“When you look at it, there’s been a good progression. We want to play winning football. Today both teams came out with different ways to win a game of football, but unfortunately it’s ended up with a 0-0 scoreline which didn’t help anybody. We’ve got a nice bunch of lads who work hard. It’s a great football club and we have to rebuild and get ready for next season.”
Those were the words of Nigel Adkins, the former Reading boss who was last in charge when the club were in the Premier League. That was nine years ago, when a goalless draw at home to Queens Park Rangers confirmed their relegation on the penultimate day of the 2012-13 season. While Harry Redknapp’s QPR also face the drop, they would go on to enjoy another stint in the top flight, Reading have never managed to get back to the promised land, squandering every opportunity in what has been a difficult decade at the Madejski Stadium.
When you look back at the side that went down, there was certainly enough talent to establish themselves as Premier League regulars, albeit the performances were too sporadic to ever climb the table for an extended period of time, costing them big results. It’s been 10 years since the fixtures were released for the opening day of the season and the likes of Adam Le Fondre and Adam Federici key components of a side that looked capable of surviving after winning the Championship. However, it was the latter of their stars that proved a cause for concern, with the goalkeeper spilling a routine catch to cost them a win at home to Stoke in early August.
A difficult run of form followed and although Brian McDermott was initially tased with beating the drop, he was relived on his duties in the dugout, replaced by Adkins who lost his job controversially at Southampton having been replaced by a fresh-faced Mauricio Pochettino. As the new year rolled on relentlessly the Royals failed to capture the imagination of the fans at the Madejski, and the football they played was a pale imitation to the one that won them the second tier. Relegation was inevitable.
While the board persisted with Adkins for the first 18 months of their return to the Championship, it was almost two years of treading water, with no real chance of reaching the play-offs and no concrete direction for the club to go in. It would take until the 2017-18 season, where despite a shoestring budget from some lacklustre campaigns, Reading were finally looking favourable amongst Championship predictions with windrawwin.
That season they reached the play-off final at Wembley under Jaap Stam, but were narrowly beaten by Huddersfield Town on penalties — Liam Moor missing the decisive spot kick by blazing over after a goalless draw in regular time. It was a defeat that set Reading back a few years, and after significant departures they flirted with relegation to League One at times last season, eventually finishing 21st, just one place above the drop.
It’s strange to think a team that once ruled the roost over the second tier simply couldn’t find their feet in the Premier League. It’s been a long time since then and Reading are a mere after thought for most of the big sides, and considering some of the big moments they’ve been involved in like the 7-4 goal frenzy against Arsenal, it is a shame.
Another year in transition is a disappointing way to celebrate their 10th anniversary away from the Premier League, and new manager Paul Ince will have his work cut out for him to keep the Royals up when the season starts on July 30th.
