Back from the game , Swansea home,

[Royalee]

Why didn't he sign them then? Because nothing changed in terms of players out to finance those two buys.

Rodgers decided that Tabb at right back was good enough for CCC football, then he spent money on Cummings before going back to Tabb. He tried playing a season without a decent right back. He also thought Alex Pearce was 'the new John Terry' and made him captain.

It wasn't coincidence that as soon as Heston bought in 2 experienced proven defenders results picked up. If Rodgers had done that he may have turned things around.

LOL @ he made the club £7million. More a case of said players wanting out and the club moving them on. Whoever was in charge would have been forced into those moves. Rodgers had money to spend here, much more than a lot of CCC clubs.

We could barely afford Thorvaldsson when Rodgers was here, McDermott was then given budgets to bring in two Premiership players on top wages, clearly something did change. Also, I wouldn't call minus £10 million on a team which whimpered out of the playoffs 3 months before plenty of money to spend. Any manager who could have sold the amount of players we did, bring in youngsters, gel a team and get them playing decent football in the time Rodgers had should be managing Real Madrid. McDermott's job was a lot easier as he knew he had a short time frame just to play it safe, so he did just that with short term signings and mixing the ball up playing hoofball. Anyone honestly think we're in a better position for the long term than we were when Rodgers left needs to take another look.

[facaldaqui]

We could barely afford Thorvaldsson when Rodgers was here, McDermott was then given budgets to bring in two Premiership players on top wages, clearly something did change. Also, I wouldn't call minus £10 million on a team which whimpered out of the playoffs 3 months before plenty of money to spend. Any manager who could have sold the amount of players we did, bring in youngsters, gel a team and get them playing decent football in the time Rodgers had should be managing Real Madrid. McDermott's job was a lot easier as he knew he had a short time frame just to play it safe, so he did just that with short term signings and mixing the ball up playing hoofball. Anyone honestly think we're in a better position for the long term than we were when Rodgers left needs to take another look.

I don't see how McDermott's job was easier. He was on a hiding to nothing: an unknown backroom boy who'd've got the chop soon enough if he'd failed.

[Royalee]

We could barely afford Thorvaldsson when Rodgers was here, McDermott was then given budgets to bring in two Premiership players on top wages, clearly something did change. Also, I wouldn't call minus £10 million on a team which whimpered out of the playoffs 3 months before plenty of money to spend. Any manager who could have sold the amount of players we did, bring in youngsters, gel a team and get them playing decent football in the time Rodgers had should be managing Real Madrid. McDermott's job was a lot easier as he knew he had a short time frame just to play it safe, so he did just that with short term signings and mixing the ball up playing hoofball. Anyone honestly think we're in a better position for the long term than we were when Rodgers left needs to take another look.

I don't see how McDermott's job was easier. He was on a hiding to nothing: an unknown backroom boy who'd've got the chop soon enough if he'd failed.

Knew what his target was, knew the time frame, knew the finances at his disposal, had time to watch the players closehand before taking over in competitive games, low expectations, youngsters already brought into the team like Sigurdsson, Church, etc, signings like McAnuff and Bertrand in place, no immediate need to sell several top players - much easier.

[facaldaqui]

We could barely afford Thorvaldsson when Rodgers was here, McDermott was then given budgets to bring in two Premiership players on top wages, clearly something did change. Also, I wouldn't call minus £10 million on a team which whimpered out of the playoffs 3 months before plenty of money to spend. Any manager who could have sold the amount of players we did, bring in youngsters, gel a team and get them playing decent football in the time Rodgers had should be managing Real Madrid. McDermott's job was a lot easier as he knew he had a short time frame just to play it safe, so he did just that with short term signings and mixing the ball up playing hoofball. Anyone honestly think we're in a better position for the long term than we were when Rodgers left needs to take another look.

I don't see how McDermott's job was easier. He was on a hiding to nothing: an unknown backroom boy who'd've got the chop soon enough if he'd failed.

Knew what his target was, knew the time frame, knew the finances at his disposal, had time to watch the players closehand before taking over in competitive games, low expectations, youngsters already brought into the team like Sigurdsson, Church, etc, signings like McAnuff and Bertrand in place, no immediate need to sell several top players - much easier.

I think he's a better manager: for example, he knew what to do at problem right back (Gunnarsson, not Tabb), knew who to play in midfield (Tabb), and who to play at centre back (Mills). We're most certainly in a better position than when Rodgers left, because then it looked like we were going down.

[Royalee]

Again, he'd seen Gunnarsson play there previously and we've still only got a short term solution in Griffin, Mills was clearly brought in independent of Rodgers and I'm still not sure on him.

We're weaker in midfield than when Rodgers left as showed yesterday, weaker at left back, weaker up front and don't pass the ball any more. I wasn't at all worried we were going down when Rodgers was sacked, we were outside the relegation zone, were playing some good stuff and were unlucky not to have won against Peterborough, Leicester, Cardiff and Scunthorpe without even looking at the fixtures so it was hardly all doom and gloom.

I'd much rather have finished a couple of places (and that was all it would've been, not relegation as some people would have you believe) lower last year building towards the future rather than botching it like we have to face the same problems in a year or so when Griffin, Harte and Zurab are past it and Madejski decides he wants to sell Kebe.

[Victor Meldrew]

As both AP and I said earlier this was no Rodgers masterplan it's the Swansea way of playing.
Our way has been to use two wingers who will create chances for the striker(s).
Our problem is that our strikers are not very good and our creativity through central midfield is poor.
Until those two areas are improved we will be no better than a mid-table side.
Also at the moment I think Brian is confused.

Despite fair performances (and good results) v Barnsley and Ipswich I thought the McAnuff experiment didn't really work (remember 2 of our goals v Barnsley were in added time).
Brian also looks to be wanting to justify his own signings and in particular Griff and Harte.
Although I thought Griff generally did o.k. yesterday I thought it was obvious that Harte and HRK should have been replaced at half-time and the best left-back at the club switched to his proper position-we don't need Harte to take corners that never come to anything.

Games now come fast and furious and (despite Radio Berks believing that Tuesday's game will be easy because we are playing the bottom club)I would be happy with a couple of draws and expect Armstrong in at left-back,McAnuff back on the wing and possibly Tabb (who can pass a ball and isn't frantic like Jem)in central midfield.
I also expect Brian to still play with just one up (which one doesn't matter much as long as it isn't Church ) and do, what we now do both home and away,try to hit the opposition on the break.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Plus, where was the noise yesterday?

We got behind the team against Ipswich and Barnsley, yet didn't really get going yesterday.

[facaldaqui]

Again, he'd seen Gunnarsson play there previously and we've still only got a short term solution in Griffin, Mills was clearly brought in independent of Rodgers and I'm still not sure on him.

I'm not aware that we're a club that brings in players independent of the manager. We may have lined up Mills already, but Rodgers must have agreed. Bringing back Mills made a noticeable difference. Pearce has improved since, but he was playing badly under Rodgers.

[brendywendy]

Dyer was too much for Harte, every single time

Harte got rinsed most of the time by Dyer.

I thought everyone on this forum universally agreed that Harte was the best thing since sliced bread, and our very best left back through history, and he's sure to score at least 10 before Christmas?
Anyhow it seems obvious that me voicing any doubts about Harte's pace surely was a mistake on my part, right? It has definately been pointed out in the other thread, repeatedly, by a certain other user.
I did not see the game so I can't say either way, but I would be very interested to hear if anyone has any input on whether or not he was quick enough to keep up???

bit of a difference between people saying he was better than the whingers were saying, and best left back ever, and a bit of a difference between awful, and just having a bit of a tough time against a good winger
but you carry on

[brendywendy]

Despite the BBC claiming 3 attempts on target, I can only remember one genuine such attempt - Jobi's freekick in the first half!

That is completely unacceptable for a home game, as is the tactic of playing poor old Long up front on his own, hoofing the ball forward to him and then not having anyone in position to take advantage of him winning the ball in the air.

If Ego Madejski and his poodle still genuinely believe we do not need a striker, then the lunatics clearly have taken over the Mad House!

As McDermott commented after the game, Rodgers 'spent money on Scott Sinclair who looks a very good player'. Well Brian it's time you started pointing out things like that to your tight-fisted chairman who is still squatting on the very considerable ill-gotten gains from encouraging The Sig to move on.

On final thought: Shorey to Harte - such is the 'progress' under the brilliant financial management of Madjeski and co!

yawn

[brendywendy]

Business as usual for Rodgers - Reading home defeat.

Whatever he does subsequently won't stop him being one of if not the worst Reading manager in history.

Whatever you say Schards, keep telling yourself McDermott's the bald Mourinho as yet another Matt Mills hoof bounces off of long to their centre back.

no one saqid he was the bald mourinho, and you cant argue with the record, no matter how great you thought he was.

i genuinely liked the bloke, and really wanted him to do well. but he really didnt. and he spent alot of money getting there.

[brendywendy]

a witless performance - we lacked creativity and any real sense of urgency. We have got to get (at least) someone who can play up front. why do we play 1 up front at home?

At least we had creativity under Rodgers even if Madejski won't pay for a striker.

we were oxf*rd awful under rodgers. probably the dullest football ive ever seen at reading too.get over yourself.

[brendywendy]

anyway-

dull game yesterday. swansea playing the same toothless passball we played till xmas last year.
they had one lucky break and goal in the first half.
and a ten minute period in the second where we were pushing too hard they had a couple of breaks, hit the bar and should really have trebled their lead..
other than those periods thought we were the better side marginally, but swansea and their new striker looked more clinical, and deserved the win.
i hate to watch the game plyed like that- but they passed it round till we got bored, and hit us once on the break.fair play brendan.

fed. could have done better to get down for the goal, buit made some good saves second half - 7
hrte- rinsed a few times, but did some good stuff - 6
griffin - dealt well with his winger and came forward well 2nd half.but may have played the man on side for the goal, cummings unlucky not to start- 6
mills- pretty awful imo- & pearce was unlucky to be dropped -6
kish. better than mills-7
karacan - ran his heart out - 7
armstrong - not the best game of the comeback - 6
kebe- in and out, looked our most dangerous player, but it just wouldnt come off for him - 7.1
HRK- very quiet. jobi would have had more joy out there - 6
jobi - tried hard, but couldnt create - 6
long- worked hard, held it up, flicked it on, one header where he should have done better but he thought the keeper had it- 7


lol at the reaction on here after a bad result though, and lol at royalee trying to make out rodgers was somehow not to blame for the appalling results he got.

[Royalee]

Despite the BBC claiming 3 attempts on target, I can only remember one genuine such attempt - Jobi's freekick in the first half!

That is completely unacceptable for a home game, as is the tactic of playing poor old Long up front on his own, hoofing the ball forward to him and then not having anyone in position to take advantage of him winning the ball in the air.

If Ego Madejski and his poodle still genuinely believe we do not need a striker, then the lunatics clearly have taken over the Mad House!

As McDermott commented after the game, Rodgers 'spent money on Scott Sinclair who looks a very good player'. Well Brian it's time you started pointing out things like that to your tight-fisted chairman who is still squatting on the very considerable ill-gotten gains from encouraging The Sig to move on.

On final thought: Shorey to Harte - such is the 'progress' under the brilliant financial management of Madjeski and co!

yawn

Great argument, you've really excelled yourself here.

[Royalee]

Business as usual for Rodgers - Reading home defeat.

Whatever he does subsequently won't stop him being one of if not the worst Reading manager in history.

Whatever you say Schards, keep telling yourself McDermott's the bald Mourinho as yet another Matt Mills hoof bounces off of long to their centre back.

no one saqid he was the bald mourinho, and you cant argue with the record, no matter how great you thought he was.

i genuinely liked the bloke, and really wanted him to do well. but he really didnt. and he spent alot of money getting there.

How is a net profit of over £8 million spending a lot? Your maths is shocking.

[Royalee]

a witless performance - we lacked creativity and any real sense of urgency. We have got to get (at least) someone who can play up front. why do we play 1 up front at home?

At least we had creativity under Rodgers even if Madejski won't pay for a striker.

we were oxf*rd awful under rodgers. probably the dullest football ive ever seen at reading too.get over yourself.

You don't understand football if you'd rather a team hoofs the ball and find that exciting rather than a well-measured passing game which is easy on the eye. Swansea carved us open yesterday and should have won 3-0, a lot more exciting than our long ball hoofs up to a striker incapable of scoring a goal from open play.

[brendywendy]

Whatever you say Schards, keep telling yourself McDermott's the bald Mourinho as yet another Matt Mills hoof bounces off of long to their centre back.

no one saqid he was the bald mourinho, and you cant argue with the record, no matter how great you thought he was.

i genuinely liked the bloke, and really wanted him to do well. but he really didnt. and he spent alot of money getting there.

How is a net profit of over £8 million spending a lot? Your maths is shocking.

better than your accounting it seems.

i said what rodgers spent. not what the clubs net profit was.

he spent loads. and still couldnt get us playing.McD was in the job around ten minutes before we managed to start again. the end.

[Royalee]

Net profit in transfers, not as a club - sorry I haven't posted much for a while so I forgot how simple you were and the need to spell everything out in detail.

[brendywendy]

]

At least we had creativity under Rodgers even if Madejski won't pay for a striker.

we were oxf*rd awful under rodgers. probably the dullest football ive ever seen at reading too.get over yourself.

You don't understand football if you'd rather a team hoofs the ball and find that exciting rather than a well-measured passing game which is easy on the eye. Swansea carved us open yesterday and should have won 3-0, a lot more exciting than our long ball hoofs up to a striker incapable of scoring a goal from open play.

id still rather watch good quick wing play, and a team pushing forward, than watch swansea pass it around the back for an hour, and have 3 breaks in a game.
but then tbf i do hate the way arsenal play, cant stand it, and i understand i am in a minority there apparently

[Royalee]

better than your accounting it seems.

i said what rodgers spent. not what the clubs net profit was.

he spent loads. and still couldnt get us playing.McD was in the job around ten minutes before we managed to start again. the end.

Plymouth and Sheffield United were more than five minutes after he took over. You take Sigurdsson out of that team and you get what were are now, a side going nowhere.