Boycott

[John Smith]

You should try going along to a game or two of rugby - higher class fans at a higher class sport. It's just wonderful.

No it isn't.

Good post OMA

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Well, I'm bloody glad that the Sheff Utd match has been rearranged so I won't feel compelled to sit through another 90 minutes of tedium and frustration after making a 6,000 mile round trip for my fourth match of the season.

I'm going to Aldersh*t Macclesfield instead on the 17th for some proper footy - and maybe a bit of bantz.

[Victor Meldrew]

I reserve protests for the real shit and people who have been consistently poor with no history of success for us, personally.

I won't chant 'Stam out', 'sacked in the morning' or wave around pants because I don't think he deserves it. So far he's had an excellent season beyond all expectations and most of a pretty poor one. But currently we're not really a lot worse off than the two seasons prior to him taking over, but with a better squad for recovering.

It just strikes me as ungrateful. He's performed badly enough to be sacked but I have no ill will towards him. If he goes it'll be 'thanks for your efforts and the good times' from me and 'lets get on with it and back the team and new guy'

I don't think thrre really needs to be much pressure from the fans. The general malaise on the pitch is pretty clear and results and performances speak for themselves.

Hear, hear!!

I’m considering giving up on hob nob because most of you post irrational knee jerk nonsense that lurches from one extreme to another.

A great example was the predictions thread for the Millwall game - nobody predicted a defeat and all but one predicted a win - if things are so bad then why were you all optimists all of a sudden.

Championship football is a game of fine lines, momentum and confidence - and unfortunately things have not worked out for us this season like we had hoped.

However, I would be proud of our club if we back the long term project and keep Stam. I don’t agree with a number of his decisions but believe he will become an excellent football manager and would like to see him do that for a few more years at Reading.

What is the 3-year project?
I thought the medium to-long-term aim of our club in getting Category A Academy status (at considerable expense) was to aim for a side where the majority were brought through our super duper Academy meaning that the club didn't have to splash out so much on bringing in players each year from outside.
Of late Kelly has been the only one to break through and play more than a dozen games this season.
Smith and Richards just a few even when they have been fit and at times playing his signing Blackett ahead of Richards is just plain bloody-minded and daft..

Stam's (the club's) policy has been to bring in players costing millions that don't look as though they are worth anything like what we have paid for them with Aluko being a classic example.

The connection between fans and the club would be so much greater if we were to see the youngsters given an opportunity but Stam shows no signs of buying into the home grown players philosophy.
His and the other management members' philosophy seems very much at odds with what we were led to believe would be the Reading way so, project, what project?

[Denver Royal]

Well, there's nothing sinister or juicy about this, but it could simply be that most of the youngsters are currently not considered good enough for 1st eleven at this time. Which is unfortunate, but it happens. In an ideal world, fans of all clubs want youngsters coming through, but the various coaches/managers are closer to it, and more knowledgeable, than we are.

That doesn't mean its not a goal or an aim. I'm sure the coaches talk a lot and that evaluation is ongoing. A lot of things factor in to it, some that fans are privy to, and some they aren't. With an academy its hard to attach consistent numbers or percentages to player progression each season. If there were superior youngsters that would clearly improve the 1st eleven and give you a better chance of winning the upcoming game on Saturday, then they'd be playing. On the other hand, its hard to make a case for fielding an inferior player just because he's young and from the academy.

As for 'Stams 3 year plan', I'm not sure the two are either directly or entirely related. Quite simply, there is no guarantee that during that particular 3 year window that it would coincide with 'X' number of youngsters being produced. It also depends on events on the field. if we were to secure our Champ status with, say, 6 games to go, then you might see more youngsters playing in those last 6 games.

[RoyalTJ]

Wat about we all, even the bould peepel, wear hair, to show we don't like the bould barstoud?

[genome]

Wat about we all, even the bould peepel, wear hair, to show we don't like the bould barstoud?

A pertinent question

[Theroyalbox]

im gunna throw my season ticket at stam against boro. Just shout at him, thanks for last season Jaap but its time to go. It's polite yet meaningful

[From Despair To Where?]

Stam's (the club's) policy has been to bring in players costing millions that don't look as though they are worth anything like what we have paid for them with Aluko being a classic example.

But it's not though, is it? Fair enough, Aluko is not proving to be value for money and the jury is out on Ilori but Moore, Bacuna, Barrow and Mannone have proven to be decent value, not to mention Swift. Van den Berg has done a decent enough job for a freebie and the rest have been cheap punts.

In two seasons, he's given first teams debuts to Kelly, Watson, Richards, Smith, Rinomhota, Andreasson (have I missed anyone?) and we are tying up young players to long term contracts.

This "disconnect" with the fans over academy players is down to our shit league position and form.

[Victor Meldrew]

Stam's (the club's) policy has been to bring in players costing millions that don't look as though they are worth anything like what we have paid for them with Aluko being a classic example.

But it's not though, is it? Fair enough, Aluko is not proving to be value for money and the jury is out on Ilori but Moore, Bacuna, Barrow and Mannone have proven to be decent value, not to mention Swift. Van den Berg has done a decent enough job for a freebie and the rest have been cheap punts.

In two seasons, he's given first teams debuts to Kelly, Watson, Richards, Smith, Rinomhota, Andreasson (have I missed anyone?) and we are tying up young players to long term contracts.

This "disconnect" with the fans over academy players is down to our shit league position and form.

Didn't Bod cost more than a few pounds as well?
What's the odd million here and there?
I disagree about Joey-he showed in that play-off final that he is not up to it and has continued to play a big part in bringing the league position down to this season's depths IMHO and is a blinkered selection every week by the manager which could well lead to his downfall.

As for a boycott I don't think anybody at the club would notice unless it was a visual thing such as a pants repeat..

[From Despair To Where?]

Stam's (the club's) policy has been to bring in players costing millions that don't look as though they are worth anything like what we have paid for them with Aluko being a classic example.

But it's not though, is it? Fair enough, Aluko is not proving to be value for money and the jury is out on Ilori but Moore, Bacuna, Barrow and Mannone have proven to be decent value, not to mention Swift. Van den Berg has done a decent enough job for a freebie and the rest have been cheap punts.

In two seasons, he's given first teams debuts to Kelly, Watson, Richards, Smith, Rinomhota, Andreasson (have I missed anyone?) and we are tying up young players to long term contracts.

This "disconnect" with the fans over academy players is down to our shit league position and form.

Didn't Bod cost more than a few pounds as well?
What's the odd million here and there?
I disagree about Joey-he showed in that play-off final that he is not up to it and has continued to play a big part in bringing the league position down to this season's depths IMHO and is a blinkered selection every week by the manager which could well lead to his downfall.

As for a boycott I don't think anybody at the club would notice unless it was a visual thing such as a pants repeat..

Has Bod not shown himself to be a reasonable signing? You talk of signings not being worth anything like what we paid for them when in reality, it's just Aluko.

[Victor Meldrew]

But it's not though, is it? Fair enough, Aluko is not proving to be value for money and the jury is out on Ilori but Moore, Bacuna, Barrow and Mannone have proven to be decent value, not to mention Swift. Van den Berg has done a decent enough job for a freebie and the rest have been cheap punts.

In two seasons, he's given first teams debuts to Kelly, Watson, Richards, Smith, Rinomhota, Andreasson (have I missed anyone?) and we are tying up young players to long term contracts.

This "disconnect" with the fans over academy players is down to our shit league position and form.

Didn't Bod cost more than a few pounds as well?
What's the odd million here and there?
I disagree about Joey-he showed in that play-off final that he is not up to it and has continued to play a big part in bringing the league position down to this season's depths IMHO and is a blinkered selection every week by the manager which could well lead to his downfall.

As for a boycott I don't think anybody at the club would notice unless it was a visual thing such as a pants repeat..

Has Bod not shown himself to be a reasonable signing? You talk of signings not being worth anything like what we paid for them when in reality, it's just Aluko, or do you still see £1.5m as a "big" fee in today's market?

I think the jury is very much out on Bod-he hasn't played enough to see yet whether he will be worth it.
The signings have contributed to where we are, a struggling side near the bottom of the division so, IMHO apart from Mo, they haven't for various reasons (the injuries and Stam's selection policy) improved our side.
Bits and pieces of form we see in Bacuna and Edwards but , probably why their previous clubs let them go, they lack consistency.

[From Despair To Where?]

It's the tactics and management of the players that is the problem, not the players themselves.

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

Wat about we all, even the bould peepel, wear hair, to show we don't like the bould barstoud?

A pertinent question

You managed to translate that genome?

[WoodleyRoyal]

Wat about we all, even the bould peepel, wear hair, to show we don't like the bould barstoud?

A pertinent question

You managed to translate that genome?

We've been reading double d's posts for a few years now, I think pretty much all of us are fluent in reading div

[Forbury Lion]

If you attend wear something Green

Who has anything green to wear? Also, in this freezing weather most will be wearing a coat.

Just boo when the managers name is called out and start a stam out chant/knock up a banner or two

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

A pertinent question

You managed to translate that genome?

We've been reading double d's posts for a few years now, I think pretty much all of us are fluent in reading div

[Lower West]

not the players themselves.

Watched football for many many years and am struggling to remember so many individual poor decisions that have cost us goals. The opposition simply have to turn up and we'll gift them opportunities. Totally different to being outplayed by better teams. Seems if there's a lack of individual preparation.

[double d]

I reserve protests for the real shit and people who have been consistently poor with no history of success for us, personally.

I won't chant 'Stam out', 'sacked in the morning' or wave around pants because I don't think he deserves it. So far he's had an excellent season beyond all expectations and most of a pretty poor one. But currently we're not really a lot worse off than the two seasons prior to him taking over, but with a better squad for recovering.

It just strikes me as ungrateful. He's performed badly enough to be sacked but I have no ill will towards him. If he goes it'll be 'thanks for your efforts and the good times' from me and 'lets get on with it and back the team and new guy'

I don't think thrre really needs to be much pressure from the fans. The general malaise on the pitch is pretty clear and results and performances speak for themselves.

Great post.

Can I just reiterate we aren’t going down. Things could be a lot worse and would need to be before I start throwing pants around a football stadium or wearing a green t shirt

More delusional rantings from John Smith and Ian Royal again.

[double d]

I've been boycotting Reading football matches for about three years now and I find that not having to spend time with other Reading fans and not having to watch Reading play football has made me much, much happier. You should try going along to a game or two of rugby - higher class fans at a higher class sport. It's just wonderful.

+1

[ILoveMoonPig]

To be honest, having seen the number of people in the ground on Saturday at the final whistle, I thought people were already doing a boycott.

I honestly don't think it's worthwhile, boycotting. I'm still pro-Stam, but even if you don't like him being in charge, I doubt we've got the money to buy him out of his contact. You may as well turn up and support the team to try and encourage them to do better.