The Over-reaction Thread

[Gordons Cumming]

From my brief knowledge of the Bolton game, it was simply down to the fact we were knackered, had players injured/suspended, and were forced to play a team who are pretty much strangers in that they haven't played together seriously before.

Had our results been

Manure L0-3
Chelsea L1-2
Everton W1-0
Bolton D1-1

we'd all be saying what a solid start we'd made!

We have practically 2 players of at least adequate quality for each position, plus a shed load of Sky money "in the bank" as it were.

It's not quite yet armageddon. (Might be if the Sham put 6 past us on Saturday though! )

Agreed

Coppell knows what he's doing.

It's always the same on HNA after a defeat.

We'll probably lose to Swansea and all hell will break out.

[papereyes]

RR has it right with 'pendulum posters', if you ask me.

or prozac posters.

[PieEater]

And does that wage figure just consider basic wages or is it basic plus bonuses ? If it's just basic then is our wage structure low on basic but good on bonuses ?

I recall Pardew making a big thing about this, the players pay was structured more around performance bonuses on a relatively low basic. He led the way when he signed his new contract, and then moaned when he left that his pay was a pittance.

I also recall his Madj saying that players wages tripled when they got promoted (I think from £4m so it would be £12m)

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

People are so desperate to try and make themselves look clever aren't they?

Where are all these negative comments? We know our wage bill is low, there's no arguing it. We offered Shorey, a full England international 20k a week, which even for a 1st offer is very low.

No one is saying we need to spend, spend, spend. Yes we were tiered and yes I agree with Coppell about friendlies, but fixture pile ups are the reality of the modern game, every club moans about them and you need a squad to deal with them. We could lose 4 players to the African Nations (I can't see Sonks turning down Senegal again, and Cisse looks like he has some African in him too ). An injury to an aging Doobs or Ivar and it's a choice between Pearce and Bennett.

We need to find a way to balance team spirit and harmony, with a squad capable of dealing with injuries and internationals and fixture pile ups. That's what we pay Coppell and Hammond to do and I for one trust them to do it right.

[Cripple Creek]

I have complete faith in Coppell. He is an extremely likeable person and a fantastic manager but I'm sure he is level headed enough not to be offended by an insignificant person like me to at least add my tuppeny tam 'o shanter. Marcus's distribution was pretty bad and pointless to say the least. The game was a bit of a blunder tactically. We weren't at the races but the great thing about supporting Reading under Steve is that you know, never, is a result wasted.
Also, for those of us who supported Reading in the days of the early 80s we really played like Brazil, comparatively, against Bolton.
Personally, I thought Fae looked like a player with heaps to offer. In the cold light of day I remain as optimistic as I have ever felt as a Reading fan of 35 years.

[Huntley & Palmer]

The result didn't surprise me at all, it seems like a carbon copy of last season's game there when we were played off the park for the vast majority of the game but being at the end of the season our fitness outlasted theirs and they made mistakes. Unfortunately it with our injury and fitness issues currently it was always going to be a big ask. No harm in a good tonking away from home to focus the players, much rather it now than in three months time at someone like Citeh away.

Four points was my prediction for our first month of football, and we obtained it. A lacklustre display is always disappointing but isn't it just same old Reading that do well against the bigger teams and then get complacent against someone that had up until now been playing as if they didn't have a clue

[79Royal]

I was quite surprised at Coppell's reaction. I have more respect for Coppell than most manager's in the game, but I always wondered if he was ever really that bothered to be our manager. Whether Reading meant as much to him as other clubs he's managed. But Saturday's defeat looked like it really hurt him and that was oddly reassuring.

[Royal Rother]

the great thing about supporting Reading under Steve is that you know, never, is a result wasted.

Yeah, I like that take on it...

[strap]

I was quite surprised at Coppell's reaction. I have more respect for Coppell than most manager's in the game, but I always wondered if he was ever really that bothered to be our manager. Whether Reading meant as much to him as other clubs he's managed. But Saturday's defeat looked like it really hurt him and that was oddly reassuring.

Good observation. I too have always felt SC never really rates us as club in his affections. Some of his statements in the past about us have been pretty thoughtless at best. However, he's been here nearly 4 years, the second longest stint in his mangerial career. So franky we damn wel should "matter" to him. Plus, he's openly admitted that he gets a pretty much free reign to do as he thinks fit, and has signed a 2 year contract so maybe we are starting to grow on him just a klittle bit?

Have to say though that his comments re. Brighton still irk me. He was only there "pissing time", and yet waxes lyrical as though they were some halycyon days of summer!! Perhaps he will only talk about his Reading days with a degree of wistfulness when he's charting the England team through choppy seas!

[readingbedding]

I was quite surprised at Coppell's reaction. I have more respect for Coppell than most manager's in the game, but I always wondered if he was ever really that bothered to be our manager. Whether Reading meant as much to him as other clubs he's managed. But Saturday's defeat looked like it really hurt him and that was oddly reassuring.

Good observation. I too have always felt SC never really rates us as club in his affections. Some of his statements in the past about us have been pretty thoughtless at best. However, he's been here nearly 4 years, the second longest stint in his mangerial career. So franky we damn wel should "matter" to him. Plus, he's openly admitted that he gets a pretty much free reign to do as he thinks fit, and has signed a 2 year contract so maybe we are starting to grow on him just a klittle bit?

Have to say though that his comments re. Brighton still irk me. He was only there "pissing time", and yet waxes lyrical as though they were some halycyon days of summer!! Perhaps he will only talk about his Reading days with a degree of wistfulness when he's charting the England team through choppy seas!

Of course he will, I think his comments about Brighton may be slightly exaggerated as he probably has a guilty conscience about leaving them.

[Arch]

I think it's the size of the business rather than the club itself that he's maybe less enamoured with. What he goes on about in the early days at Palace as well as at Brighton is a small, tightly-knit group with nothing on their minds but the performance on the pitch. I'm sure the whole professional set-up here can be daunting at times. On the other hand, I believe this is the first time in his career when he's really looked totally like lord of the manor. He's come a long way since he's come to Reading.

Note also his comments about the festival: "I love it when something big like this comes around and Reading becomes the centre of attention." That sounds like someone with an attachment to the town.

[RoyalBlue]

I really hope that those heralding the 'imminent' return of Superman aren't counting chickens prematurely.

As I understand things, he is currently training wrapped in cotton wool with no physical contact allowed. Only when he gets to play in his first physical game will anyone know just how well he has recovered and how well his knee and mind will hold up.

'The cruciate and the knee will never be the same and, even though a player will get back playing professional football again, they may not be the same mentally, in terms of getting into a tackle' - Jon Fearn 'Reading Between The Lines'.

[Behindu]

Fair points RB, and well worth being cautious !

Sonks seems very positive though and his whole rehab seems to have gone well so far (no Kitson type set backs !)

Players do seem to come back better these days as the ops themselves and the recovery process are so much better (or so it seems to a layman).

I'm looking forward to his return, although it's also good that we seem to have coped well without him and there is absolutley no need to press him back into service before he is really ready.

[RG30]

SC never wanted to leave Brighton, Dirk Knight pushed him towards the Reading job with the money compensation being mighty important at the time for Brighton.

I've read this thread with interest over the past day and lots of good issues have been raised. As fans, we've been spoilt for 2 years solid now and even last year, despite getting thumped at home by Arsenal and getting our usual demolition delievered by Pompey at Fratton Park, I didn't feel once concerned.

However Saturday's performance/result was a major surprise and showed the depth of the squad isn't as good as I thought. Bryn and Harper were dominated too easy in midfield, Fae looked good but he wasn't in his natural position and I hold major reservation's about the current form of our strikers.

The lack of games we seem to get out of Murty and Little, especially over the past 12 months when both missed chunks of last season. We may just about get away with the current cover at RB but with Little still missing, I really hope we get cover or someone capable of filling in straight away on the wing.

Everyone knew the first 5 games would be mighty difficult, so 4 points off 4 games is ok but the manner of Saturday still concerns me, and SC's excuse of the International's was weak, every club in the Premiership suffered but it's part of modern way football, which is why every team has squads of 22/23 players capable of doing a job straight away.Saturday showed we may just not be as good compared to other teams.

[savage 4 england]

I've given up hope.

We are as good as relegated. What are the odds at the moment? I might have to make a trip to the bookies tomorrow.

We cannot keep trying to bring players on a championship budget. I don't buy into the all the bollocks about players not wanting to come. Look at Bolton and Wigan FFS.

I wonder where all the money is going at the moment? We'll probably try and spend some in January when it will be too late.

[AbovetheI]

I've given up hope.

We are as good as relegated. What are the odds at the moment? I might have to make a trip to the bookies tomorrow.

We cannot keep trying to bring players on a championship budget. I don't buy into the all the bollocks about players not wanting to come. Look at Bolton and Wigan FFS.

I wonder where all the money is going at the moment? We'll probably try and spend some in January when it will be too late.

Fishing attempt, or an actual over reaction?

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

I think it took Coppell a long time to feel comfortable at the club. Pardew, although I'm sure some will hate to hear it, was the major man behind getting SC to the club. But he must be proud of what he's achieved here.

Interesting article with him in The Times today, standard stuff. But he talked with great pride about winning back to back LMA awards, which lets face it he wouldn't have got with Brighton. Normal stuff bout transfers, we need to strengthen, but need to get the right type of players. Some players will find that they've gone from regulars to subs and it's up to Coppell to deal with that.

Far more alarmingly and I think most are oblivious to it, is that he won't stay when the Chairmen sells. He says he loves it here cause the Chairmen leaves him to it. But that someone who pays £200m for the club, would understandably want to be more involved, something which Coppell says and as we saw at Palace with Jordan, he is very, very uncomfortable with.

[Behindu]

I don;t think Coppell will be alone in considering his position if and when the club is sold...

A change of manager may not be that big a deal if we have a new owner investing millions but the whole nature of the club will change, if peoplet hink we've come a long way a;ready it would be nothing compared to getting a mega rich owner wanting to pour money in (and wanting success...)

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

I prefer it how it is now. It'll be a sad day imo. JM should just take 50% of the TV money every season, Coppell don't need it!

[Behindu]

I prefer it how it is now. It'll be a sad day imo. JM should just take 50% of the TV money every season, Coppell don't need it!

Agreed - people may moan about the club but I am certain that in the future the period between the promotion at Brentford and roughly now will be seen as the absolute golden age of the club.

Who knows what will happen in the future, we may get someone just like JM but a) richer and b) willing to chuck money around but we may get someone with less of a willingness to do things 'right' or someone who just doesn;t make the right decisons / get lucky as often (delete as applicable.)

Savour it while you can is my motto !