Has anyone else noticed...

[Ian Royal]

All I can do is shake my head at this comment unfortunately :

"We will have a problem at left back, I'll be the first to admit that. Any possible purchases in that department over this summer have not materialised, partly because I'm a little fussy and partly because I was thinking Nicky might stay. Now we know he'll go, we have to be busy and get an alternative.
I'd hope to do something for the weekend, but it's not guaranteed. In the short term I have faith in Hunt or whoever plays."

No shit sherlock

You don't just pluck a starting left back out of the air. If he's hopefull of getting someone by Sunday he must have got targets lined up and already have made several feelers. No way a bid would be put together, accepted and terms discussed with a player in 3 days.

Personally I think we'll have a new left back for Plymouth. Hunt'll do for Forest.

[Southbank Old Boy]

All I can do is shake my head at this comment unfortunately :

"We will have a problem at left back, I'll be the first to admit that. Any possible purchases in that department over this summer have not materialised, partly because I'm a little fussy and partly because I was thinking Nicky might stay. Now we know he'll go, we have to be busy and get an alternative.
I'd hope to do something for the weekend, but it's not guaranteed. In the short term I have faith in Hunt or whoever plays."

No shit sherlock

You don't just pluck a starting left back out of the air. If he's hopefull of getting someone by Sunday he must have got targets lined up and already have made several feelers. No way a bid would be put together, accepted and terms discussed with a player in 3 days.

Personally I think we'll have a new left back for Plymouth. Hunt'll do for Forest.

Out of the air?

We've known Shorey wanted to leave 12 months ago. If we don't have a very good idea of the players we want to bring in then the whole lot of them deserve to be sacked

[Ian Royal]

All I can do is shake my head at this comment unfortunately :

"We will have a problem at left back, I'll be the first to admit that. Any possible purchases in that department over this summer have not materialised, partly because I'm a little fussy and partly because I was thinking Nicky might stay. Now we know he'll go, we have to be busy and get an alternative.
I'd hope to do something for the weekend, but it's not guaranteed. In the short term I have faith in Hunt or whoever plays."

No shit sherlock

You don't just pluck a starting left back out of the air. If he's hopefull of getting someone by Sunday he must have got targets lined up and already have made several feelers. No way a bid would be put together, accepted and terms discussed with a player in 3 days.

Personally I think we'll have a new left back for Plymouth. Hunt'll do for Forest.

Out of the air?

We've known Shorey wanted to leave 12 months ago. If we don't have a very good idea of the players we want to bring in then the whole lot of them deserve to be sacked

Well there seemed to be plenty on here willing to believe we had no targets. I'm just saying that if Coppell is hopeful of having someone in by sunday, then clearly we do, and they probably arn't just players we've had our eyes on, rather we've been more proactive than that.

[Huntley & Palmer]

All I can do is shake my head at this comment unfortunately :

"We will have a problem at left back, I'll be the first to admit that. Any possible purchases in that department over this summer have not materialised, partly because I'm a little fussy and partly because I was thinking Nicky might stay. Now we know he'll go, we have to be busy and get an alternative.
I'd hope to do something for the weekend, but it's not guaranteed. In the short term I have faith in Hunt or whoever plays."

No shit sherlock

You don't just pluck a starting left back out of the air. If he's hopefull of getting someone by Sunday he must have got targets lined up and already have made several feelers. No way a bid would be put together, accepted and terms discussed with a player in 3 days.

Personally I think we'll have a new left back for Plymouth. Hunt'll do for Forest.

You are right, you look into one over a course of time and then bid for him. The fact that Coppell has been willing to wait 12 months and indeed until three days before the season starts before FINALLY admitting that Shorey is going worries me. He seems to dither over big decisions and has chosen some very strange directions when he has made a decision (not replacing Sidwell, not replacing Little when he was injured, not willing to disturb the status quo when players ego's and attitudes were in question). We are starting the season with no dedicated fit left back and will force someone to play out of position in an attempt to make do. I assume that Golbourne will push for a starting place when fit and that a new replacement will be automatic first choice, which is great but surely we have put ourselves in a position where finding someone at the right price with clubs knowing we are desperate is not the best? Clubs will know we are cash rich post Kitson and Shorey sales and prices go up. A bid could be put together, accepted and terms discussed in the space of a day. How do you think deadline deals between clubs are done?

My main worry is that we will not find someone good enough by the deadline, Coppell thinks "well Hunty can do a job there and Golbourne will be back soon"

[Ian Royal]

Just because Fae was shit and a tosser doesn't mean Sidwell wasn't replaced. It didn't work. Scouting at fault.

We then got Marek so again, at what point was Sidwell not replaced? His replacements didn't have a big enough immediate impact, but very very few players do.

As for you're worries. Chill dude. If we don't buy a left back before deadline day I'll buy your drinks at the next game we're both at.

[papereyes]

He wasn't replaced though. They made an attempt (or more than one) and it didn't work.

I don't care whose fault it was: manager, scout, player, but I do know it is the club's responsibility to move on and try again.

[Woodcote Royal]

Whatever my views on Sidwell, I totally share H & P's concerns over the Shorey saga.

Why was Coppell still hoping last week that Shorey would stay

Why did he want to keep a talented player whose performances dipped alarmingly from the moment a big bid came in for him and decided he wanted to leave?

Coppell says he's fussy about who he signs but seems to have no problem picking his favourites week afer weeks even when it's been painfiully clear for months on end that they've been playing sh*t simply because they don't want to be here.

I hope the quality in the Championship will be as dire as some suggest because everything I'm seeing from Coppell right now smacks of the same approach that drove us to relegation.

If the Chairman was prepared to spend £2m? on a new press centre I'm stuggling to point the finger at anyone other than Steve Coppell for all the millions piling up in the bank that's not being spent on the squad, even after it's been officially earmarked for that purpose.

[Wycombe Royal]

Why was Coppell still hoping last week that Shorey would stay

I'm surprised that you seem to have taken his comment out of context.

[Woodcote Royal]

What I'm saying is that Shorey has wanted to leave for a year, and played like cr@p as a result, and any self respecting manager would have been lining up a replacement who wants play for this club months ago.......................he said he was still hoping Shorey might stay.........................that's pretty clear isn't it?

[readingbedding]

Happens lots of times in football.
Wouldn't worry about it.

[Wycombe Royal]

What I'm saying is that Shorey has wanted to leave for a year, and played like cr@p as a result, and any self respecting manager would have been lining up a replacement who wants play for this club months ago.......................he said he was still hoping Shorey might stay.........................that's pretty clear isn't it?

1) They have been lining up replacements
2) He wasn't making his comment "literally". He was saying his thoughts out loud that he like Shorey to stay, not the Shorey we have seen for the past year, but the Shorey from two seasons ago. He was basically hoping that SHorey would get a bang on the head and say that he wanted to stay and sign a new contract.

Coppell isn't stupid, but as for those who took him at his word......

[brendywendy]

Ive never seen such a bunch of drama queens on high horses spouting righteous indignation since.......erm.....
Kitson left?

Coppel has targets.one will be bought.maybe by sunday.if that doesnt happen or if it does he wont be able to start that game.

Hth.

[Woodcote Royal]

What I'm saying is that Shorey has wanted to leave for a year, and played like cr@p as a result, and any self respecting manager would have been lining up a replacement who wants play for this club months ago.......................he said he was still hoping Shorey might stay.........................that's pretty clear isn't it?

1) They have been lining up replacements
2) He wasn't making his comment "literally". He was saying his thoughts out loud that he like Shorey to stay, not the Shorey we have seen for the past year, but the Shorey from two seasons ago. He was basically hoping that SHorey would get a bang on the head and say that he wanted to stay and sign a new contract.

Coppell isn't stupid, but as for those who took him at his word......

He said he hadn't signed a replacement partly because he was fussy and partly because he still hoped that Shorey might stay.

He previously said he didn't want to spend large amounts of money on a replacement until Shorey actually left.

From where I'm sitting, that's 2 seperate quotes in which he's suggested he wanted Shorey to stay and where he expresseed reluctance to replace him......................all this regarding a player who couln't have made it more clear, on or off the pitch, that he wanted to leave.

With all the money Coppell has available to him, he should have bought another left back months ago regardless of whether Shorey stayed or not.

[readingbedding]

Nevermind, he didn't.
Not much you could have done back then, or now.

[Woodcote Royal]

Ive never seen such a bunch of drama queens on high horses spouting righteous indignation since.......erm.....
Kitson left?

Coppel has targets.one will be bought.maybe by sunday.if that doesnt happen or if it does he wont be able to start that game.

Hth.

It only helps to confirm that some of our fans are happy to accept any cr@p that their clubs offer them.

If wanting to replace a player, our only specialist in this position with any league experience to talk of, with someone who wants to play for us makes me a drama queen then I'm guilty

This should have been sorted months ago and Shorey should have been dropped for some of his dire performances last season.

[Royal Lady]

Sad fact is there isn't exactly a load of players beating a path to little ol' Reading's door. You can't sign someone if they don't want to come here.

[rfc58]

Sad fact is there isn't exactly a load of players beating a path to little ol' Reading's door. You can't sign someone if they don't want to come here.

But you can make the club more attractive.

Sorry, but I can't buy into that, although I know what you mean.

Lets look at likkle ol Reading Football Club.

We cruised to the last CCC we played in, smashing all records by playing the style of football most players would want to be part of.

We finished eight in our first season in the PL, with virtually all pundits creaming themselves over the way we play etc.

The reason, or one of the main reasons we struggle to get players here is the wage structure.

We come across as a small time club, whilst i accept we are no Everton, I cannot believe "like for like" we can't compete with Fulham.Wigan etc etc, the reason they are in the PL, and we are not, is they are prepared to buy/invest in quality.

Old saying in life, you get what you pay for.

[Royal Lady]

Well, that's the point - we don't have the same wage structure, investment projection that other clubs have - therefore, a lot of players won't entertain the idea of playing for us - however good we may be on the pitch.

[SpaceCruiser]

Sad fact is there isn't exactly a load of players beating a path to little ol' Reading's door. You can't sign someone if they don't want to come here.

That is true, the only ones who might be interested in coming here are those from a division below us....

[Royalee]

Well, that's the point - we don't have the same wage structure, investment projection that other clubs have - therefore, a lot of players won't entertain the idea of playing for us - however good we may be on the pitch.

For the millionth time, if we weren't able to attract the players Coppell wanted, do you honestly think he'd still be in the job? Surely he'd have slated Madejski as it would've been his fault we went down?