New Manager

[Silver Fox]

They showed a clear shot on the telly of Howe, with Joorabchian (or someone who looked a lot like him) sat next to him, looking bored, playing with his phone.

Was at the game so didn't see this.

Did anyone snap a picture from their TV of this, didn't see one on Twitter?

Pretty sure it's not him

[Hendo]

People see what they want to see, I guess.

[John Smith]

Looks more like Tiago Ilori and Cliff Richard

[Silver Fox]

I'm surprised nobody suggested that Sal Bibbo was on his way back

[Old Man Andrews]

Ainsworth has gone from 25/1 to 10/1 in 2 hours.

[windermereROYAL]

Ainsworth has gone from 25/1 to 10/1 in 2 hours.

Somebody had a fiver on it.

[Hound]

Has Castro given his statement yet?

[URZZZZ]

There's no way any of our players are going that kind of money in the near future, so I wouldn't just be surprised, I'd be absolutely amazed!!! Why would anyone pay £5m for Swift or £4m for Ilori or Barrow?

It's well and good talking up these fees and suggest League One clubs would be interested in our players, and I'm sure many would. I think we're still very good payers though so I doubt those clubs would be able to afford them.

Why did we sign Ilori for 4 million when he was completely unproven at this level?

From memory I think it was reported as £2m, but I could be wrong.

Regardless, at the time he was a player with some potential, a good pedigree and a decent reputation but not a lot of first team history (I'm not sure you'd have found many Villa fans saying he was worth £4m though!). He's now played what, 20 times for us? In that time I'd hazard a guess that he's proven a bit more of his ability, albeit not in a positive way.

I'm not sure that using our valuation of a player is a pretty good benchmark either. Would you expect to get £7m for Aluko just because that's what we paid for him?

Ilori was disappointing when he joined midway through Stam's first season with little niggly injuries keeping him out. He then played very well against Fulham and Huddersfield. Fast forward to QPR away on the first day of the season, he was atrocious and barring a few games at the start of this season, he hasn't played well at all, and is just behind Aluko in terms of paying a lot of money for someone who hasn't delivered. It was reported as 3.75 million I saw somewhere, but I could be wrong also.

By the same token, Aluko wasn't 7 million (well that's what Stam said) but either way, if we did pay around that figure for him, what's to say someone won't pay the same for Barrow because I don't know the stats or anything but I'm pretty sure Barrow had more goals last season than Aluko did the season before we bought him. The transfer fees are ridiculous nowadays

[windermereROYAL]

Twitter

Just off the phone to a Portuguese reporter who confirmed Luis Castro is NOT a client of Kia Joorabchian's, though he is represented by agents he knows.
Also suggests Castro will be tempted by a move to #readingfc though nothing may happen before the weekend.

https://twitter.com/Smudgersport/status ... 2502653955

[URZZZZ]

Or maybe, it's us that's the problem and not the individual players, who might flourish in a different environment.[/quote]

I think this point works both ways. Some players were naturally suited to us, like the 05-06 season, and none of them really made a proper career after leaving us. Alternatively, some have had a good career but it never really happened for them here, Grabban, Vydra, etc. Could Aluko have the same problem? But there is something fundamentally wrong, because our team should not be where it is, just look at our bench on Saturday

[bagman]

Guy sitting next to Nigel is Majid who is adviser to the owners and attends every home and most away games

[Old Man Andrews]

Twitter

Just off the phone to a Portuguese reporter who confirmed Luis Castro is NOT a client of Kia Joorabchian's, though he is represented by agents he knows.
Also suggests Castro will be tempted by a move to #readingfc though nothing may happen before the weekend.

https://twitter.com/Smudgersport/status ... 2502653955

Why are you even bothering to report anything Anthony Smith says? The bloke is a liar and a fraud. He has absolutely no idea what's happening.

[Rea Ding]

Give it Ainsworth to the end of the season

[windermereROYAL]

Give it Ainsworth to the end of the season

So he would leave a secure job at Wycombe without knowing if he will have a job next season?

[Pepe the Horseman]

They showed a clear shot on the telly of Howe, with Joorabchian (or someone who looked a lot like him) sat next to him, looking bored, playing with his phone.

Was at the game so didn't see this.

Did anyone snap a picture from their TV of this, didn't see one on Twitter?

Pretty sure it's not him

Does he have a younger, more handsome brother?

[Zip]

Has Castro given his statement yet?

Nope

[Victor Meldrew]

I'm still more than a bit surprised with PC's departure at that time.

He very much did seem to be changing our playing style for the better, and doing a good job of bringing through the youngsters. Results weren't great, but it seemed to be me to be clearly a work in progress. He was hampered by some horribly timed injuries in Bod and Eza as well. Genuinely think we'd be up with Preston and Wigan if those two had been fit, and with a young squad and clear direction for the team. The Leeds first half particularly seemed a blueprint of where we were trying to go, and that was with a half fit Meite

I think Castro may be a good choice, as long as he is genuinely given time to implement his ideas. I don't think we are as 'rock bottom' as some people suggest, but we certainly need a period of stability now

As fans we always feel that if so and so were fit and if we had a bit more luck and if the ref hadn't been so biased etc., etc, all would be well.
We are where we are in this division and the 2 teams that you quoted have ironically both had horrendous injury problems so their fans will think that if so and so had been fit etc., etc.we would probably have beaten teams like Reading rather than draw 0-0.

I am with those who don't like it that Howe has a list-surely the club should have had a very short list and sounded out people before Clement was sacked which was obviously the case at Southampton where the new manager was appointed the next day.

Having had a few days to let this sacking sink in I now think we should be going with somebody who knows this level and already knows our players, who can then wheel and deal in January.
Parky seems the obvious choice of those in work and with Bolton's financial problems we would most likely succeed in luring him away, always hoping of course that our negotiating skills are better than those of Theresa May and co.

[Hound]

Get your point but Bod and Eza could clearly have been stand out players for us. Bod has 7 goals whilst Eza provides something in midfield we clearly struggle with

Wouldn’t say we have been unlucky particularly with refs etc. Just lost two very key players

[Old Man Andrews]

Hearing from a source that Castro is staying in Portugal. He will not be coming to Reading.

[Ranty McRantface]

Hearing from a source that Castro is staying in Portugal. He will not be coming to Reading.

Heard the same.