Coppell's latest backtrack

[kevan]

First - Various posts on here reminding SC about stuff like needing a right winger - do you really think one of the most thoughtful managers in world football hasn't noticed that he has to play an out of position player there every week?

I can see him reading this now and saying - of course you are right - how could I not have spotted that - Pillocks

Second - having noticed the gaps and with a few days to go to the close of the window, he should really issue a statement saying - "we really need these players and are prerared to pay over the odds, why not come and rip us off?"

Have some faith - SC knows better than us what we need. If he does not buy it is because he does not find the right players.

There are some constraints as we move from the current wage policy to the long term one we (SC & JM included) all know is necessary for the future. Transfer fees of up £5-10M are not the barrier they were, wages will follow. The club will stay well managed on and off the pitch.

When I know more about football that the blessed sir steve I will give him my advice.

Don't hold your breath

[Southbank Old Boy]

First - Various posts on here reminding SC about stuff like needing a right winger - do you really think one of the most thoughtful managers in world football hasn't noticed that he has to play an out of position player there every week?

I can see him reading this now and saying - of course you are right - how could I not have spotted that - Pillocks

Second - having noticed the gaps and with a few days to go to the close of the window, he should really issue a statement saying - "we really need these players and are prerared to pay over the odds, why not come and rip us off?"

Have some faith - SC knows better than us what we need. If he does not buy it is because he does not find the right players.

There are some constraints as we move from the current wage policy to the long term one we (SC & JM included) all know is necessary for the future. Transfer fees of up £5-10M are not the barrier they were, wages will follow. The club will stay well managed on and off the pitch.

When I know more about football that the blessed sir steve I will give him my advice.

Don't hold your breath

So voicing an opinion or wanting the club to push it's boundaries is wrong is it?

Coppell may know what he wants to do, he may have his hands tied, or he might just be a bit too cautious or even scared to make the decisions that as an outsider it's easier to call for.

[readingbedding]

First - Various posts on here reminding SC about stuff like needing a right winger - do you really think one of the most thoughtful managers in world football hasn't noticed that he has to play an out of position player there every week?

I can see him reading this now and saying - of course you are right - how could I not have spotted that - Pillocks

Second - having noticed the gaps and with a few days to go to the close of the window, he should really issue a statement saying - "we really need these players and are prerared to pay over the odds, why not come and rip us off?"

Have some faith - SC knows better than us what we need. If he does not buy it is because he does not find the right players.

There are some constraints as we move from the current wage policy to the long term one we (SC & JM included) all know is necessary for the future. Transfer fees of up £5-10M are not the barrier they were, wages will follow. The club will stay well managed on and off the pitch.

When I know more about football that the blessed sir steve I will give him my advice.

Don't hold your breath

So voicing an opinion or wanting the club to push it's boundaries is wrong is it?

Coppell may know what he wants to do, he may have his hands tied, or he might just be a bit too cautious or even scared to make the decisions that as an outsider it's easier to call for.

If he found the right player, at the right price, for the right wage and the player was willing to come, he'd call it.
Otherwise he'd have bought no-one.

[seahawk10]

If he found the right player, at the right price, for the right wage and the player was willing to come, he'd call it.
Otherwise he'd have bought no-one.

Spot on. Coppell has gotten this club further than many had thought possible. He knows football and he knows his players. He is going to keep us up. I think it is fine to criticize but in the end no matter what we do on here (RtG support or whinge on about a lack of additions) it won't have any afect on what the club chooses to do. I have full faith that the performances of the club will improve and that we are staying up.

[RoyalBlue]

Answer me this.

If the club are being deliberately tight with their money, why didn't they bite off Roy Keanes arm when he was begging them to accept £5m for Stephen Hunt?

Transfer window isn't shut yet! We let our only fit specialist right winger leaver at the 11th hour last time around!

Why do people think the club are backtracking and being too careful with their money? Simple, because not that long ago SC made it quite clear that he needed to significantly strengthen the squad and, with so many professional footballers in the world, we find it difficult to believe that he couldn't do that if the club was prepared to spend the 'really serious money' as JM himself has acknowledged will become necessary at some stage to keep us in the PL.

If the club didn't want to spend this money Hunt would have left on New Years Day.

They could have flogged him and brought in 4 bosmans to fill the gaps

The two things don't necessarily go hand in hand. They might be very reluctant to spend more money on transfers and wages but not so desperate for cash that they are prepared to sell one of their best players. Also there's a difference between being stupid and certifiable! It's one thing being tight with the cash and gambling on the squad we currently have to keep us in the PL, even they would probably realise it would be crazy to weaken that squad even more by selling one of our best players of this season. Not only would it probably be suicide in terms of our status but the backlash from supporters would be unimaginable!

[Royal Rother]

If he found the right player, at the right price, for the right wage and the player was willing to come, he'd call it.
Otherwise he'd have bought no-one.

Spot on. Coppell has gotten this club further than many had thought possible. He knows football and he knows his players. He is going to keep us up. I think it is fine to criticize but in the end no matter what we do on here (RtG support or whinge on about a lack of additions) it won't have any afect on what the club chooses to do. I have full faith that the performances of the club will improve and that we are staying up.

Yes, I agree, why bother bringing in a right winger. Even though other teams play a right winger, that's just because they don't know what they're doing!
We'll be fine without one! Let's get another couple of left wingers and play them on the right, everyone knows that's the best sollution!

Christ alive! I despair - you're even useless at irony and sarcasm.

[rfcjoe]

Im so frustrated and annoyed. When is coppell going to change the same shite that got us up. Why does everyone say "oh look at what they did two years ago" -that was a great a achievement but its history now , we should be focusing on the present moment in time. Get the deadwood out - these should be released or sold as soon as possible : ingi, oster, convey, lita, murty, shorey? harper ,gunnar
when are the youngsters going to be given a chance - whats the point of having an academy if the youngsters arent gonna be given a chance.
i love reading football club and i hate to moan but the team has gone stale and needs to be changed !!!
i know im gonna be slaughtered for posting this but i dont care - all of the above needs to be said !

[Ruud Van Kitson]

we lost 1-0 to chelsea away from home....

[Millsy]

ingi, lita, murty, shorey, harper = deadwood?

what planet are you on?

LOCK

[AbovetheI]

A hearty "zzzzzzzzzzz" from me.

[RoyalBlue]

we lost 1-0 to chelsea away from home....

And that's meant to be reassuring? Wake up to the reality of the situation.

Thanks to the absolute shyte performances away from home this season the manager and team have put themselves in a position where they have to pick up points at places like Chelsea.

[West Stand Flash]

Why are people moaning, we were away to ONE OF THE BIG FOUR, look how far we have come, enjoy it while it lasts. Coppell has done such amazing things for us. He is so good I would eat his s**t.

Typical RTG post above.

Realists - We are completely awful & strong favourites to go down (& no not just based on tonights showing). 135 years to get somewhere & stay for 2 seasons. Well done Mr Madejski, Mr Howe, Mr Hammond & Mr Coppell. Top draw that...!

[Royal Rother]

No they don't. They have to pick up points against the lesser teams - that is where our fate will be decided, not in the games against the Top4.

[Stranded]

we lost 1-0 to chelsea away from home....

And that's meant to be reassuring? Wake up to the reality of the situation.

Thanks to the absolute shyte performances away from home this season the manager and team have put themselves in a position where they have to pick up points at places like Chelsea.

I'm sorry, did we really need to pick up points at Chelsea?

No, we didn't. If we 18th maybe, but following this midweeks games we are still mathematically in the same place.

We NEED to pick up points against Bolton on Saturday. There is no if's no but's about that.

[Alan Partridge]

No they don't. They have to pick up points against the lesser teams - that is where our fate will be decided, not in the games against the Top4.

Sunderland 2 Reading 1
Bolton 3 Reading 0
Fulham 3 Reading 1
Reading 1 Boro 1

Reading 1 Derby 0
Reading 2 Sunderland 1
Brum 1 Reading 1
Reading 2 Wigan 1

Not sure that's quite good enough yet.

[Stranded]

No they don't. They have to pick up points against the lesser teams - that is where our fate will be decided, not in the games against the Top4.

Sunderland 2 Reading 1
Bolton 3 Reading 0
Fulham 3 Reading 1
Reading 1 Boro 1

Reading 1 Derby 0
Reading 2 Sunderland 1
Brum 1 Reading 1
Reading 2 Wigan 1

Not sure that's quite good enough yet.

Yet being the key word...

We still have to play Bolton, Brum, Fulham at home and Wigan, Boro, Derby away.

The results mentioned are done. It's the results in those 6 games that are probably the most key of all.

3 wins and 1/2 draws from those could well see us alright.

[RoyalBlue]

No they don't. They have to pick up points against the lesser teams - that is where our fate will be decided, not in the games against the Top4.

And our record against 'lesser teams' so far this season? Seem to remember Bolton beating us away. Fulham beating us away. Only drawing against Middlesbrough at hime etc. Seems our fate may already have been decided!

we lost 1-0 to chelsea away from home....

And that's meant to be reassuring? Wake up to the reality of the situation.

Thanks to the absolute shyte performances away from home this season the manager and team have put themselves in a position where they have to pick up points at places like Chelsea.

I'm sorry, did we really need to pick up points at Chelsea?

No, we didn't. If we 18th maybe, but following this midweeks games we are still mathematically in the same place.

We NEED to pick up points against Bolton on Saturday. There is no if's no but's about that.

If we continue to cling onto the hope of picking up points from our next game because we didn't need to get them in earlier games, we're going to run out of games!

[Stranded]

So WTF are we meant to do then? Give up now?

We have to play 6 of the teams around us, we've beaten some already and lost to some already. But guess what? The result of a previous game doesn't effect the result of a future game.

They are key to staying up, 10+ points from those 6 and we'll do it - less than 10 and I'll be pleasantly surprised if we do.

[Royal Rother]

Okay, we didn't NEED to pick up points against Chelsea away, but we do NEED to pick up points in the remaining games against the fellow strugglers. If we don't then we will go down. In your mind (and several others it seems) that is virtually a foregone conclusion.

In reality of course it's not and there are many reasons for plenty of optimism still. You don't have to look too hard for them either but I sure ain't gonna waste my time pointing them out again!

[rfcjoe]

we lost 1-0 to chelsea away from home....

we lost yet again though-and yet again away from home. your just going to accept that? well i aint mate so shut it !