Exodus

[floyd__streete]

What sort of message does the Little departure send out to those other members of our squad who might have itchy feet? Let's face it, Little hardly had any impact on either of our two seasons in the Premier League, so will those who contributed so well (in the first season at least) think that:

a) If he can get a move to a Premier League club then so can I.
b) This club can't even keep hold of a 32 year old who has hardly played for the last twelves months.


I am already familiarising myself with the Brentford 2007/08 squad.

[savage 4 england]

Despite getting the most assists for us in 06/07, he had little impact.

[floyd__streete]

Despite getting the most assists for us in 06/07, he had little impact.

More than Shorey? Ok, I bow to your superior knowledge which presumably isn't just a randomly plucked stat from the top of your head.

I think that the point remains that if a 32 year old who has hardly played for the last 12 months can get a move back into the top flight then plenty of our other players will be thinking that they can get away too. Still, we've always got Nicky Hammond's expert negotiating skills to fall back on. Transitional season here we come.

[RoyalBlue]

What sort of message does the Little departure send out to those other members of our squad who might have itchy feet? Let's face it, Little hardly had any impact on either of our two seasons in the Premier League, so will those who contributed so well (in the first season at least) think that:

a) If he can get a move to a Premier League club then so can I.
b) This club can't even keep hold of a 32 year old who has hardly played for the last twelves months.


I am already familiarising myself with the Brentford 2007/08 squad.

Coppell will have to do likewise and that is one of the big problems we face. The last time he pulled off the miracle of putting together a fantastic team for the chairman's peanuts, he had up to date knowledge of players from clubs like Brentford and Brighton, as it hadn't been that long since he had been working on a day to day basis with players from those squads. Having now spent some considerable time with Reading, he no longer has that advantage/knowledge.

[Royalee]

What sort of message does the Little departure send out to those other members of our squad who might have itchy feet? Let's face it, Little hardly had any impact on either of our two seasons in the Premier League, so will those who contributed so well (in the first season at least) think that:

a) If he can get a move to a Premier League club then so can I.
b) This club can't even keep hold of a 32 year old who has hardly played for the last twelves months.


I am already familiarising myself with the Brentford 2007/08 squad.

Coppell will have to do likewise and that is one of the big problems we face. The last time he pulled off the miracle of putting together a fantastic team for the chairman's peanuts, he had up to date knowledge of players from clubs like Brentford and Brighton, as it hadn't been that long since he had been working on a day to day basis with players from those squads. Having now spent some considerable time with Reading, he no longer has that advantage/knowledge.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't any manager have a decent knowledge of players at other clubs - I thought it fell directly under the job description seeing as we're competing with them?

[winchester_royal]

What sort of message does the Little departure send out to those other members of our squad who might have itchy feet? Let's face it, Little hardly had any impact on either of our two seasons in the Premier League, so will those who contributed so well (in the first season at least) think that:

a) If he can get a move to a Premier League club then so can I.
b) This club can't even keep hold of a 32 year old who has hardly played for the last twelves months.


I am already familiarising myself with the Brentford 2007/08 squad.

Coppell will have to do likewise and that is one of the big problems we face. The last time he pulled off the miracle of putting together a fantastic team for the chairman's peanuts, he had up to date knowledge of players from clubs like Brentford and Brighton, as it hadn't been that long since he had been working on a day to day basis with players from those squads. Having now spent some considerable time with Reading, he no longer has that advantage/knowledge.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't any manager have a decent knowledge of players at other clubs - I thought it fell directly under the job description seeing as we're competing with them?

Royalee, often I agree with you, but give it a break.

Coppell is the best manager we have ever had, and the job he did with the amount of money available was astonishing.

And if every manager had knowledge of players at other clubs, then Hunt, Doyle, BK etc...would have been snapped up before we got them

[RoyalBlue]

What sort of message does the Little departure send out to those other members of our squad who might have itchy feet? Let's face it, Little hardly had any impact on either of our two seasons in the Premier League, so will those who contributed so well (in the first season at least) think that:

a) If he can get a move to a Premier League club then so can I.
b) This club can't even keep hold of a 32 year old who has hardly played for the last twelves months.


I am already familiarising myself with the Brentford 2007/08 squad.

Coppell will have to do likewise and that is one of the big problems we face. The last time he pulled off the miracle of putting together a fantastic team for the chairman's peanuts, he had up to date knowledge of players from clubs like Brentford and Brighton, as it hadn't been that long since he had been working on a day to day basis with players from those squads. Having now spent some considerable time with Reading, he no longer has that advantage/knowledge.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't any manager have a decent knowledge of players at other clubs - I thought it fell directly under the job description seeing as we're competing with them?

Even if he spent every spare minute watching other clubs, he couldn't possibly build up the same level of knowledge that a manager gets from working day in and day out with the players in question.

[Roger the Rabbit]

Does Little's move send out any message at all ?
Did anyone think none of our players would leave ? And if they did think that then they were pretty naive, if the did then what's th ebig shock now ?
It would be amazing if any player did a U turn based on Little leaving and marched into Coppell's office and demanded a move. Players open to leaving will still be that, players happy to stay will remain happy.
Our fans seem able to generate the most amazing over reaction to just about any situation !!

[Roger the Rabbit]

Even if he spent every spare minute watching other clubs, he couldn't possibly build up the same level of knowledge that a manager gets from working day in and day out with the players in question.

I'm sure Coppell would be very wary of signing players he had worked with previously based on the level of critcism he's had from certain posters for only ever signing players he had worked with previously.

[Royalee]

Every manager has knowledge of some decent players available, or they should.

Yes, Coppell did superbly during one transfer window in the summer of 2005. HOWEVER, he has also wasted money on rubbish since and the majority of his signings whilst at the club have been poor.

As for him being the best manager the club has ever had, that remains in doubt given that the likes of McGhee and Pardew both left the club in higher divisions than when they took over and had less resources at their disposal when they managed the club than Coppell.

As far as him having a lack of money to work with, I find it trully astonishing that people continue to critcise the board when given Coppell's strong position a year ago through the previous two seasons, he still didn't say anything in the press about not having enough money to spend and has PUBLICLY TIME AND TIME AGAIN applauded our chairman and the level of backing he gives him. Again, forgive me if I'm being naive, but does that not indicate that the funds are there in place to do his job, as surely all of the fans would have jumped straight on Coppell's side in terms of signings if he had spoken up, just like they did even after he failed? What would Coppell have to gain from keeping quiet about not having funds in place? It would seem to me that he had money available or would have spoken up, making people's assumptions that the board aren't doing enough to secure players frankly laughable.

[Royal With Cheese]

Every manager has knowledge of some decent players available, or they should.

Yes, Coppell did superbly during one transfer window in the summer of 2005. HOWEVER, he has also wasted money on rubbish since and the majority of his signings whilst at the club have been poor.

As for him being the best manager the club has ever had, that remains in doubt given that the likes of McGhee and Pardew both left the club in higher divisions than when they took over and had less resources at their disposal when they managed the club than Coppell.

As far as him having a lack of money to work with, I find it trully astonishing that people continue to critcise the board when given Coppell's strong position a year ago through the previous two seasons, he still didn't say anything in the press about not having enough money to spend and has PUBLICLY TIME AND TIME AGAIN applauded our chairman and the level of backing he gives him. Again, forgive me if I'm being naive, but does that not indicate that the funds are there in place to do his job, as surely all of the fans would have jumped straight on Coppell's side in terms of signings if he had spoken up, just like they did even after he failed? What would Coppell have to gain from keeping quiet about not having funds in place? It would seem to me that he had money available or would have spoken up, making people's assumptions that the board aren't doing enough to secure players frankly laughable.

So, do you like Coppell or not? Stop sitting on the fence Royalee and tell us actually what you think.

[Royal Rother]

Great big LOL at Floyd, Royal Blue, Royalee chatting amongst themselves again.

AP and papereyes must be watching the cricket or something.

[papereyes]

Great big LOL at Floyd, Royal Blue, Royalee chatting amongst themselves again.

AP and papereyes must be watching the cricket or something.

Keeping Reading up on FM 07 actually. Had Hunt and Oster on loan to Leeds all season.

[Royal Rother]

[Royalee]

Great big LOL at Floyd, Royal Blue, Royalee chatting amongst themselves again.

AP and papereyes must be watching the cricket or something.

Keeping Reading up on FM 07 actually. Had Hunt and Oster on loan to Leeds all season.

Did they go down?

[Focher]

great band

[papereyes]

Great big LOL at Floyd, Royal Blue, Royalee chatting amongst themselves again.

AP and papereyes must be watching the cricket or something.

Keeping Reading up on FM 07 actually. Had Hunt and Oster on loan to Leeds all season.

Did they go down?

Leeds? Doing well in the Championship with Hunt and Oster barely performing.

Me? Hmmm, 8 match run without a win (just lost 3-1 to United having been 1 up in the 85th minute)The booing has started, btw.

[Arch]

Movement of the people!

[RoyalBlue]

Great big LOL at Floyd, Royal Blue, Royalee chatting amongst themselves again.

And an even bigger laugh at those who are continuing on from last season, kidding themselves that all is just fine.

Little is likely to be the first of several good (and potentially key) players leaving. Just as happened after the Bolton playoff final, this will make other players on the club's books reconsider their position and, unless the club really does demonstrate that it's serious about an immediate return to the PL, they may well look elsewhere as well.

Furthermore, unless RFC do demonstrate serious intent, potential transfer targets may well think twice about a move to the Mad Stad.

Anyway, who invited Royal Rother into our chat?!

[Royal Rother]

The thing is RB, no football manager in employment today has won promotion to the top flight more times than Coppell, and he has never done it on the back of a large spending spree.

I just don't understand the pessimism - it just doesn't seem logical.

Even if Doyle, Shorey, Lita and Harper all go, there are still plenty of damned good reasons to think that Coppell could achieve it again. We would have money to replace them with better players than they all were when they came to Reading in the first place.

Criticism of Coppell's transfers in during the last 2 years may be justified, but his record at building teams in lower divisions is exceptional so I am confident money will be wisely spent.

Look forward, not backwards. But if you insist on looking backwards then look back further than just last season and give me good reasons why optimism is as misplaced as you guys seem to suggest.