106 points and 99 goals

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!