How impressed are you with BMcD's return to the club?

[Top Flight]

I feel, and it's only my opinion that based on everything that we know right now, that if McDermott can keep us in the division next season then that in itself would be a very decent achievement. The situation going into the summer looks totally Fffd up.

Well fair enough, I'm just calling that out as pretty ridiculous and unfounded considering the financial backing the owners have already given and the spine of the squad we [should] have in place come the summer and the other clubs that we'll be competing with.

Are you sure the financial backing is really there?

Even the muppet Dellor calculated that more money has come in during the course of our transfer dealings than has gone out. What with the sales of Blackman and Hector etc.

Do you really think he is going to get backed? The backing that he will receive looks like it will be more below average Championship than top half. And with the huge amount of change in the playing staff to come he will have to do an excellent job just to maintain our Championship status next season.

Are you sure our spine is so strong? When you look through the spine of the team. We have 2 goalkeepers that had everyone on edge in the first half of the season. Cooper and McShane who don't look very solid at the moment with mistakes a plenty being made by the younger of the two of them and the other who likes a scrap with his own team mates. We have a central midfield that is strong in numbers but weak on quality and a front line that can't hit the target even if it's from the flipping penalty spot.

To me, it looks like McDermott has a very difficult job on his hands. As I said, I'll be happy if he keeps us up. That is the height of my expectation and I will support the team throughout next season with the objective of staying in the division. If he can get us a point at Huddersfield on a Tuesday night, to me that will be like a win. I'll be pleased. Another point towards safety.

[Hoop Blah]

Warnock has done a good job keeping Rotherham up because he's taken a side who were 1 point ahead of Bolton and Charlton well clear of relegation and they now sit 21 and 11 ahead of those two.

You might not be predicting where we'll finished but you are predicting that survival would be an achievement. To my mind that would be a failure unless there is a total lack of support for McDermott over the summer and I can't see that happening.

its already started in the winter window. we will shift as many of our high earners as we can. contracts that are done will be given the same pay-cut contracts as pearce and karacan, the loans will go back, and brian will expected to build the side out of promising youth players and lower league cheap punts all on much lower wages.

this is good AFAIC, and im looking forward to it

You mean like Gunter signing a new deal?

In summer we spent a reasonable amount, some of it recouped through Hector admittedly, so I'm not sure that won't happen again and I can't remember us ever really spending [relatively] big during a winter window (Roberts being the obvious anomaly I guess).

[Hoop Blah]

Are you sure the financial backing is really there?

Even the muppet Dellor calculated that more money has come in during the course of our transfer dealings than has gone out. What with the sales of Blackman and Hector etc.

Even the muppet Dellor should realise that financial backing amounts to more than transfer fees.

McDermott wasn't here in the summer but we were able to bring in Vydra, Sa, McShane, Quinn, John and Piazon. That little lot would take a decent amount of financial backing to pull off.

Will they back McDermott to the same tune? I'd hope so seeing as they gave him the job. There may be doubts that they will if they don't have faith in him or if they've had a change of heart, but that would come under the pulling the rug from under him.

Are you sure our spine is so strong? When you look through the spine of the team. We have 2 goalkeepers that had everyone on edge in the first half of the season. Cooper and McShane who don't look very solid at the moment with mistakes a plenty being made by the younger of the two of them and the other who likes a scrap with his own team mates. We have a central midfield that is strong in numbers but weak on quality and a front line that can't hit the target even if it's from the flipping penalty spot.

I'm not overly impressed by Cooper no, but in Al Habsie, Gunter, McShane and Obita we have a reasonable base in to which you can add a central decent defender or two to strengthen things. The central midfield is fine and needs little tweaking in terms of personnel.

We need to strengthen in the final third yes, and we'll undoubtedly need 6 or 7 good players to come in but, as I said originally, if we keep the rest of the squad together then we have players as good, if not better than, a lot of teams that will be in the competition. It's then down to McDermott to gel them into a side with a way of playing that gets the most out of them (a bit like Warnock did with the Rotherham squad if you like).

To me, it looks like McDermott has a very difficult job on his hands. As I said, I'll be happy if he keeps us up. That is the height of my expectation and I will support the team throughout next season with the objective of staying in the division. If he can get us a point at Huddersfield on a Tuesday night, to me that will be like a win. I'll be pleased. Another point towards safety.

It's not an easy job no, it's a very competitive division, but unless things go rather tits-up then I don't think just surviving should be seen as a success.

[Top Flight]

Things HAVE gone tits-up! This whole summer is things going tits-up.

[Maneki Neko]

Warnock has done a good job keeping Rotherham up because he's taken a side who were 1 point ahead of Bolton and Charlton well clear of relegation and they now sit 21 and 11 ahead of those two.

You might not be predicting where we'll finished but you are predicting that survival would be an achievement. To my mind that would be a failure unless there is a total lack of support for McDermott over the summer and I can't see that happening.

its already started in the winter window. we will shift as many of our high earners as we can. contracts that are done will be given the same pay-cut contracts as pearce and karacan, the loans will go back, and brian will expected to build the side out of promising youth players and lower league cheap punts all on much lower wages.

this is good AFAIC, and im looking forward to it

You mean like Gunter signing a new deal?

In summer we spent a reasonable amount, some of it recouped through Hector admittedly, so I'm not sure that won't happen again and I can't remember us ever really spending [relatively] big during a winter window (Roberts being the obvious anomaly I guess).

on less money- because he is happy/settled/realises he wont be going anywhere better.


we gambled on Clarke in the summer. one last push while we still had decent parachute payments. it failed, and one of the reasons clarke was unhappy and wanted out was because he knew we would sell anyone we could, and he wouldnt get any substantial further backing this summer, without selling more.

[Hoop Blah]

Things HAVE gone tits-up! This whole summer is things going tits-up.

The issues we're faced with at the moment aren't down to lack of funding though, they're down to not getting the best out of the resources we've got and, probably, having far too many players in the squad who are here for the short term and don't really care about what happens here.

McDermott has built a reputation on building teams, spotting talent and supposedly getting the best from his players through exception man management. Next season, and the summer window, will give him a great chance to prove if that reputation is well founded or not.

[Hoop Blah]

on less money- because he is happy/settled/realises he wont be going anywhere better.

we gambled on Clarke in the summer. one last push while we still had decent parachute payments. it failed, and one of the reasons clarke was unhappy and wanted out was because he knew we would sell anyone we could, and he wouldnt get any substantial further backing this summer, without selling more.

Obviously Gunter's contract is likely to be less than the one he got when we were a Premier League club! He still thought it was good enough to keep him and tie him down though (at least until the summer). That indicates that we're still happy to pay decent money for Championship players, which is where we'll need to be to be competitive next season.

[Top Flight]

It's not an easy job no, it's a very competitive division, but unless things go rather tits-up then I don't think just surviving should be seen as a success.

I agree with you in this way. Staying up is not what I would consider a success in terms of what I expect from the owners (in terms of how they should back their manager and provide stability) and from the club.

But I would consider it a job well done by McDermott when you consider the hand that he has to work with over the summer in preparation for next season. If he can keep us up in these circumstances then he will have done very well.

I don't think dictating to the manager which players he should buy with the transfer budget available is providing good stability. McDermott wanted Washington, he gets Rakels.

The owners should provide McDermott with a healthy budget and then let him do his job. Their interefering has resulted in a manager merry go round. Alot of loan players that have disrupted team spirit and cohesion, left the club needing a whole new team for next season, players out of contract. This is not a good situation to be in.

[Hoop Blah]

But I would consider it a job well done by McDermott when you consider the hand that he has to work with over the summer in preparation for next season. If he can keep us up in these circumstances then he will have done very well.

I guess this is the point where I originally disagreed. How can you be predicting the circumstances McDermott will be operating in and the tools he's going to have at his disposal?

As for not getting Washington but ending up with Rakels. We couldn't afford to spunk £3m on a player of Washington's pedigree. That's fine, and the owners have every right to not throw that kind of money on a relatively unproven player who, as it happens, hasn't scored a goal for QPR in a dozen appearances.

I'm not too keen on the owners chucking their own players into the squad but McDermott signed up to it, that was the job on offer and he took it. That's the environment he'll be judged on, like most other managers in the modern game.

[Top Flight]

We already know a lot of the circumstances. 6 loans returning to their parent clubs and senior players like Kanu who is out of contract, Williams with only a year left as with Kermorgant, Cox at the end.

The signs are that he will not receive the kind of financial backing to bolster the squad that you will see at many other clubs. But, you're right, we don't know how much money he'll get. But with so much change that we do know that will happen to the playing side. It will be very difficult to immediately turn it into a promotion challenging side. There is a lot of trial and error in football so we will have to be patient next season and not call for the managers head after just 8 games.

[Hoop Blah]

What signs?

I'm sure there will be clubs that spend a lot more than us yes, QPR will still be in our league, as will the likes of Derby (presumably), Villa, two of Sunderland/Norwich/Newcastle and others. That doesn't mean McDermott won't be backed as well as Clarke was last season.

Brendy makes a good point that the parachute payment effect might mean we won't get as much, but I'll be surprised if our budget doesn't stay top half of the table.

As I said before, we will have a busy summer with a lot of players leaving us. Realistically we'll probably be losing Vydra, Hector, John, Piazon and Robson-Kanu from those that have really played a part under McDermott this season.

We'll also get Tshibola back from injury, Samuel back from loan and Evans more up to speed.

We may also lose someone like Williams (I'm not sure anyone will be willing to pay him the kind of wages we do though) or Cox (if we don't offer him a new contract) but I don't see that level of change as much more than an average season and it's not a reason for McDermott to get away with a shit season.

[Top Flight]

If you start moaning at him after 5 games Hoop Blah you will face my wrath on this forum

[Ian Royal]

Just surviving next season would be a step backwards. Bar major issues the expectation has to be upper mid-table with an outside bid for play offs as a success story.

We survived relatively comfortably last season and that was an aberation with loads of things wrong. If we finish below 16th next year then McDermott really isn't the right man.

[No Fixed Abode]

We survived relatively comfortably last season and that was an aberation with loads of things wrong. If we finish below 16th next year then McDermott really isn't the right man.

But at least things have tightened up at the back this season and he's steadied the ship. 3 losses in a row and 7 goals conceded in the process.

[Snowball]

It's a bit dumb for us to be making predictions when we
don't have a clue what the team will be, whether he has money

I get the hints from Mc that there will be little or no money

Say we lose HRK, Piazon, Taylor, Ferdinand, Vydra, Hernando, McCleary, Williams, John, Cooper, Hurtado, Norwood

every one very possible

and say we have to spend the little money we'll have on 2-3 CBs

That could mean two promoted kids as our first-choice wingers, Kermie, Rakels
and Samuel, a relative kid up front, decent three in midfield of Tish, Quinn, Evans
(but what back up?) and an solid but unspectacular back 5 with (ATM) weak cover

That looks like- once injuries and suspensions cut in - a bottom six side

[Top Flight]

I haven't been making predictions. I have just stated my expectations.

For me, If we finish fourth from bottom next season and stay in the Championship, I will take that. That will mean that Brian McDermott is an outstanding manager doing an excellent job.

If I was the manager and given the situation that McDermott will be facing next season, I can safely say that I would get us relegated. We would finish bottom of the league with nil points. There is not a poster on this board that would be able to keep Reading in the Championship if they were manager. Sorry Ian Royal, but if you were boss we'd be getting relegated next year. If Hoop Blah was the boss we would have no chance of staying up. If Dave-Royal was manager, he would probably win the Championship just because he knows more about football than the rest of us, has excellent connections and is a talented foreign manager. With the exception of Dave-Royal everyone else would be getting us relegated next season.

[Hoop Blah]

It's a bit dumb for us to be making predictions when we
don't have a clue what the team will be, whether he has money

I get the hints from Mc that there will be little or no money

Say we lose HRK, Piazon, Taylor, Ferdinand, Vydra, Hernando, McCleary, Williams, John, Cooper, Hurtado, Norwood

every one very possible

I agree it's a bit pointless to speculate without knowing how things will go this summer, that was basically my point to Top Flight.

Just to pick up on a few of those players you mention Snowball...

McLeary - he's contracted to 2017
Norwood - contracted to 2017
Hernando (I'm guessing you mean Fernandez?) - he's started 2 games in the league so hardly makes a difference
Hurtado - didn't start a league game, we don't need to replace him in the squad
Robson-Kanu - 99% certain to leave but hasn't played too much but will have cost us loads in wages
Williams - contracted to 2017 on big money
Cooper - I can't imagine anyone really coming in for him but if they do it'll attract a decent fee

Between that lot we'll either not really miss them or end up with freeing a good amount of cash for wages and maybe even transfer fees.

None of our current squad are irreplaceable. Obviously we don't want to replace a whole team, and it's unlikely we'd re-invest all of any savings or incoming fees, but there are plenty of good players out there who a Reading manager should be able to attract and mould into a half decent Championship side.

[Lower West]

Obviously we don't want to replace a whole team, and it's unlikely we'd re-invest all of any savings or incoming fees, but there are plenty of good players out there who a Reading manager should be able to attract and mould into a half decent Championship side.

We need a longer term strategy. Clarke released the backbone of the team, brought in a shed load of players and it didn't work. Next season has to be one of consolidation. Rebuilding the squad. As more players are going to come and go. Before the right blend is achieved.

[Top Flight]

Obviously we don't want to replace a whole team, and it's unlikely we'd re-invest all of any savings or incoming fees, but there are plenty of good players out there who a Reading manager should be able to attract and mould into a half decent Championship side.

We need a longer term strategy. Clarke released the backbone of the team, brought in a shed load of players and it didn't work. Next season has to be one of consolidation. Rebuilding the squad. As more players are going to come and go. Before the right blend is achieved.

Exactly. I totally agree with you here. It is unrealistic to expect anything else. That's why I feel survival would be a good achievement.

We need to form a stable squad, perhaps a smaller squad of players who are committed and on long-term deals and see how we get on with that. If it means a forward line of Cox, Rakels, Kermorgant and Samuel then so be it for next season. That won't be good enough to get us promoted but it should hopefully be enough to keep us in the division. From there we can start looking at adding quality where needed. But add that quality properly with serious people who are ambitious and are hungry for success. Not short-term loans. We need the next generation of Doyles and Long but that will take 2 or 3 years to put in place. We just have to be patient and give our outstanding manager the time he needs to do the job. Because over enough time he will get us to where we need to be.

[Vision]

For me, If we finish fourth from bottom next season and stay in the Championship, I will take that. That will mean that Brian McDermott is an outstanding manager doing an excellent job.

I've no doubt that next season will prove to be a challenge for all the reasons previously stated but that's just crazy.