Colours to the mast, pick your relegation candidates

[Hampshire Royal]

I'm not clever like all these clever people who are predicting relegation this season. Snowball (who I have a bit of time for) even analyses our squad and runs all of them down. He doesn't actually come to any conclusion, but the gist of his post is that we will be relegated. I wonder what he would have said about the 2006/07 squad.

For what it's worth, I have every confidnce that the TEAM we have, and the Manager and coaching staff are good enough to at least avoid relegation. Our first 2 Prem games (ignore the League Cup) have been very encouraging, especially when you see the dross that's played by some other teams in this league.

As I said, I'm not as clever as some who are predicting doom, and I'm certain that I couldn't be a football manager. But I am just as certain that McDermott is a good football manager and knows exactly what he's doing.

[ManchesterRoyals]

Reading
Norwich
Southampton

[Ian Royal]

Just a quick note for snowball. Kebe plays right wing, and you've put Mariappa down twice, once as a left winger, which is wrong.

[Snowball]

So, to paraphrase, you belive the same as I do. RFC are currently relegation favourites having not been completely sensible in the Transfer Window?

NO. I believe we have based our current team on the team who won the championship,
on sound tactics, team-work and team-spirit.

Then we bought Pog, Guthrie, a BIG step up, McCleary, excellent, Gunter VG, Mariappa a top Championship CB.

We have upped our wage bill significantly and spent a fair whack on transfers and signing fees, but, most
importantly, not bought the kind of players who might disrupt the team ethic.

It is high-risk, and YES I expect us to struggle, and I will be amazed if we are as high as seventh bottom in January

BUT I THINK WHAT WE ARE DOING IS REASONABLE AND SENSIBLE AND NOT MORTGAGING THE FUTURE.

[AthleticoSpizz]

I'm not clever like all these clever people who are predicting relegation this season. Snowball (who I have a bit of time for) even analyses our squad and runs all of them down. He doesn't actually come to any conclusion, but the gist of his post is that we will be relegated. I wonder what he would have said about the 2006/07 squad.

For what it's worth, I have every confidnce that the TEAM we have, and the Manager and coaching staff are good enough to at least avoid relegation. Our first 2 Prem games (ignore the League Cup) have been very encouraging, especially when you see the dross that's played by some other teams in this league.

As I said, I'm not as clever as some who are predicting doom, and I'm certain that I couldn't be a football manager. But I am just as certain that McDermott is a good football manager and knows exactly what he's doing.

which pretty much says (more eloquently..tho') what I intimated

FFS folks...chill

[Snowball]

I'm not clever like all these clever people who are predicting relegation this season. Snowball (who I have a bit of time for) even analyses our squad and runs all of them down. He doesn't actually come to any conclusion, but the gist of his post is that we will be relegated. I wonder what he would have said about the 2006/07 squad.

I have predicted (ATM) that we will struggle and will probably be relegated.

I'm not "running them down".

I love them to bits and believe they punched above their weight last season,
but I am being realistic, comparing them to other strikers, defenders, midfielders

[Snowball]

Why is a careful assessment of players (and believing we come up short) "gloom and doom"?

And wasn't I continually being slagged the last few seasons for being too OPTIMISTIC?

I support my team whether we are doing well or badly (as long as the players make an effort)
but I think the squad looks short.

Of course we may have out-of-contract players in mind, or spend 20M in January. Who knows?

But right now, I would not put money on us being higher than 17th.

[Arnie_Pie]

Norwich
Southampton
Liverpool

[windermere_royal]

Why is a careful assessment of players (and believing we come up short) "gloom and doom"?

And wasn't I continually being slagged the last few seasons for being too OPTIMISTIC?

I support my team whether we are doing well or badly (as long as the players make an effort)
but I think the squad looks short.

Of course we may have out-of-contract players in mind, or spend 20M in January. Who knows?

But right now, I would not put money on us being higher than 17th.

still cant undrstasnd your thinking in marking Gorkks behind Pearce
The Latvian is premier class all day long for me.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Why is a careful assessment of players (and believing we come up short) "gloom and doom"?

And wasn't I continually being slagged the last few seasons for being too OPTIMISTIC?

I support my team whether we are doing well or badly (as long as the players make an effort)
but I think the squad looks short.

Of course we may have out-of-contract players in mind, or spend 20M in January. Who knows?

But right now, I would not put money on us being higher than 17th.

still cant undrstasnd your thinking in marking Gorkks behind Pearce
The Latvian is premier class all day long for me.

I can see his logic

Gorkks got promoted with Blackpool to the Prem....then got offloaded to Championship QPR.......QPR got promoted to the Prem....then Kasper got offloaded to Championship Reading....and maybe so on


Gorkks is great but has he plateau'd?

Pearce is still very much up and coming

[Hampshire Royal]

It's the team that matters, not individual players. We didn't have the best players in the Championship last season, but we had the best team and in spite of many people predicting all sorts of doom and gloom, we ended the season as the best team in the Championship.

[RFCSPACE]

Saints, Aston Villa, Norwich.

[sandman]

Why is a careful assessment of players (and believing we come up short) "gloom and doom"?

And wasn't I continually being slagged the last few seasons for being too OPTIMISTIC?

I support my team whether we are doing well or badly (as long as the players make an effort)
but I think the squad looks short.

Of course we may have out-of-contract players in mind, or spend 20M in January. Who knows?

But right now, I would not put money on us being higher than 17th.

still cant undrstasnd your thinking in marking Gorkks behind Pearce
The Latvian is premier class all day long for me.

I can see his logic

Gorkks got promoted with Blackpool to the Prem....then got offloaded to Championship QPR.......QPR got promoted to the Prem....then Kasper got offloaded to Championship Reading....and maybe so on


Gorkks is great but has he plateau'd?

Pearce is still very much up and coming

No he didn't.

[SCIAG]

Snowball (who I have a bit of time for) even analyses our squad and runs all of them down. He doesn't actually come to any conclusion, but the gist of his post is that we will be relegated. I wonder what he would have said about the 2006/07 squad.

For what it's worth, I have every confidnce that the TEAM we have, and the Manager and coaching staff are good enough to at least avoid relegation. Our first 2 Prem games (ignore the League Cup) have been very encouraging, especially when you see the dross that's played by some other teams in this league.

As I said, I'm not as clever as some who are predicting doom, and I'm certain that I couldn't be a football manager. But I am just as certain that McDermott is a good football manager and knows exactly what he's doing.

I agree with this entirely, except the bit about not being clever.

Look at Norwich and Swansea from last season. Norwich weren't a collection of great individuals, they were a team who played as a team, gave their all, and allowed their stars (Holt and Hoolahan) to shine. They played a right back at centre back all season and didn't have any decent wingers but they were never threatened by relegation. Swansea were disciplined, they had a system and stuck to it, and once Sigurdsson arrived they began to really play. But look at their players individually- with the exception of at left back, and then attacking midfield when Sigurdsson arrived, they were no stronger than we are now.

And wasn't I continually being slagged the last few seasons for being too OPTIMISTIC?

No, you were slagged for not understanding statistics.

[AthleticoSpizz]

[
still cant undrstasnd your thinking in marking Gorkks behind Pearce
The Latvian is premier class all day long for me.

I can see his logic

Gorkks got promoted with Blackpool to the Prem....then got offloaded to Championship QPR.......QPR got promoted to the Prem....then Kasper got offloaded to Championship Reading....and maybe so on


Gorkks is great but has he plateau'd?

Pearce is still very much up and coming

No he didn't.

explain....enjoy your moment

[Stuboo]

Stuboo, do you not realise that we all want to see RFC still in the Prem at the end of the season? With our current squad, any KNOWLEDGABLE football person will tell you that we are relegation favourites! That is for a good reason! Had we bought better in the Transfer Window, we would not be! We are all now hoping for a miracle but sensible people do understand what underinvestment does to any business!

I think it is the certainty with which some people are predicting doom for Reading which is what is really winding people up, as has already been said. There is no way for sure you can say we are going down with our current squad. It's your opinion, it is not a fact.

I can't agree that our squad makes us relegation favourites. Where is the evidence for that? We have some good players and some decent cover in the shape of Mariappa, Shorey, etc.

I like your insinuation that anyone who doesn't agree with you that we are relegation favourites is not knowledgable and that people who think we have underinvested are not sensible. Very funny!

As for us needing a "miracle" to stay up, I feel you are overstating it just a little bit.

[sandman]

I can see his logic

Gorkks got promoted with Blackpool to the Prem....then got offloaded to Championship QPR.......QPR got promoted to the Prem....then Kasper got offloaded to Championship Reading....and maybe so on


Gorkks is great but has he plateau'd?

Pearce is still very much up and coming

No he didn't.

explain....enjoy your moment

He left Blackpool in 2008 and they got promoted to the PL in 2009-10 season. I'm not trying to attack you, I'm just sticking up for Gorkss and stating a fact that it's not fair on him to say he's been let go by two PL clubs.

As for QPR letting him go I think that was a big mistake from Warnock. Who would you prefer as a defender in your team? Gorkss or Danny Gabbidon? I don't know about you but I'd choose Gorkss every time.

[ankeny]

Suprised Villa got so many votes,don't members think they will not get out of it?

[Hampshire Royal]

We didn't have the best players in the Championship last season, but we had the best team

That's exactly the point. Those players punched above their weight.
Now the opponent teams are just so much better, it's going to be very difficult for players like Ian Harte who was at times struggling in the championship, especially since he's about 36 years old.

You missed a bit when you quoted me and, funnily enough, it was the bit which was the point of my post.

[Franchise FC]

No, it's not. And I don't believe Coppell let us down when we got relegated.

Interesting view - he does feel exactly that. His decision (his words not mine) to pass on Gary Cahill was a major catalyst.