Managers like to talk about learning from failure, developing etc., but if Arsenal finish 2nd on 89 points after something like 13 wins from their last 15, what is there to be said? Keep it up next season and hope City drop off? Last season they ran out of steam / bottled it based upon your interpre...
Well we need a big club to go under as it might wake the rest of the idiots up Everton would be rescued somehow, including government intervention if necessary. It would be a humiliation too great for the "best league in the world" to lose a club of that size. But hopefully it does act as...
I guess while Reading isn't much bigger than Oxford, we have surrounding towns like Newbury, Wokingham, Basingstoke, Maidenhead and Bracknell where people will support us as their nearest professional team. You must be looking at half a million or so overall. By contrast, where else are Oxford going...
If we can grow enough to sell out the SCL in the good times, and even get 18k against Blackpool a few weeks ago, I don't see any inherent reason why Oxford can't do the same to be honest. A city with c. 200k living there without any big nearby clubs as competition. The reason they'd struggle upon pr...
Bolton definitely a better team than Oxford and won their last meeting 5-0. But it's only 1 game and an upset can easily happen. Obviously I hope not - seems alien enough to finish below them in the table let alone be in a lower division. It's win:win. They lose on TV on their big night out. Or The...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68985701 Premier League club boss wins anonymity in child sex abuse civil case :shock: :? The alleged victim in this civil case reported allegations of sexual abuse to the police in 2021, but no further action was taken due to legislation which stated that if an offenc...
I'm still relaxed. These things take time, and the charges against Bearwood and Dai's shares in the club mean they have real leverage. The exclusivity period can easily be extended if necessary. But for recruitment and planning for next season, you'd really want it done by the end of May. As for tha...
This. Leicester, Leeds and Southampton would probably have the highest budgets in the Championship if no side had parachute payments - giving them PP completely destroys any chance of sides competing with them financially. And yet someone did compete with them Annoying thing is that well run and ma...
Other thing aside from wanting Oxford to lose for the sake of it, is that Bolton are a very good team who I don't want in this division next season. Whereas if Oxford stay down, I back us to close the gap on them, especially if Brannagan leaves.
Bolton definitely a better team than Oxford and won their last meeting 5-0. But it's only 1 game and an upset can easily happen. Obviously I hope not - seems alien enough to finish below them in the table let alone be in a lower division.
Yep, but he was a last resort. Sidwell was gone and we knew that was happening, but all the players we had lined up to replace him (e.g. Scott Brown from Hibs) turned us down and we felt we needed to get someone so Fae was the end result. Due to lack of time we missed out all the Steps we'd normall...
What embargo/restriction will we be under if the takeover goes through? Are we still looking at free transfers/out of contract players only? Aren't we still under an embargo for the next 2 transfer windows? If so , it will just be freebies and loans and at least last season's acquisitions show what...
My original post was more about the reaction of Everton fans and how I'd heard the same arguments about us for about 5 years. I think they've got their heads in the sand. They need to trim their wage bill and I think they will struggle to recruit adequate quality next season because they will be la...
My original post was more about the reaction of Everton fans and how I'd heard the same arguments about us for about 5 years. I think they've got their heads in the sand. They need to trim their wage bill and I think they will struggle to recruit adequate quality next season because they will be la...
The 2 big headline are that we have the option on Azeez (great news) and the decision to release Mola (arguably harsh). I can understand the Mola decision. He improved greatly this season, but we really need a specialist LB. Mola offered little going forward and a L1 squad option is probably about h...
Red flags all over the place, but I think realistically they'll survive. Administration and relegation a real possibility even if not this year, and could have a few years in the doldrums. But the stadium is state of the art and they are a massive historical club. If crisis comes, it will be an attr...
Think this is how ownership changes should be done. Largely quietly and in the background with the first news really being confirmation that all is done and dusted. Meanwhile at Reading... :roll: The new owner says: "The football world is evolving very fast and our priority will be to integrat...