Coppell's latest backtrack

[brendywendy]

'Sadly ST prices are going up so we can compete' Season tickets sold, people using their wallets to back this club, buying into the dreams and messages from this club.

-it went up, we are competing-looking at the quality the other clubs are going for they are no better off than us, despite being able to pay higher wages, the only players i would have liked are in positions that arent our priority

Chairman 'we realise we need to significantly invest in our playing staff so we can compete at this level'
-wage bill for all players and staff doubled at least, maybe more now with hunt and shoreys bumper new deals on the way, lots of new players, some settled in already, some on their way, and some we are not sure about

Chief Exec ' We can be as abig a club as Arsenal' along with the stadium expansion...now on hold of course.
-if we continue brick by brick, in the reading way, we will pay small increases more each season, 25k, 30k,35k,40k, etc with the stadium coming online to support this once we have the bumper TV windfall from this season, once this happens, and with a few years of premiere league mediocrity we will be in a position to attract, acquire, and pay for the better players you want-this takes many years, not two

DOF ' we want to be seen as a progressive and ambitious club, as one of the most ambitious clubs in the country'-we are certainly one of the most progressive clubs in the country already and our stated ambition is to turn us into a top 6 club in the forseeable future which is aiming pretty high in my book

Manager '“We have a collective desire to get to the next level. We’re going to have to appreciate that everybody else’s level has been raised higher, so we’ve got to react. “We have to strengthen the squad in January. That’s not because of any panic, just the desire for this team to be a player in this league, not have a bit-part. “Every signing is a gamble, but it’s amazing how the gamble diminishes when you pay more. “You want the odds in your favour. We’re trying to push our parameters and get the best we can. “We’re always looking hard. We’ve got scouts all over. We’re refining the network and isolating players who can help us. “I always say we have a fairly limited market because of our perception – but money talks. It can be very persuasive. “We might have to pay more than the going rate to become stronger, better and more resilient in this league.”

-we have strengthened, we are continuing to do so


Now of course, had this team been winning and doing ok in the league, SC and the rest would have every right to say 'well go with what we've got' But this team is failing....miserably. People taking solice in an improved performance last week...the result 0-2. No matter how well the team played (and they did play well in fairness) still lost their 4th game in a row. With Chelsea and Everton away to come in 2 of the next 3.

-4 more wins and some draws required for our second best finish in history-avoid relegation and this season has been an absolute success

How has the situation changed from us needing to spend more than the going rate to 'we'll go with what we've got?'-it hasnt, he is just saying that raising wages to 25 K for more and more players, and putting new players on higher than average wages costs money, we have already brought in one player and are looking at another in the position we are desperate for

-other players havent been as available as we'd like and they arent going to buy someone random just to keep the whingers on here happy

im not sure why ive bothered to argue the point , its like talking to a religeous person who cant entertain the notion that god doesnt exist, you cannot and will not see any point other than your own
and in my opinion half of you lot in the STGB dont deserve a club as well run as this one

[brendywendy]

...

we are buying a right winger arent we?

oh, you just arent happy with him despite not seeing him play as the coaching scouting staff have?

[Blue and White Toucan]

WE WERE SIGNING MORE IMPRESSIVE PLAYERS UNDER BULLIVANT FOR GODS SAKE


Name one?

Still waiting???

[Blue Blooded]

It was posted to give the lie to RR's assertion that spending over the odds equates to giving the message that you are desperate numpties.

What else does it do then? (Just assuming that it is over the odds).

There is no lie there

As SC is saying that it may just be a necessary course of action, why can it not simply be a statement of pragmatic realism?

Cannot dispute either way really. Think it is an accurate assessment however it is taken. Coppell could be thinking that there are many ways to skin a cat and also how his hands are tied.

I am not one of these people who hold Coppell to be some divinity but I am sure he is working at it.

[Royal Rother]

That proves nothing aside stating the obvious. It doesn't say that we will or indeed get the type of players neccesary to do this. Surely it also could be said that for the type of which could present the quick fix there comes a premium.

This hardly constitutes a commitment or promise.

I didn't say it did. The reason for my post I thought was actually rather obvious.

It was posted to give the lie to RR's assertion that spending over the odds equates to giving the message that you are desperate numpties.

But then again RR simply adores the fallacy of the false dichotomy. And he's patently not alone.

This board simply wouldn't exist without false dichotomies.

[brendywendy]

more impressive than a czech international midfielder?
alongside our squad made up almost exclusively of INTLs, and youth INTLs?

you lot are truly mental

[Schards#2]

WE WERE SIGNING MORE IMPRESSIVE PLAYERS UNDER BULLIVANT FOR GODS SAKE


Name one?

Still waiting???

Without wishing, in any way, to big up Terry Bullivant, didn't he sign Linvoy Primus?

A player who established himself in the Premiership.

[Uke]

At least two things are needed for us to get a player, actually make that 3.

1. The management team at the club rate the player, think he is better than what we have here or offers us something different.

2. The club the player is at actually want to do business at a decent level ie. Would you be happy with Kightly coming if Wolves demanded £5m for him?

3. The player himself wants to come.

Only when those 3 things (at least) happen in that order will we go and get a player. That is the correct way to run a club.

You forgot the comfy chair

['lista]

Strapa false dichotomy.

[9165]

Can`t be ar##d to mread the whole 8 pages of probable moaning but as someone must have said, you can`t make players sign for us if they don`t want to. We hardly have the most glamorous set-up and history in the Prem do we ?
Also re: Centre-halves. Sonko, Ingi, Duberry, Bikey, Pearce, possibly Cisse now, possibly Bennett, possibly Gunnarsson on a good day. Most similar-sized PL clubs have nowhere near this number of Centre halves (forget the top 6 for now). Were we to sign another how could we keep all of them happy and motivated ?
Right wing: Yes it is slightly mystifying, but Oster should be back next week, Little now looking possible for end of season, even Henry and Cox might get a game sometime soon. Doyle and Hunt although not natural wingers are more than adequate there.
Coppell knows more about football management than everybody else on here out together. Stop whingeing and Keep the Faith !

[Gatecrasher]

as per the other thread about out opponents strengthening, this is who they've signed:
Fulham -
IN: Brede Hangeland, Leon Andreasen, Eddie Johnson.

Boro -
IN: not signed anyone yet

Birmingham -
IN: David Murphy, James McFadden, Mauro Zarate

Sunderland -
IN: Jonny Evans, Jean-Yves Mvoto, Phil Bardesley, Rade Prica

Wigan -
IN: Wilson Palacios, Maynor Figueroa, Erik Edman.

Bolton -
IN: Gretar Steinsson, Tamir Cohen, Matt Taylor


Derby -
IN: Hossam Ghaly, Danny Mills, Laurent Robert, Robbie Savage, Emanuel Villa, Mile Sterjovski, Roy Carroll.

How many of them do people wished we'd signed or consider would improve our 1st team? Fact is you can talk about signing players in January but the only players available are by and large someone else's cast offs.
I'll just type "false dichotomy" cos I've never said that before.

[Blue and White Toucan]

Schards#2
Member

Posts: 884
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 13:46
Location: Hob Nob's voice of reason
Private message Report this postReply with quote Re: Coppell's latest backtrack
Schards#2, 25 Jan 2008 16:18
Blue and White Toucan wrote:
WE WERE SIGNING MORE IMPRESSIVE PLAYERS UNDER BULLIVANT FOR GODS SAKE


Name one?


Still waiting???


Without wishing, in any way, to big up Terry Bullivant, didn't he sign Linvoy Primus?

A player who established himself in the Premiership.

Fair point - forgot about Linvoy. So apart from Linvoy then?

[brendywendy]

as per the other thread about out opponents strengthening, this is who they've signed:
Fulham -
IN: Brede Hangeland, Leon Andreasen, Eddie Johnson.

Boro -
IN: not signed anyone yet

Birmingham -
IN: David Murphy, James McFadden, Mauro Zarate

Sunderland -
IN: Jonny Evans, Jean-Yves Mvoto, Phil Bardesley, Rade Prica

Wigan -
IN: Wilson Palacios, Maynor Figueroa, Erik Edman.

Bolton -
IN: Gretar Steinsson, Tamir Cohen, Matt Taylor


Derby -
IN: Hossam Ghaly, Danny Mills, Laurent Robert, Robbie Savage, Emanuel Villa, Mile Sterjovski, Roy Carroll.

How many of them do people wished we'd signed or consider would improve our 1st team? Fact is you can talk about signing players in January but the only players available are by and large someone else's cast offs.
I'll just type "false dichotomy" cos I've never said that before.

1/3 of them i wouldnt want, dont seem quality enough
the 1/3 that may be good enough arent in position we need to strengthen
nice post, point proved, nothing to see here

[strap]

Strapa false dichotomy.

Oi! Leave my dichotomy out of this! I'll be needing it later!

It's enough that you take the mickey out of my disability, without actually taking it off me! How do you expect me to get around???

[Blue Blooded]

Strapa false dichotomy.

Oi! Leave my dichotomy out of this! I'll be needing it later!

It's enough that you take the mickey out of my disability, without actually taking it off me! How do you expect me to get around???

What you going to do with it if it's false!

[Millsy]

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/readingfc/2020/2020811/cisse_solves_defensive_emergency?rss=yes

Thoroughly disappointing yet obvious news.

Funny how we've gone from a team 'that will spend this window, needs reinforcements, needs to push on to the next level etc etc etc etc etc etc' to 'we'll go with what we've got'.

Never have thought we'd lost 4 league games on the trot with 13 goals going in our net in the process.

Some people wonder why others question how much Reading REALLY want to be here?

It's the mixed messages that come out of the club within the space of 3 weeks.

Personally I think this is not only risky but the wrong thing to do this season, of course only time will tell on this but very disappointing news for me.

Um..... what's all the fuss about exactly???

I started reading down this thread before reading the article, expecting it to be something horrendous. And it's nothgin at all. If I didn't know you here and respect you more I'd call this a total overexaggeration! 2+2=739.6??

ALL: HE IS SAYING IS HE DOESN'T NEED TO PURSUE A DEFENDER ANYMORE. WHICH IS VERY WISE.

1) After ever one of here having orgasms over Cisse's performance, who playing in a new position is effectively a new signing in that department, this is true usn't it?

2) What is very likely is that this is all a bargaining tool. If we're interested in some Prem defender but haven't signed him this is clearly due to terms/fees etc. To come out and say "actually screw that I don't really need him anymore anyway as we now have Cisse" totally changes the balance of power in negotiations, from a postion of "oh God please we're dying here we desperately need someone after leaking goals" to "Forget it, don't care anymore". We know Coppell is the master of media tactics in signing as they seem to pop out of nowhere.

3) What bearing does this have on any other signings therefore? Other than the article suggesting Kebe looks like our last signing?

4) Even if 2 is untrue and he will rely on Cisse, how is that a significant backtrack? Isn't it just common sense?



BUT

I understand there may be underlying resentment and frustration at the whole situation where we've so far failed to make the big/good signings we were hoping for (assuming no more to come in, and Matejocsky not being amazing) and this may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I agree with those sentiments wholeheartedly and am very frustrated/disappointed so far. But I don't see how that article specifically is a problem.

[Hoop Blah]

So, basically, you want the club to spend the money it promised to spend regardless of whether the club can attract the sort of player who commands a muliti millon pound fee and regardless of whether we find a player who is just as good for a fraction of the price.

We needed another centre half in the short term but Cisse has plugged the gap................if that saved the club a small fortune, all well and good IMHO.

The club have made it clear time and time gain, as your quotes illustrate, that they are prepared to spend big as and when required but the last 18 months are littered with examples of why this has proven so difficult, yet we've still made the number of signing promised in this window.

Furthermore, we've kept all the players that so many were convinced we couldn't hang onto.

Steve Coppell said Hunt was staying "end of" and despite Keane offering a staggering £5m he's still here...........................if that doesn't tell you just how difficult it is for clubs like ours to sign top players at this level......................I give up.

If Cisse is playng centre half, who's playing centre mid? Oh yeah Hunt, who is currently our best right winger....that means we're playing our second best, or best but out of form, centre forward out of position on the right wing. We're then forced to play a want away centre forward up tops or a young kid that looks out of his depth.

The squad is lacking numbers and quality at the moment.

It would be nice to add a bit of both before it's too late.

[Stranded]

So, basically, you want the club to spend the money it promised to spend regardless of whether the club can attract the sort of player who commands a muliti millon pound fee and regardless of whether we find a player who is just as good for a fraction of the price.

We needed another centre half in the short term but Cisse has plugged the gap................if that saved the club a small fortune, all well and good IMHO.

The club have made it clear time and time gain, as your quotes illustrate, that they are prepared to spend big as and when required but the last 18 months are littered with examples of why this has proven so difficult, yet we've still made the number of signing promised in this window.

Furthermore, we've kept all the players that so many were convinced we couldn't hang onto.

Steve Coppell said Hunt was staying "end of" and despite Keane offering a staggering £5m he's still here...........................if that doesn't tell you just how difficult it is for clubs like ours to sign top players at this level......................I give up.

If Cisse is playng centre half, who's playing centre mid? Oh yeah Hunt, who is currently our best right winger....that means we're playing our second best, or best but out of form, centre forward out of position on the right wing. We're then forced to play a want away centre forward up tops or a young kid that looks out of his depth.

The squad is lacking numbers and quality at the moment.

It would be nice to add a bit of both before it's too late.

If Cisse is playing Centre Half then Matejovsky can play centre midfield and push Hunt back to the right.

[Tinrib]

So, basically, you want the club to spend the money it promised to spend regardless of whether the club can attract the sort of player who commands a muliti millon pound fee and regardless of whether we find a player who is just as good for a fraction of the price.

We needed another centre half in the short term but Cisse has plugged the gap................if that saved the club a small fortune, all well and good IMHO.

The club have made it clear time and time gain, as your quotes illustrate, that they are prepared to spend big as and when required but the last 18 months are littered with examples of why this has proven so difficult, yet we've still made the number of signing promised in this window.

Furthermore, we've kept all the players that so many were convinced we couldn't hang onto.

Steve Coppell said Hunt was staying "end of" and despite Keane offering a staggering £5m he's still here...........................if that doesn't tell you just how difficult it is for clubs like ours to sign top players at this level......................I give up.

If Cisse is playng centre half, who's playing centre mid? Oh yeah Hunt, who is currently our best right winger....that means we're playing our second best, or best but out of form, centre forward out of position on the right wing. We're then forced to play a want away centre forward up tops or a young kid that looks out of his depth.

The squad is lacking numbers and quality at the moment.

It would be nice to add a bit of both before it's too late.

I would suggest if Cisse is playing CB that Harps & Marek will play centre mid. Its just a hunch though

[RoyalBlue]

...

we are buying a right winger arent we?

oh, you just arent happy with him despite not seeing him play as the coaching scouting staff have?

You sure they will have seen him play 'live' or will it be TV and DVDs? The latter, of course saves money.

Why aren't we happy? Because one moment Coppell is saying it's no good signing more overseas players because they take too long to settle into the English game, then the next minute he's signing another one!! Anyone who thinks the club's overly tight*rsed 'spending' policy hasn't got anything to do with such U turns is living in cloud cuckoo land!

You keep referring to such a well run club - will people really regard the club as that well run if their pig ignorant refusal to recognise that you do have to spend real money on signings and wages to survive in this league costs us our PL place this season, heralds the departure of our best ever manager and star players and a general downwards spiral?! Yes, Madejski's name may remain on the stadium for another decade but it will be remembered for the wrong reasons.

And if we do go down this season, having not significantly strengthened our squad in this transfer window, how can anyone really argue that we gave staying up our absolute best shot?!

And if we do go down, don't any of you who still persist in defending the club's policies to the hilt ever dare to start saying 'well we didn't know this player was going to get injured, that one suspended etc. etc. Key players get injured/suspended FACT! That's why you have to have strength in depth.

Already we have Coppell risking making the Little mistake again. He talks of Duberry as doing well etc.etc. and is obviously counting on him being fit for the rest of the season. But will the guy even be back playing before the window slams shut again.