Next Season

[poohs pure]

Maybe a club with more ambition that's relegated from Prem might be interested in spending £2 million on him. Every player has his price and the club won't bat an eyelid if the price is right, whatever us, as fans might want/think.

We have not been a selling club for as long as Coppell has been here - I really don't understand why you would suggest we are.

There is so much guff on this thread - thankfully Terminal B has said what I thought I was going to have to repeat for the Nth time about the brilliant way in which this club's finances have been run over the years.

If we don't go up, we will likely get £15m in from selling 8 players, still ahve another year's parachute payment to come in and have a crop of youngsters that are, without a doubt, the envy of almost every other club in the division.

Opportunities may have been missed but the progress this club has made in 5 years is fantastic.

Every single move and decision that posters on here wish had been made over Coppell's reign but wasn't (and there are many thousands of those) might have resulted in the club achieving less than it actually has done in the last 5 years. Nobody knows. I think we should concentrate on the actual achievements (as I'm sure every other supporter in the land would do when assessing Coppell / Reading) rather than the fantasy what-ifs that seem to dominate some people's thinking on here.

The former are facts, the rest is just hot air and bullshit and frankly not worth a damn.

concentrate on achievements = rest on laurels = standing still = being overtaken by other more ambitious clubs

those are the facts.

we are standing still due to laco of ambition and investment, we were better that those around us but they have now caught us up and will now leave us floundering.

those are the facts.

no hot air or bullshit

just facts

[Royal Rother]

No. They are not facts - they are just guesswork, assumptions and rash conclusions, which at the end of the day = hot air and bullshit.

Look in the record book - that's where you'll find the facts. Look at the squad of young players on our books - those are facts.

You might THINK someone different to Coppell, Madejski, Howe et al would have achieved better, maybe they could have - but I'm afraid there are absolutely no facts for you to call upon to prove it.

[Terminal Boardom]

Maybe a club with more ambition that's relegated from Prem might be interested in spending £2 million on him. Every player has his price and the club won't bat an eyelid if the price is right, whatever us, as fans might want/think.

We have not been a selling club for as long as Coppell has been here - I really don't understand why you would suggest we are.

There is so much guff on this thread - thankfully Terminal B has said what I thought I was going to have to repeat for the Nth time about the brilliant way in which this club's finances have been run over the years.

If we don't go up, we will likely get £15m in from selling 8 players, still ahve another year's parachute payment to come in and have a crop of youngsters that are, without a doubt, the envy of almost every other club in the division.

Opportunities may have been missed but the progress this club has made in 5 years is fantastic.

Every single move and decision that posters on here wish had been made over Coppell's reign but wasn't (and there are many thousands of those) might have resulted in the club achieving less than it actually has done in the last 5 years. Nobody knows. I think we should concentrate on the actual achievements (as I'm sure every other supporter in the land would do when assessing Coppell / Reading) rather than the fantasy what-ifs that seem to dominate some people's thinking on here.

The former are facts, the rest is just hot air and bullshit and frankly not worth a damn.

concentrate on achievements = rest on laurels = standing still = being overtaken by other more ambitious clubs

those are the facts.

we are standing still due to laco of ambition and investment, we were better that those around us but they have now caught us up and will now leave us floundering.

those are the facts.

no hot air or bullshit

just facts

By "more ambitious clubs" are you referring to the likes of Stoke, Hull and Wigan? If so, with all the money that they have recently thrown around just how good a position would they be in if they were relegated? Would they bounce back or end up like s*indon, Norwich or Charlton?

Just how much money has JM pumped into the club in 16 years? You may not like this but the club is actually his as he is the major shareholder by a very long way. That, my friend IS a fact. I like to look upon him as a custodian and as someone who has the financial wherewithall to take the club in a forward direction. Why was the hotel and conference centre built? So that the football club would have more of an opportunity to stand on its own rather than rely on handouts from the Chairman. Now, if you want him to Fcuk off then think about the implications. Think about the element of risk involved. Don't get me wrong. There are times when I have wished thathe would spend a few million here and there. But what is more desirable? Short term success followed by log term oblivion OR slow and steady growth? I know what I would rather have.

Remember where we have come from. We have become transformed from a middle of the road 3rd tier club with delusions of mediocrity to becoming a highly respected second tier club with realistic ambitions of being in the top flight of football in this country. What more do you want? Peter Ridsdale or Sam Hamman in charge? I think not!

[poohs pure]

No. They are not facts - they are just guesswork, assumptions and rash conclusions, which at the end of the day = hot air and bullshit.

Look in the record book - that's where you'll find the facts. Look at the squad of young players on our books - those are facts.

You might THINK someone different to Coppell, Madejski, Howe et al would have achieved better, maybe they could have - but I'm afraid there are absolutely no facts for you to call upon to prove it.

it's not about would have achieved better,i have no truck with where they have taken us to, its about going forward from here that scares the shit out of me.

any business that looks at how good it was and doesnt have a clearly defined strategy for the future will fail. an example would be 'record sales figures for 2005 mean nothing in the 2009 accounts' please try and understand that we ARE on the slide.

[Terminal Boardom]

No. They are not facts - they are just guesswork, assumptions and rash conclusions, which at the end of the day = hot air and bullshit.

Look in the record book - that's where you'll find the facts. Look at the squad of young players on our books - those are facts.

You might THINK someone different to Coppell, Madejski, Howe et al would have achieved better, maybe they could have - but I'm afraid there are absolutely no facts for you to call upon to prove it.

it's not about would have achieved better,i have no truck with where they have taken us to, its about going forward from here that scares the shit out of me.

any business that looks at how good it was and doesnt have a clearly defined strategy for the future will fail. an example would be 'record sales figures for 2005 mean nothing in the 2009 accounts' please try and understand that we ARE on the slide.

If being 3rd in the second tier is to be considered as on the slide then bring it on. I think that the future crop of youngsters is as good if not better than anything that we have had in the years I have been supporting the club. For too long I have looked enviously at the likes of Southampton, Ipswich and even Crewe when it comes to developing youngsters. I am genuinely excited with what these youngsters could produce. We are in a better position now than we were at the end of 2004/05. FACT!

[poohs pure]

By "more ambitious clubs" are you referring to the likes of Stoke, Hull and Wigan? If so, with all the money that they have recently thrown around just how good a position would they be in if they were relegated? Would they bounce back or end up like s*indon, Norwich or Charlton?

rubbish arguement, they have 'thrown money' and are probably all going to stay up!

[Terminal Boardom]

By "more ambitious clubs" are you referring to the likes of Stoke, Hull and Wigan? If so, with all the money that they have recently thrown around just how good a position would they be in if they were relegated? Would they bounce back or end up like s*indon, Norwich or Charlton?

rubbish arguement, they have 'thrown money' and are probably all going to stay up!

3 words: Second Season Syndrome. Wigan are living on borrowed time. Just how long will Dave Whelan throw money at that club? Stoke and Hull? They will be down next season. Bolton are another living on borrowed time. Rubbish argument? I think not! Rubbish response? Without a dowt!

[weybridgewanderer]

ambitous clubs, like to spend money, like leeds? or newcastle?

charlton got rid of curbishley coz they didn't think he was ambitous enough, wonder what they would take for mid table mediocrity

be careful what you wish for!

[weybridgewanderer]

the point is, we are heading back the other way now, the team is in total dissaray (spelling?) and we have a total cock as a chairman. get him out and get someone in with half an ounce of a football brain and a bit of passion and the tide will turn. one voice i may be at the moment but this has to happen or our club will be on the slide for years. no player is bigger than the team and the same goes for the chairman, this is my club not his and i want him out.

yeah lets get in someone like mike ashley

i can assure you if we get in a chairmen who is willing to splash the cash and it all goes tits up we'll have no club to suport

i'd rather have JM

[Royal Rother]

No. They are not facts - they are just guesswork, assumptions and rash conclusions, which at the end of the day = hot air and bullshit.

Look in the record book - that's where you'll find the facts. Look at the squad of young players on our books - those are facts.

You might THINK someone different to Coppell, Madejski, Howe et al would have achieved better, maybe they could have - but I'm afraid there are absolutely no facts for you to call upon to prove it.

it's not about would have achieved better,i have no truck with where they have taken us to, its about going forward from here that scares the shit out of me.

any business that looks at how good it was and doesnt have a clearly defined strategy for the future will fail. an example would be 'record sales figures for 2005 mean nothing in the 2009 accounts' please try and understand that we ARE on the slide.

You can be absolutely sure sure that a businessman as successful as JM will always have a clearly defined strategy for short, medium and long term - the fact that that strategy does not include chucking daft money at a problem that is rarely fixable by doing so is a source of regret for some supporters but relief to others.

Of course I want progress, and of course certain things could / should have been better handled, but it is unrealistic to expect positive to be achieved every year. Having a club to support, one that is financially sound, is worth more than League position to me and I am sure that has underpinned much of the club's strategic planning.

Anyway, I simply do not accept that we are on the slide - we are well on the way to becoming self-sufficient in production of our players and that is the most important attribute that any club not supported by a billionaire can possibly have.

Running a football club is NOT all about what happens on the pitch every year. Your pretty pathetic tantrum, completely ignoring all the great things that have happened, and are continuing continuing to happen, at RFC in recent years, is, to me, almost mind-bogglingly ignorant.

A football club's supporters come in all shapes and sizes, but to my eyes you really don't deserve to support one that has been in such good hands as Madejski and Coppell for the last 5+ years. There will undoubtedly be ups and downs along the way but I am happy that the fruits of their excellent stewardship will be seen for many years to come.

[Jeffers217]

By "more ambitious clubs" are you referring to the likes of Stoke, Hull and Wigan? If so, with all the money that they have recently thrown around just how good a position would they be in if they were relegated? Would they bounce back or end up like s*indon, Norwich or Charlton?

Just how much money has JM pumped into the club in 16 years? You may not like this but the club is actually his as he is the major shareholder by a very long way. That, my friend IS a fact. I like to look upon him as a custodian and as someone who has the financial wherewithall to take the club in a forward direction. Why was the hotel and conference centre built? So that the football club would have more of an opportunity to stand on its own rather than rely on handouts from the Chairman. Now, if you want him to Fcuk off then think about the implications. Think about the element of risk involved. Don't get me wrong. There are times when I have wished thathe would spend a few million here and there. But what is more desirable? Short term success followed by log term oblivion OR slow and steady growth? I know what I would rather have.

Remember where we have come from. We have become transformed from a middle of the road 3rd tier club with delusions of mediocrity to becoming a highly respected second tier club with realistic ambitions of being in the top flight of football in this country. What more do you want? Peter Ridsdale or Sam Hamman in charge? I think not!

Very good post here and I agree the club is run fantastically off the pitch. But what hacks me off is on the field, we showed no fight on sat which is a shocking thanks for all the fans who made the journey and turned up. And then players like Duberry have the audacity to come over and clap us...I turned away as I couldnt stand it. This division is very poor this season, we have by far the best football style in this league and should have run away with the league after we thumped Brum away and showed how much better we actually are. However we didnt push on and that could have a very bad effect long term if we dont go up with a lot of players likely to leave. Reading can play nice football, we cant play hoofball and thats why we have been on the slide

[joe999]

Apart from Golbourne, Marek & Kebe - I concur

agree with this

[Huntley & Palmer]

By "more ambitious clubs" are you referring to the likes of Stoke, Hull and Wigan? If so, with all the money that they have recently thrown around just how good a position would they be in if they were relegated? Would they bounce back or end up like s*indon, Norwich or Charlton?

rubbish arguement, they have 'thrown money' and are probably all going to stay up!

3 words: Second Season Syndrome. Wigan are living on borrowed time. Just how long will Dave Whelan throw money at that club? Stoke and Hull? They will be down next season. Bolton are another living on borrowed time. Rubbish argument? I think not! Rubbish response? Without a dowt!

Erm, Bolton have always been a team that has lived within their means. They have one of the smallest squads in the Premiership and have nearly always invested soundly in a mixture of youth and experience in their squad. This is a team that was on a par with us 15 years ago. So please don't be so hasty in your condemnation of their prospects

[brendywendy]

when will people understand that 4th in teh championship is us at least reaching our potential as a club


higher is over achievement


and that is already factoring in steady improvement, looking forward and ambition


i dunno, one two great seasons and all of a sudden we're a top ten premiere league side?!
LOL

[Rex]

I distinctly remember the thread about auto promotion or playoffs. At the time i was happy for a play off place but i think the majority are more concerned about the nature of our failure recently. We might succeed in staying in the playoffs but will we get a glory day at Wembley and succeed. The club has bought on youngsters this season, we thankfully show promise with a few of the less experienced players. There is a hint of optimism for next season, the team could grind themselves over the finish line and get promotion, or they could fall at the last hurdle, dashing the clear aspirations of the club and clearly a certain level of the support.
With the likes of Shunt in the will he/ won't he go in the transfer window i felt more relief that Doyle never showed the inclination of wanting to go, but as with most players this was thought of as a smokescreen. Shunt was less subtle about his intentions and these failed. (was that agent talk trying to bleed a fee out of the sale or Shunt instigating the worth of the news put out there - who knows). Shunt is being vilified for his lack of application on the pitch mainly because it harps back to a Shorey scenario.
Long - as a player has in reality again remained in limbo, scoring vital points for us, being given a run and failing to produce. His first goal for us could have come much earlier in the season if Shunt hadn't grabbed the ball off him and failed to score the pen.
Doyle has dried up on the goal front and needs to find the consistency ALL season. This season there has not been the injury scares which prevented this. Doobs for experience (hoof), Bikey back but prone to giving away free kicks and not being solid despite his clear ability to play the ball out of danger.
Coppell stayed on for a season and now is vilified for a season too far for us.
are the same mistakes being played out in front of us. On the face of it - yes but there is a crossroads reached this season which like it or not will end up pleasing all of the support or not at all. I could go on.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

when will people understand that 4th in teh championship is us at least reaching our potential as a club


higher is over achievement


and that is already factoring in steady improvement, looking forward and ambition


i dunno, one two great seasons and all of a sudden we're a top ten premiere league side?!
LOL

It's not really an over achievement though. The squad we had at the start of last season should not have gone down if the right improvements had been made. We slept walked into an avoidable relagation. This season we are in a piss poor league, with a very strong squad. We were in a great position, bet again seemed to have slept walked out of it/ Yes we are 4th, but we not playing anyway near our potential.

All these people say look we're 2nd, or we're 3rd, or we're 4th, are the same people who spent all of last season saying there were x amount of teams worse than us.

We are still in a very good posistion, but we're not playing as well as we should and should be in a more comfortable posistion. I think certain players have let Coppell down and to be honest they owe him. People like Hunt wouldn't be anywhere without SSC, they need to repay his faith.

[Royalee]

when will people understand that 4th in teh championship is us at least reaching our potential as a club


higher is over achievement

Untrue.

[Woodcote Royal]

There is so much guff on this thread - thankfully Terminal B has said what I thought I was going to have to repeat for the Nth time about the brilliant way in which this club's finances have been run over the years.

If we don't go up, we will likely get £15m in from selling 8 players, still have another year's parachute payment to come in and have a crop of youngsters that are, without a doubt, the envy of almost every other club in the division.

Opportunities may have been missed but the progress this club has made in 5 years is fantastic.

Every single move and decision that posters on here wish had been made over Coppell's reign but wasn't (and there are many thousands of those) might have resulted in the club achieving less than it actually has done in the last 5 years. Nobody knows. I think we should concentrate on the actual achievements (as I'm sure every other supporter in the land would do when assessing Coppell / Reading) rather than the fantasy what-ifs that seem to dominate some people's thinking on here.

The former are facts, the rest is just hot air and bullshit and frankly not worth a damn.

But our decline over the last 2 seasons is not "just hot air and bullshit"........................it's a fact you choose to ignore by attaching it to the success of the two previous seasons.

I have no problem acknowledging "actual achievements" if actual failures are not dismissed on the basis that others might have failed, too.........................isn't that "hot air and bullshit"

I wholeheartedly agree that we "have a crop of youngsters that are, without a doubt, the envy of almost every other club in the division" so where the fcuk are they

Whilst the sad spectacle of a once accomplished winger labours down our right side, where is Henry (or Kebe, for that matter)

Where are, Karacan, Pearce and Cox...............whoops!!!! forgot he lost patience with "Mr Perfect" and is now banging in the goals at Swindon that might have saved us from relegation or secured a swift return to the top flight.

In fact, feel free to name one youngster who has been given a chance this season who hasn't given a good account of himself, yet, Kelly was the only one on view at Coventry and that was thanks solely to Rosenior's suspension.

To state the obvious, management is a results based business.

The facts are that, whilst Steve Coppell's management produced two seasons of unparalleled success, the last two have have been ones of under performing failure.

In other words, in management terms he's run out of credit and the "who would do any better?" argument is just more "hot air" from his apologists.

[Vision]

Bottom line.

Who honestly thinks we'd be higher in the table if Karacan had played as many games as Harper or Cisse , Pearce had played as many games as Ivar or Duberry, Henry had played as many games as Kebe or Kelly had played as many games as Rosenior?. Hell if Cox had stayed do you think we'd be higher if he'd played the same games as Doyle.?

Don't get me wrong from a personal perspective I'd much rather see the make up of the side take that sort of shape but Its stretching credibility to think we'd be in a play-off spot with those players all playing the majority of the season.

But then i don't see being in the play-off positions and in with a chance of automatic promotion to the Premiership for only the second time in our history with 6 games left as failure either.

[Royalee]

Bottom line.

Who honestly thinks we'd be higher in the table if Karacan had played as many games as Harper or Cisse , Pearce had played as many games as Ivar or Duberry, Henry had played as many games as Kebe or Kelly had played as many games as Rosenior?

Without doubt.