Rival Watch

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Dirk Gently
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Re: Rival Watch

by Dirk Gently » 23 May 2023 09:38

Sutekh
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Elm Park Kid No one knows if surviving an extra season would have made any difference in the long-run. I think that the late 00s was already a bit too late for Reading to establish itself as a permanent PL club without a billionaire bankrolling us. You need that additional revenue that comes from a widespread support at home and abroad - I feel like Reading was already fighting an extremely difficult battle back then to get the attention of the younger generations. Yes, you've got other clubs that were our size now in the PL - but most of them have had a lot of additional cash ploughed into them.

Big John did what he could. He wasn't going to put his personal finances at risk in order to gamble on the club. We've seen the painful consequences of owners trying to do that. He tried to sell the club to someone he thought could spend what he couldn't - he messed up - it is what it is.

I think we could've established ourselves if we'd stayed up in that second season. I think Wigan are a good comparison - just about stayed up in their second season and were only relegated in their eighth season (albeit they were in a relegation battle most years). Wigan are are surrounded by much bigger clubs and rugby league is the biggest sport in the city. We probably have/had more potential to grow into an established Premier League club than Wigan because of these factors.

Stoke spent ten seasons in the Premier League (being mid-table for all but their final season); Swansea had seven seasons (mid-table for all but their final two seasons). I can't remember what either sides' financial backing was at the time though.

I believe a third season would've made a big impact for us: we might've gone ahead with the stadium expansion and I think we'd've had more incentive to make some serious transfers due to the relative lack of spending in the previous couple of seasons. I seem to recall we had John Mensah (I think) lined up to sign if we'd stayed up that season - who would've been a huge upgrade on our defence at the time.

If you look at the side that started at Derby on the final day of that season - Hahnemann; Murty, Ingimarsson, Duberry, Shorey; Oster, Matejovsky, Harper, Hunt; Lita, Kitson - there are only two players there who didn't play in the 106 season and the two wingers were second choice that season (Hunt did improve a lot in the Premier League though). You have to get to the tenth most used player to find someone not at the club during the 106 season (Bikey) and he played less than 40% of minutes.

I think the club had realised before the end of that season we needed to strengthen if we wanted to remain in the Premier League for a prolonged period. The problem was we narrowly got relegated after a decline in form towards the end of the season and we couldn't make it back the following season - killing the chance of establishing ourselves at that level.


The most annoying thing about that season was letting Fulham do the double over us, both by two goal margins and conceding very late in both games. Keeping both defeats to just a 1 goal margin would have kept Reading up! Also if SC had known that a 7-0 win at Derby would have done it anyway, Reading may well still have managed it as Derby were truly the worst PL side ever that year.


If you ask Wally Downes about it he says he pleaded with Coppell before that match to change the formation and put five in midfield to shut the game down and ensure we got a draw. But SC refused, saying "No, we play 4-4-2, it's what we do..."

Wally knew.

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Re: Rival Watch

by under the tin » 23 May 2023 10:10

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Mr Angry How good a player was Matejovsky!

He was arguably the best technical player the club's ever had. Matejovsky's biggest problems here were the players around him weren't on the same wavelength and I don't think he really worked in a two-man midfield.

Like buggery was he.

Gylfi is a far superior player and technician. Ejaria is technically better. As was Little.

If you can't adapt your game to the players around you, you're hardly very technical. Playing passes your team mates can't read is not a sign of a good player.


Hell yeah.
Remember sitting in the North stand, Gylfi running towards our end, he sold a dummy and about 20 of us fell off our seats in the stand.
The orgasmic groans of pure appreciation coming from the fans seeing a precision pass or free kick....

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Re: Rival Watch

by BraisingsteakRoyal » 23 May 2023 15:45

under the tin
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Clyde1998 He was arguably the best technical player the club's ever had. Matejovsky's biggest problems here were the players around him weren't on the same wavelength and I don't think he really worked in a two-man midfield.

Like buggery was he.

Gylfi is a far superior player and technician. Ejaria is technically better. As was Little.

If you can't adapt your game to the players around you, you're hardly very technical. Playing passes your team mates can't read is not a sign of a good player.


Hell yeah.
Remember sitting in the North stand, Gylfi running towards our end, he sold a dummy and about 20 of us fell off our seats in the stand.
The orgasmic groans of pure appreciation coming from the fans seeing a precision pass or free kick....


^ This. He was to our side what KDB is to Man City - in terms of his level above others, and his relative ability. It saddens* me to think i'll probably never see another player of that quality play for Reading again - at least in the next 10 years.

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Pepe the Horseman
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Re: Rival Watch

by Pepe the Horseman » 23 May 2023 17:09

Neil Critchley back at Blackpool. Good move all round there.

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Re: Rival Watch

by Royal_jimmy » 23 May 2023 21:50

Let's hope we also appoint an experienced manager and not another nobody


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Re: Rival Watch

by YoungRon » 24 May 2023 08:09

Pepe the Horseman Neil Critchley back at Blackpool. Good move all round there.

Why do you think Neil Critchley will be good at Blackpool again? It's been a while, he's not the same guy anymore.

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Winston Biscuit
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Re: Rival Watch

by Winston Biscuit » 24 May 2023 19:26

The deadline for the Wigan owners to deposit 125% of wages into the clubs account is today otherwise they get an additional 3 points deducted for next season

Silence from the club so far. Some suggestions it's not happened.

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Re: Rival Watch

by Hound » 24 May 2023 19:30

Pepe the Horseman Neil Critchley back at Blackpool. Good move all round there.


Yeah he was my original first choice

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Re: Rival Watch

by Clyde1998 » 24 May 2023 19:41

Winston Biscuit The deadline for the Wigan owners to deposit 125% of wages into the clubs account is today otherwise they get an additional 3 points deducted for next season

Silence from the club so far. Some suggestions it's not happened.

I think it's four additional points that would be deducted. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up in administration again - so that would be another twelve points off. They could well start the season on minus twenty.


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Re: Rival Watch

by Snowball » 25 May 2023 08:36

Clyde1998
Winston Biscuit The deadline for the Wigan owners to deposit 125% of wages into the clubs account is today otherwise they get an additional 3 points deducted for next season

Silence from the club so far. Some suggestions it's not happened.

I think it's four additional points that would be deducted. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up in administration again - so that would be another twelve points off. They could well start the season on minus twenty.


Well if that happens, we won't finish bottom...

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Re: Rival Watch

by YorkshireRoyal99 » 25 May 2023 09:03

Clyde1998
Winston Biscuit The deadline for the Wigan owners to deposit 125% of wages into the clubs account is today otherwise they get an additional 3 points deducted for next season

Silence from the club so far. Some suggestions it's not happened.

I think it's four additional points that would be deducted. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up in administration again - so that would be another twelve points off. They could well start the season on minus twenty.


I was thinking this as well, it wouldn't be a shock.

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Sutekh
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Re: Rival Watch

by Sutekh » 25 May 2023 09:25

Snowball
Clyde1998
Winston Biscuit The deadline for the Wigan owners to deposit 125% of wages into the clubs account is today otherwise they get an additional 3 points deducted for next season

Silence from the club so far. Some suggestions it's not happened.

I think it's four additional points that would be deducted. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up in administration again - so that would be another twelve points off. They could well start the season on minus twenty.


Well if that happens, we won't finish bottom...


The 4 point deduction is currently expected to be doubled as the "safety account" has apparently failed to materialise. The FL will consider the position after the Wednesday deadline failed to deliver.

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Winston Biscuit
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Re: Rival Watch

by Winston Biscuit » 25 May 2023 09:36

Clyde1998
Winston Biscuit The deadline for the Wigan owners to deposit 125% of wages into the clubs account is today otherwise they get an additional 3 points deducted for next season

Silence from the club so far. Some suggestions it's not happened.

I think it's four additional points that would be deducted. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up in administration again - so that would be another twelve points off. They could well start the season on minus twenty.


oof! Hope they get themselves sorted. I would rather not see football clubs go into administration.


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Re: Rival Watch

by Stranded » 25 May 2023 14:27

Sutekh
Snowball
Clyde1998 I think it's four additional points that would be deducted. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up in administration again - so that would be another twelve points off. They could well start the season on minus twenty.


Well if that happens, we won't finish bottom...


The 4 point deduction is currently expected to be doubled as the "safety account" has apparently failed to materialise. The FL will consider the position after the Wednesday deadline failed to deliver.


Not sure what there is to consider - they set a deadline, it was missed. Penalty for missing it was another 4 pts deducted. Deduct the points.

Not a fan of the situation at all and feel for Wigan fans but that is the position surely.

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morganb
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Re: Rival Watch

by morganb » 26 May 2023 12:49

https://www.efl.com/news/2023/may/wigan ... statement/

Following the failure to ensure that an amount equal to 125% of the Club’s forecast monthly wage bill was deposited in a designated Club account by Wednesday 24 May, as per the order of an Independent Disciplinary Commission, Wigan Athletic Football Club has been deducted a further four points and will now start the 2023/24 season on minus eight points (-8).

This follows a previous sanction of four points after failing to pay its players’ wages on time in March 2023 and May 2023.

The EFL has spent the past 48 hours in dialogue with the Club in an attempt to find a positive outcome to the issue but as of 9am Friday morning the required funds have not been deposited.

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Re: Rival Watch

by Stranded » 26 May 2023 13:00

Be interesting to see if there is further sanction - what if the money isn't there in a month, 2 months etc...

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Re: Rival Watch

by tidus_mi2 » 26 May 2023 13:08

Stranded Be interesting to see if there is further sanction - what if the money isn't there in a month, 2 months etc...

I think it's likely when they've had two punishments already for next season and the previous season hasn't completely finished yet.

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Re: Rival Watch

by Stranded » 26 May 2023 13:15

Wigan CEO saying they will look at legal action against it - not sure what grounds.

Ruling said have money in this account by this time else 4 points off. Money was not in account, points deducted.

All pretty transparent - they may have got a slight reprieve if the money hit the account yesterday and they could show reasons for the delay but as it is still not there today, no chance.

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Winston Biscuit
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Re: Rival Watch

by Winston Biscuit » 26 May 2023 14:00

I am lead to believe today is payday for staff at Wigan Athletic. will be interesting to see if they all get paid their full monthly wage, and if not what happens to the club

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Re: Rival Watch

by Royal_jimmy » 26 May 2023 14:00

Wigan are screwed then. They won't be top 6.

I reckon it'll be Barnsley/Sheffield Wednesday, us, Derby, Bolton, Portsmouth and Blackpool in no order who will be top 6.

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