In or Out? New poll.

[Royalwaster]

Yeah agree - very depressing. My interest in the team is at its lowest for many years .... obviously want them to win, but am a lot less bothered than I used to be.

[Denver Royal]

Agreed that it is probably too late to change the manager. Hopefully we will look back and be glad that the club did a Bristol City and stood by the manager but I doubt it.

If we finish strong/improve/mid table I think there's a chance he comes back next season, too. We've never really been a 'Top 6 every season' club anyway, and he will have a season left on his contract, so they might let him see it out, or at least give him til Xmas anyway. Making a change, and buying/selling players, and arranging the preseason and tours this Summer might be more challenging because of the world cup, etc. (And there was some talk of a 'consolation' tourney in the US in June(?) for Italy, Holland, Sweden, USA, Ireland, Northern Ireland, etc). So, I'd imagine most clubs out there, if possible, would want some stability and continuity this Summer, given a choice. If we do hire someone else, I hope we do it early doors, unlike with Stam.

In some ways, from a club/owner viewpoint, one of the the better scenario's for them in their mind might be...keep him next season (since you'd have to pay him anyway)...sign a couple players (striker)...we then have an improved/ good season...maybe lose in playoffs(?)...and then not re-new his deal and hire someone else when you have a quiet Summer to do it in. That said, if Bristol City lose in playoffs this season, they'd still bring Lee Johnson back next season, wouldn't they?

[Longhorn1970]

I see Chris Lacketti has got the boot from Bury, and commenting on his departure he said the following, "the fans pay their money and their view has to be respected" .... hmmm

[Millsy]

I was IN.

Then I was OUT.

Now I'm IN again because Stam confirmed post match today (Brentford loss) that he doesn't actually want to play the style we see. He tells them to play it forwards but the players just don't do what he's asking. It's not his fault it's the players'. It's not his job to manage the team, he's just there to, um, do post match interviews, have a Dutch accent, blow the transfer budget on players we don't need and be a generally nice guy. And he does those things really, REALLY well.

Stam IN.

[leon]

I was IN.

Then I was OUT.

Now I'm IN again because Stam confirmed post match today (Brentford loss) that he doesn't actually want to play the style we see. He tells them to play it forwards but the players just don't do what he's asking. It's not his fault it's the players'. It's not his job to manage the team, he's just there to, um, do post match interviews, have a Dutch accent, blow the transfer budget on players we don't need and be a generally nice guy. And he does those things really, REALLY well.

Stam IN.

It was quite a stunning interview. There’s nothing like accepting no responsibility whatsoever is there?

Partridge shrug and a ”fcuk knows why they’re playing like that, I want them to get the ball forward quickly and play expansive attacking football”

Out.

[windermereROYAL]

Refuse to vote, what fcuking difference will it make?

[One87One]

Out and now!!!

Stam is sleep-walking this club into the third division and will he f**k stick around when it happens?!

This is a decent squad who just aren’t being used to their strengths. Get a new man in and there would be an instant improvement in performance levels. I’m not convinced theee guy’s fully back him any more. Aluko for example looked like a stroppy kid at kick-off, who’d been made to go food shopping with his mum when he’s rather be home playing on his xbox! He just didn’t look like he wanted to be there!

Stam’s football is stifling some very gifted footballers, and boring the fcuk our of the fans!

Go, go now; while we have a chance to get the 8 wins or so we need to stay up!

[Henley Royal 1]

OUT without a doubt we look like one of the three worst teams in the league i dont think Jaap knows how to or has the experience to get out of this .

[Lower West]

This is a decent squad who just aren’t being used to their strengths.

I would replace used with incapable. Too many overated players (passengers).

[Snowflake Royal]

Nah, we've got lots of good players who are playing a long way below what they're capable of because confidence is shot, the balance isn't right, the direction they're given is poor and they're implementing that direction poorly.

Inject some belief, organisation and clear direction with the right mix in the XI and this lot could amble their way up to midtable no problem. But they really really need a fresh start.

I'm not really one for abandoning your play style and what you're trying to develop just because things aren't working yet. But there comes a time when you have to shelve it for a while and make everything simple and positive. We can go back to it later, once we've got a bit of form again.

[Elm Park Kid]

I have to admit that at the moment i'm not even sure I could class myself as a RFC fan. Whenever Reading lose now I don't feel sad, rather a small sense of satisfaction mixed with despair. Whenever I watched the team last season they played pretty much the worst football that I had seen at the mad stad - yet the easily finished third so I just had to accept that Stam knew what he was doing. But now that they're where they are I almost feel vindicated.

TBH i've not had much time for the club since they fired McDermott. Sure, if they had got promoted I would have gone along to games along with the rest of the prawn sandwich brigade; but honestly my hearts not in it.

I stand by my view though that the squad isn't great and that anyone that thinks that Stam is somehow turning gold into shit is living in a dream world. We don't even have a proper player for every position on the pitch.

[Royalwaster]

Nah, we've got lots of good players who are playing a long way below what they're capable of because confidence is shot, the balance isn't right, the direction they're given is poor and they're implementing that direction poorly.

Inject some belief, organisation and clear direction with the right mix in the XI and this lot could amble their way up to midtable no problem. But they really really need a fresh start.

I'm not really one for abandoning your play style and what you're trying to develop just because things aren't working yet. But there comes a time when you have to shelve it for a while and make everything simple and positive. We can go back to it later, once we've got a bit of form again.

Agree - our squad is definitely strong enough to be fighting for promotion ... the manager is just rubbish. I can't believe how patient these owners are ... any other club would have sacked their manager by now.

[Forest Gump]

Dear Mr Gourlay,
For the sake of this club please act. Please order Mr Tevreden to find another manager before the current one pushes this club into League 1.
If BT will not do this please sack him first.
With BT and JS gone all the proponents of this Total ( bollocks ) Football experiment will be kicked out just in time for someone who actually knows what they are doing to just about save us.
But it will be close so please do t delay any longer.

[leon]

I have to admit that at the moment i'm not even sure I could class myself as a RFC fan. Whenever Reading lose now I don't feel sad, rather a small sense of satisfaction mixed with despair. Whenever I watched the team last season they played pretty much the worst football that I had seen at the mad stad - yet the easily finished third so I just had to accept that Stam knew what he was doing. But now that they're where they are I almost feel vindicated.

TBH i've not had much time for the club since they fired McDermott. Sure, if they had got promoted I would have gone along to games along with the rest of the prawn sandwich brigade; but honestly my hearts not in it.

I stand by my view though that the squad isn't great and that anyone that thinks that Stam is somehow turning gold into shit is living in a dream world. We don't even have a proper player for every position on the pitch.

This squad is good enough to push for the play offs.

Not a proper player per position?

[Hound]

The squad is plenty good enough to be mid table at least.

The management all season pretty much has been terrible. Even those of us who wanted Stam to be given a good run were saying that. It’s too long now - we are only going one way with him and his team in charge

Should go now and put the chap from the U23s in charge until a replacement is found

[CountryRoyal]

If nothing changes I wonder how long until the support will be vociferous in their dislike of Stam at games. I remember Forest away under Clarke was pretty nasty.

[The Cap]

CountryRoyal wrote:
If nothing changes I wonder how long until the support will be vociferous in their dislike of Stam at games. I remember Forest away under Clarke was pretty nasty.

As shown by the ver-hicle next to your username, assuming it's a cop car. No longer 'Taxi for Terry'. Now morphed into 'Taxi for Stam'. Nice one

[CountryRoyal]

https://twitter.com/TalkReading/status/ ... 08/photo/1

One can only hope.

[Dr_Hfuhruhurr]

TBH i've not had much time for the club since they fired McDermott. Sure, if they had got promoted I would have gone along to games along with the rest of the prawn sandwich brigade; but honestly my hearts not in it.

The first or second sacking?
If its the first, then I agree with you - but there was a big covariate then. Madejski selling the club to the Russian. Since then, there has been a steady erosion of people at the club whose heart was in it. Including the fans, including you. And we've reached this point now, where we've become another identikit lower league club (albeit one that is expensive to run). Now its just a competition to see how low our attendance can go. There are no reasons to go anymore.
There is a big similarity between Stam and McDermott #1 in that both was/will be the fall guy for a number of other failings at the club, and the other failings will continue as before. But McDermott was a good screen against the failings of the club. Stam isnt - hes part of the problem. Whereas I thought the sacking of McDermott#1 was an insult, Stam is on a par with Burns for me - I just dont see the point of him.

I have a horrible feeling, though, that if we do replace Stam, his replacement will be an identikit lower league manager. Our allure to professionals in the game isnt what it used to be.

And <checks notes> we should remember that if we had beaten Burton, Bristol City, Birmingham, Barnsley, Stevenage, Hull and Brentford, we'd all be up Stam's arsehole right now.

[Hound]

I don’t see much point over analysing

On paper we’re probably a mid table champ club. I have no real issue with being that. We can talk about losing our soul or whatever but that is pretty much the way for all clubs, that’s how football has developed rightly or wrongly

If the performances on the pitch are good then it’s an enjoyable and good value day out imo

Simple fact is Stam has done a shockingly bad job this season. We can all see it. His tactics are rubbish, he’s playing underperforming favourites, sidelined players who should be involved and made no effort to have any rapport with the fans

He deserves to be sacked for very poor performance. Simple as that