The "be realistic" transfer discussion thread

[bcubed]

Yet these are still good days. Make the most of it!

However, since we have arrived in the Premiership, it seems to me the juggernaut's headlights have just got too big even for Mr Mad. The team that was promoted 2 years ago has not had one single significant player added to it. There is not a single player. playing regular Premiership football for RFC that didn't play a significant part in the Championship winning season 2 years ago.
The team of Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Hunt, Harper, Gunnarsson, Convey, Doyle and Kitson virtually picks itself, EVEN NOW. Even the subs would be Lita, Long, Little, Oster and Federic if fit.

Ladies and Gentlemen - THAT is the reason people are alarmed, fed, up, negative, call it what you will. We are not progressing as a team. The signings made in the last 2 years have been, shall we say, puzzleing.



Then there the constant stream of signing 17-19 year olds "for the future", when the Academy graduates we do produce are simply ignored. Cox, Pearce and Henry must wonder what they have to do to get even on the bench. We have had problems at centre-back and right midfield all season, yet Pearce, Cox and Henry have made one sub appearance each in the LC this season and have yet to even make the bench for a league game this season.

Absolutely right - this is the reason people are concerned. (It also must be some sort of record. Has any other promoted team been able to play even half of the side it came up with, over a season later?)

And failure to sign new players aside, the one thing I find inexplicable about Sir Steve's management is his reluctance to blood young players. Has he come a cropper at previous clubs by doing this?

[howser]

As with the "Coppell is letting us down" thread there are many true comments on this one, reading the OS comments from the manager saying we wont panic buy etc........ many comments were made on this site during the summer showing concern about the lack of intiative and signings, of premiership quality and ability, that were being tracked or completed, just the "not ready yet", "take time to get up to speed", or " one for the future" brigade, which have been nay on worthless to our cause this season, we read in the press etc..... about bids for Hunty and Lita for around a combined fee of £10m, if this was so I still, and this really dissappoints me to have to say this, could not see the club making a concerted effort to re-invest the money in new stock, after all if was proving too difficult to attract new talent, after finishing 8th last year, what hope in hell have we got now, being just 2 points above the bottom three. and particulrly competing against clubs who are actively in the market looking to get new blood in.

I was concerned during our first season about the clubs long term ambition, and where it lies, and this has not changed, one of the most popular comments when the holy grail of the premiership was reached was the continual "for the first time in the clubs history" maybe that is what the prescribed remit was for the present owner and managment, and now that has been reached, is there a future plan, I sometimes wonder ??

[Stranded]

Coppell's new interview on Reading World - Same old boring rubbish.

Change your tone Steve FFS..

Why should he? The main factor for the success we've had over the years is the way Coppell doesn't change his tone regardless of the relative success or failure of the team.

[West Stand Flash]

Coppell's new interview on Reading World - Same old boring rubbish.

Change your tone Steve FFS..

Why should he? The main factor for the success we've had over the years is the way Coppell doesn't change his tone regardless of the relative success or failure of the team.

Sorry, I meant change your tone on new signings ECT.

[Cod]

Of course we want the club to progress, but listen to yourselves.

Firstly HNA is NOT the voice of the fans - most of the old school fans I know think the vast majority of the posters on here have no sense of history of the club, are blind to the amazing strides we have made as a club, and burst into tears and demand the head of everyone when we lose a game.

The development of the club is a marathon not a sprint, and the same posters on here over the last few years have bemoaned exactly the same things over the past 5 years - not spending enough money, not having a high profile manager etc - and what has happened? we sell out every week and created the greatest team in our history - teams like Leeds, Wolves, Nott Forest etc would kill to be in our position.

The same posters would say how rubbish Hunt, Sonko are, and how unambitious we have been buying Kitson, Doyle etc for peanuts.

Things are tough at the moment, and some players are playing below par and lacking in confidence...but one thing I know about these lads is that coppell gets amazing improvements from players - dont write offCisse/Fae etc just yet (Like you did with Hunt) and we can dig in and get results against the odds.

To be honest, think about your alternatives - a club without Coppell?! who then? I see no no candidate even close. Will you be shouting for Madjeski's head next? tell you what, lets boo the players.

HNA posters - Turkeys voting for Xmas.

[Alan Partridge]

not a case of panic buying, but buying the going rate for players these days. People here scoffed when Villa paid £9million for Ashley Young, who's laughing now?

Not saying we should spend that sort of money, but there are good players about that would come to a PREMIERSHIP Football team.

The latest back track of all what Coppell has said in the last few months in that it's important Reading spend this January is just another bewildering and defeatist statement.

[SpaceCruiser]

A very good post, Cod. You can ignore West Stand Flash.

[Alan Partridge]

Cod, what you write of course is correct in many ways but are you happy with the way the club/team is at the moment? Do you think they are doing all they can to improve the situation? Do you think suitable new players will be brought in? Do you think the other members of the squad have been given a fair crack of the whip?

Also do you attend games regularly, home and away? Not a judgement or a criticism just interested that's all.

[Cod]

Terrific argument "shut up"

You have completely changed my view of the people who post on here.

[West Stand Flash]

Terrific argument "shut up"

You have completely changed my view of the people who post on here.

No worries, anytime.

As long as your happy with us just being here & looked at how far we have come.....yawn, then that is all good.

Personally after a bloody good first season I'd have liked the players, the management & the club to really push on. Unfortunately we have only gone one way since May last year...

[SpaceCruiser]

Personally after a bloody good first season I'd have liked the players, the management & the club to really push on. Unfortunately we have only gone one way since May last year...

Er, mid-table?

[Gordons Cumming]

Cod

Tell me the other ways fans have a of "voicing" their feelings regularily other than on HobNob.

Just wondered.

[papereyes]

Answering on his behalf ...

Fanzines.

Which I imagine could be as reactionary as on here.

In fact, is some of this debate a response to the limited fanzine 'culture' we've had at our club?

[3 veesinarow]

Coppell's new interview on Reading World - Same old boring rubbish.

Shut up.

Textbook answers. How interesting.

And I thought they said the art of reasoned debate died out a long time ago. I needn't even repeat the K*ren M*rty quote.

[RobRoyal]

So your saying we haven't been on the decline & that we have improved yeh?

Not at all WSF. I simply find it surprising that people feel the need to contribute to yet another thread dripping with negativity about our club, its transfer dealings, its management etc...

Is a forum not to discuss things?

Nothing is exactly rosey at Reading is it

Yet these are still good days. Make the most of it!

Ah beautiful - Another fan who reals off the tosh of "you should be happy to be here", "look how far we have come".

Shut up, the likes of you make me laugh. Football is a game of progression & setting targets to achieve better than you have before.

Since we got promoted our Team has gone backwards yet the profits have considerably risen. The hotel is bigger & the club has grown. Shame Madejski has forgotten the team needs to grow also.

Won't it be great having our fancy arse stadium & corporate facilities in the Championship

What bullsh*t. Look at the bigger picture will you. We're competing with the best now. I'm terribly sorry that you're not getting to see us march into Europe (as, of course, is our divine right as ticket-buyers) but maybe you need a bit of context. If Reading fans can't be *broadly* happy with how the club is doing at the moment, then very few fans up and down the country can. We haven't done as well as we would have liked this season, but we're had high expectations and if you think there's any disgrace in battling for safety in this division then you've a short memory.

We should facking well be "happy to be here." That doesn't mean we have to be satisified with it, it just means perhaps we shouldn't throw a paddy when it turns out that we're not as good as Villa/Spurs/Portsmouth.

[Cod]

Alan fair questions all of them.

I am a long term season ticket holder for your info, and I have watched RFC in three divisions.

No I don't think we are playing as well as we could be, and I do think that we should be looking at appropriate new players.

And I am in no doubt Steve Coppell, the players and the back room staff realise this more than anyone. I am also in no doubt we are looking for those players and taking the steps to improve the situation behind the scenes.

I do not think it is as easy as those on here think - I am sure we have made offers on some of the players mentioned on here that have not been successful.

But the alternative being suggested on here (tell me if I am wrong) is -

Raise wages significantly for some current players and new players
Spend significantly on new players as quickly as possible.
If look like we are going down, sack the manager

This is shortsited - wage rises for the "star" players could wreck the dressing room (the greatest strength of our team for the last 3 years)

significant spending could give the club huge debts and not encourage us to look for young hungry players like Doyle. Sustainable spending I have no problem with.

Sack the manager - who on earth could replace a man of his record?

All I am saying is that the fans on this site are acting like Man U and chelsea fans - if success isnt instant they make knee jerk demands that normally involve sacking people or spending telephone number figures.

Too simple minded, and not the tradition of this club.

[Gordons Cumming]

Answering on his behalf ...

Fanzines.

Which I imagine could be as reactionary as on here.

In fact, is some of this debate a response to the limited fanzine 'culture' we've had at our club?

Yeah, but our only fanzine is out once a month at best and it's letters page is full of made up quotes.

HNA is the only voice I can think of.

[RobRoyal]

Terrific argument "shut up"

You have completely changed my view of the people who post on here.

No worries, anytime.

As long as your happy with us just being here & looked at how far we have come.....yawn, then that is all good.

Personally after a bloody good first season I'd have liked the players, the management & the club to really push on. Unfortunately we have only gone one way since May last year...

Oh, and here's a thought. If we had qualified for Europe last year, what would have satisfied you this year? Champions League or bussssssssst?

[3 veesinarow]

Cod

Tell me the other ways fans have a of "voicing" their feelings regularily other than on HobNob.

Just wondered.

What did they do before the interweb was invented?

Just wondered.

[papereyes]

Cod

Tell me the other ways fans have a of "voicing" their feelings regularily other than on HobNob.

Just wondered.

What did they do before the interweb was invented?

Just wondered.

Rattles

As the interweb grew, the popularity of rattles at the football fell.