New manager Brendan Rodgers *confirmed*

[Great Knolly]

Maybe that was why Marcus had to go. You can't really accommodate 2 bald people with strange goatees at the same club. They would have felt self-conscious

[West Stand Man]

Are you another plastic fan

And given that stupid question i further suspect that your infantile view isn't worth considering. Added to my ignore list.

[swansea jack]

I wouldn't be upset if Boothroyd joined as he is a good tactician. But I'm not sure I want his style of football.

McGhee wouldn't be bad either and Martinez could also be a possibility, although with Martinez I'm worried that he might go and sign crap Segunda and Tercera division players out of Spain who he thinks can play in the English Premier League and soon find out that they are not good enough for the Championship either.

I hope all Martinez's Spanish signings are as bad as Rangel, Gomez & Bauza. While were at it, I hope all his signings are as bad as the Spanish kids, Bodde, Gower et al who were signed for the princely sum of virtually bugger all but were part of the team that completely tore your ex-Premiership posers apart at home. I'm more than happy for you to stay 'worried' and leave Martinez alone.

Twit.

[I was there at Elm Park]

I wouldn't be upset if Boothroyd joined as he is a good tactician. But I'm not sure I want his style of football.

McGhee wouldn't be bad either and Martinez could also be a possibility, although with Martinez I'm worried that he might go and sign crap Segunda and Tercera division players out of Spain who he thinks can play in the English Premier League and soon find out that they are not good enough for the Championship either.

I hope all Martinez's Spanish signings are as bad as Rangel, Gomez & Bauza. While were at it, I hope all his signings are as bad as the Spanish kids, Bodde, Gower et al who were signed for the princely sum of virtually bugger all but were part of the team that completely tore your ex-Premiership posers apart at home. I'm more than happy for you to stay 'worried' and leave Martinez alone.

Twit.

Unfortunately for you most of us feel the same about Martinez as you and would love to have him at Reading. Luckily for you I can never see it happen because as much as I hate to admit it, it would be a sideways move for him.

[Plymouth_Royal]

I wouldn't be upset if Boothroyd joined as he is a good tactician. But I'm not sure I want his style of football.

McGhee wouldn't be bad either and Martinez could also be a possibility, although with Martinez I'm worried that he might go and sign crap Segunda and Tercera division players out of Spain who he thinks can play in the English Premier League and soon find out that they are not good enough for the Championship either.

I hope all Martinez's Spanish signings are as bad as Rangel, Gomez & Bauza. While were at it, I hope all his signings are as bad as the Spanish kids, Bodde, Gower et al who were signed for the princely sum of virtually bugger all but were part of the team that completely tore your ex-Premiership posers apart at home. I'm more than happy for you to stay 'worried' and leave Martinez alone.

Twit.

those spanish kids have done really well from what i've seen and im pretty sure the were signed from former la liga teams and B teams. no need to call him a twit though!!
but saying that i still wouldnt want martinez. Martinez wouldnt know anything about the way we're run or our crop of youngsters. And from what i've read on the OS, madjeski is looking for a manager that would fit right in and use our younger players as well as have a budget for necessary players.

[Thaumagurist*]

You could probably reasonably expect to see us fork out maybe £1m - £1.5m each on two players (of course this is dependent on us wanting players at that price and not finding what we want elsewhere, or refusing to pay over the odds if they aren't wort it). Or £2m - £2.5m on one player and a few bargains adding up to no more than about £750k

SERIOUSLY - You're in a world of your own mate!! Not a fecking chance we would spend money like that.

Seriously, you are a moron.

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

I wouldn't be upset if Boothroyd joined as he is a good tactician. But I'm not sure I want his style of football.

McGhee wouldn't be bad either and Martinez could also be a possibility, although with Martinez I'm worried that he might go and sign crap Segunda and Tercera division players out of Spain who he thinks can play in the English Premier League and soon find out that they are not good enough for the Championship either.

I hope all Martinez's Spanish signings are as bad as Rangel, Gomez & Bauza. While were at it, I hope all his signings are as bad as the Spanish kids, Bodde, Gower et al who were signed for the princely sum of virtually bugger all but were part of the team that completely tore your ex-Premiership posers apart at home. I'm more than happy for you to stay 'worried' and leave Martinez alone.

Twit.

those spanish kids have done really well from what i've seen and im pretty sure the were signed from former la liga teams and B teams. no need to call him a twit though!!
but saying that i still wouldnt want martinez. Martinez wouldnt know anything about the way we're run or our crop of youngsters. And from what i've read on the OS, madjeski is looking for a manager that would fit right in and use our younger players as well as have a budget for necessary players.

and thats all well and good as long as he accepts that the two year timescale he has put on getting back to the premiership, so that he can sell to the infamous "deep pockets millionaire" wont happen - next season the division is going to be far tougher than this seasons, and IF we are to go into it with a weaker squad, then mid table should be his expectation ..he cant have his cake and eat it

[winchester_royal]

The only reason that BR's odds are fading ATM is because no-one in their right mind would have backed him at 1/3, and those who are in the know would have put their money on a lot earlier.

All the noises out of both clubs would indicate that Rodgers has already agreed to join, and now they're just trying to agree compensation.

[swansea jack]

I wouldn't be upset if Boothroyd joined as he is a good tactician. But I'm not sure I want his style of football.

McGhee wouldn't be bad either and Martinez could also be a possibility, although with Martinez I'm worried that he might go and sign crap Segunda and Tercera division players out of Spain who he thinks can play in the English Premier League and soon find out that they are not good enough for the Championship either.

I hope all Martinez's Spanish signings are as bad as Rangel, Gomez & Bauza. While were at it, I hope all his signings are as bad as the Spanish kids, Bodde, Gower et al who were signed for the princely sum of virtually bugger all but were part of the team that completely tore your ex-Premiership posers apart at home. I'm more than happy for you to stay 'worried' and leave Martinez alone.

Twit.

those spanish kids have done really well from what i've seen and im pretty sure the were signed from former la liga teams and B teams. no need to call him a twit though!!
but saying that i still wouldnt want martinez. Martinez wouldnt know anything about the way we're run or our crop of youngsters. And from what i've read on the OS, madjeski is looking for a manager that would fit right in and use our younger players as well as have a budget for necessary players.

As mentioned all over the board, there's only one person that fits that description who also comes with a glowing Portuguese reference.

My concern with Curbs, whilst an excellent manager, would be that he would move if offered a higher profile role after a season or two of success.

[Sun Tzu]

As mentioned all over the board, there's only one person that fits that description who also comes with a glowing Portuguese reference.
.

There are at least two who fit the description, although only one had a love in with Jose !!

[loyalroyal4life]

Hmmm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cambridge_utd/8055111.stm

Cambridge accept Brabin approach

Brabin guided Cambridge to the Blue Square Premier play-off final
Cambridge United chairman George Rolls has confirmed that the club have given manager Gary Brabin permission to enter talks with a Football League club.

The U's lost 2-0 to Torquay in Sunday's Blue Square Premier play-off final.

Rolls told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: "We've had an approach from a club much higher than us. I felt it was right to give him permission to speak to them."

Brabin, a former Blackpool midfielder, has been linked with the vacant manager's post at Bloomfield Road.

Brabin has enjoyed a hugely impressive first season at the Abbey following his arrival from Southport last summer.

"Hopefully Gary will show some loyalty to us. We gave him a job when he'd only been in football for five or six games," he said.

"We gave him a huge budget last year, more money than Jimmy Quinn the year before. I just hope he stays around and tries to build again for next year."

Brabin spent big on his way to guiding the U's to the play-off final for the second successive season.

Scott Rendell, Lee Phillips, Andy Parkinson and Phil Bolland are just some of the big names players to have arrived at the club over the past year.

"We've got to run the club as a business and become solvent, we can't have people putting their hands in their pockets every five minutes to bail us out.

"We've got to act as a business and act sensibly. There will be cuts, but we can still push for the play-offs again."

Rolls could not confirm whether or not Brabin would take assistant player-manager Paul Carden with him should he decide to move on, but expects the situation to be resolved within the next few days.

Manager on the cheap, the traditional Reading way? Perhaps Rendell filled him in on our setup?

Or Ferguson on his way from Posh, Babin to take over at Posh?

Blackpool perhaps.

He is off to BLACKPOOL

[Top Flight]

I wouldn't be upset if Boothroyd joined as he is a good tactician. But I'm not sure I want his style of football.

McGhee wouldn't be bad either and Martinez could also be a possibility, although with Martinez I'm worried that he might go and sign crap Segunda and Tercera division players out of Spain who he thinks can play in the English Premier League and soon find out that they are not good enough for the Championship either.

I hope all Martinez's Spanish signings are as bad as Rangel, Gomez & Bauza. While were at it, I hope all his signings are as bad as the Spanish kids, Bodde, Gower et al who were signed for the princely sum of virtually bugger all but were part of the team that completely tore your ex-Premiership posers apart at home. I'm more than happy for you to stay 'worried' and leave Martinez alone.

Twit.

Well those great players that you are talking about only managed to get you an 8th placed finish. Thats not much use if you are gunning for promotion.
This coming season is a critical season in Martinez career really. If we took him now as our manager its a massive gamble because he hasn't yet proven that he can achieve anything useful yet.
If he is able to progress Swansea again this year and move them into the play-offs then thats more proof that he may be a good manager.

[Im Spartacus]

I'd also be happy with a return for Pardew.

McGhee wouldn't be bad either.

Bloody hell you're a forgive and forget type aren't you. I wouldn't want either of those treacherous b@stards anywhere near our club.

Not that I hold a grudge or anything

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

I wouldn't be upset if Boothroyd joined as he is a good tactician. But I'm not sure I want his style of football.

McGhee wouldn't be bad either and Martinez could also be a possibility, although with Martinez I'm worried that he might go and sign crap Segunda and Tercera division players out of Spain who he thinks can play in the English Premier League and soon find out that they are not good enough for the Championship either.

I hope all Martinez's Spanish signings are as bad as Rangel, Gomez & Bauza. While were at it, I hope all his signings are as bad as the Spanish kids, Bodde, Gower et al who were signed for the princely sum of virtually bugger all but were part of the team that completely tore your ex-Premiership posers apart at home. I'm more than happy for you to stay 'worried' and leave Martinez alone.

Twit.

Well those great players that you are talking about only managed to get you an 8th placed finish. Thats not much use if you are gunning for promotion.
This coming season is a critical season in Martinez career really. If we took him now as our manager its a massive gamble because he hasn't yet proven that he can achieve anything useful yet.
If he is able to progress Swansea again this year and move them into the play-offs then thats more proof that he may be a good manager.

Swansea in some ways reminded me of when McGhee was in charge at Reading with the effective and pleasing on the eye football. They have had an impressive season (though id like to point out that when we got to the championship following promotion twice we made the playoffs) but much like the crop of decent players we had in 93/94 and 94/95 they were off pretty soon after and i can see the same thing happening with Swansea's main players. Anyway i digress, Martinez is clearly a manager with promise but i just cant see that he is on our radar because we know his mind set is to manage in the prem.

[Thaumagurist*]

I'd also be happy with a return for Pardew.

McGhee wouldn't be bad either.

Bloody hell you're a forgive and forget type aren't you. I wouldn't want either of those treacherous b@stards anywhere near our club.

Not that I hold a grudge or anything

'greed, say no to traitors.

[Darren Caskey's Dietician]

So, I bumped into Pardew (I say bumped into, what I mean is saw him in Woking, and walked over) and outright asked if he has been contacted. His answer was simply "I wouldn't go back, and the chairman wouldn't take me back. It was a great time at Reading, and I enjoy going back from time to time, but I will never return in a working capacity". I asked about Rodgers, and he said he could see Rodgers at Reading, but wouldn't be pushed on if he knew anything more.

[Millsy]

You could probably reasonably expect to see us fork out maybe £1m - £1.5m each on two players (of course this is dependent on us wanting players at that price and not finding what we want elsewhere, or refusing to pay over the odds if they aren't wort it). Or £2m - £2.5m on one player and a few bargains adding up to no more than about £750k

SERIOUSLY - You're in a world of your own mate!! Not a fecking chance we would spend money like that.

Why not?

The argument from this board is that Coppell had millions at his disposal not only for transfers but for wages too but chose not to spend it. I've given up trying to dispute it and having the attitude that you're showing right now because it winds up those who have always had it in for Coppell yet think Madejski is untouchable - and who knows I accept it may even be the truth. In which case... the money is still there and surely Madejski will have the same attitude that he had with Coppell (i.e. here you go mate spend a proportion of the millions we got by going into the Prem) if not moreso because whereas Coppell only needed one or two players we know need half a team if we're serious about a promotion push. What happens now is undoubtedly the litmus test for the whole question of significant transfer AND WAGE funds ever havin been available. I sit back with keen interest to see what develops.

[Millsy]

Still it means Coppell's supposed millions are still there ready to be used.

No, it really doesn't, honestly.

The world was in a different economic position when he didn't spend the money you believe was available, as was the club. Things are different now and whatever surplus funds you believe were never spent will just be used as part of the overall budgeting process for 2009/10 onwards - there isn't a chance in hell that the board will say to the new manager, "Steve didn't spend £10m of what I would have given him in the last 2 seasons, so you've got that for starters.".

I don't believe the money that most people think was available was infact available. Or at least I'm sceptical. In which case what happens with the new manager will end the debate one way or the other. Either Madejski is tight-fisted and has never and will never put a *decent* amount of the Prem/sales millions into strengthening the squad... or actually he always meant to in which case he will now too. Yes the world is in a different economic situation, granted. But firstly that hasn't affected football wages/transfer fees/attendances anywhere near as much as should make a difference yet and secondly our squad situation is also grossly different i.e. there's a MUCH bigger need for players now compared to the one or two needed in Coppell's time. There is now no excuse for Madejski not to spend quite big.

[Millsy]

Just praise your lucky stars we are not owned by an icelandic company..like West Ham.. who are now being taken over by some mysterious banking entity, who will no doubt be seriously reluctant to spend any money, and will not accept any yearly deficits.

Would love to see the most despicable club in English football go bust. Yes please.

[Thaumagurist*]

So, I bumped into Pardew (I say bumped into, what I mean is saw him in Woking, and walked over) and outright asked if he has been contacted. His answer was simply "I wouldn't go back, and the chairman wouldn't take me back. It was a great time at Reading, and I enjoy going back from time to time, but I will never return in a working capacity". I asked about Rodgers, and he said he could see Rodgers at Reading, but wouldn't be pushed on if he knew anything more.

Thank God for that.