Reading’s Andy Carroll takes to Twitter to CALL OUT critic amid relegation battle

Andy Carroll took to Twitter to encourage greater unity between players and supporters amidst the team’s faltering form and points deduction, after the player was involved with a pitchside confrontation with a fan after Reading’s 1-1 draw against Birmingham City on Friday. 

The Royals are without a win since the end of February, and the result saw the side drift into the relegation places. 

This comes just five days after the club was handed a six-point deduction for the second year in a row after breaching the EFL’s Profit and Sustainability limits. 

With just seven games until the end of the season, the club’s future in the Championship is less than certain, and fans on the sidelines at Saturday’s fixture vented their frustration after earning a solitary point at home. 

Carroll – whose second stint at the club began at the start of this season – scored his side’s only goal in the seventh minute, and celebrated the game’s opener with fans as he wheeled away from the goalmouth, but after the final whistle, the scene soured. 

Andy Carroll stressed the importance of unity as Reading prepare for a relegation scrap 

After celebrating his seventh-minute winner, the player celebrated with the crowd

But after the full-time whistle, the mood soured as the striker confronted an angry fan

Spotting a fan remonstrating him whilst he applauded the home fans, Carroll walked over to the man and confronted him. 

The exchange was over in moments, but after the match, the former Newcastle striker took to Twitter to engage with a fan who referenced the incident in a post directed at the team. 

The fan said:  ‘There is no “sticking together”. We are woeful and have been for ahes. Our club us dying before our eyes. If Andy Carroll has an issue with fans voicing their concerns he can f*** off too. #InceOut #ReadingFC’. 

The player chose to respond to the fan directly, sharing his concerns over the user’s attitude and calling for greater unity between the club and its supporters. 

Carroll said: ‘Matt, do you feel your attitude shows solidarity? We’re a team, not just the 11 on the pitch or the lads on the bench, management, medical, media staff but you as the supporter. Negativity has never helped anyone. Our aim is the same, so be positive and support us.’ 

Impressed with his willingness to engage in a dialogue rather than shirk responsibility, the fan responded in turn, which led to Carroll adding: ‘Not one team member wants to be relegated and have that on their CV. We need you more than ever and saying nonsense about me or any other player is not helpful. As cliche as it sounds we need you to be our 12th man if we have any chance in achieving our goal’. 

The player’s initial stint at Reading came in the 2021/22 season, which saw the striker sign a short-term contract to play for the club between the start of the season and January 2022. 

A similar arrangement was agreed at the start of this season, but after impressing for the Berkshire club, Carroll signed a contract extension in January 2023 to keep him at the club for another year. 

The former Liverpool and Newcastle fan called out one of his critics on Twitter

Carroll has scored eight times, with two assists, in 28 Championship appearances this season

2023 has since Paul Ince’s side stutter in dramatic fashion, after ending December in striking distance of the top six. 

But after their FA Cup run was stymied by a strong Manchester United showing and a dent in form, Tuesday’s immediate points deduction could see the club drop down from the Championship for the first time since the division’s inauguration. 

To further darken the mood at the club, Sportsmail previously reported that Peterborough were exploring legal avenues after news broke of Reading’s looming points penalty. 

Posh were relegated from the Championship last season, having finished four points behind the Royals.