

I like your optimism and I hope we finish top half. Ejaria is overrated and Joao and Meite won’t be back until next year at the earliest. Also, not sure a LB can really save us tbh.

We need to find goals and a manager/coach who can organise the defence.

[Stranded]

We go through this every year.

Get a grip. It isn't even September, we're 18th after 4 games and we've scored 7 goals without any significant contributions from Joao, Meite, or Ejaria. Add a left back and get the missing players fit and suddenly we'll have a really solid squad. We looked very very good against Preston, don't get carried away by a couple of poor performances. You win some and you lose some.

Yeah, we might go down. But to be honest, we're just as likely to finish in the top half.

Well said. Preston should have been 4 or 5, we were the better side st Stoke until we had to bring off Swift and look how they've started. 2 deflections there too. Bristol and Coventry were poor but we look like we will score in most games, just need to sort the defence and things may look rosier.

[RoyalBlue]

So there's two approaches to this that us fans can go with.

We can create an awful atmosphere around the clubs and at games, calling for the manager to be sacked and for the owners to spend money. This is what we've done for roughly the last 6ish years - which, to be fair, resulted in one play-off final and zero relegations. But also some very poor matchday experiences and us being a financial basket case.

Alternatively, we can support the manager and club and try and build a positive environment. You know, cheer when players do well, not jump on their backs when things don't go right immediately. Why not just try it for once?

Nail, head!

[CountryRoyal]

So there's two approaches to this that us fans can go with.

We can create an awful atmosphere around the clubs and at games, calling for the manager to be sacked and for the owners to spend money. This is what we've done for roughly the last 6ish years - which, to be fair, resulted in one play-off final and zero relegations. But also some very poor matchday experiences and us being a financial basket case.

Alternatively, we can support the manager and club and try and build a positive environment. You know, cheer when players do well, not jump on their backs when things don't go right immediately. Why not just try it for once?

Nail, head!

I don’t know of another fan base which hate their own quite as much as us.

As far as fans go we are generally very forgiving and it takes a lot for us to to want a manager gone.

[leon]

So there's two approaches to this that us fans can go with.

We can create an awful atmosphere around the clubs and at games, calling for the manager to be sacked and for the owners to spend money. This is what we've done for roughly the last 6ish years - which, to be fair, resulted in one play-off final and zero relegations. But also some very poor matchday experiences and us being a financial basket case.

Alternatively, we can support the manager and club and try and build a positive environment. You know, cheer when players do well, not jump on their backs when things don't go right immediately. Why not just try it for once?

Nail, head!

I don’t know of another fan base which hate their own quite as much as us.

As far as fans go we are generally very forgiving and it takes a lot for us to to want a manager gone.

Absolutely this. RFC fans spend more time self flagellating than we actually do supporting the team.

[Simmops]

So there's two approaches to this that us fans can go with.

We can create an awful atmosphere around the clubs and at games, calling for the manager to be sacked and for the owners to spend money. This is what we've done for roughly the last 6ish years - which, to be fair, resulted in one play-off final and zero relegations. But also some very poor matchday experiences and us being a financial basket case.

Alternatively, we can support the manager and club and try and build a positive environment. You know, cheer when players do well, not jump on their backs when things don't go right immediately. Why not just try it for once?

Nail, head!

I don’t know of another fan base which hate their own quite as much as us.

As far as fans go we are generally very forgiving and it takes a lot for us to to want a manager gone.

Newcastle

[Zip]

So there's two approaches to this that us fans can go with.

We can create an awful atmosphere around the clubs and at games, calling for the manager to be sacked and for the owners to spend money. This is what we've done for roughly the last 6ish years - which, to be fair, resulted in one play-off final and zero relegations. But also some very poor matchday experiences and us being a financial basket case.

Alternatively, we can support the manager and club and try and build a positive environment. You know, cheer when players do well, not jump on their backs when things don't go right immediately. Why not just try it for once?

Nail, head!

Not really. Who is calling for the club to spend money? The fanbase are pretty realistic. We have all been supporting the team at the ground. There have been no boos or chants for the manager to be sacked.
We are no different to any other set of fans. Infact I would say we were more forgiving than most. Given we have only won twice since early March the fans are being very supportive.
Its not our fault the club has been so badly run in recent years.

[blythspartan]

So there's two approaches to this that us fans can go with.

We can create an awful atmosphere around the clubs and at games, calling for the manager to be sacked and for the owners to spend money. This is what we've done for roughly the last 6ish years - which, to be fair, resulted in one play-off final and zero relegations. But also some very poor matchday experiences and us being a financial basket case.

Alternatively, we can support the manager and club and try and build a positive environment. You know, cheer when players do well, not jump on their backs when things don't go right immediately. Why not just try it for once?

Nail, head!

Not really. Who is calling for the club to spend money? The fanbase are pretty realistic. We have all been supporting the team at the ground. There have been no boos or chants for the manager to be sacked.
We are no different to any other set of fans. Infact I would say we were more forgiving than most. Given we have only won twice since early March the fans are being very supportive.
Its not our fault the club has been so badly run in recent years.

+1 I almost feel I have to be apologetic at times for supporting this club but I am proud to support RFC. All fans of every club can be fickle at times, not just us.

[zaskar]

Let’s look at a worst case scenario.We go down(despite my personal and the general gloom yesterday;I put it at 50/50).The Dai s didn’t invest all that money;to get L1 football and so they pull the plug.We don’t own the ground,so get thrown out in a hissy fit on their part.
Whatevers left of the Club,scratches round for somewhere to play.Loftus Road ? I for one don’t fancy going up to West London,every other Saturday and midweek.Southampton? Maybe;but I go to the Aegeas and it’s a bloody trek.So here we go Oxford?Probably best option.But OMG,shades of the Maxwell/Smee era.How many fans would be left by then ? Probably only the hard core 8000.
An extreme scenario;but going bust and hitting rock bottom has hit some very big Clubs;Sunderland,Leeds,Bolton,Pompey.
RFC losing the Ground seems a bit unlikely doesn’t it ? I mean what do you do with it ? Happened to Coventry ;leaving just the Wasps playing there,and didn’t the Council take it over ?Realistically however the Stadium would just be a big White Elephant off the M4;without RFC ?
As mentioned though I still believe relegation is at worst 50/50.Plus the Dai s don’t deal in failure.Just my Sunday morning musings .

You might like to double check this bit with the fans of KSV Roseselare, according to Wiki they ' finally folded in 2020 after having relegated to the third level and going bankrupt.' or with the fans of Bejing Renhe F.C. where again from Wiki 'They changed their name to "Beijing Chengfeng Football Club" to meet Chinese Football Association's "neutral name" requirement, before the dissolution of the club on 29 March 2021.'
So that's two out of his three clubs dissolved and the same fate could happen to us, he has spirited away all our assets to one of his other companies (and thanked for it by the Reading fans) and put us in huge debt, let's hope we don't get relegated as that could be the tipping point.

[Coppells Lost Coat]

We go through this every year.

Get a grip. It isn't even September, we're 18th after 4 games and we've scored 7 goals without any significant contributions from Joao, Meite, or Ejaria. Add a left back and get the missing players fit and suddenly we'll have a really solid squad. We looked very very good against Preston, don't get carried away by a couple of poor performances. You win some and you lose some.

Yeah, we might go down. But to be honest, we're just as likely to finish in the top half.

I like your optimism and I hope we finish top half. Ejaria is overrated and Joao and Meite won’t be back until next year at the earliest. Also, not sure a LB can really save us tbh.

We need to find goals and a manager/coach who can organise the defence.

Finding goals hasn't been the problem. Its the unbalanced leaky defence. Get a recognised LB in. Then maybe our CB dont have to be looking over to cover and inadvertently out of position.
I am looking forward to the rest of the season it will be a roller coaster - on our day, we have a starting 11 to challenge for play offs. But those days will be few a far between.
And if i remember correctly, there was so many people on here in previous seasons saying 'play the kids' now we are playing the kids and it is great.

[WestYorksRoyal]

If you looked at our squad and availability on paper, you would expect the issues to be going forwards, not at the back. We have Rafael, Yiadom, Moore, Morrison, Rinomhota and Laurent available so even with a makeshift left back we should be harder to score against. But we're soft.

At the other end, with all the injuries we have, you'd expect us to really struggle, but we're doing fine because Swift is fit and firing and Azeez seems to be cut out for this level.

I can see us improving at the back with the experience and players available, but equally I could see goals drying up too if anything happens to Swift.

I'm not panicking yet as I think there are a lot of poor teams this year, but we won't be pushing at the top of the table again.

[Donny Ironside]

If you looked at our squad and availability on paper, you would expect the issues to be going forwards, not at the back. We have Rafael, Yiadom, Moore, Morrison, Rinomhota and Laurent available so even with a makeshift left back we should be harder to score against. But we're soft.

At the other end, with all the injuries we have, you'd expect us to really struggle, but we're doing fine because Swift is fit and firing and Azeez seems to be cut out for this level.

I can see us improving at the back with the experience and players available, but equally I could see goals drying up too if anything happens to Swift.

I'm not panicking yet as I think there are a lot of poor teams this year, but we won't be pushing at the top of the table again.

Think the problem could also be that Moore and MM's heads have gone? They might want out and just seem to be a shell of themselves.

[Westwood52]

If you looked at our squad and availability on paper, you would expect the issues to be going forwards, not at the back. We have Rafael, Yiadom, Moore, Morrison, Rinomhota and Laurent available so even with a makeshift left back we should be harder to score against. But we're soft.

At the other end, with all the injuries we have, you'd expect us to really struggle, but we're doing fine because Swift is fit and firing and Azeez seems to be cut out for this level.

I can see us improving at the back with the experience and players available, but equally I could see goals drying up too if anything happens to Swift.

I'm not panicking yet as I think there are a lot of poor teams this year, but we won't be pushing at the top of the table again.

Think the problem could also be that Moore and MM's heads have gone? They might want out and just seem to be a shell of themselves.

Doubt they want out.Nobody else given the level of his performances,is going to pay Moore £35k a week.Equally Morrison decided to give it one more year,rather than retire to his hairdressing salons.Obviously I hope their levels pick up;but Moore has been very inconsistent over the last three years and it might have been one year too far for Morrison.TBF though on the latter;until his injury Morrison was my player of the season last season and I had no problem with him being awarded a new contract.

[SCIAG]

We go through this every year.

Get a grip. It isn't even September, we're 18th after 4 games and we've scored 7 goals without any significant contributions from Joao, Meite, or Ejaria. Add a left back and get the missing players fit and suddenly we'll have a really solid squad. We looked very very good against Preston, don't get carried away by a couple of poor performances. You win some and you lose some.

Yeah, we might go down. But to be honest, we're just as likely to finish in the top half.

I like your optimism and I hope we finish top half. Ejaria is overrated and Joao and Meite won’t be back until next year at the earliest. Also, not sure a LB can really save us tbh.

We need to find goals and a manager/coach who can organise the defence.

Ejaria is underrated because of all the people going on about how overrated he is. He’s a very good player at this level.

We’re doing fine for goals and we know that our defenders are good enough and that our current staff can and have organised them. Need to start winning the ball at set pieces ofc.