The Over-reaction Thread

[Barry the bird boggler]

Well I thought we were poor going forward, there seemed to be plenty of space for us to do things but not much in the way of invention or penetration.

At the back we made problems for ourselves and Hahnemann's kicking was as bad as ever.

On the upside Golborne looks quality and with a bit more experience could be making life difficult for Shorey.

Fae looked to have some nice touches about him but seemed to tire quickly and also is not a really a right winger.

We had what you would call 8 first teamers out and were obviously knackered following the start we've had plus the pointless internationals everyone had in midweek.

Overall the performance was disappointing and we can only get better. Kitson will be available for the next game so perhaps our kicking it down the pitch from the keeper will make a little more sense than it did yesterday.

By the way that lat and high lunge by the Bolton left back in the 2nd half why was that only a ticking off from the ref while it was a red card for Kitson?

[2.8 lita injection]

What? a bit like Leeds did you mean? great idea

I thought this was a tongue in cheek fred???

You try to say something stupid and people reply.

[Royal Lady]

This is what happens when you don't bring players in, sorry to say.

And what happens when you DO bring in loads of new players?

Oh yes, you just might start the season like Sunderland, Spurs, M'Boro, Bolton, Fulham, Man Utd and Derby. (Refer below to see where those clubs, each of whom spent considerably more than Reading did on loads of new players, are in the current table.)

1 Chelsea 4 3 1 0 7 4 +3 10
2 Manchester City 4 3 0 1 4 1 +3 9
3 Wigan Athletic 4 2 1 1 6 3 +3 7
4 Liverpool 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 7
5 Arsenal 3 2 1 0 4 2 +2 7
6 Everton 3 2 0 1 5 3 +2 6
7 Portsmouth 4 1 2 1 6 5 +1 5
8 Newcastle United 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 4
9 Blackburn Rovers 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 4
10 Aston Villa 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
11 Birmingham City 4 1 1 2 6 7 -1 4
12 West Ham United 3 1 1 1 2 3 -1 4
13 Reading 4 1 1 2 2 5 -3 4
14 Sunderland 4 1 1 2 3 7 -4 4
15 Tottenham Hotspur 3 1 0 2 5 4 +1 3
16 Middlesbrough 3 1 0 2 3 4 -1 3
17 Bolton Wanderers 4 1 0 3 6 8 -2 3
18 Fulham 4 1 0 3 5 7 -2 3
19 Manchester United 3 0 2 1 1 2 -1 2
20 Derby County 4 0 1 3 3 9 -6 1

When I made the point of bringing in new players - I did not mean that we should be spending £80 million to get them here. £5-10 million on a couple of quality players who would enhance our team right now would do it for me. It's not like we haven't got the money.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

With Fae in the middle and a new right winger (I'd prefer a consistently fit Little but it ain't gonna happen) we will look a lot more creative. Hopefully Fae will pick the ball up and take it forward, something that Harps, although apparently being held back by Sid, has shown he doesn't do. Fae bringing the ball forward, Harpers doing what he does well and spreading sideways passes, Hunts tempo, really quality from the right and the strikers WILL start scoring again, we have to have faith in them.

[PEARCEY]

It is worth pointing out this was the first poor performance this season and victory next week against Wet Sham will put us into the top half of the table so no need to panic.....personally I still think Seol can do a job on the right wing but right back and another striker is where we could perhaps strengthen as Murts wont play a full season with his niggling injuries and much as I like De La Cruz he is not a viable long term prospect in that position. I remain unconvinced that Kitson/Long/Cox are sufficient back up to Doyle and Lita although in fairness when Kitson and Long have played they have not had and missed stacks of chances.
We did brilliantly last season on goals scored against chances created. Goals may be harder to find this season and finding that player between now and the end of the transfer window who can score a goal of out of nothing is going to be difficult.
We do not have a paper thin squad and surely could offload the likes of Stack, Sodje and Halls so that we can strenthen elsewhere. I still reckon we will be fine and will avoid a relegation struggle

[papereyes]

I am now prepared for a long dark winter of the soul?

[RoyalBlue]

Agree with RL.

We need to take a long hard look at our wage structure and pay decent wages or we'll carry on failing to attract good players and losing our best ones.

Decent wages? Sorry but that term when applied to the obscenity that is Premiership footballers' pay really is a joke.

I'm very pleased to be associated with a club that appears to want to buck the trend. If that means we get relegated then sobeit. Somebody's got to make a stand some time.

And out of interest the obscene prices that supporters have to pay? No doubt it will be pointed out that the freeze in season ticket prices was 'the stand' on that one. However, there were other clubs making somewhat more of a stand.

The price supporters have to pay (not just for tickets) was to 'enable us to compete effectively at the top level' yet it would appear we are not too keen to compete in some areas.

Sadly RFC is not big enough to buck the trend on its own and eventually Championship wages are likely to lead to Championship football unless Sir Steve can perpetually work miracles and cope with every hand that fate deals him.

[Avon Royal]

I am now prepared for a long dark winter of the soul?

Is that a question or a statement?

[papereyes]

Both. Until its observed.

[shadesrwrf]

Agree with RL.

We need to take a long hard look at our wage structure and pay decent wages or we'll carry on failing to attract good players and losing our best ones.

Decent wages? Sorry but that term when applied to the obscenity that is Premiership footballers' pay really is a joke.

I'm very pleased to be associated with a club that appears to want to buck the trend. If that means we get relegated then sobeit. Somebody's got to make a stand some time.

And out of interest the obscene prices that supporters have to pay? No doubt it will be pointed out that the freeze in season ticket prices was 'the stand' on that one. However, there were other clubs making somewhat more of a stand.

The price supporters have to pay (not just for tickets) was to 'enable us to compete effectively at the top level' yet it would appear we are not too keen to compete in some areas.

Sadly RFC is not big enough to buck the trend on its own and eventually Championship wages are likely to lead to Championship football unless Sir Steve can perpetually work miracles and cope with every hand that fate deals him.

And it's this very situation that will turn more and more traditional fans away from football. The guy who cleans my office was a regular at Elm Park, he can't afford to see the team he once held dear play any more. When the bubble bursts, and it will, RFC can't count on him or the likes of him coming rushing back.

To be honest I'm not really naive enough to believe Tory-boy Madejski is making a stand against spiraling wages or ticket prices. He's doing what he thinks will make him the most money. Can't blame him for that I guess, it's a free world.

[Bacon Double Cheese]

Well I thought we were poor going forward, there seemed to be plenty of space for us to do things but not much in the way of invention or penetration.

At the back we made problems for ourselves and Hahnemann's kicking was as bad as ever.

On the upside Golborne looks quality and with a bit more experience could be making life difficult for Shorey.

Fae looked to have some nice touches about him but seemed to tire quickly and also is not a really a right winger.

We had what you would call 8 first teamers out and were obviously knackered following the start we've had plus the pointless internationals everyone had in midweek.

Overall the performance was disappointing and we can only get better. Kitson will be available for the next game so perhaps our kicking it down the pitch from the keeper will make a little more sense than it did yesterday.

By the way that lat and high lunge by the Bolton left back in the 2nd half why was that only a ticking off from the ref while it was a red card for Kitson?

You've covered most points I wanted to make. Of course Diouf and Anelka had to play well today because this was their last chance to impress potential buyers before the transfer window closes; a point made on MoTD as well. Apparently this was the first time they had bothered this season, unfortunately it was against a severely weakened Reading team. Alan Hanson said that, for Bolton, this was a good time to play Reading. I'm sure he meant that a full strength Reading would have beaten them and I believe that.

Nightmare traffic on M6 going and bad on M42 coming back, nice stadium, friendly people, food and drink ok but slow. Utterly pants result but not worried in the slightest about the season.

[readingbedding]

Well I thought we were poor going forward, there seemed to be plenty of space for us to do things but not much in the way of invention or penetration.

At the back we made problems for ourselves and Hahnemann's kicking was as bad as ever.

On the upside Golborne looks quality and with a bit more experience could be making life difficult for Shorey.

Fae looked to have some nice touches about him but seemed to tire quickly and also is not a really a right winger.

We had what you would call 8 first teamers out and were obviously knackered following the start we've had plus the pointless internationals everyone had in midweek.

Overall the performance was disappointing and we can only get better. Kitson will be available for the next game so perhaps our kicking it down the pitch from the keeper will make a little more sense than it did yesterday.

By the way that lat and high lunge by the Bolton left back in the 2nd half why was that only a ticking off from the ref while it was a red card for Kitson?

You've covered most points I wanted to make. Of course Diouf and Anelka had to play well today because this was their last chance to impress potential buyers before the transfer window closes; a point made on MoTD as well. Apparently this was the first time they had bothered this season, unfortunately it was against a severely weakened Reading team. Alan Hanson said that, for Bolton, this was a good time to play Reading. I'm sure he meant that a full strength Reading would have beaten them and I believe that.

Nightmare traffic on M6 going and bad on M42 coming back, nice stadium, friendly people, food and drink ok but slow. Utterly pants result but not worried in the slightest about the season.

Ditto...

Bad day at the office, it happens, it's football.

I love reading the same doom and gloom slags that post once we suffer a defeat.
Their comments are really intelligent and we all love reading their insightful and perceptive posts, they are great
Even when they don't go to matches and they feel that their insightful and perceptive opinion holds any relevance whatsoever.
That is also great.

[Arch]

Very significant statistic: this is the first time since before the first game last season that we've been within a point of the relegation zone.

We're doomed, I tell ye, doomed!

[Coppelled Streets]

That is all well and good and to be admired, but what happens if Murts retires at the end of the season, Seol leaves, Lita and Shorey leave at the end of their contracts, Ingi retires in a couple of years.... how do we entice other players of Premiership quality to the club?

Are you asking what do we do if someone who rarely pulls their weight leaves and someone who spends an increasingly large amount of time injured retires, and 3 people leave in 2 years time?

Wow, what a worst case scenario that one is.

No. I'm asking how you can build brick on brick when in all eventuality, we could end up losing a lot of players in one go, either at the end of the season or within the next two years. Please don't patronise me.

How will we replace them? Much the same as we did Sidwell I imagine.

Some would say we actually haven't replaced Sidwell yet. Anyone still think Gunnar is better than Sids?

Gunnar is a very good 30 minute player. I wouldn't be starting with him however. But then Cisse and Fae are yet to give Coppell any reason to do otherwise.

[cmonurz]

Threads on the team board are becoming as polarised as politics discussions on AE.

As soon as someone mentions spending some money, some pillock jumps in with 'like Leeds?'

No-one is advocating bankrupting this club, but £10-15m in transfer fees (for example) is not going to do that, and may secure us the quality we need to compete this season.

Just to pick up the point about attracting players to this club - the Times had salary bills for the Premiership teams last season. We were 20th out of 20, at £10m for the year (albeit estimated). Wigan were 19th, paying £20m in salaries.

That is a vast difference, even allowing for a poor estimate on behalf of th survey, and WILL affect our ability to bring players to the club.

[floyd__streete]

Threads on the team board are becoming as polarised as politics discussions on AE.

As soon as someone mentions spending some money, some pillock jumps in with 'like Leeds?'

No-one is advocating bankrupting this club, but £10-15m in transfer fees (for example) is not going to do that, and may secure us the quality we need to compete this season.

You go careful talking sense there, cmonurz, lest the HNA thought police will ask you to come along quietly.

[Ian Royal]

That is all well and good and to be admired, but what happens if Murts retires at the end of the season, Seol leaves, Lita and Shorey leave at the end of their contracts, Ingi retires in a couple of years.... how do we entice other players of Premiership quality to the club?

Are you asking what do we do if someone who rarely pulls their weight leaves and someone who spends an increasingly large amount of time injured retires, and 3 people leave in 2 years time?

Wow, what a worst case scenario that one is.

No. I'm asking how you can build brick on brick when in all eventuality, we could end up losing a lot of players in one go, either at the end of the season or within the next two years. Please don't patronise me.

How will we replace them? Much the same as we did Sidwell I imagine.

Some would say we actually haven't replaced Sidwell yet. Anyone still think Gunnar is better than Sids?

So bringing in two central midfielders isn't re placeing him?

[Ian Royal]

Threads on the team board are becoming as polarised as politics discussions on AE.

As soon as someone mentions spending some money, some pillock jumps in with 'like Leeds?'

No-one is advocating bankrupting this club, but £10-15m in transfer fees (for example) is not going to do that, and may secure us the quality we need to compete this season.

Just to pick up the point about attracting players to this club - the Times had salary bills for the Premiership teams last season. We were 20th out of 20, at £10m for the year (albeit estimated). Wigan were 19th, paying £20m in salaries.

That is a vast difference, even allowing for a poor estimate on behalf of th survey, and WILL affect our ability to bring players to the club.

No £10-15m wopuldn't cause us a problem on its own, but when you factor in the wages... £25k/week minimum for players bought for £3m plus and the fact that you have to pay £5m for crap players with a bit of experience, I'd much rather we kept spending lower on less proved players with potential and keep the clubs finances ticking over nicely in the black.

[cmonurz]

As I say above re wages - it appears we pay considerably less than any other Premiership team, which will only be damaging to our survival in this division in the long-term.

If we don't want to pay anyone £25,000 per week then we might as well pack up and go knocking at the football league's door.

I fully accept that investment does not guarantee success, but this club will lose a hell of a lot of support if it is relegated without making proper investment in the team.

[Ian Royal]

As I say above re wages - it appears we pay considerably less than any other Premiership team, which will only be damaging to our survival in this division in the long-term.

If we don't want to pay anyone £25,000 per week then we might as well pack up and go knocking at the football league's door.

I fully accept that investment does not guarantee success, but this club will lose a hell of a lot of support if it is relegated without making proper investment in the team.

I think the problem is we don't want to pay lots of people £25k/week. and rightly so. There should be a wage cap per player, and per club.

No player should be able to earn more than £50k/week (and that is unbelievably excessive) No team should be able to spend more than ~60% of its income on player wages.