A Reading fan speaks to Vital QPR indicating his side`s home form will be the make or break factor in their promotion push.
Chris Kitley, editor of Vital Reading tells Vital QPR that his side are a shoe-in for a victory today, regardless of how they play.
When the Royals achieved promotion back a couple of years ago, what were your expectations going into unchartered territory?
It was a tough one really. Having just been promoted with record breaking points, we certainly felt like survival was possible. 20 minutes into the opening game however it seemed like we were out of our depth. At the final whistle of the opening game we felt that anything was possible!
The footballing community saw Reading play above all expectations in the first year – were you expecting greater things from last season – and was relegation still a threat going into the campaign?
Obviously after such a great first year, expectations were high. A lot had been made about our lack of signings and the loss of Sidwell, so relegation was certainly a threat but I honestly don’t think many expected it, especially after getting a draw at Old Trafford on the opening day. I think after the 7-4 defeat at Portsmouth it really hit home that we were going to struggle.
There was talk of manager Steve Coppell leaving upon the clubs relegation – what were you expectations upon relegation – staying with the current regime or a fresh face with fresh ideas?
Like many Reading fans, I expected Coppell to walk whether we stayed up or went down. Once relegation set in, I did feel that we needed Coppell to stay, if only to keep the current crop of players together. Copps got us up in the first place and although a certain section of fans wanted a fresh start, I think the majority felt he was/is the man to get us back up.
You moved out of Elm Park in 1998 and moved into a new all-purpose stadium, are there still parts of you that long for those days standing at the Tilehurst End, or are you glad to be shot of it?
I miss Elm Park, the atmosphere was amazing every game, you rarely get that at the Mad Stad with everyone being so spaced out. It’s obviously good to have a nice stadium that you can feel proud of, but nothing beats Elm Park for a proper atmosphere.
You’ve had some memorable results in recent years, which is the game that sticks most in your memory for the right reasons?
I think the 3-2 win over Middlesbrough has to be the stand-out one. As I mentioned before, when we went two-nil down early on it looked like we were going to be in for a long season, but the character shown in the fight back pretty much reflected our amazing season as a whole.
After a sluggish start this season you’ve picked up dramatically in recent weeks, what do you put this down to?
I wouldn’t put it down to a sluggish starts, we’ve been consistently great at home, and with the exception of the Wolves game, poor away. If we are to go up it will be down to our home form, but we really do need to start winning away or we’ll have to settle for the play-offs.
You are yet to lose at home this season – is that something you can see continuing beyond this weekend?
If we play like we have been playing at home and QPR play like they have been all season then it should be an easy three points. Having said that we`re going to lose at some point, so you never know.
Which player should Rangers fans watch out for in the Royals squad?
The enigma that is Jimmy Kebe. Kebe’s the marmite of the Reading team, you either love him or hate him, and I love him. When he runs at defenders you can sense something is going to happen and more often than not it does, even if he doesn’t always know much about it!
Conversely is there any player from the Rangers line-up that you feel would be a threat?
No.
Finally what are your predictions for the fixture?
If we play as well as we have been I reckon it could be 4 or 5 nil to the Royals. If we play badly then it will probably only be 2-0 Reading.
Rangers fans cannot share the same optimism with 73% believing the R`s are in for a defeat at the Madejski Stadium.
However there are some optimists out there, 19% of you have tipped Gareth Ainsworth`s men for a victory, while the rest consisting of 9%, including myself, believe that the R`s can grab a draw against the Royals.
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