"Out of control" - Reading FC reaction given after Rob Couhig takeover collapses | OneFootball

FLW's Reading fan pundit has given his reaction to the news that the potential takeover by Rob Couhig has collapsed.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Reading FC supporters suffered a huge blow on Wednesday afternoon with confirmation that the club's proposed takeover by former Wycombe Wanderers owner Rob Couhig had collapsed.

Couhig had been in a period of exclusivity with current Reading owner Dai Yongge in recent months, and it seemed as though discussions were heading in the right direction.

The American businessman had met manager Ruben Selles, the players and the club's staff, and attended a number of games this season, while the deal had even been given approval from the EFL.

Selles claimed as recently as last week that he was confident the takeover would be completed, but a statement from the club confirmed that it has now fallen through after the two parties failed to reach an agreement, and all loans have now been paid back to Couhig.

Royals supporters had hoped that Couhig's takeover would spell the end of Yongge's disastrous seven-year tenure, during which time the club have been deducted a total of 16 points, but while he is still looking to sell, he will remain at the helm for now.

It has been a decent start to the season for Selles' men on the pitch, and they currently sit 12th in the League One table, just three points from the play-off places, but that will be of little comfort to the fan base after the latest takeover disappointment.

Reading FC fan reaction to latest takeover developments

FLW's Reading fan pundit Johnny Hunt says the collapse of Couhig's potential takeover is devastating for supporters, and he admits he has little faith in Yongge to sell the club.

"The anger around what's going on is unreal," Johnny said.

"You think that finally, after years of bad ownership and tough times, that we're going to get a new owner in after all the hope he's been giving to us over the past few weeks that a deal is done and something is finally going to happen.

"Now we get to this point where it's not going to happen, and a year on after all the protests, the pitch invasions, the tennis balls, the march, we're still no closer to having our club back.

"The statement today says that the owner is still committed to selling the club, but he's had opportunities to sell it, and he hasn't, so I don't have any faith in him or what's going on.

"It's horrible, you feel angry, you feel sad, you feel deflated, you feel hurt, you feel helpless, you feel out of control.

"The impact on the mental health of the fans, the players and the people at the club is huge, the constant anxiety of wondering what's happening gets to all of us.

"The club means the world to us, and the thought of us not having the club anymore is horrific.

"We just want our club back, that's all we want.

"We know it's in a bad state, but we want it back, and we need this owner gone.

"We can't go through another round of this, it needs to be done.

"As usual, nobody is really helping to solve this problem, and it's just another sad day for Reading fans and the people that love the club."

It is likely that every Reading supporter will agree with Johnny's words, and it is difficult not to have sympathy with the club's plight.

After multiple failed takeover attempts, it looked as though Couhig would be the man to finally end Yongge's turbulent reign, but the news that his proposed deal has collapsed will be hugely alarming for the Royals fanbase.

It is unsurprising that Johnny does not have faith in Yongge to sell the club to a responsible new owner, and the statement from the club will do little to ease the legitimate concerns of supporters.

It has been claimed that the money received from the sell-on clause in the deal that saw Michael Olise join Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace this summer will help to fund the club's immediate future, but that is not a sustainable solution, and Yongge must find a suitable buyer as soon as possible.