Internal troubles hurting Reading's survival hopes
AS Bolton Wanderers threaten to run away with the First Division title to have another stab at establishing themselves in the Premiership, Reading - the team they pipped in a seven-goal Wembley classic in the 1995 play-off final - are wracked by so much internal dispute, they could well leave the division in the other direction.
The teams meet a week on Saturday with Reading stuck in the bottom six, a position they have barely bettered in the 20 intervening months. Stuart Lovell, whose penalty miss stopped Bolton from going an irretrievable three goals behind at Wembley, finally scored his first goal of a wretched season in Tuesday's 4-1 victory over Huddersfield. But his relief was entwined with bitterness over the manner in which the club are being run.
Joint player-managers Jimmy Quinn and Mick Gooding, whose contracts expire in July, led the team to second place two seasons ago. But, as the club seemingly attempt to tread water until they move to a new stadium at the start of 1998/99, their futures are on the line.
Chairman John Madejski said: "The whole situation at the club needs to be questioned. But I'm not satisfied with things at the moment."
Lovell, along with Bulgarian goalkeeper Bobby Mihaylov, who has been dropped recently, are among those running towards the end of their contracts. Lovell is adamant the managerial partnership is no longer working and increasing divisions are only undermining the team's confidence.
The 25-year-old striker said: "There's no point in kidding people: morale's not particularly high. The managers know they are under pressure. They said after the Portsmouth game [last Saturday's 3-0 FA Cup defeat] they know if results continue like this they'll get the bullet. But they think whoever comes in will see the same flaws we players must address."
Northern Ireland international Quinn has not started a game since September but Gooding, despite his 37 years, is an integral part of the team. Lovell considers this an added complication. He said: "At half-time [against Huddersfield] the two of them were arguing. Quinny wanted one of the midfielders to hold and said: 'Geordie [Gooding], there's a couple of times when you've done this and that' and Geordie denied it. If one of us had said that, Geordie would have said: 'Shut your mouth, he's in charge'.
"It can't be right. The half-time interval's been filled with those two at each other's throats. You need another member of staff to step in."
Sydney-born Lovell, recently back from a calf injury, has the personal motivation of pushing for a place in Terry Venables's World Cup plans. But he is saddened by Reading's demise, though he refuses to accept his notorious spot-kick has greatly influenced either his own or the team's subsequent loss of form.
A keen guitar player, who wrote a local newspaper column last season, Lovell recalled: "The day after we retained our First Division status last season, the managers asked us to come in and gave their verdicts on everyone's performance over the year. Geordie got to me and - I knew it was coming - said: 'I don't know whether it was missing that penalty at Wembley but. . .'
"That penalty, as soon as we'd got playing again, did not affect me one iota. It was a big kick to miss, could have meant Premiership football, but once we were playing again there was nothing I could do. Geordie continued: 'Maybe it's that band you play in or writing your newspaper column, but your mind seems elsewhere. You haven't lived up to our expectations or your own standards."
It is a damning verdict that sadly reflects Reading's own fortunes since returning from Wembley. Gooding remains philosophical. He said: "We can't waste time thinking about our own futures. We have to focus on the next game and picking the right players who want to roll their sleeves up to do a job." - By Peter Lansley (Electronic Telegraph)