In attendance: Roger Titford (from STAR), John Madejski, Alan Pardew, Brian McDermott, Scott Murray and about 250 STAR members
RT - Introduces guests to rapturous applause!
[To JM] UEFA has announced plans to reduce the Premiership
and other top flight leagues in Europe to 16 teams. In the light of this,
is it essential to win promotion this season or next?
JM - Thinks promotion is essential every season! Reading FC always pursues
excellence and leaves no stone unturned in the hunt for promotion each and
every season. The club is built for the highest division, although two successive
promotions would have been something of a miracle. Promotion as soon as possible
is the mission statement.
[To JM] What do you think about Chelsea's recent takeover?
JM - Thinks it's a bad thing - that kind of money throws the game into chaos.
That kind of money pushes player salaries up and makes life difficult for
the less glamorous clubs. Chelsea fans on the whole will be pleased but some
will rightly be concerned that their club is in an artificial situation, as
Mr. Abramovich may not be around for ever.
[To JM] Is the Arborfield training facility the last piece
of the club 'jigsaw'?
JM - Thought that was still a secret! Arborfield is a fantastic acquisition
and will indeed be the last big piece in the jigsaw. It will be terrific for
the club to have its own training facility. Indeed, the Academy was planned
for Arborfield too but it had to be built at the Madejski Stadium because
the Arborfield land could not be acquired in time (which turned out for the
best as indoor facility is now a successful commercial asset too).
[To AP] Alan, how's the foot? (refers to AP's admission
that he hurt his foot kicking the wall in frustration at Ipswich the previous
Saturday)
AP - OK now!
Reading have won more league points this century than any
other club - was AP aware of this?
AP - Yes, aware and very proud. The team and staff are keen on breaking records
and are delighted to be the team of the millennium so far.
Did last season's success surprise the manager?
AP - It did after the opening day defeat at Derby! It was a surprise in a
way, but it built up gradually alongside the confidence that the team could
do well in the division. That self-belief has carried on into this season.
The younger players like Harper and Shorey are full of confidence and really
believe they can win the league this year.
How strong is this year's Division One compared to last season?
AP - It looks stronger on paper but then again last season it looked very
daunting until the season got underway. Reading FC is stronger as a team this
year.
Does the arrival of Shaun Goater spell the end for the 4-5-1
formation?
AP - No, it is still very effective away from home but at home it doesn't
provide enough goal threat. RFC now has players to play a number of systems,
and, crucially, who can score goals as well. 4-5-1 will still be used, particularly
on the road.
How difficult is it to manage a team that is growing and
changing so fast?
AP - It's true that the team and the club as a whole is growing - the number
of people who have turned up tonight proves that! In terms of the team changing
- everyone was up in arms when Darren Caskey left, and it has been the same
with Jamie Cureton; they are very good players but in the end they were impossible
to fit into the team. Regarding Curo, RFC offered him more money than any
other team in England, but Korea offered him a brilliant deal.
How did the management feel about Sammy Igoe's departing
complaint of a "lack of "fun at Reading?
AP - Had a good laugh at that. Sammy was a great player for Reading, and that's
that.
Any chance of Jamie Cureton re-appearing at RFC during the
Korean close season?
AP - No - he loved it here but he's in Korea now and hopefully it will work
out for him there. Still, never say never.
[To SM] How difficult was it to decide to come to Reading?
SM - Had a chat with the manager at the Millennium Madejski hotel, was really
impressed with the surroundings and was excited by the chance of playing in
such a beautiful stadium. Can't wait until Saturday for home debut (if selected,
of course!)
[To BM] Any comments on the players the club was linked with
over the summer, such as Richie Partridge and Teddy Sheringham?
BM - Not really; lots of names always get linked with the club, and the club
is always looking at players. Reading's scouts had been watching Scott Murray
for three years!
How is Omar Daley going to fit into the side, with all the
midfielders already at the club?
BM - Doesn't know but he is a great lad and a pleasure to feed! (Omar Daley
is currently staying at BM's house!)
AP - He is a terrific player and has been amazing in training; in fact training
this week has been better than ever before. AP will find a role for him somewhere.
Are we looking for another centre-half and why was Marc Edworthy
not signed?
AP - Edworthy is not really a centre-half, more of Ricky Newman type and AP
didn't just want to sign another similar player. The team does need another
centre-half but it is not as urgent as some people seem to think and AP will
take his time.
What obstacles have to be overcome in signing quality players
these days?
JM - Signings are planned well in advance, and secrecy is of the utmost importance.
If you are perceived as a wealthy club then prices go up, so keeping potential
transfer news out of the press is vital. Several players have visited the
Madejski Stadium "on the quiet" - once you get players to come and
look around, they are much easier to persuade.
AP - ..and as soon as RFC shows interest in a player, other clubs come sniffing
around. Shaun Goater is a case in point - as soon as a fee was agreed with
Kevin Keegan, Goater's agent informed other clubs who were straight on the
phone to Man City.
Is a player's character as important as his playing ability?
AP - Yes, have always maintained this. David Connolly springs to mind. On
the telephone AP had a "bad gut feeling" about the player who seemed
to be more in it for himself alone and not the whole team. You need to take
care. One bad egg can spoil the lot, and the team spirit at Reading is excellent.
Will AP be looking to the Premiership for loan signings again
this season?
AP - Yes. It's good for Division One clubs that Premier League teams cannot
loan players between themselves. Although the squad is slightly smaller this
year, there is plenty of cover there, despite what some people might think.
What is it about Reading's fitness regime that surprises
new players when they arrive?
AP - Reading FC has embraced sports science more fully than many other clubs.
The players' fitness is the sole responsibility of sports scientist Niall
Clark and not the manager. AP compares the team's fitness ratings with those
of Celtic, Man Utd and Arsenal, and Reading's are better even than theirs.
SM - The level of fitness at Reading is "frightening"! Had never
done so much weights before either, and the whole set up is more professional
than anywhere else SM has played.
Do we have to have music when we score - and is it AP's idea?
AP - It's just an attempt to improve the atmosphere, which could often do
with a lift inside the ground. If people don't like it then it can change,
it's just a question of coming up with ideas. Atmosphere inside the Madejski
is still a problem, even with the bigger crowds - AP is still looking for
that atmosphere "that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand
up."
[A show of hands for and against post-goal music reveals a fairly even split]
Isn't the atmosphere better at grounds which position home
supporters behind both goals?
AP - That's a good point. Some teams (like Ipswich) cram away fans into a
little corner of the ground - if Reading had more home supporters then we
could do the same and reduce the number of visiting supporters, or do away
with them altogether!
What's with the blue shorts?
AP - Don't know the answer to that one. Re. The kit in general, it's always
slightly controversial every season as AP is keen that the kit looks good
and works well on the pitch, whereas the club wants shirts that will sell
in the club shop. So there's usually a compromise.
What was your most enjoyable game last season?
AP - Nottingham Forest at home: great football, brilliant fans and a great
battling performance from Reading to come back from severe pressure and win
the game. Hopefully this Saturday will be as good.
JM - Sheffield United away [3-1 win].
[To AP] What annoys you most about managing Reading FC?
AP - Nothing - loves it here. The supporters took a while to come around to
AP but now everyone is on the same side and AP hopes to be here for a very
long time.
[to BM] Is it difficult attracting young players to the Academy
ahead of our local rivals?
BM - Not any more; RFC has become a much bigger club in recent years, and
no longer has much competition from the likes of Swindon, Brentford and Wycombe.
Players are continually being offered to the RFC academy.
AP - Adds that Reading have just this week acquired a young player from Wycombe.
Is Marcus Hahnemann likely to be unavailable due to international
call ups this season?
AP - It is an objective of the season to get three internationals in the side,
so that at least games can be called off if players go to play for their country.
But Marcus is unlikely to be going anywhere - he had a "stinker"
in his last game for USA!
We are very good at defending set pieces, but awful at scoring
from them. How can the team improve on this?
AP - Set plays are indeed a problem - the team doesn't have a giant centre
half or centre forward. Instead last season the tactic was to move around
and create space but this can over-complicate things. This season the set
plays will be simpler. Shorey and Harper have been concentrating on improving
their set piece deliveries over the summer.
In last season's play-offs Reading were the underdogs because
we are seen as a relatively small club - does this affect the players in a
negative way?
AP - The profile of the club is very important, most of all in terms of attracting
players to join. Reading doesn't have the illustrious history of teams like
Wolves or Forest, but now, in the football world, RFC is seen as one of the
bigger clubs. Think big, and we will be.
There has been a marked improvement in the atmosphere in
the stadium. The boo-boys can no longer be heard - has this been noticed?
AP - Yes it has. The negativity of a few seasons ago - even up to the playoff
final defeat at Cardiff - has gone, and it has taken a while. But now the
players get a positive feeling from the stadium - now all that's needed is
a bit more noise.
Is Shaun Goater likely to get involved in a coaching role?
AP - Wants him to score a few goals first! Shaun is well qualified, a great
character and a gentleman and it is intended that he takes some of the younger
players under his wing, Darius Henderson in particular.
Is anything likely to come of our contacts with Barcelona?
AP - The contact is via the agent who installed the new President. Even squad
players from Barca want huge wages, but RFC has been offered one or two youngsters
from the Nou Camp. The trouble is it's hard to tell if a Spanish 18-year-old
will be a success in Division One, however talented he is. Still there are
possibilities.
Does the club have any say in altering distant midweek fixtures?
AP - None at all. The only things that influence our fixture list (apart from
TV) are the Reading Festival, internationals and the police.
We are so good defensively, is it a problem finding a centre-half
good enough to challenge Brown and Williams for a place in the team?
AP - Yes, that's true in some respects. Steve Brown is likely to be player
of the year this season - he has improved his fitness so much over the summer.
The club's centre halves are very good and to get someone equally good would
cost the entire transfer budget. AP and BM are instead looking for someone
with the potential to be as good as Brown and Williams after a few months
of coaching, and someone with a bit more pace. But loan signings may be the
answer in the short term.
What's the latest on Bas Savage?
AP - He's back but nowhere near rediscovering his form. He is learning all
the time but he lost a year to injury and that is a long time for a young
player.
Have the club appealed against Nicky Shorey's sending off
at Ipswich?
AP - Yes, as it was a harsh decision. AP spoke to the ref and asked him to
review the decision but the referee did not answer.
Why did the team play in the new black kit on the hottest
weekend of the year?
AP - Felt it may be a problem, but there are pressures to wear the new away
kit when it has just gone on sale. In the end it wasn't really a problem.
How is Graeme Murty's fitness?
AP - Fine. He will be fit for Saturday.
Did we get any serious enquiries for any of our players over
the summer?
AP - A couple for younger players but neither were considered.
Should we expect more from Martin Butler this season?
AP - Last year Butts didn't do himself justice, but he has seen the error
of his ways and has been working hard and is in great shape. AP still believes
in him, and is looking to get a really good season out of him - the club needs
Martin Butler back to his old self.
Is it difficult keeping so many midfielders happy?
AP - Yes it's tough, especially for players like Watson and Newman who
are on the fringes of the first team. It's important to give every player
the belief that they will get a chance in the side. What will not be tolerated
is players gloating that they are in the first team, but that is not a problem
as the spirit in the camp is great.
[To SM] Will you be offering the same friendly gestures to
our rivals this season as you did to the Reading fans after scoring in the
3-3 draw at Ashton Gate two seasons ago?
SM - (Laughs) Has been reminded of this a hundred times since signing for
Reading. It was just passion really - City were 2-0 down after ten minutes
and fought back for a draw. Did the same to Cardiff!
[To AP] Did you complain to the newspapers for linking you
with the managerial position at Fulham last year?
AP - No!
[To AP] What more do you want from the fans?
AP - Just that everyone sticks together in the bad times as well as the good.
Sheffield Wednesday's supporters demonstrated the importance of this last
season when Reading were 2-0 up at Hillsborough, but the crowd never gave
up and inspired their team's comeback. Just have faith, and have a cracking
season!
Thanks to STAR for the above information supplied to Hob
Nob Anyone?
Thanks to Jusin Beasley for the notes
