IT IS HARD to remember a lower mood at Reading Football Club in recent years – or for me at least, a supporter of some 14 years.
Granted, the Royals have been no strangers to the threat of relegation from the Championship over the last few seasons, but finding ourselves rock bottom of the second tier by the time of the first international break puts our misery on another level.
That’s come after a dire run of results unmatched since 1959 when, as a Tilehurst End reader pointed out to us a few weeks ago, Reading lost seven of their first eight league matches.
Two points away from home this year, one at Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa, mean matters aren’t mathematically that bad, but the 2018/19 opening feels nightmarish nonetheless.
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To blame that on Paul Clement would be unfair on a man who is working in difficult conditions: a squad low on quality and morale, not to mention a fan-base which, by attendance figures at least, is losing faith in their club. The former Derby County and Swansea City man could yet turn things around, but only an incredible change in fortunes would reverse the increasingly negative vibe amongst Loyal Royals.
For many of them, myself included, matchdays feel more like Groundhog Day. Whatever the line-up and whoever the opposition, the result is the same: a low-key performance from a team lacking in cohesion and belief, followed by defeat.
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What next for this dejected side? Is there any cause for optimism? The deadline day arrival of talented midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, who joined on loan from FC Rostov, may prove to be the catalyst for Reading’s first league victory since April – or it may not.
It’s a big ask for a player coming into English football for the first time in his career, but if he does not deliver, who will?
Simeon can be found on Twitter @SimFromBucks and his website’s account is @TheTilehurstEnd.
