Reading’s Renewed Sense Of Belief

One Loyal Royal writes about why the vibe heading into this season feels so much more upbeat than last summer.

In little over a week’s time, we will be getting ready for the start of the new season, a season which, for many, brings cautious optimism after the dark days of last season.

A positive pre-season in terms of results against strong opposition on the most part has given us a renewed sense of belief. At the end of last season, there was a galvanised spirit which culminated in that night at the Purple Turtle and, somehow, regardless of the fact that not much has changed (at the time of writing) from an operational standpoint, there appears to be acute positivity that we could be okay next season.

The topic of ownership has been widely discussed, with speculation aplenty around who might be taking over and what form that might take, but what’s clear is that recently it appears to be moving steadily along.

We all know it’s a complicated deal of multiple parts which require all the stars to align, in order to happen, but there’s a sense of cautious optimism that we might be close. Whether that’s unfounded remains to ultimately be seen, but crucially the bills are being paid and no one seems to be hitting the panic button.

I remember how we felt going into last season. With talk of points deductions and limited registration windows in which we had to get deals done before the EFL changed their mind, it felt like we were being braced for a long season ahead, yet this time round it seems acutely different.

We might not have signed anyone, but we’ve got a solid nucleus of a squad which we know can compete, led by a manager who is already a club legend and emulate the greats of the past.

This team went through a lot last season. It was tough enough for us fans, but not even knowing if they were going to be paid at the end of the month or whether the three points on Saturday would be taken away on Monday will have taken its toll on even the strongest of minds.

Yet somehow, they got through that and for me, that’s the reason why I feel positive going into the new season. We might have a relatively young squad on paper, but I challenge anyone to tell us that we don’t have a squad that has the resilience to win the toughest of tests.

If we’re able to avoid any late swoops for our players, and with the right additions if/when we’re allowed, we will grow into next season and could shock a fair few people.