Brenda says it will take two or three years!

[Northern Git]

Seems to me like there is one big problem with the 'Two to Three Years' plan.

Lets just for a minute speculate what may happen this season.

RFC start off with a poor run of form with the youngsters struggling to adjust to Championship football. Slowly the team adjusts, some players are dropped being replaced by more of the 'hungery youngsters', and we gradually creep up the league. A few of the youngsters start to shine (and I wont suggest who as I am sure we all have our own views on this) confidence increases, and by May we have finished a respectable 8th or so - just missing out on the play offs.

The season ends, Royals fans are feeling fairly happy and looking forward to the coming season with quiet confidence, and then the problems start.

Offers come in for the high achieving youngsters, probably from the teams just promoted to the premiership, more talk of 'cutting our cloth' 'loss of parachute payments' 'difficult economic conditions' 'we wont stand in their way' etc. and the teams assets are sold off again to 'balance' the books.

So we start year two of the TtTY plan weaker than this season.

I really don't see that BR can build and keep a stable and developing team over that period of time.

(Big sigh.) The reason he WILL be able to keep the young players is because we WON'T be desperate for money because we HAVEN'T spent all the money from recent transfers.

THAT is the vision.

Can you not see that?

(Big sigh back)
RR whilst I would love to think you are correct, however with your hand on your heart, can you honestly say that if in at the end of the season someone came in a substantial bid for Karakan, Henry or one of the others it would be turned down? I would be willing to bet you a couple of beers that it would not (and be more than happy to pay up if it were).
As for seeeing the vision as you described, no sorry I dont see it that way.

[Royal Rother]

Okay, well I have faith that JM has a desire to see the business he has spent 18 years nurturing and developing build on the success attained to date and that, to that end, he has a vision and a plan to achieve that.

Affection for the club or not, I cannot see the hugely ambitious Brendan Rodgers coming here if he believed there was a good chance that his career in management would stagnate as a result of the Chairman's lack of ambition.

You obviously don't share that faith.

If someone comes knocking and offering big money for one of our players next season then it would be assessed on merit but we would not HAVE to sell to generate funds because we have been prudent in the last couple of years. Not many clubs of our size will be in such a position.

We have shown over the last couple of years that we are quite capable of keeping the players we want to keep, and when we do sell, we generally get excellent fees.

[Deathy]

Okay, well I have faith that JM has a desire to see the business he has spent 18 years nurturing and developing build on the success attained to date and that, to that end, he has a vision and a plan to achieve that.

Affection for the club or not, I cannot see the hugely ambitious Brendan Rodgers coming here if he believed there was a good chance that his career in management would stagnate as a result of the Chairman's lack of ambition.

You obviously don't share that faith.

If someone comes knocking and offering big money for one of our players next season then it would be assessed on merit but we would not HAVE to sell to generate funds because we have been prudent in the last couple of years. Not many clubs of our size will be in such a position.

We have shown over the last couple of years that we are quite capable of keeping the players we want to keep, and when we do sell, we generally get excellent fees.

^ post!

[strap]

I'd say 2-3 years is optiistic. It took Sir Steve that long to build the 106 team, and he was starting from a far more advanced position in terms of existing team members, AND was allowed to spend some money.

Clearly BR is starting with the Youth Team and a few old heads who canlt be sold, and is NOT allowed to spend anything approaching the amount of money brought in by sales. So 3-5 years is a more likely scenario, unless Mr Mad sells up to someone who doesn't say one thing, ("serious about returning to the PL"), and does the exact opposite, ("no money to spend, cut the cloth blah blah").

Trouble is, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys, and a dip into League 1 cannot be ruled out. THAT would be too disastrous to contemplate, frankly. Anyone on here old enough to remember the 71-72 season? There do seem to be a few striking parallels.

[Royalee]

I'd say 2-3 years is optiistic. It took Sir Steve that long to build the 106 team, and he was starting from a far more advanced position in terms of existing team members, AND was allowed to spend some money.

Clearly BR is starting with the Youth Team and a few old heads who canlt be sold, and is NOT allowed to spend anything approaching the amount of money brought in by sales. So 3-5 years is a more likely scenario, unless Mr Mad sells up to someone who doesn't say one thing, ("serious about returning to the PL"), and does the exact opposite, ("no money to spend, cut the cloth blah blah").

Trouble is, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys, and a dip into League 1 cannot be ruled out. THAT would be too disastrous to contemplate, frankly. Anyone on here old enough to remember the 71-72 season? There do seem to be a few striking parallels.

You're getting very boring.

[Royal With Cheese]

I'd say 2-3 years is optiistic. It took Sir Steve that long to build the 106 team, and he was starting from a far more advanced position in terms of existing team members, AND was allowed to spend some money.

Clearly BR is starting with the Youth Team and a few old heads who canlt be sold, and is NOT allowed to spend anything approaching the amount of money brought in by sales. So 3-5 years is a more likely scenario, unless Mr Mad sells up to someone who doesn't say one thing, ("serious about returning to the PL"), and does the exact opposite, ("no money to spend, cut the cloth blah blah").

Trouble is, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys, and a dip into League 1 cannot be ruled out. THAT would be too disastrous to contemplate, frankly. Anyone on here old enough to remember the 71-72 season? There do seem to be a few striking parallels.

You're getting very boring.

I see where Strap's coming from. In fact if he didn't rant so much a bout Kebe more people would take him seriously.

[Ian Royal]

His point is undermined slightly by Rodgers have access to much better youth players with greater potential than the majority of players around when Coppell took over.

And of course that Rodgers has already spent more on one player than Coppell did on all his transfers in his first season at the club.

If Rodgers can't get us challenging in and around ther play offs/ edge of automatics within 3 years then he'll have failed and rightly we should get rid. Barring major issues beyond his control of course.

Promotion itself could take any length of time. It's so hard to actually get up. As long as we're challenging for it within 3 years that's ok.

[Seal]

Since when did our objective become promotion in 3 years?

When was the last time that a club still receiving parachute payments did not aim for promotion?

Didn't SJM talk about the Mills signing being a "sign of our ambition to get back to the Premiership".

I'm sorry, but if we struggle this season because of an over reliance on youth, that will be unacceptable in my eyes.

[weybridgewanderer]

2 games in and the vultures start circling

if we lose at Swansea tomorrow and again at home to the blades on saturday can I start to moan then?

[brendywendy]

His point is undermined slightly by Rodgers have access to much better youth players with greater potential than the majority of players around when Coppell took over.

And of course that Rodgers has already spent more on one player than Coppell did on all his transfers in his first season at the club.

If Rodgers can't get us challenging in and around ther play offs/ edge of automatics within 3 years then he'll have failed and rightly we should get rid. Barring major issues beyond his control of course.

Promotion itself could take any length of time. It's so hard to actually get up. As long as we're challenging for it within 3 years that's ok.

surely the difference in the money in column with rodgers 1st season make that stat slight irelevant

[rg6royal]

We're two games into the season. Anyone who starts writing off a good season is pathetic. Yes, we lost on Saturday, to a strong Newcastle side who I wasn't expecting us to take any points off. It's going to take a while for our new style to bed in, but once it does, it will be effective.

[ZacNaloen]

Short term plans - Long term plans.


that is the difference between what you are seeing and Madejski and the club are saying.

[Very near...far away]

Who's Brenda?
Who's "dodger royal"?

[Vision]

Since when did our objective become promotion in 3 years?

When was the last time that a club still receiving parachute payments did not aim for promotion?

Didn't SJM talk about the Mills signing being a "sign of our ambition to get back to the Premiership".

I'm sorry, but if we struggle this season because of an over reliance on youth, that will be unacceptable in my eyes.

Charlton and Watford just last season. Don't see too many noises around Derby about promotion this season either after their supposedly "ambitious" attempt to buy a 3rd team in 3 transfer windows last summer.

JM's has had 3 successful managers in his tenure. All of them took 3 years to deliver that success (Ie promotion) and all of them to differing degrees had their ups and downs and certain financial constraints to deal with along the way. What none of them had was the core availability of a whole host of young players finally looking like repaying an ongoing continuous investment from over 10 years standing.

Of course it may be that the majority of them hit the ground running and in the first season we challenge for the play-offs. Equally it may be that the majority of them may not quite prove to be good enough and we're battling relegation. Either way, this is the plan for the next 2 or 3 seasons so whether people find it "unacceptable" or not is irrlelavant because its what we're geared towards. Forget about the club's public utterances after signings its the same as any club does and its just bigging up the player as much as anything else. Imagine spending time convincing the lieks of Mills to sign and then declaring he's only here to make sure we survive relegation. Sadly we live in an age of hype and spin but I'm always surprised how many seem to take the club's PR statements so literally. Its their job to "sell the club".

That said I do think its a little more skewed in favour of youth at the moment than it might have been due to the Smith saga dragging its heels but mainly because rather freakily its the senior players that aren't quite up to speed due to injuries either pre-season or dating back to last season. Whether the likes of Hunt,Harper,Ingi or Matejovsky would be in the side had they been fully fit is open to debate but i suspect they may figure more in the coming weeks as their fitness levels improve.

[Northern Git]

Okay, well I have faith that JM has a desire to see the business he has spent 18 years nurturing and developing build on the success attained to date and that, to that end, he has a vision and a plan to achieve that.
Affection for the club or not, I cannot see the hugely ambitious Brendan Rodgers coming here if he believed there was a good chance that his career in management would stagnate as a result of the Chairman's lack of ambition.

You obviously don't share that faith.

If someone comes knocking and offering big money for one of our players next season then it would be assessed on merit but we would not HAVE to sell to generate funds because we have been prudent in the last couple of years. Not many clubs of our size will be in such a position.

We have shown over the last couple of years that we are quite capable of keeping the players we want to keep, and when we do sell, we generally get excellent fees.

And that, in a nutshell, is were you and I differ. I think that his comment 'of my job is done' when we reached the Premiership indicated his mind set. Now I believe he will be happy for RFC to go along in a fairly modest way, neither being relegated or promoted (both would cost to much), just about braking even or making a small profit untill he can sell the club and recoup his loan. He can then head off into the sun with all the plaudits of being RFCs best ever Chairman ringing in his ears.

[Vision]

Okay, well I have faith that JM has a desire to see the business he has spent 18 years nurturing and developing build on the success attained to date and that, to that end, he has a vision and a plan to achieve that.
Affection for the club or not, I cannot see the hugely ambitious Brendan Rodgers coming here if he believed there was a good chance that his career in management would stagnate as a result of the Chairman's lack of ambition.

You obviously don't share that faith.

If someone comes knocking and offering big money for one of our players next season then it would be assessed on merit but we would not HAVE to sell to generate funds because we have been prudent in the last couple of years. Not many clubs of our size will be in such a position.

We have shown over the last couple of years that we are quite capable of keeping the players we want to keep, and when we do sell, we generally get excellent fees.

And that, in a nutshell, is were you and I differ. I think that his comment 'of my job is done' when we reached the Premiership indicated his mind set. Now I believe he will be happy for RFC to go along in a fairly modest way, neither being relegated or promoted (both would cost to much), just about braking even or making a small profit untill he can sell the club and recoup his loan. He can then head off into the sun with all the plaudits of being RFCs best ever Chairman ringing in his ears.

Agree to a point as a self-sufficient football club has been the intention from the very off. You're right as well that a club like that becomes a far more attractive propostion for potential buyers. However if really maximising the sale value is the goal then what he really really wants is a Premiership club to sell. If he can acheive promotion whilst still breaking even (and lets face the last promotion season we were pretty squarely in the red) then he really does have a football club worth buying. And if it takes 3 years of gradually producing home-grown talent to do it then all the better I'd say.

[loyalroyal4life]

was there any particular reason why marek wasnt even on the bench

[Gus the teenage cow]

brenda hasn't convinced me yet

s/he seems more like a pr manager for the time being, media savvy, saying the right things, all seems well and good yet we can't buy a goal on the pitch where THE REAL EVALUATION should be made,
no doubt brenda and snowball well tell us that we have made a totla of 763 completed passes in these 2 games, a 29% increase on last year's average, unfortunately completed passes don't win games

[brendywendy]

I'd say 2-3 years is optiistic. It took Sir Steve that long to build the 106 team, and he was starting from a far more advanced position in terms of existing team members, AND was allowed to spend some money.

Clearly BR is starting with the Youth Team and a few old heads who canlt be sold, and is NOT allowed to spend anything approaching the amount of money brought in by sales. So 3-5 years is a more likely scenario, unless Mr Mad sells up to someone who doesn't say one thing, ("serious about returning to the PL"), and does the exact opposite, ("no money to spend, cut the cloth blah blah").

Trouble is, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys, and a dip into League 1 cannot be ruled out. THAT would be too disastrous to contemplate, frankly. Anyone on here old enough to remember the 71-72 season? There do seem to be a few striking parallels.

You're getting very boring.

says captain tedium

[Royalee]

Ha