Men against boys.....

[Avon Royal]

.....on this forum.

The petulant childish ranting of some people is astounding! I cannot believe the amount of reactionary drivel that is being posted, even after accounting for the usual wind-up merchants. I can't remember ever being so proud of my club, yet so ashamed of some of those who claim to be its supporters.

Like it or not our football club has changed. It is a new beginning and the timescales for success have changed. The blooding of a team of youngsters against Newcastle will not pay dividends this week, we may not even see the benefits this season, but the benefits will be there in years to come. I remember the backlash against Clive Woodward when he put an inexperienced team out against Australia, leading to a foreseeable humiliation seventy-odd to nil. A few years later England were world champions.

The Sky generation seem to demand immediate success. They crave instant gratification and demand that ever increasing amounts of money is spent to achieve their fix. They look at the Man City model and cry "That's what we need!", they can't see the difference between spending and investment. Real investment in the team is about more than money, it is also about investing effort, investing time and investing belief.

When Pards came in, we needed time but grew into a good team. When Coppell came in, we needed time but grew into the best team we've ever had. Anyone who seriously thinks that we won't need time with Rodgers is, frankly, an idiot. It is almost certain that we will be a Championship club for the next couple of years at least, steady progress measured over a realistic period of time is the order of the day.

One day it would be great if we could return to the top flight - but for the moment our ambitions need to be more tethered in reality. For those of us that have supported Reading through the really dark days, that reality isn’t so bad at all.

[Sir Dodger Royal]

Spot on young man but Brenda says she only needs one or two players.

SDR agrees with yourself that we need at least five. However that tight fisted old **** of a Chairman will not support the team to that extent.

I for one am not prepared to wait at least three seasons which is what Brenda is already indicating.

That is a complete lack of ambition. Real Facts.

[Avon Royal]

I for one am not prepared to wait at least three seasons which is what Brenda is already indicating.

Well, with all due respect, why don't you just piss off then?

[Bluey]

See ya later Simple Dero Retard, hope your new team goes well.

[ROKERITE]

I think there's reason to be very optimistic about the future if you're a Reading supporter, though perhaps not the immediate future. If Mr Madejski had chosen the wrong successor to Steve Coppell, Reading may have spent a decade or more out of the top flight. I think he's made an excellent appointment in Brendan Rodgers, and though promotion this season is unlikely I'm sure you'll be back in the Premier League within three years.

[Sir Dodger Royal]

Emmm is there any hope for the RTGs? Not in Dodger's World.

They are second rate like these kids who the RTGs believe are the salvation of RFC.

This Club had the smallest budget when in the Premiership and one of the smallest wage bills and has creamed off in excess of £130 million and is still looking to sell Bikey and Harper. Personally I reckon we should give the Madman a FREE transfer.

He is yesterdays man who reckons he is God's Gift to Berkshire. He has an ego even bigger than that belonging to SDR. But at least SDR talks sense, full frontal, no nonsense Real Facts where as the Madman spouts complete b******s. Apart from the RTGs does he believe the rest of us were born yesterday?

Real Facts in Real Time from the main mannnnnnnnnnn

[Murts-is-Lej]

Real Facts in Real Time from the main mannnnnnnnnnn

And Chief WUM - you've got to admit he's good at it - he even gets the odd trout to rise...

[howser]

The new wave that the club is on at the moment is to be encouraged, but, we have ripped apart a team that three years ago finished 8th in the Premiership, the spine has been taken out of the side and never been replaced. As has been said many times on these threads where has the determination and desire gone ? sadly in todays world of Proffesional football desire means spending , speculate to accumulate etc....... We have an amazing crop of very talented young players, but we risk ruining them as we don't have an acceptable level of experience to guide and teach them how to play at this level. I have been much critisised on this site for bleating on about lack of investment, but can anybody explain to me why we have fallen to where we are now ? we have constantly sold our top players and never replaced them, how long now since Sidwell left ??. In the second Premiership season, when we were struggling after Christmas we failed to kick start our season with some new blood in January, and we failed again at the same time last season, and drifted from a near certain promotion to become a poor play-off loser ! The club has done nothing over the past two seasons to give any impression that a return to the top flight is high on the agenda, if anything far from it. I think that Rodgers is an excellant choice of new manager, and he has a great track record of dealing with young players, however all the rants about Shane Long not being a good striker ??, hard to prove whether he is or isnt, when we dont have a midfield that is able to create any opportunities for him. There is no doubt that the present crop off youngsters have the potential, I just hope that we dont destroy them with a succession of defeats that could have terrible consequencies on thier futures. There are many on these threads that see no wrong on what has happened over the past couple of years, but even those must be starting to wonder just what the ambition and desire of the owner and club is after the past couple of season when we have made no appreciable efforts to originally keep and laterly secure, through promotion a premiership position. We are looking like we are becomming a "selling club" not really the title you want when all your supporters are wanting a return to the top league in Europe.

[2.8 lita injection]

Good post, but where is this good track record of BR ?

6 months at watford and he is suddenly the best manager on the planet, it doesnt add up.

[79Royal]

I remember the backlash against Clive Woodward when he put an inexperienced team out against Australia, leading to a foreseeable humiliation seventy-odd to nil. A few years later England were world champions.

England Rugby don't play in a league format, nor are they at risk of losing their better players and a lot of revenue due to relegation. You can't use that example, it's totally out of context.

I agree that this team needs time, but for BR's plan to work, we need to be in this division. It's not panic stations by any means, but there were enough signs yesterday that Brendan's decision to play a team full of youngsters won't work every week. I don't know if Harper is fully fit, but if he is, he should have started.

We've still got a makeshift defence until Ivar is back and Mills is fully fit, Hunt and Marek aren't match fit either. We do need those signings that Rodgers keeps talking about though, the current squad is still too light, but there is still good reason to think that we'll get it right eventually.

[howser]

What I mean 2.8 is he has a good track record with young players, as we are obvioulsy going down the youth route he was the best for the job.

[brendywendy]

couple o players required and a shift in balance toward experience and well be fine. And whst the hell has cisse done wrong ffs

[torbayroyal]

It wasnt that bad! apart from the annoying power cuts in the south west.

These youngsters have been farmed out to lower league clubs and have done well. This is another step up for them. It will take time. These youngsters have to develop in every way. We have all seen the odd younster come into the team and need time to settle and develop. I can remember Ade Williams as a skinny teenager and he went on to play for his country. (or was it Wales)
They will learn from yesterdays defeat. Newcastle away was a big challenge especially with all thats going on up there.

I think that we need some more games before throwing the baby away with the bath water.

As an old timer who has seen a lot of bad Reading sides, this is a real good time to be a Reading fan.

Ps. look out for tv programme on John madejski on bbc 4 soon

[Agent Balti]

I would hope that finally the a result like yesterday would open up the eyes of many that still think that we have the tools to be promoted. We don't.

There was plenty to be proud of in yesterdays performance, but plenty to work on. For all those that say we are a selling club - yes, we are at the moment for the very simple reason that WE HAVE TO. Find me any club that has been relegated from the top flight and still retained its players TWO seasons in. It just does not happen. Take yesterdays opponents, look at all the players they had to ship out - Owen, Viduka, Martins, Beye, Cacapa, Bassong, (Duff) - why? Surely a club as big as Newcastle with all the support they get can keep these types to get back up first time of asking? NO.

If they can't do it, there's no logical reason why RFC can do it. OK, it's stretch the point slightly as Newcastle's turnover is far in excess of ours, but the fact still remains - it's all about finances and balances. Sell whilst stocks are high, move on those whose wages are more of a blight than a justifiable risk.

The whole idea of us being able to challenge this year 'just because we're Reading' is clearly nuts. Every aspect of the club has changed this season (and it needed to) but results cannot be achieved without breaking eggs. We will have to learn how win with this formation (though scoring would be nice!) Then the confidence will breed. For those who watched the game yesterday thinking we would win against what is still a very, very strong Toon, well I applaud your...confidence, but unless Smith had been sent off - then it was never going to happen. We won't win against teams like that for a while to come yet. We just do not have the resources - that does not mean we should have kept our former resources, just that we're not at the same level now in many ways.

Viva la Revolution, but get on board soon as this club is moving in a direction which will not be changing any time soon.

[Northern Git]

I would hope that finally the a result like yesterday would open up the eyes of many that still think that we have the tools to be promoted. We don't.

There was plenty to be proud of in yesterdays performance, but plenty to work on. For all those that say we are a selling club - yes, we are at the moment for the very simple reason that WE HAVE TO. Find me any club that has been relegated from the top flight and still retained its players TWO seasons in. It just does not happen. Take yesterdays opponents, look at all the players they had to ship out - Owen, Viduka, Martins, Beye, Cacapa, Bassong, (Duff) - why? Surely a club as big as Newcastle with all the support they get can keep these types to get back up first time of asking? NO.

If they can't do it, there's no logical reason why RFC can do it. OK, it's stretch the point slightly as Newcastle's turnover is far in excess of ours, but the fact still remains - it's all about finances and balances. Sell whilst stocks are high, move on those whose wages are more of a blight than a justifiable risk.

The whole idea of us being able to challenge this year 'just because we're Reading' is clearly nuts. Every aspect of the club has changed this season (and it needed to) but results cannot be achieved without breaking eggs. We will have to learn how win with this formation (though scoring would be nice!) Then the confidence will breed. For those who watched the game yesterday thinking we would win against what is still a very, very strong Toon, well I applaud your...confidence, but unless Smith had been sent off - then it was never going to happen. We won't win against teams like that for a while to come yet. We just do not have the resources - that does not mean we should have kept our former resources, just that we're not at the same level now in many ways.

Viva la Revolution, but get on board soon as this club is moving in a direction which will not be changing any time soon.

As that direction has been slowly downwards for the last couple of seasons I really hope that the direction does change soon.

As for not expecting to win 'for a while against teams like that' may i respectfully point out that the Championship contains may strong, skillfull teams (we were one ourselves not long ago) and if we dont expect to compete with them, and win a few games, then this season is going to be a very long and painfull one.

[Agent Balti]

[Viva la Revolution, but get on board soon as this club is moving in a direction which will not be changing any time soon.

As that direction has been slowly downwards for the last couple of seasons I really hope that the direction does change soon.

As for not expecting to win 'for a while against teams like that' may i respectfully point out that the Championship contains may strong, skillfull teams (we were one ourselves not long ago) and if we dont expect to compete with them, and win a few games, then this season is going to be a very long and painfull one.[/quote]

In my mind, the direction is a change for the better already. We could not have got much worse than what we were - sterile, bereft of skill, trading on past glories.

As for 'teams like that', I mean very, very strong Premiership quality teams. The Championship is never as good as is painted out to be, last season was a shocker, but you're right - it will be a hard slog this season. Hopefully we'll acquire a few more experienced players to ease the transition.

[Deathy]

Can we rename this thread Meat against Veg?

[Agent Balti]

[Viva la Revolution, but get on board soon as this club is moving in a direction which will not be changing any time soon.

As that direction has been slowly downwards for the last couple of seasons I really hope that the direction does change soon.

As for not expecting to win 'for a while against teams like that' may i respectfully point out that the Championship contains may strong, skillfull teams (we were one ourselves not long ago) and if we dont expect to compete with them, and win a few games, then this season is going to be a very long and painfull one.

In my mind, the direction is a change for the better already. We could not have got much worse than what we were - sterile, bereft of skill, trading on past glories.

As for 'teams like that', I mean very, very strong Premiership quality teams. The Championship is never as good as is painted out to be, last season was a shocker, but you're right - it will be a hard slog this season. Hopefully we'll acquire a few more experienced players to ease the transition.

[floyd__streete]

I can't remember ever being so proud of my club

Serious question - and if you'll permit me to paint a scarcely believable hypothesis - if the team were to get relegated this season would you be quite as proud? I wonder whether Southampton supporters were proud last season as their youngsters pulled off a series of excellent one-off results - they were, for my money, the best team I saw at the Madejski last season - on the way to getting relegated?

[Royalshow]

.....on this forum.
The Sky generation seem to demand immediate success. They crave instant gratification and demand that ever increasing amounts of money is spent to achieve their fix. They look at the Man City model and cry "That's what we need!", they can't see the difference between spending and investment. Real investment in the team is about more than money, it is also about investing effort, investing time and investing belief.

Exactly