POLL - What are your expectations this season?

[Z175]

I know I'm bored in the pre season, but there seem to be plenty of people browsing hob nob but v little posting.
Presumably, because nothing at all is happening. We have a stable squad and no transfers in or out are anticipated.

So what are our expectations for the current season. Will we continue last season's good form?
Do people hope we will do well, or do you actually expect us to get automatic promotion?

Could be interesting to see.

[dan19]

6th URZ

[PEARCEY]

4th followed by play-off misery.

[Ian Royal]

Top 10, maybe play offs.

[Terminal Boardom]

WE will not do as well as some would like to expect. Mid table / top ten. Anything above 8th a bonus. Just because we had a good second half to last season does not automatically make us odds on for promotion. That said, it did not stop me sticking a few bob on at 18/1 at the start of the 93/94 seasoon for precisely that reason.

[percy_freeman]

I'm sticking to what I said last year. Three year re-build with the danger of going down last year out of the way, consolidate this year and promotion next season. I did vote for top ten but think we could creep into the playoffs!

[rfcjoe]

Play Offs.
We do have a good mix of experience, and youthful exuberance.
The wingers we possess would and should shit up any defence in the league, and if our strikers are on form, then I can see us scoring bag-fulls this season.
Defensively, we have our new profound leader in the form of Matt Mills, who is rapidly turning into one of my fave RFC players. The guy just seems to love defending, and heading the ball, whick I love. I'm just a tad worried about our lack of pace in Ivar and Pearcey. But the pair of them do read the game very well, and this could cancel out chances.

[Terminal Boardom]

Being able to read the game is one thing but being able to then engage brain, tell legs to move, then do it is another matter. I still have nightmares over the way Lita raped Pearce near the halfway line last season.

[The Cap]

Personally think we've got a great chance of auto promo this year. Quietly confident. Stealth tactics to work a treat. 'Cos let's face it, the teams that have come down don't exactly have quality written all over them, do they.

Would just like to see one other addition come in as experienced cover for the CB position. Whether that person is 'Kish' has yet to be seen but we could certainly do a lot worse than seeing him back in the ranks. If it happens it happens but, regardless of all that, the spirit in the team now is second to none.

[rfcjoe]

Being able to read the game is one thing but being able to then engage brain, tell legs to move, then do it is another matter. I still have nightmares over the way Lita raped Pearce near the halfway line last season.

haha, this is true. I was offering that as their only glimmering hope. It is scary to see someone so slow and not very athletic at such young age, like Pearcey.
Ivar is beyong a joke if I'm being honest. He has never been the quickest, but he has gradually got slower, and more sluggish. Something that I didn't think was possible. I would've let him go in the summer, and either signed another CB, and/or use Cisse(if he stayed) or Bryn, as cover.

[philM]

I'm hoping we make the playoffs.

If we get close come next spring, I think there is a chance we could replicate the hunger and desire we showed in last season's cup performances and pull it off.

If not this year then next. We just need the core of the current squad to keep improving and stay committed and positive.

[howser]

I think a lot of what we will achieve this years is so dependant on how we start, a flying start to the season, with the usual suspects Sigs, kebe, McAnuff and Mills playing a leading role, could see us lose some by the end of August, not madman bating, but if decent money is offered it will be difficult to keep hold of them, no doubt ,our now annual £4m short fall would come to the fore again. Would like to think that with the same team, effort, desire and passion we showed in the second half of the season, we should be comfortable in the top six, if, and its a big if, we dont sell our best assets that is.

[SteveRoyal]

When it comes to attacking, we're one of the best in the division. Church, Long, Hunt, Sigurdsson, McAnuff, Kebe... When they're all on form they can be devastating in this division.
In midfield we have quality too, with Tabb and Howard both experienced for their age.
It's only in defense where I see a short fall.
Only one fully fit left back in Marcus Williams, with Chris Armstrong looking doubtful for a return to football.
Only three recognised centre backs; one of whom is injury prone, the other of whom is young, slow and inexperienced and the third is red-card prone.
Right back we have Griffin, Kelly and Cummings if it comes down to that...
So, I'm thinking play-offs at best, Top Ten at worst?

[Sun Tzu]

Only one fully fit left back in Marcus Williams, with Chris Armstrong looking doubtful for a return to football.
Only three recognised centre backs; one of whom is injury prone, the other of whom is young, slow and inexperienced and the third is red-card prone.

How many left backs did we have last season ?

Think the centre back analysis is a bit off as well. Ivar is not injury prone, he's got a long track record of playing lots of games in a season. Pearce is not inexperienced, he's not young (22 this season) although he's not the quickest. Mills is hardly red card prone either - both his last season were very tough calls. I don;t think he'll get any more reds than any other centre back in the league.... But we do need an extra body there !!

[Gordons Cumming]

I hope Brian heeds your concerns, Sun Tzu,as I doubt if it has crossed his mind!

[Z175]

Only one fully fit left back in Marcus Williams, with Chris Armstrong looking doubtful for a return to football.
Only three recognised centre backs; one of whom is injury prone, the other of whom is young, slow and inexperienced and the third is red-card prone.

How many left backs did we have last season ?

Think the centre back analysis is a bit off as well. Ivar is not injury prone, he's got a long track record of playing lots of games in a season. Pearce is not inexperienced, he's not young (22 this season) although he's not the quickest. Mills is hardly red card prone either - both his last season were very tough calls. I don;t think he'll get any more reds than any other centre back in the league.... But we do need an extra body there !!

Its obviously an area we're weak in, but Jake Taylor seems to have impressed BMcD at full back and as the man who found Nicky Shorey I'll trust him to know his full backs more than a certain previous manager.

Centre back wise people have been pointing out Pearce's youth should be considered and maybe he shouldn't be written off- and this is true. He had a lot of pressure on him 1st half of last season and he may just be ok. Its the lack of pace if Mills is unavailable that is the worry I think, but if Mills plays 46 games I think Ivar/Pearce/Gunnarsson can do the job perfectly alongside him.

[Tilehurst End]

I go into every season full of expectation and excitement and this one's no different.

The only time I had doubts was the start of the championship season where it seemed we had placed all our hopes on a couple of free transfers from Brentford,
a reject from Burnley, an injury prone centre forward, some American winger who usually flattered to decieve, a wild child from Bristol and an Irish lad who nobody had ever heard of, to name just a few.

It's a funny old game.

[Gordons Cumming]

but if Mills plays 46 games .

Doubt it......................

[Sun Tzu]

I hope Brian heeds your concerns, Sun Tzu,as I doubt if it has crossed his mind!

You need to read posts more carefully !!

[Z175]

I think a lot of what we will achieve this years is so dependant on how we start, a flying start to the season, with the usual suspects Sigs, kebe, McAnuff and Mills playing a leading role, could see us lose some by the end of August, not madman bating, but if decent money is offered it will be difficult to keep hold of them, no doubt ,our now annual £4m short fall would come to the fore again. Would like to think that with the same team, effort, desire and passion we showed in the second half of the season, we should be comfortable in the top six, if, and its a big if, we dont sell our best assets that is.

Its an interesting point, but that deficit involves getting our wage bill (25m in 2008) under control. Cardiff and Preston have been struggling with 12-14m in this league. Madejski obviously wants to get it down enough that the club breaks even and this is blatantly sensible and he obviously reckons we are about 5m of this. Interestingly, if you go through the accounts the club lost about 5m a year before premierleague promotion, that Mr Mad had to cover.

If we sold players, then it would seem a bit silly just to use that money to pay for other, weaker players' salaries. Hunts transfer fee just covered the wages paid to him before he went, but to sell Sig to pay for Long and Rasiak will not happen.

Therefore I don't think we are really in the business of selling players, just reducing costs. Matejovsky and Cisse were possibly the remaing high earners and their departures have probably saved close to 2m off the annual wage bill when you add in things like employer national insurance etc.

We still need to save a bit more, but we're no longer the high wage, parachute payment funded club of the last two years. I think Mr Mad won't necessarily hurry to close that final gap to break even, unless he can do so without damagin the team eg. Marek, Cisse.

Finally he is a businessman afterall. Ok he may have lost a packet in property recently but he will still have an eye on a promotion challenge. If we're clear in the top two at the start of the season he might even get that chequebook out in January. Certainly if we fail to achieve promotion this season, it won't be due to the Chairman's taking the cash for our talent.
If they do leave, it'll be footballing reasons and a bumper fee. You couldn't stop the Sig going to the prem if he wanted really.