cmonurz What grates with me Wimb, and despite thinking about it for a while today, I still can't quite put it into words properly - but it just feels like we have chosen to begin a new era. And that's not right.
A 'new era' happens naturally - a couple of senior players retire, a star player moves on, results worsen a little, and so on. But this feels like a decline that set in at the very top during the second half of last season that we have just let happen. Let us not forget we came 4th last time - contrary to many of the posts on this thread, I think that does give Reading fans a right to expect a promotion challenge this season.
We have taken a lot of transfer fees this summer, and yet we are not investing.
I don't know, it just feels, and has done for some time, like we aren't really trying. I know I'm losing enthusiasm for it for the 'fight', because it doesn't seem to me that the club is.
Why have we not replaced our strikers? What are our goals for this season? I can't get my head around it.
I think I can see where you're coming from URZ I think it stems back from the feeling that we should never have been relegated, then shouldn't have imploded last year. I think if we'd been god awful in the Premier League that second season, and struggled from the off last year, then it wouldn't be such a culture shock to be rebuilding.
I've said it in other threads but the team that we all think so fondly off wasn't built in a day, but it was built around 3 or 4 key players, Sidwell, Kitson, Little, Murty etc. I really do think we have a decent spine here with the likes of Fed, Mills, Pearce, Marek, Harper, Hunt. If you add a couple of big names plus the loan signings of the likes of Berty then suddenly we'll be picking up points.
I've always been in the 'be realistic we can't spend loads' camp but even I'm a bit dissapointed at the lack of investment this year. However, I'm waiting until the end of the window before passing judgement. As of today, BR still has nearly 2 weeks to draft in some players and he HAS been saying all along he wants 2 more in. I can't beleive for a second that BR believes that this exact group of players has what it takes, but it's what he has to work with.
We have a blank canvas at the moment with a bit of cash, promising youngsters and a few loyal vets. I honestly believe we'll be up there next year.
Anyways I shouldn't be optimistic