by Agent Balti »
23 Jul 2008 16:51
I didn't say you or anyone is an idiot, I just cannot see a reason for uber-optimism. A lot of things you cite are truly valid (especially Bikey, we are united on that score) but the list already is culpable.
A very small squad with little cover in all spots aside from Goalkeeper just about, and Central Defence.
One creative midfielder, the reliance on Matejovsky next season is huge, we're at risk of being a one trick pony.
No Right Winger (OK, jury is out Kebe, but that's ALL we've got.)
No Striker at any level who could play in the first team that's over 5'10"
No Pace at any discernible position (Kebe aside, possibly, and Doyle though he seems to have lost that yard of pace.)
Mis-placed loyalty on injury prone limbs (Murty, Gunnarsson, Convey will remain injury prone, that's a given.)
No visible intent to IMPROVE the first team, let alone replace Kitson, Little, De La Cruz (who was vastly under utilised imo.) If we don't buy anyone we have only one way of playing. That way of playing got us relegated. Everyone KNOWS how we play.
A manager who realises his own weakness was loyalty - yet nothing has changed, so he will still be fiercely loyal. Do the manager and chairman and DOF actually speak to each other?
A chairman who touts the club to all and sundry and now just wishes to make the bank balance look attractive to prospective buyers. Ah but look where he's brought us...it doesn't wash anymore.
A scouting system that seems to be seriously flawed. We cannot appear to scout anything in this country that doesn't fit into the category of "too expensive." We are supposed to be scouting Europe and at home, constantly, all year round. If so, then why with the squad now in Sweden to bond and gel (with our new signings...ahem...otherwise what's the point of going abroad?) have we signed absolutely nobody? Not even a punt like someone like Aaron Brown from non-league or some academy kid we've pinched from Scandinavia somewhere?
I don't want my club to do a Leeds and get stupendously in debt. I don't want the club to think that what they have is 'good enough' to get Coppell and Madejski thru one more year before they both sail off into the sunset. I don't want our club to be a laughing stock for thinking they can buck the trend of how football works and "it worked once, it'll work again" attitude because that's all I can see as some sort of back up for 'positive thinking', we're riding on a wave that flatlined two years ago.
Yes, we'll probably be 'good enough' to enjoy above mid-table success, if you can call it that. Yes, we'll more than likely be a good match for plenty of teams in the CCC. But there is just nothing, absolutely nothing, which makes me believe that our club is run anything beyond counting the pennies currently and committing no extra effort than the other clubs in this division, to themselves, the players, or the fans. We were all taken on a fabulous ride for two seasons, but now the powers that be seem overwhelmed at what needs to be done to be a consistent and forward moving club. They thought they had the minerals, but frankly they don't. Now they're just rabbits in the headlights. They're not imbeciles, they just don't know what to do next and if non-Reading fans see it that I speak to, then christ knows what the players who turn out for us think.
Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on...nobody is truly right and nobody is truly wrong, but to think that Reading FC is and will reach those heights of 106 points and 8th in the Premiership with Europe almost being the next stop now seems a million miles away and unachievable again...but fcuk it, we loved Elm Park didn't we...so that's OK.
