Reading Fan Chat – Reading v Fulham

[daib0]

As always, friendly greetings from daib0 and guys & gals on the Reading 'Royals Rendezvous' forum. Close season has come and gone, and we're business as usual again. In case anyone didn't know, I've been running a small prediction game for half-a-dozen championship forums and Fulham's 'Friends of Fulham' is a most welcome contributor amongst them.

So onto Saturday's game – and I wondered if I could have a few views from yourselves to inform the members on my forum. Anyone can say what they like about the game, but here I'd like to you all a few pointers which will surely help us in the Thames Valley! So here goes – just a few basic easy things:



Here are my specific questions for you -



A]
* Fulham to many of us were an unlikely candidate for Premier relegation last season – did it come as a shock? I mean to say, we in Reading didn't really expect too much the previous season so relegation wasn't too unexpected really, but Fulham were a well established Premier club, unlike us ...



B]
* From what you have seen this season; is the Championship a more difficult proposition to handle than you could have at first imagined? Having said that, I'm conscious we've only played five games – and after 5 games just last season Blackpool were well clear at the top and look what happened to them. And the previous year when Reading won the Championship (2012-13) when we were ourselves pen-ultimate after six games. So I'm not trying to knock you at all here, it's early days yet, just wondered how you saw it!


C]  
* A quick guess forward from now – with premier league experience so recently do you think that you'll be able to make a springboard from now on (or rather, after our game together!) ?


D]
* Any notable changes to your squad in the summer?


E]
* Any game in the Championship this season which you particularly look forward to? If so, against whom ... and why?  


F]
* To Reading now – do you think they are of 'play-off' quality? How do you view us in a few words?  


G]
* How do you see Saturday's game going? Will you be fired up, will you be nervous, will the team respond?  Could you leave me a score prediction?


As always, your forum will be given as the fan forum recommended site for our fans to look in at  ... and any snippet quoted will be fully credited with the member user name + forum.


All the best lads ...

daib0/David

[FPT]

A]
* Fulham to many of us were an unlikely candidate for Premier relegation last season – did it come as a shock? I mean to say, we in Reading didn't really expect too much the previous season so relegation wasn't too unexpected really, but Fulham were a well established Premier club, unlike us ...

I thought that we would have been able to cope for another year, then Shahid Khan could invest properly as it begins to be his club, rather than buying a club half way through the window. Surprised? You could say that, I knew there were deficiencies in the squad (John Arne Riise, Sidwell-Parker midfield being technically poor and a digressing load of centre backs, but I thought we could cope through Berbatov, Ruiz, Taarabt, Bent, Richardson and Dejagah for the year... However, it wasn't so, and I think all of us in hindsight can see why were we relegated, and it's the old, over paid and technically poor squad we had, mixed with poor off field decisions.



B]
* From what you have seen this season; is the Championship a more difficult proposition to handle than you could have at first imagined? Having said that, I'm conscious we've only played five games – and after 5 games just last season Blackpool were well clear at the top and look what happened to them. And the previous year when Reading won the Championship (2012-13) when we were ourselves pen-ultimate after six games. So I'm not trying to knock you at all here, it's early days yet, just wondered how you saw it!

I think it's been a vital down to earth reminder, that has maybe hit some supporters a bit too hard. I knew it was going to be difficult considering the sheer volume of comings and goings in the transfer window, as well as a load of kids being promoted to the first team. I knew it would be difficult, and I know it will be difficult, but the sooner the squad gels, the sooner we can motor on a push for promotion. I still believe that our squad is good enough to win the league, it just hasn't clicked yet.


C] 
* A quick guess forward from now – with premier league experience so recently do you think that you'll be able to make a springboard from now on (or rather, after our game together!) ?

I think we will kick on and show our quality, we won't turn into Bolton where we just dwindle in mid-table for the season. Once we hit our stride, the wins will follow and we'll begin to look the dominant side that our performances have suggested that we can be.


D]
* Any notable changes to your squad in the summer?

MANY. 20 have left for sums around £15m, plus the wages being taken off of the bill and we've brought in 14 new players for a similar sum, decreasing the age of the squad as well as the wage bill. On top of that, 13 of our squad are from the academy.

E]
* Any game in the Championship this season which you particularly look forward to? If so, against whom ... and why? 

Brentford should be tasty, especially after beating them in the Capital One Cup, it's been years since we've played them. I'm also looking forward to playing Charlton for personal reasons; I'm a South East London lad, the training ground is on my doorstep and a lot of my family are CAFC supporters.


F]
* To Reading now – do you think they are of 'play-off' quality? How do you view us in a few words? 

A few good young players (Jordan Obita and Jake Taylor come to mind) as well as "older" players like Alex Pearce and Danny Guthrie in the squad. I was very impressed at seeing you manage to attract Mackie and Murray on loan; two players that I think will steady your season. I want to say yes, but my head tells me that you'll be in that 6th-9th sort of area again, if you do make the play offs, it'll be only just.

I do quite like Reading, even if you get some irritating results against us! The 3-3 at the Madejski and the 4-2 at the Cottage come to mind!


G]
* How do you see Saturday's game going? Will you be fired up, will you be nervous, will the team respond?  Could you leave me a score prediction?

Cardiff was our best performance of the season, particularly the first half. We should be confident, but if you score, we could really collapse. Like our season, the sooner we settle and play with a bit of freedom and joy, we should win (really) but if you put a bit of pressure on us, you'll give us problems. We're in quite a fragile state despite our quality. I think I predicted a 2-1 Fulham win, but I can't remember.

Best of luck of the season barring a particular two  :005:

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

AJ:
   It slowly dawned on us that it was a possibility. Losing key players such as Dembele and old stalwarts like Murphy, lack of investment for replacements, a poor second half of the previous season, Al-Fayed selling, Khan with no apparent knowledge of football let alone the PL buying the club, key players such as Hangeland and Reither having very poor seasons, our terrible defensive record, Martin Jol not being able to solve the issues or inspire the team, the interlude with Rene Meulenstein, his sacking after the transfer window and then Magath's failure to solve the issues and some very strange decisions such as substitutions. In the end it was a steady slide towards oblivion.

BJ:
   I'm impressed. The teams seem well organised, physically strong and fit. The attacking flair generally seems modest but our opponents have just needed the one goal and have then been able to see the game out.

CJ:
   We have some very talented young players and some of our acquisitions look steady and capable. Our manager Magath is the major concern. He seemed to be trying out players in our first four games in a way that you might expect in early pre-season games. He finally put out an acceptable side in the fifth game but when changes were needed in the second half he again made odd substitutions and the possibility of a win slipped away. He is obsessed with fitness but we are no fitter than the opposition. Our chances depend on whether Magath quickly settles on a side and style or, more likely, we lose the next two or three games and Khan sacks him.

[FPT]

Now, a question for you... How is Pavel Pogrebnyak doing for you? I see that he scored a few last year. At Fulham, he started like a house on fire, but his overall game always felt quite poor, he just had a purple patch. Allegedly on a lot of money.

As for Stephen Kelly, I presume he's not doing very well. Done well at Fulham, but was protected within the system. His quality wasn't of the standard of the rest of the defence, but being in that defence made him look a better player.

[Berserker]

I liked the Pog

[daib0]

great answers! Any more welcome ...

[Wingnut]

I liked the Pog

He scored 6 goals in 12 games for us. His goal at QPR always sticks in my mind.

[Burt]

Hi David,

Hope you are well.

A. Yes it was a bit of a shock, but not so much because we didn't see it coming (the signs were there for some time), but just the trauma of it actually happening (some of us were hoping right to the end that we would pull survival out of the bag). But the reality is it was a result of failings that weren't dealt with over two seasons, and the management merry-go-round of last season.

B. I have always maintained that this will be a season of transition and one that will be unlikely to end up in promotion. There is only one regular from 6 matches ago (our last in the premier league) so over that time we have turfed out those who are past their best, too old, unwilling to play for us, not happy about playing in the Championship, etc, brought in some new signings, and promoted a bunch of young ones from our academy. It will take time for all this to knit together, and during that time we will be playing far more established teams. So yes, a very difficult proposition, but not unexpected.

C. I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous answer. We won't go up this season, but I hope we will get progressively stronger and push on next season.

D. We had major surgery and are still in the recovery room!

E. Brentford, nothing like a bit of local rivalry.

F. Reading have a good balance of young ones and the more experienced. Certainly a top half finish. Automatic promotion? Don't think so. Play-offs? At a push.

G. Hard to predict the outcome. My hope is that the performance we put in against Cardiff was a sign of things to come rather than a flash in the pan. If we continue with that momentum then we are in with a shout. If we regress then I'd settle for a draw.  

[daib0]

I'm indebted to you for your replies.
I've laid them out here on Royals Rendezvous - http://royalsrendezvous.co.uk/topic/10169290/1 -
there has been a lot of viewings in 24 hours so I hope this will be good publicity for your amiable forum as well ...

David

[daib0]

Now, a question for you... How is Pavel Pogrebnyak doing for you? I see that he scored a few last year. At Fulham, he started like a house on fire, but his overall game always felt quite poor, he just had a purple patch. Allegedly on a lot of money.

As for Stephen Kelly, I presume he's not doing very well. Done well at Fulham, but was protected within the system. His quality wasn't of the standard of the rest of the defence, but being in that defence made him look a better player.

GwentRoyal - TT Assistant mod
"The Pog: I think it's safe to say that he has had a bit of a roller-coaster ride with us. On signing him (when we got promoted) I think we were all delighted, believing he would bring goals to the team. In truth that didn't (and still doesn't) to the degree we would like. As we struggled his stock fell with the fans, though he did hold up the ball well. At the end of that season / beginning of last season he seemed to totally lack any want to play for us, and it was apparent both he and the club wanted him out. He wanted to play higher league, and the club wanted to get rid of his high wages. However, when that didn't happen, it seems that Nigel Adkins and him had a good chin-wag, and his attitude ever since has been excellent. His overall contribution to the team is great, he is so strong and holds the ball up well, but just doesn't score enough (though often he has to play alone up front, so if you do that and your greatest strength is holding the ball up for others...).
So I think most (me included) really like the Pog and value him, but realise he is just over-paid in terms of the squad. Thus if he were to be sold, I don't think we would complain too much as long as we replace him !!!), but we also recognise he IS a good player.

Kelly: He was ok last season, but sadly for him when we had a left back crisis (we still have IMO btw, with no recognised experienced LB in the squad), he was played there instead of RB. Unsurprisingly he had a few dodgy games, and seems to have been judged on those, and not his RB performances. Chris Gunter overtook him then as the first-choice RB, and has been very consistent there. Throw in injuries, and SK is now probably 3rd choice (behind Shaun Cummings). Shame, I think he looked decent too.

Anyway, good luck with the rest of the season (other than this Saturday, and a certain other home game for you!) :) "

[daib0]

Reading FC Official Site


Fulham tickets: Biggest crowd so far

Royals return to action

A good crowd is expected for this Saturday's clash with Fulham at Madejski Stadium, as the end of the international break signals the return of Championship action.

An attendance above 17,500 is predicted - which would be more than Reading's three previous home fixtures this season, making it the biggest home crowd of the campaign so far.   With around 2,700 travelling Cottagers fans, a vibrant atmosphere is anticipated - whilst Glenn Murray could also make his Reading debut.

[daib0]

"RR" Match Presentation/Thread v FULHAM now up, full respect to Cottagers. Here: http://royalsrendezvous.co.uk/topic/10170218/1 Pass it on!