Stam's comments - only a matter of time now

[clauski]

So Stam's post match answers on the pressure on his job include:
"If the club feels they can do better with somebody else then they need to make that decision" and
"If anybody wants to make a different decision then they need to do that, it’s up to them and I’ll go and work somewhere else"

It's a sorry state of affairs after reaching the play-offs and Stam showing decent loyalty to stay with us but ultimately all the hope everyone had for this season (and latest round of ownership) is fast evaporating once again. And with comments like that I think Jaap is almost inviting the sack now. Maybe he's just being honest but I think we're counting the days until one more bad result...

[Sutekh]

So Stam's post match answers on the pressure on his job include:
"If the club feels they can do better with somebody else then they need to make that decision" and
"If anybody wants to make a different decision then they need to do that, it’s up to them and I’ll go and work somewhere else"

It's a sorry state of affairs after reaching the play-offs and Stam showing decent loyalty to stay with us but ultimately all the hope everyone had for this season (and latest round of ownership) is fast evaporating once again. And with comments like that I think Jaap is almost inviting the sack now. Maybe he's just being honest but I think we're counting the days until one more bad result...

In answering a question about handling the pressure of the situation he was just being realistic. He knows that whatever your history as a manager you are judged on current results and therefore the longer this run continues the more at risk he'll become. It just depends how quickly panic ridden the Chinese get at the prospect of a season or more facing Division Three football.

If the next 6 games produce as miserable a set of results as everyone seems to be anticipating I think he'll be gone. All credit to the Chinese if it is a miserable set of results and they keep faith though.

[72 bus]

So Stam's post match answers on the pressure on his job include:
"If the club feels they can do better with somebody else then they need to make that decision" and
"If anybody wants to make a different decision then they need to do that, it’s up to them and I’ll go and work somewhere else"

It's a sorry state of affairs after reaching the play-offs and Stam showing decent loyalty to stay with us but ultimately all the hope everyone had for this season (and latest round of ownership) is fast evaporating once again. And with comments like that I think Jaap is almost inviting the sack now. Maybe he's just being honest but I think we're counting the days until one more bad result...

He wants out, that is pretty clear from those remarks.

[Snowflake Royal]

oxf*rd me, he needs to work on his interview technique.

He's not helping the club or himself with this shit.

[CountryRoyal]

Am I the only one that thinks those comments aren't that bad?

[ReadingYboring]

He's Dutch and see's things as black and white, also been in football long enough to know that everyone is replaceable and he will be assessed on results and how successful his new players are.

So given Japps inability to address the forward situation that has existed since he joined the club, even academy players would have been worth a gamble but Japp seems keen to release most like Kuhl, Samuel, Tanner etc.

He sticks with a winger that has never gone past an opposition defender and keeps putting on a "forward" for a last minute rescue goal.

The style of football is risky given the players' ability to find the opposition as Gunter did twice in close succession.

As a season ticket holder I shall not return until RFC show a more positive style of play, which sadly probably means Japp will be gone by then.

[ReadingYboring]

Am I the only one that thinks those comments aren't that bad?

It would seem so, Japp sounds like someone who is looking towards the door and I suspect already has an exist plan.

[RichTea94]

oxf*rd me, he needs to work on his interview technique.

He's not helping the club or himself with this shit.

Anyone who has spent time around Dutch people will tell you that they can be very blunt, which can often come across as rude to us Brits who are used to understatement and discreet euphemisms.

[Snowflake Royal]

Am I the only one that thinks those comments aren't that bad?

They're certainly better than the Hull ones. But they read defeated and uninterested. The tone they were delivered in could make a big difference, as could whatever else was said.

But in the context of previous comments and how we're doing, they're not very media savvy.

[Elm Park Kid]

Isn't the obvious comment that Reading's strategy is dependent on having a decent forward on the pitch - i.e. Yann Kermogant. You can complain about why someone else wasn't brought in to replace him but in today's market I honestly think you're looking at £10m+ in addition to some very hefty wages. It's not really Stam's fault that the club can't/won't afford that.

I mean you can complain that Stam should have a back up strategy for when the 20 goal a season striker isn't playing, but he's not a miracle worker. Or you can complain that the team's strategy shouldn't be dependent on one player, but it worked pretty well last season.

I've always been a bit of a pessimistic fan and always will be, but I honestly do not believe that the current Reading squad is a top 6 team. I was absolutely amazed at least season and it pretty much shut me up, but maybe we are seeing the cracks . . . .

[72 bus]

I mean you can complain that Stam should have a back up strategy for when the 20 goal a season striker isn't playing, but he's not a miracle worker.

Two strikers out on loan, you don't need to be a miracle worker, just be capable of making a phone call.

[bobby1413]

Am I the only one that thinks those comments aren't that bad?

Agreed.

Also, as has been tweeted, he said directly after this comment that he was joking.

[genome]

That's the trouble with reading text... you put your own tone of voice and inflections in there.

On the radio he said something similar and then said "that was a joke" afterwards.

[Snowflake Royal]

Am I the only one that thinks those comments aren't that bad?

Agreed.

Also, as has been tweeted, he said directly after this comment that he was joking.

Much better, but still rather lacking in savvy. Obvious it would be taken and run with by the pissed off and twatterati

[ronnyroyal]

Am I the only one that thinks those comments aren't that bad?

I agree. he's just frank and honest. I don't have an issue with his interviews or comments. people that boo do need look at themselves, you don't go to watch football to expect to be able to control the game from a blue (or white) seat.

personally I think the board will bottle it with him and get rid, but I don't want them to. he and the many chairpersons we've had all stated at the beginning of him coming on board that this would take a few years. So you can't expect it all to happen after one good season last year.

we should never forget who we... fair to middling... and anything above that we should be proud of.

[Top Flight]

Isn't the obvious comment that Reading's strategy is dependent on having a decent forward on the pitch - i.e. Yann Kermogant.

Any club that wants to be successfull needs to have a decent striker on the pitch. It has to be the strategy of every club in football.

You can complain about why someone else wasn't brought in to replace him but in today's market I honestly think you're looking at £10m+ in addition to some very hefty wages. It's not really Stam's fault that the club can't/won't afford that.

It doesn't necessarily have to cost £10million +.

If we are looking at a striker who is banging in 10 to 20 goals a season right now in a Championship first team then the price is going to be ludicrous. £10million or more.

But if, like McDermott, you look for a striker that has proven himself in the past but is now perhaps plying his trade in a Bournemouth reserve team, like Kermorgant, or Murray when he was at Palace or Grabban or someone else who has done it before but is now out of favour somewhere then they can be captured for a lot less. We don't have to go for a Jordan Hugill or a Nelson Oliveira. We can look at who is out of favour at Premier League clubs, or at Championship clubs. Or take a gamble on a young gun in League 2 like Hylton at Luton Town. We will have to get creative because we can't be shelling out millions on a Jordan Hugill.

Coppell took a chance on young lads from Cambridge Utd and Cork City. McDermott took a chance on a young hot shot who had banged in goals for Rotherham Utd. Stam should consider those avenues as well. Take a few chances. Give someone a go. If it doesn't work move them on quickly and give someone else a chance. That's how Coppell managed. He brought in Owusu, he was sh!t, so he moved him on and brought in Doyle. He took a chance on Brooker, it didn't work out, so he took a chance on another lower league left winger in Hunt and that worked out much better. Nothing wrong with bringing in low cost, low risk, lower league players, give them a chance and if it doesn't work out move them on quickly and try again with another player. Keep shuffling the deck, keep changing your hand. Get rid of the sh*t and keep the good ones. Stam is doing that a little bit already, he has quickly moved Gravenberch, Meite, Rakels and others on. Let's keep searching for new blood. It takes time to build a football team. It can't be done in just one season. What Stam has achieved up to now has been remarkable and he has achieved a high ranking much quicker than Coppell, McDermott, Pardew or McGhee who all needed around 3 seasons.

Stam still needs time to get the right players in. He is doing a grand job. There is nothing wrong or unusual about a team going through a difficult period on route to something greater. A bad run of results cannot be avoided when you are trying to build a good football team. It is part of the development and build process. It has happened to every successfull manager we have ever had.

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

Isn't the obvious comment that Reading's strategy is dependent on having a decent forward on the pitch - i.e. Yann Kermogant.

Any club that wants to be successfull needs to have a decent striker on the pitch. It has to be the strategy of every club in football.

You can complain about why someone else wasn't brought in to replace him but in today's market I honestly think you're looking at £10m+ in addition to some very hefty wages. It's not really Stam's fault that the club can't/won't afford that.

It doesn't necessarily have to cost £10million +.

If we are looking at a striker who is banging in 10 to 20 goals a season right now in a Championship first team then the price is going to be ludicrous. £10million or more.

But if, like McDermott, you look for a striker that has proven himself in the past but is now perhaps plying his trade in a Bournemouth reserve team, like Kermorgant, or Murray when he was at Palace or Grabban or someone else who has done it before but is now out of favour somewhere then they can be captured for a lot less. We don't have to go for a Jordan Hugill or a Nelson Oliveira. We can look at who is out of favour at Premier League clubs, or at Championship clubs. Or take a gamble on a young gun in League 2 like Hylton at Luton Town. We will have to get creative because we can't be shelling out millions on a Jordan Hugill.

Coppell took a chance on young lads from Cambridge Utd and Cork City. McDermott took a chance on a young hot shot who had banged in goals for Rotherham Utd. Stam should consider those avenues as well. Take a few chances. Give someone a go. If it doesn't work move them on quickly and give someone else a chance. That's how Coppell managed. He brought in Owusu, he was sh!t, so he moved him on and brought in Doyle. He took a chance on Brooker, it didn't work out, so he took a chance on another lower league left winger in Hunt and that worked out much better. Nothing wrong with bringing in low cost, low risk, lower league players, give them a chance and if it doesn't work out move them on quickly and try again with another player. Keep shuffling the deck, keep changing your hand. Get rid of the sh*t and keep the good ones. Stam is doing that a little bit already, he has quickly moved Gravenberch, Meite, Rakels and others on. Let's keep searching for new blood. It takes time to build a football team. It can't be done in just one season. What Stam has achieved up to now has been remarkable and he has achieved a high ranking much quicker than Coppell, McDermott, Pardew or McGhee who all needed around 3 seasons.

Stam still needs time to get the right players in. He is doing a grand job. There is nothing wrong or unusual about a team going through a difficult period on route to something greater. A bad run of results cannot be avoided when you are trying to build a good football team. It is part of the development and build process. It has happened to every successfull manager we have ever had.

Re the striker issue-totally agree it doesn't have to be a ten million pound striker. what is it with our scouting network here? Sheffield Utd picked up Clayton Donaldson for example for a million who in previous years was of interest to us. An experienced player who had got better with age,decent scoring record and would play the link role fine....

Where I have issues is that stam cannot and does not play a settled side like coppell did and was not obsessed about filling it with similar types of players in the same position. This has really affected the squad balance. Coppell bought in players with something to prove (sonko,Ivar,hunt) and young enough to kick on where as stam its random unknowns or players who have seemingly hit a wall in their career(bacuna,Edwards,,mannone).

[3points]

TF - hasn't he already taken punts in the likes of Mendes and Meite? And they haven't worked. Let's not forget most fans were pretty critical of signing Kermogant at the time and he didn't pull up any trees pre-Christmas last season either.

[Royal_jimmy]

Isn't the obvious comment that Reading's strategy is dependent on having a decent forward on the pitch - i.e. Yann Kermogant.

Any club that wants to be successfull needs to have a decent striker on the pitch. It has to be the strategy of every club in football.

You can complain about why someone else wasn't brought in to replace him but in today's market I honestly think you're looking at £10m+ in addition to some very hefty wages. It's not really Stam's fault that the club can't/won't afford that.

It doesn't necessarily have to cost £10million +.

If we are looking at a striker who is banging in 10 to 20 goals a season right now in a Championship first team then the price is going to be ludicrous. £10million or more.

But if, like McDermott, you look for a striker that has proven himself in the past but is now perhaps plying his trade in a Bournemouth reserve team, like Kermorgant, or Murray when he was at Palace or Grabban or someone else who has done it before but is now out of favour somewhere then they can be captured for a lot less. We don't have to go for a Jordan Hugill or a Nelson Oliveira. We can look at who is out of favour at Premier League clubs, or at Championship clubs. Or take a gamble on a young gun in League 2 like Hylton at Luton Town. We will have to get creative because we can't be shelling out millions on a Jordan Hugill.

Coppell took a chance on young lads from Cambridge Utd and Cork City. McDermott took a chance on a young hot shot who had banged in goals for Rotherham Utd. Stam should consider those avenues as well. Take a few chances. Give someone a go. If it doesn't work move them on quickly and give someone else a chance. That's how Coppell managed. He brought in Owusu, he was sh!t, so he moved him on and brought in Doyle. He took a chance on Brooker, it didn't work out, so he took a chance on another lower league left winger in Hunt and that worked out much better. Nothing wrong with bringing in low cost, low risk, lower league players, give them a chance and if it doesn't work out move them on quickly and try again with another player. Keep shuffling the deck, keep changing your hand. Get rid of the sh*t and keep the good ones. Stam is doing that a little bit already, he has quickly moved Gravenberch, Meite, Rakels and others on. Let's keep searching for new blood. It takes time to build a football team. It can't be done in just one season. What Stam has achieved up to now has been remarkable and he has achieved a high ranking much quicker than Coppell, McDermott, Pardew or McGhee who all needed around 3 seasons.

Stam still needs time to get the right players in. He is doing a grand job. There is nothing wrong or unusual about a team going through a difficult period on route to something greater. A bad run of results cannot be avoided when you are trying to build a good football team. It is part of the development and build process. It has happened to every successfull manager we have ever had.

Agree with a lot of this. Well said.

Darryl Murphy was available and would have been perfect for our system. I know he's aging but he'd have added lots to our team.

I think we were too static with our targets in the transfer window. We only seemed to be interested in Hugill, Hemed and Oliviera. There were lots of forwards in our price bracket who could have done a job. As Stam iterated a lot, we need to be inventive.. Well being inventive is like Bristol City bringing in Kodija from France for £2m. He scored 20 then went to Villa for far more.

[Top Flight]

TF - hasn't he already taken punts in the likes of Mendes and Meite? And they haven't worked. Let's not forget most fans were pretty critical of signing Kermogant at the time and he didn't pull up any trees pre-Christmas last season either.

Yes he has. And there is nothing wrong with that whether it works or not. Mendes has been out injured hasn't he. Whats the problem with Mendes right now?

I think the main point is that it will take time to build a good football team and a bad run of results was inevitable. It has to happen. A great team cannot be built without having to endure a bad run of results on the way. Stam continues to learn about this group of players and he will continue to look for the solutions. I'm confident he will find the answers as I was confident that McDermott would have found the answers if he had been given the chance.