Hard to see any progress for the forseeable future

[Thaumagurist*]

Ok Dirk, who would you suggest to be the best man to replace him if he does go when we're promoted?

[Dirk Gently]

Ok Dirk, who would you suggest to be the best man to replace him if he does go when we're promoted?

Haven't got a clue! Almost certainly there'd be less continuity than there was in our first PL season, but depending on circumstances that may or may not be a good thing.

Certainly less continuity than in our second PL season would be a good thing.

[Archie's penalty]

Ok Dirk, who would you suggest to be the best man to replace him if he does go when we're promoted?

Haven't got a clue! Almost certainly there'd be less continuity than there was in our first PL season, but depending on circumstances that may or may not be a good thing.

Certainly less continuity than in our second PL season would be a good thing.

I wouldn't mind Phil Parkinson but would he be able to bring people in?

What about Pardew back?

[Maguire]

I feel that you are looking at the situation far too pessimistically

when we are one down away at Doncaster

Make your bloody mind up!

[Franchise FC]

Ok Dirk, who would you suggest to be the best man to replace him if he does go when we're promoted?

Haven't got a clue! Almost certainly there'd be less continuity than there was in our first PL season, but depending on circumstances that may or may not be a good thing.

Certainly less continuity than in our second PL season would be a good thing.

I wouldn't mind Phil Parkinson but would he be able to bring people in?

What about Pardew back?

I think the phrase I'm looking for is - MOVE ON !!

I wouldn't welcome Pardew under any circumstances (and I'm sure Mad John would have the same opinion).
Parky couldn't cut at this level before (although I think he would make a good choice if we were relegated again)

[The 17 Bus]

We seem to have progressed from this same time 3 seasons ago,

Hahnemann, Hunt, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Makin, Convey (Baradji 67), Harper, Gunnarsson, Little (Oster 45), Doyle, Lita (Obinna 78). Subs Not Used: Osano, Federici.

That was the team for oct 1st 2005 against sheff Utd, was our 12th match of the campaign, I think we look a lot better than that at the moment. baradji, Obinna, Osano, all went on to full obscurity. Hunt at full back, a novel idea.

[PEARCEY]

We seem to have progressed from this same time 3 seasons ago,

Hahnemann, Hunt, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Makin, Convey (Baradji 67), Harper, Gunnarsson, Little (Oster 45), Doyle, Lita (Obinna 78). Subs Not Used: Osano, Federici.

That was the team for oct 1st 2005 against sheff Utd, was our 12th match of the campaign, I think we look a lot better than that at the moment. baradji, Obinna, Osano, all went on to full obscurity. Hunt at full back, a novel idea.

Yes I agree. The current squad is a match for 2005/06 IMO.
Whether they can match the incredible consistency of that team is another matter. Looks like the highs will be higher and the lows lower this time around.
The current bunch have more flair but as of yet dont have the nous to grind out results when the going gets tough.

[Franchise FC]

We seem to have progressed from this same time 3 seasons ago,

Hahnemann, Hunt, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Makin, Convey (Baradji 67), Harper, Gunnarsson, Little (Oster 45), Doyle, Lita (Obinna 78). Subs Not Used: Osano, Federici.

That was the team for oct 1st 2005 against sheff Utd, was our 12th match of the campaign, I think we look a lot better than that at the moment. baradji, Obinna, Osano, all went on to full obscurity. Hunt at full back, a novel idea.

Yes I agree. The current squad is a match for 2005/06 IMO.
Whether they can match the incredible consistency of that team is another matter. Looks like the highs will be higher and the lows lower this time around.
The current bunch have more flair but as of yet dont have the nous to grind out results when the going gets tough.

With respect (and that means with absolutely none at all) how could the highs this season get anywhere near the highs of 05/06.

That sort of thing happens once in many, many lifetimes.
Hence the statistic that is '106 points is the record points scored in a Football League season'
I'm struggling to see how we could possibly hit higher highs than that.

[The 17 Bus]

One high this season is a 6-0 victory, did not get that in 5/6

Already two hat-tricks from a Reading player, just one, Kitson against Brighton in 5/6

[Ian Royal]

Personally I think we've making very clear progress from last season as a club and slowly building steam this season.

Firstly ownership... Yes Madejski is encouraging investment / buyer. But he's looking for the right person(s) to take over to take us to the next level, not just anyone with cash to burn. He won't bankroll the club to the Premier League, or finance a mass push to stay up if we get there, but he will continue to support the club until he finds the right successor and keep it a viable financial entity.

I don't think he has a desire to leave, I think he sees his job as almost over and his aims mostly achieved, time for someone else to pick up the reigns rather than to jump off the wagon.

Management... Coppell was the right man for the job this season. He has a reduction in pressure and stress because we've been relegated. His job isn't a lot easier, but it's less draining IMO. He has got rid of players who were valuable financially, but who's contribution to the team would have been questionable this season. He has mostly kept those who were more likely to consistently have a good impact. He is developing Kebe potentially into a very good player indeed. He has found another gem in NHunt and Armstrong looks pretty solid.

Not only that but he is also bringing through young talent. Now given the money to develop them has already been spent over previous seasons and is budgetted in a different way. We are saving money with them. Despite the real term higher financial cost from having the academy than signing players this season would have been. It can only be a sign of progress that after 5-10 years the academy is starting to produce prospects in numbers in the likes of Karacan, Pearce, Henry, Kelly, Robson-Kanu, Siggurdsson etc.

Playing side... We've gone from a team with no confidence playing clueless, disorganized football, to a team with a lot of new first team faces beginning to gel and play decent football, with confidence and scoring goals. es it's not all there yet and away form is a bit of a worry. But we are looking so dominant at home, you have to look at it and wonder how soon that translates to away form, not how soon the away form hits us at home. Watford by most accounts was a better performance, I still don't think Forest was as bad as many thought, although Ipswich was toss.

I think you've also got to consider where we've come from. The chances of us maintaining Premier League level were low. You simply don't do that after 130 odd years outside the top flight. We went up and proved it was possible and then had a good season to show we could compete. But we weren't ready to stay there long term. We still had a lot of lessons to learn. I'm certain there will be still more to work on as well. We've shown that we can do it. Now it's a case of dropping off a bit and going at it again with momentum and this time working on staying. Every time we make it, we're more likely to stay IMO.

In the short to medium term (I'd say a couple of months to a couple of years) we're looking like progressing quite well as a club. Particularly from the perspective of last season.

In the long term I think we're making our fairly typical steady progress. Our overall curve is still upward IMO. We're just in a plateau/ slight dip right now. When talking about long term progress you have to consider where we were 5-10 years ago. And that was a just above midtable championship/League 1 side.

Bar a couple of seasons of poorer finishes than many would reasonably expect, we're now a top Championship side on the cusp of being Premier League IMO. Thats Progress. Anything that stops us slipping back is progress as a club IMO.

I do not consider progress to solely be finishing a place or few higher in the league than last time.

Wolves could be one of the defining moments of our season. Lose, and it's probably no real biggy, disappointing yes. But they're in great form and we're not fully up to speed away. A point would be good, we'd have dented their 100% record and should gain confidence. A win could easily spark a title claiming run of form much the way the result against Sheff Utd a few years ago did.

[Lower West]

I think SC's great ability is in building a team and getting it to play above the sum of the parts

But this is what all great managers have in common........ a team is as only as good as its weakess link as well.

Readings success is borne out of continuity with its managers in the recent past ie Coppell and Pardew. Supported by a Chairman who leaves football matters to those who know.

Read the thread again from the start..... then think about the current bottom 2 in the premiership. Spent money endlessly , changed managers , changed ownership, both for sale, and whats left for the fans?? Clubs that potentially could be doing a Leeds United.

[Uke]

I would hope we would oscillate to victories more often than to defeats.

How on earth can you oscillate more towards something than another?

[Maguire]

Personally I think we've making very clear progress from last season as a club and slowly building steam this season.

Firstly ownership... Yes Madejski is encouraging investment / buyer. But he's looking for the right person(s) to take over to take us to the next level, not just anyone with cash to burn. He won't bankroll the club to the Premier League, or finance a mass push to stay up if we get there, but he will continue to support the club until he finds the right successor and keep it a viable financial entity.

I don't think he has a desire to leave, I think he sees his job as almost over and his aims mostly achieved, time for someone else to pick up the reigns rather than to jump off the wagon.

Management... Coppell was the right man for the job this season. He has a reduction in pressure and stress because we've been relegated. His job isn't a lot easier, but it's less draining IMO. He has got rid of players who were valuable financially, but who's contribution to the team would have been questionable this season. He has mostly kept those who were more likely to consistently have a good impact. He is developing Kebe potentially into a very good player indeed. He has found another gem in NHunt and Armstrong looks pretty solid.

Not only that but he is also bringing through young talent. Now given the money to develop them has already been spent over previous seasons and is budgetted in a different way. We are saving money with them. Despite the real term higher financial cost from having the academy than signing players this season would have been. It can only be a sign of progress that after 5-10 years the academy is starting to produce prospects in numbers in the likes of Karacan, Pearce, Henry, Kelly, Robson-Kanu, Siggurdsson etc.

Playing side... We've gone from a team with no confidence playing clueless, disorganized football, to a team with a lot of new first team faces beginning to gel and play decent football, with confidence and scoring goals. es it's not all there yet and away form is a bit of a worry. But we are looking so dominant at home, you have to look at it and wonder how soon that translates to away form, not how soon the away form hits us at home. Watford by most accounts was a better performance, I still don't think Forest was as bad as many thought, although Ipswich was toss.

I think you've also got to consider where we've come from. The chances of us maintaining Premier League level were low. You simply don't do that after 130 odd years outside the top flight. We went up and proved it was possible and then had a good season to show we could compete. But we weren't ready to stay there long term. We still had a lot of lessons to learn. I'm certain there will be still more to work on as well. We've shown that we can do it. Now it's a case of dropping off a bit and going at it again with momentum and this time working on staying. Every time we make it, we're more likely to stay IMO.

In the short to medium term (I'd say a couple of months to a couple of years) we're looking like progressing quite well as a club. Particularly from the perspective of last season.

In the long term I think we're making our fairly typical steady progress. Our overall curve is still upward IMO. We're just in a plateau/ slight dip right now. When talking about long term progress you have to consider where we were 5-10 years ago. And that was a just above midtable championship/League 1 side.

Bar a couple of seasons of poorer finishes than many would reasonably expect, we're now a top Championship side on the cusp of being Premier League IMO. Thats Progress. Anything that stops us slipping back is progress as a club IMO.

I do not consider progress to solely be finishing a place or few higher in the league than last time.

Wolves could be one of the defining moments of our season. Lose, and it's probably no real biggy, disappointing yes. But they're in great form and we're not fully up to speed away. A point would be good, we'd have dented their 100% record and should gain confidence. A win could easily spark a title claiming run of form much the way the result against Sheff Utd a few years ago did.

If anybody actually reads all of that, dish me a PM and let me know which three words were the best ones.

I'm stuck here at work, oscillating between desperation and boredom. More towards boredom though.

[SCIAG]

We seem to have progressed from this same time 3 seasons ago,

Hahnemann, Hunt, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Makin, Convey (Baradji 67), Harper, Gunnarsson, Little (Oster 45), Doyle, Lita (Obinna 78). Subs Not Used: Osano, Federici.

That was the team for oct 1st 2005 against sheff Utd, was our 12th match of the campaign, I think we look a lot better than that at the moment. baradji, Obinna, Osano, all went on to full obscurity. Hunt at full back, a novel idea.

We were in the middle of an injury crisis. No Kitson, Sidwell, Murty, Shorey or, for the second half, Little. You may have noticed that 4 of those players have since left the club.

[Uke]

If anybody actually reads all of that, dish me a PM and let me know which three words were the best ones.

I'm stuck here at work, oscillating between desperation and boredom. More towards boredom though.

It's your career choice... Get that proposal out!

The oscillation will of course be evened out by the sense of joy and releif when you finally get out.

Thus leaving your sum total of desperation and boredom for the day equalling zero.

[Maguire]

If anybody actually reads all of that, dish me a PM and let me know which three words were the best ones.

I'm stuck here at work, oscillating between desperation and boredom. More towards boredom though.

It's your career choice... Get that proposal out!

The oscillation will of course be evened out by the sense of joy and releif when you finally get out.

Thus leaving your sum total of desperation and boredom for the day equalling zero.

I'm a slave to the client Uke, just a slave to the client.

At least tomorrow night i'll have a match to listen to!

[Franchise FC]

I would hope we would oscillate to victories more often than to defeats.

How on earth can you oscillate more towards something than another?

It is possible to oscillate around a rising or falling trend, though.

[SpaceCruiser]

Still no progress then, Schards?

[Archie's penalty]

Still no progress then, Schards?

A quite big lol at Schards then eh?

Let's keep it calm though. One game at a time.

[Seaside Royal]

A lot of us have been saying that Coppell knows what he's doing and it's a great feeling as things start to come together... but I do wonder if people still think COPPELL OUT!

IMO we're heading for the top by Christmas.