Taylor: On the edge

Last weekend, the world seemed to be on the verge of crashing down around me. Between handing in my midterm before time was up because I just couldn’t answer any more questions and feeling a bit crushed under the weight of rapid-fire assignments, I discovered that Wolverhampton Wanderers had started sniffing around my soccer club, Reading FC, in search of a replacement manager.

After selling our best player and starting the season off on the wrong foot, the Royals were languishing in second-to-last place in the English Championship, 12 points from the top spot and eight from having any chance of getting promoted. It almost seemed like a relief coming back to the United States and knowing I wouldn’t be subjected to watching our relegation to League 1.

But then, bit by bit, things started clicking. Having rescued the club from relegation in his first half-season in 2010 and subsequently taking it to the brink of a Premiership return last year, manager Brian McDermott began to work his magic yet again. And just as January’s player transfer window was threatening to tempt more of the talent away, a Russian billionaire appeared with the promise of investment that could convert the club from small fry to big fish.

Even the potential injection of funds—a move that often destabilizes a team instead of launching it on the path to success—was handled in a way that most fans couldn’t complain about, with the emphasis put on a gradual transition to new ownership. Reading are now third, just five points from the top, with the best recent form of any team. If they win out, they are guaranteed to return to the top flight of English soccer.

However, typical of a lower-league soccer fan, it doesn’t take much to convert the optimism and elation at your club’s success to dread. The press is generally too absorbed in the goings-on up at the top table to pay detailed attention to smaller clubs. As a result, these teams often operate under the radar. Even within the Championship, the major stories at the moment are centered on either the perennial financial problems in soccer or just the success of the top two clubs. This information vacuum can often be frustrating for fans, but it also provides some sort of protection. When bigger, richer clubs start exploring the lower leagues, you know you are in trouble.

There isn’t a player or manager in the lower divisions who doesn’t want to be in the Premier League, have their games broadcast live around the globe, play in front of huge crowds in giant stadiums and fight for some of the biggest trophies in the world of sports. And chances to make that leap don’t come around every day; many never even get the call. So when any of the clubs up there come calling, it is hard to turn them down.

Many fans even may find it hard to overly criticize someone for deserting their club when they know that this might be that person’s one shot at stardom. In fact, there is almost a resignation when supporters realize they have a gem of a manager or player in their midst. It is obvious that this person will eventually get snapped up by bigger fish, and deservedly so. You might as well just enjoy the ride for now.

A team is more than one person, but losing a key piece of the jigsaw this far into a season can be devastating. A couple of losses as the team reorganizes, and Reading would drop out of the promotion conversation. In a hugely competitive league, it is far from guaranteed to be back there next year. Or, as any pessimistic fan would stress, ever.

But perhaps I should have more faith. McDermott rejected the chance at Wolves, committing to the Royals for three more years. In doing so he secured the adoration of the fans and may still get that Premiership job next season as manager of Reading. Yes, I did badly in my midterm, and yes, I have more assignments awaiting my attention.

But who cares about grades when a spot in the Premiership is at stake?

Taylor has taken more years’ worth of midterms than most of his fellow writers have been alive. Hit up the village wise man at tom.taylor “at” stanford.edu.