Madjeski and Howe

[Delboy]

These two were the backbone of all our success, I wonder what they would do with our current demise, Sack Stam for sure, back another pants day!
Oh how they are missed!

[SouthDownsRoyal]

These two were the backbone of all our success, I wonder what they would do with our current demise, Sack Stam for sure, back another pants day!
Oh how they are missed!

Madejski*

[Jagermesiter1871]

Madjetski's bro.

[Forbury Lion]

1. Kept Nicky Hammond
2. Not appointed Stam in the first place and stuck with McDermott
3. Put up with fans moaning that the team isn't good enough, we're not doing as well as we should, we need to play 4-5-1, we should get a manager like Jaap Stam in, Sir John should step down/sell the club to a Russian/Some Thai's or two Chinese siblings etc etc.

[Maneki Neko]

3. Put up with fans moaning that the team isn't good enough, we're not doing as well as we should, we need to play 4-5-1, we should get a manager like Jaap Stam in, Sir John should step down/sell the club to a Russian/Some Thai's or two Chinese siblings etc etc.

agreed


that-we need owners who will splash the cash/sign big name manager/insist we play a more modern attractive passy football style nonsense- hasn't really worked has it.

and I know he ended up splitting opinions, but the way McDermott was treated(Twice) was the day(s) that the club began to die. imo

[Sutekh]

3. Put up with fans moaning that the team isn't good enough, we're not doing as well as we should, we need to play 4-5-1, we should get a manager like Jaap Stam in, Sir John should step down/sell the club to a Russian/Some Thai's or two Chinese siblings etc etc.

agreed


that-we need owners who will splash the cash/sign big name manager/insist we play a more modern attractive passy football style nonsense- hasn't really worked has it.

and I know he ended up splitting opinions, but the way McDermott was treated(Twice) was the day(s) that the club began to die. imo

Could understand the first time he went but the second time was just utterly ridiculous, still think there’s more to that one as well

[Maneki Neko]

utterly shameful. imo

[SCIAG]

2. Not appointed Stam in the first place and stuck with McDermott
3. Put up with fans moaning that the team isn't good enough, we're not doing as well as we should, we need to play 4-5-1, we should get a manager like Jaap Stam in,

Ironically, the way McDermott set us up for most of his second spell (4-4-2 diamond) was basically the same way Stam set us up at the end of last season (3-4-1-2).

----------------Al-Habsi----------------
--------McShane------Cooper------
McCleary-----Hector--------Obita
---------Williams---Norwood------
-------------------Piazon---------------
-------Kermorgant--Rakels--------

----------------Al-Habsi----------------
--------Ilori----Moore--VDB---------
Gunter--Williams--Kelly---Obita
-------------------Swift------------------
-------Kermorgant--Grabban-----

Only real difference is that Brian had the defensive midfielder drop into the back line, while Stam had the extra centre back bring the ball out. They even played the same possession-based style.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

2. Not appointed Stam in the first place and stuck with McDermott
3. Put up with fans moaning that the team isn't good enough, we're not doing as well as we should, we need to play 4-5-1, we should get a manager like Jaap Stam in,

Ironically, the way McDermott set us up for most of his second spell (4-4-2 diamond) was basically the same way Stam set us up at the end of last season (3-4-1-2).

----------------Al-Habsi----------------
--------McShane------Cooper------
McCleary-----Hector--------Obita
---------Williams---Norwood------
-------------------Piazon---------------
-------Kermorgant--Rakels--------

----------------Al-Habsi----------------
--------Ilori----Moore--VDB---------
Gunter--Williams--Kelly---Obita
-------------------Swift------------------
-------Kermorgant--Grabban-----

Only real difference is that Brian had the defensive midfielder drop into the back line, while Stam had the extra centre back bring the ball out. They even played the same possession-based style.

I would politely suggest that the current problems at the club have literally fck all to do with what formation we play.

The whole ethos of the club has gone from one extreme to the other. The whole club is absolutely rotten. Owners, directors, manager, coaches, players, fans. The whole lot.

[SCIAG]

I would politely suggest that the current problems at the club have literally fck all to do with what formation we play.

Erm yeah that was my point.

The whole ethos of the club has gone from one extreme to the other. The whole club is absolutely rotten. Owners, directors, manager, coaches, players, fans. The whole lot.

I wouldn't quite go that far but I definitely see where you are coming from. We've started sacking managers who don't achieve immediate success and this has impacted on everything the club does.

We need to go back to the Madejski way. Stick with Stam through thick and thin. Look for value for money from our transfers - it's OK to splash out on an up-and-coming forward but always try to sign players for less than you'll be able to sell them for in a year. Build the side around a young core that will stick around for a while and continue to improve as a group. I think we have that in Moore, Ilori, Evans, Kelly, and Swift - add a couple of strikers and we're in business.

[Forbury Lion]

How many people who think we need to go back to the Reading way/Madejski way are the same people who were moaning about the way Madejski was running the club and that he should step aside for new owners.

[muirinho]

How many people who think we need to go back to the Reading way/Madejski way are the same people who were moaning about the way Madejski was running the club and that he should step aside for new owners.

A very large overlap, I suspect.

Also probably overlaps with the fans that are convinced that various owners are ripping the club off, and siphoning away millions. Despite anybody with a smidgeeen of financial nous can read the accounts and see how much money it takes to keep the place afloat.

Even Anton put money into the club. He was naive, and impulsive, and nearly destroyed the club. But he didn't make any money out of it.

[Maneki Neko]

personally id say there was oxf*rd all overlap and they were two entirely separate groups of people
but that's just guess work

[Y21]

Oh how I yearn for the good old days, when JM was in charge. His pragmatic approach to running the club caused frustration sure, but it also brought us success. The only problem was that he couldn't fund the next tier, so we were left woefully underpowered in our second season in the PL. Back then I cared about the club, because it really felt like it was 'our' club, we knew all about the owner, he engaged with the fans, he came out and got pissed down the Turtle when we were promoted for fecks sake!

Now it seems that the soul has been removed from the club, and it's become just another vessel for some foreign owner to do whatever with. I don't understand what they get out of it? Clean money? I dunno, but it fundementally is not the same club, and that is why I gave up my season ticket of almost twenty years a couple of years ago, and not looked back. I still follow the team, listen to some matches and follow the drama, but I don't get the same enjoyment from it anymore.

Maybe football has changed, maybe I have changed who knows (or cares?), but given the choice, I'd go back to JM/NH in a hearbeat.

[Maneki Neko]

me too, but its never happening. its gone.
it started to die the instant madejski was boo'd at our own stadium, and chanted at about "where has all the money gone?"
as if he had somehow been ripping us off.
and the pulse finally faded when McDermott was sacked the second time.

[Hound]

We need to go back to the Madejski way. Stick with Stam through thick and thin. Look for value for money from our transfers - it's OK to splash out on an up-and-coming forward but always try to sign players for less than you'll be able to sell them for in a year. Build the side around a young core that will stick around for a while and continue to improve as a group. I think we have that in Moore, Ilori, Evans, Kelly, and Swift - add a couple of strikers and we're in business.

I get the sentiment with sticking with Stam, but we need to stick with the right man. I'm not at all convinced Stam is that, his frankly dreadful performance this season, the seeming disconnect with the fans, and the fact he has made it pretty clear he would move onto bigger and better things pretty much as soon as it was offered. My own choice if we couldn't get the likes of Jokanovic in, would be to look at one of the managers in the lower leagues who have maybe a better understanding of the importance of the club at grass roots level etc

It would certainly be nice to be bringing a few more of the young lads through and sticking with the core of youth that we currently have. The academy looks in good shape, despite the departure of Herron, and we've had 3 lads make their league debut this season. I don't think there is too much wrong below first team level, where we've been hamstrung largely by a terrible managerial performance this season.

[Maneki Neko]

im all for sticking with managers. probably for too long as im a sentimental person.
but when the players and fans start to turn on each other something needs to change.

[genome]

I think all this guff about the club "dying" is a bit melodramatic brendy.

The club isn't dying. We had a really successful season last time, it's a bit shit now, that happens. It's the nature of football. You just need to make the right changes, whether that be manager, or players.

People need to calm down with the hyperbole a bit.

[Maneki Neko]

I think all this guff about the club "dying" is a bit melodramatic brendy.

The club isn't dying. We had a really successful season last time, it's a bit shit now, that happens. It's the nature of football. You just need to make the right changes, whether that be manager, or players.

People need to calm down with the hyperbole a bit.

was talking about the reading/madejski way, and what made us different.
not the club.

[genome]

and I know he ended up splitting opinions, but the way McDermott was treated(Twice) was the day(s) that the club began to die. imo

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