106 points and 99 goals

Fail Wales

2010-09-06T18:15:00.008+01:00

Wales fancied it, no doubt. Young players coming through nicely. England aside, a relatively 'easy' qualifying group. A real chance of the play-offs surely, and a local derby against the big neighbours...and then...who knows? Optimism had returned after six years of rebuilding that garnered some pretty poor results. Some genuine talent amongst a crop of fresh-faced and eager youngsters. Ledley, Ramsey, Bale, Evans, Collison and Church all names talked about as future stars that could just maybe rival Giggs, Rush, Hartson and Bellamy et al. This was a squad to get genuinely excited about.

So much for the optimism. All gone on one fateful Friday night in Podgorica against Montenegro. Let's dispense with the usual 'no easy games in International football' guff shall we? Andorra, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg and San Marino are easy games. Montenegro are not in that category, but the truth is if you have any ambition to qualify for tournaments you have to beat them. Or at least not lose to them. Wales did just that. And not only that, looked pretty fragile and uninspiring in the process.

So what next? Even with the excuse that some of those key players were injured (and there is never going to be enough strength in depth) we should be aiming to post a decent performance against Montenegro and come away with something. That we were unable to do that was particularly hard to take in light of England's comfortable, rehabilitating thrashing of Bulgaria in the same group.

It's time for John Toshack to move on. He's never been a popular choice among the fans and he is seen as a divisive figure (ask Robbie Savage!) by many. Maybe he was the right man to make the transition from the Mark Hughes era but the truth is we have been out of the last two qualifying campaigns before they've even got going and now this. It makes it very hard for the nation to get excited about watching the national team. Seven years ago we were outclassing Italy in front of 72,000!

The talent is undoubtedly there, but something is not right. We can't expect to be world beaters but we should be doing better than Northern Ireland and Scotland who can only look on with envy at the players at our disposal. We need a talismanic figure who can motivate and inspire. Step forward Ryan Giggs, your country needs you!

5 reasons why Gylfi Sigurdsson's departure could be a good thing

2010-08-31T10:03:00.010+01:00

It was inevitable. The only surprise might be the timing and the destination, but the Royal's gifted Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson is off to Hofenheim to play in the Bundesliga. Cue mass hysteria from a sizable portion of fans, but once again it's time for a reality check for many Loyal Royals. Here's my 5 reasons why this isn't the end of the world for Reading FC:

Back to 4-4-2
Churchy, Long and Hunt don't exactly excel in the lone front man role and we've lost Rasiak, so with Gylfi gone it's an ideal opportunity to revert to the system that took us to glory a few years back under Sir Steven of Coppellshire.

Dump the debt

No football club of our size should be operating with debt, it's not a good foundation for long-term success. Those who think this is all about 'lining Madejski's coffers' I think are being naive to say the least. Our ambition should be to prosper as a club on a firm financial footing.

Bring on the kids

A youth policy only works if you give those youngsters you are developing a chance. Gylfi got his chance and grasped it, what's to say that others won't do the same? Why should we 'reinvest' in older 'established' players who are often overvalued, overpaid and don't deliver the goods?

One-man team

I'm not sure it was ideal the way Gylfi had been portrayed in some corners as the saviour of Reading FC. We need more than one star in the team - and we've got a few players who fit that bill on their day. Of course he'll be missed, but the team can unite and move forward with purpose.

Now we can move on

Such drawn out transfer stories are never going to be a good thing for the player, team and club. Nobody wanted a Stephen Hunt saga. As sad as it is to see the departure of a fine young player, tomorrow it will be in the past and it will be time to focus on the next game.

...and how about some celebration for the fact that the club can nurture and develop talent in this way? Gylfi had not played any 1st team football before the start of last season - now he's valued at £6m. Who is to say we can not continue to do this?

No Gary, there's MUCH to envy about Germany

2010-07-03T19:10:00.005+01:00

There can't have been many England fans watching Argentina getting dismantled by the wonderful German side of World Cup 2010 thinking "I admire them, but I wouldn't want anything they've got". But there was certainly one very high profile former England player who expressed precisely those sentiments. Gary Lineker probably wanted to be unqualified in his praise, but sensing the mood of a nation still in the fug of a mauling by Jogi Low's team he mumbled "It's not hard to not envy the Germans". You could read it like this: "We don't really like Germany, but boy they are really good".

Will we ever see people purring about the delights of German football in the way they get themselves in such a lather about Brazil and Argentina? Not likely. It suits many observers to retreat into stereotyping that stumbles clumsily into jingoism and on occasion, casual racism of the laziest kind (Africans don't understand defending, but y'know they can be very skilful). When the pain of having an average at best national side just won't go away then what else is there to make them feel better but to patronise everyone else?

If a nation's football team can say something about how that nation feels about itself then this country must really be in the doldrums. And let's face it- oh the irony - it's those English players who are cold, uninspiring & robotic. German players are excelling at a brand of modern football more technically skilful than Argentina and Brazil, better in defence than Italy (when they were good!), and more enterprising than Holland and Uruguay. They deserve full and unreserved credit. Should they fail to win the tournament they will have still set a standard that others will have to rise to - and it's a standard that England can only imagine in their wildest dreams.

England, your England

2010-06-01T20:31:00.014+01:00

I remember when it started.

One of my earliest sporting memories was watching rugby on the TV with my father. I guess it must have been about 1975, and that legendary Wales team were beating absolutely everyone in sight. I liked football, but didn't really watch it much at that age. Hard to imagine for some now, but it wasn't really on the telly much back then. (the first live televised 'top tier' game of the modern age was not until 1983). My old man always said it was full of 'poofs kissing each other' anyway. Not really a man's sport at all. So it was rugby for me, sat in front of the telly for Five Nations matches on a Saturday afternoon. And when my Dad exploded with joy after a Gareth Edwards' try, running around the room like a court jester on amphetamines, I knew the Welsh jersey meant something very special to him. So the Dai was cast as it were.

Despite being born and living in England there was never really a question of ever supporting England. The rugby Five Nations was all about the rivalry between 'the Celts' and the English, with the French thrown in for good measure and the odd gallic shrug. Supporting a fabulously exciting team who chucked the oval ball around with buckets of flair was easy to do, but the truth is I had no choice. "You're Welsh son, don't forget it!" That sort of thing. Except my mother is Scottish. So technically I was a pure-blooded celt who happened to live in England. What's a boy to do?

My love affair with the round balled-game came a bit later after I started playing it. Everybody was playing football. All you needed was a ball and some jumpers. Rugby? I didn't really have the physique. And all those complicated rules, it's not a game for playing down the park. My earliest memories of a football World Cup were of the 1978 tournament. All ticker-tape, bad hair and, well, no England. So of course with no sign of Wales I naturally supported Scotland. Strange to consider now that Ally McLeod's team went to that tournament with serious ambitions to win it. Archie Gemmill's goal aside there was little to cheer for the Tartan Army. But subsequently during the Home Internationals I found myself wanting Scotland AND Wales to beat England. Didn't happen very often, but oh when it did that was something special to savour.

Something strange happened in Italia '90, I found myself out watching the games a lot in pubs and finding it easy to set aside my natural prejudice. Second Summer of Love? The brilliance of 'World in Motion'? Gazza? The legendary Bobby Robson? Can't work out why, but it didn't last.

In the many years between it's been simple really. Wales all the way, through thick and mainly thin. Even saw (and enjoyed) Wales beat Scotland twice in one crazy week back in 2004, once at rugby and then at football! So maybe I'm best described as an Englishman with the blood of a celt. Easy to see why supporting 'Great Britain' (Olympics, British Lions etc) is so appealing for me. No complexities, no twisted loyalties.

So can I support England during this World Cup? No, sorry. I have no axe to grind, no chip on the shoulder. Despite being my country I'm afraid they're just not my team and never have been. The partisan nature of football fans often requires us to ask that old clichéd question: Club or Country? Royals winning a major trophy or England winning the World Cup? Well, obviously for me there's no contest.

Unleash The Kebe merchandise

2010-03-26T14:01:00.001Z

He's the Renaissance Man for sure, and now you can wear it with pride! Click here to visit the site.

Jimmy Kebe: Renaissance Man

2010-03-26T13:03:00.007Z

It was a damp, chilly April lunchtime in North London two years ago. A struggling Royals side is being toyed with by an Arsenal team bristling with stars such as Van Persie, Walcott and Adebayor. Things don't look good as the home side capitalise on an error by Ibrahima Sonko and Adebayor finishes with a cool, clinical touch. This could be bad. We've not created very much, and I'm sat a stone's throw from the suffering Reading fans, but perversely I'm in amongst the Gooner faithful. The worst place to be as I have to endure the taunts and the endless singing of 'We'll never play you again' but cannot respond. It's cold. It's wet. Frankly, I want to go home. And then something happens that brightens my day a little. A gangly, unlikely looking winger we've not had for long picks the ball up in the Arsenal half and runs with it. He runs with pace and intent, and a frisson of expectancy ripples through the travelling fans as we suddenly look like we have a threat...

...and then he falls over in a heap, leaving the ball behind for Arsenal sweep away with.

Oh Jimmy. What might have been.

And so the cult legend of Jimmy Kebe was born. Occasionally he would do something brilliant leaving defenders in his wake, but more often that not it would end with a skewed cross into the crowd, or a comical stumble. But Jimmy Kebe always tried, he had a go. Even when things didn't work out he didn't change his style or his attitude to the game. Even when the fans groaned and got on his back, he still showed no fear and just had a go. I was a fan, because whatever happened it was entertainment. And whatever anyone thinks football simply has to be entertaining. To be thrilling and ripe with the possibility of glory and of failure, often in equal dollops.

At the end of last season with the club in the doldrums I wondered if he'd had enough chances to show his true potential. The cardinal sin of the talented footballer is to let that talent go to waste. But there were promising signs in the early part of the season - even when we were not winning many games - that Kebe was beginning to make a difference. Chipping in with the odd goal, making plenty of assists and always changing the game when he came on as a sub. The renaissance was well underway. With the Royals, under the accomplished tutelage of Brian McDermott, looking towards an unbelievable late dash for the play-offs, Jimmy Kebe is the name on many Royals fans' lips.

A seemingly quiet and unfussy character who appears to be just happy to play and get on with his job, he's proven to be an absolute revelation in the last few months: fast, skilful and often quite deadly in front of goal. Forget the badge kissers, Jimmy Kebe is well on his way to becoming a Reading FC cult legend.

Led by donkeys?

2009-12-31T09:34:00.006Z

Imagine, if you will, the following scenario: in the heat of the battle one army is taking an almighty hammering and appears to be encircled, taking losses from all sides. The beleaguered soldiers are in the main young and inexperienced but have a firm belief in their young, charismatic commander who is leading from the front. Despite having lost the best fighters with no hope of reinforcements, slowly but surely and with will and determination things seem to be turning around and the opposing armies are being beaten back inch by inch. Suddenly, just hours before a big campaign to break out of the encirclement, word is sent from behind the front line that the commander is being relieved of his duties. The high command have decided to promote a lieutenant with no experience at all in the hope that he might come good in the hour of need, whilst the commander is told he is no longer fit enough to lead his men, just when it seemed to all that a victory was possible.

That's how I see things going at Reading FC right now. The preposterous claim that Brian MacDermott (who I have absolutely nothing against I might add) offers 'continuity' sums up the situation. Sadly, the way things look at the moment nothing suggests that 2010 will be any better than the 'annus horribilis' of 2009.

Church late show grabs deserved point at Ashton Gate

2009-12-27T17:00:00.006Z

On December 19th I wrote the Reading Post fan verdict for the match against Bristol City. Here's the full version before editing.

Brian McDermott took over the reins from the ousted Brendan Rodgers, and saw his side earn a thoroughly deserved point against Bristol City. Royals fans were in good voice from the off - despite the bitter cold at Ashton Gate - and were right behind a fairly familiar looking side that included Ryan Bertrand reinstated at Left Back back after illness. Shane Long partnered Gregorsz Rasiak up front.

Reading imposed themselves well in a fairly open first 10 minutes but a dubious (to say the least!) penalty decision altered the complexion of the game. There seemed to be nothing in Jay Tabb's 13th minute challenge on Maynard, but Paul Hartley took the penalty well and suddenly we found ourselves one down. The attitude shown by the Royals after this setback was admirable as they completely dominated the rest of the first half, dictating the tempo of the game, creating a few decent chances and restricting the home side to a few infrequent and ineffective counter-attacks. The sense of injustice from the penalty galvanised the Reading fans as well, who were vociferous in their condemnation of the referee but equally vocal in support of their team.

In the second half Reading continued to dominate but as the minutes ticked by there was a palpable sense of deja vu in the Wedlock Stand as, despite the good approach play and passing, chances were spurned. Shane Long was the chief culprit who had, in truth, a pretty poor day at the office. Simon Church replaced Long after 73 minutes and was himself guilty of squandering a decent chance, but he made no mistake when he hooked home at the near post after some excellent work from the impressive Jimmy Kebe. Exuberant celebrations ensued resulting in Simon Church receiving a 2nd yellow card (from a petulant referee!) which meant we had to play time added on with 10 men. As expected City suddenly threw themselves into the game after being almost completely subdued by the away team..After a few hairy moments the valuable point was secure.

We've seen Reading play like this a few times this season and get nothing, but the way the team responded to going behind suggests this young team has a strength of character beyond their years. We still need to find some confidence in front of goal, but McDermott can be very pleased with the manner in which the players responded after such a difficult week. 1200 fans went home with a little Christmas cheer and some confidence and hope for 2010.

Man of the Match
Kalifa Cisse was my man of the match, a muscular but smart performance that at times reminded me of Steve Sidwell in his pomp. He broke up play well, got stuck in and allowed Marek Matejovsky the time and space he thrives on to be influential throughout.

I'd rate the game at 7/10 with the Royals performance getting 8/10

Miscellaneous!
Had a decent fish and chips lunch just round the corner from the ground!
No beer for away fans? Mind you, it was not exactly cold beer weather!

Keep Calm and Carry On...

2009-09-20T10:16:00.009+01:00

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?!

2009-09-02T21:25:00.007+01:00

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.

Royals thumped by Magpies

2009-08-16T21:47:00.008+01:00

It's very early days, but the Championship table shows the Royals languishing in the bottom three after a drubbing at St. James' Park. An impressive crowd of 36,000 saw Brendan Rodgers' young side start impressively enough but fall behind to a Shola Ameobi header ten minutes before half time. Up until then the youngsters had performed well enough, passing with confidence and looking purposeful on the counter-attack. Nervous home supporters had little to cheer about, and after Kevin Nolan's sumptuous through ball was fluffed by Gutierrez it looked like it could have been anybody's game. Everything changed when Ameobi rose above Alex Pearce and headed down past Federici. The second half was very much a case of boys vs. men, chasing the game was going to be hard for an inexperienced royals side, made virtually impossible when Ameobi headed home the second after some sloppy defending. The third came from the penalty spot after Shane Long was judged to have handled, but by then we were looking a little ragged and very short of ideas. Noel Hunt, Jim Harper and Hal Robson-Kanu were thrown into the frey to no avail, although Hunt went close late on with a decent shot that went just wide.

So no goals and a heavy defeat. No shame for the kids to lose against a side with plenty of top flight experience. Brendan didn't seem too perturbed afterwards, we lost to the better side, it's been useful experience, now let's move on. However you can't help feeling that as hungry and talented as these youngsters undoubtedly are, we really need to add some more experience and maybe some more attacking threat to bolster the squad. I've no doubt that bringing the likes of Scott Davies and Robson-Kanu into the first team is the right move, after all there is no point in having an academy if you don't use the talent you've nurtured. The concern might be that if we go a couple more matches without a goal or a win the the pressure begins to mount already. I'm sure we'll see a couple of additions before the end of August (Tommy Smith surely?) and everything will come right. Interestingly we travel to bottom club Swansea City on Tuesday night...

John Madejski on BBC4

2009-08-12T11:58:00.002+01:00

'Rich Man, Poor Man' is currently being trailed on the BBC. Looks like a fascinating 'warts and all' profile of The Chairman. He's a complex and interesting character for sure, so it'll be essential viewing, not least for Royals fans. Not sure when it's going out yet but it will be on BBC4.

Albion go for a Burton in Carling Cup

2009-08-12T11:29:00.003+01:00

The Royals thumped Burton Albion last night by 5 goals to 1. Five thousand people saw a team of youngsters (hang on, ain't that the first team!?) dish out a hammering to the league new boys. Five Royals made their full debut, and Nicholas Bignall bagged a brace. Whatever you say about the opposition this is a fantastic result, and Brendan Rodgers seems to be working some magic already. It's evident we have a lot of young talent at the club, and BR looks like the man to bring that talent through to full effect. The draw for round 2 of the Carling Cup is tonight where the Royals will be a seeded team.

To the Gates of Hull...a Stephen Hunt Odyssey

2009-08-11T17:08:00.010+01:00

As the curtain falls on Stephen Hunt's Reading FC career it brings to a close one of the most protracted transfer stories in the club's recent history. One thing is for sure nobody has divided opinion and provoked the ire of fans quite like the tousle-haired Irish winger. Certainly he has made an impact far beyond anything we could have expected when he signed on a permanent basis from Brentford FC in 2005. It's easy to forget that he was really just cover for the in-form Bobby Convey, an understudy to one of the stars of Coppell's legendary team of '05/'06. On the field Hunt was a tenacious 'go forward' type of player, some might say 'terrier-like'. He certainly had pace but lacked the technical craft of Convey. The American loved to cut inside, and scored some memorable goals marauding forward with intent. It's fair to say Hunt was more of a conventional winger: get to the by-line quickly, get the cross in. It's no wonder he was so favoured by the archetypal touchline-hugging winger himself, Sir Steven Coppell.

Sadly for Convey injury disrupted his career and he was never to regain that sparkling form. Hunt was able to grab his chance with both hands and to his credit he became one of the stars of the hugely successful '06/'07 Premiership season. What surprised me more than anything was how far he had come in such a short time and how the rough edges had been smoothed away to leave a pretty decent footballer. I say that as one of the nay-sayers who accepted he was decent cover for Convey but seriously doubted his ability to compete at the highest level. However he, perhaps more than anyone, typified the attitude that propelled the team to 8th place that season. It was a stiff two-fingers to the doubters: "You think we ain't good enough? We'll show you!" Hunt seemed to have added an extra dimension to his game, a bit of patience and thought allied to a vastly-improved touch which enabled him to pull-off the flicks and back-heels to the delight of an appreciative home crowd. Sure, he was still a little fiery and impetuous - the infamous challenge on Petr Cech was not malicious, but probably careless - , but to some extent that's what we wanted to see, someone willing to get in the faces of the Big Boys and not be intimidated. We lapped it up. Look Ma we're in the Premier League! And guess what we're playing proper football!! Surely it couldn't last could it? Well no, it couldn't.

Ask many Reading fans to give a reason for relegation from the Premier League and you'll probably get a constant theme running through their answers: failure to sufficiently strengthen, and principally not being able to replace Steve Sidwell. 'Second season syndrome' doesn't simply happen - it's not a magical, mysterious phenomenon, there's always a reason why things don't work out. Coppell showed loyalty and relied heavily on those who had served him so well, but most simply didn't perform at the same levels of consistency. Stephen Hunt was in that category, but he certainly wasn't alone. How he was voted 'Player of the Season' at the end of that campaign was one of the great mysteries to me. Marcus saved more shots than any other keeper that season and probably kept our hopes alive until the bitter end, he should have run away with it. Though clearly not Hunt's fault, maybe that was the beginning of the end for him as a fan's favourite, polarising opinion as it did. He was either the passionate, throbbing heart of the team, or a swaggering chancer of average ability who had been found out. The truth is he was probably neither, but what did we know? We're just the paying punters.

The Hunt fan club itself was about to diminish significantly though. Emotions are raw after relegation, and for the supporters the last thing you want to hear are players going public about their desire to move on so soon after the pain of going down. It was ill-judged of Hunt to express so demonstratively his desire to leave. What was most galling though was his belief (perhaps not expressed in so many words) that he was too good for the Championship. Kevin Doyle was probably the only person who at that moment could have dared utter such a claim without ridicule. Before a ball had been kicked in August '08 he was talking up a transfer, with Everton seemingly the favourites. Not a way to endear yourself to the faithful, or indeed your team mates so soon after a season that can only be seen as a failure. Hunt's 'want away' announcements were interpreted as arrogance by large sections of fans. I doubt any player wanted to play in a lower tier that season, but perhaps a sense of duty and responsibility (as demonstrated by Coppell's commitment to the cause) was not so readily lost on other players. I'm not naive enough to think that had offers come in for other players they would have resisted the temptation, however sometimes it's better just to keep quiet and get on with it as others clearly did.

Despite lots of talk twelve months ago the cast-iron offers never materialised and Hunt was left to bemoan the opportunity he had been 'denied'. Ironically for a couple of months we saw glimpses of the old Hunty, perhaps helped by having his younger brother joining the squad. Sadly, as with the whole team, his form dipped dramatically once again. Coppell arguably stuck with his man for too long and reiterated his desire to keep him during the January transfer window. The endorsement went as far as ensuring Hunt a three-year contract in February 2009 - smart business when we can now bag a few million quid for him. Inexplicably Hunt then posted some of the worst performances of his Reading career: only Jimmy Kebe could have exhibited more lack of control of a football, and at least he occasionally beat his man for pace!

So after a season that promised so much but ended in disappointment the rumour mill ground back into action, however it would be Kevin Doyle's move to Wolves that grabbed all the headlines this summer. Doyle had the good grace to say very little last season but do his best to get Reading back in to the Premier League. Ultimately it was not to be, but most would be full of praise for his commitment the club that gave him his big break and wish him well. Unfortunately the same good grace is unlikely to be extended to Stephen Hunt. History will probably judge him kindly as an important member of the 106 Point Legends. It's unlikely he would have fit into Brendan Rodgers' plans anyway but right now as he prepares to move to East Yorkshire it's doubtful I'm alone in thinking that he won't be missed.

The Big Murty Man!

2009-07-28T13:04:00.003+01:00

It's a song. About Graeme Murty. A haunting, melancholic paean to a lost legend, a soulful ballad that tugs at the....um, no it's not, it's a noisy cod-ska rabble-chant - and perfectly acceptable for all that.

May the Norse be with us

2009-07-02T14:37:00.004+01:00

Icelandic midfielder Brynjar Gunnarsson has signed a one year contract. As previously suggested on the 106 Twitter feed he is still very much seen as a man who can do a job in the Championship, and his hunger and commitment have been duly rewarded. Nicky Hammond remarked "He is a very good player, his quality gives him great versatility and he continues to set a good example for the younger players. He has a big part to play this season." I couldn't agree more. Bryn can be vital in helping bring through those youngsters which we all know BR will be keen to do. Not only does he have the proverbial 'good engine' but let's not forget that he has chipped in with some vital goals over the years. Good to have him on board still.

Doyle heads to Molineux for £6.5m

2009-06-30T21:10:00.006+01:00

Doyler's off to Wolves then. Loads has been said on this already, so I'll not drone on - after all it was only a matter of who and when, not if. Dunno why but I watched this press conference and it made me feel a little queasy to be honest. He leaves with the good will and blessing of the fans for sure - and Nicky Hammond called him 'our best ever signing'. £80,000 for four fantastic years, and then sold for £6.5m. It's good for the club and the man, but it's certainly a sad moment. He always seemed like a decent sort, but I couldn't care less if he does well or not (never liked Wolves!), sorry but that's football, we move on. Just don't be surprised if he ends up back at our place on loan in April!

Rodgers to raid Hornets for Smith?

2009-06-13T20:30:00.004+01:00

It wouldn't be a huge surprise if the new gaffer made a raid for Watford's prize assets, especially as the Vicarage Road outfit are strapped for cash. Likely target is 29 year old Tommy Smith who was instrumental in the Hornet's turnaround last season with 17 goals. He seems to have been around for ages, and I recall he was always an out and out striker, but under Rodgers he has been very effective as a winger, an area we've had problems with recently! Slovak born Hungarian Tamas Priskin catches the eye too, a pacy striker with a deadly finish. Watford fans can sleep easy for a while at least as Reading FC have made it clear that we need to sell to make funds available for any future purchases. That will surely be remedied soon with the predicted sale of Stephen Hunt and Kevin Doyle (a winger and a striker...see where this is going?). Andre Bikey is being watched by Marseilles too, so it seems inevitable that significant changes are imminent.

Glory days revisited

2009-06-10T21:39:00.002+01:00

I found this and thought it was worth a post (despite awful soundtrack!) to sort of mark the passing of an era. Made me a tad emotional to be honest , seriously though, how good were we?! Enjoy.

Why we must sell Doyle and move on

2009-06-08T16:14:00.006+01:00

The new Brendan Rodgers sign on Reading FC's manager's door is only just up and already we've had the first transfer rumour of the close season. We all know what to expect in the next couple of months: rumour, counter-rumour and absurd fantasies are the order of the day. With a new manager in position it's going to provide even more fertile ground for the gossip-mongers, and it'll be our 'big names' that become the subject of such idle speculation. Kevin Doyle is without doubt our prize asset, despite his erratic form last season he's a proven goal scorer at the top level and is an established International for the Republic of Ireland. In the past he's attracted interest from Aston Villa but this week it's Everton who might be interested. A £7m deal that involves his tousle-haired compatriot Stephen Hunt has been mooted, and even if the source is the Daily Star let's pause for a while to contemplate what such a move would mean for the football club. Firstly, if such a deal was in the offing it begs the question, 'who is valued at what in this'? Even die-hard fans of the terrier-winger would concede that Hunty Senior was pretty dreadful for at least 75% of last season, so surely his stock has fallen dramatically since the Toffees were rumoured to be interested last August. At one point he was supposedly worth around £3-4m, yep, we'd bite off an arm and more for that right now. A package deal that involved taking Doyler makes a lot of sense to any would-be suitor, with his (Doyle's) worth surely still around the £5m mark. Let's be honest here the chances are that he wants to leave and ply his trade at the highest level, and who can blame him for that? He signed a contract extension in January but it was no secret that he wanted to get back into the Premier League. We wouldn't want to lose him, but we have to face hard facts here, and BR already has. With at least one more season in the Championship we are prey to top flight clubs looking to bolster there squads with good value signings. Everton won't be banking on Doyle or Hunt, but they'd be tidy additions to a squad that will need bolstering should they wish to improve on their excellent 6th place finish last term. With Europa League thrown into that equation it makes even more sense; they don't have stacks of wonga to chuck around, so Championship quality represents limited risk and high returns should it work out. David Moyles certainly knows how to get the very best from limited resources.

If you believe that Brendan Rodgers is the man to get the most out of our youngsters and make a few shrewd signings of his own, then losing our star striker doesn't appear to be such a disaster. What's more Doyle has been hit and miss for sure in the last 18 months, and his style of play has been a little predictable. The pace isn't quite as explosive as it was, and to go most of this year without scoring tells its own tale, despite the inadequacies of the rest of the team. We need to bow to the inevitable and trust in Brendan to use the money from any sales wisely. Simon Church could be on the verge of breaking through, but the loss of Doyle would leave options up front a little limited. Shane Long, Noel Hunt & Kevin Mooney would, along with Church, be the sum total of our striking options throughout the squad. I can't believe we would offload Doyle without having a replacement lined up. Whatever happens it'll be an interesting summer...

Royals and Hornets agree compensation for Rodgers

2009-06-04T12:32:00.003+01:00

The open secret is almost, finally, very nearly an official announcement as Watford and Reading agreed a compensation package that will pave the way for Brendan Rodgers to take the helm at the Madejski Stadium.

I've been reading a few posts on Watford FC forums recently, as you can imagine they are particularly disgruntled, but the thing that struck me was how highly he was regarded there - even after a relatively short spell in charge. His way is certainly for a passing game that is easy on the eye, so we just need to ensure the right players are there to make that style effective. Nigel Howe has indicated this week that academy players such as Simon Church are sure to feature next season, and Rodgers certainly knows how to get the best from the youngsters as he has already spent time in charge of our youth team. Getting the balance of youth and experience right is the first challenge.

So let the 'renaissance' begin, and we wait with eager anticipation to see BR's first moves in the transfer market!

Rodgers odds on to land Royals post

2009-06-02T21:23:00.004+01:00

It seems increasingly likely that current Watford boss Brendan Rodgers will be appointed the new Reading manager some time in the near future. Nicky Hammond is showing due care and diligence in carefully sifting through the applications and with the Hornets keen to retain the services of Rodgers nothing is certain, however it all points to the Irish man taking charge for the new season. Other names in the frame are PNE boss Alan Irvine, and Darren Ferguson who has guided Peterborough into the Championship. Strangely enough I saw somewhere that bookies Victor Chandler had installed Alan Pardew as second favourite at 9/4. Surely some mistake?! Who do you think would be best for us and why?...

Steve Coppell resigns

2009-05-13T12:54:00.003+01:00

So the inevitable happened, albeit sooner than expected. Steve Coppell resigned after six years as Reading manager late last night. His legacy is one unprecedented success, soured a little latterly by the taste of bitter disappointment. It's clearly the end of an era at Reading FC. Although he ultimately failed to takes us back to the Premier League, it's certainly a sad day for the club. Honest, intelligent and highly principled, we may not see his like again.

Coppell's heartbreak

2009-05-12T22:12:00.004+01:00

Steve Coppell gave an emotional post-match interview after the defeat tonight. The gaffer described a 'hollow feeling' after the match and added that once the second Burnley goal went in he knew 'it wasn't meant to be'. Tellingly he talked of the need for 'significant change with the playing staff' and added that the club needed 'a new generation to take responsibility'. He also told the BBC that he 'fully intended to be in work tomorrow planning for the play-off final' and that he signed on the dotted line last year to 'take the club to promotion', admitting failure to do so was a responsibility he accepted. One of the best managers in the game, and the best Reading have ever had, Coppell spoke with more emotion that we're used to, but was his usual measured, thoughtful and insightful self. Whatever decision he makes in the coming weeks his status as a Royals legend is secure.

Wembley dream in tatters

2009-05-12T21:15:00.004+01:00

Bring on next season, this one is finally, mercifully now over. Burnley scored two well struck second half goals to knock the stuffing out of the Royals, and the home side were left to rue a season that in January began a long slow descent into terminal decline. A first half performance was dynamic and full of urgency, but once again lacked any cutting edge. No real chances were carved out, although Simon Church had a promising 45 minutes. Marcus Hahnemann could have been at fault for both goals, but hey, who really cares. Once the goals went in the last 30 minutes made for painful viewing as Reading looked every inch the well beaten side they were. We haven't been good enough this season, simple as that, and good luck to Burnley who deserved it over the two games. However well we played at Turf Moor, the fact is that we failed to score over the two play-off legs, and that is massively disappointing. None will feel more disappointed than Steve Coppell, and it needs to be made clear that he cannot be blamed for everything that has gone wrong this year.

So we clearly need a rethink, to regroup and clear out some of the dead wood, but that's for another time. Tonight at least we have a chance to look forward to better things...

Church starts as Coppell has striker dilemma

2009-05-12T19:20:00.002+01:00

Simon Church will be handed his full Royals debut against Burnley this evening. The Welsh U21 star has been handed a chance to make the headlines and fire the Royals in to a Wembley showdown with Sheffield United. You can get the full story of Church's short career thus far here.

With Kevin Doyle injured and Leroy Lita is not quite fit, it looks posible that the gaffer could start with Shane Long and Church with the out of form Kitson on the bench...let's see!

Bikey enveloped in red mist as Royals dominance goes unrewarded

2009-05-10T18:36:00.004+01:00

Oh dear. Reading should have taken at least a point from a match they dominated - and never looked troubled in at all - but were dealt a sucker punch with a penalty five minutes from time. Tactically Steve Coppell got this one right, we stifled Burnley completely with Kevin Doyle effectively operating as a wide man in a five man midfield. In an excellent first half the Royals created two excellent chances: Jay Tabb forcing a superb save from Burnley stopper Brian Jensen, and following a strong Andre Bikey header, Kevin Doyle's stabbed effort was chested off the line. Burnley were reduced to occasional forays into the Reading half. Liam Rosenior blocking a shot was probably their only chance of any note at all. The second half was more even, but Reading were still looking comfortable, and when Jimmy Kebe broke free on the left and bore down on goal it looked certain he would find Kitson on his own in the 6 yard box. Unfortunately he could not thread the ball pass the final defender, and so a golden opportunity to take a deserved lead back to Berkshire was gone. The story of Kebe's season really, so much promise but unable to deliver the final product. We were made to pay for such profligacy as minutes later Bikey pulled Steven Thompson's shirt and veteran Graham Alexander slotted the spot kick home. What a kick in the teeth, but worse was to come. Bikey let himself and everyone associated with Reading Football Club down with a petulant stamp on Robbie Blake in injury time. Whilst it was clearly borne of frustration, it was a stupid thing to do. The referee gave him a straight red card and he let himself down further with a Drogba-esque display, removing his short and hurling it to the ground. It was a sad end to a match we probably should have won.

So now we have to do something we haven't done since January, actually win a game at the Madejski Stadium. It's a big ask right now, especially with Bikey's suspension. Maybe history will repeat itself though...we should have beaten Burnley earlier this season at Turf Moor and lost 1-0, we won the home game 3-1 - maybe it's an omen! I'm not particularly optimistic but surely we will win at home again this season, eventually! We have one more massively important game to put that right and book a place at Wembley...

Follow 106points on Twitter!

2009-05-04T11:07:00.002+01:00

It's all the rage you know. Now bite-sized chunks of juicy Reading FC nonsense can be followed on Twitter. Unsurprisingly it's here twitter.com/106points

Royals head for play-offs as Bongo grab the spoils

2009-05-03T19:26:00.004+01:00

Reading failed to win at home for the umpteenth time this year and went down to a resilient Bongo side by two goals to one on a dramatic afternoon at the Madejski Stadium. There can be no complaints from Steve Coppell's men who were never really in contention until a late rally gave the Blues some minor cause for concern. It was a match not lacking in commitment and effort on both sides, but quality was in short supply on a sunny afternoon at the Madejski Stadium. The much maligned playing surface seemed to have responded to recent attempts to improve it, but the Royals needed more than just a bit of horticulture to register their first home win since January. The crowd certainly attempted to play their part and the atmosphere was buzzing as the game kicked off. As usual Reading started off with purpose and looked to get forward quickly and close the opposition down. The best chance came from a splendid Andre Bikey ball that found Jimmy Kebe on the left wing. The winger cut inside with pace but could only warm Maik Taylor's gloves with hist shot. Chances were in short supply but it was the visitors who took the lead with a tame looking shot from Kevin Fahey, from our angle it looked to catch Marcus somewhat unsighted as it squirmed home, but in truth it looked like a pretty soft goal to concede. We forced a couple of corners after that, but once again we failed to carve out anything like a clear cut chance. Jem Karacan looked completely out of his depth partnering Jay Tabb in a fairly ineffective midfield partnership, and it was to nobody's surprise that the young Turk was replaced by Marek 10 minutes into the second half. Not long after the change veteran striker Kevin Philips put Bongo two goals to the good, with a well-timed run to latch on to Fahey's ball and roll the ball coolly past Hahnemann. The game looked up for Reading, but almost immediately a decent passing move ended with Marek slotting the ball past Taylor to give the home crowd some hope. Suddenly the Royals came to life,the introduction of Matejovsky had added some much-needed quality and begged the question as to why he wasn't on from the start in a game we had to win. A sublime pass from the Czech international got Stephen Hunt into acres of space behind the Bongo defence only for the Irish winger to squander the chance by chipping a poor cross into the safe hands of Taylor, who had earlier pulled off a fine save from a fierce Marek drive. Shane Long had a decent shout for a penalty ignored by Howard Webb and Gary O'Connor hit the post for the visitors with time running out, but other than that there was little else in the way of decent opportunities at either end.

So it was the 3000 visiting fans who celebrated wildly at the final whistle, their team deservedly grabbing promotion straight back up to the Premier League. For Reading it was another hugely disappointing performance and result at home. We go to Turf Moor next week to take on Burnley, who have no trouble winning at home right now, thumping Brizzle City 4-0 today. A win at Wembley would be something to savour, but it's going to take something special. Our home form is so bad that it seems we are going to need to beat Burnley well next week and hope to avoid defeat in the return leg. Who knows in football eh?

Howard Webb gets the big game for being a bit crap

2009-04-28T21:12:00.002+01:00

It was a terrible decision, and now ref Howard Webb has been punished for awarding Manure a penalty for a perfectly fair challenge by Spurs keeper Gomes. His punishment? He's reffing our game against Bongo on Sunday. Crikey!

Royals sink Canaries to set up epic Bongo clash

2009-04-28T20:44:00.003+01:00

Well who knew? The drama started on Saturday evening as Bongo FC contrived to throw away a 1-0 lead over Preston and ended up losing at St. Andrews by 2 goals to 1. A lifeline for the Royals especially when their faint hopes of automatic promotion were dealt a blow when Sheffield United beat Swansea by a solitary goal. We had to win at Carrow Road to make Sunday's showdown with Bongo mean something for both sides and not just a 90 minute exercise in party-pooping. To add fuel to the flames Norwich City were on the brink of an ignominious relegation to League One, realistically they needed a win last night to have any real chance of survival.

By all accounts it was a fairly accomplished win for the Royals last night, following on from a similar performance and scoreline days previously at Derby. Shane Long bagged a second-half brace and continuinh his excellent form, both assists coming from a rejuvenated Jimmy Kebe. Delia's mob looked like a side on their way down, but the job still has to be done. So it's come to this, a match we have to win - but it's at home! If ever we needed to 'back the boys' it is this Sunday. It seems surreal to think after such a long run of indifferent form that we could be promoted to the Premier League. The atmosphere should be fantastic, I'm excited already. As long as the boys give it a go I'll be happy. None of the other play-off teams look invincible by any stretch of the imagination, so if we don't get the automatic spot then we should have a lot more confidence than we did a few weeks back.

Royals find some form to confirm play-off place

2009-04-21T21:37:00.002+01:00

Reading got the three points they needed to make the play-offs and a timely boost to confidence with an impressive 2-0 win against Derby County. Dave Kitson and Shane Long were on the score sheet in front of over 31,000 at Pride Park. The Royals had the ball in the back of the net three times in the first half, but all were ruled out for offside. In the second half Jimmy Kebe crossed for Kitson to head home, then Shane Long added a second shortly after which enabled the Royals to calmly play out the last 20 minutes. Astonishingly automatic promotion is still possible. Cardiff were held at Charlton so we would need Bongo to lose on Saturday (against play-off chasers Preston) and Sheffield United to fail to beat the other play-off hopefuls Swansea City.

Maybe that's a bit hopeful, but in any case the result was all important tonight - and what's more we created plenty of chances. It's given us hope that we can go into the play offs in pretty good shape.

Burnley win pushes Royals into 6th

2009-04-21T17:30:00.003+01:00

Burnley dented Sheffield United's automatic promotion hopes with a well-deserved 1-0 win at Turf Moor last night. The result takes them above the Royals in the table, but Reading go to Derby County this evening looking to get the win that will cement their play-off place. A point is enough to see us return to 5th due to our far superior goal difference. Come on, we need something to cheer about right now!

Royals found wanting again in search for play-off place

2009-04-20T18:41:00.005+01:00

Teams struggling for points at the wrong end of the Championship table have found a warm and friendly welcome at the Madejski Stadium in recent months. Barnsley were the latest side to leave with a point in the bag after easily containing a Reading side clearly still languishing in a deep trough of form . Thankfully there's only one league game to go this season and on recent showings it simply can't come soon enough for the Royals.

Credit where it's due, Barnsley played some quite tidy football, attempting to pass to feet through a fairly makeshift Royals central midfield. Had they had more cutting edge they might have threatened the Reading goal, but like so many Championship sides they fall short in the areas that count. For the Royals Jay Tabb and Jem Karacan acquitted themselves well enough, but elsewhere there were very off days for Jimmy Kebe, Stephen Hunt, Dave Kitson and Andre Bikey. to name just a handful. Though we still need points to secure that play-off berth but after a poor first 45 you'd be forgiven for thinking we had nothing to play for and we'd resigned ourselves to another year in the Championship. It's astonishing really, we seem to have lost all belief in our abilities. The crowd were unhappy and vented their frustration with a chorus of boos as the players went down the tunnel; it's one thing being held by high-flying Sheffield United, but to be unable to create one decent chance in 45 minutes against Barnsley was deemed wholly unacceptable by the Mad Stade faithful.

At least the team looked as if they were trying in the second half, but to be truthful it was all panciky huff and puff. Where there is a need for an assured and calm presence, a tidy pass here, a thoughtful ball there we simply have aimless hoofing and headless chickens. With Marek dropped to the bench we don't have anyone with the quality to make things happen in that way. It seems poinless to single out individual performances for criticsm when so many are under-achieving. Once can 0nly come to the conclusion that if the players are trying their hardest then a lot of them simply aren't good enough. What's most galling is the style of play we have now adopted: one dimensional, prosaic and frankly a bit dumb. We need a rethink and that starts with a manager with a clear vision who is given the power to make tough decisions and the finances to bring in some quality. While it's still not impossible to gain promotion this season it seems such thoughts belong to the realm of fantasy. I fully expect us to sneak into the play-offs because we are at least capable of not losing away from home, but beyond that we're just not good enough.

Coppell rues the 'wind factor' as Royals limp towards the play-offs

2009-04-14T19:58:00.002+01:00

Steve Coppell isn't usually one to employ fanciful excuses to defend his charges, but after a woeful seond half capitulation to lowly Blackpool he clearly felt the need for a change of tact. The gaffer bizarrely declared the wind to be 'a factor' when quizzed about the performance on BBC Radio Berkshire. At least he had the honesty to admit that it affected both teams in the same way. Maybe he was vainly searching for an explanation as to why his team contrived to surrender a hard-earned first half lead so meekly. The travelling contingent were left rubbing their hands with glee rather than in any reaction to the bracing sea breeze after Noel Hunt and the recalled Jem Karacan had scored to send the Royals in to the dressing room with a deserved advantage. The game was there for the taking despite the home side pulling a goal back before the interval. With the other promotion-chasing teams failing to take control of their own games we might have dared to believe we had been thrown a lifeline. Suddenly all was not lost: take the points here as we surely will and it's game back on! Unfortunately not. By most accounts the Royals barely strung two passes together in the second half, to summarise they were utterly wretched. Cue some poor defending and Blackpool were level, game effectively over. Despite Bongo and Sheffield United faling to win we are now seven points behind the second automatic spot, and Cardiff City's win over Burnley means we're stuck in 5th. Crucially, Swansea City are 5 points behind us in 7th (but have played a game more) .This effectively means that realistically we need 4 points from 12 to take a play-off spot (mathematically we'd need a point more, but our goal difference is vastly superior...yes, it's true!). This should be achievable even for this team playing in this way. Bring it on, at least then we can start the season all over again.

Play-offs beckon as Royals are sunk at home again

2009-04-11T09:42:00.005+01:00

Sheffield United took all three points with a 1-0 win in a physical encounter at the Madejski Stadium yesterday. This hugely disappointing result almost certainly means the Royals will have to gain promotion the hard way through the play-offs. Although Reading hardly deserved to lose, once again they created only a couple of real chances during the entire 90 minutes. The Blades didn't do much more, but took the one decent chance they had. Brian Howard followed up Killgallon's header which came back off the bar, with our players seemingly frozen in their tracks. Ironically Dave Kitson had seen his own header, from a Jimmy Kebe cross, skim the bar just seconds earlier. Prior to that we had looked positive and played some tidy stuff coming out after the break, but were undone by another fairly soft goal. The first half had been notable only for the mid-air collision between former Royal Darius Henderson and Kalifa Cisse which forced the Reading midfielder to leave the field on a stretcher. Jay Tabb replaced him and did a pretty good job: tenacious in the tackle and looking to go forward at all times - thank God Jim Harper wasn't on the bench! With the Royals chasing the game after Howard's goal they lacked cohesion and looked (as Steve Coppell put it) 'panicky'. Dave Kitson saw his fine strike saved acrobatically by Paddy Kenny but other than that we made little impression. Glen Little and Noel Hunt were thrown into the fray to no avail and the game was effectively up long before the referee blew after 6 minutes of injury time.

So that's it then. We would need to win all of our remaining five matches to stand any chance of a top two finish, and even in the wild imaginings of the most optimistic Reading fan that is not achievable. Our main concern now should be securing the three or four points we most likely need to secure a play-off berth. At least we have a seven point cushion over 7th place! The harsh reality is that we are probably going to go into the play-offs on the back of a shocking run of form. Who wouldn't want to play us? We simply don't do big one-off games even when we're playing well! We live in faint hope.

This team will keep going and Coppell will do his best, but clearly we have run out of ideas and fresh impetus is overdue. Some established players have failed to deliver. But there are encouraging signs: Julian Kelly is coming on leaps and bounds; Alex Pearce has really established himself; Jay Tabb looks like a good signing; Federici looks like he'll be a solid first choice in goal before too long. These players will surely be part of a good Reading team of the future. The truth is that team needs to be managed by somebody bringing in a few new players and some fresh ideas.

Royals v Blades: Head to head

2009-04-07T21:02:00.003+01:00

With ten man Bongo beating Wolves last night the picture looks bleak for automatic promotion for the Royals. Small crumbs of comfort might be on offer when we look at our record against Sheffield United in recent years, ahead of our televised Good Friday clash against the Blades. In 13 games stretching back to 2002/2003 (including one League Cup encounter) we have lost just once. It's quite a record, especially when you consider that includes nine victories. We're desperately clutching at straws I know, but maybe we've got a hoodoo over them. Let's just ignore the fact for now that they've won nine times since Christmas and have posted five victories out of the last seven games! This is clearly a huge game for both teams, and we've got to find a performance with the right result to match or the 'promotion decider' against Bongo in May is a dead rubber.

Royals fail to deliver again as Blades close in

2009-04-06T17:16:00.003+01:00

Well what do you know? The Royals failed to score and rarely threatened against a Coventry City side who had avery little to play for. Whilst we have now completed a run of three away games without conceding or losing a game, we've only managed one goal and we clearly are not creating enough chances to threaten the opposition. Just four victories since Christmas tells its own story. A season that promised so much is in danger of fizzling into nothing. Once again we failed to make any ground on the leaders - we're now closer to Preston in 7th than we are to Wolves who occupy the top spot. Sheffield United are now level on points, only our superior goal difference keeps us in third and we all know who visits on Good Friday. To keep alive our lingering hopes of automatic promotion we simply have to win on Friday, and after three home defeats in the last four games the fans will be desperate for something to cheer about over the Easter break. Erm, a chance to resurrect our promotion push...?!

Kitson late show gets Royals back on track

2009-03-18T12:22:00.003Z

Lord Steven of Coppellshire celebrated his 1000th game as a manager with a hard-fought 1-0 win away at Doncaster Rovers. Changes were made by The Gaffer who opted for what was effectively a 4-5-1 formation with Bikey recalled for Pearce at centre back, Kevin Doyle joined the midfield out on the right (Jimmy Kebe was moved to left wing) and Dave Kitson ploughing a lone furrow when Rovers had possession. At times we controlled the game with Rovers happy to hit on the counter. The match was heading for a goalless draw when in the 82nd minute a clever Matejovsky pass found Chris Armstrong who found Dave Kitson. The prodigal son (mk. II) struck a sweet curling left-foot shot past Neil Sullivan to resurrect our automatic promotion hopes just three days after they had looked dead in the water.

A great win, with a determined and mature performance. We absolutely need to post back-to-back away wins for (possibly?) the first time this season and beat Colin's Crystal Palace on Saturday. Game on, this thing will go to the wire!

Coppell's 1000th match

2009-03-17T17:32:00.003Z

As has been widely reported tonight's game will be SC's 1000th game as a league manager. He joins an exclusive club of just 17 gaffers, and I think only Dario Gradi and the Purple One are still active in football league management. It's an astonishing landmark and the man is truly a legend; it'd be fantastic to get a win tonight, not least because of the way things have been going lately. I'm going to predict a hard-fought 2-1 win for the Royals, and hearty congratulations to Mr. C. Even if we don't win!

Tenacity, nonsense and despair

2009-03-17T17:16:00.006Z

Just when you had almost forgotten Alan Pardew he's kindly reminded us what an absolute plank he really is by making some ill-judged and truly offensive remarks on MotD2 last Sunday. Frankly I'm not that surprised he's put his foot in his mouth, he always struck me as one of the great exponents of the gormless post-match comment, splitting infinitives at will and mixing his tenses with the best of them (Peter Reid was the master of this particular art: 'He's went in there like a dose of salts, to be fair' etc). What's more surprising is that he's been asked for an expert opinion on football. Clearly the man's out of his depth when quizzed about such matters, to be fair.

Best team against Donny?

2009-03-16T10:58:00.003Z

With the Doncaster Rovers game just 36 hours away and Steve Coppell bemused as to what to do next, I thought it would be timely to pick my own starting eleven.
I think we desperately need to win the game to reignite any lingering ambitions of automatic promotion, so....

Marcus - gets the nod after a solid showing and a superb save

Kelly - is he available? Can't do any worse than Row-zed-nior

Bikey - has to get in, Hoofberry ain't good enough

Pearce - no contest

Armstrong - still the best option

Tabb - presuming he was injured on Saturday, if recovered he must start tomorrow

Marek - an enigma for sure, but worth the 'risk'

Cisse - showed enough in the Charlton game to be included. Not sure why he was ommitted on Saturday

Little - one of many underperformers against Ipswich, but good for an hour and then hopefully Kebe can stretch them

Hunt Jr. - why has he been dropped? Can't be any worse than Doyle and Kitson right now

Long - our best performing striker, give him a proper run in the team

Coppell 'hasn't a clue' as Royals slump continues

2009-03-15T13:27:00.005Z

Steve Coppell is an honourable and intelligent man whose frank admissions in post-match interviews offer a refreshing antidote to the usual rubbish spouted by so many other managers, so his comments after the 1-0 defeat at the hands of Ipswich Town will come as no surprise. SC admitted it 'he hadn't got a clue' why things were going so badly at home, and opined that we were 'almost looking for a gimmick' (a thinly-veiled reference to the Little and Kitson deals perhaps?) to change things around. On paper surely we have the players to get out of this division, but something isn't right and time's running out. The gaffer got it spot on when he said 'we're a soft touch' at the moment at the Madejski - Ipswich didn't really have to bring their 'A' game to get a result. After a promising start when we hit the bar from a set-piece header you could sense half way through the first 45 that the away team had weathered the 'storm' and were growing in confidence. I'm usually less than prescient but my prediction of a goal for Town soon after half time became reality almost immediately after the restart. Jon Stead's belter of an overhead kick was a rare moment of class in a poor match, the other moment was a wonderful save from the recalled Marcus to keep us in the game. We created so few chances that it's hard to recall a decent attempt on goal. It's seems almost ridiculous to criticise individual performances such is the malaise that hangs over the club at the moment, but how on earth Michael Duberry continues to keep Andre Bikey out of the team is a one of the great mysteries of our time (yeah, OK, I exaggerate slightly).

We are playing so badly without any reason that can be clearly defined so perhaps it doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility that we could suddenly click and find the form that has eluded us for so long. Three away games on the bounce seems a perfectly feasible place to start.

In a season that has been so unpredictatble, disjointed and frustrating I'm not going to hazard a guess as to what will happen over the next 9 games. We might go on an unbeaten run, but we might struggle to make the play-offs.

Royals fail to beat basement boys

2009-03-11T16:01:00.003Z

Reading could only draw with lowly Charlton Athletic last night and consequently lost the opportunity to gain ground on Bongo and Wolves. This was another poor performance at home, and I'll review it by rating each player with a brief comment on their performance.

Federici

Not much to do, but culpable for their second goal and looked a little uncertain at times.

Armstrong

Fine.

Duberry

Rubbish and surely cannot keep Bikey out of the side for much longer.
Prone to excessive hoofing. At fault for the late equaliser.

Pearce

Looking more assured as time goes by; easily one of our better players yesterday.

Rosenior

Another horror show. Poor distribution the sum of which was aimless lumping up the channel. At fault for the late equaliser.

Hunt

Not good enough once again. Rightly removed to make way for....

Tabb

Can do everything Hunt can't at the moment. Enthusiastic, lively and bagged an assist for Long's second.

Matejovsky

Engimatic. Some good flourishes but drifted out of it and looked disinterested towards the end.

Cisse

Anonymous in the first half; performed well in the second and got stuck in. Made way for...

Harper

Not really enough time to make an impression.

Little

A first half performance that reminded us what we've been missing. Went looking for work and used the ball efficiently and sensibly. Predictably faded in the second half but a welcome and generally impressive return. Alarming how much better he looked than most of the other players.

Doyle

Contributed very little, an off day.

Long

I've been critical but took his goals well and was a threat at times. Deserves the nod ahead of...

Hunt Jr.

A five minute cameo, did nothing wrong.

Frustrating once again. We really have to start winning at home soon.

Kitson back on loan too!!!

2009-03-10T09:56:00.002Z

Another rumour becomes reality as Dave Kitson returns to the Royals on loan until the end of the season. I'm excited. A target man of his ilk could be just what we need. More here from the BBC

Little back on loan!

2009-03-08T16:44:00.008Z

Rumours were rife, but it's now official: Glen Little has returned to the Royals on loan until the end of the season. He's already trained with the squad this morning, and will be available for the visit of Charlton on Tuesday. He told the official website:

"I'm really looking forward to it; it should be an exciting end to the season and I'll do everything I can to try to help Reading get back into the Premier League.

"I'm fit and have been training every week, but just haven't had the opportunity to play at Portsmouth since Boxing Day which has been frustrating.

This has to be great news for Reading FC, a firm favourite of the fans, it will be fantastic to see him marauding down the right wing again. Despite Jimmy Kebe's goal yesterday he's had a poor run of form and we certainly need options there. I expect Little to be eased in as an 'impact sub' rather than an automatic starter. Let's hope he can recreate some of the form that he showed during those halcyon days!

Royals fight back to earn point at Plymouth

2009-03-08T16:38:00.003Z

A bit of momentum then. We dared to hope that we could regain some form on our travels, and a spririted fight back at Home Park saw the Royals take another positive step towards promotion. Alex Pearce and Jimmy Kebe equalised in each half, but by the end of the match we were the team looking for a winner. Even though Bongo and Wolves won we still have games in hand, and more importantly it looks like we've turned a corner. With basement boys Charlton the visitors to the Stade de Mad on Tuesday night we've got a perfect opportunity to start winning at home again.

Three at last! Royals steel a win in Sheffield

2009-03-03T21:49:00.004Z

Reading scored for the first time in five games, and then promptly scored again to come from behind and beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 at Hillsborough. Kevin Doyle and Shane Long were on target as the Royals secured their first away win since December. ABout bloody time too!

Royals lose, fail to score etc

2009-03-02T20:09:00.004Z

Luckily I was unable to attend Saturday's 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest, but by all accounts we were better in the first half but didn't come out for the second, allowing Forest to gain in confidence and inevitably bag a well-taken winner. Somewhat predictably Bongo and Wolves also lost at the weekend, and the strange story of the Championship nobody wanted to win continues.

On the positive side Jay Tabb made his debut and looked decent enough. He replaced an abject Jimmy Kebe who's early season form has completely evaporated. It would be unfair to single him out though, too many players are underperforming, and the team is now in a slump that has significantly dented confidence. Perhaps two away games in succession offers the chance to play without fear and and free from the weight of home crowd expectation. With the Championship going the way it is it seems entirely possible that none of the current top three will go up automatically in May. However that said the sides below us aren't so much a chasing pack as a collection of teams vaguely shuffling in a similar direction.

Abject Royals lose at home

2009-02-23T18:50:00.004Z

It has been on the cards for some time and true to current form a lacklustre performance resulted in defeat to Bristol City today. Somewhat predictably Coppell kept faith with the same eleven that began the goalless draw against Preston and looked so average. Surely we needed to be more adventurous and far less predictable against a decent passing side like City? Steve didn't think so and to almost nobody's surprise City took the lead with a Dele Adebola header midway through a first half that we were second best in. The goal itself was simple, a hanging cross to a big lad at the far post, it was not really representative of the style with which City played: neat, tidy, easy-on-the-eye stuff. By contrast we looked pretty devoid of attacking ideas save for lumping it up field aimlessly and hoping that something might come of it. Plan A didn't work. Notable absentees from the game were Stephen Hunt (clueless), Jim Harper (ditto), Jimmy Kebe (wretched), but Doobs and Federici looked culpable for their opener...I could go on through the team, but it's far too depressing. With vociferous support behind them the visitors looked well up for it, strangely we looked a little disinterested. Surely Coppell would change things at half time, because it seemed plain for all to see that these players playing like this were not going to get us back into the game. No changes. Two minutes after the break City were two up thanks to a calamitous goal mouth scramble. 'How did that go in?' somebody asked. They wanted it more was the simple answer, or at least it appeared that way.

WIth the game pretty much up Cisse and Harper were replaced by Bryn and Marek, and shock, horror we looked far better. Marek in particular changed the way we played, always looking for the angled pass, the clever little ball, always trying to get us moving forward. He also made more tackles in his 30 minute cameo than Harper and Cisse put together. Whilst we certainly looked better in the final half an hour we never really looked like getting back into the game. City deserved the points and we have some serious questions to answer. Bongo's defeat to Coventry limited the damage somewhat as far as the table is concerned, but we need to bounce back immediately against Forest on Saturday. The home fans deserve better and Coppell cannot possibly consider leaving Matejovsky out, he is quality and the only person doing something different for us right now. Nobody was free from blame for that performance on Saturday. It's time to stand up and be counted and start performing like promotion candidates.

-- Post From My iPhone

Convey knows the way to San Jose

2009-02-12T14:59:00.004Z

He's only gone and joined the San Jose Earthquakes, and now their 'offence' is complete!
Read all about it here!

A really interesting article about Reading FC

2009-02-12T14:57:00.002Z

Tired of all this nonsense? Yeah me too. You can read something really good about us here, from the BBC website.

Bobby Convey leaves

2009-02-08T17:35:00.003Z

His star shone all too briefly during the halcyon days of '05/'06, and now Bobby Convey has left the club by mutual consent. Convey was one of the revelations of that season, but hardly featured after that with injury giving Shunty his opportunity which he duly took. Convey's last contribution of note was over a year ago, when he supplied the pass to set-up Jim Harper's goal against Liverpool. Since then he has become an increasingly peripheral figure, though one who remained well-liked by the fans. Stand out Convey moment for me? A goal that lingers in the memory was one he scored at Molineux, typical marauding run, cuts in from the left and drives a low shot home. Quality. Nicky Hammond offered some gracious words on his departure, suggesting he 'has a place in our history'. Quite so.

Bore draw as Royals fail to score again

2009-02-08T17:19:00.004Z

Reading gave it a good go against Preston but couldn't find a way through a well-organised North End defence. If you leave aside the own goal against Wolves it's the third match in a row that we have failed to find the net, but on the plus side of course we haven't conceded either. Preston lined up with one of the fattest teams I have ever seen in a game at this level. I don't want to reinforce any stereotypes here, but they sure do eat a lot of pies. Parkin is a mighty lump of a lad, and missed their best chance in the second half. There's a few others that look a little on the rotund side.

Anyway not much happened in the first half, and with time running out in the second SC threw caution to the wind and brought on Marek for the anonymous Jim Harper. After that to nobody's surprise we looked far more positive and showed some attacking intent. Shane Long did pretty well after he came on for Doyler, although he completely fluffed a cross from a sublime Marek pass which opened up the PNE defence. Leroy Lita did OK starting along side Doyle, and Alex Pearce looks like an able deputy for Ingar. In truth neither keeper was really troubled, and PNE have to go down as one of the most negative sides to have played at the Madejski Stadium this season. This could have been a tactic, or it could have been the result of a complete lack of fitness from a side that look like they could beat all-comers in a pie-eating competition.

Other results mean that little damage was done by dropping the points, but we need to get back to winning ways at home to Bristol City in two weeks, which you'd like to think will be a better game altogether, with hopefully the right result to match.

Royals deadline day deals as they happened...

2009-02-03T15:22:00.014Z

....<whistles>

Good news really, we didn't lose anyone - and despite my feelings about Harps and Hunt right now, this is probably for the best at such a crucial stage of the season. I fully expect Shunty to knuckle down and have one of his all-too-infrequent purple patches now. Don't be surprised if you see more arm-waving and faux tackling from Jim Harper.

And now for some debate: I don't want to give you the impression that I don't rate Jim, it's just he used to do so much more, and to qualify this I have nominated my top three favourite Harper moments, see if you can come up with more of your own.

1. That equaliser against Crystal Palace
A tense Friday night affair at their place, and Andy 'Andrew' Johnson does what he did best (eh?!) by falling over and converting the subsequent penalty. Within two minutes a slick move ends with JH blasting it past their hapless keeper to extend the 29-match unbeaten run. This is how the Independent described that night and it's a joy to read, what a team.

2. That winner against Boro
On the back of about 54 Premier League defeats, Jim turns up from nowhere to bury a late winner at the Riverside. A few hundred Royals fans go bonkers; Gareth Southgate looks more glum than usual.

3. That goal against Liverpool
Yes, that result did really happen. The coolest of finishes from Jim as he puts the nail in the coffin and sends Rafa's lot packing with their first league defeat of the term. Easily our finest moment of a miserable season.

Got any more?

'Arry in the Hunt for, erm, Shunt?

2009-02-02T14:13:00.005Z

The ongoing saga that is Stephen Hunt's impending move to any old Premier League outfit in the bottom half of the table continues. Now rumours abound that Spurs could launch a surprise £5m deadline day bid for the wantaway (allegedly) winger (allegedly!!). Frankly if Redknapp is offering that sort of money for the lad I will get my car keys and head for 'The Lane'. If it happens will we snap up Jamal Campbell-Ryce from Barnsley to fill the, erm, 'void'? Let's hope so. The most likely event is that nothing will happen at all, in which case Hunt will probably go on to have a blinding spell similar to the one he had after the last move in the summer fell through, can't fault him in that respect so either way it could turn out good for us.

Stalemate once again in Battle of the Hoops

2009-02-02T14:04:00.003Z

Reading and QPR went another 90 minutes without producing a goal on a cold and blustery afternoon at Loftus Road on Saturday. By most accounts there wasn't an awful lot to report on really, with perhaps QPR creating the better chances in a match that barely tested either keeper. We'll be happy with an away point despite losing ground on Wolves (who beat Watford at home) as Bongo failed to beat Sheffield Wednesday, thus retaining the two-point lead over Mcleish's lot.

Fae out, Harding in

2009-01-29T21:40:00.000Z

Emerse Fae's loan to Nice was made permanent to nobody's surprise. Strange one really, we chased him for a whole season and then it seemed we didn't know what to when we finally got him.

Perhaps more surprising is the news that Dan Harding has arrived on loan from Ipswich, looks to be cover for Chris Armstrong at left back as we go into a vital stage of the season. He's played under-21 level for England, so certainly looks like he can do a job if required.

Harper the striker

2009-01-28T11:21:00.000Z

This from today's BBC football gossip column: 'Middlesbrough are closing in on Reading striker James Harper. (Daily Express)'

OK, where to begin? If Jim Harper is the answer to Boro's multitude of problems, then seriously, I want to know the question.

..and 'striker'? Poor research by the BBC (I'm going to ignore tha fact that it came from the Diana Express) at the very least. Harper going forward? He makes Ray Wilkins look like Steven Gerrard.

Royals show attitude to overcome leaders

2009-01-28T08:47:00.004Z

Well it wasn't a thriller, and their were moments when it restored my faith in staying at home and watching the telly, but the Royals achieved a significant result courtesy of a determined performance and a howler of an own goal. Reading lined up with two fringe players in the back four in Julian Kelly (deputising for the suspended L.Rosenior Junior) and Alex Pearce (in for Ivar Ingimarsson, injured?), and although Pearce has had some league minutes this season the defence had a makeshift look about it. Something approaching a good atmosphere was evident for the first time in a while for a game under the lights with 22,000 tickets sold. It didn't take long for the majority of the fans to have something to cheer about when Neil Collins' looping header beat his own keeper and the Royals were in front on 61 seconds. What then ensued for the remaining 88 minutes was a scrappy affair between two very similar teams. Kelly looked uncomfortable at times but grew in confidence towards the end; Pearce had a fairly solid match, first partnering Michael Duberry and then Kalifa Cisse (Duberry took a knock on the head and was unable to continue) with confidence. Aside from a long-range free kick from Noel Hunt that was tipped over it's hard to recall any saves of note from either keeper. It really was that kind of game. Though one could complain about the lack of quality on display, it would be harsh indeed to question the commitment shown by the players. Even Jimmy Kebe got stuck in and had one of his more effective games. Leroy Lita got 10 minutes at the end and caused a few problems, Shane Long joined him and erm, didn't.

So the 'Results Juggernaut' rolls on (with the occasional puncture!). Pretty we ain't right now, but most effective we certainly are. Credit to SC for knowing how to get the most from the players at his disposal - and of course to those players themselves. I'll stand by my pre-match prediction and state for the record I believe we'll go on to win the title now. May be a little premature (OK, it's definitely premature!) but I'm beginning to think about what happens next season, because it's difficult to imagine this current collection of players doing anything other than struggle in the top flight.

The Company of Wolves

2009-01-27T13:50:00.010Z

Tonight's game is arguably the biggest of the season. Actually, there's no argument about it is there? This is the big one. Our impressive 3-0 win back in in September at Molineux was significant for a number of reasons: suddenly we could win away from home, Wolves were now within reach after opening up a big gap at the top, and perhaps most significantly we sent a message to everyone that we were the team to beat this season. Since then it's been very much a three horse race between us, Bongo and Wolves. This is the third encounter of four with our closest rivals, and so far our record is 100%, we tonked the Bongo 3-1 in December to replace them in second place. Since the trip to St. Andrews in December we've just lost the one league game and although not played at the top of our game, in the main we've managed to get results. This game is significant for the current table positions of course, if we win they are within touching distance, if they win a decent gap opens up again, but also because I reckon the winners of this will go on to win the title. I also think that we'll both go up automatically, so make of that what you will.

So it's bound to end up in a draw ain't it?

You want team news? Likely to be Julian 'JK' Kelly in for L. Rosenior Junior with Murts out on loan at doomed Charlton. Then probably as you were if I know SC. Not enough detail? Go here then.

We're back!

2009-01-26T16:32:00.004Z

Wow, things have changed! The US has a new president (name escapes me), some guy called Jonathan Ross is on the telly on Friday nights and Oirish Firebrand Stephen 'Sr.' Hunt is 'wanted' by a couple of average Premier League clubs! OK not everything has changed. But 106 Points is back! Apologies for the enforced hiatus due to, well, lack of interest I suppose. I promise it won't happen again and this time I shall be tackling the issues that really matter with a renewed energy and vigour. For starters I want you to ponder the following for me:

Will Jimmy Kebe finish a game without falling over himself and/or the ball?
Has Michael Duberry decided to emulate the early days of Andre BK and become a random hoofer?
Would we miss Shunt if he went and did one?
Is Jay Tabb any good?
What sort of name is Jay Tabb?
Are we going to get that bloke from Barnsley with the double-barreled name?
How cold was that Watford game!?
Will Marek cut the mustard and show us how good we know he really is?
Does Leroy have a future with us?
How come we have been playing pretty averagely and are still 2nd?!

Actually that last one has been a favourite topic of mine for some time. I can't recall the last time we played really well at home. The Watford game was possibly the strangest; for large portions we looked average and there was little to distinguish the two teams. We have become very effective at what we do, something Alex Mcleish said when we tonked Bongo at their place. I'm not complaining ('makes a change' - All my mates) but that certain flair isn't really there is it? Replaced by pragmatism, probably what you need to escape this division. Ah what the heck, we've scored a hatful of goals and are second in the league, so let's be honest it's better than being a Luton Town fan (they are now on 1pt. after overhauling their 30pt. penalty) ain't it?

So come on, give me some opinion, abuse (within reason, this is a brave new world after all), banter, whatever.

Royals derailed by impressive Saints

2008-11-23T08:22:00.006Z

Beating Derby County at home was done at an impressive canter; winning at Bramall Lane staked our claim as genuine automatic promotion contenders. So today's opposition offered us a perfect opportunity to stretch the gap over the chasing pack; surely this would be a straight forward win with something to spare. Saints have been languishing near the bottom of the league all season, nothing to worry about then, points in the bag, thanks very much.

Oh dear, how wrong could we be? Seven home wins out of eight has meant that we turn up to the Mad Stade these days expecting wins, and usually with plenty of goals. A wasted opportunity in the opening three minutes was to prove costly in the extreme: following a scything Jimmy Kebe run, Noel Hunt found himself with space in the area and brother Stephen a simple square pass away from slotting home the opener. But the pass was slightly behind Hunt Senior, who had to check back momentarily which allowed Saints defenders to regroup sufficiently and the chance was gone. Southampton were now galvinised. They had already started strongly, neat passing, closing down the space well and looking dangerous going forward. Sensing that they'd been let off the hook they took hold of the game in a way that no other team has been able to do at the Mad Stade this season. The extent to which we were on the back foot was such that a Southampton opening goal appeared to be a matter of not if, but when. SO it was that with 15 minutes on the clock the impressive Bradley Wright-Philips rose unchallenged to head Saints ahead. Questions have to be asked about our defending, should Marcus have come for the cross? Why was Wright-Philips all alone in the six yard box? The pattern o f the half was established; forced onto the back foot we looked rattled and bereft of attacking ideas. Andre Bikey, so often a colossus at the back, looked hesitant and off the pace; Stephen Hunt seemed unable to pass to anyone but a man in red and white; Noel Hunt could not get into the game at all, and James Harper was a peripheral figure chasing shadows in midfield. It was left to Marcus in goal to offer some kind of resistance which he did in the form of some stunning saves that effectively kept the deficit to just the one goal at the break. SC would have some teacups to smash if he was to turn this one around. Nobody expected substitutions at HT as there was nothing definite to put the finger upon; we were generally not very good all over the place, and they were generally a lot better in all departments - and things didn't change after the break. Within 5 minutes of the restart Wright-Philips doubled his and his team's tally with a fierce low drive from the edge of the box. Not a lot Marcus could have done, the ball had been lost in the final third and then we stood off giving BWP plenty of time and space to pick his spot. There seemed no way back and the large travelling contingent from the South coast looked like they were going to be celebrating a rare away win. Things didn't go all Southampton's way though, we managed to conjure up a rare piece of good attacking play which was neatly finished by Jimmy Kebe. What a shame that Kebe's opening goal for the club was in such circumstances - but could this be the platform for an wholly unlikely comeback? On the strength of the performance it would have been an act of robbery that would have made Dick Turpin blush. However, buoyed by the goal the next five minutes saw us actually take the initiative and we caused mild panic in the Saint's defence, we even managed to get the ball in the net again but from an offside position. Marek, Shane Long and even James Henry were thrown in to the frey, but to no avail. The minor setback of conceding a goal was not going to deter Southampton and they soon got back into their rhythm of slick passing, good movement and organised defending. For the Royals the game was up.

Sometimes in football you just have to hold your hand up and say that the better team on the day won. On this display it seems astonishing that Saints are struggling near the bottom, and maybe this will prove to be just a highlight in a poor season for them, who knows. We just didn't click today at all. Too many players had bad days, and as SC said after the game, it's hard to explain why. We can't use the excuse of the international break, these are professionals. Ultimately this will probably have no real bearing on our season, and we haven't become a poor team overnight. Maybe we aren't as good as we thought we were. No matter, such is the nature of the Championship that we have the chance to put things right in a few days time at Cardiff City.

It's easy to put things into perspective on days like yesterday. Before the start of the match a minute's applause was the moving tribute to young academy goalkeeper Stuart McEwan, who lost his life in a tragic accident the previous weekend. Football is only a game after all.

Royals go on a Robins rampage

2008-11-01T16:40:00.008Z

Well, what do I know? Clearly smarting after the unlucky midweek defeat at Turf Moor, Reading reacted in emphatic style by thumping Bristol City 4-1. A brace from The Doyler and a goal each for Noel Hunt and Kalifa Cisse (a belter) ensured maximum points were taken away from home for only the second time this season. It was a well deserved victory against a side who hadn't conceded a goal in over 400 minutes of football. What a season this is turning out to be - the proverbial roller coaster ride. I predicted a defeat today based on recent results and performances, but you don't turn into a bad team overnight as they say! Next up are Derby County at home, and a chance to get back to winning ways at the Madejski Stadium too.

Royals wretched away form continues

2008-10-28T21:44:00.003Z

Reading went down to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Burnley at Turf Moor this evening. Robbie Blake scored the only goal of the contest on 81 minutes. This means we have inexplicably won only once on our travels all season. Simply put, this sort of form means a top 6 finish at best come May next year. Even more of a concern is that the home form has suffered a dip too, so we can't even rely on that to keep us in contention. Our frailties away from home are there for all to see; Burnley were swept aside at the Madejski a few weeks back, but would have certainly fancied ther changes in the return fixture - after all we had already lost to Ipswich, Preston and Charlton this season. Worrying times indeed, and I can only predict another defeat on our travels at Ashton Gate this Saturday, by which time we could have dropped a few places in the table.

Fortress Madejski breached

2008-10-27T13:29:00.008Z

Today's match report comes from guest contributor, Glutes. Sadly, I was unable to attend Saturday Night's, erm, 'thriller'.

"A disappointing evening at the Madstad saw QPR become the first team to take points from the Royals at home this season. The visitors had clearly done their homework and came to defend from the outset; their five man midfield proved difficult to break down and they enjoyed the lion's share of possession throughout the match. The home side looked distinctly under par with far too much aimless hoofing which was comfortably dealt with by the visitors athletic back line and a combined failure to get the ball under control and play passing football. Both sides had chances in the first half with the Royals going close through Kebe’s shot, lashed narrowly wide and Noel Hunt’s downwards header saved by keeper Cerny. A bright start to the second half saw Reading unlucky not to get what looked like a certain penalty when QPR midfielder Kevin Mahon clearly handled Noel Hunt's cross. Late in the game the Royals pressure resulted in a series of corners, with Cisse going close with a great header which forced a good save from the Rangers keeper.All in all a draw was probably a fair result.

Hard to pick a man of the match, as no one was outstanding, Rosenior looked good going forward, but failed to provide much end product, Armstrong did OK, Bikey looked both sublime and ridiculous in the same movement. Doyle worked hard but didn’t really get a sniff of goal. With two tricky away games to come starting with Tuesday night’s visit to Burnley, the rest need to improve if we are to threaten the automatic promotion places."

Royals labour to win against lowly Doncaster

2008-10-23T12:50:00.005+01:00

OK, a win's a win. I'm going to struggle to say much more about a performance that echoed Saturday's against Preston, but that thankfully had the opposite result. In fairness to Doncaster Rovers, they looked a bit better than their league position suggests, but if I was being unkind I'd say at times we made them look way better than they really are. We looked anything but the form team who have swept all aside at 'Fortress Madejski', and it was a relief when Andre Bikey opened the scoring with a header from a Stephen Hunt free kick. We didn't really build on it though and Doncaster actually threatened themselves and racked up a few corners. Neat passing in a compact formation seemed to make them difficult opponents for the Royals and the half time interval offered an opportunity to take stock and come out with renewed vigour in the second half. This wasn't to be the case and as this tawdry affair drew to its conclusion the inevitable happened: Doncaster scored from a simple set piece, much to the delight of their small travelling contingent. An unlikely point seemed to be on the cards for the visitors, but almost immediately Kevin Doyle equalised with a decent header. It was probably a bit harsh on Donny, but came as welcome relief to the home support who were getting a little restless. We never really kicked on from there which led to a tense last few minutes, but the points were in the bag. In many ways this reminded me a bygone era: unfashionable opponents, cold Tuesday evening, lots of empty seats (although 18,000 is very respectable considering the appeal of the fixture!) and not much in the way of entertainment. We've been lucky enough to have had plenty to cheer about this season at home -maybe we shouldn't expect to thrash everyone but we will need to improve on Saturday against QPR.

Royal's run halted at Deepdale

2008-10-18T20:38:00.000+01:00

Reading's fine run of form came to an abrupt end at the hands of mid-table Preston North End. Stephen Hunt converted a 15th minute penalty after younger brother Noel was brought down by Sean St. Ledger. The Royals went in to the break a goal to the good but a poor second half performance allowed the home side a foothold in to the game. An own goal from Ivar and a tap-in for Stephen Elliot after hesitancy from Marcus did the damage and sent the Royals home with nothing. Noel Hunt hit the post late on but it was defensive frailty that caused the problems. We remain third but have a good opportunity to bounce back with two home games in the next week. The inconsistent away form is still a concern and the ghosts that we thought had been exorcised at Molineux have clearly not yet been put to rest. We need to get back to winning ways when lowly Doncaster Rovers visit on Tuesday night. I expect a strong performance with a glut of goals!

Harper and the midfield conundrum

2008-10-16T13:32:00.002+01:00

Steve Coppell has a problem. It's the sort of problem, however, that most football club managers relish: he will very shortly have at least five capable midfield players vying for just two berths in his team. At the end of the game against Burnley, Kalifa Cisse replaced a resurgent Bryn Gunnarson and promptly sent a message to the manager with an imposing display of his own. Youngster Jem Karacan has made a very good case for Coppell to continue showing faith in him, and Marek Matejovsky's obvious quality can't be ignored for too long as he returns from injury.

So what next for James Harper? The twitchy midfielder has long divided opinion amongst the Reading faithful. Now one of the 'old guard' - Alan Pardew brought him in from the Arsenal reserves - he made a name for himself alongside another Arsenal junior, Steve Sidwell, forming one of the greatest midfield partnerships in the club's history. Together they were the lynchpin of the Championship-winning side and continued the success through the first season in the Premier League. When Sidwell left for bench-warming duties at Chelsea at the end of that season, the responsibility fell on Harper to team up with a replacement and try to recreate the winning formula. However replacing a player like Sidwell was never going to be easy and so it proved. Harper and Sids complemented each other perfectly: the incisive tackling and crisp passing of the Ginger Ninja allowed Harps to roam and harry, and chip in with a few important goals. With Sids gone Harper was suddenly thrust into the role of senior partner; it would be up to him to ease in a new midfielder unused to the way the well-oiled machine works. Was Cisse the replacement for Sidwell intended by the manager? If so he too often looked like a player not entirely sure what exactly was expected of him. In any case last season was characterised by an inability to take control in the middle of the pitch; we were overrun and never saw enough of the ball to build a platform or take control of games. Harper obviously cannot be blamed for everything, and he did score two really important goals for us against Liverpool at home and Boro away. Unfortunately he simply does not do enough for me, nobody can question his commitment, but running around a lot is the bare minimum required for a player in that role. He does not make enough tackles and rarely passes the ball forward, maybe that is fine in a slick, functioning midfield in which the roles and requirements are clearly defined, but until recently that has not been the case.

The harsh truth is that, right now, we look better without him. Coppell clearly holds him in high regard, bestowing the captaincy upon him this season, but now the battle for a place is going to be harder than ever for Harper, with the competition for places in a very good side hotting up.

...and the Football League's top scoring team is...

2008-10-06T21:48:00.005+01:00

We famously bagged 99 goals during that record breaking season, and this term we have already scored 26, which is more than any other team in all four divisions. At this rate we are on target to achieve another huge haul, but it might be a bit ambitious to hope to better that fantastic total. We also have three players amongst the top 15 scorers in the Championship: Kevin Doyle has 8, with the Hunt Bros. on 4 each. We've hit our stride in a big way, and it's beginning to feel a little like it did back in 2005. Maybe I shouldn't get too carried away.

It is fantastic to see The Doyler back to his hustling bustling best, he looks a yard faster than early on in the season and clearly full of confidence. His contribution when not scoring has been vital, How could we ever doubt him?! The biggest concern now is what happens in January, but let's make hay while the sun shines as they say.

Royals march on

2008-10-06T21:33:00.002+01:00

Reading barely had to move out of first gear to send in-form Burnley the way of all other visitors to the Madejski Stadium this season with a 3-1 win. Noel Hunt bravely headed in the first after 4 minutes from a Jimmy Kebe cross and received what looked like a stray elbow for his troubles. Shane Long replaced Hunt who was deemed unfit to continue and in truth Burnley probably had the better of the rest of the half without ever really threatening to score. A rejuvenated Reading were far more positive after the break and got their just reward when Stephen Hunt headed in from a wonderful pinpoint Kebe cross. Excellent work from Kevin Doyle set up Shane Long for a well deserved third. It probaby should have been more with Kebe spurning a good chance to open his account. The visitors got a consolation only after we were reduced to ten men due to an injury to Kebe. The teams finished the game with ten men each when Stephen Jordan received a second yellow late on.

Burnley were a reasonably tidy outfit who lacked any real cutting edge; only when new signing Chris Eagles appeared half way through the second half did they pose any real threat. They came with a useful Championship reputation and left well beaten. On current form it's difficult to see how anyone in this division can live with us; we go into the International break looking very much like the team to beat. It's a good time to be a Reading fan.

Best away wins?

2008-10-01T12:33:00.006+01:00

Last night's performance got me to thinking: what have been the best away wins of the Madejski Stadium era (OK, that sounds a bit like an oxymoron but you know what I mean!)?. After the game a caller to Radio Berkshire recalled that fine victory almost exactly 10 years when we went to Wallsall, who were flying high in Division Two (old money), and against all the odds came away with a 2-0 win, courtesy of Martyn Williams and Grant 'History Maker' Brebner. The shock of this result was compounded by the fact that we were on an amazing run of 15 away defeats! So what are those other famous away victories since 1998? Winning at Bradford with ten men in 2003 maybe? Um, maybe not. The immensely satisfying defeat of West Ham in the first season in the Premier League? Or maybe easing past Manchester City at Eastlands? There were certainly a few during the record-breaking season. One thing is for sure, last night's will stand out as something special - but we have to build on it now.

Fabulous Reading break away duck in style

2008-09-30T22:10:00.002+01:00

Reading looked every inch the class act as they thumped league leaders Wolves by three goals to nil at Molineux. A goalkeeping error gifted the Royals the opening goal after 5 minutes, Bikey headed in from close range to make it two after an hour and Kalifa Cisse applied the coup de grace late on. Reading were fine value for their first away win of the season: they passed the ball well and defended with composure, Ivar leading by example but Liam Rosenior was also superb and is really beginning to look like a quality player. Kebe caused problems all night and both Jem Karacan and Bryn will be giving SC food for thought in midfield, especially with Marek in training again.

What a superb result. We are now just 5 points behind Wolves and trail Bongo FC by 3. Bring on Burnley!!

Irish treble for Royals as Swans are sunk

2008-09-28T12:08:00.006+01:00

Four Goals from the Royals' Irish contingent of the Brothers Hunt and Kevin Doyle ensured an easy victory in the autumn sunshine against Swansea City. A dominant first half display saw the Royals coast to a 3-0 lead with some assured and attractive football. It was always going to be tricky to keep the momentum going with the game effectively won, and so it proved to be true as the Welsh side played the better football in the second half, though their only chance of note was a free kick that struck the bar. Noel opened the scoring with a sweet header from a corner, Doyle made it two with a close range effort and Stephen Hunt slotted home the third after good work opened up the Swansea defence once again. Doyle finished well for his second late on after some good interplay through the middle.

So the excellent home form continues, and we must hope that this is the confidence booster we need to improve our fortunes on the road. We'll need to be at our best because we go to Molineux on Tuesday night; Wolves are in outstanding form and although we have moved up to third in the table, we are trailing them by 8 points, and a defeat would make it 11 points. That's a hefty deficit so early on in the season.

Coppell happy to replay Watford game

2008-09-22T17:04:00.006+01:00

Steve Coppell has agreed to the idea of a replay of the 'Ghost Goal' match on Saturday. He told the official club website:

If the authorities decide a replay is the correct thing to do then I've got no objections whatsoever.

He went on to say that he felt bad for Watford and wants to make amends. This sounds like common sense and I hope it's looked at seriously as an option by the Football League. Whilst I don't think it's fair that we should be criticised for not doing something else in the heat of the moment on Saturday, I do feel this is as fair a solution as is possible now, and as the controversy grows this would put paid to the crazy notion that the Royals are somehow as culpable as the officials for the whole sorry mess.

That Watford 'goal': should we have 'played fair'?

2008-09-22T13:12:00.014+01:00

There has been some suggestion that we should have allowed Watford to score after the travesty of the first Reading goal, to even things up and allow the game to carry on in a spirit of fair play. John Ashdown at The Guardian thinks so, and he opines that by not doing this we have somehow contributed to the pervasive atmosphere within football of poor sportsmanship and a disregard for fair play:

Why should football abandon all ideas of fair play and sportsmanship? It's an abdication of responsibility. That opening goal wrecked the game, giving it a strange otherworldly feel. It's not only the officials who should feel embarrassed about it.

I think he's got it wrong here: the simple fact is that unfortunately football abandoned these principles some time ago. Only in rare individual cases is such sportsmanship shown, and almost always when nothing is at stake. Take for example the sending off of Chris Iwelumo at Preston on Saturday, the defender Sean St. Ledger has supported the Wolves striker in his bid to have the red card rescinded, stating the lack of any intention on Iwelumo's part to injure him, and he believed that it was an accidental collision. Such fair play between professionals is nice to see, but it's unlikely that St. Ledger would have protested vigorously for a penalty against him had he committed a blatant foul that had been overlooked by the referee in the last minute of the game with the scores level (erm, if you see what I mean!). I find it amusing that when the ball is returned to the opposition after someone has 'sportingly' put the ball out to allow for treatment to an injured opponent there is a spontaneous round of applause. Of course you should give the ball back, it wouldn't be any other way in almost every other sport! That's because people at football matches are not use to seeing such acts of sportsmanship; players now appear to be hard-wired to indulge in petty acts of gamesmanship, such as delaying and gaining a few yards for free kicks and throw-ins, 'simulation', winding up the opposition and supporters, and so on. It's become second nature.

Now I'm not suggesting that we should just accept things the way they are, but right now that is the way they are, and it requires a seismic shift in attitudes to get to a position where the two captains on Saturday would have had a quick chat and then Watford would have been allowed to trundle up and score. That is what should have happened in an ideal world, but I am not sure we should be criticised for not making that happen.

UFO lands to help Royals salvage a point at Watford

2008-09-21T12:03:00.006+01:00

In a game characterised by one of the strangest 'goals' you are ever likely to see, Reading managed to scrape a point at Watford as the indifferent away form continued. The overall performance will inevitably be overshadowed by the incident in the 14th minute which led Hornet's boss Adi Boothroyd to be sent to the stands and later describe it as 'like a UFO landing'. Noel Hunt attempted to hook the ball back into play from about two yards wide of the goal and it appeared to have crossed the dead ball line, everyone on the pitch and in the crowd believed the ref and assistant had decided on a goal kick to Watford. Astonishingly, and two everyone's bemusement, the assistant spoke to the referee and a goal to Reading was awarded. It's almost inconceivable that this could ever be given as a goal, and is worth seeing again just to believe it actually happened. There was some suggestion afterwards that we should have allowed Watford to equalise, such was the injustice of the scoreline, but as Steve Coppell said, it's not for players to right the wrongs of officials. There's a bit more here to explain further the whole affair.

Anyway, we conceded two in the second half and looked to be heading for another defeat when after good work down the left from Stephen Hunt, Shane Long was clearly brought down in the box. I wonder if the ref was tempted to ignore the incident after realising his earlier mistake, but Hunt Senior sent the keeper the wrong way and we had our first away point since the opening weekend of the season.

Let's be honest, we would have lost without a bizarre decision that will surely haunt the ref and his assistant for years to come. Once again we're unable to replicate our red hot home form, and with a trip to Molineux the next stop on our travels, it's a concern.

Royals have trouncebackability!

2008-09-17T12:25:00.004+01:00

Reading thrashed Sheffield Wednesday last night by 6 goals to nil, with The Doyler getting his second hat trick in three games. Andre Bikey and Noel Hunt both got on the score sheet as the Royals were rampant in front of 18,000. I can't tell you too much about the game because I was here (and it was brilliant actually). Anyway, clearly we were excellent - and thankfully Noel Hunt started instead of Shane Long. As stated previously, the home form looks great - we've got to take this into Saturday's match against Watford now. We're now 4th, which just goes to show how open this division will be - we've already lost 2 games yet we are right up with the pace setters.

Poor Royals go down to Tractor Boys

2008-09-13T22:55:00.009+01:00

Reading were sunk by two second half goals at Portman Road as Ipswich Town won comfortably by 2 goals to nil. New signing Jon Stead opened the scoring for the home side with a stunning 20 yard shot after an hour, and Reading's misery was compounded when Jonathan Walters headed in with five minutes to go. Overall Reading deserved nothing from the contest, despite Jimmy Kebe missing a good chance in the 9th minute and Noel Hunt hitting the bar late on.

So with five games gone we have just one point from nine away from home. Very few would have expected us to have another season like 05/06, but we've already lost the same amount of games that we did over the course of that whole season. At home we look pretty useful: confident, scoring goals and playing some decent stuff. It's a different story away from home and it's a concern. The one big problem continues to be the lack of a strong midfield player who can make a tackle, get stuck in and break down moves; the truth remains we have never properly replaced Steve Sidwell and as a consequence we often look lightweight and get overrun in the middle of the park. The other matter is Shane Long, he was poor again today but continues to keep Noel Hunt out of the team, it doesn't make sense.

We need to improve quickly.

JM 'didn't hear' the boos on Saturday

2008-09-04T16:23:00.004+01:00

Apparently John Madejski says he 'didn't hear the boos...' at half-time on Saturday. Personally, if I was the booing type, I would have booed Mr. M for his spectacularly misjudged Delia moment, not for any perceived lack of investment, which was the real reason why sections of the crowd gave him a hard time. The crowd were doing just fine, the team had played well, we probably should have been ahead I suppose, but the last thing we needed was the chairman doing his hubristic motivational thang rounded off with that embarrassing arm-waving routine. I did wonder why the announcer said '...you've heard the views of the chairman!...'. Erm, no we didn't actually, we just saw him prance about like a slightly pissed uncle at a wedding. I guess we should be thankful that he wasn't handed the microphone.

Kebe is 'faster than Ronaldo'!

2008-09-04T12:37:00.006+01:00

According to the Evening Post, Liam Rosenior thinks Jimmy Kebe is awesome, and fast. Very fast. Not Usain Bolt fast of course. But pretty darn fast nevertheless:

"I’ve played against Robben and Ronaldo and he's naturally faster than them. I’m not just saying that because he's on my team, he's faster"

I've been very excited by the Kebbster so far this season, and he really tormented the Palace full back all afternoon on Saturday. Together with Rosenior they really looked dangerous down the right, and this could well be a very potent partnership. Murts will have to work hard to dislodge Rosenior right now.

Hunt moans about blocked Toffees move

2008-09-03T12:45:00.008+01:00

It's been widely reported that Noel Hunt's brother (as we shall rather childishly refer to him from now on) was a trifle miffed at not being allowed to do one to Everton before the transfer window closed on Monday. Steve Coppell seems to have had a different view of events, but in a direct conflict of opinion the straggley-haired one opined thus:

"...it was a big club and it was disappointing that Reading could not have helped me out a little bit to benefit my career. For what I have done for them, it would have been nice."

Hmmm... firstly, what does he mean 'it was a big club...', I wonder if he meant '...it was a big club, and now it's just a medium size one at best, with aspirations to join the big boys which it is clearly failing spectacularly to achieve'? Erm, probably not.

I like the next bit about benefitting his career, and then 'for what I have done for them...'. Let's get this into perspective now shall we? SC signed you from Brentford and you were given a chance at a higher level, which fair enough you grasped and did us proud son, well done. However, you were paid pretty well I imagine, and at times it was difficult to see what you brought to the team other than a tireless energy and willingness to run around a lot. Let's be clear too that it was the good faith placed in your ability as well as your own hard work which combined to make you a decent player and an asset to the club. An asset which the club should, at the very least, expect to get a decent return on rather than simply hand over for a knock-down fee. It's not really your place to decide what that fee might be either.

Noel Hunt's brother had a pretty indifferent time of it last season, and it's nothing short of a travesty that he won Player of the Season, when it surely had to be Marcus after a many months spent saving more shots than any other Premier League keeper. I think it really is time for the talking to stop and the action to start, whilst Hunt's been in pretty decent form this season so far I expect a lot more from a player attracting such interest from Premier League clubs. Time to get on with it and prove your worth I think.

Newcastle owner needs a drink!

2008-09-01T09:50:00.005+01:00

It ain't Royals related, and it's not even Championship related, but this is just funny. Mike Ashley, owner of Newcastle United, clearly needs a drink after watching his team suffer a trouncing at the hands of Arsenal on Saturday.

Doyle bags three as Royals beat Palace

2008-08-31T11:53:00.004+01:00

Kevin Doyle returned to form in spectacular style on Saturday as Reading came from behind to thump Crystal Palace 4-2 at the Madejski. Doyle was always busy and posed a constant threat offering glimpses of him at his very best. Jimmy Kebe was outstanding and caused problems all afternoon with his pace and direct running as the Royals looked a potent counter-attacking force. With three players making their league debuts it was a new look side, but after a brief scare when the Eagles took the lead in the second half it was an assured and confident performance. Alex Pearce in particular impressed but Jem Karacan set up Doyle's second. Noel Hunt replaced a lacklustre Shane Long on and although he failed to make the most of two good chances he will surely be pressing Long for a starting place. With one day to go before the transfer window closes it's still unclear if we'll lose anymore players, but with Leroy Lita not even on making the bench his future must remain in doubt.

Superman joins Kitson at Stoke!

2008-08-29T14:15:00.005+01:00

In a somewhat unlikely move, Ibrahima Sonko has signed for Stoke City in deal worth in the region of £2.5m. Reading's top scorer this season has had a pretty indifferent 12 months in which his Superman reputation has become a little tarnished. Despite his solid form over the first few games this season I think the deal has to be seen as pretty good business for a player still struggling to find his best form, however with Michael Duberry out for a few weeks it seems we are a little depleted now in central defence.

Royals raid Blades to sharpen up defence

2008-08-28T15:59:00.004+01:00

The Royals finally got their man when left back Chris Armstrong signed from Sheffield United this on Tuesday, ending weeks of speculation. The 26 year old looks certain to feature against Crystal Palace on Saturday when he'll face a side managed by his former gaffer Neil 'Colin' Warnock. Armstrong is a hard working and experienced player but it'll be tough to fill the boots of Nicky Shorey (in his prime). That said I feel a lot better now a genuine left back is playing in that position, Stephen Hunt has been OK in an unfamiliar role, but I'd prefer to see him where he can be most effective and that's further up the pitch.

Royals thump Hatters in Carling Cup

2008-08-28T14:06:00.004+01:00

Reading romped to a 5-1 win over struggling League Two outfit Luton Town. Goals from both Hunts, Jem Karacan, James Henry and Alex Pearce ensured a young Royals side eased past the Hatters and into the third round in front of 7,500 fans at the Madejski Stadium.

Royals pay the penalty at the Valley

2008-08-25T19:30:00.008+01:00

Reading went down 4-2 in an incident-packed game at the Valley on Saturday. Kevin Doyle missed the chance to cancel out Charlton's opener but saw his penalty slam against the bar. The home side went further ahead on 42 minutes but Sonko levelled with a powerful header on the stroke of half time. In the second half Stephen Hunt had more joy than his compatriot from the spot but needed two attempts to level things, however it was Charlton who came back stronger and finished us off with goals from Luke Varney and Hameur Bouazza.

So the harsh truth is that we failed our first real test in the Championship this season, and once again Doyle's form comes under scrutiny, especially with Noel Hunt looking lively and hitting the bar when he joined the action. It would be far too easy to blame one person, but who knows how the game might have panned out had we got level at 1-1? As it was we were always chasing the game. Perhaps a bigger concern is the conceding of four after two games of pretty solid defending. Steve Coppell has this at the forefront of his mind too:

"Last week people were complimenting us for our clean sheets - now it's the opposite end of the spectrum."

Maybe we need to find that left back sooner rather than later Steve? We have to bounce back strongly against Palace next week in front of the faithful, especially as we already find ourselves five points behind pacesetters Bongo FC.

Doyle drops exit hints

2008-08-22T11:07:00.006+01:00

Comments from Kevin Doyle strongly suggest he could be on his way before the transfer window closes, with Villa and Sunderland still the main contenders for his signature. This seems entirely plausible after the signing of Doyle's compatriot Dave Mooney earlier in the week. Apparently he (Doyle) expects 'something to happen in August'...so do we Kev, how about a goal, or even something resembling a decent performance!? In light of his, let's be honest, wretched form over the last 12 months a fee of around £7m would be too good to turn down. If he is on his way then we can certainly reflect that we got two excellent seasons from him that probably exceeded our expectations. Don't expect another signing though, we'll probably use the money to do 'remedial work' on the stadium...

Royals do a Mooney

2008-08-20T21:32:00.003+01:00

Reading have raided Cork City once more and landed Dave Mooney, a 23 year old striker who has been on target 15 times in the Irish league this season. Mooney's addition means we've certainly got options up front now, and with Lita and Doyle looking distinctly average thus far it can only add pressure on them to perform. Coppell may also be close to signing Chris Armstrong from Sheffield United who doesn't seem to be part of Kevin Blackwell's plans at Bramall Lane. He'd be a direct replacement for Nicky Shorey, although this rumour has been on and off for some time now. The cost for Armstrong could be around the £500k mark, Mooney's fee is undisclosed but thought to be near to £200k.

The Chairman speaks...

2008-08-19T21:16:00.008+01:00

If you happened to hear John Madejski on the radio before the game on Saturday you would not have been surprised to hear him repeating his favourite mantra, which goes something like this: player's wages are obscene, we don't have as much money as you might think even though the club is run on a good business model, we won't spend heaps of cash on players, and so on. Nothing new there you might have thought, but even after the trousering of some £8m odd in cash from the sale of Kitson and Shorey one could be forgiven for thinking that we might delve into the piggy bank and splash out on a couple of players. Well, it appears that this unlikely to happen, and let's face it this isn't really a surprise. It's admirable that the club has used it's scouting system well to seek out emerging talent to great effect, most notably with the signings of Kevin Doyle, Dave Kitson, Shane Long et al. That said with a windfall of cash and Premier League parachute payments you can't help feeling we should be looking to be bolder in the transfer market and look to proven Championship players rather than speculative loan deals or players from League Two.

Who really knows what's going on behind the scenes, but it was Steve Coppell who said he wanted to be 'the predator' with regards to transfers, but has he got the backing of the chairman, and how far does that backing go? The chairman has made no secret of his desire to sell the club to a super-rich benefactor, but until that person comes along might it not make sense to invest in players to ensure we can get back into the Premier League and become a desirable club to actually buy? Let's hope so.

Venezuelan youngster trains with the Royals.

2008-08-19T21:01:00.003+01:00

Reading are looking at Venezuelan starlet Alejandro Valldeperas. The 17-year-old midfielder, who currently plays for Centro Italo in Caracas, has been recommended to The Royals and he's now training with our youth squad. He possesses a Spanish passport so he can move here without a work permit and his agent is hopeful a deal can be struck.

Arsenal youngster set for loan?

2008-08-18T20:59:00.003+01:00

Rumours abound that we're on the verge of signing promising young Arsenal left back Kieron Gibbs on a season-long loan from the Emirates. Gibbs has already impressed on loan at Norwich and Arsene Wenger is keen to get him some more first team experience. Sounds like a good deal as there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of good left backs around waiting to be signed up, and as solid as Hunt Sr. has been filling in there following Shorey's departure it's not ideal playing people out of position. Watch this space.

19,000 see Sonko bag a brace as Royals ease past Argyle

2008-08-16T21:59:00.006+01:00

Ibrahima Sonko (The Player Formerly Known As Superman but is now dusting down the cape) found the net twice with both goals coming from corners as we started the home campaign with a comfortable win. We probably should have had more, Kalifa Cisse, who enjoyed a pretty solid afternoon in midfield, went close towards the end and Stephen Hunt could only head the ball over from a superb Jimmy Kebe cross. The lanky winger from Mali really impressed with some purposeful bursts down the right, and his pace and trickery caused problems all afternoon for the visitors. Marcus had little to do in goal and although we didn't create too many chances ourselves, we were well worth the win without really getting into second gear. Argyle offered very little going forward and simply didn't have enough of the ball to cause any real problems. The biggest concern is that Doyle and Lita did very little and need to improve soon if they are to keep Long or Hunt Jr. - who they were replaced by - out of the starting eleven.

A decent crowd of 19,000 (no doubt boosted by the 'bring a friend for half price' deal) watched it, but the atmosphere was a little subdued as the realisation that we are now back in the Championship really sunk in.

Kitson blames those confounded egos

2008-08-15T11:30:00.024+01:00

Ex-Royal and self-styled loose cannon, Dave 'Bargain' Kitson has a had a swipe at his ex-team mates and blamed 'egos' for our relegation last term. The Ginger Potter opined about why things went downhill after such a good start to life in the Premier League.

"This changed in our second season. Suddenly we had flash cars, images, egos and everyone knew who we were, and when we didn't freshen things up with new players we were in a dangerous situation."

Um, and you were all playing really badly too.

"There was a real 'Lord of the Flies' split, which I had never experienced before. We didn't feel we were all together and I was partly to blame

See how Dave cleverly shows off his literary knowledge? So who was Piggy then? He may be sticking the boot in, but there's a slight admission of culpability there. Very noble, Dave.

Talking of egos, I seem to recall a Reading player receiving a driving ban after refusing to co-operate with the police - and basically telling the local constabulary how the law works.

When all is said and done, Kitson was a good player and a loyal servant to the club. Perhaps we should forgive him this parting shot when we consider he has a very lonely season of chasing lost causes ahead of him, with one inevitable outcome in May next year. I wonder who or what he might be looking to blame then?

Coppell to play 'safe' with Cisse?

2008-08-14T13:07:00.005+01:00

With Marek sidelined for some time the spotlight inevitably falls on our options in midfield. Since the departure of Steve Sidwell things haven't looked right in the centre of the park, signings that were made to fill the void left by the ginger dynamo simply haven't worked. Emerse Fae who was tracked for over a year never got a run in the team and maybe there's a good reason for that that we will never find out. However it did seem strange that in the early part of last season Bryn Gunnarson, as hard working as he is, was preferred to a record signing who seem to promise so much. Kalifa Cisse also seemed to have been brought in as a Sidwell replacement, but his performances have been sporadic at best, and aside from a useful day's work deputising as a central defender against Man Yoo last season, he's fallen short of expectations. So what next? Now that Marek's 'bright inventiveness' (to quote Coppell) is not available for a few weeks at least, will he give youth a chance as he suggested he might? Jem Karacan's good showing against Villa in the recent friendly certainly caught the eye, but it seems unlikely that SC will move away from the Harper/Cisse combination. Maybe it'll prove solid enough against Championship opposition but it simply doesn't set the pulse racing to say the least, and certainly Sunday's showing did not bode well. It's a bit early to start worrying, but we need to impose ourselves quickly on the division and our lack of creative options in this area gives some cause for concern.

Stoch in a moment?

2008-08-13T21:46:00.005+01:00

Interesting rumour circulating (which seems to have originated on HNA) that we may be on the verge of an sealing a loan deal for talented Chelsea youngster Miroslav Stoch. The Slovakian has been turning heads already in pre-season and if it actually comes to anything it sounds exciting. It'd be nice to sign anyone at this stage frankly, can't help feeling that we just need a couple of new faces to freshen things up a bit.

Greening wants to 'do a Reading'

2008-08-13T12:53:00.003+01:00

Baggies skipper Jonathan Greening wants Albion to emulate us and avoid a relegation battle in their first season back in the Premier League. I suppose he doesn't mean that next year they should invest little, play poorly and then go down on the last day of the season?

Hunt Junior grabs a late winner

2008-08-12T21:48:00.004+01:00

Noel Hunt sealed the win in the 89th minute as the Royals progressed to the second round of the Carling Cup against Dagenham & Redbridge. Hunt lined up along side Shane Long in a pretty strong team to face the league two side and marked his debut with a winner following good work from Long. Youngster James Henry's opener was cancelled out by Solomon Taiwo's 25 yard effort, but it was the Royals' who eventually progressed into the second round.

The starting eleven were: Hahnemann; Kelly, S Hunt, Pearce, Ingimarsson; Harper (c), Cisse, Henry, Convey; N Hunt, Long.

Looks like SC decided to give a few of the first team a run out after the somewhat lacklustre display on Sunday. Or perhaps he fancies we can go all the way...

Marek injured again in goalless opener

2008-08-10T22:17:00.003+01:00

On the positive side it was a clean sheet and a point gained, and on the negative side Marek Matejovsky is going to be sidelined for 'several weeks' with another ankle injury. Many people have tipped Marek to be pivotal in our aim to return to the top flight so it's a real blow to see him stretchered off after half an hour with damage to the ankle he hurt at the Euro's. It does beg the question as to whether he was quite ready to play, but either way we do now look a bit threadbare in midfield, and it's hard to see where the creativity will come from. Kevin Doyle saw a late effort well saved but aside from that there was not an awful lot to report. We need to improve and start the campaign off at home with a win against Plymouth.