League One - Your Expectations?

[Stranded]

Our third was recent wasn't it? Whereas Wigan's was around Jan/ Feb and they've since had two more.

Might be that because our first two were relatively short delays and not followed by a third until recently the FL gave us benefit of the doubt and didn’t punish us. But a recent third in one season so can't be let slode any longer.

As always, any action by the FL isn't about them, but about us doing wrong.

Correct but if they follow their own precedent (and they have the power not to if they wish of course) we should only see a suspended points penalty and not an automatic deduction - unless it happens again, which it probably will.

Agree a suspended is possible, maybe probable. But consider we have other recent offences, including a suspended points deduction we failed to meet the criteria to prevent and I can see clear reasons to just apply a points deduction with no suspension.

We made our bed, now we have to lie in it.

Don't disagree and if we get a 3pt penalty (or more) then we fully deserve it however, you would expect that every charge is looked at in isolation - we've had our punishment and this is a new charge, there is precedent and I would hope, though do not expect, that to followed.

[Snowflake Royal]

Correct but if they follow their own precedent (and they have the power not to if they wish of course) we should only see a suspended points penalty and not an automatic deduction - unless it happens again, which it probably will.

Agree a suspended is possible, maybe probable. But consider we have other recent offences, including a suspended points deduction we failed to meet the criteria to prevent and I can see clear reasons to just apply a points deduction with no suspension.

We made our bed, now we have to lie in it.

Don't disagree and if we get a 3pt penalty (or more) then we fully deserve it however, you would expect that every charge is looked at in isolation - we've had our punishment and this is a new charge, there is precedent and I would hope, though do not expect, that to followed.

Proving a charge will be looked at in isolation. Once the charge is proven, the sanction should be looked at in the context of previous offences.

[Royal_jimmy]

Still no manager, sod all players, no money, a scumbag owner who doesn't care, a CEO who steals a living, a possible points deduction.

Starting to worry about another relegation now. Fearing the club might not even exist before the end of the season.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Still no manager, sod all players, no money, a scumbag owner who doesn't care, a CEO who steals a living, a possible points deduction.

Starting to worry about another relegation now. Fearing the club might not even exist before the end of the season.

League Two could be fun and a good chance for a reset.

[Sutekh]

Still no manager, sod all players, no money, a scumbag owner who doesn't care, a CEO who steals a living, a possible points deduction.

Starting to worry about another relegation now. Fearing the club might not even exist before the end of the season.

League Two could be fun and a good chance for a reset.

National League would give more localish derbies though.

[Royal_jimmy]

At least I can finally do the 92 clubs if we drop again

[elrey]

Today is a dark day, it hurts and the next few weeks will.

What are your expectations next season?

I don't expect immediate promotion as we've got a huge rebuild on our hands but we should be getting into the playoffs next season I think. Especially if Dai sticks around. If he gives up on us I expect us to drop again. I'll be more optimistic and expect us to be in the playoffs. It's a huge drop in quality. Players like McIntyre, Holmes, Yiadom and Azeez aren't championship quality but having watched many league one games I think they'll be ok in that league. Still expect us to be leaky though as they're really not great. Carroll if he stays will score 10-15, a few good signings especially up front should help us.

My expectation is a new owner.... even if we get relegated, a new owner will be the best thing possible.

[SCIAG]

Still no manager, sod all players, no money, a scumbag owner who doesn't care, a CEO who steals a living, a possible points deduction.

Starting to worry about another relegation now. Fearing the club might not even exist before the end of the season.

League Two could be fun and a good chance for a reset.

Agree, we could play the academy players and in a couple of years we'd be better positioned to take on League One again.

[Stranded]

Still no manager, sod all players, no money, a scumbag owner who doesn't care, a CEO who steals a living, a possible points deduction.

Starting to worry about another relegation now. Fearing the club might not even exist before the end of the season.

League Two could be fun and a good chance for a reset.

National League would give more localish derbies though.

How many points do you think you'll need for Maidenhead away?

[Winston Biscuit]

looking forward to next years 'League Two - Your Expectations?' thread!

[Hound]

Tbf some great new grounds to visit, just think of the away days

Yiadom, Holmes, McIntyre, NGW should be a strong defence at that level as well

[Snowflake Royal]

Give it a couple of years we might be the players.

[Dirk Gently]

I don't expect Reading FC to last out the season.

[paultheroyal]

So are we now saying the best hope is we still have a club. Someone buys it when we enter into administration and we don’t fall any lower than league 2? Is that the best hope?

[Elm Park Kid]

Unless Dai deliberately drags us under, it's highly unlikely that we'd actually lose the club. There are plenty of rich people out there looking to get a foothold in English football and Reading would look a fairly attractive prospect once the owner debts have been cleared. Our PAYE bill can't be that high. It's known that Mike Ashley is after another club for one.

Yeah, the fact we don't own our stadium and training ground is an issue. But Derby didn't and a deal was reached. We might not be as big a club as Derby, but we're big enough.

[tidus_mi2]

I don't know about my expectations any more, I'll just be happy to start the season on 0 points. Which is amazingly probably quite optimistic amongst the Reading fanbase right now.

[Sutekh]

I don't know about my expectations any more, I'll just be happy to start the season on 0 points. Which is amazingly probably quite optimistic amongst the Reading fanbase right now.

The way things are going at the moment it's more likely the club will finish the season on 0 points. Think it'll be better investing this season in watching Bracknell or Slough where the football is entertaining and there's reasonably good feeling about the place.

[tmesis]

So are we now saying the best hope is we still have a club. Someone buys it when we enter into administration and we don’t fall any lower than league 2? Is that the best hope?

There doesn't seem any point putting the club into administration, given that virtually all of our debt is to Dai himself.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Unless Dai deliberately drags us under, it's highly unlikely that we'd actually lose the club. There are plenty of rich people out there looking to get a foothold in English football and Reading would look a fairly attractive prospect once the owner debts have been cleared. Our PAYE bill can't be that high. It's known that Mike Ashley is after another club for one.

Yeah, the fact we don't own our stadium and training ground is an issue. But Derby didn't and a deal was reached. We might not be as big a club as Derby, but we're big enough.

It obviously just depends on what owners we get. If we get someone like Mike Ashley, with deep enough pockets, then yeah that's not the worst owner we could have and we know we'd be spending within our means.

The issue is, if we end up with owners like Bradford or Portsmouth, we could be languishing between L1 and L2 for years like both of those clubs, because that's what they can afford. I would like to think this wouldn't be the case because we've got some good assets, but it's entirely possible.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Unless Dai deliberately drags us under, it's highly unlikely that we'd actually lose the club. There are plenty of rich people out there looking to get a foothold in English football and Reading would look a fairly attractive prospect once the owner debts have been cleared. Our PAYE bill can't be that high. It's known that Mike Ashley is after another club for one.

Yeah, the fact we don't own our stadium and training ground is an issue. But Derby didn't and a deal was reached. We might not be as big a club as Derby, but we're big enough.

It obviously just depends on what owners we get. If we get someone like Mike Ashley, with deep enough pockets, then yeah that's not the worst owner we could have and we know we'd be spending within our means.

The issue is, if we end up with owners like Bradford or Portsmouth, we could be languishing between L1 and L2 for years like both of those clubs, because that's what they can afford. I would like to think this wouldn't be the case because we've got some good assets, but it's entirely possible.

I'd be interested to know more about Bradford. They pull on 15k attendances in L2 and should easily be too big for the league, but have been there for a while. Living nearby, there is not much anger or frustration at this underachievement. I suspect that when you've been pushed to the brink, you're happy just to have a club to go and support every Saturday.

But that idea doesn't sit comfortably for me with Reading. If a new owner wants us to be self sustainable, we should be able to achieve top L1 / lower Championship. If they're willing to underwrite modest losses, top half Championship with an outside shot at the golden ticket. The idea of us becoming Bradford doesn't sit pretty.

Of course, it would be the mother of all rebuilding jobs. Which of our remaining players who stick around in L2? And can a club in such a stage of transition attract talent to immediately compete at the top? Plus add in clubs like Salford and Wrexham with money and ambition. So perhaps it would be 4 - 5 years in L2. But it wouldn't change my view that it would be a major underachievement long term.