Exodus

[Kes]

[RoyalBlue]

oh cmon

suyrely the king of mistakes is someone a bit higher profile

coppell is just the grand vizier, or arch duke of mistakes

The guy is a walking mistake. The worst thing is that he doesn't appear to have learnt from any of them either given his lack of tact regarding Little

what "lack of tact" ?

and the fact that he evidently did no forward-planning whatsoever come the end of the season!

how do you know? Just because we don't leak transfer targets to the press doesn't mean we aren't looking.

[quote]

We're repeatedly told they are constantly looking and they probably are. It just seems as though they need a damn guide/search and rescue dog to help them find anyone!!

[Arnie_Pie]

You really are priceless Royalee, with this almost retarded "King of Mistakes" routine.

How many managers can you name who have won the Manager of the Year award 2 years running, one when in the CCC, the other in the PL?

Agreed.

So our best ever manager is also the 'King Of Mistakes'? The man that guided us beautifully into the Premiership. Wowed the pundits and the general footballing public in our first amazing season (picking him up the LMA manager of the season for the second year in a row) only to be done over by some of our players 'look at me I am a big boy now' can't be arsed to fight mentality in the second season.

Yup. He MUST be the 'King Of Mistakes'

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Any successful businessman talks up their chances of retaining important staff and does their utmost to keep them - more often than not it pushes up the price they are paid to let them go, which is exactly what United are doing with Ronaldo. They know Ronaldo's off, doesn't mean they have to admit it in the press so that Madrid can pounce and get him without a fight. You'd know this of course if you knew how to negotiate.

I know there was no forward planning by us not having offered Little something sooner, Coppell's comments that someone will now have to claim the right sided position (which indicates he wasn't looking at any previously) and the fact that we have not made any rumblings about bringing anyone in yet.

what "businessmen" are you talking about exactly (and what is your personal experience of business anyway?)

Business doesn't have transfer fees or tabloid speculation. Businessmen therefore don't talk up their chances of retaining staff, as its never discussed.

Besides, are you really trying to suggest we didn't try and keep Little? Do you really think we didn't try and keep Sidwell? Do you think we haven't tried all we can to keep Shorey?

Any businessman would know that a member of staff that wants to leave will be far less productive than they could be, and even if you offer them more money, it won't make them happier, and they'll still look to move anyway.


There's also little we can do do push up the price of our players. Even the ones who are wanted are typically just options for bigger clubs. They aren't players that clubs want at almost any price. If we hold out for more, like we did with Shorey last year, then we won't sell. In some ways that would be a success, but if it means having an unhappy unproductive player who could go on a free at the end of the season, what exactly have we achieved?

[Royalee]

Christ I'm dealing with idiots.

[Royal Rother]

Stop, please, I can't breathe!!

[royalsteve]

Any successful businessman talks up their chances of retaining important staff and does their utmost to keep them - more often than not it pushes up the price they are paid to let them go, which is exactly what United are doing with Ronaldo. They know Ronaldo's off, doesn't mean they have to admit it in the press so that Madrid can pounce and get him without a fight. You'd know this of course if you knew how to negotiate.

I know there was no forward planning by us not having offered Little something sooner, Coppell's comments that someone will now have to claim the right sided position (which indicates he wasn't looking at any previously) and the fact that we have not made any rumblings about bringing anyone in yet.

what "businessmen" are you talking about exactly (and what is your personal experience of business anyway?)

Business doesn't have transfer fees or tabloid speculation. Businessmen therefore don't talk up their chances of retaining staff, as its never discussed.

Besides, are you really trying to suggest we didn't try and keep Little? Do you really think we didn't try and keep Sidwell? Do you think we haven't tried all we can to keep Shorey?

Any businessman would know that a member of staff that wants to leave will be far less productive than they could be, and even if you offer them more money, it won't make them happier, and they'll still look to move anyway.


There's also little we can do do push up the price of our players. Even the ones who are wanted are typically just options for bigger clubs. They aren't players that clubs want at almost any price. If we hold out for more, like we did with Shorey last year, then we won't sell. In some ways that would be a success, but if it means having an unhappy unproductive player who could go on a free at the end of the season, what exactly have we achieved?

you have completely missed his point.....this is exactly what i think man u are doing with ronaldo....ferguson and his chairman arent stupid...they will survive without ronaldo and if they get £100m for him they will laugh their way to the bank.....they could replace him with 2 or 3 world class players and still have £50m left!!

[readingbedding]

I understand the frustration from the frustrated posters.
All the press speculation and the hysteria on this board would point to the fact that the Club is a carcass, and there are vultures circling over our players.
Personally, I think that the vultures have been circling around our players for a very long time.
But we were in a strong position...the players wanted to see how far they could go with the team, I admire that, they wanted to continue, they felt as the job wasn't done.
Only now are we prostrate in the desert, waiting for these clubs to cherry-pick, tempt and persuade the relevant players that the journey is over and it's time to move on.
As a supporter of RFC, I cannot do that, with a 7000 reduction in STH's it seems that the journey is over (in most cases) for them too.
Fact of life, good luck to the players, and good luck to the tourists - thanks for everything!!!
Due to our recent success, players have been content to stay, apart from Sidwell and, maybe at a push Ashdown, now Little I can't think of too many RFC players in recent history that left who we wanted to keep...

I've been accused of being an RTG, I don't really like that acronym, I'm a bit more pragmatic than blind optimism or dark negativity

What's also important is who we're going to bring in to energise and improve the team.

Anyway, this has been said millions of times before, let's wait until end of July, then debate.
It's like cutting off your eyelids at the moment.

[Archie's penalty]

I understand the frustration from the frustrated posters.
All the press speculation and the hysteria on this board would point to the fact that the Club is a carcass, and there are vultures circling over our players.
Personally, I think that the vultures have been circling around our players for a very long time.
But we were in a strong position...the players wanted to see how far they could go with the team, I admire that, they wanted to continue, they felt as the job wasn't done.
Only now are we prostrate in the desert, waiting for these clubs to cherry-pick, tempt and persuade the relevant players that the journey is over and it's time to move on.
As a supporter of RFC, I cannot do that, with a 7000 reduction in STH's it seems that the journey is over (in most cases) for them too.
Fact of life, good luck to the players, and good luck to the tourists - thanks for everything!!!
Due to our recent success, players have been content to stay, apart from Sidwell and, maybe at a push Ashdown, now Little I can't think of too many RFC players in recent history that left who we wanted to keep...

I've been accused of being an RTG, I don't really like that acronym, I'm a bit more pragmatic than blind optimism or dark negativity

What's also important is who we're going to bring in to energise and improve the team.

Anyway, this has been said millions of times before, let's wait until end of July, then debate.
It's like cutting off your eyelids at the moment.

Well said RB, well said. I don't think the journey is over though. We will be back...

[readingbedding]

I understand the frustration from the frustrated posters.
All the press speculation and the hysteria on this board would point to the fact that the Club is a carcass, and there are vultures circling over our players.
Personally, I think that the vultures have been circling around our players for a very long time.
But we were in a strong position...the players wanted to see how far they could go with the team, I admire that, they wanted to continue, they felt as the job wasn't done.
Only now are we prostrate in the desert, waiting for these clubs to cherry-pick, tempt and persuade the relevant players that the journey is over and it's time to move on.
As a supporter of RFC, I cannot do that, with a 7000 reduction in STH's it seems that the journey is over (in most cases) for them too.
Fact of life, good luck to the players, and good luck to the tourists - thanks for everything!!!
Due to our recent success, players have been content to stay, apart from Sidwell and, maybe at a push Ashdown, now Little I can't think of too many RFC players in recent history that left who we wanted to keep...

I've been accused of being an RTG, I don't really like that acronym, I'm a bit more pragmatic than blind optimism or dark negativity

What's also important is who we're going to bring in to energise and improve the team.

Anyway, this has been said millions of times before, let's wait until end of July, then debate.
It's like cutting off your eyelids at the moment.

Well said RB, well said. I don't think the journey is over though. We will be back...

Exactly, deep down, whatever their gripe and hang-up every fan here wants the same thing too..most fans of every 92 clubs hopes and wishes for a successful season.
I don't think the Club is imcompetant, or performing a sick joke, but then again, I totally understand the frustration of the usual posters on this forum. Success is addictive, and no-one wants playtime to be over.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Any successful businessman talks up their chances of retaining important staff and does their utmost to keep them - more often than not it pushes up the price they are paid to let them go, which is exactly what United are doing with Ronaldo. They know Ronaldo's off, doesn't mean they have to admit it in the press so that Madrid can pounce and get him without a fight. You'd know this of course if you knew how to negotiate.

I know there was no forward planning by us not having offered Little something sooner, Coppell's comments that someone will now have to claim the right sided position (which indicates he wasn't looking at any previously) and the fact that we have not made any rumblings about bringing anyone in yet.

what "businessmen" are you talking about exactly (and what is your personal experience of business anyway?)

Business doesn't have transfer fees or tabloid speculation. Businessmen therefore don't talk up their chances of retaining staff, as its never discussed.

Besides, are you really trying to suggest we didn't try and keep Little? Do you really think we didn't try and keep Sidwell? Do you think we haven't tried all we can to keep Shorey?

Any businessman would know that a member of staff that wants to leave will be far less productive than they could be, and even if you offer them more money, it won't make them happier, and they'll still look to move anyway.


There's also little we can do do push up the price of our players. Even the ones who are wanted are typically just options for bigger clubs. They aren't players that clubs want at almost any price. If we hold out for more, like we did with Shorey last year, then we won't sell. In some ways that would be a success, but if it means having an unhappy unproductive player who could go on a free at the end of the season, what exactly have we achieved?

you have completely missed his point.....this is exactly what i think man u are doing with ronaldo....ferguson and his chairman arent stupid...they will survive without ronaldo and if they get £100m for him they will laugh their way to the bank.....they could replace him with 2 or 3 world class players and still have £50m left!!

what point have I missed? Yes, Utd are saying they won't sell. The huge differences are that Ronaldo is a world class player that Real are desperate to buy, and he's not going to be available on a free next summer. Our position is far weaker. We can't afford to have a player sulking in the stands for a year, and besides, with the exception of Shorey who we seem very keen to be shot of, we haven't exactly said we'll let players go cheaply, and clubs are not biting our hands off trying to sign them.

We have players who, if the rumours are true, want to quit Reading and play in the premiership. If we say we are not selling them at any price, then nobody will bother bidding for them. If we ask too high a fee for them then nobody will bid for them because there'll be better options. We've said we won't sell players on the cheap, and beyond that there's not much else we can do. It's not as if Boro are going to bid £6 million for Harper just because we say we don't want to sell.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Christ I'm dealing with idiots.

No. You're just a typical 20 year old, convinced he's utterly right in every opinion he has without a shade of doubt, mainly because you've never had time to really think about anything or experience anything.

[readingbedding]

Christ I'm dealing with idiots.

No. You're just a typical 20 year old, convinced he's utterly right in every opinion he has without a shade of doubt, mainly because you've never had time to really think about anything or experience anything.

He's just frustrated, he had a hunch that the situation (supposedly) would unravel for the worse, and he feels that the Club is incompetant and could be doing better.
Perhaps nothing to compare it to.

[Archie's penalty]

Christ I'm dealing with idiots.

No. You're just a typical 20 year old, convinced he's utterly right in every opinion he has without a shade of doubt, mainly because you've never had time to really think about anything or experience anything.

He's just frustrated, he had a hunch that the situation (supposedly) would unravel for the worse, and he feels that the Club is incompetant and could be doing better.
Perhaps nothing to compare it to.

I lived through the whole 94-5 fallout. I was a 15 year old at the time, full of enthusiasm about the way the world should be. It was incredibly sad what happened to the club over the next 5-6 years but we came back and came back stronger with a new stadium and a well run set-up. We are a lot bigger club then we were in 1994-5. I have loved the last couple of years and really got back into the club again after losing it for a while between 1998-2000.

If people think we are in the same position that we were in after the play-off final fall-out against Bolton then they are slightly deluded. We went down sure, we will lose players but the club is on a really sound footing. If we don't go up next year, we will the next and if we don't the next, definitely the year after. If you want you can pour negative scorn all over this post but I think the club is in a good position...

[readingbedding]

I agree that there is no relation to the 1995 post-mortem.
We are certainly better placed to replace (hopefully) the players who'll leave.
Talking about 1995 and all that, we had a great team, we all knew that when the dream died (and it was a dream...Reading vs Liverpool at EP anyone???) and the decent players were snapped up, we knew it would take years...even worse - fated never to play with the 'big boys'.

Certainly don't have that feeling now.

Our set-up has grown up, our infrastructure has matched the best that the Championship can offer.
Look at Stoke and Hull, ok they may go down, but players aside I see a lot of similarities between themselves and us.

The experience of the Premiership can only galvanise the Club, bigger and better clubs than us have yo-yo'd, perhaps we can go straight back up...
Maybe not, I haven't got a clue, ask me after 10 games.
Let's not through the baby out of the bathwater.

[RoyalBlue]

I understand the frustration from the frustrated posters.
All the press speculation and the hysteria on this board would point to the fact that the Club is a carcass, and there are vultures circling over our players.
Personally, I think that the vultures have been circling around our players for a very long time.
But we were in a strong position...the players wanted to see how far they could go with the team, I admire that, they wanted to continue, they felt as the job wasn't done.
Only now are we prostrate in the desert, waiting for these clubs to cherry-pick, tempt and persuade the relevant players that the journey is over and it's time to move on.
As a supporter of RFC, I cannot do that, with a 7000 reduction in STH's it seems that the journey is over (in most cases) for them too.
Fact of life, good luck to the players, and good luck to the tourists - thanks for everything!!!
Due to our recent success, players have been content to stay, apart from Sidwell and, maybe at a push Ashdown, now Little I can't think of too many RFC players in recent history that left who we wanted to keep...

I've been accused of being an RTG, I don't really like that acronym, I'm a bit more pragmatic than blind optimism or dark negativity

What's also important is who we're going to bring in to energise and improve the team.

Anyway, this has been said millions of times before, let's wait until end of July, then debate.
It's like cutting off your eyelids at the moment.

You're right. It was said during the last transfer window and the window before that and that..... And look what happened!!

We're not going to go down, squad is good enough, even if we go down we can keep all our best players and bounce straight back.........

Yeh, our best players are under contract, the club say they don't have to sell etc.etc. But there is so much smoke billowing around that you really have to be locked up in an asbestos room to deny that there isn't a fire burning away somewhere.

I'd love to be proved wrong but we will lose some of our best players and, for whatever reason we are given, we will fail to replace them with the quality that is needed to give us the best possible chance of bouncing straight back.

BTW, add Primus to that list of players we wanted to keep (anyone spot the common theme?!!)

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Christ I'm dealing with idiots.

No. You're just a typical 20 year old, convinced he's utterly right in every opinion he has without a shade of doubt, mainly because you've never had time to really think about anything or experience anything.

He's just frustrated, he had a hunch that the situation (supposedly) would unravel for the worse, and he feels that the Club is incompetant and could be doing better.
Perhaps nothing to compare it to.

and that's my feeling too. The club made mistakes, quite a few of them. The truth is that all clubs make mistakes, but we've made so few, or at least so few that have had any impact over the last 10 years, that people tend to forget that the football world doesn't perpetually smell of roses. Football is typically cyclic in nature, with good spells and bad ones, and the bad ones are typically a result of being unable to pay for a higher level of football.

People can moan about mistakes all they want, and there's no problem with that, but it's the implication that the club and the management are hideously incompetant because of that that is daft. Nobody (I hope) would be trying to claim the club were spot on in their approach if we'd nicked one more point and stayed up, so falling just the other side doesn't prove the STG brigade were right in every claim either.

[Roger the Rabbit]

We're repeatedly told they are constantly looking and they probably are. It just seems as though they need a damn guide/search and rescue dog to help them find anyone!!

There have been players at the club discussing deals, no idea who or what stage discussions are at but I know things are going on

Desite the uber cynics peddling their rather stale negativity there is plenty going on.

Just don't expect JM to be on the phone to you personally keeping you updated.

[loyalroyal4life]

If harper, sonko, shorey and hunt go we will be fine.

Harper - doesnt really compliment marek who will be key for us next season. We need to bring someone in there.

Sonko - shown what a liability he is and doesnt look like he will recapture his past sparkling form.

Shorey - Think none of us are going to be surprised at him going, as expected really. Sure we could find a decent enough replacement if not rosenior could do a job.

Hunt - since signing new contract has looked awful every game. Can get decent amount of money for him enabling us to strengthen possibly both wings although i think convey would do well for us on the left.


WHAT I WILL be worried about is if the likes of Kitson and doyle and even lita move on. If we keep our 4 strikers even if it is just for 1 season, we are guaranteed goals!!

[Alan Partridge]

If harper, sonko, shorey and hunt go we will be fine.

Harper - doesnt really compliment marek who will be key for us next season. We need to bring someone in there.

Sonko - shown what a liability he is and doesnt look like he will recapture his past sparkling form.

Shorey - Think none of us are going to be surprised at him going, as expected really. Sure we could find a decent enough replacement if not rosenior could do a job.

Hunt - since signing new contract has looked awful every game. Can get decent amount of money for him enabling us to strengthen possibly both wings although i think convey would do well for us on the left.


WHAT I WILL be worried about is if the likes of Kitson and doyle and even lita move on. If we keep our 4 strikers even if it is just for 1 season, we are guaranteed goals!!

fair post although I don't agree with your last point, that was Coppell's pretty much exact words last season. He felt our forwards were our strongest asset that they would get us goals. Only Kitson (for half a season) really produced. Forwards unless they are like Henry or Ronaldo and create for themselves have to have good service to score goals. Our midfield is absolutely desperate. Not just that but bringing in another striker might give us a bit more imputus (sp), I felt we looked too predictable and a bit stale in a lot of areas last year including up top. We need to hit the ground runing next season and wipe away any 'hangover' that might be there.