Bowen speaks

[Snowflake Royal]

Bowen (and his media team) write very clearly, effectively and sincerely.


I agree with Hound that they're laying it on a bit thick about the lack of experience. It has been true and to an extent it still is, but as Houndy says, that's more choice than enforced at this point..

Aside from the very beginning of the season when he rewarded the players who were performing in the cups at the expense of a couple of players who had been losing regularly for the best part of two years (if not longer) then I’m not sure what experienced players have been regularly left out when fit and available aside from perhaps Tom Holmes. Even then I think among the mitigating circumstances Bowen refers to in defending Selles is that perhaps Holmes and NGW along with Carroll were earmarked to leave . There were certainly plenty of rumours to that effect.

But in reality if Yiadom is fit and available he’s played . Likewise Hutchinson. Knibbs has started most games and Wing once he returned to fitness has done the same. Dean played pretty every game during the woeful run of defeats. Even Sam Smith was chucked into the fray straight back from injury.

So I don’t think it’s youth over experience which is the overriding choice. The issue for me is the baffling inconsistencies of selection that is the major issue and Selles is complicating his own job more than anything else at the moment.

I don't think any of Holmes, NGW or Carroll were earmarked to go anywhere until Port Vale, when they all just got dumped. They'd otherwise played full roles where fit, especially Holmes throughout pre-season.

[Lower West]

So I don’t think it’s youth over experience which is the overriding choice. The issue for me is the baffling inconsistencies of selection that is the major issue and Selles is complicating his own job more than anything else at the moment.

Give Selles the benefit of the doubt. In that he is managing the group of players available to him with a view to the entire season. These aren't seasoned disciplined professionals. Selles will learning about all of them as individuals . How they need to be treated to progress and develop further. This is the basis of the team for the foreseeable future. Coaching and managing them in the right way is critical. Probably why Bowen sanctioned his appointment. The right man for the job at the current time. Somebody with top level experience of working with players in this age group.

[Snowflake Royal]

So I don’t think it’s youth over experience which is the overriding choice. The issue for me is the baffling inconsistencies of selection that is the major issue and Selles is complicating his own job more than anything else at the moment.

Give Selles the benefit of the doubt. In that he is managing the group of players available to him with a view to the entire season. These aren't seasoned disciplined professionals. Selles will learning about all of them as individuals . How they need to be treated to progress and develop further. This is the basis of the team for the foreseeable future. Coaching and managing them in the right way is critical. Probably why Bowen sanctioned his appointment. The right man for the job at the current time. Somebody with top level experience of working with players in this age group.

Somebody who is a proven failure. Is making them worse. And is making terrible decisions for their future. Who can't communicate the players how to play. And who the players have lost confidence in

Destroying their confidence by making them take abuse that shouldn't be directed at them.
Persisting with Bindon out of position where he looked uncomfortable and inadequate.
Playing Carson in front of hostile away crowds when he isn't ready for the first team and isn't comfortable with crowds
Throwing Abbey in and out of the sidezat random.
Subbing Camara after 20 minutes when there were worse performers and he was just back from injury tten putting on Azeez who had been dropped presumably for poor performance.

He's dreadful.

[under the tin]

So I don’t think it’s youth over experience which is the overriding choice. The issue for me is the baffling inconsistencies of selection that is the major issue and Selles is complicating his own job more than anything else at the moment.

Give Selles the benefit of the doubt. In that he is managing the group of players available to him with a view to the entire season. These aren't seasoned disciplined professionals. Selles will learning about all of them as individuals . How they need to be treated to progress and develop further. This is the basis of the team for the foreseeable future. Coaching and managing them in the right way is critical. Probably why Bowen sanctioned his appointment. The right man for the job at the current time. Somebody with top level experience of working with players in this age group.

Somebody who is a proven failure. Is making them worse. And is making terrible decisions for their future. Who can't communicate the players how to play. And who the players have lost confidence in

Destroying their confidence by making them take abuse that shouldn't be directed at them.
Persisting with Bindon out of position where he looked uncomfortable and inadequate.
Playing Carson in front of hostile away crowds when he isn't ready for the first team and isn't comfortable with crowds
Throwing Abbey in and out of the sidezat random.
Subbing Camara after 20 minutes when there were worse performers and he was just back from injury tten putting on Azeez who had been dropped presumably for poor performance.

He's dreadful.

Amen.

[Royal_jimmy]

So I don’t think it’s youth over experience which is the overriding choice. The issue for me is the baffling inconsistencies of selection that is the major issue and Selles is complicating his own job more than anything else at the moment.

Give Selles the benefit of the doubt. In that he is managing the group of players available to him with a view to the entire season. These aren't seasoned disciplined professionals. Selles will learning about all of them as individuals . How they need to be treated to progress and develop further. This is the basis of the team for the foreseeable future. Coaching and managing them in the right way is critical. Probably why Bowen sanctioned his appointment. The right man for the job at the current time. Somebody with top level experience of working with players in this age group.

I don't want Ruben here a second longer than he needs to be. We'd be a non-league club if you were in charge!

[Royal_jimmy]

I think if the takeover can be sorted before Christmas and it is Mike Ashley/Fraser Group who are buying the club out then I believe we'll stay up. Selles will be removed, we'll get an experienced manager for the league we're in who will set us up based on the players we've got, attract some quality loanees in January who will get us out of it. I really don't think our players are that bad. Although I do think Bindon, Knibbs and Azeez should be out of the starting 11. Some of those sides we've lost to we can beat in the reverse fixture with better guidance from management.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I think if the takeover can be sorted before Christmas and it is Mike Ashley/Fraser Group who are buying the club out then I believe we'll stay up. Selles will be removed, we'll get an experienced manager for the league we're in who will set us up based on the players we've got, attract some quality loanees in January who will get us out of it. I really don't think our players are that bad. Although I do think Bindon, Knibbs and Azeez should be out of the starting 11. Some of those sides we've lost to we can beat in the reverse fixture with better guidance from management.

Only thing I'd say there is our situation might make it difficult to attract quality loanees, but not impossible. The current group should have enough about it though at the moment, possibly a little more quality in wide areas and maybe the middle of the park wouldn't go amiss.

[Snowflake Royal]

I think if the takeover can be sorted before Christmas and it is Mike Ashley/Fraser Group who are buying the club out then I believe we'll stay up. Selles will be removed, we'll get an experienced manager for the league we're in who will set us up based on the players we've got, attract some quality loanees in January who will get us out of it. I really don't think our players are that bad. Although I do think Bindon, Knibbs and Azeez should be out of the starting 11. Some of those sides we've lost to we can beat in the reverse fixture with better guidance from management.

Only thing I'd say there is our situation might make it difficult to attract quality loanees, but not impossible. The current group should have enough about it though at the moment, possibly a little more quality in wide areas and maybe the middle of the park wouldn't go amiss.

Yeah, I don't see quality loanees coming to bottom of the league for free.

[Forbury Lion]

it shouldn't be forgotten 2 of his kids have landed interesting jobs at the club as well. Nepotism at it's finest.

More like child abuse the way things are at the club.

[Forbury Lion]

Twatter (X); "he said alot but not much", what the fuck are these kids on?
Probably one of the best in depth statements we`ve had in recent years.

They're morons. But a few others picking up that Bowen doesn't seem so afraid of speaking the truth in this statement. E.g., paying wages and HMRC nothing to celebrate, struggles on the pitch can be traced back to off pitch issues. Perhaps he's not afraid of upsetting Dai and Pang any more? Because he expects they'll be gone soon?

He also knows Dai takes forever to sack anyone and probably doesn't follow what's going on anyway.

[Orion1871]

it shouldn't be forgotten 2 of his kids have landed interesting jobs at the club as well. Nepotism at it's finest.

Given our injury problems over the last few seasons, I think the job one of his kids does as head of sports science is extremely interesting.

[Forbury Lion]

I think if the takeover can be sorted before Christmas and it is Mike Ashley/Fraser Group who are buying the club out then I believe we'll stay up. Selles will be removed, we'll get an experienced manager for the league we're in who will set us up based on the players we've got, attract some quality loanees in January who will get us out of it. I really don't think our players are that bad. Although I do think Bindon, Knibbs and Azeez should be out of the starting 11. Some of those sides we've lost to we can beat in the reverse fixture with better guidance from management.

Only thing I'd say there is our situation might make it difficult to attract quality loanees, but not impossible. The current group should have enough about it though at the moment, possibly a little more quality in wide areas and maybe the middle of the park wouldn't go amiss.

Yeah, I don't see quality loanees coming to bottom of the league for free.

I wonder if they might come for free when we get new owners after a random company such as, I don't know - maybe Sports Direct agrees a sponsorship deal with them which covers the hole in their finances they have from not charging a fee.

[Snowflake Royal]

Only thing I'd say there is our situation might make it difficult to attract quality loanees, but not impossible. The current group should have enough about it though at the moment, possibly a little more quality in wide areas and maybe the middle of the park wouldn't go amiss.

Yeah, I don't see quality loanees coming to bottom of the league for free.

I wonder if they might come for free when we get new owners after a random company such as, I don't know - maybe Sports Direct agrees a sponsorship deal with them which covers the hole in their finances they have from not charging a fee.

Yeah Forbes, we've only got ourselves under transfer restrictions for about 7 years and got 16 points deducted for being stupid cheats, lets cheat some more.

Ffs.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Jamie Hodder on Twitter is one of those who seems to be "ITK" but actually I can't remember a time when he provided an accurate scoop.

Anyhow, he's the one who started the rumour about Dai's sister flying in (has this been verified?). And he is also saying there are a couple of very exciting parties backed by US money interested, which would be better than Ashley.

The thing about NDAs is, it gives people the excuse to make nudges and winks without being specific, while it also gives you cover if what you're saying turns out to be bollox.

But hopefully he is right and when the takeover happens it gives us all legitimate grounds for excitement.

[Millsy]

Trouble is won't any deal have a six week wait for EFL approval anyway? So even if they pencil on the dotted line today it won't be until new year at the earliest that we have a new owner.

And they're not going to sign today.

We're going down aren't we.

[Stranded]

Trouble is won't any deal have a six week wait for EFL approval anyway? So even if they pencil on the dotted line today it won't be until new year at the earliest that we have a new owner.

And they're not going to sign today.

We're going down aren't we.

Telegraph article says the target is for the sale to be completed by the new year with preferred bidder status given to a bid early next week. The timing of Bowen's statement makes a lot of sense assuming this is true - though doubt the Telegraph would have bothered with a story about little old Reading if it wasn't.

[Hendo]

Trouble is won't any deal have a six week wait for EFL approval anyway? So even if they pencil on the dotted line today it won't be until new year at the earliest that we have a new owner.

And they're not going to sign today.

We're going down aren't we.

Think it'll depend on who it is - can imagine if it is Mike Ashely it'll be pushed through a bit quicker.

Think the New Year is a realistic timing anyway.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Trouble is won't any deal have a six week wait for EFL approval anyway? So even if they pencil on the dotted line today it won't be until new year at the earliest that we have a new owner.

And they're not going to sign today.

We're going down aren't we.

The longer it goes on, the more likely it is.

I still believe that once a takeover is done, we will see a massive improvement on the field. We will probably change manager but even then, I think it will just breed a more positive atmosphere around the club.

We aren't actually *that* far behind. Obviously as it is now, we continue to not win games and the gap will obviously increase but should said takeover happen, if we can get a bit of momentum and claim a couple of wins suddenly we will be within touching distance again.

It's just a team (and a club to be honest) that needs a massive confidence boost and a more positive atmosphere would support that I think. Whilst some of the players I don't think are all that good, most of them aren't this bad either.

[WestYorksRoyal]

The turnaround could be quicker. If it's agreed subject to EFL approval, couldn't we see a loan provided to secure day to day cashflows and replace Selles? If you look at Southend, their takeover isn't completed yet but to all intents and purposes their chaos is behind them.

[Hound]

Give Selles the benefit of the doubt. In that he is managing the group of players available to him with a view to the entire season. These aren't seasoned disciplined professionals. Selles will learning about all of them as individuals . How they need to be treated to progress and develop further. This is the basis of the team for the foreseeable future. Coaching and managing them in the right way is critical. Probably why Bowen sanctioned his appointment. The right man for the job at the current time. Somebody with top level experience of working with players in this age group.

Somebody who is a proven failure. Is making them worse. And is making terrible decisions for their future. Who can't communicate the players how to play. And who the players have lost confidence in

Destroying their confidence by making them take abuse that shouldn't be directed at them.
Persisting with Bindon out of position where he looked uncomfortable and inadequate.
Playing Carson in front of hostile away crowds when he isn't ready for the first team and isn't comfortable with crowds
Throwing Abbey in and out of the sidezat random.
Subbing Camara after 20 minutes when there were worse performers and he was just back from injury tten putting on Azeez who had been dropped presumably for poor performance.

He's dreadful.

Amen.

I quite liked the way Selles started, I’ve no real issues with the formation he played or the style in general. Early games we looked quite an interesting side with loads of energy and some creativity

But he seems totally unable to turn this around now - his man management is dodgy, he just seems to pick 2-3 players each week at random and stick with the others through thick and thin

Some weird stuff like the standing in front of the fans nonsense and the stuff with NGW and Holmes is poor

Most of all though he and the players seem to have lost confidence in his own methods. The formation changes, the subs getting later and later, the slowly going back to experience players etc.