SIGNED - Pavel Pogrebnyak

[From Despair To Where?]

And do you not think there are clauses in the contract that either drastically reduces his wage or allows him to leave for a realively small fee if we go down? Selling him for £3m would recoup a large portion of our outlay if we went down.

[Extended-Phenotype]

1. We don't 'know' he is on 35K.

2. If he is, I'm sure JM, Anton, Brian and co have worked it out within our means and aren't suddenly turning from financial caution to financial stupidity.

3. You can't write a player off before he's had a chance to prove his worth, he has every chance of being a bargain as a 'waste of money'.

4. I don't doubt there is a clause in his contract which sees his wage drop if we do.

5. This level of signing had a positive effect before so why the pessimism?

6. Signing a couple of players who appear to fit the Reading mould is hardly a jump from integrity to Chelsea.

7. Improve the squad at a price or run with what you have - either is a gamble which has a cost, and both come from the intent to secure our future.

8. For the first time Reading have been given a chance to throw itself into top flight status - I'm glad we are taking it and this signing is no more than a manageable evolution from what we are used to.

[loyalroyal4life]

Selling Church would pay for at least 2 months of his wages

[TBM]

People are forgetting we are now in the top division and the money in is a hell of alot more than last season - if we stay up then his wages will be covered by the financial gain. Also he's a free transfer so no initial outlay on a fee.

It's when we start signing £10m players on £60k a week that we should be cautious

[Tommy Youlden's Ears]

Viewing the last few pages of this thread leads me to suggest that too many people are basing too many theories on too few facts.

Surely we have to wait until we learn a little more about how this fits a wider plan. How many signings will there be? Will a pattern emerge around the trade-off between fees and wages? What will be the balance of youth v experience, EPL v Championship background, attitude of overseas players with no English experience. How well will McD adapt his systems and his management style to a higher performing league and to a playing group that will increasingly be populated by players he has not developed personally.

Right now we are second guessing the plan. The plan ain't going to be published, so we'll have to watch and learn.

Some of this will be clearer by August. Some by Christmas. Much will take a year or more. Clearly the clubs on a journey, it could be great, might get hairy, could end in tears. let's not jump to conclusions, or abuse each other. People be kind to one another!

Now. Where did I put those kittens...

[Maguire]

Whilst I do empathise with Bumblebee's point, I don't agree with it. In an ideal world you would only being paying reasonable wages even in the Premier League. However, we are not in an ideal world, and we have to pay the going rate which in this case is £35k per week plus sign on. As stated earlier we have not paid a fee though so this offsets some of the spend. I remember reading somewhere that Curtis Davies was milling over taking a pay CUT to £60k a week to join Norwich from Birmingham, so this is not all one way traffic. It is likely (though not desired!) that Championship wages will creep up too as Premier League ones do. The question for Bumblebee then is, would you prefer we dropped down into League 1 rather than pay wages you would find obscene in the Championship?

As far as i'm aware, there's no better indicator of league position that wage bill - that's the way of the world. If we were paying him 60+ grand a week then I think we'd all agree the club had gone mad, but 30+ grand is the going rate i'm afraid.

I've only seen Pogrebnyak play a couple of times from memory - Wolves (H) when he scored a hat-trick against a woeful side, and Man Utd (A) when Fulham gave them a pretty decent game from what I recall. I'm sure he'll be better than any other striker we currently have so a much needed addition IMHO.

[Kebe Cummings]

There are two main reason of Pog signing.
First: we need strikers to be signed and one of them should be Pog type of the striker. He is not creative player at all, not a Brazil type. More like the bulldozer type of striker suitable both for long ball games to support smart partner in front or single striker game for counter attack games.
Second is to promote the RFC at the Eastern Europe (like it was with Americans or Koreans). One year ago, for example, only few persons were aware re RFC, but after take over a lot of TV match translation and press articles were presented, and more and more people start to show interest in RFC. I’ve got call yesterday from my partner in Russia and he asks me to buy shirt with Pog name and send him.

[Pepe the Horseman]

There are two main reason of Pog signing.
First: we need strikers to be signed and one of them should be Pog type of the striker. He is not creative player at all, not a Brazil type. More like the bulldozer type of striker suitable both for long ball games to support smart partner in front or single striker game for counter attack games.
Second is to promote the RFC at the Eastern Europe (like it was with Americans or Koreans). One year ago, for example, only few persons were aware re RFC, but after take over a lot of TV match translation and press articles were presented, and more and more people start to show interest in RFC. I’ve got call yesterday from my partner in Russia and he asks me to buy shirt with Pog name and send him.

Ghey

[Norfolk Royal]

I've done the sums and that accounts for three seconds of his time with us.

[LanercostRoyal]

FEED THE POG, AND HE WILL SCORE! (Jordan Rhodes assist...)

[southbank1871]

Have we bought the Commie yet?

[under the tin]

Seems to me that some on here need to get a grip about where Prem league wages are, and where they are going.
Even 65 grand a week is about a quarter of what Balotelli is reputedly on, and only about a third of what John Terry makes.

Whilst I fully agree with those who complain bitterly about the obscenity that footballer wages have become, unfortunately, we don't set the market rate, and the sad fact is that if we don't pay what these footballers and their agents consider to be proper money, then they will turn to other clubs who will, and there are plenty of other takers.

This isn't abandoning the "Reading way". It's the club recognising that (at the moment, at least) what we have home grown will fall short of what is required to make an impact in this league, and to get the required level of quality costs proper money.

With the new improved television package, I cannot see player wages going in any direction but upwards in the future.
How long before we see the first ever RFC player on £100k a week? Watch this space.

[bracksroyal10]

Have we bought the Commie yet?

Soon we will be getting newspaper reports of Pog being a spy for Russia like Pav did when he was at Spurs

[Elm Park Pasty]

Have we bought the Commie yet?

Soon we will be getting newspaper reports of Pog being a spy for Russia like Pav did when he was at Spurs

Ha! I can imagine that. HQ of FSB in Moscow, "Commander we have a strange report from Agent P-O-G. He says he has found himself in an alien environment, somewhere called 'The Oxford Road.'"

[Bring Back The SB]

ANY updates with this signing?

[Mr Angry]

Have we bought the Commie yet?

Soon we will be getting newspaper reports of Pog being a spy for Russia like Pav did when he was at Spurs

Ha! I can imagine that. HQ of FSB in Moscow, "Commander we have a strange report from Agent P-O-G. He says he has found himself in an alien environment, somewhere called 'The Oxford Road.'"

To be fair, I don't think an Eastern European would find the Oxford Road that much of an alien environment.......

[winchester_royal]

ANY updates with this signing?

Yes.

Pavel is currently having his breakfast. I understand from my sources he has ordered this from the hotel kitchen:

[bigmike]

ANY updates with this signing?

yes ... It is due to be compleated later today

[PieEater]

People are forgetting we are now in the top division and the money in is a hell of alot more than last season - if we stay up then his wages will be covered by the financial gain. Also he's a free transfer so no initial outlay on a fee.

It's when we start signing £10m players on £60k a week that we should be cautious

Agreed, we've another £40m to add this years income, most of which will go on wages. Just another £38m to spend.

[TBM]

People are forgetting we are now in the top division and the money in is a hell of alot more than last season - if we stay up then his wages will be covered by the financial gain. Also he's a free transfer so no initial outlay on a fee.

It's when we start signing £10m players on £60k a week that we should be cautious

Agreed, we've another £40m to add this years income, most of which will go on wages. Just another £38m to spend.

Plus if we stay up then the TV money will be £10m more than it is this coming season