"A Team so Starstruck............."

[seahawk10]

Ffs, just another piece of lazy journalism. One Reading player makes an off topic comment and some journo desperate to make a name for himself jumps on it. First it was Kitson's 'two shits' comment and now Murty's about Ronaldo's shirt.

That explains it! Kits was misquoted. He was actually saying he couldn't give two shirts for the FA cup.

[RoyalBlue]

"that they appear more intent on swapping shirts with opposition players than securing points"

That is how Reading are described in todays Daily Mail. The Mail concludes that this means that trouble can only be just around the corner. Do they have a point? I understand that Roy Keane prohibits Sunderland players from seeking shirts of the superstars.
Should Coppell follow his example? My view is that we do show the top teams too much respect.

The biggest bull sheet post of the year.

Apart from the fact that, in our first season in the PL, SC did ban our players from swapping shirts with players from other teams because he feared that very thing happening!

[North Somerset Royal]

Whilst I agree with most comments the fact is that the D Mail is the largest circulation newspaper and this type of publicity is harmful as it perpetuates the image of a club lacking ambition and merely enjoying a brief incursion into the top flight. That in turn makes it more difficult to sign quality players and is therefore very damaging. The fact that we did much better last season when this practice was banned by SC speaks for itself imho.

[Vision]

I don't think it was anything to with Coppell. According to Murty last season the players themselves decided not to swap shirts as they didn't want to be seen as "tourists" taking souvenirs from their 15 minutes on the big stage. Even then there were one or two who went against it.

Don't think it makes a blind bit of difference one way or another to be honest.

[bobby1413]

"that they appear more intent on swapping shirts with opposition players than securing points"

That is how Reading are described in todays Daily Mail. The Mail concludes that this means that trouble can only be just around the corner. Do they have a point? I understand that Roy Keane prohibits Sunderland players from seeking shirts of the superstars.
Should Coppell follow his example? My view is that we do show the top teams too much respect.

The biggest bull sheet post of the year.

Apart from the fact that, in our first season in the PL, SC did ban our players from swapping shirts with players from other teams because he feared that very thing happening!

Did he? I didn't know that, quite suprised.

[mcnessa]

Whilst I agree with most comments the fact is that the D Mail is the largest circulation newspaper and this type of publicity is harmful as it perpetuates the image of a club lacking ambition and merely enjoying a brief incursion into the top flight. That in turn makes it more difficult to sign quality players and is therefore very damaging. The fact that we did much better last season when this practice was banned by SC speaks for itself imho.

If the D Mail influences a prospects opinion more than the numerous ManU quotes that indicate we gave them the hardest match of the season, then we don't want him.

Did you ever stop to think that the reason why we did so much better last season might have more to do with having a quality mid with the capability of controling the ball and the pace of play rather than the practice of swapping shirts at the end of a match?

[SpaceCruiser]

We do respect teams, but we give them a bloody good match.

However, whenever it's Arsenal, we give them far too much respect and let them walk all over us.

[Vision]

The biggest bull sheet post of the year.

Apart from the fact that, in our first season in the PL, SC did ban our players from swapping shirts with players from other teams because he feared that very thing happening!

Did he? I didn't know that, quite suprised.

As i said earlier, according to Murty last season it was the players decision and not Coppells. It just doesn't sound to me like the sort of thing Coppell would insist on.