Strangely optimistic about next season.

[CountryRoyal]

No idea why. That's all.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Drop the gay away kit

[Top Flight]

I'm looking forward to not having to watch most of those losers with a poor attitude next season.

Bring on some fresh faces and new blood.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

No idea why. That's all.

^^ same

Maybe this has been so appalling that its managed to bring out the optimist in me. It can't get any worse...... can it?

[Mid Sussex Royal]

No idea why. That's all.

^^ same

Maybe this has been so appalling that its managed to bring out the optimist in me. It can't get any worse...... can it?

Yes it can be - relegation. Poor manager, poor team selection, poor motivation, poor tactics = relagation

[AthleticoSpizz]

^hark at Bobby1413 there

[genome]

I'll give it a month so we begin to get an idea of the business we'll do before making a prediction.

The overriding feeling right now is that I'm glad the season is over.

[Lower West]

No idea why. That's all.

8 academy players in the matchday squad today. Sign of the future.

[bobby1413]

^hark at Bobby1413 there

[CountryRoyal]

Whilst yes it could be worse (just) and we could be relegated, I think my optimism comes purely from the fact that it could be better.

This season we've been so used to turning up week in week out seeing the same sack of shit knowing deep down that it won't improve.

[72 bus]

No idea why. That's all.

8 academy players in the matchday squad today. Sign of the future.

3-1 HTH

[One8Seven1*]

Too many changes ahead this summer for us to do anything positive next season. McDermott hasn't got a prayer.

[CountryRoyal]

Too many changes ahead this summer for us to do anything positive next season. McDermott hasn't got a prayer.

Less likely but no reason why you can't be successful with a lot of changes. Look at Watford.

[tmesis]

Too many changes ahead this summer for us to do anything positive next season. McDermott hasn't got a prayer.

I actually regard the squad needing such an overhaul a good thing. I've more confidence in doing well (or not being so crap) if we bring 6 players in than if we bought in two or three.

Of course, how many we'll actually bring in, and ho good they'll be, remains to be seen.

[Maneki Neko]

Cant wait to see what happens.
Itll be interesting no matter what.
This is the beauty of every off season. Literally anything is possible. Bring it on.

[Ian Royal]

No idea why. That's all.

McDermott is good at identifying the gaps and weak links in squads and fixing them.

Mcdermott is good at building a team ethos and producing something greater than the sum of its parts.

The Thais have previously shown solid, but not crazy backing for signings.

We're losing the disappointing loanees.

None of those that are out of contract are crucial or consistently good performers.

We've got a host of young players who've been gaining valuable experience elsewhere to come into contention.

McDermott has clearly been trying to foster a more technical and controlling style of play than he had with us at the end of his last spell.

We can't do much worse than the last 2-3 seasons.

Surely we have to win more than 8 home league games next seson.

Expectations must surely only be to improve into the top 2/3rds of the table, which we should be easily capable of, rather than gaining promotion which is much much hardervto achieve.

[paultheroyal]

With all these sound bites coming out from players and manager...

Players need to want it...
Chemistry needs to be right...
Hungry team...

Etc....

Clearly something fundamentally wrong with some of the individuals in that team...

Back 4 will stay in tact unless Bournemouth come in for cooper (which won't be a bad thing)

Williams will be a goner and I hazard a guess he is one with bad attitude.

Kanu will be gone.

Norwood stats look impressive and is well watched. With a good euros behind him he will also be gone.

Then you add in the loan players who ain't coming back this will be fundamentally a different team next season. All I ask McDermott for is 4-4-2 - fast wingers and up and at them style of play. Do that and you win the fans back and a way of challenging in this addition.

With potentially at least 8 new players coming in, this will be one of the most exciting pre seasons in recent times.

But for now, thank god it's over! Goodbye 15/16

[RoyalinBracknell]

Certainly no reason why it can't be a good season. We've had cases before of losing a few good players but adding well and having a very good season. We're starting from a lower point than most of those seasons but equally we're less reliant on any one individual and I suppose there is more scope for improvement.

My main concern at the moment is regarding the owners, and either that they'll rashly make a change of manager or there won't be the stability in place to properly support the manager.

And I don't necessarily think we need to be spending £10 million like some people. We've done well in the past signing up and coming young players from lower leagues for bargain prices (Le Fondre and Kitson for instance), bringing in solid players on free transfers (S Hunt, A Griffin and McShane), or signing experienced players who are in our price range (Armstrong, Gorkss, Roberts).

So long as McDermott is given the funds to bring in enough players to keep us competitive, and there isn't players being forced upon him from a range of different people with no coherent strategy in place, then I'd back him to build a good squad. We might need to sell to raise further funds but that's probably not a bad thing to be honest considering the last two years.

And if the Thai owners continue as they have done previously I think McDermott will use the budget better than Clarke for instance. They have allowed Adkins and Clarke to make a reasonable number of signings each summer so it's certainly possible they'll let McDermott bring the required number in.





A

[RoyalCrisp]

No idea why. That's all.

McDermott is good at identifying the gaps and weak links in squads and fixing them.

Mcdermott is good at building a team ethos and producing something greater than the sum of its parts.

The Thais have previously shown solid, but not crazy backing for signings.

We're losing the disappointing loanees.

None of those that are out of contract are crucial or consistently good performers.

We've got a host of young players who've been gaining valuable experience elsewhere to come into contention.

McDermott has clearly been trying to foster a more technical and controlling style of play than he had with us at the end of his last spell.

We can't do much worse than the last 2-3 seasons.

Surely we have to win more than 8 home league games next seson.

Expectations must surely only be to improve into the top 2/3rds of the table, which we should be easily capable of, rather than gaining promotion which is much much hardervto achieve.

Or....

McDermott is tactically stubborn and even when a formation hasn't worked for months he persists with it.

McDermott is good at building teams with ethos when he has say over transfer policy, not something he has with the Thais.

The Thais have shown their backing to be frugal at best, if last summer was their top end (and most of the signings bombed) who knows what their cheap end signings will be like?

Can't deny losing the loanees is a good thing, but it was the Thais way of avoiding genuine long term investment. Short term fix which didn't work, and it'll end up meaning we'll lose half of this squad (which is only a good thing if we can replace them).

Hal and Ferdinand both impressed when they played this year, though considering their wages and their lack of game time, I agree this isn't a big loss. Cox doesn't need mentioning here.

Our youth is promising, but we can't rely on them alone, .

I wouldn't call our approach technical at the moment, I've never seen a Reading team look less like scoring every week. You'd rather we played long ball and put the ball in the net wouldn't you?

Of course we can do worse than the last 2-3 seasons, reckon a few Villa or Charlton fans might've said that about their last few seasons. Can't be complacent about relegation when we've had 2 seasons as poor as we've had. We're not going to get a Blackpool or a Bolton every year.

Again, you can't base this on anything, just saying 'surely we must?' is wishful thinking, there's no guarentee we'll do any better next year.

Completely agree expectations have to be lower from the fans next year, but if the expectation/ambition from the owners remains as low as it has been since they came in we'll find ourselves sliding further.

I can't see much reason to be optimistic about next year, the only thing that'll improve my spirits is if I discover the PA man has been sent on a trip to Belize, but I fear he's the most committed man at the club right now.

[royal67]

McDermott is tactically stubborn and even when a formation hasn't worked for months he persists with it.

McDermott is good at building teams with ethos when he has say over transfer policy, not something he has with the Thais.

The Thais have shown their backing to be frugal at best, if last summer was their top end (and most of the signings bombed) who knows what their cheap end signings will be like?

Can't deny losing the loanees is a good thing, but it was the Thais way of avoiding genuine long term investment. Short term fix which didn't work, and it'll end up meaning we'll lose half of this squad (which is only a good thing if we can replace them).

Hal and Ferdinand both impressed when they played this year, though considering their wages and their lack of game time, I agree this isn't a big loss. Cox doesn't need mentioning here.

Our youth is promising, but we can't rely on them alone, .

I wouldn't call our approach technical at the moment, I've never seen a Reading team look less like scoring every week. You'd rather we played long ball and put the ball in the net wouldn't you?

Of course we can do worse than the last 2-3 seasons, reckon a few Villa or Charlton fans might've said that about their last few seasons. Can't be complacent about relegation when we've had 2 seasons as poor as we've had. We're not going to get a Blackpool or a Bolton every year.

Again, you can't base this on anything, just saying 'surely we must?' is wishful thinking, there's no guarentee we'll do any better next year.

Completely agree expectations have to be lower from the fans next year, but if the expectation/ambition from the owners remains as low as it has been since they came in we'll find ourselves sliding further.

I can't see much reason to be optimistic about next year, the only thing that'll improve my spirits is if I discover the PA man has been sent on a trip to Belize, but I fear he's the most committed man at the club right now.

HNA shocker.....!! A great post. Couldn't have said better......