Could we be involved in a relegation battle?

[FiNeRaIn]

With an Unknown Manager, the sale of our best players over the last two seasons, no one brought in and the talk of playing several young players with no championship experience. This smacks of southamptons plight in the last year or so. Do you think we could be involved in a relegation battle?

[Terminal Boardom]

I think that it is fair to assume that there will be at least 3 teams worse than us this season. Barnsley, Plymouth, Watford, Scunny, and Palace just for starters. We will be fine. Mid table at worst, play-offs at best.

[stl_royal]

why do people insist on these hypotheticals. anyone COULD be involved in a relegation battle, we wont know until the season kicks off and results start coming in. i dont think we will be in a relegation fight myself. my guess is low-mid table finish, though im hoping for better.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

I think that it is fair to assume that there will be at least 3 teams worse than us this season. Barnsley, Plymouth, Watford, Scunny, and Palace just for starters. We will be fine. Mid table at worst, play-offs at best.

as was said the year we came down from the prem, anything could happen.

[floyd__streete]

With an Unknown Manager, the sale of our best players over the last two seasons, no one brought in and the talk of playing several young players with no championship experience. This smacks of southamptons plight in the last year or so. Do you think we could be involved in a relegation battle?

Difference between us and Southampton is that we aren't in the financially dire straits they were last season, so if our young players fail we can panic-buy ouy way out of trouble in Jan.

[Gordons Cumming]

With an Unknown Manager, the sale of our best players over the last two seasons, no one brought in and the talk of playing several young players with no championship experience. This smacks of southamptons plight in the last year or so. Do you think we could be involved in a relegation battle?

Sing a different song. You're becoming tiresome.

[floyd__streete]

With an Unknown Manager, the sale of our best players over the last two seasons, no one brought in and the talk of playing several young players with no championship experience. This smacks of southamptons plight in the last year or so. Do you think we could be involved in a relegation battle?

Sing a different song. You're becoming tiresome.

Oh christ, don't encourage him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQnUE4ZF ... 25&index=0

[Tamworth_Royal]

As Madejski has cut the cloth to the bear threads there is only one way our club is going …….. and it isn’t up. FFS the clubs transfer targets are kiddy loan players at best and puppet Hammond can't even secure them . When we are in peril come January the excuse not to buy anyone will be no parachute payments next year and it will be like the last two seasons SELL SELL SELL anyone pocket pocket pocket.

Ambition......... looking forward to the season..........your deluded Madejski

[Tilehurst Mike]

As Madejski has cut the cloth to the bear threads there is only one way our club is going …….. and it isn’t up. FFS the clubs transfer targets are kiddy loan players at best and puppet Hammond can't even secure them . When we are in peril come January the excuse not to buy anyone will be no parachute payments next year and it will be like the last two seasons SELL SELL SELL anyone pocket pocket pocket.

Ambition......... looking forward to the season..........your deluded Madejski

Best post of the year and agree 100%

[FiNeRaIn]

With an Unknown Manager, the sale of our best players over the last two seasons, no one brought in and the talk of playing several young players with no championship experience. This smacks of southamptons plight in the last year or so. Do you think we could be involved in a relegation battle?

Sing a different song. You're becoming tiresome.

However tired you are of me, multiply that by 10000 and thats how I feel about the clubs management for the last 2+ seasons.

[FiNeRaIn]

With an Unknown Manager, the sale of our best players over the last two seasons, no one brought in and the talk of playing several young players with no championship experience. This smacks of southamptons plight in the last year or so. Do you think we could be involved in a relegation battle?

Difference between us and Southampton is that we aren't in the financially dire straits they were last season, so if our young players fail we can panic-buy ouy way out of trouble in Jan.

When was the last time we panic bought?

I can see the excuses in january already: Madejski: " The boys are good enough to get us out of this mess".

[2.8 lita injection]

Given our performances after christmas then you would think so, the only thing that has changed well apart from losing our top striker is the manager.

Given that we lacked leaders on the pitch last and nothing has changed i predict very pretty football but if we dont score then we will fold, i am already on at 15/1 for us to be relegated.

I still cant believe this club that finished 8th in the prem is in this position.

[floyd__streete]

When was the last time we panic bought?

Fair point - last time we did that in March 1998 Tommy Burns signed seven absolute turkeys on deadline day and we went on to finish dead last . I think Mr Madj learned a lesson from those days!

The interesting thing is that for all the bantering, WUMming and wind-ups on the forum this summer we haven't really got a bloody clue how we'll do have we? We've all bemoaned the lack of academy products over the past decade and although the timing of this batch of supposedly prodigious ralents is somewhat suspicious I guess they deserve their chance if - for whatever reason - the club has decided to rely on our home grown players next season.

[Snowball]

Leeds United, challenging for the top-spot in the Premiership
and semi-final of the Champions League, but overspent


and look at them now



Charlton, always well up in the Prem, tried to go a bit higher

and look at them now


This club is soundly run, brilliantly run

[FiNeRaIn]

Leeds United, challenging for the top-spot in the Premiership
and semi-final of the Champions League, but overspent

and look at them now

Charlton, always well up in the Prem, tried to go a bit higher

and look at them now

This club is soundly run, brilliantly run

You are a div. Two completely ridiculous comparisons.

Charlton got relegated because curbishly wanted to manage a club with more ambition.
Leeds overspent millions with money they didn't have.

Im asking the club to spend money WE ACTUALLY HAVE.

[reading98]

Its time for the kids to sink or swim we have heard people at the club talking these players up for the last few years so now lets see if they are good enough.

Pesonally I feel we will be mid table but unless we get a striker we could easily get sucked into a relegation mix. We struggled to score goals after xmas last season with 5 strikers at the mo we are going into the season with 3 and 1 that has never played champ football before apart from that game last season. I like long as an impact player but as a leading striker who is going to get us 18 - 20 goals sorry it wont happen his first touch lets him down to often.

And the sooner Hunt goes the better the squad will be he always looks pissed off whenever I see him in interviews so cant be good for morale just wish he would remember that if we didnt save him at the 11th hour here would of been a Bradford player and ended up in league 2 for his career.

[yappy]

When was the last time we panic bought?

Fair point - last time we did that in March 1998 Tommy Burns signed seven absolute turkeys on deadline day and we went on to finish dead last . I think Mr Madj learned a lesson from those days!

I think we've panic bought a good few times since then, however the record of doing so isn't great. Last season it could be argued Kitson and Little were panic 'loans' as we bought them in after a sudden dip in form. Going back it could also be said Ferdinand and Keown were bought in to try and rescue our faltering promotion hopes and we both know what happened in those seasons...

[Plymouth_Royal]

With an Unknown Manager, the sale of our best players over the last two seasons, no one brought in and the talk of playing several young players with no championship experience. This smacks of southamptons plight in the last year or so. Do you think we could be involved in a relegation battle?

Difference between us and Southampton, is a lot.

The core of our team for next season is going to be some experienced professionals in matejovsky, harper, rosenior, ivar, cisse, gunnarsson,tabb, n.hunt, bikey and kebe. Obviously they won't all play but the majority will. Then we have the youngsters and fed who have league experience of over 30 games, albeit in league 1 and 2. But in karacan, pearce, bertrand and fed they have all played and done well at this level. Southampton however threw in a lot of kids with no or little league experience at all. Secondly, I strongly believe we are not financially as tight as the club make out to be. I was told from a very professional businessman who has dealt with Mr mad for his madjeski hotel that he has only invested 2 million from his own pocket into the club. I know its a big claim and a lot of you will laugh at this but I believed it. The rest of the money has come from bank loans and shareholders. I'm no expert on business as I've just finished higher education, but if I was to have a guess then maybe why he cant sell the club is because he's asking for big millions for something he's put little into from his own pocket. However, whether true or not, we're still a well run club and we do have some exciting young experienced players that are keen to impress and hopefully take us forward. Plus, we have a manager who is well respected by young players, Mourinho, Chelsea's star studded team and surely that's an inspiration to the youngsters. Imagine what its been like for church, henry, kanu and co who have been itching to play for a couple of years only to have overpaid and egotistical players under performing in front of them, and a manager reluctant to play them. Now is their chance and I'm sure they're going to want to show us and former management what the club can produce. However, I do understand what you mean as it being a risk with youngsters in terms of consistency and as you've said some teams like Southampton have suffered as a result. But, there are some successes. Look at Arsenal, Manchester utd, west ham and Everton. They produce a lot of youngsters that are given a chance and if they're good enough they play and do well. You could argue that they spend millions by poaching they're younger players from places (not so much the last 2), but so have we have to a lesser extent. Karacan was from wimbledon, pearce from oxford, davies from aldershot, church from wycombe, sigurdsson from iceland, kelly from arsenal and im sure there's more. Anyway, I'm not casting judgement on them or the manager until we are well into the season and I think the best thing we as supporters can do is what we pay for, support our team!

[AthleticoSpizz]

At a guess, yes we could be involved in a relegation battle, alternatively, we will not

[Gordons Cumming]

With an Unknown Manager, the sale of our best players over the last two seasons, no one brought in and the talk of playing several young players with no championship experience. This smacks of southamptons plight in the last year or so. Do you think we could be involved in a relegation battle?

Difference between us and Southampton, is a lot.

The core of our team for next season is going to be some experienced professionals in matejovsky, harper, rosenior, ivar, cisse, gunnarsson,tabb, n.hunt, bikey and kebe. Obviously they won't all play but the majority will. Then we have the youngsters and fed who have league experience of over 30 games, albeit in league 1 and 2. But in karacan, pearce, bertrand and fed they have all played and done well at this level. Southampton however threw in a lot of kids with no or little league experience at all. Secondly, I strongly believe we are not financially as tight as the club make out to be. I was told from a very professional businessman who has dealt with Mr mad for his madjeski hotel that he has only invested 2 million from his own pocket into the club. I know its a big claim and a lot of you will laugh at this but I believed it. The rest of the money has come from bank loans and shareholders. I'm no expert on business as I've just finished higher education, but if I was to have a guess then maybe why he cant sell the club is because he's asking for big millions for something he's put little into from his own pocket. However, whether true or not, we're still a well run club and we do have some exciting young experienced players that are keen to impress and hopefully take us forward. Plus, we have a manager who is well respected by young players, Mourinho, Chelsea's star studded team and surely that's an inspiration to the youngsters. Imagine what its been like for church, henry, kanu and co who have been itching to play for a couple of years only to have overpaid and egotistical players under performing in front of them, and a manager reluctant to play them. Now is their chance and I'm sure they're going to want to show us and former management what the club can produce. However, I do understand what you mean as it being a risk with youngsters in terms of consistency and as you've said some teams like Southampton have suffered as a result. But, there are some successes. Look at Arsenal, Manchester utd, west ham and Everton. They produce a lot of youngsters that are given a chance and if they're good enough they play and do well. You could argue that they spend millions by poaching they're younger players from places (not so much the last 2), but so have we have to a lesser extent. Karacan was from wimbledon, pearce from oxford, davies from aldershot, church from wycombe, sigurdsson from iceland, kelly from arsenal and im sure there's more. Anyway, I'm not casting judgement on them or the manager until we are well into the season and I think the best thing we as supporters can do is what we pay for, support our team!

Got all that way without using paragraphs.

Well done!!!