Are we being tight?

[surrounded by saints]

signing players late in the close season , i.e. after training has started, and often after pre season trips and friendlys means it will take a good month or so of the season before a new signing gets to know how we play.surely that is one good reason for signing earlier.just my own personal opinion folks, i just would rather start the season with all the players we expect to sign already on board.

[Silver Fox]

And the season doesn't start for 71 days

[6ft Kerplunk]

No point rushing to make a signing before we find out who the UEFA 2012 player of the tournament is.

[pea]

signing players late in the close season , i.e. after training has started, and often after pre season trips and friendlys means it will take a good month or so of the season before a new signing gets to know how we play.surely that is one good reason for signing earlier.just my own personal opinion folks, i just would rather start the season with all the players we expect to sign already on board.

yeah because Roberts has such a terrible first month or so...

[RoyalBlue]

signing players late in the close season , i.e. after training has started, and often after pre season trips and friendlys means it will take a good month or so of the season before a new signing gets to know how we play.surely that is one good reason for signing earlier.just my own personal opinion folks, i just would rather start the season with all the players we expect to sign already on board.

yeah because Roberts has such a terrible first month or so...

And perhaps it's because of these single swallow spotters that we always tend to have piss poor summers!

Roberts was a single (that's not marital status!), very experienced player who dropped down a league and joined a team that had already started to fire on all cylinders.

I bet if you were to ask McDermott or any other manager, they would pefer to get their new players on as early as possible and certainly before all of the pre-season trips/friendlies are finished.

Does anyone really want to try and play catch up in the PL this coming season?

Waiting a few more weeks, missing out on players because we don't fancy a bidding war etc. will not remove the cash cow label from RFC. They know the new owners have money and they also know they are prepared to spend it if that needs doing to keep the club in the PL. Someone who puts money into transfers before they have even bought a club is not likely to be regarded as over cautious with their money.

[Ian Royal]

And the season doesn't start for 71 days

The players aren't even back from holiday yet, are they?

[Avon Royal]

West Ham are buying players, Saints are buying players, we are not.

Guess who is most likely to struggle.........

Sorry what? We signed someone before they both did, and a decent player at that. We're all over a number of targets. We can't get them all. There will always be more no's than yes'. And it's only mid-June! Dear me!

Avon calling.

Was slightly tongue in cheek but never mind

[Barry the bird boggler]

No we are not being tight. Season doesn't start for another 2 months and players are either at the Euros or on holiday and don't want to make decisions until late June/early July so they can assess all interest

So far we've signed McLeary, Sigurdsson will be off to Liverpool and we have various offers and deals in the process of being negotiated pending player's return and weighing up of all their options.

[Friday's Legacy]

Agreed. As soon as a few players starting moving about, others will become available as well. It's still very early on. We're currently talking to four players. Hopefully before pre-season one or two of them will come to fruition, as Brian said he wanted three in before pre-season begins.

[jonboy29red]

no rush most players contracts don`t run out till the start of july and if u look at interviews that hammond in the post the budget was being set last week on how much was avalible

[Pseud O'Nym]

When you bid for something do you always go in with your top price?

Exactly. We shouldn't go to 3 three million until they throw in a gourd, or at least some extra toppings.

[RoyalBlue]

When you bid for something do you always go in with your top price?

No, but I make sure I've made that bid before the gavel hits the block!

[Franchise FC]

When you bid for something do you always go in with your top price?

No, but I make sure I've made that bid before the gavel hits the block!

What's the list of players we've missed out on ?
The gavel hasn't even got the auctioneers stubby fingers on it. IT'S ONLY JUNE

[Cypry]

Seems to be lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth over nothing at the moment....

We will pay what we believe a player to be worth, to us as a club.....if another club comes in and is prepared to pay more than we believe the player is worth, we will not get into a pissing contest - that's the "Reading way"....

The most important thing as far as I can see is that any incoming player fully buys into the ethos of the manager and dressing room - there's no place for Billy Big Bollocks - Roberts bought in fully and look what happened there!!!

We will be talking to players, working out what they'll add to the team, and what would be an appropriate bid - what they're worth to us....

People seem to have got really het up about players such as young Sigurdarson - we will only pay what we believe he's worth, and whilst he seems to have a great talent, and will probably be a great player in years to come, we've got to consider what he will actually add to our squad next year. Our aim will be to win the Premier League, fanciful perhaps, but there's no point in aiming any lower. In reality our primary goal will be survival, and how will an unproven (at Premier League level) youngster really help in that - realistically he would be unlikely to be commanding a start in many games, more likely a rarely used bench warmer. So why the hell would we want to break our transfer record for someone who is unlikely to add all that much next year anyway....At £1M he would be worth a punt for us, but if Wolves are going to pay nigh on £2.8M then they obviously believe that he would be a big part of their push for promotion back to the PL next year.


I look on it in the same way that I would buy a car - I look at the motor, how much I think it's worth, how much it's going to cost me to run, what work I might need to do on it, and set my top price accordingly - if I cannot agree to meet, or beat, my top price I walk away and look for another motor that'll do the same work for a price I am prepared to pay. Equally, the car needs to meet my requirements at that moment in time - if I need a family car I ain't going to go out and buy a Caterham just because it looks flash and suits my image (not that it would, just saying like) - more likely I'll spend similar, or less money on a suitable 5 door estate....

This is the way that our football club is run, we make sensible buys, for sensible money, and if that takes a while then sobeit...

[Ian Royal]

I disagree our aim will be to win the PL that's just pie in the sky. We'll want to primarily do enough to survive, secondarily to finish top half and thirdly to finish in the European places.

But ultimately our aim will be to go out and win each game. We'll worry about the table if we're struggling at the bottom (although we'll try and ignore it and carry on with the WNG philosophy. Where we finish will simply be a product of how well we match up to our philosophy.

Otherwise spot on IMO

[buckingham royal]

We can all remember the hype from the last time - crazy money for over-hyped players. Choose carefully !!

[RoyalBlue]

When you bid for something do you always go in with your top price?

No, but I make sure I've made that bid before the gavel hits the block!

What's the list of players we've missed out on ?
The gavel hasn't even got the auctioneers stubby fingers on it. IT'S ONLY JUNE

Nor did I say anything different. However, two things remain unchanged. In the past there have been times when RFC have appeared to have missed out by leaving their top price too late. Most, if not all managers, would prefer to have their squads settled and new players integrated sooner rather than later.

[LanercostRoyal]

Agreed. As soon as a few players starting moving about, others will become available as well. It's still very early on. We're currently talking to four players. Hopefully before pre-season one or two of them will come to fruition, as Brian said he wanted three in before pre-season begins.

Which four players are these? So many rumours milling round, i've forgotten what IS happening and what ISN'T !

Thanks

[andrew1957]

The problem is we are all bored and would like something to happen but I am sure good player additions are on the way and I fully trust in Brian and NK to deliver.

[rhroyal]

The problem is we are all bored and would like something to happen but I am sure good player additions are on the way and I fully trust in Brian and NK to deliver.

Aye; I'm sure we'll get the players we need but I'm getting quite bored of all the speculation and nothing happening. Impatient 21st century man.