The problem with that is Hull (17th), Bristol (13th) and Birmingham (16th) are rubbish, and Preston (8th), Burnley (1st), Luton (3rd) and Coventry (9th) are not.

Exactly. We’ve had plenty of time over the last few months to pick up more points, and now it’s catching up with us.
Anyone know what that fan said to Carroll afterwards to rile him up? It was really difficult to know how to respond to that. It wasn’t worthy of booing, as the performance was ok. But the 2nd half performance was not good enough, partly due to the players being knackered. So I didn’t think it was worthy of a clap personally.
The booing & anger needs to be directed at the ownership, and he’s got off far too lightly for a while now

Another dreadful game of football to endure. I am still going to the final 6 games but on this showing we won’t be winning any of them. I felt before today that we’d get 2 more draws against Brum and Wigan but lose the rest. I think Huddersfield will be a nothing game as we’ll already be relegated by then.
I honestly feel that if we survive this season we won’t next and League One will be a better place to rebuild without Ince in charge. Not sure how long it will take us to bounce back but I can’t see how the football can possibly get much worse.

Once again the set up was completely wrong. Left the game thinking:
- Why did we play 2 players on the left who can’t use their left feet, when we have a perfectly decent player in NGW who could’ve played in arguably either position? Fornah I thought played ok but was out of position. Yiadom played well but had to keep cutting inside. Square pegs in round holes.

- Why did we start all 3 of Meite, Joao & Carroll? Meite was clearly injured & could well be done for the season now. Time & time we’ve seen that Carroll & Joao do not work up front together. Granted the goal did come from that combination, but the game passed Joao by beyond that moment. Carroll & Azeez would’ve worked more effectively. Or Joao & Azeez.

- The centre backs played well together today, but had no protection.

- Ince can blame the injuries all he likes, but he’s responsive for setting up the team correctly, which he is clearly incapable of doing.

- Birmingham had a better balance to their side, and look better than us.

- We’re heading for League One. At least there’s plenty of new grounds to tick off the list

Lovely sunny day , wonderful Reading goal were the two good things about today .....there after we looked very slow , no creativity and most worryingly no real fight. As in recent games we sat back far too much and seemed very frightened to attack and push forward.
After getting away with it last few seasons this is going to go to the wire and probably the last game
Not good.

We could or we could win one
We haven't beaten a team in the top half since mid-December and we've won just 2 games out of 15 this year. Blackpool and Rotherham. It seems pretty unlikely.

Looking forward to us losing at home to Fleetwood next season Ian?

We haven't beaten a team in the top half since mid-December and we've won just 2 games out of 15 this year. Blackpool and Rotherham. It seems pretty unlikely.

Looking forward to us losing at home to Fleetwood next season Ian?

Think Carlisle are the one team that Reading have previously played in the league that they’ve had no games against for the longest period (early 1981 was the last time they played I think). That could easily be changed next season.

Thought we were ok today, but in the context of where we are that isn't enough.
In the first half Mbengue kept getting isolated against Khadra, with both centre backs being static for their goal.
The ref was poor throughout his 70 minute performance.
Casadei looked very effective.
Gripes: why do none of our wide players try to beat their man? Why does Hendrick always look for the safe pass? Why wan't there any energy in the six minutes added on? The lack of a press killed us.

We haven't beaten a team in the top half since mid-December and we've won just 2 games out of 15 this year. Blackpool and Rotherham. It seems pretty unlikely.

Looking forward to us losing at home to Fleetwood next season Ian?
League One will be fun.

Yes, very frustrated with Hendrick's minimal involvement being one touch passes back to a centre back or goalkeeper rather than take any responsibility. He's supposed to be our play maker and he spends all game hiding. Far from the only one who'd rather pass back than forwards though.

Yes, very frustrated with Hendrick's minimal involvement being one touch passes back to a centre back or goalkeeper rather than take any responsibility. He's supposed to be our play maker and he spends all game hiding. Far from the only one who'd rather pass back than forwards though.

Bowen mentioned in his "Open Letter" that Reading FC had a plan on the type of players they need to move the club forward and that included young, hungry attack minded players!! However, its being reported that Reading are very interested in signing Hendrick on a free transfer!!! what part of young, hungry attack minded style of player fits Hendricks style of play.

P.Ince is telling us these players are not good enough, ok i get!! so why the phuck are we looking at buying Hendrick!! makes no sense to me at all.

Now Casadei, thats a whole different story...i would be on the phone right now trying to arrange a long term loan as this guys going to be a good player at he fits perfectly into Bowens plans for the type of player we need.
I would be inclined to switch the formation to the much used 4-2-3-1 moving forward and use Casedei as an AM as he clearly has a good shot and can pick a pass.
Lumley
Yids Holmes Sarr NGW
Fornah Loum
Meite Casedei Azeez
Joao
Loum is back and can play DM with Fornah so we can play out from the back and scrap this long ball crap and feed the ball to Joao.

Whilst we are pretty doom ridden on here at the moment, I can confidently predict that the Fake Hoops forums are more catastrophic.
Good reason to - top of the league after 16 games, now plummeting to oblivion and managed by some dude who looks like he has stumbled in to the wrong profession with that hair and outfit.
Their next 4 games are Baggies, Cov, Norwich and Burnley. Not easy.
As an aside, I thought Joao, particularly in the first half, looked back to his best. If we play to his strengths and play in to his feet for rest of season then we will stay up.

Indeed, Cardiff, Huddersfield and Rotherham showed they have the fighting spirit needed to get out of this and you are correct, Sir, QPR's next four is as bad as ours lol. We really need to get something out of this Preston trip and just get above them!!

Don't know (saw it happening but in wrong stand and he wasn't so annoyed that he didn't then clap 1871) but he's started conversations on Twitter tonight, example -
https://twitter.com/moriordan1/status/1644392185381388310?t=EfLIJ8g46JsBbfz39zWp_A&s=09

Looking forward to us losing at home to Fleetwood next season Ian?

Think Carlisle are the one team that Reading have previously played in the league that they’ve had no games against for the longest period (early 1981 was the last time they played I think). That could easily be changed next season.

God, it's further away than Newcastle is

This seriously isn't a good situation for us. I don't see us getting out of the lower leagues for a long time, we're more likely to do a Bury with the Chinese clown who owns us.

Don't know (saw it happening but in wrong stand and he wasn't so annoyed that he didn't then clap 1871) but he's started conversations on Twitter tonight, example -
https://twitter.com/moriordan1/status/1644392185381388310?t=EfLIJ8g46JsBbfz39zWp_A&s=09

Fair play to AC for engaging, must have taken a lot to rile him enough to react though.

He’s supposed to be our play maker and he spends all game hiding.

Don’t disagree with the notion he doesn’t get involved enough but not quite sure where you’re got that idea from - certainly isn’t a playmaker
He’s done OK but not quite sure done enough to earn a contract next year. Sum of all parts though. Surround him with legs and energy and it’s tolerable. Play the likes of Carroll and McIntyre alongside him and it magnifies his weaknesses

Was the ref to blame?
That’s Pince usual scapegoat

Indeed, Cardiff, Huddersfield and Rotherham showed they have the fighting spirit needed to get out of this and you are correct, Sir, QPR's next four is as bad as ours lol. We really need to get something out of this Preston trip and just get above them!!

It’s a mentality thing. Starts from the top
Huddersfield’s last three fixtures, Millwall (A), Middlesbrough (H), Watford (A). 9 points. No one would have predicted them to get more than 2/3 points but compare the way Warnock is with Ince. One is upbeat and positive, the one is negative and defeatist. In turn, that reflects onto how the respective teams play

Indeed, Cardiff, Huddersfield and Rotherham showed they have the fighting spirit needed to get out of this and you are correct, Sir, QPR's next four is as bad as ours lol. We really need to get something out of this Preston trip and just get above them!!

It’s a mentality thing. Starts from the top
Huddersfield’s last three fixtures, Millwall (A), Middlesbrough (H), Watford (A). 9 points. No one would have predicted them to get more than 2/3 points but compare the way Warnock is with Ince. One is upbeat and positive, the one is negative and defeatist. In turn, that reflects onto how the respective teams play

Couldn’t agree more - I was a vocal supporter of Warnock to replace Pauno last season.

I am possibly too manically positive, but now we know it’s likely to be a two way battle between us and QPR - I feel like we will overhaul them.

Being slightly better than a team who has about 9 points in 25 games is as manically positive as anyone gets on here!
Would still think we are slight favourites over them as they have been so so bad. Obvs it just takes one or two wins either way to change it though

He’s supposed to be our play maker and he spends all game hiding.

Don’t disagree with the notion he doesn’t get involved enough but not quite sure where you’re got that idea from - certainly isn’t a playmaker
He’s done OK but not quite sure done enough to earn a contract next year. Sum of all parts though. Surround him with legs and energy and it’s tolerable. Play the likes of Carroll and McIntyre alongside him and it magnifies his weaknesses
What is he actually for then?
He can't tackle, rarely fouls and makes few interceptions so he's not a DM.
Despite a couple of worldies he mostly can't shoot, doesn't create goals, can't run with the ball or beat a man and doesn't play high enough to be an AM.
He doesn't play box to box. He just sits in the middle and watches the game pass him by. He doesn't have a high pass per game number, his passing accuracy isn't very good.
The only thing you can say about him is he's an improvement on Drinkwater because he doesn't make 2 or 3 catastrophic errors a game. But that's because he's not involved.
He's an absolutely nothing midfielder and yet he's the one Ince has highlighted as worth keeping. Not Fornah with his high pass success, ability to dribble, cross and beat a man. Not Casadei with his energy, shooting and tackling, not Loum with his occasional defensive solidity.
Ince wants to keep the guy the currently in freefall QPR wouldn't touch with a bargepoll.

Being slightly better than a team who has about 9 points in 25 games is as manically positive as anyone gets on here!
Would still think we are slight favourites over them as they have been so so bad. Obvs it just takes one or two wins either way to change it though

It’s an absolute dogfight now, and it doesn’t matter how it happens, we just need to get ourselves above one other team.
We both have equally difficult run ins where neither team will get many points, but the joker up our sleeve is that Wigan home game hopefully.

In contrast, I'm not convinced we can overhaul them if they lose every remaining game.
We've got 1 point and conceded 15 goals in our last 7 away games, scoring just 2
Our best chances of points will be an already relegated Wigan under no pressure while we're under immense pressure with a toxic home atmosphere by then.
Or against a, by then, probably already safe Huddersfield who are on the beach. But Warnock would cheerfully send us down.

Excellent atmosphere yesterday and crowd were behind the team. Just th frustrated boos at the end.
That fan shat himself at the end and was seen Scurrying to the toilets at the end of the match. Didn’t quite go to plan for him and well done on Carroll coming over.
As for what’s on the pitch, it’s just an ugly mess. No plan, no cohesion, it’s just a mishap of styles.
Meite had such a poor game. Fornah is scared to cross and he as lost out on the left. Sarr a rock, caroll and Joao could work together. Azeez needs to start.

In contrast, I'm not convinced we can overhaul them if they lose every remaining game.
We've got 1 point and conceded 15 goals in our last 7 away games, scoring just 2
Our best chances of points will be an already relegated Wigan under no pressure while we're under immense pressure with a toxic home atmosphere by then.
Or against a, by then, probably already safe Huddersfield who are on the beach. But Warnock would cheerfully send us down.

All valid points, I just feel like we might do it for some reason.

It’s a mentality thing. Starts from the top
Huddersfield’s last three fixtures, Millwall (A), Middlesbrough (H), Watford (A). 9 points. No one would have predicted them to get more than 2/3 points but compare the way Warnock is with Ince. One is upbeat and positive, the one is negative and defeatist. In turn, that reflects onto how the respective teams play

Couldn’t agree more - I was a vocal supporter of Warnock to replace Pauno last season.

Exactly. Really need to get shot of Ince, Hunt in for rest of the season.

I do think it's tough to compare Ince to Warnock personally. Warnock came in when he had nothing to lose, his age means he's at the back end of his career and if he was to take a sinking ship down it would have been because of what's happened previously. I think what has really given them a lift is the new ownership, saving them from highly likely relegation as well as administration.
Ince on the other hand has it all to lose, especially considering come Christmas time we were in and around the play offs as well. The "siege mentality" and backs against the wall mantras are all well and good when there is no expectation on us, but once we were in a position where we were doing well and in the top half, I think most fans felt we were very likely to be safe. I wouldn't go as far to say it would be a calamity if we were to drop (that title would go to QPR if they were to go down), especially given the points off and how tight the league was, but it is certainly one hell of a drop off.

Its not tough. Warnock is an exceptional manager with a great record, and Ince is someone's dad brought in as an emergency who has failed almost everywhere he's been.