The cause of the symptoms for the treatment...

[martin fife]

I have thought for a long while that it will be our goal difference that sinks us. I think we will end on the same points as either Fulham, Birmingham or Bolton and be relagated because of our poor record.

As for the reasons, INVESTMENT! you cannot stand still in this division, Man Utd brought Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson and Tevez into an already stellar squad and have not won anything yet. At our level the decision not to freshen the squad with good quality Premiership experience is probably going to cost us dear.

We need to match wages in the marketplace, that is the reality, we may not like it or agree with it but we have to deal in today's inflated conditions.

[Hoop Blah]

Didn't he (or somebody else, like Dillon) say that Fae doesn't track back as much and therefore needs time to adjust to the way football is played in England?

So where does being a mind reader come into it?

He hasn't played. Coppell picks the team, therefore Coppell must think he isn't good enough to be in the side.

You're making an assumption there, aren't you?

I'm assuming that if Coppell thought he was good enough to play he'd play him yes, are you suggesting otherwise then?

[RoyalBlue]

This is a long post, please ignore if you don't have time!

3 Glen Little – He had been so good for two seasons that it is just too hard to ignore the positive impact he made on our strikers. I don’t know the stats, but his assists must have given our forwards the goals that in turn provided confidence …and more goals. It is unfortunate that the extent of the injury was not initially known because a quality right winger as replacement has been sorely missed.

Someone really should be shot over this critical one because the extent of his injury was known before the first transfer window slammed shut, let alone the second! They knew he wasn't responding to treatment and they knew there was no prospect of a speedy return (if he was going to return at all) yet they failed to do whateved was necessary to ensure that they had proper cover for his absence. I'm sure Glen Little can't be the only really good right winger in the professional game!

[Fezza]

I'm assuming that if Coppell thought he was good enough to play he'd play him yes, are you suggesting otherwise then?

Given that he would have played at Boro (according to the management) but for the maleria, yes!

[Baines]

Well, when Andre Bikey first pulled on the shirt for Reading he was an absolute liability, couldn't pass, headed like Matty Robinson (ie it could go anywhere!)

I thought that Bikey was quite useful with his head in his very first few games for us.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Someone called it "first season syndrome" - you tend to over-perform in your first season. .

If true, it makes you wonder what Derby would be like if given a second go.

[rhroyal]

On Fae, lots of players have greatly come into their own in the second season at Reading. Glen Little had his loan spell and one full season under Coppell when he showed touches of quality, but the next season he was the best midfielder in the Championship and then he had a good season in the Premiership. Convey took a season to get used to it all. Hunt stepped it up after a year. Sonko was hardly superman when he first played against Ipswich but he stepped it up for a couple of years before his injury. Bikey has been far better this season than he was last time. Are you convinced?

I think Fae will come good next season after he's spent a year in England with the English style play, and if we stay up he could be what we've missed in midfield this year. As for the causes of this season, I'd say players not needing to prove themselves any more is key. Many know that their performance last season has secured Premiership football for them next year, even if it hasn't for the club. We have badly missed Little and the chances he creates, and Sidwell was key. We don't have any central midfielder who goes at people and drives the game forward, upping tempo. Sidwell did that. Basically all the reasons originally stated.

[andrew1957]

On Fae, lots of players have greatly come into their own in the second season at Reading. Glen Little had his loan spell and one full season under Coppell when he showed touches of quality, but the next season he was the best midfielder in the Championship and then he had a good season in the Premiership. Convey took a season to get used to it all. Hunt stepped it up after a year. Sonko was hardly superman when he first played against Ipswich but he stepped it up for a couple of years before his injury. Bikey has been far better this season than he was last time. Are you convinced?

I think Fae will come good next season after he's spent a year in England with the English style play, and if we stay up he could be what we've missed in midfield this year. As for the causes of this season, I'd say players not needing to prove themselves any more is key. Many know that their performance last season has secured Premiership football for them next year, even if it hasn't for the club. We have badly missed Little and the chances he creates, and Sidwell was key. We don't have any central midfielder who goes at people and drives the game forward, upping tempo. Sidwell did that. Basically all the reasons originally stated.

I hope you are right but I will be very surprised if Fae waits around to find out if he is part of the plans. I fully expect him to go back to France at the end of the season as he wants first team football and there is no guarantee at RFC.

[Hoop Blah]

On Fae, lots of players have greatly come into their own in the second season at Reading. Glen Little had his loan spell and one full season under Coppell when he showed touches of quality, but the next season he was the best midfielder in the Championship and then he had a good season in the Premiership. Convey took a season to get used to it all. Hunt stepped it up after a year. Sonko was hardly superman when he first played against Ipswich but he stepped it up for a couple of years before his injury. Bikey has been far better this season than he was last time. Are you convinced?

I think Fae will come good next season after he's spent a year in England with the English style play, and if we stay up he could be what we've missed in midfield this year. As for the causes of this season, I'd say players not needing to prove themselves any more is key. Many know that their performance last season has secured Premiership football for them next year, even if it hasn't for the club. We have badly missed Little and the chances he creates, and Sidwell was key. We don't have any central midfielder who goes at people and drives the game forward, upping tempo. Sidwell did that. Basically all the reasons originally stated.

You're right of course, a lot of players take time to settle in and some of those you listed did. To be fair Convey was never fit and that hindered his progress, but Little was still very good in his first season as a permentant player and he'd already proven he was capable at this level. Sonko and Hunt were bought as work in progress and cheap investments for the future and so you'd expect them to take time to step up and settle in etc.

Fae on the other hand was a big money signing and one of two midfielders we bought in to plug the gap created by losing a key player. He and Cisse needed to be up and running quicker than they have done.

The original comment was that he's be a positive to come out of this season because he's looked promising. Even if he turns out to be the next Michael Essien I'm afraid he's shown very little to promise this season.

[Great Knolly]

I'm sure Glen Little can't be the only really good right winger in the professional game!

He`s not the only really good right winger in the professional game, but to replace him you`d have to spend about £10 million, and the wages that go with that sort of transfer fee.

[papereyes]

This is a long post, please ignore if you don't have time!

3 Glen Little – He had been so good for two seasons that it is just too hard to ignore the positive impact he made on our strikers. I don’t know the stats, but his assists must have given our forwards the goals that in turn provided confidence …and more goals. It is unfortunate that the extent of the injury was not initially known because a quality right winger as replacement has been sorely missed.

Someone really should be shot over this critical one because the extent of his injury was known before the first transfer window slammed shut, let alone the second! They knew he wasn't responding to treatment and they knew there was no prospect of a speedy return (if he was going to return at all) yet they failed to do whateved was necessary to ensure that they had proper cover for his absence. I'm sure Glen Little can't be the only really good right winger in the professional game!

I agree entirely on this.

To then go and sell our only other skillful winger is just asking for trouble. IMO.

[papereyes]

Someone called it "first season syndrome" - you tend to over-perform in your first season. .

If true, it makes you wonder what Derby would be like if given a second go.

Depends on what they do between seasons, but if they were to stick to mainly the same squad except for one or two better players moving on, you'd guess that they'd do worse.

I mean, what sort of club behaves like that?

[papereyes]

I'm sure Glen Little can't be the only really good right winger in the professional game!

He`s not the only really good right winger in the professional game, but to replace him you`d have to spend about £10 million, and the wages that go with that sort of transfer fee.

Glen Little cost £10 million?

Someone like Milner wouldn't cost £10 million FFS and that's not including a scouting system finding some young Swede or Finn (akin to a Wilhelmsson or a Gamst-Pederson) ...

We knew Little would be out. One of the main targets should have been a fast or skillful right winger that could fit in. Doesn't have to be a BIG signing, just the right one, for the right price.

[strap]

Someone called it "first season syndrome" - you tend to over-perform in your first season. Frame it in those terms and it makes more sense.

Basically, we've lost three key players from last season. Sidwell (free transfer), Little (injury), Lita (his own arse).

We failed to replace Sidwell. We sold our only cover for Little and tried to change the way we played and Lita simply hasn't performed and when we could get someone extra in, we chose not to and then loaned him on.

And that's not including massive losses of form to Shorey, Hunt and Doyle.

Brialliant synopsis chap! Going to cut out and keep this.

Add in Sir Steve's unwillingness to make changes (even given our meagre squad) and Mr Ego's/Sir Steve's abject fear of spending money in the transfer market, and that pretty much sums up RFC 2007-08.

Mind you, given the performance of Fae, Cisse, Kebe and Bikey, I don't think I'd give Sir Steve my cheque book either, now I come to think about it.

[Great Knolly]

I'm sure Glen Little can't be the only really good right winger in the professional game!

He`s not the only really good right winger in the professional game, but to replace him you`d have to spend about £10 million, and the wages that go with that sort of transfer fee.

Glen Little cost £10 million?

Someone like Milner wouldn't cost £10 million FFS and that's not including a scouting system finding some young Swede or Finn (akin to a Wilhelmsson or a Gamst-Pederson) ...

We knew Little would be out. One of the main targets should have been a fast or skillful right winger that could fit in. Doesn't have to be a BIG signing, just the right one, for the right price.

I reckon it would take £10 million to adequately replace him. Millner isn't as good, and who says he'd come here anyway. He'd probably have to take a wage cut for a start. Spending Reading money would be a punt that might not come off.

[papereyes]

He`s not the only really good right winger in the professional game, but to replace him you`d have to spend about £10 million, and the wages that go with that sort of transfer fee.

Glen Little cost £10 million?

Someone like Milner wouldn't cost £10 million FFS and that's not including a scouting system finding some young Swede or Finn (akin to a Wilhelmsson or a Gamst-Pederson) ...

We knew Little would be out. One of the main targets should have been a fast or skillful right winger that could fit in. Doesn't have to be a BIG signing, just the right one, for the right price.

I reckon it would take £10 million to adequately replace him. Millner isn't as good, and who says he'd come here anyway. He'd probably have to take a wage cut for a start. Spending Reading money would be a punt that might not come off.

I genuinely think you're wrong twice in the first two sentences. Really, really, really wrong.

I also think getting a right winger in is a better plan than having one player out injured all season and selling the only other skilful winger in the squad.

[Barry the bird boggler]

The problem this season has simply been a total failure to replace Sidwell and Little and so effectively play the majority of this season with two less members of the squad than we had last year.

Consquently as both players were pretty vital to the team last year we've gone down the tubes. The fault for our current cr*p position therefore lies totally at the door of Mr Coppell.

2 games left and Little better start both of them, even though he needs about another 4/5 games to really be match fit.

[Millsy]

"The cause of symptoms..."???

"The cause or symptoms..." surely?

Medical Example

Syptoms - Smelly breath and dry mouth.
Diagnosis - Halitosis
Cause - Too much garlic
Treatment - Brush your teeth!

Reading FC

Symptoms - Dropping points
Diagnosis - Not good enough
Cause - See points 1-7
Treatent - Steve Coppell's summer bargain hunt!

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm sure Spacecruiser would have pointed it out if I was!

You're ok PP.

[papereyes]

The problem this season has simply been a total failure to replace Sidwell and Little and so effectively play the majority of this season with two less members of the squad than we had last year.

I would genuinely include Lita in that assessment as his contribution this season has been neglible so far. Certainly over January, we could have easily brought another striker in and let Lita go out.

[Ian Royal]

lots of sense written on this thread.

Whilst I don't have quite as negative an opinion of this as Papereyes, it is very hard to argue against his points. I still think Oster has been unfairly slated and has performed fairly well recently, though isn't good enough to be more than a squad player and he looked promising just before his injury against Everton.

The fact remains that the injury was before the window closed and before Seol went, if not before the deal was arranged. Now maybe we were expecting it to be a much less significant injury, and Fae and Rosenior to be capable of filling in until Little and Oster returned. That was clearly a mistake with hindsight. This could also have been mitigated by Convey finding his fitness and form, agains something that just didn't happen.

We have made mistakes, and they have been big ones. BUT those mistakes have been highlighted by the sheer bad luck in having so many extended crucial injuries, new players who haven't stepped up to the challenge and proven players who've played like total fairies for some if not most of the season.

Once you lose your way in the prem, the quality is so good it's very tough to pull it back together. There are no easy games, although some look easy compared to the really really hard ones. Our squad has been built on togetherness and the whole outweighing the sum of the parts.. We have very few players who can genuinely turn a game. All of the ones who can have been injured or desperately out of form.

The one comforting thing about this season, is that when the shit really hit the fan we are still in with a firm chance of survival. Now that for me is a positive, despite whether we should or should not be in this position in the first place.


Edited to get a phrase the right way round in the circumstances