Transfer Policy and Squad Size - what do you read into it?

[Hoop Blah]

The players contracts provide for a 40% reduction in wages on relegation.

Where's that little gem come from?

[Thaumagurist*]

.

[brendywendy]

Given our Prem wage bills was something around the £20m mark maybe a bit less, maybe a bit more. That shows how much we need to cut it by. I'd say by at least £5m. Bare in mind Hunt alone costs us about £1.5m

26 million 1st year prem

26+++ 2nd year

i think

[RoyalBlue]

not sure it made any difference when newcastle, west ham and the like are all talking top nickys agent about him wanting a move anyway-his contract is up, so its either another year of perhaps substandardperformances, and lose him for free, or get around 5 million quid for the 3/4 best left back in the country
id be upset if we didnt sell him to be fair

and from now on can people just stop with the where has the money gone stuff
its not even that hard, just need to engage the old brain

and as for blaming mr mad? for what? for running us as a business ? for ensuring that no matter what happens we will be financially viable.

and yes we were low payers in the prem, but in case no one had noticed we have just been relegated to the championship where we will now be one of the higher payers

Not according to our Chairman.............................

Even though we get the £11million parachute, we have still got very highly paid players – even with the reduction in wages, so I think we will have to budget for a small loss.
“Salaries have to be at the middle range and some in the upper range for the Championship.”

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... ut_selling

so in response to me saying we are now one of the higher payers in the championship-youve posted a quote saying we have some in the middle, and some in the higher range?
doesnt that make us one of the highest payers in the championship?

But Howe's words suggested that he was not comfortable about the fact that some of our players wages were in the mid range and some even in the higher. Therefore he wanted to do something about reducing them.

[brendywendy]

yes

isnt that right though

since we made a loss in the championship year where we had a full stadium for half the season
and our wage bill was half what it is now

would still hazard a guess that after restructuring we will be in the top half of the wage chart in the championship

at least they arent saying we need to budget so as not to make that loss next year

[Vision]

The players contracts provide for a 40% reduction in wages on relegation.

Where's that little gem come from?

Reading Chronicle article although its the paper itself that has said it and is not a direct quote from anyone at the club as such

STEVE Coppell has admitted the club’s transfer dealings this summer will be crucial to their success in the Championship next season.

The Royals boss is determined to keep hold of his best players and fight off interest from Premier League clubs.

But he admits that wholesale changes are inevitable, having already released six players and re-signed four others including Glen Little and Michael Duberry.

“The decisions which will have to be made on players and staff are going to be critical in deciding the future of the club,” said Coppell.

“We’ve got to keep our key players. There is bound to be change, that’s inevitable under the circumstances.

“But we need to keep our key players to make sure we have a real positive challenge.

“Last year we had too many players and there will be a number who will be moved or turned over.

“There will be players leaving but we have to make sure we keep the core of what we are about.”

Players such as Kevin Doyle, Stephen Hunt, Dave Kitson, Marcus Hahnemann, Shane Long, James Harper, Ivar Ingimarsson and skipper Graeme Murty have been an integral part of the club’s success.

However, others like Nicky Shorey and Leroy Lita are almost certain to leave, paving the way for Coppell to pounce in the transfer market.

Royals are inviting bids for Shorey to raise some cash, while cut backs are expected across the board to fill the massive shortfall caused by relegation.

Coppell, the backroom staff and the players will see their wages slashed by around 40% as Royals attempt to ease a £30 million loss in television rights alone this season.
Chairman John Madejski revealed: “There is a hole in the budget at the moment and we’ve got to address that situation. There will be changes and cut-backs and that’s what we’re working on.

“Now we find ourselves in the Championship we are going to have to re-shape things and cut our coat according to our cloth.

“Steve feels the squad is too big at the moment and we may need to do some trading. But we don’t sell anything on the cheap around here. We’re good business people.

“Of course clubs will try and take our players but we won’t let anything slip through our hands. We want to keep our diamonds.

“We certainly don’t want to throw away the family silver and players are more likely to stay than leave with Steve here.”

Coppell was set to quit at the end of the season until the support of fans and the club forced him into a u-turn.

And he admits he was touched by a fans’ demonstration at the stadium last week and the incredible backing he received from 3,000 travelling fans at Derby County when Reading were relegated on the last day of the season.

“That was very significant,” he admitted. “To be honest, players will always tell you what you want to hear in many ways. They’re not going to slag you off while there’s a prospect of you remaining in charge because that could be the end of their careers.

“The important thing was the supporters and also the people working at the club. I have a really good connection with a lot of them, I feel comfortable. Hopefully, as and when I do finish, it will be on a better note than relegation.”

Meanwhile, Madejski admits his search for a new owner to buy the club has been wrecked by relegation.

“As everyone knows full well, when we were in the Premier League I was looking around for my billionaire, who didn’t quite materialise,” he explained.

“Now I’m going to stick with the club until we get back up there. I shall be looking out for that billionaire again as soon as we do.

“They can indulge themselves with monstrously-paid players and hopefully move the club on from there.

“But I think we will be alright for the time being in the Championship.”

[Hoop Blah]

The players contracts provide for a 40% reduction in wages on relegation.

Where's that little gem come from?

Reading Chronicle article although its the paper itself that has said it and is not a direct quote from anyone at the club as such

Well thats a good start. I'm guessing that's an estimation from the Chronicle though and not a unilateral cut accross all contracts.

It does mean that if it's anywhere near true we're reasonably well positioned, and, all the talk of following the likes of Leeds and Barnsly if we spent any money was wide of the mark because this type of sensible measure was being put in place all along.

[Vision]

Well thats a good start. I'm guessing that's an estimation from the Chronicle though and not a unilateral cut accross all contracts.

It does mean that if it's anywhere near true we're reasonably well positioned, and, all the talk of following the likes of Leeds and Barnsly if we spent any money was wide of the mark because this type of sensible measure was being put in place all along.

Yeah although of course potential new signings may not agree to such a clause if other clubs in competition for their signature wouldn't include such a clause.

I thought it was odd that a few sources the other day publicly stated exactly how much Coppell's wage was cut by and quoted his actual earnings. I've no idea if those figures were correct but what was quoted would have constituted somehwere about a 40% pay drop. I wonder if the Chroncle have used this and taken it as being across the board.

[Royal Rother]

Reading Chronicle article although its the paper itself that has said it and is not a direct quote from anyone at the club as such

Well thats a good start. I'm guessing that's an estimation from the Chronicle though and not a unilateral cut accross all contracts.

It does mean that if it's anywhere near true we're reasonably well positioned, and, all the talk of following the likes of Leeds and Barnsly if we spent any money was wide of the mark because this type of sensible measure was being put in place all along.

It would be interesting to know whether Derby, Birmingham, Fulham, Sunderland, Wigan et al were similarly prudent, or maybe if they were not gave them an advantage in the transfer market. This could explain a few things...

All guesswork - where would we be without unfounded speculation eh?

[Thaumagurist*]

.

[Hoop Blah]

It would be interesting to know whether Derby, Birmingham, Fulham, Sunderland, Wigan et al were similarly prudent, or maybe if they were not gave them an advantage in the transfer market. This could explain a few things...

All guesswork - where would we be without unfounded speculation eh?

Very true.

In a team sport you effectively entrusting 'your families future' in the hands of your teammates by signing a contract with massive wage cuts for a relegation. That's not going to be a very attractive proposition for a player in demand who's being courted by a club in a relegation battle.

[Ian Royal]

A big LOL at those who have no time for Shorey.

Yeah, we'll show him, huh?

People said the same about Sids, and look where that got us.

Nah, we wouldn't miss Sids at all. And in a sad way, we pretended we didn't.

Little ole Reading...when will we ever learn...maybe never.

Who said we wouldn't miss a player of his calibre? Who said "we'll show him"? I certainly didn't. Nor did I say we wouldn't miss Sidwell, I did think (possibly naively) we'd replace him better and that he wasn't the be all and end all of the team, but that is different.

I have no time for Shorey because of the way he has apparently conducted himself. Much as i have no time for McGhee and little time for Pardew. Doesn't mean I don't know how much they achieved with and for us and how important finding a good replacement is.

[Ian Royal]

Given our Prem wage bills was something around the £20m mark maybe a bit less, maybe a bit more. That shows how much we need to cut it by. I'd say by at least £5m. Bare in mind Hunt alone costs us about £1.5m

26 million 1st year prem

26+++ 2nd year

i think

So my guesstimates weren't far off. I seem to recall doing a mock up of our wage bill based on about 25 players on 15k/week = about £18m/year a few weeks ago and being laughed at. I'd like to see someone asking where all the money has gone arguing against those figures.

But of course, they don't actually think do they...

[North Somerset Royal]

The players contracts provide for a 40% reduction in wages on relegation.

Where's that little gem come from?[/quote]

Reading Chronicle article although its the paper itself that has said it and is not a direct quote from anyone at the club as such[/quote]

Well thats a good start. I'm guessing that's an estimation from the Chronicle though and not a unilateral cut accross all contracts.

It does mean that if it's anywhere near true we're reasonably well positioned, and, all the talk of following the likes of Leeds and Barnsly if we spent any money was wide of the mark because this type of sensible measure was being put in place all along.[/quote]

Actually i was quoting from last nights Evening Post :-

Slashing the wages of Coppell and his players by around 40 per cent will not be enough to balance the books.
So the club will look to sell one of their most valuable assets, England international Nicky Shorey, who has been a target for West Ham, Newcastle and Aston Villa and has made it clear he wants to leave.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/readingfc/s/2028587_we_cant_buy_without_selling

[PEARCEY]

Judging upon what Howe has said about certain players thinking they are bigger than the club with Shorey and Lita apparently being the ones he was referring to it would appear both will go this summer. Begs the question why both were not sold in January and the money used to buy new players.
As I said on here a few months ago Shorey was a done deal with West Ham last August and the only thing stopping the deal going through was our clubs refusal to sell until an adequate replacement was found. Surely by January somebody could have been found somewhere around the globe to replace him? We could then have sold Shorey at a decent price rather than holding onto a player who it seems didn't want to play for the club.

[brendywendy]

but coppell probably had in mind nickys previous attitude through out his career, and sidwells performances in the same position last season
understandable, its just he didnt calculate for a sudden and probably subconcious attitude change and subsequent run of form

[PEARCEY]

Maybe Brendy. Its disapponting all the same that Shorey appears to have gone this way in recent times.

[brendywendy]

Maybe Brendy. Its disapponting all the same that Shorey appears to have gone this way in recent times.

could be all sorts of things, could be family trouble, could be fear about screwing up and losing his england place-most probably just because he wanted to go last year, and feels he has been through a distasteful relegation experience when he could have been in midtable with the hammers
but it is a shame, and whatever the reason, i expected more from nicky

[Ian Royal]

Didn't we turn down a bid in the summer because it wasn't enough? Then in January when we were prepared to sell and probably at a lower price(and could have got in Taylor) we didn't even get any interest?

Thats the impression I got from reading what someone posted about Coppell and the Fans Forum.

[andrew1957]

I must say I am very disappointed in Shorey. As many others have already said Reading fans supported him unreservedly and were delighted when he got his England place and he has repaid us by not giving his all last season. When you consider that we were relegated by just 3 goals I cannot wonder if a bit more effort from him would have made all the difference.

As for his career I wonder if he has also done himself a dis-service. If he had played his heart out he would have attracted plenty of interest and would have got a move to a larger club - like Sidwell. Now there may be less interest - certainly at the £4/5M or so that the club value him at. If no one comes in for him he may end up in the reserves, as it is very hard to see that he could ever play for the first team again.

Hunt and Sonko are the two other players that have disappointed me this year - Hunt never seemed to play well again after he got his new contract and Sonko - after playing poorly - then refused to play in the reserves.

If all three of these leave I will not be sorry. We need players that want to play for the club and give their all every week - even if things do not go well. I think Doyle is a shining example of this. He has had a poor season but always seemed to try his hardest.