Published: Monday, 12th May, 2008 12:05
Hahnemann vows to bounce back
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MARCUS Hahnemann has spoken of the enormous challenge facing Reading following their heartbreaking relegation from the Premier League.
The Royals thrashed Derby County 4-0 at Pride Park on Sunday but went down on goal difference as Fulham also won at Portsmouth.
It brought a sad end to the club’s two year existence in the top-flight and a number of players and staff are expected to leave in the summer.
But the biggest battle facing the Royals is a mental one, according to Hahnemann.
“We’re not Premiership players any more,” stressed Royals’ keeper. “That’s something we have to get into our heads as quickly as possible.
“You see it happen when teams go down. It’s devastating for them because once you’ve tasted the Premiership, you don’t want to have to go back to the Championship and do it all again.
“You think teams should go straight back up because of the strength they but it often doesn’t work that way because they’re not mentally prepared for it.
“We’ve got to get our minds right because we’ve got a difficult season ahead of us.”
Hahnemann has vowed to see out the remaining year of his contract in a bid to help Royals bounce-back to the top-flight at the first attempt.
But casualties are inevitable and several players have already been linked with moves to rival Premier League clubs.
Sunderland are rumoured to be preparing a £10 million swoop for Kevin Doyle and Stephen Hunt while Nicky Shorey, who has rejected a new contract, is on his way out.
“I think changes are inevitable,” admitted Hahnemann. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, who’s going to leave and who is going to be coming back.
“I’m going to be here, I’m sure of that. I’ve got another year on my contract. I want to get this team back into the Premier League and I will do whatever it takes.”
Ironically, all three clubs faced with relegation last Sunday won, but it was Reading and Birmingham City who will join Derby in the Championship next season.
James Harper, Dave Kitson, Kevin Doyle and Leroy Lita all scored but it was Fulham who escaped thanks to a Danny Murphy winner at Fratton Park.
“We sat in the dressing room in silence,” added Hahnemann. “It was just devastating. We lost out by one points so you begin to think back to the times we screwed up.
“We went on an eight game losing run, we lost at home to Fulham - you name it. So many times we didn’t do what we needed to and we paid the ultimate price.
“It will be devastating financially for this club and for all the players as well.”
But he also argued: “To get relegated on goal difference is unbelievable. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
“But you know, we didn’t go down on Sunday. We went down when we didn’t take any points off Bolton and Fulham at home.
“We always said that you have to beat the teams around you. We didn’t do that this season and now we’re faced with a season in the Championship, hopefully.
“There was also a degree of complacency. Team’s figured us out a bit sand maybe we were too predictable.
“We had the same back four throughout last season. This season we had to change it countless times because of injury. That was a huge factor. We didn’t have a solid core of the team.
“It’s so frustrating because I take a lot of that responsibility on our shoulders. We just have to figure out where to go from here.”
Hahnemann will fly to USA this week for surgery on his hand and he is expected to be fit again for pre-season.
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