Crazy Diamond

I've definitely seen signs of improvement with regards to our defence. Yoshida looks decent, I'm not noticing mistakes in Fonte and Clyne so much. Is it because Cork is back? He's certainly added a certain something, but I couldn't say our defensive improvement is down to him and him alone.

Indeed - how many times have some of our posters said Adkins' last game will be the next one? Next thing it'll be 'Cortese can't sack Adkins because he has it in his contract, just like Guly has to be played a certain number of times.'

Jake Thomson - remember watching him in the youth team, he was very good. Vocal, sounded like a leader.

Yeah I mean you're mainly right, but with regards to the smoking, I was simply saying it's a stupid thing to do. It is isn't it, when it's banned and it's quite easy to be caught?

Are you talking in code or are you genuinely a moron? School playground rules aside, no, I didn't.

Knowing Reading as I do, it's full of Arsenal fans, they were probably home within two minutes, saw Arsenal were getting back into it and headed back to the Madejski to see if they could get in again...

You're not the bloke from point three are you? Go to a game and watch it? Crikey, now there's an idea.

I can understand that, honest I can, but every time? I think that's annoying, personally.

First off, I thought the support was pretty good today, lots of singing, support for the team and the odd bit of backing for Nigel, all very good. However, here are a few observations of some less than inspiring people around me today... On hearing a child crying during the two minute silence, one man managed to muster all the intelligence of someone with severe brain damage to yell 'SHUT UP YOU C*NTS', in an effort to preserve the two minute's silence and its values. Congratulations to that man, you've done the country proud and all those brave men did not die for nothing. You made your point with all the charm of Wordsworth. Bravo. Classic abuse for Guly despite the fact he was nowhere near the pitch, that was good. Wonder if it would be said to his face, most likely not. Honourable mention to the man near to me dishing out advice like 'TACKLE HIM!' or 'PASS THE BALL!', though I fear it may be lost on our players. Perhaps shouts of 'BREATHE IN!', 'BREATHE OUT!', 'KICK IT!' would be better. Also, smoking in the stands, never the cleverest idea. Whoever you are, about ten people were reporting it to a steward at full time, good luck in attending the next game or indeed any others this season. Far be it from me to also question the attendance of other supporters - it's something I hate to hear, all this 'you're only ere coz we're in the prem' - but if you're a season ticket holder, what is the actual point of turning up ten minutes late, leaving your seat with 25 minutes on the clock, getting back in the 60th minute and leaving in the 80th minute, every single game? What are you actually paying to see exactly? Against Villa, I almost missed Mayuka's run into the box because the supporter in question actually decided it was a good time to go. Leaving the game when we're on the attack with time left on the clock? Really?!

Thought we had no time for ex-players and management?

I think you're on the wrong thread, this isn't the one about Olly Lancashire.

Amazed that this deserved a thread to be honest.

Dunno about you lot but that makes me feel sick.

I agree, you judge after ten games, so 4/10 if I'm being kind, we're going down. Opening day against Man City was fantastic entertainment and I thought if we played with that spirit and enthusiasm, we would be okay. First home game against Wigan was three points and nothing else for me. Gutted we didn't get anything, but again I thought we would be alright. United was quite similar to City. I wasn't disappointed when we blew it for 2 - 2 or 2 - 3, I just thought we had something about us and we'd be okay. I never thought we'd get anything but a hiding at Arsenal and detached myself from it - put it down to Arsenal knowing how to deal with the likes of us combined with a bad day for our defence. Villa, I was so ****ed off to go a goal down that I didn't celebrate our equaliser. 4 - 1 and my immediate thought was yes, we're going to be okay, and there are quite obviously worse sides than us out there. We'll be okay as long as we build on it. Going a goal up early doors against Everton, I pretty much knew we'd blow it. We did, I start to think this is going to be a long season. But it's Everton at Goodison - like Arsenal, it's always going to be a long afternoon unless you're a very good team. A goal up against Fulham early doors and I think okay, it's Fulham at home. We SHOULD be winning this. As soon as they equalised I'm expecting them to go a goal up and they do. We equalise and we've got a point, we needed all three from a fixture like that. I'm thinking this season will be a long relegation scrap. West Ham was just unacceptable. We're in the **** now. Spurs, I never imagined we'd win, we didn't. It's all very well to play nice stuff and look the part but you need to do it from the first whistle. Not after 60 minutes when you're 2 - 0 down. Game ten? Well. I'm thinking we need to win tomorrow or we are already down. No team can get away with shipping the goals we have, and our worst fears in pre-season are coming true. We have not got good enough defenders, as Jos Hooiveld in particular has become a bad player overnight, and we also don't have enough defenders. We've missed that bit of flair and technique in midfield that we obviously need - Ramirez - and up front Lambert can't hack 90 minutes, Rodriguez is learning but not quickly enough. Sacking Adkins is not the answer. I would keep him even if we go down - if he hasn't got us challenging for the Championship title at Christmas 2013, we get rid. If we get rid now, we take massive steps backwards. Someone comes in and rips up what has already been started, pushing us back months, and we have a repeat of the January 2005 window where we bought crap at ridiculous prices and still go down. November is a huge month. As is on paper April.

It's all well and good being able to say what makes a good defence and talk about it endlessly to the media, it's quite another to actually coach and teach it. Keown and Dixon? Do me a favour.

More full stops. Brilliant.

Two morons near me nearly caused a fight yesterday, all because they were ****ed off at the amount of time it was taking to get down the stairs and leave the stadium. One meathead thought it would be a good idea to start pushing people on the steps. Some of our fans are unbelievable. I'm amazed they're allowed out of their own homes.

Other than on about three occasions when he could have passed but decided to keep the ball then lost possession, yeah maybe.

Other than his inability to go 90 minutes without falling over, I'm impressed. Seriously though, he really does slip over in every game. Someone buy him a pair of decent boots for God's sake.

A section of our fans seem to enjoy giving our own players stick. Didn't Kelvin turn round and have a go once? 5 - 0 loss at Sheffield Wednesday or something. Fact is, you cannot expect to dish out abuse and think 'they'll never reply, they're not allowed to.' Fair play to Boruc for actually telling them where to go - other players just bottle it up or ***** to the press about it.

Nah. Ex-player and all that. Has no part to play at our club. Plus he's got a dispute with NC over a house he rented.

Hmm, if I had that option, I would have definitely said the same. Can't remember if I did have that option.

They know where I live but they wouldn't know my address. It's complicated, take my word for it! Yes I do as it happens, and have recently got a new contract and upgraded my phone... So if O2 are behind it, why are they trying to get me to save money now they've actually got me to fork out more for a new contract?

I agree with what you're saying, but it assumes that one of my friends did indeed pass my details. I honestly do not believe they have my address. I really do suspect it's been passed on by another company. I'm going to give them one week to respond to my complaint, which was issued on Wednesday, then I go further.

This. Also, who cares what Holloway thinks? He says nothing but bad things about us, and yet when he was unemployed and we were looking for a manager, he said he'd love to be our boss. He's a complete tool.