Am i the only one feeling this way re: Burns?

[mini _dariusz]

shithouse.

Steady on mate, the man only died today!

YOU'RE the shithouse !

[LUX]

I think that, no matter what our opinions are about Tommy Burns as manager of Reading, it's probably all been said before. From what I've heard today he was a decent, well-liked human being, a family man, and he died at a relatively young age of a horrible illness. We should at least respect that and those that are grieving for him, so I don't think it's appropriate to be sticking the knife in right now. We just look bitter and undignified by doing so.

spot on.

If that opening post is what the old school are really like, welcome back I'm Mad.

[The 17 Bus]

It is said if you can't say anything good, then say nothing. This topic is a case in point, should be deleted IMHO,

[Wycombe Royal]

Burns put this club back years - he massively under estimated the league we were in.

No he didn't. He took over the club when it was in a mess after the Bullivant era. His problem was that he didn;t understand the division we were in, he did not under estimate it. He tried to get us playing the possession game but as we all know that does not work in the lower divisions. The seven he brought in on that deadline day were a last ditch attempt to keep the club up as the squad that he inherited from Bullivant was that bad.

[Pete10]

Did not not sign a certain fella called Forster?

[Tilehurst End]

Good chat with Ray Houghton on RB last evening. Said that Burns did a lot of important ground work for the current set up such as training facilities and building team spirit by after training meals together etc.
Also said that Burns wanted his players to play footbal on the ground and have all of them comfortable on the ball which the squad then were not used to. Maybe given more time who knows?

I've not actually heard anyone in the game with a bad word to say about him so couldn't have been all bad. Not unlike another boss not a million miles away.

[brendywendy]

how can he be our worst manager ever, after replacing him?

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

Being a crap manager is forgiveable.

Stealing money from the club isn't. The man took the club for all he could get.

Paying 500k for Evers was no accident.

[Irvinchangeyaname]

Being a crap manager is forgiveable.

Stealing money from the club isn't. The man took the club for all he could get.

Paying 500k for Evers was no accident.

Fair enough, but if its been eating away at you that much, why is only now that you choose to mention it? Really not necessary IMO.

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

The only manager worse than Terry Taxi.

Pointless play, awful sideways play, disbanding the reserves, wasted huge amounts of money...

SEAN EVERS
PAUL BRAYSON

[SpaceCruiser]

Do I remember correctly that he gave a number of Reading players at the start of the 1998/9 season the cold shoulder, players such as Gareth Davies?

Was there a length of rope involved?

[Skyline]

The Death Row 5 wasn't it? Gareth Davies was on it. Can't think of the others.

[jonboy]

Burns put this club back years - he massively under estimated the league we were in.

No he didn't. He took over the club when it was in a mess after the Bullivant era. His problem was that he didn;t understand the division we were in, he did not under estimate it. He tried to get us playing the possession game but as we all know that does not work in the lower divisions. The seven he brought in on that deadline day were a last ditch attempt to keep the club up as the squad that he inherited from Bullivant was that bad.

You can play any type of game you like if you have the right players! He had the money, he had the wages and he blew it all.
After him financially we were in all sorts of problems. It wasn't until Mad Dog was introduced to kick the over-rated, over-paid players up the backside that we actually looked like a team again.

[SpaceCruiser]

The Death Row 5 wasn't it? Gareth Davies was on it. Can't think of the others.

Yes, I'm sure you're right that it was "The Death Row 5". I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that Paul Bodin was one too. And perhaps Michael Meaker?

[Riseley]

The Steve row 5 contained at least three boyos.

[RoyalBlue]

Burns put this club back years - he massively under estimated the league we were in.

No he didn't. He took over the club when it was in a mess after the Bullivant era. His problem was that he didn;t understand the division we were in, he did not under estimate it. He tried to get us playing the possession game but as we all know that does not work in the lower divisions. The seven he brought in on that deadline day were a last ditch attempt to keep the club up as the squad that he inherited from Bullivant was that bad.

I have to say that those of us who witnessed the away game at Ipswich following the arrival of all of his transfer deadline signings saw a team fight with a level of conviction, passion and fight that we would have loved to have seen in some of our games this season. Indeed had our 2007/8 squad shown that level of conviction, passion and fight I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be facing Championship football next season.

I remember the youngish loan player he signed as a centre back (can't remember his name, somewhat embarrassingly) could barely walk off the pitch at the end of the Ipswich game as he had given his absolute all (not helped by the sending off of Legg and Bernal IIRC).

Tommy Burns was a real football man and a fan's manager. Again IIRC he came to Elm Park incognito and stood on the Southbank to watch a game before deciding to join us.

[SpaceCruiser]

I remember the youngish loan player he signed as a centre back (can't remember his name, somewhat embarrassingly) could barely walk off the pitch at the end of the Ipswich game as he had given his absolute all (not helped by the sending off of Legg and Bernal IIRC).

Patrick Kelly.

[Alan Partridge]

I remember the youngish loan player he signed as a centre back (can't remember his name, somewhat embarrassingly) could barely walk off the pitch at the end of the Ipswich game as he had given his absolute all (not helped by the sending off of Legg and Bernal IIRC).

Patrick Kelly.

Quite liked him, broke his leg v Boro? Remember him being carried off, ended up playing in the Scottish Leagues. any idea where he is now anyone?

[RoyalBlue]

I remember the youngish loan player he signed as a centre back (can't remember his name, somewhat embarrassingly) could barely walk off the pitch at the end of the Ipswich game as he had given his absolute all (not helped by the sending off of Legg and Bernal IIRC).

Patrick Kelly.

That's him - a really good young player, which was probably why we could only get him on loan!

Being a crap manager is forgiveable.

Stealing money from the club isn't. The man took the club for all he could get.

Paying 500k for Evers was no accident.

Was it ever proved that he did anything wrong? If not, you're lucky that you can't libel a dead man!

Your accusations don't appear to sit very comfortably with the glowing references that he received and is still receiving from around the football world.

I remember the youngish loan player he signed as a centre back (can't remember his name, somewhat embarrassingly) could barely walk off the pitch at the end of the Ipswich game as he had given his absolute all (not helped by the sending off of Legg and Bernal IIRC).

Patrick Kelly.

Quite liked him, broke his leg v Boro? Remember him being carried off, ended up playing in the Scottish Leagues. any idea where he is now anyone?

Think he was playing for Cowdenbeath in April 05.

[PEARCEY]

The Death Row 5 wasn't it? Gareth Davies was on it. Can't think of the others.

Yes, I'm sure you're right that it was "The Death Row 5". I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that Paul Bodin was one too. And perhaps Michael Meaker?

Yes there was a strong Welsh contingent which also included Andy Legg I think