Lose at home to Villa and we are down...

[royalsteve]

Thank you Man City. Also Delph booked at the end and now suspended for Saturday. Sounds like he was Villa's best player tonight.

yeh booked 20 secs from the end lol, thought Villa played well without creating alot for long parts and deserved a draw, then again Citeh hit the post twice and had 2-3 decentish chances. i expect on sat for villa to outplay us, but hope they gift us a goal like tonight

[Silver Fox]

If villa beat us they will pick up points

Sorry, I didn't realise you were such a football savant, I certainly won't be crossing wits with you on here again

[Ian Royal]

For me our relegation will be confirmed if we fail to beat villa. We will be too far back to do anything about it plus we are just not good enough in any part of the field.

Yes, but that's because you don't understand English and are wrong and stupid. What you believe has no bearing on reality, in which we will not be confirmed as relegated for many weeks yet.

Don't want to have people tell you you're wrong when you make a stupid post? Don't make a stupid post.

[Snowball]

For me our relegation will be confirmed if we fail to beat villa. We will be too far back to do anything about it plus we are just not good enough in any part of the field.

Yes, but that's because you don't understand English and are wrong and stupid. What you believe has no bearing on reality, in which we will not be confirmed as relegated for many weeks yet.

Don't want to have people tell you you're wrong when you make a stupid post? Don't make a stupid post.

REALLY? Pot/Black...


But "we are down" doesn't mean "It is mathematically impossible to stay up"

It means "We would need some amazing, against-the-odds wins, for example at Old Trafford and/or The Emirates, and even then it would be very, VERY hard to get enough points, and therefore, in shorthand, 'We are down if we lose.' "

[floyd__streete]

I think we'll struggle on Saturday. Loads of pace in their side. Agbonlahor up against Harte Benteke's aerial ability worries me, given how many cheap goals we have given away from corners.

We can't defend for s**t, so I'm fully expecting a defeat Saturday and the fans turning on the manager. Losing to Villa would be the straw that breaks the camels back; after Wigan there really is no where for BM to hide.

Anyone turning on the manager needs a bit of a reality check really. You might want to ask the new owners why we haven't invested in much in terms of proven Premier League quality.

I guess the perspective here is that I've seen Reading lose to sides who don't even play in the league any more. On Saturday we host one of the biggest clubs in english football, founder members of the league. The pressure on them as a club is greater, who outside of Berkshire would even blink if we went down. Pressure on them, so lets have a good go at it.

[facaldaqui]

Villa looked alarmingly zippy against Man City.

[Victor Meldrew]

Thank you Man City. Also Delph booked at the end and now suspended for Saturday. Sounds like he was Villa's best player tonight.

No,he hardly featured in the game.
Dawkins looked tidy in his 15 minutes or so.
As an earlier poster said it is the pace of Villa when they attack which could cause us trouble as well as the strength both on the ground annd in the air of Benteke.
Unfortunately since that Bradford game Villa have looked a much better side particularly in their game v Arsenal.
I thought Villa were dead and buried a few weeks ago but they now look to have every chance of survival until of course we beat them on Saturday.

[Kebe is our Messi]

To be honest, we have literally the poorest squad in terms of quality in this league. We should be finishing bottom by a long way, but we're still in a fighting chance and the players deserve credit for that.

Lets just give a massive effort in on saturday and really push villa. I agree we could go down if we lose, but its no disgrace. The team have done well to get into a decent enough chance of staying up given the lack of funds given to strengthen the squad (Blame TSI), look at us compared to the likes of QPR, Southampton, Villa - All these teams spent massive amounts on players.

I'm going for a reading win though, a bad run has to end sometime doesnt it?

[melonhead]

and i guess thats what it comes down to for TSI/Hammond/brian/whoever made the spending decisions
we could have spent what saints or QPR have spent, and still probably be going down.

i just think we looked and decided we could afford to spend that money, but we certainly couldnt afford it and go down.
therefore the only realistic option for us was what we did.

we are in with a chance. but if we go down we will have 4 years of parachutes to rebuild and come back in a much better position.

[southbank1871]

Thank you Man City. Also Delph booked at the end and now suspended for Saturday. Sounds like he was Villa's best player tonight.

No,he hardly featured in the game.
Dawkins looked tidy in his 15 minutes or so.
As an earlier poster said it is the pace of Villa when they attack which could cause us trouble as well as the strength both on the ground annd in the air of Benteke.
Unfortunately since that Bradford game Villa have looked a much better side particularly in their game v Arsenal.
I thought Villa were dead and buried a few weeks ago but they now look to have every chance of survival until of course we beat them on Saturday.

I didn't watch the game but on 5 Live they were saying Delph was Villa's best player.

[BraisingsteakRoyal]

We really could have done with Man Utd continuing to be pre-occupied with the Champions League to give us even the remotest chance of a result up there.

Knowing ol' red-nose, he'll want to prove a point and win the league by a big margin now.

[creative_username_1]

We really could have done with Man Utd continuing to be pre-occupied with the Champions League to give us even the remotest chance of a result up there.

Knowing ol' red-nose, he'll want to prove a point and win the league by a big margin now.

I think (if) once it's in the bag he'll blood youth team...who knows

[Alexander Litvinenko]

We really could have done with Man Utd continuing to be pre-occupied with the Champions League to give us even the remotest chance of a result up there.

Knowing ol' red-nose, he'll want to prove a point and win the league by a big margin now.

It's swings and roundabouts, though. If he does win the league by a big margin then Man City will have zilch to play for in our last home match. (Unless it's moved if they get to the FA Cup final - it's that same weekend.)

[Z175]

For me this is just another game. The real 6 pointer is v QPR and our fate will in my mind go to Upton Park on the final day.

You don't get relegated in the first week of March. Obviously we lost at home to Fulham last time around but then we could easily have won away at Wigan to stay up anyway. If we beat villa we could still go down if we dont win the rest of our home games, and likewise if we lose we could easily stay up.

If we beat QPR then I can't see them catching us, and regardless of this saturday we have a shout of pipping Wigan and Villa. After the next 3 games, we have a run of 3 home games from 4, sandwiching a very winnable/drawable game at Norwich, with then 3 final games v teams 90% likely to have nothing to play for.

Ok it looks bleak looking at Arsenal and United to come, but wigan have City and Arsenal and Villa have United and Chelsea.

Obviously it'll be easier if we beat Villa, but lets not give up until May!

heres how it could pan out -
Reading - 36 points
Reading V Aston Villa - 0 points
Man Utd V Reading - 0 points
Arsenal V Reading - 0 points
Reading V Southampton - 3 points
Reading V Liverpool - 3 points
Norwich V Reading - 1 point
Reading V QPR - 3 points
Fulham V Reading - 1 point
Reading V Man City - 1 point
West Ham V Reading - 1 point

Aston Villa - 35 points
Reading V Aston Villa - 3 points
Aston Villa V QPR - 1 point
Aston Villa V Liverpool - 0 points
Stoke V Aston Villa - 0 points
Aston Villa V Fulham - 3 points
Man Utd V Aston Villa - 0 points
Aston Villa V Sunderland - 3 points
Norwich V Aston Villa - 0 points
Aston Villa V Chelsea - 0 points
Wigan V Aston Villa - 1 point

And Wigan? - 34 points
Man City V Wigan - 0 points
Wigan V Newcastle - 0 points
Wigan V Norwich - 3 points
QPR V Wigan - 3 points
Wigan V Swansea - 0 points
West Ham V Wigan - 0 points
Wigan V Tottenham - 0 points
West Brom V Wigan - 3 points
Arsenal V Wigan - 0 points
Wigan V Aston Villa - 1 point

QPR - 32 points
QPR V Sunderland - 3 points
Aston Villa V QPR - 1 point
Fulham V QPR - 1 point
QPR V Wigan - 0 points
Everton V QPR - 0 points
QPR V Stoke - 3 points
Reading V QPR - 0 points
QPR V Arsenal - 1 point
QPR V Newcastle - 3 points
Liverpool V QPR - 0 points

[redscot]

You have forgotten Southampton. They should be in the mix. Looks like the other teams are safe.

[thirtyyarder]

For me this is just another game. The real 6 pointer is v QPR and our fate will in my mind go to Upton Park on the final day.

You don't get relegated in the first week of March. Obviously we lost at home to Fulham last time around but then we could easily have won away at Wigan to stay up anyway. If we beat villa we could still go down if we dont win the rest of our home games, and likewise if we lose we could easily stay up.

If we beat QPR then I can't see them catching us, and regardless of this saturday we have a shout of pipping Wigan and Villa. After the next 3 games, we have a run of 3 home games from 4, sandwiching a very winnable/drawable game at Norwich, with then 3 final games v teams 90% likely to have nothing to play for.

Ok it looks bleak looking at Arsenal and United to come, but wigan have City and Arsenal and Villa have United and Chelsea.

Obviously it'll be easier if we beat Villa, but lets not give up until May!

heres how it could pan out -
Reading - 36 points
Reading V Aston Villa - 0 points
Man Utd V Reading - 0 points
Arsenal V Reading - 0 points
Reading V Southampton - 3 points
Reading V Liverpool - 3 points
Norwich V Reading - 1 point
Reading V QPR - 3 points
Fulham V Reading - 1 point
Reading V Man City - 1 point
West Ham V Reading - 1 point

Aston Villa - 35 points
Reading V Aston Villa - 3 points
Aston Villa V QPR - 1 point
Aston Villa V Liverpool - 0 points
Stoke V Aston Villa - 0 points
Aston Villa V Fulham - 3 points
Man Utd V Aston Villa - 0 points
Aston Villa V Sunderland - 3 points
Norwich V Aston Villa - 0 points
Aston Villa V Chelsea - 0 points
Wigan V Aston Villa - 1 point

And Wigan? - 34 points
Man City V Wigan - 0 points
Wigan V Newcastle - 0 points
Wigan V Norwich - 3 points
QPR V Wigan - 3 points
Wigan V Swansea - 0 points
West Ham V Wigan - 0 points
Wigan V Tottenham - 0 points
West Brom V Wigan - 3 points
Arsenal V Wigan - 0 points
Wigan V Aston Villa - 1 point

QPR - 32 points
QPR V Sunderland - 3 points
Aston Villa V QPR - 1 point
Fulham V QPR - 1 point
QPR V Wigan - 0 points
Everton V QPR - 0 points
QPR V Stoke - 3 points
Reading V QPR - 0 points
QPR V Arsenal - 1 point
QPR V Newcastle - 3 points
Liverpool V QPR - 0 points

Good post, and thakyou for making me feel better

[IrishCorkRoyal]

Benteke is an absolute beast and our defense is terrible at the moment, I can only see this going one way. (down)