this board boils down to this

[brendywendy]

thats true

if quizzed i guess people from both sides would say they were simply realists stuck somewhere between the two camps

i know i certainly am....

[Gus the teenage cow]

thats true

if quizzed i guess people from both sides would say they were simply realists stuck somewhere between the two camps

i know i certainly am....

no, you are on the everything is fine, coppell can do no wrong side of the divide

[lozz2601]

I think there are a few people in the middle, who believe we are seriously in trouble, but that Coppell is not completely responsible.
But he is obviously partly to blame.

[weybridgewanderer]

Last season they came to the mad stad for 3 points and played open football against us

This season they come looking to not lose so we get a Bolton or a Newcastle, 9 men behind the ball, hope to hit us on the break.

This gives us a totally different probelm except against the Man Utds and the Liverpools of the world.

They come to win alllowing us to play the way we like to play.

[Leamington Royal]

Excellent post Gus. Sure this forum is one for debate, but in the Stadium we need to be completely behind the team. And against Bolton, the evidence was that it was all too quick to evaporate. How many of us were still at our seats at the final whistle?

But, there are at least 10 good reasons to believe we can turn this round and stay up:

1. Derby, Fulham and Birmingham are all still behind us. They have to do better than us.
2. There are enough teams close in front that a slight edge in form will mean we leapfrog someone else (and if our strong home support delivers an extra point or two to deliver that, then it could make all the difference).
3. The remaining fixtures we have are undoubtedly less difficult than the games since Christmas. And easier than some of our immediate rivals.
4. We have several 6 pointers to play - Fulham, Birmingham, Derby, Wigan, Boro', Newcastle (oh yes)...
5. We have players coming back from the ACON with fresh impetus/ optimism
6. We appear to have made one good signing who can unlock defenses in ways we're not used to (e.g. Marek's excquisite through ball to Kitson should have been buried by Kitson to give us the lead)
7. Oster (love hime or hate him) is back and showed good use of the ball in his short time on the pitch on Saturday. This gives us balance and can only improve if we can squeeze 3-4 games out of Little before the end of the season.
8. We did not lose any first teamers in January.
9. We have only just stumbled across Cisses capabilities at Centre back and the more he plays the more it is likely to have a settling effect on the defence.
10. We still have a tight nit group of players who have played there way out of bad runs before (we have had plenty of 4+ games losing sequences under Coppell and Pardew with essentially this nucleus of players). They (and SC) have the mental strength to get back on track.

We don't need to transform into Villa, City or Everton, we just need to be slightly better than the mediocity around us over the next dozen or so games.

Believe and make the difference in the Madstad!!

[Victor Meldrew]

Well said Hoop Blah a few posts back.
There has been no booing at matches nor any "Coppell out" demands from the fans so as far as I can see the team is getting decent support even though it is starting to feel like we are watching a sinking ship and can do nothing about it.
The solution might have been outbidding Bolton for Cahill or Villa for Routledge but that time has gone.
So Gus what do you suggest we do?

Put on our fingers on lips and have blind faith that all's well that ends well or try to give each other a glimmer of hope by pooling our joint wisdom(?) in offering suggestions on team selection,tactics,formats etc-if we do that then a minor change in one game might just squeeze out the point that keeps us up.
I am sure that players do read some of this stuff now and again so they might just benefit from some of the words of wisdom that we spend so many hours tapping out on our keyboards and if nothing else it shows that we care what happens at our club and just hope that £25,000 per week players feel the same.

[Seal]

We all know Reading FC have not strenthened during the window, that was Coppell's choice so having a pop at the board is not fair unless you criticise their wage restrictions which we are not privy to. Bearing in mind HUnt has signed a new contract and there are positive signs that Shorey will do so too, perhaps the wages on offer are not as prohibitive as some might think.

How do know this is the case? Far too simplistic viewpoint and very naive.

I am annoyed that my increased investment in this club (i.e. rise the cost of EVERYTHING associated with RFC) has not been offset by the promised investment in players, which has quite simply never materialised.

Last season we were riding the crest of a wave, we all knew it wouldn't last for ever and that we needed new players, yet the investment hasn't happened. It didn't happen in the summer, and now it hasn't happened in January when we desperately needed it.

Therefore, as someone who spends a lot of money following RFC, I feel I have a right to vent my frustrations with the club. Ultimately we do not know if the lack of investment has come from the board or Coppell, but either way they are RFC employees, so I am disappointed in RFC.

I always back the team, I was seriously pumped for the Bolton game on Saturday. And then they go and play like that. I will continue to support the team, and I'm probably more vocal and positive then most in the ground, but I'm still pretty angry with how the club has run itself this season.

[Royal Rother]

There's a reason why people's criticism will get louder and louder and its because people were, by and large, not allowed to express their doubts and misgivings from about July onwards.

It's all a load of old balls really though isn't it? So it looks like cmonurz, Schards and all the others predicted accurately at the start of this particular season. Well done them. Another season they'll get it wrong. It's all pretty random really.

Some you get right, some you get wrong, but to suggest people were not allowed to express doubts is just wrong; and besides, being in the minority in an argument on here makes it more fun anyway for goodness sake!

[lozz2601]

Excellent post Gus. Sure this forum is one for debate, but in the Stadium we need to be completely behind the team. And against Bolton, the evidence was that it was all too quick to evaporate. How many of us were still at our seats at the final whistle?

But, there are at least 10 good reasons to believe we can turn this round and stay up:

1. Derby, Fulham and Birmingham are all still behind us. They have to do better than us.
2. There are enough teams close in front that a slight edge in form will mean we leapfrog someone else (and if our strong home support delivers an extra point or two to deliver that, then it could make all the difference).
3. The remaining fixtures we have are undoubtedly less difficult than the games since Christmas. And easier than some of our immediate rivals.
4. We have several 6 pointers to play - Fulham, Birmingham, Derby, Wigan, Boro', Newcastle (oh yes)...
5. We have players coming back from the ACON with fresh impetus/ optimism
6. We appear to have made one good signing who can unlock defenses in ways we're not used to (e.g. Marek's excquisite through ball to Kitson should have been buried by Kitson to give us the lead)
7. Oster (love hime or hate him) is back and showed good use of the ball in his short time on the pitch on Saturday. This gives us balance and can only improve if we can squeeze 3-4 games out of Little before the end of the season.
8. We did not lose any first teamers in January.
9. We have only just stumbled across Cisses capabilities at Centre back and the more he plays the more it is likely to have a settling effect on the defence.
10. We still have a tight nit group of players who have played there way out of bad runs before (we have had plenty of 4+ games losing sequences under Coppell and Pardew with essentially this nucleus of players). They (and SC) have the mental strength to get back on track.

We don't need to transform into Villa, City or Everton, we just need to be slightly better than the mediocity around us over the next dozen or so games.

Believe and make the difference in the Madstad!!

Fulham and Birmingham are at least picking up points here and there.

Having Oster back does not fill me with confidence. Far from it.

But other than that, yep, sounds good.

[Victor Meldrew]

Excellent post Gus. Sure this forum is one for debate, but in the Stadium we need to be completely behind the team. And against Bolton, the evidence was that it was all too quick to evaporate. How many of us were still at our seats at the final whistle?

But, there are at least 10 good reasons to believe we can turn this round and stay up:

1. Derby, Fulham and Birmingham are all still behind us. They have to do better than us.
2. There are enough teams close in front that a slight edge in form will mean we leapfrog someone else (and if our strong home support delivers an extra point or two to deliver that, then it could make all the difference).
3. The remaining fixtures we have are undoubtedly less difficult than the games since Christmas. And easier than some of our immediate rivals.
4. We have several 6 pointers to play - Fulham, Birmingham, Derby, Wigan, Boro', Newcastle (oh yes)...
5. We have players coming back from the ACON with fresh impetus/ optimism
6. We appear to have made one good signing who can unlock defenses in ways we're not used to (e.g. Marek's excquisite through ball to Kitson should have been buried by Kitson to give us the lead)
7. Oster (love hime or hate him) is back and showed good use of the ball in his short time on the pitch on Saturday. This gives us balance and can only improve if we can squeeze 3-4 games out of Little before the end of the season.
8. We did not lose any first teamers in January.
9. We have only just stumbled across Cisses capabilities at Centre back and the more he plays the more it is likely to have a settling effect on the defence.
10. We still have a tight nit group of players who have played there way out of bad runs before (we have had plenty of 4+ games losing sequences under Coppell and Pardew with essentially this nucleus of players). They (and SC) have the mental strength to get back on track.

We don't need to transform into Villa, City or Everton, we just need to be slightly better than the mediocity around us over the next dozen or so games.

Believe and make the difference in the Madstad!!

Some very positive spins there.
As we are on a discussion board may I add a few comments:-
Re(2) Is our "strong" home support better than say Sunderlad's or Birmingham's-I very much doubt it and does such support really make much difference? If Bolton had 3,000 on Saturday rather than 600 do you honestly believe that would have helped the to a 3-0 or 4-0 win?
Re(3)There are no easy games.
Re(4)We have 6-pointers but so do they which may hinder rather than help our cause if our record against the lesser clubs continues as it has this season.
Re(5)Two of those that went to ANC seldom get a game and the other one has been hopeless since his injury.
Re(6)We may have made one good new signing but the others may have made more (e.g Cahill,Taylor and the other two on Saturday)
Re(7)Oster is back-is that really a plus?
Re(10)I don't think there is much evidence of the tight nit squad any more-they don't seem to be pulling for each other and mental strength-not sure about that one either.

We WILL give our all at the Mad Stad but more importantly the players need to give everything and concentrate for the full 94 minutes or so of each game-it's up to them to prove their worth as Premiership players and not rest on last year's laurels or increased comfort zone wages,there is so little we can do and how frustrating is that?

[brendywendy]

thats true

if quizzed i guess people from both sides would say they were simply realists stuck somewhere between the two camps

i know i certainly am....

no, you are on the everything is fine, coppell can do no wrong side of the divide

ill do my thinking for myself from now on young man!

he can do wrong, ive seen it with my own eyes-id never go with the 541 formation, EVER
i personally would have signed a defender during the recent window. cahill or that norse dude were both worth a go
and id have at least put in a bid for routledge

i just prefer to try and look on the brightside where i can

[brendywendy]

We all know Reading FC have not strenthened during the window, that was Coppell's choice so having a pop at the board is not fair unless you criticise their wage restrictions which we are not privy to. Bearing in mind HUnt has signed a new contract and there are positive signs that Shorey will do so too, perhaps the wages on offer are not as prohibitive as some might think.

How do know this is the case? Far too simplistic viewpoint and very naive.

I am annoyed that my increased investment in this club (i.e. rise the cost of EVERYTHING associated with RFC) has not been offset by the promised investment in players, which has quite simply never materialised.
.

wage bill for entire squad doubled, if not more-this is an investment in players, just not new ones

7 million net, spent on new players over the last couple of years-whatever your opinion on those players, its still a very big investment for a club who hadnt spent 1 mill on a single player before lita

on top of this significant investment in our team we also have a spanking new training ground which is now no longer just a muddy field
we also have a shiny new media centre

[Victor Meldrew]

We all know Reading FC have not strenthened during the window, that was Coppell's choice so having a pop at the board is not fair unless you criticise their wage restrictions which we are not privy to. Bearing in mind HUnt has signed a new contract and there are positive signs that Shorey will do so too, perhaps the wages on offer are not as prohibitive as some might think.

How do know this is the case? Far too simplistic viewpoint and very naive.

I am annoyed that my increased investment in this club (i.e. rise the cost of EVERYTHING associated with RFC) has not been offset by the promised investment in players, which has quite simply never materialised.
.

wage bill for entire squad doubled, if not more-this is an investment in players, just not new ones

7 million net, spent on new players over the last couple of years-whatever your opinion on those players, its still a very big investment for a club who hadnt spent 1 mill on a single player before lita

on top of this significant investment in our team we also have a spanking new training ground which is now no longer just a muddy field
we also have a shiny new media centre

Regarding your point about Lita I think you forget that we spent nearly a million on players like Caskey,Asaba and Butler when TV money would have been no more than £100,000 in a full year and normally much less compared with £30 million and more now so we have historically spent heavily on players-why not now?

[brendywendy]

How do know this is the case? Far too simplistic viewpoint and very naive.

I am annoyed that my increased investment in this club (i.e. rise the cost of EVERYTHING associated with RFC) has not been offset by the promised investment in players, which has quite simply never materialised.
.

wage bill for entire squad doubled, if not more-this is an investment in players, just not new ones

7 million net, spent on new players over the last couple of years-whatever your opinion on those players, its still a very big investment for a club who hadnt spent 1 mill on a single player before lita

on top of this significant investment in our team we also have a spanking new training ground which is now no longer just a muddy field
we also have a shiny new media centre

Regarding your point about Lita I think you forget that we spent nearly a million on players like Caskey,Asaba and Butler when TV money would have been no more than £100,000 in a full year and normally much less compared with £30 million and more now so we have historically spent heavily on players-why not now?

no i didnt, thats why i said "1 million" not nearly one million,
i was just trying to answer the oft quoted point that we were promised "significant investment in the squad" but have seen none whatsoever

also the 30 million for TV money is for this season,
ie we havent got it yet, last years was much less.

[Cpl Jones Dont panic]

Well

Being a season ticket holder since 1975 and a regular viewer of this site, this is my first ever posting. I never felt the need before , being the most optimistic person ever but ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The last time I left a match feeling so down was the relagation season at Elm Park. Remember the new signings in the transfer window [ still must be a record for one day] and then no victories for the rest of the season. Saturday gave that sinking feeling in the last hour.
My fears are growing in these areas:
1. Coppell is a honest guy and will certainly walk away if we go down.
2. The best players, Kits, Doyle , Hunt will certainly stay in the premiership, with Villa, Bolton etc
3 Others will bide their time until the next Jan window then walk away
4. God we could be left with Halls, Oster, goldbourne , Murty and USA on Zimmer frames
5. The usual suspects will be linked with the job , please God not Hoddle , maybe Parky [easy option]
6 The 2008 -09 season will be a rebuild, with the memories of premiership fading away.
7. Fans will be posting they would rather be beat by Arsenal than watch us win against Swansea
8 Season tickets prices will be frozen , to make up for the shortfall in revenue
9. Back to crowds of 10k
10. Still at least it will be 3pm Sat kick offs and no more midnight MOTD for the full 30secs

We have to get any points total in the next 2 games or its freefall .

But hey did we ever make it easy , have the great escape music at ready.
Please RFC learn from this, over the years Everton, Blackburn, Pompey and West Ham have all stayed up by a tight margin and they learned from mistakes.

[Cookie]

Excellent post Gus. Sure this forum is one for debate, but in the Stadium we need to be completely behind the team. And against Bolton, the evidence was that it was all too quick to evaporate. How many of us were still at our seats at the final whistle?

But, there are at least 10 good reasons to believe we can turn this round and stay up:

1. Derby, Fulham and Birmingham are all still behind us. They have to do better than us.
2. There are enough teams close in front that a slight edge in form will mean we leapfrog someone else (and if our strong home support delivers an extra point or two to deliver that, then it could make all the difference).
3. The remaining fixtures we have are undoubtedly less difficult than the games since Christmas. And easier than some of our immediate rivals.
4. We have several 6 pointers to play - Fulham, Birmingham, Derby, Wigan, Boro', Newcastle (oh yes)...
5. We have players coming back from the ACON with fresh impetus/ optimism
6. We appear to have made one good signing who can unlock defenses in ways we're not used to (e.g. Marek's excquisite through ball to Kitson should have been buried by Kitson to give us the lead)
7. Oster (love hime or hate him) is back and showed good use of the ball in his short time on the pitch on Saturday. This gives us balance and can only improve if we can squeeze 3-4 games out of Little before the end of the season.
8. We did not lose any first teamers in January.
9. We have only just stumbled across Cisses capabilities at Centre back and the more he plays the more it is likely to have a settling effect on the defence.
10. We still have a tight nit group of players who have played there way out of bad runs before (we have had plenty of 4+ games losing sequences under Coppell and Pardew with essentially this nucleus of players). They (and SC) have the mental strength to get back on track.

We don't need to transform into Villa, City or Everton, we just need to be slightly better than the mediocity around us over the next dozen or so games.

Believe and make the difference in the Madstad!!

Yeah that's a regular post. Good one mate.

[Cookie]

over the years Everton, Blackburn, Pompey and West Ham have all stayed up by a tight margin and they learned from mistakes.

That's the best bit of your post, and it stands on its own merit. We got to believe it can happen.

[LUX]

I've been in the non-moaning minority on here, even though I recognise we are in deep shit. I suppose that most of these repetitive posts are therapeutic, because we all do care, I accept that too. A great effort is needed from the team, now. I think we need more than just home wins v Brum, Fulham etc (and those are by no means guaranteed) and need a couple of wins at Boro, Everton, Newcastle etc too............But this Board has gone far too fickle.


Long live blind faith.

[Cookie]

[Gus the teenage cow]

when i am in doubt about which camp I should sway towards, i merely ask myself not who is right or wrong in their argument but who i want to be right in their argument?

putting issues of personal pride, oneupmanship and the vindictiveness of the "i told you so" brigade aside, we all want Reading to stay up so let's support the club, albeit in the imperfect shape it is in at the moment, in that quest, simple really, real simple