When did you move from RTG to STG

[papereyes]

To an extent, yes. But you can also see why I think they got it wrong.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

It's not necessarily money spent - it was the attitude that pervaded the club at all levels between 2006 and 2008 that we were good enough to avoid relegation/bounce back up and some very obvious deficiencies in the squad were not remedied.

We accumulated average players and then didn't really use them.

Spending money is part of it but the whole attitude was that we'd muddle through somehow.

Coppel and hammond took the view that if a team that was worth a grand total of <5 million could trounce the championship
and if the same team plus the addition of one new player for 1 million could take us to 8th place
then money probably wasnt the generator of our success.
& we still tried to buy in mensah and scott brown- who would have probably kept us up, but when they wouldnt come they didnt want to gamble on some second choice charlie.
and based on the previous two seasons can you not see why they may have come to that conclusion?

Hammond tried to push Coppell in to making signings and set up a number of deals only for Coppell to veto at the last minute (which was exactly what he did at Bristol on a number of targets). Coppell then admited his mistakes, but when Hammond set the deals up again he again vetoed them claiming we had enough to stay up. Despite everyone both within and outside the club realising we were in trouble.

The day Coppell said we didn't need a new centre half as we had Cisse was the day I knew we were doomed and really was the day that led to all of this.

Coppell will forever be a legend, but he made some massive mistakes than indirectly have lead us to where we are.

Nothing can change that and we just need to support the players and the club.

We do need a new owner to move forward and hopefully the right person will come along sooner or later. I think my one dig at JM could be is he holding out for too much?

[brendywendy]

To an extent, yes. But you can also see why I think they got it wrong.

i suppose

[Sarah Star]

It's not necessarily money spent - it was the attitude that pervaded the club at all levels between 2006 and 2008 that we were good enough to avoid relegation/bounce back up and some very obvious deficiencies in the squad were not remedied.

We accumulated average players and then didn't really use them.

Spending money is part of it but the whole attitude was that we'd muddle through somehow.

Coppel and hammond took the view that if a team that was worth a grand total of <5 million could trounce the championship
and if the same team plus the addition of one new player for 1 million could take us to 8th place
then money probably wasnt the generator of our success.
& we still tried to buy in mensah and scott brown- who would have probably kept us up, but when they wouldnt come they didnt want to gamble on some second choice charlie.
and based on the previous two seasons can you not see why they may have come to that conclusion?

Hammond tried to push Coppell in to making signings and set up a number of deals only for Coppell to veto at the last minute (which was exactly what he did at Bristol on a number of targets). Coppell then admited his mistakes, but when Hammond set the deals up again he again vetoed them claiming we had enough to stay up. Despite everyone both within and outside the club realising we were in trouble.

The day Coppell said we didn't need a new centre half as we had Cisse was the day I knew we were doomed and really was the day that led to all of this.

Coppell will forever be a legend, but he made some massive mistakes than indirectly have lead us to where we are.

Nothing can change that and we just need to support the players and the club.

We do need a new owner to move forward and hopefully the right person will come along sooner or later. I think my one dig at JM could be is he holding out for too much?

How do you know all this stuff?

[brendywendy]

I think my one dig at JM could be is he holding out for too much?

thats my only whinge about him too tbf

whatever we owe him, plus a couple of million profit for all his hard work and efforts etc, and that should be it.
as we are right now the 70 million? valuation looks about 3 times too high, but id hope he also realises this.

[Northern Git]

I supposed my slow slide into my current state of apathy started when it became apparent that my hope and expectations for my football team are not the same as the people controlling the club.

Throughout the nineties as Reading move from Elm Park to the Mad Stad there seemed to be a unifying sprit amongst fans, team, management and the chairman. We all seemed to be singing off the same hymn sheet and with a few notable blips there was steady progression.

When players moved on their replacements were generally better & more skilful (again a few blips – but you know what I mean). Butler & Cureton succeeded by Kitson, Doyle & Lita, and so on throughout the team. The same with the managers – the two TBs excluded of course.

The Chairman repeated his ambition the get us to the Premiership frequently, and finally we achieved a stunning promotion charge and an equally amazing first season in the Premiership.

I think this is maybe when things started to change. JM stated he had achieved his objective (he had and fair play to him) and that the club must now stand on its own feet financially, without any support from his private wealth.

My belief, and I have no proof of this, is that the costs of sustaining a club such a Reading at the highest level put the frighteners on him.

The unfortunate relegation after the second season, and the subsequent failure to get back at the first attempt triggered a wave of ‘cloth cutting’ and the complete reversal of the steady progression of the previous decade.

Apart from the traditional season ticket sales period, gone are the statements of football ambition, gone is the replacement of players with better ones, gone is the progressive development of the club.

It seems to me that the composition of the playing squad is now determined more by what their wages are, or by what their sale value is, than by any genuine ambition to achieve success on the pitch.

It don’t think this mind set at the top would allow us to slip down the leagues ( the sacking of BR was a clear indication of this) but equally I don’t think we will see a sustained challenge to get promoted.

Happiness for JM would probably mid to top table position with maybe a near brush with the playoffs, a steady average home gate of around 15,000, and a consistent stream of saleable youngsters coming through the academy.

As for me, will I still go and watch the boys? Yes of course, but my disillusionment with the club has grown to such an extent that I no longer fret and missing a game here and there.

[Millsy]

I supposed my slow slide into my current state of apathy started when it became apparent that my hope and expectations for my football team are not the same as the people controlling the club.

Throughout the nineties as Reading move from Elm Park to the Mad Stad there seemed to be a unifying sprit amongst fans, team, management and the chairman. We all seemed to be singing off the same hymn sheet and with a few notable blips there was steady progression.

When players moved on their replacements were generally better & more skilful (again a few blips – but you know what I mean). Butler & Cureton succeeded by Kitson, Doyle & Lita, and so on throughout the team. The same with the managers – the two TBs excluded of course.

The Chairman repeated his ambition the get us to the Premiership frequently, and finally we achieved a stunning promotion charge and an equally amazing first season in the Premiership.

I think this is maybe when things started to change. JM stated he had achieved his objective (he had and fair play to him) and that the club must now stand on its own feet financially, without any support from his private wealth.

My belief, and I have no proof of this, is that the costs of sustaining a club such a Reading at the highest level put the frighteners on him.

The unfortunate relegation after the second season, and the subsequent failure to get back at the first attempt triggered a wave of ‘cloth cutting’ and the complete reversal of the steady progression of the previous decade.

Apart from the traditional season ticket sales period, gone are the statements of football ambition, gone is the replacement of players with better ones, gone is the progressive development of the club.

It seems to me that the composition of the playing squad is now determined more by what their wages are, or by what their sale value is, than by any genuine ambition to achieve success on the pitch.

It don’t think this mind set at the top would allow us to slip down the leagues ( the sacking of BR was a clear indication of this) but equally I don’t think we will see a sustained challenge to get promoted.

Happiness for JM would probably mid to top table position with maybe a near brush with the playoffs, a steady average home gate of around 15,000, and a consistent stream of saleable youngsters coming through the academy.

As for me, will I still go and watch the boys? Yes of course, but my disillusionment with the club has grown to such an extent that I no longer fret and missing a game here and there.

Top post. Quite possibly 100% spot on.

The point I highlight is what I've said several times before (once quite recently too) but of course ridiculed by the masses.

Quite clear to me that the Prem was a fright for JM. Being a nearly-club is financially just right for him.

Madejski out.

[Thou Voice]

I voted "I'm still chirpy", you see we need to take the positives out of all of this and hope that The Balding Guy V2 can manage to get this shower of OAP's to actually do something.

Judging by the age of players we have on trial and also those we signed, surely M-U-R-T-Y will be nearly old enough to resign.

I think Blakey will fit that bill as well.

We are truely moving forward to becoming not only the oldest team to play in the league, but one of those teams that play in Birmingham once a year in a cup challenge of yesterday.

All we need to do now is get rid of Skippy.

DO YOU SEE?

[joe999]

I supposed my slow slide into my current state of apathy started when it became apparent that my hope and expectations for my football team are not the same as the people controlling the club.

Throughout the nineties as Reading move from Elm Park to the Mad Stad there seemed to be a unifying sprit amongst fans, team, management and the chairman. We all seemed to be singing off the same hymn sheet and with a few notable blips there was steady progression.

When players moved on their replacements were generally better & more skilful (again a few blips – but you know what I mean). Butler & Cureton succeeded by Kitson, Doyle & Lita, and so on throughout the team. The same with the managers – the two TBs excluded of course.

The Chairman repeated his ambition the get us to the Premiership frequently, and finally we achieved a stunning promotion charge and an equally amazing first season in the Premiership.

I think this is maybe when things started to change. JM stated he had achieved his objective (he had and fair play to him) and that the club must now stand on its own feet financially, without any support from his private wealth.

My belief, and I have no proof of this, is that the costs of sustaining a club such a Reading at the highest level put the frighteners on him.

The unfortunate relegation after the second season, and the subsequent failure to get back at the first attempt triggered a wave of ‘cloth cutting’ and the complete reversal of the steady progression of the previous decade.

Apart from the traditional season ticket sales period, gone are the statements of football ambition, gone is the replacement of players with better ones, gone is the progressive development of the club.

It seems to me that the composition of the playing squad is now determined more by what their wages are, or by what their sale value is, than by any genuine ambition to achieve success on the pitch.

It don’t think this mind set at the top would allow us to slip down the leagues ( the sacking of BR was a clear indication of this) but equally I don’t think we will see a sustained challenge to get promoted.

Happiness for JM would probably mid to top table position with maybe a near brush with the playoffs, a steady average home gate of around 15,000, and a consistent stream of saleable youngsters coming through the academy.

As for me, will I still go and watch the boys? Yes of course, but my disillusionment with the club has grown to such an extent that I no longer fret and missing a game here and there.

Probably the best post I've ever read on here.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

I supposed my slow slide into my current state of apathy started when it became apparent that my hope and expectations for my football team are not the same as the people controlling the club.

Throughout the nineties as Reading move from Elm Park to the Mad Stad there seemed to be a unifying sprit amongst fans, team, management and the chairman. We all seemed to be singing off the same hymn sheet and with a few notable blips there was steady progression.

When players moved on their replacements were generally better & more skilful (again a few blips – but you know what I mean). Butler & Cureton succeeded by Kitson, Doyle & Lita, and so on throughout the team. The same with the managers – the two TBs excluded of course.

The Chairman repeated his ambition the get us to the Premiership frequently, and finally we achieved a stunning promotion charge and an equally amazing first season in the Premiership.

I think this is maybe when things started to change. JM stated he had achieved his objective (he had and fair play to him) and that the club must now stand on its own feet financially, without any support from his private wealth.

My belief, and I have no proof of this, is that the costs of sustaining a club such a Reading at the highest level put the frighteners on him.

The unfortunate relegation after the second season, and the subsequent failure to get back at the first attempt triggered a wave of ‘cloth cutting’ and the complete reversal of the steady progression of the previous decade.

Apart from the traditional season ticket sales period, gone are the statements of football ambition, gone is the replacement of players with better ones, gone is the progressive development of the club.

It seems to me that the composition of the playing squad is now determined more by what their wages are, or by what their sale value is, than by any genuine ambition to achieve success on the pitch.

It don’t think this mind set at the top would allow us to slip down the leagues ( the sacking of BR was a clear indication of this) but equally I don’t think we will see a sustained challenge to get promoted.

Happiness for JM would probably mid to top table position with maybe a near brush with the playoffs, a steady average home gate of around 15,000, and a consistent stream of saleable youngsters coming through the academy.

As for me, will I still go and watch the boys? Yes of course, but my disillusionment with the club has grown to such an extent that I no longer fret and missing a game here and there.

Probably the best post I've ever read on here.

to be fair, most on this board leave you marvelling at the fact that they've posted at all, rather than writing on their screens in crayon.

[rhroyal]

I supposed my slow slide into my current state of apathy started when it became apparent that my hope and expectations for my football team are not the same as the people controlling the club.

Throughout the nineties as Reading move from Elm Park to the Mad Stad there seemed to be a unifying sprit amongst fans, team, management and the chairman. We all seemed to be singing off the same hymn sheet and with a few notable blips there was steady progression.

When players moved on their replacements were generally better & more skilful (again a few blips – but you know what I mean). Butler & Cureton succeeded by Kitson, Doyle & Lita, and so on throughout the team. The same with the managers – the two TBs excluded of course.

The Chairman repeated his ambition the get us to the Premiership frequently, and finally we achieved a stunning promotion charge and an equally amazing first season in the Premiership.

I think this is maybe when things started to change. JM stated he had achieved his objective (he had and fair play to him) and that the club must now stand on its own feet financially, without any support from his private wealth.

My belief, and I have no proof of this, is that the costs of sustaining a club such a Reading at the highest level put the frighteners on him.

The unfortunate relegation after the second season, and the subsequent failure to get back at the first attempt triggered a wave of ‘cloth cutting’ and the complete reversal of the steady progression of the previous decade.

Apart from the traditional season ticket sales period, gone are the statements of football ambition, gone is the replacement of players with better ones, gone is the progressive development of the club.

It seems to me that the composition of the playing squad is now determined more by what their wages are, or by what their sale value is, than by any genuine ambition to achieve success on the pitch.

It don’t think this mind set at the top would allow us to slip down the leagues ( the sacking of BR was a clear indication of this) but equally I don’t think we will see a sustained challenge to get promoted.

Happiness for JM would probably mid to top table position with maybe a near brush with the playoffs, a steady average home gate of around 15,000, and a consistent stream of saleable youngsters coming through the academy.

As for me, will I still go and watch the boys? Yes of course, but my disillusionment with the club has grown to such an extent that I no longer fret and missing a game here and there.

Perfect post. Exactly how I feel but better worded.

[under the tin]

I supposed my slow slide into my current state of apathy started when it became apparent that my hope and expectations for my football team are not the same as the people controlling the club.

Throughout the nineties as Reading move from Elm Park to the Mad Stad there seemed to be a unifying sprit amongst fans, team, management and the chairman. We all seemed to be singing off the same hymn sheet and with a few notable blips there was steady progression.

When players moved on their replacements were generally better & more skilful (again a few blips – but you know what I mean). Butler & Cureton succeeded by Kitson, Doyle & Lita, and so on throughout the team. The same with the managers – the two TBs excluded of course.

The Chairman repeated his ambition the get us to the Premiership frequently, and finally we achieved a stunning promotion charge and an equally amazing first season in the Premiership.

I think this is maybe when things started to change. JM stated he had achieved his objective (he had and fair play to him) and that the club must now stand on its own feet financially, without any support from his private wealth.

My belief, and I have no proof of this, is that the costs of sustaining a club such a Reading at the highest level put the frighteners on him.

The unfortunate relegation after the second season, and the subsequent failure to get back at the first attempt triggered a wave of ‘cloth cutting’ and the complete reversal of the steady progression of the previous decade.

Apart from the traditional season ticket sales period, gone are the statements of football ambition, gone is the replacement of players with better ones, gone is the progressive development of the club.

It seems to me that the composition of the playing squad is now determined more by what their wages are, or by what their sale value is, than by any genuine ambition to achieve success on the pitch.

It don’t think this mind set at the top would allow us to slip down the leagues ( the sacking of BR was a clear indication of this) but equally I don’t think we will see a sustained challenge to get promoted.

Happiness for JM would probably mid to top table position with maybe a near brush with the playoffs, a steady average home gate of around 15,000, and a consistent stream of saleable youngsters coming through the academy.

As for me, will I still go and watch the boys? Yes of course, but my disillusionment with the club has grown to such an extent that I no longer fret and missing a game here and there.

Top post. Quite possibly 100% spot on.

The point I highlight is what I've said several times before (once quite recently too) but of course ridiculed by the masses.

Quite clear to me that the Prem was a fright for JM. Being a nearly-club is financially just right for him.

Madejski out.

I'll give it a 95%. My fave bit's in red
He hasn't added that Jm won't lift a finger away from his wallet, and wherever the club ends up by the time it's self sufficient is irrelevant , because he will eventually cash his chips in, and get all his money back, and a sh1tload more. He got the profile, we got a staduim.
The Hotel? I reckon he'll keep that

[weybridgewanderer]

When players moved on their replacements were generally better & more skilful (again a few blips – but you know what I mean). Butler & Cureton succeeded by Kitson, Doyle & Lita, and so on throughout the team. The same with the managers – the two TBs excluded of course.

Did you really believe when they were signed that Kitson ( a shelf stacker at Cambridge) and Doyle (unheard of outside deepest darkest dublin) would be better than Butler and Cureton? I am sure we had the same old grumbles, except we spent a clubrecord fee on Lita. Some would argue he was the worst of the three and many on here wanted him chased from the club for being a bit arrogant (bit like rooney, lampard, drogba, ian wright - guess we wouldn't want any of them either)

It seems to me that the composition of the playing squad is now determined more by what their wages are, or by what their sale value is, than by any genuine ambition to achieve success on the pitch.

Despiet what was said about our ambition, I am fairly sure that this was exactly the same when we sign kitson, doyle and lita. The first two would not have been on great salaries and lita was viewed as having huge sell on potential.

[URZZ]

Did you really believe when they were signed that Kitson ( a shelf stacker at Cambridge) and Doyle (unheard of outside deepest darkest dublin) would be better than Butler and Cureton? I am sure we had the same old grumbles, except we spent a clubrecord fee on Lita. Some would argue he was the worst of the three and many on here wanted him chased from the club for being a bit arrogant (bit like rooney, lampard, drogba, ian wright - guess we wouldn't want any of them either).

But you look at Mourinho for example, arrogant as you can get, but he wins trophies. Ian Wright, well he went down as one of Arsenal's highest scoring players ever, Drogba scores weekly... the list goes on...

You either have the right to be arrogant or you don't imho, and Lita did not. He always came across as he was too big for us.

[weybridgewanderer]

leroy scored 32 goals in 83 appearances, one goal every 2.5 games

I would love a striker at the club with that sort of strike rate at the moment, yet many on here weren't happy while they hail longy a hero!

3 league and 2 cup games into the season, how many goals have our strikers scored between them?

longy is 29 goals from 127 appearances

[Man Friday]

Top post by Northern Git. Agree 100%.