Why don't we just leave it here?

[sucatraps]

For Darius we used to sing:- "He's our Polish international" is it pc or appropriate to use:- "He's our 'Slovakian international" for Marek? or are Czech's insulted to be lumped in with Slovakia?

PC? It's just plain wrong. It'd be like calling Marcus or Convey "Canadian".

But yeah, it's a great song if you want to look like a total moron who can't tell the difference between two countries.

Hey Rev are you feeling a little tense or is it your period?

[SpaceCruiser]

I'm moaning because the club are taking so long to do anything. Yes, end of January (if they do significantly strengthen the squad by then) will be better than nothing but why do we seem to be so slow out of the blocks?

We seem to slow out of the blocks because there could be a few problems with attracting the players.

e.g.

Reading tries to sign player X from a certain club on a certain wage for a million. A number of problems could occur:

1. player X could refuse the wage offered, saying "club Y has offered me X amount, I'm going there". Not a lot Reading can do except break the wage structure.

2. Club X refuses the bid, saying it's too low and Club Y has offered more money. Reading could try and compete, but they could get outbid easily by a bigger club. Therefore Reading would be wasting their time when they could be going for other targets. And we only have a month to do all our transfer dealings, I believe that Coppell has moaned about the system.

3. player X might have accepted the wage, but what about other potential problems like work permit (if he's from a certain country), a fussy wife and Club X wanting to hang onto the player until they've found a replacement.

All of that most probably happens behind the scenes that they at Reading don't tell us everything. Hence why it sometimes fools people like SKDD into thinking they're doing absolutely f**k all.

[RoyalBlue]

You may not be wrong Spacey but they are all problems the club are familiar with (they keep telling us about them enough) and they have to find a solution to them if we are to survive and compete at this level.

At the end of the day, no matter how unpalatable it may be to them, the only solution in many cases might be the expenditure of more money.

[West Stand Flash]

You may not be wrong Spacey but they are all problems the club are familiar with (they keep telling us about them enough) and they have to find a solution to them if we are to survive and compete at this level.

At the end of the day, no matter how unpalatable it may be to them, the only solution in many cases might be the expenditure of more money.

Higher Salaries end of story. Move on to Premierhsip structure Madejski, not a mid-table Championship side.

[SpaceCruiser]

Money isn't the only problem, we've got to sell the club to the player.

[West Stand Flash]

Money isn't the only problem, we've got to sell the club to the player.

Very true, but with footballers of today money talks more than anything else. Whether I, you or anyone else agrees with that its the main factor.
Unless Reading are willing to match other clubs in offering the salaries they are - We wont even have the chance to sell the club.

[Dirk Gently]

All of that most probably happens behind the scenes that they at Reading don't tell us everything. Hence why it sometimes fools people like SKDD into thinking they're doing absolutely f**k all.

That is the critical one - part of the "Reading Way" is that nothing is done in public. SC and the club hate leaks, they hate anything getting out into the press, they hate playing the "Premier League hype, " they despise Sunderland's method of conducting business in public - so generally when something happens no-one knows about it until it's definitely happening.

The club aim to make it look like northing's happening - which is probably why some people think nothing is happening

[Archie's penalty]

All of that most probably happens behind the scenes that they at Reading don't tell us everything. Hence why it sometimes fools people like SKDD into thinking they're doing absolutely f**k all.

That is the critical one - part of the "Reading Way" is that nothing is done in public. SC and the club hate leaks, they hate anything getting out into the press, they hate playing the "Premier League hype, " they despise Sunderland's method of conducting business in public - so generally when something happens no-one knows about it until it's definitely happening.

The club aim to make it look like northing's happening - which is probably why some people think nothing is happening

Exactly and that's how it's been over the last couple of years. It's annoying for the fans as nothing seems to be happening. But this makes it even more prescient that we put our trust in SC and the back room team.

I can understand why people like SKDD and others are frustrated but it's not going to change anything. Let's just hope we do get some players in by the end of the window. I still think this squad is good enough to stay up without going crazy. A couple of clever signings are what we need.

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

s I said yesterday, ther's got to be a mid=point between the extremes of "total shambles" and "no problems."

We're there but the few who are happy to nail their flag to that mast are minimal.

I think that wrong. I think most are in that middle band. Some are suggesting solutions and possibly criticising the club/Coppell for the short comings that have created the problems, but they're still pretty much in the camp of "we can easily pull out of this" and not "we're doomed end the season now" that you seem to be placing everyone.

I guess it somes down to an individuals perspective, and we're quite used to your perspective being that the club can do, and has done, no wrong (that's not meact to place you in with the others in the "smelling of roses" pigeon hole).

Fair enough - I understand why I might be seen that way. I'd personally put myself in the "I know more about how the club is run and who it's run by than most people, and this gives me confidence that they'll be doing everything possible to find a solution instead of fiddling while Rome burns as many seem to suggest is happening."

Do all these people wringing their hands in despair really think that the problems that they've seen and described have really not also been seen by SC and everyone else at the club? Presumably not from many of the posters on here....

So essentially, we've spent the last two days moaning about people being negative or moaning about people being in denial, and now we're moaning about not enough people being in 'The Middle'. I mean, what exactly is it you want Dirk?

FWIW, most people probably are in the middle.

And, really as has been said before, very few are calling for Coppell Out.

[SpaceCruiser]

And, really as has been said before, very few are calling for Coppell Out.

You're right, only twelve people voted in favour of sacking him.

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

And, really as has been said before, very few are calling for Coppell Out.

You're right, only twelve people voted in favour of sacking him.

Its 6% Spacey.

Is it really worth all this near hysteria when only 3 out of every 50 people want Coppell sacked. Is it?

[working class hero]

I don't think we are certs to go down. I do think it is a possibility though. I also feel that the fans have done their bit and paid the cash. The club have NOT done their bit and strengthened as promised. We are in some difficulty. If we do stay up it will be good. If we are relegated that will be fine too - I will support the same club at a lower level. So what?

The PL is NOT the be all and end all of football and in actual fact is pretty predictable and boring [and clubs like us have little to play for apart from survival].

[AF1]

Frankly I find it disgusting that the club all but doubled the prices on the pretence of competing at this level and since that day we have been told we are unable to compete.

Short of a full refund to the STH of this club I for one will no longer support Coppell or Hammond and the sooner the Saudis come in buy Mr Mad out the better.

[Geekins]

All of that most probably happens behind the scenes that they at Reading don't tell us everything. Hence why it sometimes fools people like SKDD into thinking they're doing absolutely f**k all.

That is the critical one - part of the "Reading Way" is that nothing is done in public. SC and the club hate leaks, they hate anything getting out into the press, they hate playing the "Premier League hype, " they despise Sunderland's method of conducting business in public - so generally when something happens no-one knows about it until it's definitely happening.

The club aim to make it look like northing's happening - which is probably why some people think nothing is happening

I remember when Pardew leaked some information about we were trying to sign a West Ham player. Roeder at the time got annoyed with Pardew letting it out publically and i think that put the end of that signing. Maybe its for the best!

[Hoop Blah]

Fair enough - I understand why I might be seen that way. I'd personally put myself in the "I know more about how the club is run and who it's run by than most people, and this gives me confidence that they'll be doing everything possible to find a solution instead of fiddling while Rome burns as many seem to suggest is happening."

Do all these people wringing their hands in despair really think that the problems that they've seen and described have really not also been seen by SC and everyone else at the club? Presumably not from many of the posters on here....

Fair comment, you've got an insight which gives you a different perspective at times.

It does sometimes come accross as though you can't see the short comings of the powers that be though, and the readiness to which you jump to their defence is often quite sychophantic. I'm very pleased with who we have running the club, and very thankful that between them Mr M, Coppel, Hammond and even Howe are running our club and that they have the best interests of the club at heart.

That doesnt stop me from thinking that sometimes I disagree with aspects of what actually happens.

Why do you have so much confidenece we'll sort these problems out?

We needed these players in the summer, but we didn't do anything about it them, with Coppell making the exact same comments now that he did then.

2.5 years and not one signing has improved our team. Is it not fair to question some of these decisons?

Or does it make me less of a fan?

Not sure if thats aimed at me or Dirk, but why do I have confidence they'll sort out these problems? I don't have confidence that they're doing enough to sort this out, or at least being effective enough at it, thats why I've been pretty vocal about the need to sign the type of players that we've mentioned over the last few months.

I'm still pleased that we have the management personel in place that we do because overall they run the club in a way I like. I like the brick by brick approach, I just want some bigger bricks in place now the foundations are as strong as their ever going to be. I like the way we conduct ourselves with dignity and the way we are probably more of a community club than most other Premiership clubs.

I still think we need to pull out our collective fingers and sign 3-4 premiership players and pay the going rate to ensure we don't let them slip through our fingers. If we don't I think we'll be wasting all the hard work over the last few years to get us where we are.

[3 veesinarow]

Frankly I find it disgusting that the club all but doubled the prices on the pretence of competing at this level and since that day we have been told we are unable to compete.

Short of a full refund to the STH of this club I for one will no longer support Coppell or Hammond and the sooner the Saudis come in buy Mr Mad out the better.

Not a totally unvalid point when you consider that a ticket for my old man at Villa was a mere £15...and the return fixture in three weeks time was advertised in the Villa programme as costing £27 for the same OAP age bracket.

Not that I'll be withdrawing my support or wanting my ST refunded ( do you get your cinema money back because you don't like the film?), but the first half of this observation is sound.

[Alan Partridge]

Frankly I find it disgusting that the club all but doubled the prices on the pretence of competing at this level and since that day we have been told we are unable to compete.

Short of a full refund to the STH of this club I for one will no longer support Coppell or Hammond and the sooner the Saudis come in buy Mr Mad out the better.

That is a very valid point tbh and one i'd forgotten about. Still got that letter somewhere, in that time of fleecing £200+ each of 18,000 people we havne't seen that much playing staff investment for the money coming into the club. Still watching the same team from 2 years ago at double the cost.

[brendywendy]

club increases its season ticket prices when going up a league shocker
our wage bill has more than doubled since we went up, by the way
training ground, new players, etc

im very happy paying what we pay-pretty decent value for money


now if i had an away ST id be starting to piss and moan slightly

[Alan Partridge]

:shock: club increases its season ticket prices when going up a league shocker
our wage bill has more than doubled since we went up, by the way
training ground, new players, etc

im very happy paying what we pay-pretty decent value for money


now if i had an away ST id be starting to piss and moan slightly

Did last season, good policy but you need money to burn!!

Of course you are right, things we don't see or hear about have gone up and been improved no doubts. The letter did say for 'Reading to compete at this level we will need to bring players in, so prices are going up' words to that effect.

It's one area they haven't really delivered. £545 is a lot of money to watch this side this season in all honesty!

[Archie's penalty]

:shock: club increases its season ticket prices when going up a league shocker
our wage bill has more than doubled since we went up, by the way
training ground, new players, etc

im very happy paying what we pay-pretty decent value for money


now if i had an away ST id be starting to piss and moan slightly

Did last season, good policy but you need money to burn!!

Of course you are right, things we don't see or hear about have gone up and been improved no doubts. The letter did say for 'Reading to compete at this level we will need to bring players in, so prices are going up' words to that effect.

It's one area they haven't really delivered. £545 is a lot of money to watch this side this season in all honesty!

Didn't realise it was that much. Yes I would indeed be less of an RTG if I was paying that kind of price!