Martin Brailli skriver för Viking Royals
För första gången får vi en rapport för hur det står till i Reading från en "Reading local"
Här nedan följer en rapport från Martin Brailli om hur han ser på saker och ting i klubben, på läktaren, på stan och i omklädningsrummet.
Martin Brailli är supporter sedan barnsben och naturligtvis innehavare av säsongskort. Han ser även en hel del bortamatcher.
Meningen är att han under kolumnen, "Braillis corner" kommer att skriva då och då om läget i klubben.
Martin har länge pratat om en svensk supporterklubb, och det var även han som kom på namnet "Viking Royals".
A long time in football.....
Going back just 14 days or so to the awful performance against Leicester seems a long way.
After that game fans were saying that the season was over, that Alan Pardew had lost the plot. There were stories of players being unhappy, people were suggesting that the signing of Steve Sidwell had been a mistake etc etc.
There was a small but noisy minority saying that we were about to slide down the table and since Matthew Upson left we had done nothing.
Well since then things have changed round once again and the atmosphere is now as positive as I have ever known it !
First of all not even the most optimistic Royals fan would have predicted that we would win 5-2 at Burnley. It's always been a tough place to go with passionate fans and a very physical team. However we showed the perfect
reaction to the Leicester game and by all acounts John Salako played his best ever match for us, Steve Sidwell scored twice and we saw the welcome return of Darius Henderson.
Immediately following that we had the England U20's playing Germany at the Mad Stad. We continued our tradition of drawing big crowds for these games with a crowd of over 60 thousand - a record for an U20 game. I really think
that when England start playing at the new Wembley there is a chance that the Mad Stad might become the home of the U21's - wouldn't that be something!
However this time there game had a real local flavour to it. Some had said that the inclusion of Nathan Tyson in the squad was just an attempt to sell tickets. Well Nathan showed he was there on merit and made the whole town
proud by scoring both goals in a 2-1 win for England. It could not have been a better night and hopefully Nathan will now use this as a springboard and force his way into the Royals side every week.
And still it was not all over ! Late on Friday we head the news that we had signed yet another genuine Premiership quality player. Luke Chadwick, kept out of the Man Utd team by David Beckham, had joined us on an initial month's loan. Chadwick is a very good player and stories are going round
that the initial month may be extended, or even made into a permenant deal !
It's a massive statement from the Chairman, having paid out for Steve Sidwell just 2 weeks ago, that he has allowed Alan Pardew to bring another young, talented player into the squad. It seems to me that we ARE taking the
promotion race seriously and with the places behind Pompey and Leicester all up for grabs it could be that signings like this one make all the difference.
Monday night's game against Gillingham is a huge one. In recent years we have not done too well on the big occasion and this time we will be live on Sky, with the chance to consolidate a play off spot and an exciting side. I
can't remeber when I have looked forward to a game so much ( and even the fact that we are playing Gillingham doesn't reduce the anticipation.)
Just 16 games to go and things are looking good for the Royals. The rest of the season is going to be very exciting and I predict that we will start scoring many more goals than we have so far this season. Whether we make the
top 6 who knows, but I'm delighted that we look like we are giving it a go.
It's a good time to be a Reading fan......
PS Congratulations to Matthew Upson on making the England squad. Seeing as he has found it tough settling in at Birmingham you have to assume his selection is down to his superb performances with us ! I think we can at
least claim a part of him and I'll be cheering on the first Royals representative to wear a full England shirt for many many years !
