Ruben Selles sends message to Reading FC supporters amid takeover developments | OneFootball

It has been another tough week for Reading after their proposed takeover by Rob Couhig collapsed.

Reading manager Ruben Selles has thanked fans for their ongoing support as the club's off-field issues continue following the collapse of the proposed takeover by Rob Couhig last week.

Former Wycombe Wanderers owner 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.

Couhig had attended a number of the Royals' games this season, and he had also met Selles, the players and the club's staff, while the deal had even been given approval from the EFL.

However, a statement from the club last week confirmed that Couhig's takeover has now fallen through after the two parties failed to reach an agreement, and all loans have now been paid back to the American businessman.

It was a huge blow for supporters who had hoped that Couhig would be the man to end Yongge's disastrous seven-year tenure, during which Reading have been relegated to League One and had a total of 18 points deducted.

Former Royals chief executive Nigel Howe, who is helping to facilitate a takeover, insists that Yongge "continues to be committed" to selling and is looking to "bring someone in to take the club forward", but he admits that it is a complex deal.

Ruben Selles issues message to Reading supporters

Following another difficult week that ended with a 5-2 defeat at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, Selles thanked the Reading fan base for their continued support, and he promised that he and his players will continue to fight for the club.

"Firstly to the fans, I want to thank everyone for their words, emails, letters and everything they’ve said to myself and to the rest of the team," Selles told the club's official website.

"I think they can feel what we feel, and we are going to give absolutely everything for this football club. There is not going to be any doubt about it. And I hope the fans can recognise when the players are giving absolutely everything on the pitch, and I expect them to feel proud of their team.

"Obviously, we are disappointed with the defeat, but the support for the side was amazing. It has been amazing for the entire year, and we know it is a difficult moment for the football club again, but we know that we are going to fight with everything that we have to try and keep the team stable."

Selles' latest comments will be reassuring for Royals supporters after he raised fears over his future last week when he stated the current situation was "exhausting", admitting that he needed to "reflect on where the club is heading".

Concerns that Selles was considering leaving the Select Car Leasing Stadium increased further after the defeat at Bolton, with the Spaniard hitting out at the lack of support he has been given from the club.

"We came here trying to forget. You can never forget where you are. It was a game of football, and we had moments we should take. We know the situation and we are not going to use it as an excuse. We have been there before, and the circle is repeating. The support to this team in terms of players and staff is non-existent from the club and that is the reality. There will be a moment where we cannot cope but it was not a point why we didn’t win today," Selles told The Reading Chronicle.

Selles looks set to remain loyal to Reading for now, but his patience will not last forever, and he will surely be tempted to leave if the takeover uncertainty continues.

Many managers would have walked away long before now, and Selles' commitment to the club has seen him build up a strong relationship with supporters, but it does seem as though he is understandably becoming frustrated with the situation.

Selles has done an excellent job in incredibly difficult circumstances since taking over at the Select Car Leasing Stadium last summer, and that is unlikely to have gone unnoticed by Championship clubs, so the Royals could be vulnerable to losing him if he was to receive an offer from elsewhere.

After the collapse of Couhig's takeover, Reading's immediate future is reportedly being funded by the money received from the sell-on clause in the deal that saw Michael Olise join Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace this summer, but that is not a sustainable solution, and Yongge must find a buyer for the club as soon as possible.