Are we actually that far away from another great team?

[Woodcote Royal]

Coppell's whole strategy is based on wingers, and when the wingers don't deliver, nor do Reading.

and after five years every team we play has worked this out........................old dogs failing to learn new tricks is another reason why it's time to move on because Steve Coppell clearly can't.

[Woodcote Royal]

PS. You are living proof that no one has a monopoly when it comes to posting sh*te on Hobnob.

I refuse to get into e-beef with you until my concerns that you are mentally disabled are addressed.

In the mean time why don't you go and support Man Utd and then maybe you can enjoy the constant success you demand.

If you don't like insults, stop calling others "plonkers" and accusing them of "talking sh*te" and, latterly, suggesting that I'm mentally disabled.

Any "E beef" was instigated by you, not me.

[boy1985]

Coppell is the man that despite knowing his left back wanted out and was going played the first 4 matches of the season without a left back.

Why hadn't a left back joined before the season started?

Chris Armstrong was ALWAYS going to sign for us. We were looking and waiting for other possibilities to arise which they didn't so we went ahead with the Armstrong deal.

The other thing people always forget to consider is that a lot of players don't jump at the chance to join Reading so sometimes transfer budgets are irrelevant.

I do agree though that his transfers are the worst aspect of his time here and he seemed to be riding on the success of the Doyle bargain. But I'd say Hammond is to blame for that as much as Coppell.

[Alan Partridge]

Coppell is the man that despite knowing his left back wanted out and was going played the first 4 matches of the season without a left back.

Why hadn't a left back joined before the season started?

Chris Armstrong was ALWAYS going to sign for us. We were looking and waiting for other possibilities to arise which they didn't so we went ahead with the Armstrong deal.

The other thing people always forget to consider is that a lot of players don't jump at the chance to join Reading so sometimes transfer budgets are irrelevant.

I do agree though that his transfers are the worst aspect of his time here and he seemed to be riding on the success of the Doyle bargain. But I'd say Hammond is to blame for that as much as Coppell.

Why Wasn't Armstrong's signature before August 10th though. It's also though why I put 'the club' at the end of my post. I'm still not quite sure how transfers work with RFC.

Hunt starting 4 games at left back was an utter nonsense in all honesty.

[Millsy]

The one change we mustn't make is that of the manager.

Coppell should definitely stay. He is the best manager in our history.

For two seasons and has since presided over one of the worst declines in our history whilst deluded sections of the fan base have blamed everyone except the man who, assembled the squad, refused to spend his budget and picked the team, formation and tactics for every match throughout 2 seasons of abject failure.

If this wasn't so hilarious I'd get wound up by it.

Thanks for putting a smile on my face and at the same time making even more of a mockery of already one of the most stupid and bizarre arguments put forward (albeit by a bitter handful) on HNA!

[Millsy]

Thank the man for his two fantastic seasons and move on.

that bit is fair enough, but the rest of the shite you keep coming out with is laughable at times. I think your problem is your expectations. Nobody is gonna argue that we have been disappointing over the last 2 years but do you really think another manager would have done better?! The grass isn't always greener.

Of course I think other managers could have done a much better job over the last 2 seasons (prepare yourself for life in the lower leagues if this isn't the case ) just as I feel it will be very hard for anyone to equal the success of his two best seasons.

PS. You are living proof that no one has a monopoly when it comes to posting sh*te on Hobnob.

Oh the irony.

[Forbury Lion]

Our midfield isn't shit. Kebe will mature as a player, Matejovski is an awesome talent that the rest of our team need to learn to work with, and although mostpeople would disagree, Hunt can be a very good player if he puts his mind to it, but e's been lacking in confidence all season and will probably leave us before we get a chance to see him at his best again.

The midfield is a sum of the midfielders.

Hunt can be a very good midfielder but thinking he's very good and being very good are two different things.
Kebe will mature but that's not helping right now
Matejovski has talent but that alone isn't enough

[boy1985]

Why Wasn't Armstrong's signature before August 10th though. It's also though why I put 'the club' at the end of my post. I'm still not quite sure how transfers work with RFC.

Hunt starting 4 games at left back was an utter nonsense in all honesty.

I assume it was because somebody messed us around and didn't sign.

I dunno what goes on with transfers either. The whole Fae thing was a joke, Hammond or a scout obviously rated him but Coppell clearly didn't, so what a waste of time and money that was.

[BR2]

Almost every other club has brought young players through in the past except Reading-ours have been few and far between.
Now we find ourselves in a position where a lot of our untried youngsters have played for other teams in the Championship and for Div 1 sides with some success and at last we have around a dozen or so players who MIGHT be able to step up.
Whether at one year older they will be good enough to compete for a place at Championship (or whisper it Premiership)level time will tell.
The good side had a number of top players in their early 20s in Shorey,Doyle,Kitson,Sonko etc whereas the current side hasn't and as things stand with 79 points(?) as opposed to 106 I think we are well behind the class of 2006.

Early on this season Vision said that he would take a season or two at this level for a chance to develop the youngsters and since the jumbled approach of the last 18 months leading to relegation I now agree with him.
There is really no point in this team in it's current format going up as a lot of money would need to be spent to create a side to survive IMHO which is a shame because as clubs like Leeds,Norwich,Leicester etc have found you can't just turn the tap on when you feel like it.

If we don't go up I think either the chairman will have one final splash on trying to buy our way back up when he realises that the parachute payments will stop or it goes the other way and we rely on the many youngsters stepping up successfully.

[Royalee]

We'd supposedly been tracking Fae for over a year, so you would have thought Coppell had seen him play somehow!

[Woodcote Royal]

The one change we mustn't make is that of the manager.

Coppell should definitely stay. He is the best manager in our history.

For two seasons and has since presided over one of the worst declines in our history whilst deluded sections of the fan base have blamed everyone except the man who, assembled the squad, refused to spend his budget and picked the team, formation and tactics for every match throughout 2 seasons of abject failure.

If this wasn't so hilarious I'd get wound up by it.

Thanks for putting a smile on my face and at the same time making even more of a mockery of already one of the most stupid and bizarre arguments put forward (albeit by a bitter handful) on HNA!

No probs.

If life in your Coppell bubble make you happy why concern yourself with mere trifles such as reality?

[Alan Partridge]

We'd supposedly been tracking Fae for over a year, so you would have thought Coppell had seen him play somehow!

He said that he'd only seen the video and had never seen him play live.

Not sure if that is still the case of players we sign, but Coppell really should be the man saying he's what i want and the others can then sort the deal out. But really Coppell is the man that will recieve flak if it doesn't work out. He is the man that needs to take the responsibility and a more hands on approach to who signs and who doesn't. Maybe he is or was too trusting to others judgement on potential signings.

[boy1985]

We'd supposedly been tracking Fae for over a year, so you would have thought Coppell had seen him play somehow!

He said that he'd only seen the video and had never seen him play live.

Not sure if that is still the case of players we sign, but Coppell really should be the man saying he's what i want and the others can then sort the deal out. But really Coppell is the man that will recieve flak if it doesn't work out. He is the man that needs to take the responsibility and a more hands on approach to who signs and who doesn't. Maybe he is or was too trusting to others judgement on potential signings.

'greed

[Royalee]

We'd supposedly been tracking Fae for over a year, so you would have thought Coppell had seen him play somehow!

He said that he'd only seen the video and had never seen him play live.

Not sure if that is still the case of players we sign, but Coppell really should be the man saying he's what i want and the others can then sort the deal out. But really Coppell is the man that will recieve flak if it doesn't work out. He is the man that needs to take the responsibility and a more hands on approach to who signs and who doesn't. Maybe he is or was too trusting to others judgement on potential signings.

Agreed AP, the manager needs to delegate to the staff he has and accept responsibility - didn't he only see Doyle play once? Plenty on here want to give him the plaudits for that yet don't give Hammond any credit, it's funny how blinkered some are when the tables are turned.

[readingbedding]

Oh I love the pre-playoff time!

[Arch]

Coppell is the man that despite knowing his left back wanted out and was going played the first 4 matches of the season without a left back. There are many points you can look at as to how and why Reading didn't go on and win this pitiful league but that would be a good place to start. Forest and Charlton, two dire sides took points of Reading in the opening couple of games. Why hadn't a left back joined before the season started?

I don't think that's the right place to look, AP. However mysterious SC's dealings in the transfer market can seem, and notwithstanding the slow start, it's hard to argue that he looked to have got it right by mid-September, and it was still hard to argue with that at Christmas. Like the method of dealing with LB or not, the Armstrong signing worked for us. The first half of the season as a package was evidence of his managerial strengths and the reason why people think he's great. The failure has been all about the second half, and all about Coppell's most manifest weakness which is to fail to motivate a team in a slump. It was Coppell's team that dismantled Swansea and Bristol City in September and essentially the same team that weren't at the races against the same opposition this spring.

[Royal Rother]

He's great at keeping his players' feet on the ground, but not so good at picking them up off it.

[Snowball]

Coppell is the man that despite knowing his left back wanted out and was going played the first 4 matches of the season without a left back. There are many points you can look at as to how and why Reading didn't go on and win this pitiful league but that would be a good place to start. Forest and Charlton, two dire sides took points of Reading in the opening couple of games. Why hadn't a left back joined before the season started?

I don't think that's the right place to look, AP. However mysterious SC's dealings in the transfer market can seem, and notwithstanding the slow start, it's hard to argue that he looked to have got it right by mid-September, and it was still hard to argue with that at Christmas. Like the method of dealing with LB or not, the Armstrong signing worked for us. The first half of the season as a package was evidence of his managerial strengths and the reason why people think he's great. The failure has been all about the second half, and all about Coppell's most manifest weakness which is to fail to motivate a team in a slump. It was Coppell's team that dismantled Swansea and Bristol City in September and essentially the same team that weren't at the races against the same opposition this spring.

Smack on.



Did folks read where Copps said he didn't want to make a big deal of it but they'd been covering up a lot of injuries?

He persisted playing Doyle almost 90 minutes every game and KD eventually broke down/burnt out

The 60-30 share for Hunt/Long now looks like he was playing Hunt as much as he could

Stretch had had very long term injuries and was suspect.

How long was Ingi carrying his problems before it all got too much?

I know all players carry niggles, but...

[Royalee]

Coppell prepared for this excellently by refusing to blood Pearce and sending Mooney out on loan and Cox out permanently. Of course he is exempt from blame as usual though.

[brendywendy]

except when he did blood pearce of course