CONFIMRED - The final countdown

[Clyde1998]

Aren’t we actually doing the developing / selling now more than we have ever done in the past ?

Out of necessity, yes. We have no other option to survive.

I've thought for a while the club is proving remarkably robust. None of our owners or executives since 2012 have understood our culture or the "Reading Way", but it's culturally embedded within the club and now the men at the top are absent we've seen more of our identity returning over the last 2 years. If we get out of the period from 2020 - 2025 in the top half of L1 with a decent young squad capable of improving, it will actually be remarkable. So many other clubs would have fallen much further.

Feel like that's slightly harsh on Brian Tevreden - thought he was pretty handy as TD. Always thought he was looking out for the best for the club. But broadly agree.

Tevreden did well. He resigned because he wasn't able to peruse to a transfer strategy he thought would benefit the club.

[PieEater]

I imagine with the amount of heat on the club with everything that it's quite far into the exclusivity period and EFL may have given Platek the green light.

We need to go back to the old Reading, develop players and sell 1-2 every season for big money whilst building a strong core. Hopefully the next owner does that. Promotion should be the target once a new owner is in.

Aren’t we actually doing the developing / selling now more than we have ever done in the past ?

The model that a lot of fans say they want, is what we have actually been doing for the last 18 months. Selling players and being financially sustainable with no need to get into financial arrears again.

The problem is, most fans don't actually want that. They want an owner who will incur losses and make the team more competitive. A Reading Football Club that doesn't incur losses and is financially sustainable is what we have now, where Dai puts no money in and we live off £16m from Olise and £2m from Smith and £1m from Azeez spread over the various years. Even with these large sales we are losing money.

For myself the main problem is that the instabilty and ownership uncertainty has meant that a lot of "talent" has either gone for nothing or we haven't been able to tie down players on longer contracts to maximise their value.

As a result we are in a constant rebuild/death spiral until the transfer embargo is lifted and we can plan ahead like any other club.

The EFL talks about sporting integrity yet wields punishments for previous seasons infringements that are anything but.

[Sutekh]

Out of necessity, yes. We have no other option to survive.

I've thought for a while the club is proving remarkably robust. None of our owners or executives since 2012 have understood our culture or the "Reading Way", but it's culturally embedded within the club and now the men at the top are absent we've seen more of our identity returning over the last 2 years. If we get out of the period from 2020 - 2025 in the top half of L1 with a decent young squad capable of improving, it will actually be remarkable. So many other clubs would have fallen much further.

Feel like that's slightly harsh on Brian Tevreden - thought he was pretty handy as TD. Always thought he was looking out for the best for the club. But broadly agree.

Tevreden did well. He resigned because he wasn't able to peruse to a transfer strategy he thought would benefit the club.

Yes, another casualty of Gourlay, the biggest waste of space and money ever appointed at the club.

[Sutekh]

Aren’t we actually doing the developing / selling now more than we have ever done in the past ?

The model that a lot of fans say they want, is what we have actually been doing for the last 18 months. Selling players and being financially sustainable with no need to get into financial arrears again.

The problem is, most fans don't actually want that. They want an owner who will incur losses and make the team more competitive. A Reading Football Club that doesn't incur losses and is financially sustainable is what we have now, where Dai puts no money in and we live off £16m from Olise and £2m from Smith and £1m from Azeez spread over the various years. Even with these large sales we are losing money.

For myself the main problem is that the instabilty and ownership uncertainty has meant that a lot of "talent" has either gone for nothing or we haven't been able to tie down players on longer contracts to maximise their value.

As a result we are in a constant rebuild/death spiral until the transfer embargo is lifted and we can plan ahead like any other club.

The EFL talks about sporting integrity yet wields punishments for previous seasons infringements that are anything but.

Which is why the p&s/ffp rules are really not fit for purpose. They need to be much more dynamic and simpler across football so that punishments can be meted out at the time and not when 2/3/4 years later clubs are badly struggling thanks to incompetent idiots who may well have even left a club by the time the PL/FL get round to working out there’s been some naughties somewhere.

[rabidbee]

That's why the EFL is on the record as wanting to switch to squad-cost ratios, but it also has to be agreed with the PL (because of parachute payments, &c.).

[John Madejski's Wallet]

wtaf have we done collectively in former lives to have this bad fcuking luck?!!

Are you all reincarnated nonces??

Yeah, reincarnated.

Was thinking that

[Sutekh]

The Tilehurst End have put together a decent read giving more on the background of Mr Platek…

https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/20 ... tek-royals

[From Despair To Where?]

He certainly talks a good game.

[windermereROYAL]

Lets be perfectly honest here, there`s not a cat in hells chance the club or the EFL for that matter didn`t know about these potential issues before the statement was put out on Monday. I mean, why would they speak out if they thought the deal was in jeopardy?

[From Despair To Where?]

I guess that if the money to buy the club, isn't coming from MSD then it should be pretty easy to prove that there is no conflict of interest.

[The Cap]

Feel like that's slightly harsh on Brian Tevreden - thought he was pretty handy as TD. Always thought he was looking out for the best for the club. But broadly agree.

Tevreden did well. He resigned because he wasn't able to peruse to a transfer strategy he thought would benefit the club.

Yes, another casualty of Gourlay, the biggest waste of space and money ever appointed at the club.

100%. The sight of Gormless makes me want to vomit

[rabidbee]

I guess that if the money to buy the club, isn't coming from MSD then it should be pretty easy to prove that there is no conflict of interest.

I would have thought it’s more a question of Platek demonstrating he can’t use his position at MSD to exert undue pressure on clubs in Reading’s favour.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I guess that if the money to buy the club, isn't coming from MSD then it should be pretty easy to prove that there is no conflict of interest.

I would have thought it’s more a question of Platek demonstrating he can’t use his position at MSD to exert undue pressure on clubs in Reading’s favour.

Shame. If Forest fell behind in their payments I'd quite like to see Gibbs-White in L1.

[Snowflake Royal]

You would think (or hope) the EFL would be slightly flexible with the rules to finally get rid of Dai who they approved in the first place.

Seems a pretty unlikely and unreasonable expectation.

We all know they'd instantly be blamed for it if it went wrong given how they're already getting the blame for things that aren't their fault.

[Snowflake Royal]

I imagine with the amount of heat on the club with everything that it's quite far into the exclusivity period and EFL may have given Platek the green light.

We need to go back to the old Reading, develop players and sell 1-2 every season for big money whilst building a strong core. Hopefully the next owner does that. Promotion should be the target once a new owner is in.

Aren’t we actually doing the developing / selling now more than we have ever done in the past ?

The model that a lot of fans say they want, is what we have actually been doing for the last 18 months. Selling players and being financially sustainable with no need to get into financial arrears again.

The problem is, most fans don't actually want that. They want an owner who will incur losses and make the team more competitive. A Reading Football Club that doesn't incur losses and is financially sustainable is what we have now, where Dai puts no money in and we live off £16m from Olise and £2m from Smith and £1m from Azeez spread over the various years. Even with these large sales we are losing money.

Somewhat. But everyone has us over a barrell and knows it, so we haven't been able to negotiate as good a deal as we'd generally like or otherwise be able to if we were in a better state.

Things would be less urgent. And we'd be far more able to bolster our squad when we do sell, and lock our best players into stronger contracts.

But broadly, we should continue in much the same way sales wise. Just with a stronger hand. Maybe less so for crucial first team players in January of course.

[Hound]

Aren’t we actually doing the developing / selling now more than we have ever done in the past ?

The model that a lot of fans say they want, is what we have actually been doing for the last 18 months. Selling players and being financially sustainable with no need to get into financial arrears again.

The problem is, most fans don't actually want that. They want an owner who will incur losses and make the team more competitive. A Reading Football Club that doesn't incur losses and is financially sustainable is what we have now, where Dai puts no money in and we live off £16m from Olise and £2m from Smith and £1m from Azeez spread over the various years. Even with these large sales we are losing money.

Somewhat. But everyone has us over a barrell and knows it, so we haven't been able to negotiate as good a deal as we'd generally like or otherwise be able to if we were in a better state.

Things would be less urgent. And we'd be far more able to bolster our squad when we do sell, and lock our best players into stronger contracts.

But broadly, we should continue in much the same way sales wise. Just with a stronger hand. Maybe less so for crucial first team players in January of course.

We (Carey?) seemed to have negotiated some pretty good deals considering. But your overall point is certainly true

I don’t think most fans want us to splurge out in answer to the first post tbh. We’ve seen how that ends up. Just relatively sensibly run and a chance to progress as a club again is what most want I expect.

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

The model that a lot of fans say they want, is what we have actually been doing for the last 18 months. Selling players and being financially sustainable with no need to get into financial arrears again.

The problem is, most fans don't actually want that. They want an owner who will incur losses and make the team more competitive. A Reading Football Club that doesn't incur losses and is financially sustainable is what we have now, where Dai puts no money in and we live off £16m from Olise and £2m from Smith and £1m from Azeez spread over the various years. Even with these large sales we are losing money.

Somewhat. But everyone has us over a barrell and knows it, so we haven't been able to negotiate as good a deal as we'd generally like or otherwise be able to if we were in a better state.

Things would be less urgent. And we'd be far more able to bolster our squad when we do sell, and lock our best players into stronger contracts.

But broadly, we should continue in much the same way sales wise. Just with a stronger hand. Maybe less so for crucial first team players in January of course.

We (Carey?) seemed to have negotiated some pretty good deals considering. But your overall point is certainly true

I don’t think most fans want us to splurge out in answer to the first post tbh. We’ve seen how that ends up. Just relatively sensibly run and a chance to progress as a club again is what most want I expect.

Unfortunately, in our current position, some "splurging" is going to be needed simply to field a team!

[WestYorksRoyal]

I think Bowen did once say that because everyone knows we're skint it actually makes negotiations pretty easy; they know we're not playing games when we say we can't afford something and if it's not possible it's over pretty quickly.

It could become more tricky when we actually have money and agents and clubs try to convince us to stretch our budgets a bit.

[morganb]

takeover update

- Hopeful of concluding deal by April
- EFL aware of Platek's 'conflict of interest' as co-head of firm that has lent money to EFL clubs
- This is not expected to impact Platek's potential purchase of Reading

https://x.com/AndyPreston96/status/1895 ... OQY1A&s=19

https://rdg.today/reading-fc-takeover-q ... nears-end/

[Sutekh]

Somewhat. But everyone has us over a barrell and knows it, so we haven't been able to negotiate as good a deal as we'd generally like or otherwise be able to if we were in a better state.

Things would be less urgent. And we'd be far more able to bolster our squad when we do sell, and lock our best players into stronger contracts.

But broadly, we should continue in much the same way sales wise. Just with a stronger hand. Maybe less so for crucial first team players in January of course.

We (Carey?) seemed to have negotiated some pretty good deals considering. But your overall point is certainly true

I don’t think most fans want us to splurge out in answer to the first post tbh. We’ve seen how that ends up. Just relatively sensibly run and a chance to progress as a club again is what most want I expect.

Unfortunately, in our current position, some "splurging" is going to be needed simply to field a team!

If ever sold and the accounts published, the first question will be whether the FL keeps the club embargoed for all the previous shenanigans with non payments and breaching ffp and budget plans.