Where does the blame lie ; not the Owners ?

[Forbury Lion]

Expectations for next season? Apparently not many...

Probably wise to focus on this season, leave talk of next season until we know what league the team will be in.

The board will have a target, they'll ask the manager what he needs to achieve that target and they will either fund accordingly, revise the target/timeframes or challenge the manager to overachieve.

[Royalwaster]

Expectations for next season? Apparently not many...

Probably wise to focus on this season, leave talk of next season until we know what league the team will be in.

The board will have a target, they'll ask the manager what he needs to achieve that target and they will either fund accordingly, revise the target/timeframes or challenge the manager to overachieve.

Truth is also that looking at other teams, a losing team can suddenly become a winning team from one season to the next and vice versa. Look at Bristol City this season and also Villa ... so I am hoping we don't get relegated, as all it might take is bringing in a decent striker and we could find ourselves in the top half of the table suddenly.

[Forbury Lion]

Expectations for next season? Apparently not many...

Probably wise to focus on this season, leave talk of next season until we know what league the team will be in.

The board will have a target, they'll ask the manager what he needs to achieve that target and they will either fund accordingly, revise the target/timeframes or challenge the manager to overachieve.

Truth is also that looking at other teams, a losing team can suddenly become a winning team from one season to the next and vice versa. Look at Bristol City this season and also Villa ... so I am hoping we don't get relegated, as all it might take is bringing in a decent striker and we could find ourselves in the top half of the table suddenly.

I think it will take more than that, but I get your point. The pecking order in the Championship is not fixed and can change from season to season

[linkenholtroyal]

I do have to say gourlay seems the route of all evil.
Last season when tev and Stam were working together we bought players with a point to prove with no budget and we acheived.
This season (gourlay era) overpriced egos who believe they are gifted a place on the team sheet and a large pay packet.

I don't like this reading squad and it doesn't really feel like reading anymore. And I had a feeling that once the money arrived this would be the result.

I hate to say it but I hope we do get relegated....
Remove all the overpriced egos fro. The squad and bring it back to what reading is.
The underdog the team with a point to prove with players who really have to work for there achievements and care.
Before the 2006 season would anyone have thought that the squad at the time was capable of being promoted, no but they hot there because they worked hard to be there as a team. They were a team of misfits and players that for one reason or another were thought not good enough, or unproven. And the whole team cost the same as useless aluko.
If it stays the way it is I won't be at a game next season.
Sorry I have watched other people rant on here so I thought I would finally say my piece.

[kirkrich]

We have had good strikers, Vydra etc, but for whatever reason they have not done the job here but have gone on to bang in the goals elsewhere. I don’t think it’s as easy as getting in a striker. If you provide good service to a striker, they will score goals, even mediocre strikers score goals given the right service.

[Snowball]

Probably wise to focus on this season, leave talk of next season until we know what league the team will be in.

The board will have a target, they'll ask the manager what he needs to achieve that target and they will either fund accordingly, revise the target/timeframes or challenge the manager to overachieve.

Truth is also that looking at other teams, a losing team can suddenly become a winning team from one season to the next and vice versa. Look at Bristol City this season and also Villa ... so I am hoping we don't get relegated, as all it might take is bringing in a decent striker and we could find ourselves in the top half of the table suddenly.

I think it will take more than that, but I get your point. The pecking order in the Championship is not fixed and can change from season to season

We missed making the top six (to Brighton) last game of the season, then finished 17th?

Didn't Brighton go 6th, then very low like us, then promoted?

[Royal Rother]

Stam for staying.

Reid for leaving.

[linkenholtroyal]

Anybody fancy Murty as a coach, may get that winning mentality back.

[Zip]

Anybody fancy Murty as a coach, may get that winning mentality back.

Not really. I’m not convinced he is cut out to be a manager. Let’s give Clement a chance.

[Lower West]

Stam turned it around. In his first season, in his first job.

There were signs that all was not well during the season. Inconsistant performances was my personal recollection.

[From Despair To Where?]

Between 2012 and 2017, we had 4 different owners. For all his faults, Madejski provided stability and sustainability. The one thing the owners must do is show a bit of long term commitment and stability in the board room. That will filter down through the club.

[leon]

Between 2012 and 2017, we had 4 different owners. For all his faults, Madejski provided stability and sustainability. The one thing the owners must do is show a bit of long term commitment and stability in the board room. That will filter down through the club.

Absolutely this. Good to see a bit of AE sense finally on the Team Board.

Why we’re in the shit? You want reasons?

Fitness, organisation, leadership, coherent strategy, commitment and stability.

[AthleticoSpizz]

but JMs’ money ran out...the end of ‘that’ stability was knocking on the coffin lid a long time before we reached that point obvs.

Our football club became a business of assets and real estate from that day forth...live with it through the thick and thin, our investors won’t (and haven’t).

Enjoy yoir footy....it could still be plenty worse

[From Despair To Where?]

Undoubtedly, it's just that we used to be a well run club with an identity and for the past 5 years we haven't been. As a club, we are rudderless. It starts from the top.

Not asking for miracles or bundles of cash, just that the current owners stick around for more than 5 minutes, show some leadership and reassert an identity for the club.

Madejski didn't understand football but he had people on board who did. He showed loyalty to people but if a change was needed, he usually acted pretty quickly. I don't think he would have waited til March to sack Stam (granted, he probably wouldn't have had the necessaries to apppoint him in the first place but that's another story).

Maybe that's what Gourlay's role is meant to be, that footballing brain who identifies when things are going wrong and acts decisively. If that's the case, he's not doing that well at the moment but who knows? However, rather than the knee jerk "Sack Gourlay" reaction, maybe it should be "(Re)Define his role". He's chief executive, he should be the owners' man on the ground and have the power to act on their behalf in their absence, it should be a powerful position, not be a glorified pa. He's worked at and been successful at enough clubs to know what to do but again, that all about leadership from the top down.

So no, the current owners are not to blame but they are absolutely the only people who can provide a solution. They just need the bollocks to take it on head on and do it properly so that we are not here in 2 years still asking the same questions.

[linkenholtroyal]

Anybody fancy Murty as a coach, may get that winning mentality back.

Not really. I’m not convinced he is cut out to be a manager. Let’s give Clement a chance.

No as a coach Steven Reid style level, that’s what he was before he got thrown in at the deep end at rangers. I was meaning as part of Clements coaching team.

[under the tin]

Alex Ferguson used to bang on about "strengthen when you're strongest".
I think that this philosophy has credence beyond just player recruitment.
When JM sold out, the stars were not aligned properly, and the club was taken over by what was probably a well intentioned Zingarevitch, whose problem was that he didn't actually have the cash to take the club forward, who also failed to attract new investors, so the club was saddled with borrowing.
So much for "due diligence" and "FPP", eh?
The debts that accrued naturally changed policy from running and growing a football club to simply trying to manage those debts in order to continue trading as a business.
Financial fire fighting ensued, and also changed the profile of potential suitors willing to clear up the mess.
It is now obvious to us all that the Thais were only interested in the real estate, and couldn't dump the club quick enough when they'd got hold of it. Club saved, but at a cost. God only knows why the Chinese bought in. Die hard royals fans? I somehow doubt that.

The Madejski years can be defined as a club on a mission.
The right people placed in the right management positions throughout the organization.
An up front leader. Focus. Direction. And when things/people went wrong, decisive action.
I don't get to feel too much of that these days from our club.

[Zip]

Anybody fancy Murty as a coach, may get that winning mentality back.

Not really. I’m not convinced he is cut out to be a manager. Let’s give Clement a chance.

No as a coach Steven Reid style level, that’s what he was before he got thrown in at the deep end at rangers. I was meaning as part of Clements coaching team.

Yes as part of the coaching set up then fine. Perhaps to replace Gilkes who certainly hasn’t made a positive difference.

[Sutekh]

It's just one of those seasons.

Poor purchases in the summer and then poor management decisions.

All the fault of the then management of the playing side.

Blaming Gourlay and Tevreden is ridiculous, they don't buy players without the approval of the management.

If you had the same over 2/3 seasons then you can start to think the problems are higher up.

[Snowflake Royal]

It's astonishing to me that managers who emphasise possession based fluid pass and move styles seem to think fitness is unimportant, or the players can take care of it on their own time.

Rodgers made exactly this mistake and now Stam.

Physical conditioning should come first, above all else.

[Ascotexgunner]

First of all, 3rd flattered us last season, our away form was rubbish, our home form and all the close wins got us there. If ever there was a team least deserving of promotion it was us. We were awful to watch.
Secondly, the biggest damage to the club has been Ron Gourley. To appoint someone just because they worked for Chelsea and Man u was utterly ridiculous. He has never been an outright CEO at a club and it shows. Handing out stupid contracts like flyers is really gonna hurt us. He's the man who is supposed to have the ears of the owners. He is clearly out of his depth. Interesting also listening to Everton fans. Koeman and Stam were mirror images footballingwise with their dutch shitty football. Even the types of players they bought in, as well as their ignorance of strikers was the same. Everton got rid of Koeman and foresaw what might happen. They got out of trouble easily. We kept Stam and havnt. We could have learnt from that at the time.