Reader Poll
AFTER two seasons in the Premier League spotlight, the Royals, despite their last-day heroics, are heading back to the Championship. Who should take most blame for their unfortunate and untimely relegation?
Poll started 11/05/2008. Vote to see the results.
      STEVE COPPELL - The buck stops with the boss. He did a magnificent job getting the Royals to the Prem and keeping them there last year, but now it's time to go. He says he's had a free hand regarding new players, but few recent signings worked out.
      THE PLAYERS - Too many disappointed, even those from the old "hero team" who did so brilliantly together for two seasons. Injuries keeping out Convey, Little and Sonko didn't help but some started "believing their own publicity" and under-performed.
      JOHN MADEJSKI - Steve Coppell may have been being tactful when he said he didn't ask the chairman for more money in the winter window, or even last summer. JM is known as a thrifty operator and may not have wanted to splash the cash when needed.
      REFEREES - The standard of refereeing, contrary to official PR, is generally awful - and the linesmen are usually worse. And unfashionable teams such as Reading and those of their ilk in the Premier League's "Group 3" seldom get crucial decisions.
      THE FANS - Now split into two camps - those who have experienced it all before from the Elm Park days, and accept it - and the 14,000 who have joined in over the past three seasons who have not backed the team wholeheartedly, certainly in home games.
      IT DOESN'T MATTER: Who cares whose fault it was, the Royals will be better off in the genuinely competitive Championship rather than the Premier where you can name next season's top four and probably top twelve already. Good riddance to the Prem!