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I still don’t really have the right words to sum up what on earth happened on Saturday afternoon.
Mere minutes away from our first league away win in a year... and that happens. It’s one thing conceding an equaliser in stoppage time, but to capitulate so much that you go and concede a winner too: it left me in a state of shock.
You think you’ve got through everything a football club can throw at you, but then they go and do something like that. Here’s how the fans reacted...
One year without an away league win
The dreaded milestone has now been hit, and in the most symbolic fashion possible. We scored the first goal in away game for the first time since October last year, then scored another, then conceded a moronic goal and the rest is history.
We actually settled the game down pretty well after conceding the first, but that second half was a lesson in how not to see out a win. It was really bad, and we got punished.
As you can imagine, there were a mix of emotions from the fanbase after the game...
Just wondering if not winning away in a whole year is a record? #106 #readingfc
— ajb1871 (@RDG1871) November 11, 2023
Tomorrow marks a whole calendar year since #ReadingFC last won (a). Again, the most Reading way possible to throw away a 2 goal lead when we were in touching distance of that win. So close, yet so far... pic.twitter.com/GAr9UVJR9R
— Wayne (@Wazza1871) November 11, 2023
Another 2-0 lead blown.
— Dan Worth (@DannWorth) November 11, 2023
A WHOLE CALENDAR YEAR WITHOUT AN AWAY WIN IN THE LEAGUE
Tough, tough times to be a #ReadingFC fan
Last time i saw Reading win away was Fulham in September 2021. Last Ejaria masterclass too. Since then I’ve travelled 2200ish miles to see 2 draws and 19 losses, same distance to Egypt, should’ve gone for a couple week trip there instead #readingfc #rfc
— Sam (@samRFC71) November 12, 2023
We’ve made it. 365 days without a league away win #readingfc
— Hann (@hannlous) November 12, 2023
Another 2 goal lead lost.
— Bossy (@bossmancometh) November 12, 2023
Not won away for 12 months.
Bottom of the league and well adrift.
Heartbreaking. Please, someone, save our club.#readingfc pic.twitter.com/twfCNx8ZAu
Football. Love to hate it. Pathetic we have now gone 1 year without an away win. #readingfc https://t.co/r90HulG8ZD
— Dan Green (@dan_green_) November 11, 2023
17 leauge away games without a win and that was comfortably the worst of the lot #readingfc
— NKDING43 (@NKDING43) November 11, 2023
Ruben Selles
I actually watched Selles for a few moments after the final whistle and he just stood there in his technical area and didn’t move for about 30 seconds, head down looking at the floor. He looked defeated.
You have to respect him for coming to our shambles of a club, but it hasn’t worked and he’s out of his depth. It’s a harrowingly similar situation to Veljko Paunovic’s final weeks.
I think if Mark Bowen didn’t have his hands full trying to find us a new owner, Selles would’ve been put out of his misery by now. The fans just want him gone...
Why is Selles still in charge? Why do we always leave it too late to sack managers? And more importantly…why are these managers hired in the first place? #readingfc
— Jeff H (@jphallett7) November 12, 2023
Selles has to be relieved of his duties tomorrow, put him on gardening leave, whatever, just get him away from the team. Let Bowen and Hunt take over until we have new owners, 10 points adrift in league 1 is surely unacceptable? #readingfc
— Aran Long (@AranLong1) November 12, 2023
Regardless of your financial situation, if you are terrible at your job you get sacked. Why Selles is still allowed to give an interview let alone anything else is beyond me. The positive outcome is a new owner coming in and he’s gone #readingfc
— Jin Khangura (@JinKhangura) November 11, 2023
#readingfc In 45 years of being a fan and watching the club I'm not sure we've had a worse tactical manager than Selles
— drawn2water73 (@drawn2water73) November 11, 2023
8 away games - 8 defeats. Sadly Mr Selles is completely out of his depth. #readingfc
— Stevie p (@stevie_p1871) November 11, 2023
Selles for Gardening Leave and Noel Hunt to take over immediately. We need calmness and stability.#readingfc
— Over the Rainbow (@rogercheeseman1) November 11, 2023
Selles game management cost us. Why can’t he just keep it simple #readingfc https://t.co/mRSS7XS2jw
— Billy (@RFCbilly_) November 11, 2023
Selles has lost the dressing room and the fans. That was abysmal. Time to go. Noel Hunt until the takeover. We need some common sense. #readingfc
— Adam (@Adam_Rascal) November 11, 2023
Even when we think we have had the worst manager in our history, only this club can consistently find a manager that is worse than that with the following appointment, selles is a PE teacher, no where near even being a sunday league manager #readingfc
— Dan (@DanTheMan__98) November 11, 2023
Destined for League Two?
It’s only November, but we’re now 10 points adrift of safety and there are no signs - literally zero - that it’s going to be improve any time soon.
We’re a team on our haunches, bereft of any confidence, who can’t buy a win and sadly we look destined for another relegation.
It’s a very sad situation and the fans are dreading the rest of the season...
7 points in 16 games. When we go down, who is to say this current team wouldn't struggle in League Two? #readingfc @BBCBerkshire
— Tim Patten (@TimRobinPatten) November 11, 2023
you honestly just knew. Ask any #readingfc fan. It was always going to happen. League Two here bound. What an absolutely disaster of a club
— Jonathan Holdstock (@JH7123) November 11, 2023
Takeover or no takeover, more points deductions or not, #readingfc now feel utterly doomed to a second straight relegation and a first season in the fourth tier for almost 40 years. Despite everything that has transpired off the pitch, 10 points adrift is an unfathomable disaster
— George Flood (@GeorgeFlood24) November 11, 2023
Selles has to go - this cannot continue - regardless of what happens off the pitch - happy to proven wrong but this team is going down #readingfc
— David (@DaveRFC1871) November 11, 2023
It's almost comical how many 90+ minute goals we've conceded. Selles' teams are as tough as tissue paper ♂️ going down with him in charge #readingfc https://t.co/RlnjlpsDaC
— Sean Mobsby (@SeanMobsby) November 11, 2023
Even at this stage in the season for me that's the final nail in the coffin, we're all but down to league 2 & that's without more deductions which I'm sure are on the way. It's so tough to continuously pour your heart and soul into something that is self destructing #readingfc
— Tom Maynard (@ttmaynard) November 11, 2023
Can we just forfeit the rest of the season so we don’t have to watch any more rubbish? We already know we’re going to be playing in League 2 anyway #readingfc
— John (@johnoconnell88) November 11, 2023
10 points adrift, season finished and we are only in November.
— Jack (@thesimpsonRFC) November 11, 2023
Dai Yongge, Dayong Pang and Ruben Selles are 100 per cent responsible for the massive decline in #readingfc see you all in league 2 next season
I can only see one realistic scenario that would give us a chance of staying up, that’s Mike Ashley buying the club and him getting Warnock in.
— Marlin28 (@Marlin2811) November 11, 2023
Chances of that happening, virtually zero. Here’s to league 2 (and possibly the national league) #readingfc
Conclusion
The worst I’ve felt after a football game in some time. You think you’ve grown numb and think you’ve seen everything that could possibly go wrong, but then something like that happens. It just fathoms belief.
I do not blame any fan who has just had enough now. For many a game like that is probably the final nail in the coffin.
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