 Saturday, 10th May 2008 18:07 The end of possibly the most depressing season I've ever experienced as a Rams fan. Derby County v Reading Being honest, I never expected us to stay up this season but I thought we would at least have made a fight of it. The changes that have overtaken the Premier League have not been apparent when watching Sky or Match of The Day however they are profound and will trouble almost every team that gets promoted. Premier League teams are now much faster, fitter and athletic than in previous years. They are also a lot bigger. Your old style English player (to say nothing of Scottish) simply cannot cope with them. Several times this season we have come up against players who our defence simply could not stop from scoring. Adebayor for one, Ronaldo for another - We simply had no answer. Reading are a team that other CCC clubs have aspired to be. They took the Championship by storm in their promotion year and never looked back. They have had 2 seasons in the Premier League finishing a credible eighth in their first season. In that season, Manager Steve Coppell bought wisely but kept the core team that had done so well in the CCC. That team however could only take them so far and this season, owner John Madejski has tightened the purse strings as he finds that owning a Premiership club is a very costly enterprise. He has been seeking external investment but has not found the right sort of backer at this time. Worse Madejski is worried that relegation may make the club less attractive to investors. In a sense, it's out of Readings hands as a Fulham victory will dump them back in the Championship - unless they can make up 11 goals on Bolton. "If the status quo remains, we will get relegated, so all we can do is play our hearts out for the sake of pride and professionalism," Madejski said on the BBC. "We must win against Derby." That sentiment has been echoed by Reading assistant coach Kevin Dillon. He's stirred up something of a storm by stating; "if we can't beat Derby, it will be hard to take." That's a bit rich coming from a team who haven't scored for six games. It bought a swift riposte from Paul Jewell; "I think Reading is a terrific club and Steve Coppell is an excellent manager, but for Dillon to say something like that, I think he must have been caught off guard. It is something I would never do - make a comment about someone else's team unless it's positive. I think Kevin Dillon might have been quite right to think it. But to say it was quite wrong." Steve Coppell shrugged the comments off by saying that Dillon had been quoted out of context. Current Reading Squad No. Position Player Last 5 games Newcastle 3-0 Reading Note – All of the last six finished Reading nil! Danger Men Last season's top scorers, Kevin Doyle and Leroy Lita have barely troubled the scorers this season with Lita only scoring once in the League Cup while Doyle has managed five. Dave Kitson is top scorer with nine. Marek Matejovsky is likely to return for this game while Glen Little is rated as 50/50 because of a calf problem. The Rams Quote from the official DCFC site “Costume-spotters will be round and about outside Pride Park Stadium ahead of the Premier League clash with Wigan.” Wigan? Also, the day has been designated as “THE FIRST RAMS FAN DAY”. The official site goes on; “But there is so much more going off besides the football as Derby County Football Club extends its thanks to you, the fans, for your support throughout the season. The day will include live music, face painting, fancy dress, inflatables and balloon sculptures. Attractions will be getting going at 1pm with the game kicking off two hours later.” I don't want to pour scorn on the club because they are obviously making an effort for the fans but in reality, what the fans want is maximum effort from the players on the pitch. We don't demand victory, we demand a fight. Reading have every chance of preserving their Premier League status and I expect them to be up for it. If we just roll over, we are not only letting down the best fans in the country, we're also selling Fulham fans short. If Reading win, our players should at least be able to hold their heads up when they play Fulham next year. Mick's team: Only Roy Carroll comes away from Blackburn with any credit last week. Once again therefore I'm not picking a team as none of our current players are fit to wear the shirt. What the bookies think We are only at 4/1 for this fixture which suggests the bookies aren't confident of our usual thrashing. Reading are at 1/2 for the win they so desperately need whereas the likely outcome of a draw is at 14/5. Mark Lawrenson fancies 1-1 but seeing as neither team can score, I'd bet on 0-0. Information for traveling fans Drinking: There are very few pubs very close to the ground but if you come by train, the locale around the station is fairly inviting. The Crown and Cushion at the junction of London Rd always seems to be full of away supporters. The Brunswick is a must for any real ale fans and the Alexandra next door is my personal favourite. Fans tend to mingle in these pubs and as long as you're not being aggressive, the atmosphere is good. The Waterfall opposite the station is okay as well. If you are driving, the Navigation Pub on London Rd opposite the parking area is your best bet. Nearer the ground but usually full are the Pride Park Inn, The Old Orleans and a Frankie & Bennies. Driving: It's around 130 miles from reading to Pride Park. Take the Southern Bypass road towards Oxford and the M40, joining it at Junction 9. At J10 take the A43 past Silverstone towards the M1 and join it at Junction 15a. Stay on the M1 to J24 and take the A50 and A6 to the parking areas below or stay on the J25 and take Brian Clough Way (A52) to the Pentagon Island parking areas. Parking: It used to be at the old Wilmorten College site however that is now a building site so away fans should park at Catalyst on London Rd opposite the Navigation pub. It's about 10-15 minutes from the ground. Don't be tempted to park at Pride Park shopping centre unless you fancy being clamped. You can also park for a £5 at the hospital further up London Rd near the hospital and the Railway station. Another alternative is to take the Derby Ring road towards the City Centre and pass the exit for Pride Park on Brian Clough Way (A52) and head for Pentagon Island. Take the first exit and turn left and after a few hundred yards you will come to The Cattle Market Car Park. It's about 10 minutes walk to the ground from here. Mick's Prediction Going for 0-0 or perhaps a late Reading goal to sneak it depending on what's happening at Fulham. We're playing for pride although there has been little of that on display this season. It's been awful and only the fact that we have the best fans in the league has made it worthwhile going – especially away. This is the last preview for this season. I'll be back for the Coca Cola Championship if spared. Thanks to everyone who has commented on my preview and thanks to everybody who reads them. Have a great summer.
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