The dreaded vote of confidence

[Alan Partridge]

reading have spent millions on wages and new players over the last three years though
and not all of them were rubbish either.

But none of them were guaranteed starters, definitely better than what we had. Bikey - bit part, Matejovsky - bit part. Probably the two best players we bought over that timeframe, neither were considered (like Little and Sidwell were) as guaranteed starters.

Premiership clubs bringing players in need to be bringing in really good players that improve the side and command first team places.

not being good enough to demand a starting place, and not getting a starting place are two different things though

bikey should have been in all season IMO
coppells fault he wasnt, not bikeys

Supporters have this knack with Bikey of just remember the good, I remember saying at Boro 2 years ago that in 12 months Bikey would be well ahead of Sonko. I think he is now. But Bikey played in some of our maulings earlier in the season. Not just that but at times he looked really poor. It seemed in some games to take him 45 mins to warm up. Whilst Torres gave many people around the league/world a runaround, he really gave Bikey a rinsing at the MAdejski in the cup.

also if Bikey was as good as you make out then it should have been impossible for Coppell to leave him out....Fact is he's still very rough around the edges.

[Gordons Cumming]

I am prepared to reserve judgement until August 9th, when apparently (according to Coppell), we will have had all our transfer business resolved.

If the squad looks remarkably similar to the current one, then my answer will be a categoric NO.

Agreed tbh. I can understand why there has been little activity in terms of getting players in so far. Now we are a right midfielder light and also a striker light. So those should be 2 areas we are seriously looking at. If and when Shorey finally leaves then we'll need a left back, ditto Hunt. Even if Harper goes, got pretty good hopes for Karacan, it's time we gave some (not all) of the young lads a go. Karacan did well at B'Mouth and Millwall, Pearce did ok at this level last season, Robson Kanu had a pretty decent loan spell and of course there is Henry and Golbourne, we need to find out sooner rather than later if these lads are good enough and worth keeping on.

If some of these young lads come in and do well then that's a cause for optimism. I hope Coppell learnt from his shocking mistakes last season, things like playing Sodje at Swansea instead of the likes of Pearce and then loaning him out a day later was absolute nonsense. His dithering in the transfer market cost us our place in the Premiership along with his sheer definace in taking out some of his favourites from the side (Doyle, Murty, Harper etc)

I've never been or will ever be a fan of the DOF role at this club, it seems to me to be completely pointless, likewise Nigel howe is another one who seems to do sod all apart from embarass the club in the national media. I wouldn't mind a bit of a shake up in the coaching staff or boardroom.

I think ultimately the 'feel good' factor around the club has been on the decline severely over the last year, not just because of the final league position but from what SEEMS to be a huge lack of ambition and a failure to pay the going rate for good players. When you see the numbers banded around in the press and what other clubs of similar standing to us are throwing at new players and improving their teams, it's hard not to be jealous and a bit annoyed at it. RFC didn't throughout their entire 2 year stay in the Premiership buy a single Premiership player that really came in and nailed down a first team spot and improve us from 2005/06. That's unforgiveable for me.

Last season was just saddening really, they had ample opportunites to put it right, 2 transfer windows, plenty of warning over Little's fitness, Sidwell's departure, can't even blame it on a really bad run of results. The warning signs were there early on (Bolton 3 Reading 0, Reading 0 West Ham 3, Sunderland 2 Reading 1, Fulham 3 Reading 1) Really poor results against teams we should have done better against...still Coppell failed to react.

After such a season and a lack of investment in the playing staff, the last things fans (well most fans) want to hear is the chief executive telling the world 'we can be bigger than Arsenal' as we sign someone from the French 2nd division, £2million new media centre built as the team goes down and new stadium expansion....now not happening.

It just seemed like one boob after another. Terrible PR sending out the wrong message at the wrong time. I didn't want to hear Nigel Howe say we are the next Arsenal, I wanted to hear that we were scouring the market to bring in good players and we would pay the right money to get players in to make sure we stay in the league.

It's easy to see why people are losing heart, it's now the 21st July, the big kick off is a few weeks away, we are now the only club in the CCC who haven't signed a single player. With the club heading out to Sweden in the next day or two, that's another week gone pretty much.

If Coppell decides to go in with no new recruits, maybe 1 or 2 more gone he is walking a tightrope, and more and more people will be happy to see him fall off it and be replaced if we start this season poorly.

Do I have faith in them? Not really anymore, i've heard it for the last 3 years about us 'spending money' and it's failed to happen every time. I'll still go because it's still Reading at the end of the day but it's why I wasn't iverly bothered if Coppell stayed or went. Stay - OK then learn from last season, don't just sweep it away and close your eyes and hope the exact same team will turn it around. IF he went then it would have meant almost certainly more change, change isn't always a bad thing and in RFC's playing staff it's a neccesity.

I'm not Reading all that.

[Alan Partridge]

Fair enough. Although if you want to learn something, have a read.

[Royalee]

Supporters have this knack with Bikey of just remember the good, I remember saying at Boro 2 years ago that in 12 months Bikey would be well ahead of Sonko. I think he is now. But Bikey played in some of our maulings earlier in the season. Not just that but at times he looked really poor. It seemed in some games to take him 45 mins to warm up. Whilst Torres gave many people around the league/world a runaround, he really gave Bikey a rinsing at the MAdejski in the cup.

also if Bikey was as good as you make out then it should have been impossible for Coppell to leave him out....Fact is he's still very rough around the edges.

Agree with all of that. He needs someone to organise him and keep him in check. Alex Pearce would do a better job than Ingimarsson IMO as he is a better leader whereas Ivar is very quiet on the pitch. As long as Bikey's reminded to stay alert, concentrate and not do anything stupid then he's quality.

[brendywendy]

But none of them were guaranteed starters, definitely better than what we had. Bikey - bit part, Matejovsky - bit part. Probably the two best players we bought over that timeframe, neither were considered (like Little and Sidwell were) as guaranteed starters.

Premiership clubs bringing players in need to be bringing in really good players that improve the side and command first team places.

not being good enough to demand a starting place, and not getting a starting place are two different things though

bikey should have been in all season IMO
coppells fault he wasnt, not bikeys

Supporters have this knack with Bikey of just remember the good, I remember saying at Boro 2 years ago that in 12 months Bikey would be well ahead of Sonko. I think he is now. But Bikey played in some of our maulings earlier in the season. Not just that but at times he looked really poor. It seemed in some games to take him 45 mins to warm up. Whilst Torres gave many people around the league/world a runaround, he really gave Bikey a rinsing at the MAdejski in the cup.

also if Bikey was as good as you make out then it should have been impossible for Coppell to leave him out....Fact is he's still very rough around the edges.

greed i with that last bit-but even with his occasional lapses he was better than sonks was this time out

its just the massive potential that i see really, on top of some of his better games

and would be why id be very very angry if he went anywhere this season

[Alan Partridge]

Ditto, see my OTT comment on UR&G If Bikey goes then I will be angry, Kitson going? pfff, Harper pfff, Shorey pfff, Hunt YEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, Bikey

For me he should start as first choice at the back and I'd partner him with Duberry. Ingimarsson has been in serious decline over the past year. Worryingly tbh.

The orignial point I was making is, had we signed Lescott that we are led to believe we were closeish to doing a couple of years ago, he'd have been in the team from the first game to the last. Bikey was never going to do that.

[floyd__streete]

I think ultimately the 'feel good' factor around the club has been on the decline severely over the last year, not just because of the final league position but from what SEEMS to be a huge lack of ambition and a failure to pay the going rate for good players. When you see the numbers banded around in the press and what other clubs of similar standing to us are throwing at new players and improving their teams, it's hard not to be jealous and a bit annoyed at it. RFC didn't throughout their entire 2 year stay in the Premiership buy a single Premiership player that really came in and nailed down a first team spot and improve us from 2005/06. That's unforgiveable for me.

Last season was just saddening really, they had ample opportunites to put it right, 2 transfer windows, plenty of warning over Little's fitness, Sidwell's departure, can't even blame it on a really bad run of results. The warning signs were there early on (Bolton 3 Reading 0, Reading 0 West Ham 3, Sunderland 2 Reading 1, Fulham 3 Reading 1) Really poor results against teams we should have done better against...still Coppell failed to react.

After such a season and a lack of investment in the playing staff, the last things fans (well most fans) want to hear is the chief executive telling the world 'we can be bigger than Arsenal' as we sign someone from the French 2nd division, £2million new media centre built as the team goes down and new stadium expansion....now not happening.

It just seemed like one boob after another. Terrible PR sending out the wrong message at the wrong time. I didn't want to hear Nigel Howe say we are the next Arsenal, I wanted to hear that we were scouring the market to bring in good players and we would pay the right money to get players in to make sure we stay in the league.

It's easy to see why people are losing heart, it's now the 21st July, the big kick off is a few weeks away, we are now the only club in the CCC who haven't signed a single player. With the club heading out to Sweden in the next day or two, that's another week gone pretty much.

If Coppell decides to go in with no new recruits, maybe 1 or 2 more gone he is walking a tightrope, and more and more people will be happy to see him fall off it and be replaced if we start this season poorly.

It's hard to disagree with any of that, though I am sure some of you will give it a damn good try.

[Ian Royal]

I'd say the biggest reason for the feel good factor going for lots of people is becaue we were turd much of last season and they're used to us being at worst a bit good.

[RoyalBlue]

It just seemed like one boob after another. Terrible PR sending out the wrong message at the wrong time. I didn't want to hear Nigel Howe say we are the next Arsenal.

With Wenger now suggesting that Arsenal will need to sell players to cover the costs of running the club, maybe Howe was right!

Seriously though, I think you are spot on.

[Whore Jackie]

Agreed tbh. I can understand why there has been little activity in terms of getting players in so far. Now we are a right midfielder light and also a striker light. So those should be 2 areas we are seriously looking at. If and when Shorey finally leaves then we'll need a left back, ditto Hunt. Even if Harper goes, got pretty good hopes for Karacan, it's time we gave some (not all) of the young lads a go. Karacan did well at B'Mouth and Millwall, Pearce did ok at this level last season, Robson Kanu had a pretty decent loan spell and of course there is Henry and Golbourne, we need to find out sooner rather than later if these lads are good enough and worth keeping on.

If some of these young lads come in and do well then that's a cause for optimism. I hope Coppell learnt from his shocking mistakes last season, things like playing Sodje at Swansea instead of the likes of Pearce and then loaning him out a day later was absolute nonsense. His dithering in the transfer market cost us our place in the Premiership along with his sheer definace in taking out some of his favourites from the side (Doyle, Murty, Harper etc)

I've never been or will ever be a fan of the DOF role at this club, it seems to me to be completely pointless, likewise Nigel howe is another one who seems to do sod all apart from embarass the club in the national media. I wouldn't mind a bit of a shake up in the coaching staff or boardroom.

I think ultimately the 'feel good' factor around the club has been on the decline severely over the last year, not just because of the final league position but from what SEEMS to be a huge lack of ambition and a failure to pay the going rate for good players. When you see the numbers banded around in the press and what other clubs of similar standing to us are throwing at new players and improving their teams, it's hard not to be jealous and a bit annoyed at it. RFC didn't throughout their entire 2 year stay in the Premiership buy a single Premiership player that really came in and nailed down a first team spot and improve us from 2005/06. That's unforgiveable for me.

Last season was just saddening really, they had ample opportunites to put it right, 2 transfer windows, plenty of warning over Little's fitness, Sidwell's departure, can't even blame it on a really bad run of results. The warning signs were there early on (Bolton 3 Reading 0, Reading 0 West Ham 3, Sunderland 2 Reading 1, Fulham 3 Reading 1) Really poor results against teams we should have done better against...still Coppell failed to react.

After such a season and a lack of investment in the playing staff, the last things fans (well most fans) want to hear is the chief executive telling the world 'we can be bigger than Arsenal' as we sign someone from the French 2nd division, £2million new media centre built as the team goes down and new stadium expansion....now not happening.

It just seemed like one boob after another. Terrible PR sending out the wrong message at the wrong time. I didn't want to hear Nigel Howe say we are the next Arsenal, I wanted to hear that we were scouring the market to bring in good players and we would pay the right money to get players in to make sure we stay in the league.

It's easy to see why people are losing heart, it's now the 21st July, the big kick off is a few weeks away, we are now the only club in the CCC who haven't signed a single player. With the club heading out to Sweden in the next day or two, that's another week gone pretty much.

If Coppell decides to go in with no new recruits, maybe 1 or 2 more gone he is walking a tightrope, and more and more people will be happy to see him fall off it and be replaced if we start this season poorly.

Do I have faith in them? Not really anymore, i've heard it for the last 3 years about us 'spending money' and it's failed to happen every time. I'll still go because it's still Reading at the end of the day but it's why I wasn't iverly bothered if Coppell stayed or went. Stay - OK then learn from last season, don't just sweep it away and close your eyes and hope the exact same team will turn it around. IF he went then it would have meant almost certainly more change, change isn't always a bad thing and in RFC's playing staff it's a neccesity.

Agree with most of that too. Couple of points:

The board and DoF does need looking at. Don’t think that’s realistic until JM goes. He appointed Hammond; and he relies heavily on Nigel Howe and Ian Wood-Smith with much of his business interests out of football. He owns pretty much 100%, he’s not going to relinquish a few shares to bring someone new in, it’s all or nothing. As desperate as he is to sell, his need for a good return is even more telling. Nigel Howe’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. JM doesn’t want to invest, SC doesn’t want to spend. Think he does a reasonable job in difficult circumstances, he’s knows he never going to match supporters expectations with the limitations in place.

The coaching structure disappoints me the most. Coppell inherited Dillon and brought in Downes, as much as a favour rather than his qualities, it seemed at the time. Most other managers have a tried and tested back-up team that they take from one job to another. Hughes, O’Neill, Allardyce spring to mind. Ferguson relied quite heavily on Queiroz, as did Benitez with Ayestaran and Wenger does with Rice. Coppell doesn’t seem to or want to with his current set-up. It seems accepted that this will be his last season with Reading. Would have liked him to move on Dillon and Downes, freshen things up and bring in a young, dynamic coach – Trollope perhaps – to mentor for a year before possibly handing over the reins. Perhaps promoting Dolan could be the answer, I’m not convinced that Coppell’s as keen of ‘academy’ players as the pre-season friendly line-ups suggest. With more players moving on and (fingers-crossed) decent replacements coming in, it would have set a real statement of intent from the club. Something we’re all looking for.

[Royalee]

Totally agree with the last post and AP's before that.

[Toadie]

According the SS, Skysports.com understands Norwich are closing in on the signing of Fiorentina striker Arturo Lupoli. This fella was mustard when he played in the CCC.

Which begs the question, if Bugs and co. know about every deal going on within the CCC, and a player of his calibre is available, why on earth aren't we trying to sign him up, especially no we've lost Kitson??

The poor bloke could end up committing to move to Norwich....NORWICH!!!! Because we probably haven't even sounded the player out. It makes me sick.

Mr.Coppell et al....my patience is running very thin

[rfcjoe]

Ahhh quality, another no ambition,we're shit thread. Brilliant!

[brendywendy]

im sure the fact that your patience is wearing thin will force coppell into signing a load of rubbish players for loads of money just to appease you

[rfcjoe]

zzzzzzzz

[Toadie]

Ahhh quality, another no ambition,we're shit thread. Brilliant!

We're not sh*t! But we'll be conceivably worse off if we jettison our better players without bring some experience in.

As for 'no ambition', I'm struggling to think of reasons why I should retract that statement...

[Streets]

According the SS, Skysports.com understands Norwich are closing in on the signing of Fiorentina striker Arturo Lupoli. This fella was mustard when he played in the CCC.

According to SSN we're close to signing a 'foreign' striker in the next 48 hours...

Still yawning though. It wont be a Lupoli, it'll be another Irish unknown.

[Stranded]

And so what if it is.

[robb the royal]

Just thought I'd point out that most of the people who voted no are officially hypocrites, was only a month or so ago that we were all begging Coppell to stay.

[papereyes]

Just thought I'd point out that most of the people who voted no are officially hypocrites, was only a month or so ago that we were all begging Coppell to stay.

Because every Reading fan was at the car park.

Bless.