Keep Calm and Carry On...

If you tuned in to BBC Radio Berkshire after yesterday's football match at London Road, you'd have been forgiven for thinking that Reading Football Club had been sold for a fiver to a demented Oxford-supporting billionaire, who'd then decided to immediately change the name to the 'Thames Valley Arse Drovers', insist we play in yellow and green stripes and formulate a dastardly plan to erase the good name of RFC from the history books. However, no insidious plan had been hatched from Madejski Towers. The fuming texters had chosen to take up Tim Dellor and that other Johnny bloke's offer to 'vent their spleen' after a dismal and fairly inexplicable capitulation to Peterborough. The tone of irate fans bombarding the show was one of apoplectic rage, simmering under a layer of downright disgust at anyone connected with the club. Those in the firing line were the usual suspects of course: the Players, the Manager (and staff), the Chairman and the Director of Football. All received the ire of supporters in shock after a game which we conspired to throw away after a fine start which saw us take a deserved two-goal lead. For some this was the final straw - 'sack Rodgers, I always said we'd struggle with him at the helm' - others saw this as the culmination of two years of decline, 'What's happened to my beloved club!?' asked one inconsolable fan.

Ringleader of the Tormentors

The stream of invective continued, ably egged on by the aforementioned Dellor, who had clearly almost lost his cool as he sat quivering with rage at London Road. At one point after suggesting that 'the players aren't good enough' (the same players he'd praised on Wednesday night and about an hour before for a fine first half performance) he looked to see if there was a clue in Brendan Rodgers' voice and oratory skills, perhaps these weren't quite up to scratch and simply couldn't inspire his players. Oh dear Tim. I've heard more insightful even-handed arguments standing at an East Stand urinal. Steve Coppell was not exactly Barack Obama was he? I heard he did OK. I've always thought BR's interviews suggest he's actually a pretty good motivator in the dressing room. He sounded pretty angry with the 2nd half performance, I doubt he needs to be told by anyone that it was unacceptable.

Reasons to be cheerful?

In the immediate aftermath of a last-gasp defeat to a team we should have beaten I would expect to hear some anger, some passion and some criticism from fans, hell, I was fuming! However yesterday went beyond that into the arena of the ludicrous. Firstly, look at the table. Struggling yes, but we're not actually in the relegation zone; our record is 1 win, 3 draws and 4 defeats. One of those defeats was unlucky, and another was away against a team who are likely to finish in the top 2; we've kept 3 clean sheets. There's a plan borne of a clear vision, and it worked beautifully in the first half against the Posh and for periods against Cardiff too.

Why we're not Newcastle, thankfully.

The club has never bowed to fan pressure. Alan Pardew suffered the ignominy (albeit mainly directed at the players) of having to witness thousands of fans waving their underpants in the air. People were calling for his head not that long before he turned things around and laid the foundations for the most phenomenal success in the club's history. So to the 'Sack Brendan' brigade I would say this: if not Brendan then who? Gus Poyet?! Glenn Hoddle?! Or does anyone really think that we can prise another good Championship manager away from their club - especially as most of them are doing better than us! Nobody is going to ride up Hoops Way on a white steed and lead us back into the Premier League. Right now it's roll-up sleeves time and stop living in the past. We have a set of players with talent, and a manager who is better positioned than anyone to get them performing. Let them get on with it - and if we're still struggling in a month's time with no visible signs of progression you can unsheathe your knives then.

Crisis? What crisis?!

A couple of weeks ago you'd be forgiven for thinking that, five games in to a new season under a new management team, Reading FC was a club in some kind of irreversible plummet towards League One. What a difference an away win can make, not only to the league table, but to the overall mood surrounding the club and its supporters. Having not won at home since January, entertaining Sheffield United on the back of two draws, one defeat and precisely no goals was always going to be a tough assignment, and so it proved. Despite taking the lead with a goal from Matt Mills on his Madejski debut it was a 1-3 reversal that prolonged the wait for that elusive home victory. Once again there was plenty of positives, but that lack of quality in the final third that was becoming painfully obvious. Poor old Adam Federici too, the hero of the goalless draw at Swansea City a few days earlier with a penalty save, it was his error that allowed the Blades back in the game. Suddenly the Royals were languishing near the bottom without a win and just one goal from four games. Even for a new manager with a clear rebuilding plan these were testing times for Brendan Rodgers. A midweek Carling Cup fixture against fellow Championship strugglers Barnsley would provide the perfect opportunity to put league woes away for the night and register a victory. Unfortunately, despite being the better side throughout it was the Tykes who progressed to round 3 meaning more misery at the Madejski. A league game at Oakwell a few days later would be a chance to reverse the result against Barnsley. Prior to that two new additions to the squad of Jobi McAnuff and Gregor Rasiak softened the blow of losing out on number one summer target Tommy Smith. Rasiak made the trip to Oakwell but it was Noel Hunt who provided the killer instinct after a disastrous start that saw the Royals go behind within 20 minutes. Maybe this was the youngsters coming of age, being 'blooded' as it were. At that point it would have been easy to capitulate after being outplayed away from home. To the team's credit they dug deep and found something beyond the promising pretty football. Sometimes you have to go direct when required, and Noel Hunt has the poacher instinct that has been is lacking from Shane Long's game. A 3-1 win and things look a lot rosier as we go into the international break. A collective sigh of relief perhaps, from players, management and fans.

The club is clearly in a transitional phase beyond anything anyone could have imagined at the end of last season. Sure, we expected to lose Doyle and Shunt, heck maybe Bikey and Harper too. More surprising is the loan departure of Liam Rosenior, though I'm not a big fan, clearly this is a decision that is driven by something other than football. The academy players are getting their chance, and there's some very exciting prospects amongst them. It's going to be a season with ups and downs, but exciting nonetheless. We're playing some attractive and creative football, if we can ally that to a killer instinct in front of goal this could be a very successful season - and that might just surprise a few people.