Early Expectations for 2015/16?

[Ian Royal]

Chalobah on loan, surely he was instrumental in that. And if he really wanted Feds he could have asked for better wages to be offered.

When did we re-loan Chalobah?

Clarke still has to operate within a budget and are you seriously suggesting Federici would have chosen to stay at a Championship club, even on better than Championship wages, when he had a PL offer on PL money? If so, you're deluded.

[No Fixed Abode]

I really can't fathom out why Ian Royal isn't a Professional football manager.

[Ian Royal]

I really can't fathom out why Ian Royal isn't a Professional football manager.

Not having any qualifications, experience and never applying for a position might have a little something to do with it, but I realise that's a bit above you're intellectual capability.

[No Fixed Abode]

I really can't fathom out why Ian Royal isn't a Professional football manager.

Not having any qualifications

[Hoop Blah]

Steve Clarke will go quietly about his business. He is keeping players who are loyal to his ideas and leadership and I expect a few humdinger foreign bargain players to come in with pace!

Have a sneaky feeling we will do a Watford.

So far he's had no say in anyone of significance staying or going on the playing side except Guthrie.

What about all the new contracts that have been signed or offered (or not) over the last few months? You don't think the manager had a say in that?

[paultheroyal]

Steve Clarke will go quietly about his business. He is keeping players who are loyal to his ideas and leadership and I expect a few humdinger foreign bargain players to come in with pace!

Have a sneaky feeling we will do a Watford.

So far he's had no say in anyone of significance staying or going on the playing side except Guthrie.

Getting rid of Bibbo, no say in that?

And before you get pedantic that's everything to do with the playing side.

[Ian Royal]

Steve Clarke will go quietly about his business. He is keeping players who are loyal to his ideas and leadership and I expect a few humdinger foreign bargain players to come in with pace!

Have a sneaky feeling we will do a Watford.

So far he's had no say in anyone of significance staying or going on the playing side except Guthrie.

What about all the new contracts that have been signed or offered (or not) over the last few months? You don't think the manager had a say in that?

Can you name anyone significant where that has changed whether they stay or go? I mean first team regulars. Because, for example, Hector was still in contract. As far as I can see the rest are youth team players who've made few appearances. Pearce, Karacan and Kelly are all undecided. I wouldn't call Yakubu, Appiah or Knight significant. Ake, Mackie and Chalobah were loans that ended whatever.

Oh hang on, Gunter, so that's two with Guthrie, but the deal was done a few months ago, so forgive me forgetting it.

Federici was offered a deal and went elsewhere anyway. Many of the players you'd expect Clarke to want to get shot of aren't going anywhere (right now at least) because of their contract status. Players like Akpan, Blackman and Cox none of whom really seemed in his plans.

I just don't see anything there to that claim other than wishful thinking or propaganda - yet at least.

[Ian Royal]

Steve Clarke will go quietly about his business. He is keeping players who are loyal to his ideas and leadership and I expect a few humdinger foreign bargain players to come in with pace!

Have a sneaky feeling we will do a Watford.

So far he's had no say in anyone of significance staying or going on the playing side except Guthrie.

Getting rid of Bibbo, no say in that?

And before you get pedantic that's everything to do with the playing side.

You see where we both said players, not playing sideyeah?

[Hoop Blah]

I just don't see anything there to that claim other than wishful thinking or propaganda - yet at least.

He could've easily not offered contracts to those players and told Hector and Gunter they weren't getting longer contracts until they prove themselves.

It's only a few days into June. The season hasn't really finished yet but I'm sure Clarke has, as paul says, been going about his business behind the scenes getting deals in place, or at least trying to, to build his squad.

Your argument seems to be implying that he hasn't done anything because you've not seen it, when pauls whole point was surely that Clarke will be getting on with it quietly....so you wouldn't.

You may as well be having a pop at him for not winning a game for a month.

[No Fixed Abode]

I just don't see anything there to that claim other than wishful thinking or propaganda - yet at least.

He could've easily not offered contracts to those players and told Hector and Gunter they weren't getting longer contracts until they prove themselves.

It's only a few days into June. The season hasn't really finished yet but I'm sure Clarke has, as paul says, been going about his business behind the scenes getting deals in place, or at least trying to, to build his squad.

Your argument seems to be implying that he hasn't done anything because you've not seen it, when pauls whole point was surely that Clarke will be getting on with it quietly....so you wouldn't.

You may as well be having a pop at him for not winning a game for a month.

Yep - it's always slow going this time of year with players being on holiday.

[Dr_Hfuhruhurr]

I have a really bad feeling about this season.
As I said on another thread, this has all the hallmarks of our last League 1 relegation, especially if we spend much of the season trying to find a decent goalkeeper. Last season never looked good, but it didn't have relegation written on it - but this season....? We're selling our best players to finance our worst. We did that last year as well, and sooner or later that strategy catches up with you. There seems to be a disconnect at the club in that from Hammond and above, they want the U21s in the squad, but we haven't had a manager that buys into that theory - so we're in a sort of no mans land and its going to cost us. Remember for every Morison, Le Fondre, McCarthy, Pearce and Federici we sell elevates players like Blackman and HRK 1 place up the pecking order. Hell, we spent the second half of last season DEPENDENT on Pogrebnyak playing and Ill tell you now, his 8 goals a season and zero MOTM performances are going to get us nowhere.

Of course, we wont get out of transition until the day he goes - but we have to have a better behind-the-scenes plan than we do now.

So, in short, and without even a hint of irony, showmanship or exaggeration, I think we'll finish 24th.

[Platypuss]

I realise that's a bit above you're intellectual capability.

Whoops.

[Snowball]

I realise that's a bit above you're intellectual capability.

Whoops.

Plat, you might need to explain you're post
otherwise your going to be misunderstood...

[JIM]

Open ness does not come with the new management profile, Released figures show £20 mill from football league for tv and parachute payments. but nothing from cup run. Same old story , No money for players, we still pay debt caused by the Russian.

[SCIAG]

There seems to be a disconnect at the club in that from Hammond and above, they want the U21s in the squad, but we haven't had a manager that buys into that theory - so we're in a sort of no mans land and its going to cost us. Remember for every Morison, Le Fondre, McCarthy, Pearce and Federici we sell elevates players like Blackman and HRK 1 place up the pecking order. Hell, we spent the second half of last season DEPENDENT on Pogrebnyak playing and Ill tell you now, his 8 goals a season and zero MOTM performances are going to get us nowhere.

Eh, I think Adkins bought into it just as much as anyone above him and even Clarke got there towards the end of the season (despite the bizarre loan of Aké).

Losing McCarthy and Federici will have absolutely no effect on how often Blackman plays. In fact the only one of those five I can see having any affect on the latter pair's playing time is Le Fondre. Replacing him should be a priority this summer, whether that's a new player or placing full faith in Cox and Samuel.

Pogrebnyak was voted MOTM by HNA users four times last season, and nine the season before that. That's more than anyone else; more than McCarthy and Federici combined, or Cox, Le Fondre and Murray combined, or Obita and Bridge combined... the only like-for-like combinations that beat him are Guthrie/Norwood and Drenthe/Mackie. Give him 46 start and penalties and he'd be on for more like 12-15 goals a season - he's averaged 14 goals every 46 matches in the Championship for us. Obviously that's terrible value for money on his wages but in a vacuum it's decent.

[floyd__streete]

If you want a Reading first XI filled with Under 21 players next season then you also want us to be playing League 1 football in 2016/17.

[Ian Royal]

I realise that's a bit above you're intellectual capability.

Whoops.

We'll thats embarrassing (sic).

[SCIAG]

Assuming Karacan re-signs, this is our current first team:

--------------------Moore-------------------
Gunter----Hector---Cooper-----Obita
----Williams--Norwood--Karacan-----
McCleary------------------------------HRK
------------------Pogrebnyak--------------

Subs: Ward, Sweeney, S. Kelly, Kuhl, Stacey, Cox, Samuel
Assuming Moore and Cooper continue their form from last season then that first team would probably finish mid-table, but that bench is incredibly risky. Akpan and Blackman add experience but don't improve it at all. I've given up on Ferdinand.

I'd prioritise getting rid of Blackman and finding a replacement who could credibly start on the left. We need a pacey striker, particularly if Cox goes. We need an experienced centre back. I'd feel much more comfortable with an experienced goalkeeper.

I don't think four signings is an unrealistic target. That makes the team look like:
New; Gunter, Hector, new, Obita; McCleary, Williams, Karacan, new; Pogrebnyak, new.
Subs: Moore, Cooper, Kelly, Norwood, HRK, Tanner/Stacey, Samuel

I have no issues with that bench or the seven known starters. At risk of speaking the obvious, the quality of the transfers in is crucial.

[Nameless]

If you want a Reading first XI filled with Under 21 players next season then you also want us to be playing League 1 football in 2016/17.

I think the concept that players who have come through our u21 side make up a substantial part of our first team squad next season is pretty spot on. As SCIAG says, just 3 or 4 new players coming in with the likes of Stacey, Kuhl, Cooper, Tanner, Fosu et al being more involved and we're comfortably mid table.

[Ascotexgunner]

Playoffs at least for us. We will be better organised and SC must know we need a striker badly. Find a decent striker and we will start seeing the dividends.