CONFIMRED

[MartinRdg]

Surely the point is that Couhig has one of Dai’s ball in a vice-like grip (and the EFL are holding the other one a bit more gingerly), so now Dai is just going to have to take Couhig’s offer, or lose everything?
.

This is what I don't get. If it were anyone else it would make perfect sense. But Dai has HUGE issues, and Reading are just a tiny part of it. I had always thought that if the club were to completely collapse, Dai would barely even care.

What's the incentive for Dai to sell? Isn't the money generated just a tiny sum of what he needs and barely registers. He has 32 legal orders or proceedings against him in a single province of China.

Maybe he can squirrel the money away somewhere offshore if he needs to go into hiding (although some would say he's already in hiding!)

[katweslowski]

I can't believe some fans comments on Twitter. It astounds me that some are saying stuff like "I'd rather it wasn't Couhig", or similarly negative things. As another poster said, I don't think Couhig has done much wrong at all. The club was for sale - he tried to buy it and was royally screwed about, causing him to lose out financially.

He was entitled to challenge it and even then Dai was screwing him about.

Not only this but he's a credible businessman, with no dark shadows, no skeletons, he's a "real" person that will probably go to games, talk to the staff, not just STOP wages, or tax bills, and NOT disappear for a year.

As we head towards oblivion, I can't believe some fans are being picky.

[rabidbee]

Surely the point is that Couhig has one of Dai’s ball in a vice-like grip (and the EFL are holding the other one a bit more gingerly), so now Dai is just going to have to take Couhig’s offer, or lose everything?
.

This is what I don't get. If it were anyone else it would make perfect sense. But Dai has HUGE issues, and Reading are just a tiny part of it. I had always thought that if the club were to completely collapse, Dai would barely even care.

What's the incentive for Dai to sell? Isn't the money generated just a tiny sum of what he needs and barely registers. He has 32 legal orders or proceedings against him in a single province of China.

Well yes, and I think that that has been the crux of the EFL's ineffectiveness. They have said themselves they've never had to deal with a situation like this, where an owner is uninterested or unable to support a club but unwilling to sell up either.

[Royal Rother]

I can't believe some fans comments on Twitter.

I can, it's football fans on Twitter, who, on the whole, are just about as low as you can go on the intelligence scale.

[rabidbee]

On the academy issue, Joe Jacobson was certainly really positive about the value of the academy at Reading when he was interviewed by Dellor. No idea whether Jacobson would be involved now, but he was obviously privy to Couhig's thinking last summer.

If it were me (ha!), assuming Reading don't go up this year, and if I could bear the costs personally, I'd say give the academy one more year, see whether we can build on this year to win promotion (target automatic?) next season, and if we don't go up after that one year, then maybe look to ways to scale back on the costs whilst keeping as much of the benefits of a good academy as we can to go forward with. The academy is such an important part of the current value of the club, I think you have to try to keep it. And the track record this season shows it has earned it's value.

[Hound]

If this is Couhig and he takes over, then to me it pretty much validates everything he has said and I’m all for it

[Greatwesternline]

On the academy issue, Joe Jacobson was certainly really positive about the value of the academy at Reading when he was interviewed by Dellor. No idea whether Jacobson would be involved now, but he was obviously privy to Couhig's thinking last summer.

If it were me (ha!), assuming Reading don't go up this year, and if I could bear the costs personally, I'd say give the academy one more year, see whether we can build on this year to win promotion (target automatic?) next season, and if we don't go up after that one year, then maybe look to ways to scale back on the costs whilst keeping as much of the benefits of a good academy as we can to go forward with. The academy is such an important part of the current value of the club, I think you have to try to keep it. And the track record this season shows it has earned it's value.

I know its football and therefore common sense doesn't come into it, but in a normal world, in the position we are in, Reading and Wycombe could split the costs of the academy and training ground and both use it as a facility, enrichening both clubs.

[WestYorksRoyal]

If it's done next week, does Lincoln get a 20k+ attendance?

[windermereROYAL]

If it's done next week, does Lincoln get a 20k+ attendance?

No but the turtle does.

[RG30]

If it's done next week, does Lincoln get a 20k+ attendance?

Heavily odds on the answer is no.

[windermereROYAL]

So the latest exclusivity finished within the last week, but we`re already in advanced negotiations with the next potential buyer, surely there can`t be any debate now that it`s Couhig.

[Esteban]

On the academy issue, Joe Jacobson was certainly really positive about the value of the academy at Reading when he was interviewed by Dellor. No idea whether Jacobson would be involved now, but he was obviously privy to Couhig's thinking last summer.

If it were me (ha!), assuming Reading don't go up this year, and if I could bear the costs personally, I'd say give the academy one more year, see whether we can build on this year to win promotion (target automatic?) next season, and if we don't go up after that one year, then maybe look to ways to scale back on the costs whilst keeping as much of the benefits of a good academy as we can to go forward with. The academy is such an important part of the current value of the club, I think you have to try to keep it. And the track record this season shows it has earned it's value.

The academy is an interesting conundrum for me. Given we sold (or in one case swapped) the best young talent we had over the past couple of years, and the U21s are having a poor season, I wonder if we'll see any academy players break into the first team in the next season or 2.

The counter argument is that the U18s are having a fairly good season and there might be a few in there that make the step up. So is it worth giving pro contracts to the handful of very good prospects we have and down grading the academy immediately (which is probably a cheaper option overall), or keep it going at Cat 1 level for a while longer?

All totally moot points until a takeover is confirmed and in any case, we may not have a choice given the financial commitment a cat 1 academy requires.

[MouldyRoyal]

On the academy issue, Joe Jacobson was certainly really positive about the value of the academy at Reading when he was interviewed by Dellor. No idea whether Jacobson would be involved now, but he was obviously privy to Couhig's thinking last summer.

If it were me (ha!), assuming Reading don't go up this year, and if I could bear the costs personally, I'd say give the academy one more year, see whether we can build on this year to win promotion (target automatic?) next season, and if we don't go up after that one year, then maybe look to ways to scale back on the costs whilst keeping as much of the benefits of a good academy as we can to go forward with. The academy is such an important part of the current value of the club, I think you have to try to keep it. And the track record this season shows it has earned it's value.

The academy is an interesting conundrum for me. Given we sold (or in one case swapped) the best young talent we had over the past couple of years, and the U21s are having a poor season, I wonder if we'll see any academy players break into the first team in the next season or 2.

The counter argument is that the U18s are having a fairly good season and there might be a few in there that make the step up. So is it worth giving pro contracts to the handful of very good prospects we have and down grading the academy immediately (which is probably a cheaper option overall), or keep it going at Cat 1 level for a while longer?

All totally moot points until a takeover is confirmed and in any case, we may not have a choice given the financial commitment a cat 1 academy requires.

TBF to the U21s, all their best players are in the 1st team squad now. Even Bindon was acquired and expected to be an U21 player.

[Whore Jackie]

On the academy issue, Joe Jacobson was certainly really positive about the value of the academy at Reading when he was interviewed by Dellor. No idea whether Jacobson would be involved now, but he was obviously privy to Couhig's thinking last summer.

If it were me (ha!), assuming Reading don't go up this year, and if I could bear the costs personally, I'd say give the academy one more year, see whether we can build on this year to win promotion (target automatic?) next season, and if we don't go up after that one year, then maybe look to ways to scale back on the costs whilst keeping as much of the benefits of a good academy as we can to go forward with. The academy is such an important part of the current value of the club, I think you have to try to keep it. And the track record this season shows it has earned it's value.

I know its football and therefore common sense doesn't come into it, but in a normal world, in the position we are in, Reading and Wycombe could split the costs of the academy and training ground and both use it as a facility, enrichening both clubs.

Wycombe already have a new training ground. They've taken over the old QPR / Chelsea site near Heathrow and plan to start their own academy.

Far more likely IMHO that he repurposes some of the Bearwood pitches so they're suitable for American Football etc. Be a good base for US teams that come over for the White Hart Lane and/or Wembley matches, especially with the bedrooms etc that Bearwood already has.

Interesting* point about Jacobsen. No idea what he's up to now, but we know he was based at Bearwood for a few months last spring/summer once exclusivity switched to Redwood. That should have given him a good insight into the Academy operations.

[WestYorksRoyal]

On the academy issue, Joe Jacobson was certainly really positive about the value of the academy at Reading when he was interviewed by Dellor. No idea whether Jacobson would be involved now, but he was obviously privy to Couhig's thinking last summer.

If it were me (ha!), assuming Reading don't go up this year, and if I could bear the costs personally, I'd say give the academy one more year, see whether we can build on this year to win promotion (target automatic?) next season, and if we don't go up after that one year, then maybe look to ways to scale back on the costs whilst keeping as much of the benefits of a good academy as we can to go forward with. The academy is such an important part of the current value of the club, I think you have to try to keep it. And the track record this season shows it has earned it's value.

You get bolters. Nobody had heard of Garcia 12 months ago.


The academy is an interesting conundrum for me. Given we sold (or in one case swapped) the best young talent we had over the past couple of years, and the U21s are having a poor season, I wonder if we'll see any academy players break into the first team in the next season or 2.

The counter argument is that the U18s are having a fairly good season and there might be a few in there that make the step up. So is it worth giving pro contracts to the handful of very good prospects we have and down grading the academy immediately (which is probably a cheaper option overall), or keep it going at Cat 1 level for a while longer?

All totally moot points until a takeover is confirmed and in any case, we may not have a choice given the financial commitment a cat 1 academy requires.

You get bolters. Nobody had heard of Garcia a year ago, and we also have Clarke and Ryan coming back from injuries who look good enough.

I think equally important is a load of options who can step up from being fringe to important, in L1 at least. Abrefa and Dorsett need to stay fit and then they can become good players. Stickland looks like he has the potential required; Kanu and Holzman maybe not as ready.

If Abrefa, Dorsett and Stickland can become regular starters, then maybe some other kids can become fringe players. And I haven't mentioned the Camara conundrum.

[MartinRdg]

On the academy issue, Joe Jacobson was certainly really positive about the value of the academy at Reading when he was interviewed by Dellor. No idea whether Jacobson would be involved now, but he was obviously privy to Couhig's thinking last summer.

If it were me (ha!), assuming Reading don't go up this year, and if I could bear the costs personally, I'd say give the academy one more year, see whether we can build on this year to win promotion (target automatic?) next season, and if we don't go up after that one year, then maybe look to ways to scale back on the costs whilst keeping as much of the benefits of a good academy as we can to go forward with. The academy is such an important part of the current value of the club, I think you have to try to keep it. And the track record this season shows it has earned it's value.

The academy is an interesting conundrum for me. Given we sold (or in one case swapped) the best young talent we had over the past couple of years, and the U21s are having a poor season, I wonder if we'll see any academy players break into the first team in the next season or 2.

The counter argument is that the U18s are having a fairly good season and there might be a few in there that make the step up. So is it worth giving pro contracts to the handful of very good prospects we have and down grading the academy immediately (which is probably a cheaper option overall), or keep it going at Cat 1 level for a while longer?

All totally moot points until a takeover is confirmed and in any case, we may not have a choice given the financial commitment a cat 1 academy requires.

I am presuming the U21s are doing badly because they have lost their talent to the first team so, next year, maybe the U18s would step up to the U21s and we would need some free senior transfers for the first team as we have probably exhausted the potential for getting U21s into the first team.

[leon]

Gents - far be it from me to incur the wrath of Brogue ( ) but what is the actual news - if any?

Is it that Platek has dropped out and Couhig is talking up buying the club? Is there any evidence that this is proceeding?

[MouldyRoyal]

Gents - far be it from me to incur the wrath of Brogue ( ) but what is the actual news - if any?

Is it that Platek has dropped out and Couhig is talking up buying the club? Is there any evidence that this is proceeding?

We know for certain that the Exclusivity announced in March has failed and the club is discussing with a new bidder. We are assuming that Platek has dropped out and that the only likely potential buyer is Couhig given the securities he holds.

[Mr Angry]

The new prospective buyer HAS to be Couhig, and if it is him, that's great news IMHO.

This is a guy who has had experience in running a League 1 team (and one locally to us) and knows what needs to be done, and has demonstrated that he has cojones of steel to get what he wants, communicates with the fans and the media and is highly unlikely to spunk £Millions on chasing the dream.

Whilst anyone - literally anyone - would be better than Dai, Couhig is a much better bet for us than many other potential owners.

If he does end up buying us, all Dai would have done would be to have wasted this whole season with his ridiculous games, a season which, with a bit more backing (such as not losing Smith or even Selles) could have seen us battling for an automatic promotion spot.

FFS Dai, just do the deal and never, ever have anything to do with Reading FC, or football in general, ever again.

[Winston Biscuit]

Until we see Couhig back on his laptop in the Turtle, i won't believe it