Wimb FiNeRaIn Yes- the 106 car boot sale all gone and replaced by youth players who couldn't amass 100 league appearences between them. Will this work, time will tell. I will Never forget that day at leicester away but thats a distant memory and this club is far from the strength and stature of the club it was back then when we had momentum. I expected a changes and as a result of coppell going, maybe a restructure of the team- thats cutting cloth a bit. However, forcing everyone out who is on a wage just for the sake they are on a decent wage is shocking- its like we are southampton or leeds when we've never spent anything near what they have, how is this clubs finances that poorly managed we have to result in a clear out of the whole squad?
For the first time in 9 years I really don't know what this club is supposed to be anymore and what are ambitions/strategy is.
Its great we have youth players coming through and there are some good teams in this division to make it interesting at the top, but we won't be anywhere near competing with the top sides for a long time- if ever again under the current regime.
Reading have a new manager, a new team and I thank madejski for his efforts for the club but we need a new leadership. Not a big foreign investor but someone passionate about a new era with plans to move forward and take us on. Someone who is hungry for a challenge- something madejski has long since lost.
Its not even about money really, I just want someone in who wants to be here who has plans and ambitions- who can relate to a football fans mentality.
Some fair points,
I believe one of the biggest strengths of the 106 team was a group of youngish players who had never been there and done it, few had even 'done it' at Championship level growing together over a period of years.
USA - Came from being a No2 at Fulham - Free
Murty - High Flying winger at York, converted to a right back - 700k
Sonko - Playing in a good/average league 2 side -Free
Ivar - Played a few games for Wolves in the Championship but was loaned to Brighton - 175k
Shorey - Plucked from Orient, was thrust into first team at a young age - 25k
Little - Didn't set the world alight when he went to the PL with Bolton, good player from Burnley - Free
Convey - Disaster in his first season, highly promising player from abroad - 800k(?)
Sidwell - Highly touted at Arsenal, had played mostly in Division 2 for Brentford before we got him - 500k(?)
Harper - Again highly touted at Arsenal, hadn't played competitive football above League 2 when we signed him -400k
Kitson - Had already given up on football once, then was scoring goals in the lower leagues with Cambridge- 150k
Lita - Former Chelski kid, banged in goals at Bristol City in Div2, club record signing - 1 million
Doyle - We all know the tale - 75k
The rest
Hunt - Almost ended up at Bradford
Oster - Failed at a string of clubs
Gunnar - Sturdy and unspectacular Championship midfielder
Long - Just a kid from Cork
Makin - Journeyman fullback
Stack - Highly touted but largely untested at higher levels
Forgive me if I'm missing out or have the fees wrong.
Basically that team was given years to gel, patched up inbetween with a few old heads who never made it to the Prem. My point being that people should remember how we built success in the first place rather then claim we're doing things the wrong way. If spending less then £4-5 million pounds got us into the PL before, who's to say it can't again?
