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Just when you think Reading FC might be creeping towards better times, wham, something else blindsides fans.

Having won consecutive league games, hopes were high for a relatively straightforward win at Eastleigh. The second-round cup exit was another low in a season that has hit more low notes than Barry White.

Conceding from set-plays, players out of position, ever-revolving defences, baffling substitutions and inept psychology have all contributed to Reading's plight. All that, and the continued off-field turmoil.

Fans did not miss the opportunity to bring their dissatisfaction to the attention of a wider audience when the TV cameras were focused upon them on Sunday. Tennis balls and fake bank notes rained on to the pitch after 16 minutes of the game - the same number as Reading have had points deducted during owner Dai Yongge's wretched tenure.

Their interest was piqued a couple of days earlier when it emerged the players were paid in full for November, but non-playing staff only received half of what they were due. This was a decision taken by club staff to ensure there is no further points deductions. The loophole in the EFL's rules needs addressing. Not paying hard-working and loyal staff a couple of weeks before Christmas is not a good look.

The players may not be receiving too much praise for their performances on the field, but they certainly can't be faulted for their actions off it. A group of the senior players offered to cover any bills non-playing staff needed paying.

Head of football operations Mark Bowen, who still enjoys wide support despite overseeing the most disastrous time in the club's history since joining in 2019, has hinted the ownership crisis should be resolved by the end of January. With 'super-agent' Kia Joorabchian, Bowen has been the primary link between the club and its owner.

Surely part of Bowen's role has been to build an effective and positive working relationship? As managing up and lobbying efforts go it is on a par with Oliver Twist's efforts with The Master at the workhouse. Twist and Bowen both caused upset by asking for only what was reasonable.

Defeats, protests, points deductions, failure to pay bills and the general chaos on and off the pitch needs to come to an end in 2024. Obscured deep in the mire, there is a good club waiting to be saved by a shrewd new owner. A well-located stadium, a big catchment area, a state of the art training ground and a promising crop of young players makes it a fantastic project for a visionary individual with the right principles.