Next Season's Squad.

[Zip]

can someone summarise please. Have all the loanees returned back to their clubs?
(Nelson, Martinez, Baker Miazga etc etc)

Yes

[Zip]

https://www.footballinsider247.com/exclusive-striker-and-goalkeeper-to-quit-reading/

Striker Sam Smith and goalie Luke Southwood have been told they can leave... Bit surprised about Southwood as expected him to be 2nd choice keeper next season.

oxf*rd is this shit. We have no senior gks and we are telling perhaps our best option he is not needed?

I guess the club knows better than I do.

Gobsmacked. Of all our current goalkeepers I would have Southwood as our number one. Very disappointed with this.

[SCIAG]

Wouldn't get too carried away with these rumours.

If it's true then I would guess we think can get a fee for Southwood due to his status, but that Ward is actually around the same level and we don't have room for them both.

I don't know much about our U18 goalkeepers from last season, but Ward as first choice and Driscoll on the bench would be fine by me, they're both good players. Suspect Gomes will stick with Walker though.

[URZZZZ]

Wouldn't get too carried away with these rumours.

If it's true then I would guess we think can get a fee for Southwood due to his status, but that Ward is actually around the same level and we don't have room for them both.

I don't know much about our U18 goalkeepers from last season, but Ward as first choice and Driscoll on the bench would be fine by me, they're both good players. Suspect Gomes will stick with Walker though.

Well...according to Courtney Friday "Understand Luke Southwood has not yet been told he needs to leave readingfc this summer" so you may well possibly be right

[Hendo]

I'd like us to sign Messi and play in the champions league next season.

It doesn't change the fact that if it wasnt actually realistic or even possible, what was the point in Gomes saying it?

Things might work differently in Portugal compared to over here?

He has probably done a lot of work scoping out what areas he wants to improve on and what type of player he wants, given it to the board who then will go out and try to do the business. I highly doubt everyone is just sat around twiddling their thumbs.

Orite, so instead of the manager lying he's actually clueless to English football and how transfers work here. Even better.

jfc.

[Sutekh]

Reported in Portuguese media yesterday.

Asked if it’s possible that Reading will soon build a squad which can allow him to dream about bigger aspirations, Gomes claims the club are taking it step by step.

“At this moment we are still inside an embargo, we can’t register anyone, but tomorrow it will be solved. The owner wants to build this squad that allows us to feed the dream of promotion. And I think it’s possible.”

http://sportwitness.co.uk/tomorrow-will ... fers-club/

[Hound]

Nice to see Bod back starting for Iceland

Watched a few minutes, he looks in decent shape, running around a lot etc

[URZZZZ]

Yeah, not many people doubt his talent/effort. Big question is can he stay fit?

Thought Gunter put in a very typical like Gunter performance for Wales tonight with a couple of decent crosses into the box

[John Smith]

Yeah, not many people doubt his talent/effort. Big question is can he stay fit?

Thought Gunter put in a very typical like Gunter performance for Wales tonight with a couple of decent crosses into the box

Booking in the second minute too.

[Sutekh]

Bit more in the Portuguese media re: what JG found when he arrived now on the Tilehurst End website

https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/20 ... -fc-royals

[John Smith]

Bit more in the Portuguese media re: what JG found when he arrived now on the Tilehurst End website

https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/20 ... -fc-royals

What an absolutely tragic article. It's basically a breakdown of a poorly translated article, based on two brief quotes from Gomes! Do me a fackin' favour!

[Snowflake Royal]

Bit more in the Portuguese media re: what JG found when he arrived now on the Tilehurst End website

https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/20 ... -fc-royals

Appreciate the effort they put in.

I think fair to say that we were a dire shambles by the time Gomes arrived. We weren't in a good state when PC left, but it fell apart completely afterwards.

[Denver Royal]

Bit more in the Portuguese media re: what JG found when he arrived now on the Tilehurst End website

https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/20 ... -fc-royals

I think fair to say that we were a dire shambles by the time Gomes arrived. We weren't in a good state when PC left, but it fell apart completely afterwards.

Clement to Gomes was about 2 weeks.
‘Twas a really tough fortnight for entire squad, and from the board room to tea room.
Yep, reinforces credit due Gomes for taking over a dire shambles and the recovery....

[URZZZZ]

Bit more in the Portuguese media re: what JG found when he arrived now on the Tilehurst End website

https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/20 ... -fc-royals

I think fair to say that we were a dire shambles by the time Gomes arrived. We weren't in a good state when PC left, but it fell apart completely afterwards.

Clement to Gomes was about 2 weeks.
‘Twas a really tough fortnight for entire squad, and from the board room to tea room.
Yep, reinforces credit due Gomes for taking over a dire shambles and the recovery....

I think the problem was we banked on getting Castro and when that failed, the whole process took a lot longer than expected. Marshall, who was miles out of his depth was then at the helm longer than what was expected and he didn't really have a clue

Incidentally, Luis Castro is now manager of Shakhtar Donetsk

[Hound]

yep sounded very much the case. For whatever reason, I think they thought Castro was nailed on. tbf to Marshall, it probably came as a surprise to him as well, and a massive difference to managing a successful and motivated U23 team

Certainly wasn't a happy place in that Marshall spell. That was the only period, until the loans came in, of the season when I genuinely thought we'd go down

[URZZZZ]

To be honest, there were periods throughout the season where I kept changing my mind, after Bolton and Blackburn I thought we were doomed but then after Hull and Brentford with Eza there I thought we'd be safe. It seemed like we would keep giving false promises every so often just to disappoint again but we seemed to really maintain a consistent level in the last couple of months

On a separate note, interview here with Barrett https://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/foot ... h-16396196

Sounds like Gomes has told him to cut down the weight with the extra running etc

[Notts Royal]

The fact that he’s played at a decent level, with a good goal scoring record. And is the most complete striker we have at the club, and most similar in style/presence to Nelson. Plus...probably on cheaper wages and would mean we wouldn’t need to shell out for another striker

I agree on him being a cheaper option, but 9 in 27 (+2) in the Eredivisie is hardly prolific - joint 26th top scorer in the league and 52nd for goals per 90 (min 10 games). 1.8 shots per 90 also suggests a very different style of play to Oliveira, who averages over double that across his career. Put another way, how excited would be be about signing outright a player with that record? Would we expect them to be a main contributor next season?

My expectations for him are very low - it was a good loan spell but not a great one IMO. I very much hope to be proved wrong

Very much this. I think he may be able
to do a job but people seem to be overhyping him with insufficient evidence that he actually is an adequate Championship striker. Unless we keep Bodvarsson/Baldock/McNulty, relying on Nova, Loader and even Nelson if we somehow get him back would be really risky IMO

Are you saying you’d prefer to start the season with Bod/Baldock/McNulty rather than Loader/Nova/Nelson?
Can’t be many that fall into that category surely

[Snowflake Royal]

I agree on him being a cheaper option, but 9 in 27 (+2) in the Eredivisie is hardly prolific - joint 26th top scorer in the league and 52nd for goals per 90 (min 10 games). 1.8 shots per 90 also suggests a very different style of play to Oliveira, who averages over double that across his career. Put another way, how excited would be be about signing outright a player with that record? Would we expect them to be a main contributor next season?

My expectations for him are very low - it was a good loan spell but not a great one IMO. I very much hope to be proved wrong

Very much this. I think he may be able
to do a job but people seem to be overhyping him with insufficient evidence that he actually is an adequate Championship striker. Unless we keep Bodvarsson/Baldock/McNulty, relying on Nova, Loader and even Nelson if we somehow get him back would be really risky IMO

Are you saying you’d prefer to start the season with Bod/Baldock/McNulty rather than Loader/Nova/Nelson?
Can’t be many that fall into that category surely

I think the point is Nova is unproven in this division and Loader isn't really a player to lead the line, with a not great scoring record in his breakthrough season, so even with Oliveira, that's low on fire power (and experience) and you'd want at least one of Bod, Baldock or McNulty to give it more goals and experience (plus depth).

Personally I'd start the season with any of those three over Loader leading the line. I'd have a good look at starting Baldock or McNulty in behind over Loader too. A fit Bod is probably going to start up top ahead of Nova for me, at least to begin the season. Maybe Baldock. Nelson obviously beats out them all for leading the line, but we don't have him (yet).

[Ascotexgunner]

I agree on him being a cheaper option, but 9 in 27 (+2) in the Eredivisie is hardly prolific - joint 26th top scorer in the league and 52nd for goals per 90 (min 10 games). 1.8 shots per 90 also suggests a very different style of play to Oliveira, who averages over double that across his career. Put another way, how excited would be be about signing outright a player with that record? Would we expect them to be a main contributor next season?

My expectations for him are very low - it was a good loan spell but not a great one IMO. I very much hope to be proved wrong

Very much this. I think he may be able
to do a job but people seem to be overhyping him with insufficient evidence that he actually is an adequate Championship striker. Unless we keep Bodvarsson/Baldock/McNulty, relying on Nova, Loader and even Nelson if we somehow get him back would be really risky IMO

Are you saying you’d prefer to start the season with Bod/Baldock/McNulty rather than Loader/Nova/Nelson?
Can’t be many that fall into that category surely

Count me into that category. Loader hasn't done anywhere near enough for me and needs to be eased in. At the moment he needs to prove a lot more progress, the good goal he scored didn't seem to drive him on as hoped. Bod is a starter for me as well.....

[Snowflake Royal]

Very much this. I think he may be able
to do a job but people seem to be overhyping him with insufficient evidence that he actually is an adequate Championship striker. Unless we keep Bodvarsson/Baldock/McNulty, relying on Nova, Loader and even Nelson if we somehow get him back would be really risky IMO

Are you saying you’d prefer to start the season with Bod/Baldock/McNulty rather than Loader/Nova/Nelson?
Can’t be many that fall into that category surely

Count me into that category. Loader hasn't done anywhere near enough for me and needs to be eased in. At the moment he needs to prove a lot more progress, the good goal he scored didn't seem to drive him on as hoped. Bod is a starter for me as well.....

Bit harsh, he only played one more game!