Looking FORWARD to 2008/9 already! Understand? NOT Backwards

[Coppelled Streets]

Derby, QPR,Birmingham,Southampton,Wolves,Charlton and Sheffield Utd here we come. I think a huge effort by the current squad could get us into the play-offs.

Not without significant investment. We'll do well to be competing for the play-offs I feel.

[loyalroyal4life]

Right if copp does leave then we should look to get in bristol citys manager (providing they dont go up)


O boy a trip to bristol city bring it on


would like hunt to move on for a ridiculous fee and shorey can go as well

keep the 4 strikers along with marek supplying and we'll have goals galore

[07RFC]

as long as we keep matey, bikey, kitson and doyle, we'll be back i no time; if we lose any of those guys i'll be gutted, but at least the club get the parachute payments for the next year of so, so wages will not have to be decreased, which will hopefully keep the better players at Reading

[Royal Rother]

I look forward to you not participating in debates about errors in 2007/08, RR.

I'm not looking forward to next season in the Championship.

Those debates have already taken place again and again and again in the last few months. If you want to go all over it yet again, knock yourself out matey but nothing more can be gained or learned from them - if my absence from further discussions will bring you pleasure then I'm pleased for you.

[Big Dan]

plus in the championship,we get our own coloured ball with our badge on it!
plus the multi ball system!
blackpool away 1st game anyone??

[Once were Biscuitmen]

I just stated a new project on TVP, I was shocked at the number of fellow consultants and manager types who have Reading season tickets just to watch the Premiership. They only go for the 'big' games and some of them even have season tickets for one of the London clubs as well.

I'm quite looking forward to them not renewing....

[Royal Rother]

The league is worse than when you guys romped home and if you can the squad together I am sure you will be around the top 2.

We've been rubbish since November and managed a play-off place which proves how average it is.

Says it all really. Cheers for that!

[Arch]

Super_horns, blade 1, Swansea Jack,that Ipswich fan from Earley. Lots of quality (and well-informed) banter on here.

I think we're pretty well equipped for the Championship, but I'm sure it'll be a grind. This afternoon was just a reminder of what a confidence-based team we are. Start well and we'll fly; start slowly and could be a long ugly season again. We really could do with at least one real backs-to-the-wall performer. We have players with all the right spirit (Murty, Harper, Ivar) but their quality tanks when we're in trouble.

[Richi Royal]

After convincing myself we had done enough to stay up and then having it cruely ripped away from us i am starting to see the positives.
The league is much more competitive....the fact that the likes of QPR, Derby, Brum, Wolves, Palace, Sheff Utd, Charlton, Watford, Wolves and even the likes of Cardiff, Preston, Hull, Norwich etc will all be going for promotion will make for an exciting season. After all i watch football because it is entertaining, even in the season we dominated we had lots of really close games (as well as not so close) and unless we throw a tonne of money at it its not going to happen in the premiership.
This year it has been predictable, and as i would have loved to stayed in the premiership the reason i would have wanted to stay would be based on the fact we will invest in the squad and build a team which will compete but in reality that is not that easy to do and it would be likely we could have had a season like this one. I would rather a trip to Ashton gate than going to the emirates and watching us put 10 men behind the ball and having 20% of the possession.

Also the difference in class is alot and we have loads of players who probably need a season in CCC, from speaking to people they seem to think our players will struggle in the CCC, but just look at Derby, they are planing a promotion bid next year but we turned them over with ease today. We have some young exciting players (Henry, Long, Pearce, Bikey, Rosenior) who can flourish and if we get back we will be a better team for it. Marek, Doyle, Lita, Kitson, Bikey are way above the championship and even the likes of Harper, Convey, Sonko, Ivar, Murts etc are top level championship players so with a bit of tweaking we will be able to mount a serious challenge for promotion. Sure some will leave but i am sure some will join as well.

[One Beer is never enough.]

I was pessimistic before the match, became very optomistic during the match, now gutted, and trying hard not to hold inquests in my head now.

But

Am now looking forward to being more competitive, winning, and at least a play off place. Bolton / Charlton / West Brom / Birmingham etc have all yo-yo'd. We'd have taken it a couple of years ago, now lets enjoy the ride

[Big Dan]

and a trip to wembley maybe in the play off final

[Spudulika]

I'm also looking forward to next season, though I don't think it will be necessarily as easy as some people think. Key to next season will be to retain a core of players who can do well for us next year, and supplement them with good signings who will replace the inevitable departures. Hopefully Mr Madejski's financial prudence will mean any changes are not too drastic, and I'm looking forward to a top-half position next year, and a push for promotion the year after.

It would be great if we could be promotion contenders next year but that might be too much to expect as we need to regain that "winning habit". What gives me some optimism though is that I think we're in a better position than Watford, Charlton and Sheffield Utd when they were relegated last year, and they've all done reasonably well this season.

[Thou Voice]

Thou Voice was interested to read this and the one thing that he will not miss is...

...Premiership Players flapping around like wet fish out of water everytime anyone goes near them, along with Refs who give the choices to these teams to avoid lashings of a "large club's" manager tongue...

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Download a nice new screensaver viewtopic.php?f=1&t=75619 based on Pick A Picture...

[bobby1413]

thanks super horns,thats reassuring.

my predictions for the prem next season...
top 4 in any order,
man u
chelsea
liverpool
arsenal

perm any 3 from 4 for relegation
stoke
wba
play off winners
fulham

who needs the most boring league in the world anyway

I think Fulham will finish higher than that considering the scare they had this year. I would guess about 14th.

[JimGRoyal]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=614Em-aManM

[floyd__streete]

I am confident we will be able to keep most of the important members of the squad and that we will be able to bounce straight back, particularly so if Coppell is still in charge.

Given your excellent track-record on predictions this season, RR, I am sure that fills us all with a great deal of hope.

[RoyalBlue]

as long as we keep matey, bikey, kitson and doyle, we'll be back i no time; if we lose any of those guys i'll be gutted, but at least the club get the parachute payments for the next year of so, so wages will not have to be decreased, which will hopefully keep the better players at Reading

Let me introduce you to our Chairman: Mr 'Cutbacks' Madejski who already has his scissors out to 'cut our cloth according to our means'. The parachute payments will go wherever the rest of the PL money went and personally I don't believe that was all on transfer fees and players wages!

[Southbank Old Boy]

as long as we keep matey, bikey, kitson and doyle, we'll be back i no time; if we lose any of those guys i'll be gutted, but at least the club get the parachute payments for the next year of so, so wages will not have to be decreased, which will hopefully keep the better players at Reading

Let me introduce you to our Chairman: Mr 'Cutbacks' Madejski who already has his scissors out to 'cut our cloth according to our means'. The parachute payments will go wherever the rest of the PL money went and personally I don't believe that was all on transfer fees and players wages!

RB, what evidence do you have that the Chairman hasn't backed his manager with significant funds that are enough to have given Coppell and the club a fair chance of building a squad capable of survival.

It would appear that Coppell is willing to accept his portion of the blame. You seem to only see Madejski at fault.

[Alan Partridge]

I'm looking for fans to have more sensible views next season and more realistic aims.

[winchester_royal]

At least all the oxf*rd plastics will be gone