We are down. So next season who stays and who goes?

[jellytot]

The season has been poor let's be honest. We never looked like staying up apart from one small period in Feb!

Teams have pretty much out played us home and away. (away we have been awful worst team in the league) Defensively we have been often slow and out of position. In the midfield we have had mostly water carriers who really do not like the ball and whack it when they get it. Up front (whoever has played there) has been starved of chances from open play because we have lacked creativity. Out wide our distribution has been mostly poor. Few players have made the step up from championship to PL level. The coaching staff have struggled too. In addition the clubs administrators have not come up with a decent strategy for success on the pitch. Transfer dealings have been poor and we have largely signed poor PL level players or lower league players... So what should we do?

Who needs to move on? What should our future strategy be?

The manager? Well if he stays I do not see him changing the way he likes to play. We do not play very good football at all. We need someone new in who can build a side who likes to pass. Also his decision making during games and team selection has been bizarre at times and has baffled a lot of fans. He has had his time. Parky might be someone we want to think about or Atkins. Please NOT DiCanio.

GK? Feds might get snapped up by someone so McCarthy may become number 1

Defensively - Pearce is off, keep the others except for probably Harte and Shorey who are a bit long in the tooth.

Midfield - Leigertwood and Jobi to go please although I do feel booing ML when being replaced was harsh even if I agree with the sentiment. (if Brian stays they will stay for ever) Keep Akpan, Carrico (let's see what he can do lol) Kebe will probably be sold. McCleary should be good in the Championship.

Upfront - Roberts will probably leave or retire (I hope he stays if fit) Pog is on far too high wages so will go. Hunt might need to move on. Fight to keep ALF and we shall see what Blackman can do.

We will need to make 5 or 6 signings minimum. Definitely a couple in the midfield, a striker, a central defender plus a left and right back.

This season a lack of class has told. We have tried hard but 100% is not enough in the PL you need more. Failing to beat Wigan and Villa home or away has done for us.

[ManchesterRoyals]

I think McCarthy Alfie and Pearce will go and Pog

[Divvy]

Out:

Manager
Pogrebnyak
Leigertwood
Harte
Hunt
Church
Tabb
Roberts
Carrico
Pearce

[Big Ern]

First to go, and sorry to say it, should be Brian.

[jellytot]

Hmm, Do we keep BM until the end of the season or replace him now? We are down. Perhaps it would be better if we replaced him during the international break. Least then the new man has 8 games to plan for next season.

Think bringing Coppel back would be a mistake. He has had his time.

[The Royal]

guthrie will be the first out the door, althought had he not have had akl his problems here i think he would have stayed and tried to come back up as he did with newcastle

[jellytot]

If we do replace BM we need to make sure we make the right appointment. Please change our style of football!!

[leicsRoyal]

We could have a HN sweep stake on the date of Federici's come and get me plea.

[RFCSPACE]

Hmm, Do we keep BM until the end of the season or replace him now? We are down. Perhaps it would be better if we replaced him during the international break. Least then the new man has 8 games to plan for next season.

Think bringing Coppel back would be a mistake. He has had his time.

I'd say change it now. At this stage we have nothing to lose, the only way is up.

At October I wanted him gone as it was evident the same tactics weren't working. To be fair, albeit far too late, he did change and I would've been happy for him to stay after showing some adaptability, but unfortunately we're back to where we were in October and once again BM has been too sluggish in changing things. We haven't got the time to wait for him to come to his senses again, so it's time to go.

[rhroyal]

Don't be rash about Leigertwood and McAnuff. They'll be in fine in the Champ; Jobi was actually alright when he got the ball in good areas today. Karacan has also proven his worth at that level.

Worry about losing Pearce; if other teams have been watching us carefully we may lose Mariappa too. If we can keep Mapps, he will make a great Championship pairing with Morrisson, with Gorkss as backup and possibly another new signing.

Akpan will be excellent, as I believe HRK will be. Kelly will be very solid, backed up by Gunter/Cummings.

In goal we have 4 viable Championship options; Feds, McCarthy, Taylor and Andersen. Fine.

So now to the problem areas.

We will lose Pog and Guthrie (I won't be shedding tears for either). Hunt's contract is up, a PL club may come in for ALF. Suddenly we look very light up front; Blackman is still raw and we'll need more experience even at Championship level. Left back is also an issue; we need to bring in some youth to challenge Harte and Shorey; they're not long term options which we can try and build upon.

As for Carrico, what is going on? I could see him leaving without making another appearance, or possibly being the next Matejovsky. Quite talented, but never quite adept to our 1990s style 'ave it! 4-4-2 philosophy.

Which brings me to my next point. If AZ is serious about making us a permanent fixture in the PL, he needs to go about bringing not just a new manager, but an entire management team who can get us to adapt a more modern, skilful style of football. This will be easier to work on in the Championship; we'd be ruthlessly picked apart if we tried such a development in the PL. We've already signed some coach from Ajax; promising sign although it clearly isn't have an effect yet.

At the time of Rodgers, I was cynical, but looking at the likes of Swansea, Wigan and just about every side we've played this season, I'm happy for us to take a step back and eventually arrive at the PL with a team capable of controlling a football and passing to each other. Even Stoke are capable of this. Saying that, can't afford to step all the way back to League 1, hence Rodgers' sacking.

[TBM]

Out:

Manager
Pogrebnyak
Leigertwood
Harte
Hunt
Church
Tabb
Roberts
Carrico
Pearce

lol why Carrico?

Nobody will take a player who isn't fit and hasn't played

[AirRaidSiren]

First to go, and sorry to say it, should be Brian.

This.

We could keep the majority of the squad under a new manager and I put good money on it that the new manager would get more out of the squad than Clueless McDermott

[MrWestHam]

I really think you should keep your manager.

Any man that has the managerial talent to inspire the sort of form you showed last season to win the Championship must be pretty talented. He's almost a victim of his own success. He wouldn't have been sacked for not getting you promoted last year yet he manages to over achieve and then has to compete in a division where he is woefully under resourced and lacking financial backing. The fact you're still not down and competing in amongst it is, by quite a few measures, still over achieving based on the talent and resources available.

Why do clubs have to keep shifting managers? Reading can now be seriously considered as a yo-yo club (not an insult, so are West Ham) and that brings with it the ability to attract the best Championship talent and some decent Premier League fringe players. I'd give him another couple of years to be able to learn from the lessons of this season in the hope that you'd get delivered back to the Prem in a season or two with a very experienced manger who has built a solid squad who can compete at the top level.

And that's before you look at the alternatives you've got to come in. Some boring journeyman like Curbishley, Warnock etc. I'd hardly back them to do better.

[jellytot]

Don't be rash about Leigertwood and McAnuff. They'll be in fine in the Champ; Jobi was actually alright when he got the ball in good areas today. Karacan has also proven his worth at that level.

Worry about losing Pearce; if other teams have been watching us carefully we may lose Mariappa too. If we can keep Mapps, he will make a great Championship pairing with Morrisson, with Gorkss as backup and possibly another new signing.

Akpan will be excellent, as I believe HRK will be. Kelly will be very solid, backed up by Gunter/Cummings.

In goal we have 4 viable Championship options; Feds, McCarthy, Taylor and Andersen. Fine.

So now to the problem areas.

We will lose Pog and Guthrie (I won't be shedding tears for either). Hunt's contract is up, a PL club may come in for ALF. Suddenly we look very light up front; Blackman is still raw and we'll need more experience even at Championship level. Left back is also an issue; we need to bring in some youth to challenge Harte and Shorey; they're not long term options which we can try and build upon.

As for Carrico, what is going on? I could see him leaving without making another appearance, or possibly being the next Matejovsky. Quite talented, but never quite adept to our 1990s style 'ave it! 4-4-2 philosophy.

Which brings me to my next point. If AZ is serious about making us a permanent fixture in the PL, he needs to go about bringing not just a new manager, but an entire management team who can get us to adapt a more modern, skilful style of football. This will be easier to work on in the Championship; we'd be ruthlessly picked apart if we tried such a development in the PL. We've already signed some coach from Ajax; promising sign although it clearly isn't have an effect yet.

At the time of Rodgers, I was cynical, but looking at the likes of Swansea, Wigan and just about every side we've played this season, I'm happy for us to take a step back and eventually arrive at the PL with a team capable of controlling a football and passing to each other. Even Stoke are capable of this. Saying that, can't afford to step all the way back to League 1, hence Rodgers' sacking.

Agreed. Do we do it now or wait until May?

[rhroyal]

I really think you should keep your manager.

Any man that has the managerial talent to inspire the sort of form you showed last season to win the Championship must be pretty talented. He's almost a victim of his own success. He wouldn't have been sacked for not getting you promoted last year yet he manages to over achieve and then has to compete in a division where he is woefully under resourced and lacking financial backing. The fact you're still not down and competing in amongst it is, by quite a few measures, still over achieving based on the talent and resources available.

Why do clubs have to keep shifting managers? Reading can now be seriously considered as a yo-yo club (not an insult, so are West Ham) and that brings with it the ability to attract the best Championship talent and some decent Premier League fringe players. I'd give him another couple of years to be able to learn from the lessons of this season in the hope that you'd get delivered back to the Prem in a season or two with a very experienced manger who has built a solid squad who can compete at the top level.

And that's before you look at the alternatives you've got to come in. Some boring journeyman like Curbishley, Warnock etc. I'd hardly back them to do better.

Very good points from a neutral, and granted that for his first 2 and a half years Brian was a miracle maker.

However, if you had watched us this season, you would know that our sit deep hoofball in an attempt to catch teams on the break is ruthlessly exposed at this level. It's embarrassing. If we're serious about settling in the PL, we need to adapt and play more possession football, as in the PL we spend our lives defending. Whilst McD worked miracles at a lower level, he did it playing the style which has proves so hopeless this season. We need a man who can change this if we want to establish at a higher level, I don't think it's McDermott.

Very much a victim of his own success; has shown how outdated on the pitch we are as a club. We would never have had this eye opening season had he been merely good in the Championship.

[littlejohnnyoster]

I know it's unfashionable atm to defend Jobi, but please, he is one of two or three players capable of anything creative. Today he created two goals, one unfairly judged as offside. The issue is when BM sticks him in the middle. It's utter madness, never seen anything from him in that position to think he can cut it there.

Carrico will go no doubt. Pog, Pearce, Harte, Shorey, Roberts and Taylor would probably follow. I actually think if a new boss came in Guthrie could stay for a season or so.

But yes, I think everyone is agreement about Brian. Playing Legs and Akpan in the middle, we all knew we weren't going to win. Carrico, Pog and Guthrie have been dreadful signings, and for all this talk of 'team spirit' and 'togetherness', the fact there has been such an issue with these three players, and Pearce, suggests to me this is a bit of a myth. Today as well, his substitutions were baffling.

Full of confidence for next year though as with (hopefully) Morrison, Mapps, Kebe, Karacan, HRK, Alfie et al, there is a really solid base to establish a decent championship side

[jellytot]

The club needs to be decisive in the next week or so.. Or will the normal dithering be seen?

[Divvy]

Out:

Manager
Pogrebnyak
Leigertwood
Harte
Hunt
Church
Tabb
Roberts
Carrico
Pearce

lol why Carrico?

Nobody will take a player who isn't fit and hasn't played

BM doesn't seem to rate him. I have a horrible feeling BM aint going nowhere.

[Wokingham via Waterloo]

FFS, dithering? The dithering that's given this club the longest sustained period of success in its history including two spells in the top flight and not a dull season for years? The dithering that has appointed a series of sought-after managers? The dithering that will leave a decent long-term platform for the future regardless of what happens for the rest of the season? If that's dithering then bring on more. Sure, there have been some bad decisions alongside the good, and I know everyone pays their money and has a right to do and say what they want, but if a lot of you think the only embarrassment today was the stuff on the pitch then you need to look at yourself a bit.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Ian Harte.