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Swansea Fans Verdict: Ten-Men Reading Lose Last Game

How the fans reacted to the last game of the season, which ended in a familiar miserable fashion.

So, that’s that then. It’s a very strange situation isn’t it? We finished six places higher than we did last season, comfortably avoiding relegation but somehow I still feel more negative and down about the club’s situation compared to the last day of last season! And I have a sneaky suspicion that I won’t be the only one in that camp.

The actual game on Wednesday night was pretty much deemed irrelevant after the final whistle on Twitter as attentions of the Reading fans turned towards next season and what kind of squad we might be seeing at the Mad Stad next campaign.

With a whole host of players out of contract plus high earners such as Swift, Moore and Puscas potentially being sold - it could be a whole new-look Reading we see at the beginning of next season, just as Sam Baldock stated last weekend.

Bowen even said after the game that the prospect of signing Ovie Ejaria on a permanent basis looks unlikely due to financial restrictions, which tipped a lot of fans - including myself - over the edge.

Here’s what the fans had to say regarding the key talking points...

Ovie Ejaria

The 22 year-old has been a revelation this season for Reading, particularly in the first half of the season. He has also very quickly become a huge fans’ favourite, so you can imagine the reaction when Bowen revealed in his post match media duties that he is unsure whether the option to make Ovie’s move a permanent one will be taken up.

He is a supremely talented football, and one that would make any Championship team better, so the fact that we may not be able to get it over the line - after spending the whole season 100% sure that he’d be ours come July - is a real hammer blow.

The fans certainly weren't happy and were left worried at the fact that if we can’t afford his wages, how much trouble are we in financially?

Mass clear-out

It’s been on the cards for a while (by a while, I probably mean about three years) but it looks like this season, there is going to be a massive overturn of players at Reading.

Bowen is certainly not happy with the mentality of the side at the minute - but surely it’s his job to instill a mentality on them? Anyway, he has promised the fanbase that it'll be a different team that walk out for the first game of next season - but he also promised that the players wouldn't lie down in the last few fixtures, but we all know how that turned out.

The fans are certainly expecting a clear out, and i think they’re going to get their wish...

Is Bowen the man?

Again, questions about whether Mark Bowen is the right man to lead us into next season were thrown up on Twitter after the game.

Like any manager, I believe he deserves his crack at building his own team - which is going to be seriously hard considering the financial constraints now. However, when he makes promises such as the ones he did on Wednesday night about the mentality being different next season, surely he’s had since October to change the mentality of the squad? And it just hasn't happened.

Fans are still split when it comes to Bowen, but i’d still say he will be in charge for the first game of next year, but will definitely be under pressure from the get go...

Conclusion

I’m just glad this season over, but I am very worried for what is to come in the next two or three months. Do not surprised to see a huge amount of the first team squad be sold or released.

The Reading we watch next campaign will be completely different personnel wise, let’s just hope Bowen sticks to his promise of making them different mentality wise too.

Big thank you to all the fans this season for tweeting out their opinions and thoughts, I literally couldn't write these every week without them. Literally.

URZ