Announcements Today

[WoodleyRoyal]

Well of course he could but isn't he now only allowed out for 3 months? What would be the point?

Is this correct? are only 3 month loans allowed now? If so, AZ, Madejski and Hammond have F8cked up big time in this window. There are significant holes in our squad (strikers and central defenders) and you can't expect to fill them and mount a serious promotion push with 3 month loans.

Hammond might be good at selling (we can't actually tell as fees are undisclosed) but there is an ever growing body of evidence to suggest that he is shyte at signing players, particularly when competing against other clubs.

but it takes you into the january transfer window where you can buy/loan him till the end of the season

[TBM]

So basically they've been spending all morning trying to work out a way to let us down gently

Great

FOLD THE CLUB - SACK THE BOARD

[Ouroboros]

ROYALS REMAIN ACTIVE

This is really one in the eye for those of us who would like to see the club folded over this debacle.

[SydenhamRoyal]

Well of course he could but isn't he now only allowed out for 3 months? What would be the point?

To help a Conference side get back into the league

Or help Just Play United get up into Div 3 East of the Reading & District Sunday League

[Ian Royal]

I too would have liked us to have signed some more players (there's still a chance we have or will), but I'm not going to act like a little bitch and have a massive hissy fit because we haven't spent like QPR. It's embarrassing.

+1

[SLAMMED]

Well of course he could but isn't he now only allowed out for 3 months? What would be the point?

To help a Conference side get back into the league

Or help Just Play United get up into Div 3 East of the Reading & District Sunday League

They should have no problems getting out of that league tbf.

[Platypuss]

Well of course he could but isn't he now only allowed out for 3 months? What would be the point?

Is this correct? are only 3 month loans allowed now? If so, AZ, Madejski and Hammond have F8cked up big time in this window. There are significant holes in our squad (strikers and central defenders) and you can't expect to fill them and mount a serious promotion push with 3 month loans.

Hammond might be good at selling (we can't actually tell as fees are undisclosed) but there is an ever growing body of evidence to suggest that he is shyte at signing players, particularly when competing against other clubs.

but it takes you into the january transfer window where you can buy/loan him till the end of the season

As long as you ignore December.

[RoyalBlue]

I too would have liked us to have signed some more players (there's still a chance we have or will), but I'm not going to act like a little bitch and have a massive hissy fit because we haven't spent like QPR. It's embarrassing.

+1

Some more players? The manager made it quite clear that the job had not been completed with the early signings. And since that date we have signed no effing players. All Hammond accomplished was the sale of two, the departure of which has left us very weak in terms of cover for a critical position.

We didn't need to spend like QPR to improve on that. And having been left three players short of what he wanted, I wouldn't blame Adkins at all if he is throwing a hissy fit today.

[John Peel]

So it'll either be: we signed three amazing players last minute - in your f*cking faces, Reading doubters. Or it'll be a defensive press statement saying how we signed our three targets early on, followed by Nigel assuring us that we have enough strikers.

Which one will it be?

So they pulled the defensive press statement on us then. Great. I bet the press office f*cking hated writing this. This wound me right up when I read it:

The Royals have already signed Wayne Bridge, Danny Williams and Royston Drenthe this summer; with those additions we have a strong Championship squad and have named seven full internationals on the bench in recent weeks. We have also signed players on renewed contracts, and importantly retained top players despite interest from other clubs.

They forgot to add 'All hail Chairman Mao' at the end.

Someone said earlier on here that I'm not going to act like a little bitch and have a massive hissy fit because we haven't spent like QPR but I think that, and other remarks miss the point. I would love to be proved wrong, and there is still the loan window, but why can't we just admit that we performed well below par in business terms yesterday. Two decent players have gone and we bought no one yesterday when it is quite clear we need another CB back-up and another striker.

If we're not really aiming for the Premiership next year, just be honest about it and don't try and mug us off. I think I'd respect the club more if they were honest about things. To be honest, I don't mind the Championship and under Adkins we play a style of football that I like to watch. I won't lose sleep if we don't get promoted. Just don't bullsh*t us.

[RoyalTank]

So it'll either be: we signed three amazing players last minute - in your f*cking faces, Reading doubters. Or it'll be a defensive press statement saying how we signed our three targets early on, followed by Nigel assuring us that we have enough strikers.

Which one will it be?

So they pulled the defensive press statement on us then. Great. I bet the press office f*cking hated writing this. This wound me right up when I read it:

The Royals have already signed Wayne Bridge, Danny Williams and Royston Drenthe this summer; with those additions we have a strong Championship squad and have named seven full internationals on the bench in recent weeks. We have also signed players on renewed contracts, and importantly retained top players despite interest from other clubs.

They forgot to add 'All hail Chairman Mao' at the end.

Someone said earlier on here that I'm not going to act like a little bitch and have a massive hissy fit because we haven't spent like QPR but I think that, and other remarks miss the point. I would love to be proved wrong, and there is still the loan window, but why can't we just admit that we performed well below par in business terms yesterday. Two decent players have gone and we bought no one yesterday when it is quite clear we need another CB back-up and another striker.

If we're not really aiming for the Premiership next year, just be honest about it and don't try and mug us off. I think I'd respect the club more if they were honest about things. To be honest, I don't mind the Championship and under Adkins we play a style of football that I like to watch. I won't lose sleep if we don't get promoted. Just don't bullsh*t us.

I do agree with this, but I can understand why they don't just come out and tell the truth. Imagine what the 'fans' would say if the club said "we have a average squad and we are aiming to finish mid table" - there would be outrage! I am with you and would much rather see us playing exciting matches, like the Watford game, than watch us get hammered every week and play shite football like we did last season.

[FridaysGhost]

The big announcement wasn't made. RFC are now a team with huge aspirations but Div 1 pockets.

There are two ways to become a valid Premiership teams. 1/ Buy the players required, 2/ Be brilliant at buying and training lower-level players with ability and attitude and being damn lucky. Twice we have been promoted and both times it was because of number 2. Both times we then did'nt understand that what was then needed was number 1. How many times are we going to make the same mistake?

[One8Seven1]

Stay calm people. The club will be making an announcement today. Egg on your faces.

.....................

Ince was going to sign, but we couldn't agree terms.

Sharp was going to sign but contract talks broke down

Sissoko signed last night.

Brilliant! I just noticed we can block people like you on here.

[Jink]

7 internationals on the bench? They forgot to mention all of the internationals we had on the field when we got smashed 6-0 by a league 1 side, unbelievable it really is.

[Platypuss]

we have a strong Championship squad and have named seven full internationals on the bench in recent weeks

[Scutterbucketz]

Like it.

[sandman]

we have a strong Championship squad and have named seven full internationals on the bench in recent weeks

Brendyhead is taking the AFC Reading thread a bit too seriously. Although it's good to see he's finally embraced PR man as being his true calling.

[BonBoh]

The rhetoric has certainly changed over the past couple of weeks. Early doors there was talk about bringing in more players and that we did not have to sell players (we would only sell them if they didn't want to be here). Then it was mentioned that two out of the current first team squad would have to leave to make room for any new signings (one in/one out principle).
There has since been talk of Adkins wanting to add two or three players, with Adkins stating that loan signings were not of interest as the club preferred to promote the Academy players. Now, in another about-turn, there is renewed talk of loan signings and possible free agents (i.e. Sissoko). The only truth in all of this so far has been the sale of two 'first team' players, namely Kebe and Mariappa.

To be honest, the goalposts keep shifting and the promotion of whichever policy we choose to stick by for that particular day succumbs to extremely poor media spin, which smacks of desperation on the club's behalf to want to come up with excuses, for whatever reason.

I don't mind following the club if it is honest and tries to do business with a degree of success AND failure, but its constant attempts at making it sound like it is performing brilliantly are nothing short of cringeworthy. Surely RFC cannot seriously believe that we do not realise we are being lied to.

The big question is, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT???

[EverHopeful]

so what have we really done in the last 18 months or so since the sale to AZ? not a lot really. You could easily argue that the £25M to JM was ultimately funded by promotion to the false promised land and AZ picked up the the stadium as part of the deal.....seems pretty good to me albeit have to recognise that without the investment in Roberts etc, it wouldn't have happened and I am pretty sure that cash came solely from them Rusky@ so definitely a gamble. Probably well worth the gamble as even without promotion, increased income etc, the ground was worth £25M. Question I have, is what have they really invested since?.

Parachute payments, player sales in last few days will easily balance the three acquisitions and leave a huge surplus although what none of know is where have they left last years wages? Last time we went down from the so called elite league, vast majority were kept on PL salaries and we nearly bounced back, so what this time? if the same, then parachute cannot finance that much over wages and certainly not large up front transfer fees, so my guess is that the real investment from Daddy and son is pretty much nil..........probably explains the lack of real activity.

just a thought!!

[melonhead]

The rhetoric has certainly changed over the past couple of weeks. Early doors there was talk about bringing in more players and that we did not have to sell players (we would only sell them if they didn't want to be here). Then it was mentioned that two out of the current first team squad would have to leave to make room for any new signings (one in/one out principle).
There has since been talk of Adkins wanting to add two or three players, with Adkins stating that loan signings were not of interest as the club preferred to promote the Academy players. Now, in another about-turn, there is renewed talk of loan signings and possible free agents (i.e. Sissoko). The only truth in all of this so far has been the sale of two 'first team' players, namely Kebe and Mariappa.

To be honest, the goalposts keep shifting and the promotion of whichever policy we choose to stick by for that particular day succumbs to extremely poor media spin, which smacks of desperation on the club's behalf to want to come up with excuses, for whatever reason.

I don't mind following the club if it is honest and tries to do business with a degree of success AND failure, but its constant attempts at making it sound like it is performing brilliantly are nothing short of cringeworthy. Surely RFC cannot seriously believe that we do not realise we are being lied to.

The big question is, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT???

piss and moan ineffectually
While bending over to recieve our shafting?

[Booseal]

7 internationals on the bench? They forgot to mention all of the internationals we had on the field when we got smashed 6-0 by a league 1 side, unbelievable it really is.

In fairness to those players, that Peterborough team were good enough to only lose 0-2 in their next home game to a quality Crawley Town.