KitsonistaAlan Partridge SImple fact is, people will watch a succesful team, bottom line. How did teams like Forest become 'big clubs'? Because when Clough went there, they were 2nd or 3rd division and anything but a 'big club'. He brought success there, they won things, people went to see the best team with the best players. THen they pass it down and your fanbase grows.
Not going to repeat myself but if Reading (who have never been a big club) are to join the likes of Spurs or Villa in terms of 'size' they've got to be succesful. They've got to win domestic cups, get better every season, established PRem side that is NEVER going to go down, a team that is going to fight the top 6 or 7 every season. This is where i'm a broken record again, it's got to be done with investment in the playing staff. They are the guys that bring the success. Not a big half empty stadium or hot air from board room executives.
Reading have had success over the last 5-6 years, they've invested large sums of money for the divisions they were in, they've got promotions and now they are fighting against teams far richer and far more powerful than them. This is a whole new world for the club and importantly for JM, a world that he wants no part of!! I don't blame him, the numbers are frightening. In all fairness if the ambition is to challenge these top clubs then it needs a seriously wealthy person to put the clout in and make the changes. Madejski feels he's done as much as he can and has put in as much as he wants to put in no one is gonna begrudge him moving aside now after 18 years.
Hopefully for the interest of everyone he can find that billionaire (and that's what it needs to be) to take Reading FC to 'the next step'.
Spot on, but it's Chicken and Egg, If we invest millions on new players and still go down, that's money wasted. Mr M always needs to see a bottom line with no if's and buts. Football, and Prem Football especially isn't like that. I think for the first time in a long time he's not sure. He got over the hurdles into the big league, but suddenly 15 years experience doesn't amount to anything. That's why he's looking for a buyer, someone with the balls to make big time decisions. Notice that he said it would need a Billionare to take it to the next stage.
He knows that to get the fan base and therefore income up we need to stay in the prem, his best bet is therefore to let SC pick up one or two players who at the least will keep us up and therefore add to the funds in the coffers and keep the rest banked against the future.
Big, big decisions for the big man. If he gets it right he's an imortal, get it wrong and he's tomorrows chip paper.
Yep agree with that. Got to trust your manager to spend big but spend wisely and then you NEED results. It's a poison chalice really, a game of roulette but one that you HAVE to play if you want the progression that the board are suggesting. Players from Brentford aint gonna get it done anymore!