The 2017/18 season preview/expectation and build up thread

[CountryRoyal]

I would hasten to add that we lost 28.26% (13) of our games last season and were still one game away from promotion.

By contrast, Newcastle lost 10 games and won the league.

And Huddersfield lost 15 games and gained promotion.

That's a prodigious amount of losses to be 'successful' so to speak.

Yep which turned out to be good strategy by Stam and part of the reason as to why we picked up various heavy defeats.

Better to win one lose one than draw two.

[Maneki Neko]

win your home games
draw your away games,
win the league

[Jim Royal]

win your home games
draw your away games,
win the league

Newcastle won the league last season with 94 points. If they had won all their home games = 69 points. And drew all their away games = 23 points, that would be a total of 92 points and Brighton finished 2nd on 93 points..So your statement isn't true on seasons where the top team has amassed more than 92 points.

[Snowflake Royal]

win your home games
draw your away games,
win the league

Newcastle won the league last season with 94 points. If they had won all their home games = 69 points. And drew all their away games = 23 points, that would be a total of 92 points and Brighton finished 2nd on 93 points..So your statement isn't true on seasons where the top team has amassed more than 92 points.

If a team had done as Brendy says there's a decent chance Newcastle and Brighton would have dropped some of those points though.

[Hound]

I am getting sick of the media's Villa love in. They finished 13th last season. The club is a mess. They've thrown money at the problem. John Terry is 36 years old. Chris Samba got relegated with QPR when he last played in England.

Please provide a case to say why they are favourites to go up, let alone as champions

Yep agree with this. Look very unconvincing to me.

[CountryRoyal]

I am getting sick of the media's Villa love in. They finished 13th last season. The club is a mess. They've thrown money at the problem. John Terry is 36 years old. Chris Samba got relegated with QPR when he last played in England.

Please provide a case to say why they are favourites to go up, let alone as champions

Yep agree with this. Look very unconvincing to me.

I think they're a good bet for the playoffs but you could make a case for 10+ teams. No way should they be favourites.

I think boro will go up automatically, they've spent already £30m on strikers, with Assombalonga and Braithwaite looking particularly dangerous. That's on top of Bamford and Gestede who are tidy at this level and an already solid defence.

They look a good bet.

[Royal_jimmy]

It's early days but I don't think we will bounce back from a playoff final defeat to get promotion this time. Defeat on Tuesday against a Villa side we rarely beat and we could be 8 points from the top 2 already

[windermereROYAL]

. Defeat on Tuesday against a Villa side we rarely beat and we could be 8 points from the top 2 already

Yea not beaten them since last season.

[CountryRoyal]

. Defeat on Tuesday against a Villa side we rarely beat and we could be 8 points from the top 2 already

Yea not beaten them since last season.

[Royal_jimmy]

. Defeat on Tuesday against a Villa side we rarely beat and we could be 8 points from the top 2 already

Yea not beaten them since last season.

That was our 2nd win against them in 20 odd games we've played them in

[Sutekh]

So how many of us are throwing toys out of the pram at a deadline day that was so utterly crap for Reading in terms of players coming in?

How many are like me though, a little annoyed at yet again failing to land a really good striker but overall thinking the window was fairly decent with lots to look forward to from a squad that should be able to carry more threat despite the obvious lack of a proven goalscorer.

Actually think it might work to Reading's benefit in the coming months and hopefully leave the team decently positioned for a little bit of tweaking in January.

And Yann will hopefully be able to start providing another option altogether in October.

Now Mr Stam and his team just have to keep everyone happy.

[Maneki Neko]

just a repeat of all the other transfer windows since forever

no striker of any note- covered up with a big pile of random attacking midfielders.


no toys/prams though, just mild disappointment and shrugging

[Stranded]

Overall we've made what was a 3rd place squad stronger this year with more players who will fit the way Stam wants us to play.

Think it will see us finish in pretty much the same spot at the end of the season. If we could have got a striker with a decent track record at this level in then automatic promotion would be a fair expectation. Still possible though. We have more that enough to be top 6 in January and then we can look to get a striker in, if we feel we need one then (i.e Kermie could be fit and firing again or JDB could already have 8/10 goals)

[Hound]

problem is real 'strikers' who have scored goals at this level are desperately hard to come by. Jon Dadi is one, but due to a poor season at Wolves last year, he seems to have been forgotten about. Yann is another, who should hopefully be fit in 6 weeks or so. Mendes has shown potential, but needs to drastically improve. Smith likewise.

If today we had Oliveira or Hugill but had blown our entire transfer budget for the next 12 months, would that be better? I'm not sure. I'd rather have stuck with what we have and keep powder dry for January, when we may be able to pick up an unhappy striker at a club doing badly, or someone in their last 6 months of contract at a far better price.

[Elm Park Kid]

I still can't comprehend how our squad finished 3rd last season. . . . doesn't seem like there's much point me expressing an opinion when I still think that team was cr*p, yet we were a couple of missed penalties away from the Premier League.

[Hound]

I still can't comprehend how our squad finished 3rd last season. . . . doesn't seem like there's much point me expressing an opinion when I still think that team was cr*p, yet we were a couple of missed penalties away from the Premier League.

agree to an extent. One thing is certainly true, much more looking forward to watching our games this year. Last year could really be a slog at times

[Woodcote Royal]

I still can't comprehend how our squad finished 3rd last season. . . . doesn't seem like there's much point me expressing an opinion when I still think that team was cr*p, yet we were a couple of missed penalties away from the Premier League.

Don't worry you are far from alone on these pages.

Not understanding why we were so successful last season, and also thinking we've blown it already this time despite having strengthened significantly with goalscorers all over the pitch, just because we resisted the temptation to spend megabucks on a highly over priced striker, reflects better on the club than the fan base.

[Elm Park Kid]

I still can't comprehend how our squad finished 3rd last season. . . . doesn't seem like there's much point me expressing an opinion when I still think that team was cr*p, yet we were a couple of missed penalties away from the Premier League.

Don't worry you are far from alone on these pages.

Not understanding why we were so successful last season, and also thinking we've blown it already this time despite having strengthened significantly with goalscorers all over the pitch, just because we resisted the temptation to spend megabucks on a highly over priced striker, reflects better on the club than the fan base.

I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that maybe we need a striker that a - is going to be playing beyond the end of this season and b - has a track record of actually scoring goals. I suppose we'll see . . . .

[Maneki Neko]

just because we resisted the temptation to spend megabucks on a highly over priced striker

again- nonsense

we didn't get one because we couldn't attract one/get one despite offering big money (for us)
not because we didn't try/want one and resisted the temptation

[Sutekh]

just because we resisted the temptation to spend megabucks on a highly over priced striker

again- nonsense

we didn't get one because we couldn't attract one/get one despite offering big money (for us)
not because we didn't try/want one and resisted the temptation

Not so much players didn't want to come to Reading more that clubs didn't want to do business for anything less than a paltry £12m

Reading once again shown to have no ambition