New manager Brendan Rodgers *confirmed*

[howser]

Is it not likely now that any manager of good credentials and ability would not even consider our team due to the, now well advertised, lack of finance that they would be given to strengthen and upgrade the side, we have been much spoken about due to our unwillingness to come to terms with the Premiership values, agree with them or not its a fact that it is perversley expensive ! The managers spoken about on tbhhis thread will all want to re-build with proven quality players, and that aint gonna happen unless they are free or cheap.

[Royalee]

Big Sam?

Not as good as Coppell in my eyes.

Why? He's never had a side relegated from the Premiership and he's managed to take a club with a smaller fanbase and potential than ourselves in Bolton to the UEFA Cup. Please tell me what Coppell's done to make you rate him over Allardyce?

[Royalee]

Big Sam for me...and before any of you spout rubbish about boring football, I'd rather see players of the calibre of Okocha, Djorkaeff, Anelka and Diouf rather than the dire long ball crap we've played this season with footballing geniuses such as Hunt and Harper in the team.

God this is the second post of yours I've agreed with in a matter of minutes! I'm slightly concerned I've been cloned!

You might want to see players of that calibre, but do you honestly think JM would allow any new manager to buy such players? We couldn't afford the wages for a start.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: GIVEN WHERE WE FINISHED LAST SEASON AND THE CLAMOUR FOR COPPELL TO BECOME ENGLAND MANAGER, WITH HIS STOCK BEING THAT HIGH DO YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT HE'D KEEP QUIET IF HE DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS HE WANTED TO BRING IN PLAYERS? All Coppell needed to do was ask for more funds in the press if he needed them as all Reading fans (myself included) would have jumped on Madejski's back about it and supported Coppell heavily. Madejski would have been pretty powerless in terms of disciplining Coppell as his stock was so high after the previous two seasons - people would have been calling for the chairman to leave, not Coppell if he had done so. If there were not funds available then WHY has the manager on NUMEROUS OCCASIONS publicly stated how good the relationship is between himself and the chairman and how he has always been backed financially?

Do me a favour, I thought you were smarter than that.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Gary Johnson or Paul Ince.
But for now it has to be Steve Coppell.

[Royal Lady]

If we could afford the wages of those types of players, why didn't we keep Sidwell and why didn't we attract better players??

[Royalee]

As for Bolton players, do any of you honestly believe they could afford much higher wages than ourselves currently given the fact they can't even sell their ground out at home to the top four, let alone their other games? Add to that the fact that we're close to London and have a FAR better location than Bolton with better facilities and a better ground and bigger potential and I can't see why players wouldn't be attracted here. Unless of course the manager had no charisma and couldn't deal with foreign players like the man currently at the helm.

[readingbedding]

Big Sam?

Not as good as Coppell in my eyes.

Why? He's never had a side relegated from the Premiership and he's managed to take a club with a smaller fanbase and potential than ourselves in Bolton to the UEFA Cup. Please tell me what Coppell's done to make you rate him over Allardyce?

And a total, unmitigated disaster at Newcastle.
But I'm not suprised you 'forgot' to mention that.

Allardyce has not managed RFC, I doubt he would, we're not Northern or Big enough for him.

[Royalee]

If we could afford the wages of those types of players, why didn't we keep Sidwell and why didn't we attract better players??

We kept Shorey from going to West Ham and (unfortunately) kept Hunt on £25k a week. You do realise Arsenal are only paying Fabregas £35k a week currently, which makes Hunt's new contract even more hilarious to be honest.

As for Sidwell, Villa are a far bigger club with more financial clout than ourselves and they can't stop their main man going to Liverpool who aren't even as rich or strong as Chelsea at the moment so that point is irrelevant - we can't pay players £50k a week and more fool Chelsea as they won't be able to sustain it in years to come when Roman leaves them in the shit. However, we can still compete and yes that does mean we can attract quality players (better players than Sidwell) to the club with the right manager and correct ambitions.

How have Blackburn, who are having to lower their ticket prices as they can't sell out their ground, managed to bring in players like Benni McCarthy, David Bentley, Brad Friedel, Gamst Pedersen and Santa Cruz? How have Wigan managed Kirkland, Melchiot, Chimbonda, Valencia and Heskey?

Don't tell me those clubs have far bigger wage structures than ourselves with their revenues. You also have to remember that because our squad came from the Championship, our existing wages will be lower as a group than these clubs, thus giving us even more available!

Not bringing in players has nothing to do with Madejski - he runs the business side of things, Coppell has gone on record on several occasions stating his pleasure at how he is left alone to focus on on-field matters and the playing staff. Maybe if he stopped talking little old Reading down all the time and showed some bottle in bringing players in then we wouldn't be in this ridiculous mess. You see Roy Keane or McCleish or Hodgson talking their clubs down and complaining about not being able to compete? Hell, even Paul Jewell at relegated Derby is talking up their future and potential - and he's right to as they'll come back up next season far stronger than us if we go down with them. Not because they have more money or are more attractive a club to play for, but because they have a better manager than ourselves.

[Royalee]

Big Sam?

Not as good as Coppell in my eyes.

Why? He's never had a side relegated from the Premiership and he's managed to take a club with a smaller fanbase and potential than ourselves in Bolton to the UEFA Cup. Please tell me what Coppell's done to make you rate him over Allardyce?

And a total, unmitigated disaster at Newcastle.
But I'm not suprised you 'forgot' to mention that.

Allardyce has not managed RFC, I doubt he would, we're not Northern or Big enough for him.

Disaster? The guy only had 6 months at a club in disarray. How many games did Keegan go without a win? It's not like he took them down or anything, they were still mid-table when he left, but then i guess you 'forgot' to mention that.

Just cut the crap and admit you just don't like the guy because he's too intelligent, successful and forthright for anyone as stupid as you.

[readingbedding]

It's time for your Ritalin I think.
I don't know Big Sam, how can I truly dislike someone I have never met?
Do you know Big Sam?
Do you like Big Sam because he is he's too intelligent, successful and forthright for anyone as stupid as me?
Or are you just talking out of your backside again?
Always arguing at the lowest common denominator.
Very boring really.

As I said, I prefer Coppell managing RFC.
I'm not down with throwing the baby out with the bathwater - nor is the majority of RFC fans!

Stevie Coppell's Blue and White Army!

[Royalee]

Fair enough if you promote underachievement, I hope you're happy with it in life.

[Huntley & Palmer]

I'm not going to get involved in all the petty 'this manager is better than another' debate, I think the end of this season will see a new manager involved simply because SC will want a break away from the stress of management. I expect to see him step down as our single greatest manager in our history and allow a young up and coming manager to get a chance in the Championship. I think this is the way forward and it will be something that Coppell would consider doing

[readingbedding]

I'm not going to get involved in all the petty 'this manager is better than another' debate, I think the end of this season will see a new manager involved simply because SC will want a break away from the stress of management. I expect to see him step down as our single greatest manager in our history and allow a young up and coming manager to get a chance in the Championship. I think this is the way forward and it will be something that Coppell would consider doing

I don't want Coppell to leave, in fact I would be gutted.
So I do hope you're wrong.

[Huntley & Palmer]

I'm not going to get involved in all the petty 'this manager is better than another' debate, I think the end of this season will see a new manager involved simply because SC will want a break away from the stress of management. I expect to see him step down as our single greatest manager in our history and allow a young up and coming manager to get a chance in the Championship. I think this is the way forward and it will be something that Coppell would consider doing

I don't want Coppell to leave, in fact I would be gutted.
So I do hope you're wrong.

He has been talking about health being more important than football again recently, which sort of got me thinking about it. I would be gutted if he did step down but it would be his own decision and I would respect it. He would leave with my best wishes and whoever the new manager may be would get my full backing and a clean slate

[Southbank Old Boy]

If we could afford the wages of those types of players, why didn't we keep Sidwell and why didn't we attract better players??

Because Sidwell was going to Chelsea. We can't compete with the silly money they're willing to offer their squad players. We can compete with the wages paid to middle of the road Premiership players who would improve our team and squad though.

The type of player we should've been after (the likes of O'Neil, Taylor and Cahill who moved to similar size clubs) are not being paid the silly wages that the top 4 and a few others pay. I'm sure all the media attention on the big clubs and their wages distorts the facts a bit and the likes of the those three are probably being paid around the same as our top earners.

Part of our problem is that we've still got a lot of deadwood in the squad who are taking up valuable resources. Once we've cleared them out we have to be willing to get more players in on the £20-25k wages we're paying to our better players. If we don't we won't compete.

[Royal Lady]

Royalee - maybe I should have said "wouldn't afford the wages" - as JM has stated we have a defined wage structure that he won't break hasn't he?? I thought that was the whole point, he won't budge from a certain wage structure, therefore, Coppell could have wanted to sign all sorts of bigger name players, but if their wages were going to be too high, JM wouldn't have allowed it. Hope that makes it slightly clearer.

[Southbank Old Boy]

Royalee - maybe I should have said "wouldn't afford the wages" - as JM has stated we have a defined wage structure that he won't break hasn't he?? I thought that was the whole point, he won't budge from a certain wage structure, therefore, Coppell could have wanted to sign all sorts of bigger name players, but if their wages were going to be too high, JM wouldn't have allowed it. Hope that makes it slightly clearer.

I think Coppell has said that he could've broken the wage structure but he felt the squad was better off as it was, ie all in it together on a similar level pay wise.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Big Sam for me...and before any of you spout rubbish about boring football, I'd rather see players of the calibre of Okocha, Djorkaeff, Anelka and Diouf rather than the dire long ball crap we've played this season with footballing geniuses such as Hunt and Harper in the team.

look much better on tv don't they?

I'd hate to see big sam here. I'd rather watch championship football than emulate Bolton's negative kick lumps out of people style of play.

Yes, our football has been bad this season, but that's because we are playing very badly. Bolton's football was awful when they were playing well.

[Royalee]

Royalee - maybe I should have said "wouldn't afford the wages" - as JM has stated we have a defined wage structure that he won't break hasn't he?? I thought that was the whole point, he won't budge from a certain wage structure, therefore, Coppell could have wanted to sign all sorts of bigger name players, but if their wages were going to be too high, JM wouldn't have allowed it. Hope that makes it slightly clearer.

You can attract a hell of a lot better players than Stephen Hunt or £25k a week, which it would seem is within our wage structure.

[readingbedding]

I'm not going to get involved in all the petty 'this manager is better than another' debate, I think the end of this season will see a new manager involved simply because SC will want a break away from the stress of management. I expect to see him step down as our single greatest manager in our history and allow a young up and coming manager to get a chance in the Championship. I think this is the way forward and it will be something that Coppell would consider doing

I don't want Coppell to leave, in fact I would be gutted.
So I do hope you're wrong.

He has been talking about health being more important than football again recently, which sort of got me thinking about it. I would be gutted if he did step down but it would be his own decision and I would respect it. He would leave with my best wishes and whoever the new manager may be would get my full backing and a clean slate

I hope Coppell has a mind to complete his contract with us.
It makes sense, either try and get back up or improve our position in the Premiership.
It would be a sad way to end it all.