How we stack up against the opposition in terms of signings

[urzmikep]

Yet another transfer window slamming shut and activity at all the other Premiership clubs (especially those around us). Players having medicals all over the place and what about Reading, lights went out couple of hours ago once the Simon Cox deal was done! Hope this isn't a reflection of the lights going out on our time in the Premiership, just one exciting signing would have been nice, instead just anger at one of our young talents being shown the door!! Generally Academy players tend to show more passion than some of our current 1st teamers that aren't performing on the pitch(especially local lads that have been through the system and know what supporting your local teams all about).
I'll be there as normal on Saturday cheering the team on, but I personally think (& hope I'm wrong) that unless the 1st teamers start getting their act together Mr C and Mr M may have just blown our chances of remaining in the top flight, if so forget the ground expansion and Mr M's plans of selling the club (less attractive players in the Championship - look at Southampton!!)

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

But I would hazard a guess that Matejovsky will prove to be better than Sidwell. Therefore, we have improved. Maybe the results from this point onwards will start to have more resemblance to last seasons results.

Matejovsky has played 30 minutes in two matches. His market value doesn't say he's better than Sidwell.

Nobody paid £1.5 million for Sidwell.

The fact is he has looked promising. Whether he'll be better than Sidwell remains to be seem, but I'm very confident he's a big upgrade on anyone else we have in the middle.

The Kebe signing is a joke. French second division - be still my heart.

yeah, he must be shit. We should have signed a reserve player from a premier league team instead, as he'd much better.

the fact is until we see him play (or see him suspiciously never seem to play) we don't know how good he is. Loads said Doyle would be rubbish, and was a joke signing showing our lack of ambition.

Remember the gnashing of teeth 18 months ago when pundit after pundit tipped us to go down as we only had "championship standard players" in our squad, mainly because they'd never heard of them, and assumed anyone playing in the championship was rubbish? That's exactly the attitude shown by a huge number of posters this month, convinced that only players they know are any good.

Now it could turn out that Kebe is the next Bas Savage and our scouting network needs a large reminder that we aren't currently in the championship, but it would be nice to actually see him play before deciding that he is absolute shit.

After all, there's a thread on here about signings you got excited about, and it does kind of show that whether a signing leads you to spunk your boxers with excitement or leaves you filled with inertia often has little bearing on how the player turns out.

It isn't clear why Reading can't do the business in the transfer market, but they need to figure it out. If Reading is fortunate enough to stay up, they will have to improve in the summer. Coppell's Championship team needs a refresh.

I think they were over-loyal to Bryn in the summer as they wanted to give him a chance to step into Sidwell's shoes after doing so well as sub on many occasions (and he did - people shouldn't forget that).

I think our problem is scouting, as our scouts don't seem able to identify players who'll come in and make an impact. We shouldn't be spending £2.5 million of players who need to adapt, and if we'd been watching Halford, for example, for a year or two and couldn't tell he was woefully inadequate, then we need to employ better scouts. I mean, setanta covered a couple of Sunderland's pre-season games, and after that limited showing, Paul Parker was openly questioning what assets he had as a player other than "a long throw".

[Platypuss]

Alves finally joins Boro.

[Royal Spangle]

I don't know why we should be suprised at the in-activity in the transfer market , typical RFC style ! Build us up with stories of the team needs strengthening and the scouting network has been busy for months and then ......... NOTHING
We needed a big name , someone to calm the nerves and lead us up the table , someone with prem experience ............. etc.
Boy am I fed up with RFC at the moment. It's a bit like comming down x-mas morning for your pressies and finding out that all you have got is SLIPPERS.... F*cking SLIPPERS.
I can't remember feeling so low about the club we love ( before you all start saying about the bad old days in div 3 etc ive been watching since 1985 so I have seen some dross )

[Platypuss]

Interesting to see the massive amount of loans in to prem teams from both other prem teams and also from overseas. It's something that appears to be becoming more and more prevalent, but we appear to not be in that kind of market. Does anyone know if it's something we have a policy against, or is there nothing really to be read into it?

[Royal Spangle]

SSC has said on record that he does not think that Prem clubs should be able to take players on loan.

[Platypuss]

SSC has said on record that he does not think that Prem clubs should be able to take players on loan.

Yes, I seem to remember something like that - which Is why I mentioned a potential policy.

Hmm.

[Alan Partridge]

SSC has said on record that he does not think that Prem clubs should be able to take players on loan.

Coppell doesn't like a rule...doesn't like the transfer window either..or the timing of the ANC...or the red card rule...or offisde rule

Makes no difference. These are ther rules and regulations. Make the most of them, everyone else does.

[RoyalBlue]

The Kebe signing is a joke. French second division - be still my heart.

yeah, he must be shit. We should have signed a reserve player from a premier league team instead, as he'd much better.

the fact is until we see him play (or see him suspiciously never seem to play) we don't know how good he is. Loads said Doyle would be rubbish, and was a joke signing showing our lack of ambition.

But Kebe hardly comes with glowing references does he. A player who is prepared to go on strike to get what he wants, speaks little or no English, won't be up to speed at the top level in the French game let alone the English game and best of all he's carrying an injury and can't play at the moment. When we said we wanted a replacement for Little, we didn't mean in the sodding treatment room!

Big difference between him and Doyle is that IIRC Coppell saw Doyle play a few times before we signed him.

[PieEater]

A bit of a LOL at Sunderland signing Andy Reid for £4m, that must rate Hunt at around £6m.

I'm a bit disappointed Bolton got Raziak in time for tomorrow.

[Blue and White Toucan]

TBH the 'other' teams have hardly had any major coups have they?? Boro excluded for Alves.

Fulham have signed has beens, Bolton have signed a good championship player but to replace Anelka!!, Sunderland have signed Reid from Charlton (Sorry but I do not think he would add to RFC), Wigan have also signed a few 'unkown' forces. Players like Defoe, Woodgate were never on our Radar.

Does make me laugh at all the people on this board that think 'if I was in charge, then I would sign XXXX and XXXX and XXXXX' as if its that easy. Looking around there was little to go for and the only one that we might have missed was Taylor from Pompey (But we don't even know if we tried before we have a go)

[Northern Git]

TBH the 'other' teams have hardly had any major coups have they?? Boro excluded for Alves.

Fulham have signed has beens, Bolton have signed a good championship player but to replace Anelka!!, Sunderland have signed Reid from Charlton (Sorry but I do not think he would add to RFC), Wigan have also signed a few 'unkown' forces. Players like Defoe, Woodgate were never on our Radar.

Does make me laugh at all the people on this board that think 'if I was in charge, then I would sign XXXX and XXXX and XXXXX' as if its that easy. Looking around there was little to go for and the only one that we might have missed was Taylor from Pompey (But we don't even know if we tried before we have a go)

We did (a journo acquaintance of mine does some RFC reporting) and thought we had him. T&C's were the problem.

[Dai Brainbocs]

I can't see the point in signing the likes of Litmanen, it's like Sunderland signing Andy Cole.

To broaden it slightly - and it's been longer coming than I expected - sooner or later football is going to hit the buffers in a very big way. When that happens, clubs which haven't lashed out stupid money will be the ones best able to cope in the brave new world.

People will look at a cost of their tickets, chairmen spending absurd sums of money on players they have literally never heard of who they know will leg it at the first opportunity for a few quid more, and join these things up and simply say they aren't going to put up with it any more, and just watch it on TV. But hang on a minute, what you see on TV has become so predictable that people start to switch off there at the same time. Big blocks of empty seats start becoming visible at all but a handful of grounds. Clubs further prostitute themselves to TV and start coralling the dwindling paying public into areas of the ground away from the side the cameras are on to give an impression of more atmosphere and excitement than is really there. Further pees off the paying public, which dwindles further. TV companies slash the payouts in the next contract, clubs are still committed to paying a million a year to players who can't even make the bench Etc etc

In this scenario, there will be clubs for which the penny drops first and I just wonder if Reading might be slightly ahead of the game.

[Stranded]

The Kebe signing is a joke. French second division - be still my heart.

yeah, he must be shit. We should have signed a reserve player from a premier league team instead, as he'd much better.

the fact is until we see him play (or see him suspiciously never seem to play) we don't know how good he is. Loads said Doyle would be rubbish, and was a joke signing showing our lack of ambition.

But Kebe hardly comes with glowing references does he. A player who is prepared to go on strike to get what he wants, speaks little or no English, won't be up to speed at the top level in the French game let alone the English game and best of all he's carrying an injury and can't play at the moment. When we said we wanted a replacement for Little, we didn't mean in the sodding treatment room!

Big difference between him and Doyle is that IIRC Coppell saw Doyle play a few times before we signed him.

I thought it had been clarified that Kebe was actually injured with the hamstring strain he currently has rather than being on strike.

[Dai Brainbocs]

Unfortunately we can not rely on economic fatalism to get us the results we need to avoid relegation.
The other clubs just aren't going to go bankrupt fast enough for that to happen. If that is the straw you are clutching at, then you are in trouble!

I'm looking further ahead than the end of this season. The rumours about the ground expansion not going ahead fit in wth this. On the on hand it might sound a bit doom-laden, but it might just be pragmatism.

[rotherwick_royal]

A bit of a LOL at Sunderland signing Andy Reid for £4m, that must rate Hunt at around £6m.

I'm a bit disappointed Bolton got Raziak in time for tomorrow.

Do you think he will play?

If he had signed for us he might have got to warm the bench sometime in April!

[Hoop Blah]

I thought it had been clarified that Kebe was actually injured with the hamstring strain he currently has rather than being on strike.

Not wanting to doubt the club or anything, but it sounds a bit too convenient to me.

On the other hand the media might have sensationalised Kebe's comments at the time to make the strike story a bit more than it was.

I think there was more to it than just a tight hammy.

[Stranded]

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Probably had a slight niggle and asked not to play as it may have put the move in doubt.

[Royal Rother]

I can't see the point in signing the likes of Litmanen, it's like Sunderland signing Andy Cole.

To broaden it slightly - and it's been longer coming than I expected - sooner or later football is going to hit the buffers in a very big way. When that happens, clubs which haven't lashed out stupid money will be the ones best able to cope in the brave new world.

People will look at a cost of their tickets, chairmen spending absurd sums of money on players they have literally never heard of who they know will leg it at the first opportunity for a few quid more, and join these things up and simply say they aren't going to put up with it any more, and just watch it on TV. But hang on a minute, what you see on TV has become so predictable that people start to switch off there at the same time. Big blocks of empty seats start becoming visible at all but a handful of grounds. Clubs further prostitute themselves to TV and start coralling the dwindling paying public into areas of the ground away from the side the cameras are on to give an impression of more atmosphere and excitement than is really there. Further pees off the paying public, which dwindles further. TV companies slash the payouts in the next contract, clubs are still committed to paying a million a year to players who can't even make the bench Etc etc

In this scenario, there will be clubs for which the penny drops first and I just wonder if Reading might be slightly ahead of the game.

Hooray!! This is almost word for word what I've been saying for the last year or 2.

Therefore it's a brilliant post!!

Good to see you back on the board BTW.

[Hoop Blah]

I can't see the point in signing the likes of Litmanen, it's like Sunderland signing Andy Cole.

To broaden it slightly - and it's been longer coming than I expected - sooner or later football is going to hit the buffers in a very big way. When that happens, clubs which haven't lashed out stupid money will be the ones best able to cope in the brave new world.

People will look at a cost of their tickets, chairmen spending absurd sums of money on players they have literally never heard of who they know will leg it at the first opportunity for a few quid more, and join these things up and simply say they aren't going to put up with it any more, and just watch it on TV. But hang on a minute, what you see on TV has become so predictable that people start to switch off there at the same time. Big blocks of empty seats start becoming visible at all but a handful of grounds. Clubs further prostitute themselves to TV and start coralling the dwindling paying public into areas of the ground away from the side the cameras are on to give an impression of more atmosphere and excitement than is really there. Further pees off the paying public, which dwindles further. TV companies slash the payouts in the next contract, clubs are still committed to paying a million a year to players who can't even make the bench Etc etc

In this scenario, there will be clubs for which the penny drops first and I just wonder if Reading might be slightly ahead of the game.

Hooray!! This is almost word for word what I've been saying for the last year or 2.

Therefore it's a brilliant post!!

Good to see you back on the board BTW.

I agree it will implode at some point, at least outside of the global tourist attractions like Old Trafford, but it would be good if we can position RFC to be in touching distance of the top 10 when it does as opposed to alongside the likes of Norwich, Watford and Charlton is the second tier.

Is that possible though? I hope so!