What's positive at the moment?

[CountryRoyal]

Interesting that 5 of those are centre-backs.
My brother and I were talking about this last year that during our many years as fans of the club there have been so few home-grown successful strikers and we wondered why that is.

Austin and Wickham have been on our books coming through the system but , apart from Archie Lovell and at a push Simon Cox who else have we brought through as successful strikers.?

The likes of Senior, Dixon, Quinn, Doyle, Forster, Long, Cureton , Butler, Goater, Kitson, Le Fondre, Joao and Kermorgant have come from elsewhere and have been good enough to play at the higher levels so why no home-growns?

Without basing it on anything, maybe the better strikers get snapped up by bigger clubs sooner?

[windermereROYAL]

Shit summer, my team is going to the dogs, nothing.

[CountryRoyal]

Shit summer, my team is going to the dogs, nothing.

Yeah not quite what we’re going for.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Interesting that 5 of those are centre-backs.
My brother and I were talking about this last year that during our many years as fans of the club there have been so few home-grown successful strikers and we wondered why that is.

Austin and Wickham have been on our books coming through the system but , apart from Archie Lovell and at a push Simon Cox who else have we brought through as successful strikers.?

The likes of Senior, Dixon, Quinn, Doyle, Forster, Long, Cureton , Butler, Goater, Kitson, Le Fondre, Joao and Kermorgant have come from elsewhere and have been good enough to play at the higher levels so why no home-growns?

Without basing it on anything, maybe the better strikers get snapped up by bigger clubs sooner?

Luca Fletcher the most recent example after City signed him.

[CountryRoyal]

Interesting that 5 of those are centre-backs.
My brother and I were talking about this last year that during our many years as fans of the club there have been so few home-grown successful strikers and we wondered why that is.

Austin and Wickham have been on our books coming through the system but , apart from Archie Lovell and at a push Simon Cox who else have we brought through as successful strikers.?

The likes of Senior, Dixon, Quinn, Doyle, Forster, Long, Cureton , Butler, Goater, Kitson, Le Fondre, Joao and Kermorgant have come from elsewhere and have been good enough to play at the higher levels so why no home-growns?

Without basing it on anything, maybe the better strikers get snapped up by bigger clubs sooner?

Luca Fletcher the most recent example after City signed him.

Yeah but I meant even at a younger age where we wouldn’t hear about them.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Without basing it on anything, maybe the better strikers get snapped up by bigger clubs sooner?

Luca Fletcher the most recent example after City signed him.

Yeah but I meant even at a younger age where we wouldn’t hear about them.

Fair enough, what age did we release Austin at? Was it under 16? Ndiaye at Sheff Utd is another example of a forward we got rid of.

[CountryRoyal]

Ndiaye at Sheff Utd is another example of a forward we got rid of.

Never knew that!

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Ndiaye at Sheff Utd is another example of a forward we got rid of.

Never knew that!

Well, going back over it, he was never actually on our books, however allegedly he was turned away by ourselves where he was told that he would never play in an academy as he was too small.

[Ascotexgunner]

I'm finding less and less positives. Listening to that Reading fan on BBC 606 almost had me in tears....he was trying so hard to get his words out. I've just seen one blogger saying they would take administration and 12 point deduction just to get rid of this owner. Where are we going from here?

[CountryRoyal]

Ndiaye at Sheff Utd is another example of a forward we got rid of.

Never knew that!

Well, going back over it, he was never actually on our books, however allegedly he was turned away by ourselves where he was told that he would never play in an academy as he was too small.

ah yes that old chestnut.

Not like the best players in the history of the sport weren’t midgets.

And also puberty is a thing and kids get bigger, mad ay.

[Snowflake Royal]

Getting the time for the academy players might be the issue, as well as the opportunity. Doesn't sound great when our own manager says we need 10 players and we are nowhere near ready for the season when that's less than a week away now.

Even if our situation, you'd think it would be good to give them more of an opportunity, but with the way the club is and just the whole atmosphere, I can imagine it turning pretty sour, pretty quickly. Half the fanbase will be wanting shut of these academy players if they end up playing a significant role in a failing season.

Well he can't have 10 new players, so he can put up and deal or oxf*rd off. As can any fan who gets toxic with academy lads doing their best after the club has got a double fisting by that pcunt Dai.

Doing your best isn't always good enough and it certainly doesn't translate to results either. I personally don't see why it should be different for a 30 year old, experienced pro at a certain level or a 20 year old kid coming from your academy. You are either good enough, or you aren't. Of course, managing the younger player is different, but if they aren't doing something well enough, it needs addressing.

To be honest, I'd hardly blame Selles if he did decide this job isn't for him. Difficulties come with any job of course, but I suspect one reason he wouldn't walk is because it would tarnish his reputation as of right now.

He doesn’t have a reputation.

[Sutekh]

Can't sign any more dross on megabuck salaries until at least 2025.

[Millsy]

Admittedly the recent new transfer embargo is a bit of a downer, but hand on heart I'm excited and happy as a Reading fan.

Perhaps it's just nostalgia, but I am feeling this great buzz of having younger hungry players in a club trying to get up to the champ. I had happy days at the Madstad in the third tier. Loved following Reading then. That love faded the more successful we got.

So overall I'm feeling genuinely positive. Bring on the new season!

[CountryRoyal]

Admittedly the recent new transfer embargo is a bit of a downer, but hand on heart I'm excited and happy as a Reading fan.

Perhaps it's just nostalgia, but I am feeling this great buzz of having younger hungry players in a club trying to get up to the champ. I had happy days at the Madstad in the third tier. Loved following Reading then. That love faded the more successful we got.

So overall I'm feeling genuinely positive. Bring on the new season!

You need a doctor lad.

[Hendo]

Still playing cricket until September, so will miss the first month of the season.

[Sutekh]

Still playing cricket until September, so will miss the first month of the season.

Crikey, that's a long game, even for cricket.

[Stranded]

Noticed my annual subscription to Royals TV is valid until the 20th August, so I'll get the first 3 games "free" then can decide if I pay for the season.

[Forbury Lion]

Bad taste thread if it's a ploy to announce a positive pregnancy test to another nobber or alert sexual partners of a bad positive result.

[Sutekh]

Interesting that 5 of those are centre-backs.
My brother and I were talking about this last year that during our many years as fans of the club there have been so few home-grown successful strikers and we wondered why that is.

Austin and Wickham have been on our books coming through the system but , apart from Archie Lovell and at a push Simon Cox who else have we brought through as successful strikers.?

The likes of Senior, Dixon, Quinn, Doyle, Forster, Long, Cureton , Butler, Goater, Kitson, Le Fondre, Joao and Kermorgant have come from elsewhere and have been good enough to play at the higher levels so why no home-growns?

Without basing it on anything, maybe the better strikers get snapped up by bigger clubs sooner?

Reading produced Simon Cox, Simon Church, think they would have produced Charlie Austin but decided he was too small and released him , Connor Wickham left when his family moved to Essex, Nathan Tyson (the last quick player) and Darren Henderson other than that Sam Smith is just starting out and is back with the club anyway.

But then this is the club that told Peter Osgood to go away when he was looking to start his career so doesn't have a brilliant record with young strikers overall.

[Hendo]

Still playing cricket until September, so will miss the first month of the season.

Crikey, that's a long game, even for cricket.

I see what you did there