RFC's wage structure

[Scarface]

We should try and keep the wage structure as it is, but obviously increase it slowly over time as we become more established and increase the ground capacity.

However if next year we're in the bottom 3, fans on here will no doubt be demanding we sign better players.

[Huntley & Palmer]

We don't sign names, we make them.

Les Ferdinand, Martin Keown, Ray Houghton

Dave Kitson, Kevin Doyle, Stephen Hunt, Marcus Hahnemann, Nicky Shorey, Graham Murty

Your 2 short term contracts and one has been trumped by a whole number of players who have come from nowhere to the top of their profession with us......

I would hardly say top of their profession, they have performed well enough at lower levels to be deserving of a chance in the Premiership. Certainly in the case of Shorey, Kitson & Doyle. I would not count Hahnemann as he was around way before we were on the scene and played at a higher level and Murty cost a small fortune at the time when we signed him from York.

Hahnemann was about to quit the game and was struggling to get a game for Fulham reserves. He's played less than 10 games for a firstteam in this country when we signed him and he's come a long, long way.
Murts cost a lot when he moved but had no profile, had a very suspect attitude and was still a lower division player. He's become an International, a Premiership captain, the successor to Parky as the fans hero and a reputation as one of the more articulate and level headed players around.
I think both have transformed themselves at Reading !!

But they haven't come from nowhere have they? He's club captain so it's hardly a surprise Murty is a Premiership captain. He's not the successor to Parky in my eyes, I don't think anyone could ever be.

[Behindu]

Well of course, none of them come from nowhere, Shorey was a very well thought of reserve for Orient, Doyle won the Irish Player of the Year for his efforts at ROI champions Cork.

Not sure where you are going with your line of discussion !!

[Wycombe Royal]

But they haven't come from nowhere have they?

Fulham Reserves and York City.

I'll leave everyone else to make up their mind whether in the wide world of football that constitutes "nowhere".

[Dirk Gently]

So are we suddenly praising Tommy Burns for his signing of Murts?

[Wycombe Royal]

So are we suddenly praising Tommy Burns for his signing of Murts?

...and Forster.

[Behindu]

Has anyone criticised Burns for signing Murts ?

There was a lot of fruustration when Murts was better known as Sicknote, but he was always a good signing IMHO....

[Dirk Gently]

Indeed - but I thought this thread was all about SC's ability to pick up good players for next to nothing.

So he can't really get the credit for Murts. Or Nicky Shorey, come to think of it.

[Behindu]

'We don;t sign name players, we make them' is the relevant bit i think Dirk.

Talking about the club, rather than Coppell specifically, although Coppell has done it here and at other clubs so seems a pretty good bet to continue the trend !

[southbank1871]

'We don;t sign name players, we make them' is the relevant bit i think Dirk.

Talking about the club, rather than Coppell specifically, although Coppell has done it here and at other clubs so seems a pretty good bet to continue the trend !

In fairness though, in relative terms, we have signed 'name' players in the past. Goater, Caskey, Asaba, Evers(!), Forster, Butler to name a few were actually pretty big signings considering our status at the time.

[Stranded]

'We don;t sign name players, we make them' is the relevant bit i think Dirk.

Talking about the club, rather than Coppell specifically, although Coppell has done it here and at other clubs so seems a pretty good bet to continue the trend !

In fairness though, in relative terms, we have signed 'name' players in the past. Goater, Caskey, Asaba, Evers(!), Forster, Butler to name a few were actually pretty big signings considering our status at the time.

You could probably throw Cureton into that list as well.

[Behindu]

Surely only Goater of that lot were anything approaching a 'name'.

Some had a bit of a lower league reputation but none were top level players, none were internationals (or even close). To be fair only Fozzie and possibly Butler, maybe Caskey enhanced their reputationwith us.

[southbank1871]

Surely only Goater of that lot were anything approaching a 'name'.

Some had a bit of a lower league reputation but none were top level players, none were internationals (or even close). To be fair only Fozzie and possibly Butler, maybe Caskey enhanced their reputationwith us.

Relatively speaking they were quite big signings and 'names' in the leagues we were in though. When we were in the old second division, we were one of the bigger teams and I'd guess spent considerably more than most other teams.

[readingbedding]

Surely only Goater of that lot were anything approaching a 'name'.

Some had a bit of a lower league reputation but none were top level players, none were internationals (or even close). To be fair only Fozzie and possibly Butler, maybe Caskey enhanced their reputationwith us.

Caskey?

If he was half the player he should have been, we wouldn't have got a sniff of him.

A central midfielder, Caskey started his career as a trainee at Tottenham Hotspur, but failed to make the grade. He went on to have notable spells at Reading and Notts County.

[Huntley & Palmer]

But they haven't come from nowhere have they?

Fulham Reserves and York City.

I'll leave everyone else to make up their mind whether in the wide world of football that constitutes "nowhere".

How much was Murty? £700k or something, I'd say that means he was hardly a nobody if Mr Burns convinced Mr Mad to cough for him. Likewise, Hahnemann was taken on loan by us as he was a Fulham player, which meant he was part of a team that were above us.

BehindU - Shorey was not a well thought of player at Leyton Orient, Adam Lockwood was the left back that everyone had their eyes on but Pardew obviously saw a little more in him

[biscuitsrus]

All depends on your point of view. Yes to attract players who are at their peak (or on the wrong side of it) you are going to half to pay a hell of a lot more than we seem to do.

Our policy however, is to find players on their way up who are good already and will only get better over the course of their career at Reading. These are the players that we will not have problems attracting.

I should also point out that the views of Mr Murphy on this are tainted simply by the fact that one of the reasons he apparently left Charlton was because his missus wanted to get invited to more film premieres and Charlton players didn't get invites.

The problem attracting hungry players will not be a problem in itself, the actual problem will be keeping them.

I was told (source not available) that we had the 2nd lowest waqe bill in the prem, the lowest being Watford.

[readingbedding]

But they haven't come from nowhere have they?

Fulham Reserves and York City.

I'll leave everyone else to make up their mind whether in the wide world of football that constitutes "nowhere".

How much was Murty? £700k or something, I'd say that means he was hardly a nobody if Mr Burns convinced Mr Mad to cough for him. Likewise, Hahnemann was taken on loan by us as he was a Fulham player, which meant he was part of a team that were above us.

BehindU - Shorey was not a well thought of player at Leyton Orient, Adam Lockwood was the left back that everyone had their eyes on but Pardew obviously saw a little more in him

I would say that these players are testiment to the fact that with hard work, committment and no lack of skill you can reach the Premiership.
I'm not saying this because it's Reading, but we are a great example of a club that has let the team mature and grow and improve into an extremely tough side to beat.

They know each other inside and out.

[Behindu]

How much was Murty? £700k or something, I'd say that means he was hardly a nobody if Mr Burns convinced Mr Mad to cough for him. Likewise, Hahnemann was taken on loan by us as he was a Fulham player, which meant he was part of a team that were above us.

BehindU - Shorey was not a well thought of player at Leyton Orient, Adam Lockwood was the left back that everyone had their eyes on but Pardew obviously saw a little more in him

Shorey was rated, had certainly heard him mentioned as a good prospect although agree that Lockwood was the one thought most likely to.

Sadly H&P I don;t think you are going to concede that Hahnemann has made his name whilst with us then it's a pointless exercise. As I have said, Hahnemann was about to quit the game due to lack of any prgres at Fulham, wasn;t guaranteed a game for their reserves and had done nothing before we signed him. Compare that to over 200 games as first choice keeper in a very good side, international gaps and awards and it's just unsupportable to argue he hasn;t proggressed massively !!!

[2.8 lita injection]

Reading are still in the process of building the club and it would be wrong to start paying silly wages until the club has proven itself over a few seasons in the premiership.

I still think their are loads of potential superstars lurking in the foreign leagues who would love to be on £10k-£25k.

Danny Murphy just shows that English players are overpaid.

[International Royal]

No one really whinges about what players are paid when they're winning. Players will get the market (and above because it's football) rate, that's a reality.

The Reading model is fine as it is. If anything it should move more to performance related pay (if it isn't already). If you're successful you benefit, if not you don't. How can an average player like Murphy get 40K a week is incredible when he's not even a first team regular.