Gomes Interview

[Snowflake Royal]

We've been crying out for a management team both on and off the field to come in and shake things up and not repeat the errors of the previous couple of years. It may not be pretty in the short term but I reckon we'll be in a better position in 5 years' time.

It's partly why, unless the season is a complete car crash, I'd like to see us stick with Gomes even if we go down. He's inherited a shambles but he's talking a good game and as far as I can see, acting decisively to rectify some of the issues. I've said all along, what we need more than anything is consistancy and stability and that may involve having to take a couple of steps back to move forward.

Yes. Although this basically also applied to Clement.

I find it incredibly unlikely we'll stick with Gomes if we go down. Or even for long next season if we just stay up and are still consistently knocking about in the bottom 8.

[From Despair To Where?]

But that's my point. How do you get consistancy and stability if you sack the manager every six months.

And yes, the same applied to Clement and I was against his sacking at the time as well. However, I am impressed with how Gomes has handled the squad so far. He's identified problems, he's moved on surplus players, he's strengthened the spine of the team, he's brought a sense of positivity and he's got previously underperforming players like Swift and Aluko to up their game.

Yes, he's got to win a few battles on the pitch but he's doing a better job of winning hearts and minds at the moment than any of his predecessors since McDermott first got sacked. A lot of that may be down to having a board who are working with him for once but again it all comes back to consistancy and stability.

[Royal Rother]

We won’t be going down but it will be very interesting to see what squad he has to work with next summer.

[sandman]

We've been crying out for a management team both on and off the field to come in and shake things up and not repeat the errors of the previous couple of years. It may not be pretty in the short term but I reckon we'll be in a better position in 5 years' time.

It's partly why, unless the season is a complete car crash, I'd like to see us stick with Gomes even if we go down. He's inherited a shambles but he's talking a good game and as far as I can see, acting decisively to rectify some of the issues. I've said all along, what we need more than anything is consistancy and stability and that may involve having to take a couple of steps back to move forward.

Not repeat the errors of previous couple of years.

What like basing the team around loanees and overplaying at the back?

Now it appears we are going all out to stay up at any cost rather than build the team the way Clement was at least trying to do. we need wins. Not "trusting in our process".

He's got a nice romantic turn of phrase which charms the new age, watched Guardiola's teams on the telly, generation of fans but have to agree with JMW that there's a touch of the Emperors new clothes about him.

Here's to him proving us naysayers wrong and turning us into a press resistant, creative passing machine. And today is the first of many wins between now and the end of the season to keep us up.

[Snowflake Royal]

But that's my point. How do you get consistancy and stability if you sack the manager every six months.

And yes, the same applied to Clement and I was against his sacking at the time as well. However, I am impressed with how Gomes has handled the squad so far. He's identified problems, he's moved on surplus players, he's strengthened the spine of the team, he's brought a sense of positivity and he's got previously underperforming players like Swift and Aluko to up their game.

Yes, he's got to win a few battles on the pitch but he's doing a better job of winning hearts and minds at the moment than any of his predecessors since McDermott first got sacked. A lot of that may be down to having a board who are working with him for once but again it all comes back to consistancy and stability.

I don't disagree.

My only real gripe with Gomes is that he follows the (IMO) stupid fad of focussing on splitting your CBs and passing out from the back through them.

Fundamentally my view is CBs should stay in fairly close proximity and you shouldn't ask them to be playmakers because aside from goalkeepers they're probably the least suited to that role.

I'm not anti-Gomes, I'm just not pro him. I'm fed up of investing my support and being disappointed, so I'm waiting for him to prove he's up to it before I get invested. Not to say I didn't think he was a weird poor appointment based solely on his past record.

Unfortunately some of the more pro Gomes & optimistic posters mistake my scepticism for being against him. And in fairness a few managers ago I may well have been one of them.

[STAR Liaison]

There will be more from Jose Gomes next Thursday - 28 February - when he'll be at the Fans Forum. If you've got a question or two you'd like posed, please email chair@star-reading.org and we'll do our best to get it asked / answered.


As usual the Fans Forum is free to attend but you do need to be a STAR member. Membership is available on the door from 7.30pm. The Forum is due to start at 8pm in the 1871 Suite.


For those not attending we hope to get out a highlights summary the following day.

[Snowflake Royal]

Hey Jose, thanks for coming, now wtf is wrong with our fitness training and medical staff that we get so many injuries and they always take weeks, if not months, more than predicted to recover?

Why did you decide to go with one fit combative midfielder given his inexperience and our fitness record?

The Rock or Con Air (correct answer is of course The Rock)?

[Hendo]

There will be more from Jose Gomes next Thursday - 28 February - when he'll be at the Fans Forum. If you've got a question or two you'd like posed, please email chair@star-reading.org and we'll do our best to get it asked / answered.


As usual the Fans Forum is free to attend but you do need to be a STAR member. Membership is available on the door from 7.30pm. The Forum is due to start at 8pm in the 1871 Suite.


For those not attending we hope to get out a highlights summary the following day.

Would be very interested in attending this. Is member ship still £10?

[Lower West]

Now it appears we are going all out to stay up at any cost rather than build the team the way Clement was at least trying to do. we need wins. Not "trusting in our process".

In the January window it's obvious that FFP was the factor. Any decent bid for any member of the squad would have been accepted. Seems as if the owners are prepared to either stay up by the skin of our teeth or accept relegation with an already greatly reduced squad size.

[Top Flight]

We won’t be going down but it will be very interesting to see what squad he has to work with next summer.

Don't get complacent. It will only take an injury to Miazga, Martinez or Oliveira and we will be in deep sh't.

Luck has not been going for us for a long time now. Hopefully we'll be alright but relegation is a massive possibility for us and could certainly happen.

[Zip]

We won’t be going down but it will be very interesting to see what squad he has to work with next summer.

Don't get complacent. It will only take an injury to Miazga, Martinez or Oliveira and we will be in deep sh't.

Luck has not been going for us for a long time now. Hopefully we'll be alright but relegation is a massive possibility for us and could certainly happen.

I’d say it’s 50/50 whether we stay up or go down.

[STAR Liaison]

There will be more from Jose Gomes next Thursday - 28 February - when he'll be at the Fans Forum. If you've got a question or two you'd like posed, please email chair@star-reading.org and we'll do our best to get it asked / answered.


As usual the Fans Forum is free to attend but you do need to be a STAR member. Membership is available on the door from 7.30pm. The Forum is due to start at 8pm in the 1871 Suite.


For those not attending we hope to get out a highlights summary the following day.

Would be very interested in attending this. Is member ship still £10?

Yes, as always since 2003, provided you are 18-64. If not, it is half price. You can join online too.

[Sutekh]

Who is your favourite Bond?
Red or Blue bounties?
Sone Aluko - fact or fiction?

[Hendo]

There will be more from Jose Gomes next Thursday - 28 February - when he'll be at the Fans Forum. If you've got a question or two you'd like posed, please email chair@star-reading.org and we'll do our best to get it asked / answered.


As usual the Fans Forum is free to attend but you do need to be a STAR member. Membership is available on the door from 7.30pm. The Forum is due to start at 8pm in the 1871 Suite.


For those not attending we hope to get out a highlights summary the following day.

Would be very interested in attending this. Is member ship still £10?

Yes, as always since 2003, provided you are 18-64. If not, it is half price. You can join online too.

Cool, thanks.

I will put it in my diary to attend.

[Snowflake Royal]

If we get relegated do you expect to get sacked?

[Tails]

If we get relegated do you expect to get sacked?

Why are you always angry?

[Nameless]

If we get relegated do you expect to get sacked?

He’s got the safest job around.
Absolutely zero chance he’llget Sacked.

[Snowflake Royal]

If we get relegated do you expect to get sacked?

Why are you always angry?

I'm not?


Nameless, to the end of the season absolutely, but not if we go down IMO. That's not me saying I want him sacked if we go down, or think he should be. I just think the reality is if he's failed that much there's no way the owners and Howe would keep him on. I mean why would we?

[Hendo]

If we get relegated do you expect to get sacked?

Why are you always angry?

I'm not?


Nameless, to the end of the season absolutely, but not if we go down IMO. That's not me saying I want him sacked if we go down, or think he should be. I just think the reality is if he's failed that much there's no way the owners and Howe would keep him on. I mean why would we?

Because they don't want to be tasked with shelling out even more money by sacking him and trying to find another manager.

The players seem happier, the fans (as a whole) seem happier and sometimes you have to trust the process one guy has started.

[Snowflake Royal]

We didn't do it with Clarke, McDermott or Clement and it failed when we did with Stam, so it seems very unlikely to me.

Again, not talking about what I would do, just what I think those in charge would do.

I don't think the fans or players would stay happier if we were relegated either. Certainly the fans.