Negative Hob Nob Ramblings......

[KC Royal]

Just to clarify I was basing my opinion on Sodje on the fact that not only was he league 1 last season, but also he was only playing Conference football 2 years ago! Something which sems easily forgotten, we all hoped that Aaron Brown would get a chance last season but he never did. Now I know that Sodje is more experienced than Brown, but unless Inga and Sonks get injured I can't see him finding his way into the team. I would be disappointed if he wasnt used in at least 1 or 2 of the cup games however. Brown has yet to make his competitive debut of course, and the way things are going may never do.

Also I do feel we need 1 more defender preferably with experience in the top flight, and hasnt Coppell said he's still looking for 1 more defender? If so this would then push Sodje further down the pecking order.

[Tilehurst Mike]

Here we go again.

Season has not started yet and all I read is...........

Not signed enough players.......
Squad looking thin.....
We're doomed.....

Is it just me or has - since the influx of some newer posters - hobnob returned to the negativeness of post Plymouth (h) 2005 ????

We walked the championship last year and more than competed with two premiership sides with a weakened team. I know both Prem teams went down but they were hardly Sunderlands were they ?

A fair comment, but hand on heart can you tell me that most supporters would have liked and expected at least one decent/named signing by now? i'm not knocking the signings of Seol and Sodje but I was still expecting more exciting signings than this.

And the injuries seem to be slight and most will be back for the start.

We have the momentum and confidence from last season with the players but not the fans - how come ?

URZ !!!

[Platypuss]

It has to be said though that this is the dullest pre-season I can remember for a long time.

[Old Biscuitman]

It has to be said though that this is the dullest pre-season I can remember for a long time.

Agreed, but it may be partly because of the contrast with the excitement of the first five months of the year. Two signings would liven things up a lot. What's happened to that Press Conference some posters were mentioning for today?

[Tilehurst Mike]

It has to be said though that this is the dullest pre-season I can remember for a long time.

Agreed, but it may be partly because of the contrast with the excitement of the first five months of the year. Two signings would liven things up a lot. What's happened to that Press Conference some posters were mentioning for today?

Also having watched the World Cup, most of the games were poor and didn't really whet your appetite, and the hype that followed England--everyone seems to be 'bored' at the moment. It all will change on 19 August. I must admit though that by now I was hoping to see and expect more exciting signings than Seol and Sodje.

[readingbedding]

It's not for want of trying.

Ideally we'd have a couple more new players than we have now but it must be extremely difficult to attract quality players to a club who is playing their first season in the top flight.

Coppell is a very astute man, he knows his football 100% and he is not going to buy players for big money if they are not committed to Reading or if he feels they won't fit into the side.

I imagine that it's a labourious task, cat and mouse with the agents and gazumped by clubs after the same type of footballer.

The Club has to budget for relegation next season.
If the worst does happen and we have very high wage earners on long-term contracts we could go down the same road as Leeds, Derby and Leicester etc...

With the squad that we have already, we should be looking to improve the players that we have week in, week out.

In regards to people moaning, it's not a HNA phenomenon, you should listen to the eejit behind us in the stands.
We cruised the Championship last season and still he continually moaned and groaned - which of course is his right.

But God help him and us when the 4th Liverpool goal crashes in the Reading net this season.

Which I hope to God does not happen, unless we have scored 6 ourselves.

[WoodleyRoyal]

6 years on and this thread could have been started today

[cmonurz]

6 years on and this thread could have been started today

There was a similar one floating around before our relegation season, too.

[Snowball]

Point 1

We were played off the park by Boro and went 0-2 down.

Watching that, it looked horrible and I really think had we shipped another and lost 3/4 we would have had a bad season.

The game turned round and the rest is history etc, but I sincerely believe had we lost badly that day we'd've gone down.


Point 2

That was the 106 side who absolute trounced the Championship and had fantastic momentum, and players still improving.

The current (promotion) side have punched above their weight, never looked "awesome" or comfortable
and contain a lot more "known factors" who are NOT likely to noticeably improve.

Hunt, McAnuff, Harte, Shorey, Gorkss, Elwood

Roberts is likely, purely because of his age to show a decline.

Alf and Karacan, HRK, Kebe are fairly well known, and tho' they might improve, it's not likely to be a massive improvement.

That means the only players with noticeable room to improve are Cummings/Gunter and McCleary

Weighed against this are the two excellent signings of Pog and Guthrie, and the fact that Pearce might still improve

[Stuboo]

I agree with the original poster that there is a lot of negativity on Hob Nob. I don't see the point of it myself. I think to a certain extent football fans in general are like that, but bearing in mind we are entering the best league in the world, with lots to be happy about, it seems strange to me that so many are moaning rather than enjoying it.

Point 1

The current (promotion) side have punched above their weight, never looked "awesome" or comfortable
and contain a lot more "known factors" who are NOT likely to noticeably improve.

Well now, Snowball. We observed many times over last season that the team wasn't passing well or playing well, but we still managed to win games. So, with so much room for impovement, I don't see how you can say we punched above our weight. If anything, I think this squad can play much better this season.

[windermere_royal]

The game turned round and the rest is history etc, but I sincerely believe had we lost badly that day we'd've gone down

Normally Mr Snowball I think you talk alot of sense, but this is absurd to say the least, we went on to finish 8th that season and you are saying we would have gone down if we lost the FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON!!!
and we were never badly outplayed any time in that game.

[cmonurz]

I agree with the original poster that there is a lot of negativity on Hob Nob. I don't see the point of it myself. I think to a certain extent football fans in general are like that, but bearing in mind we are entering the best league in the world, with lots to be happy about, it seems strange to me that so many are moaning rather than enjoying it.

Depends how you define ‘negativity’. I see a lot of people posing questions or concerns about the players, club finances, transfer policy, or whatever – and then a lot of finger pointing and comments about ‘negative posts’. There are a few exceptions, like Ideal, who posts like the entire world has had diarrhoea on his baby seal sandwich, but generally it’s just people expressing opinions. There’s as much blissful, unconditional happiness, like brendy on a quiet Sunday afternoon in the garden, as there is the opposite, it’s a good thing.

If we just all posted ‘isn’t Guthrie great’, and ‘I like Pog’s hair’ the board would be a bit boring.

[Stuboo]

I agree with the original poster that there is a lot of negativity on Hob Nob. I don't see the point of it myself. I think to a certain extent football fans in general are like that, but bearing in mind we are entering the best league in the world, with lots to be happy about, it seems strange to me that so many are moaning rather than enjoying it.

Depends how you define ‘negativity’. I see a lot of people posing questions or concerns about the players, club finances, transfer policy, or whatever – and then a lot of finger pointing and comments about ‘negative posts’. There are a few exceptions, like Ideal, who posts like the entire world has had diarrhoea on his baby seal sandwich, but generally it’s just people expressing opinions. There’s as much blissful, unconditional happiness, like brendy on a quiet Sunday afternoon in the garden, as there is the opposite, it’s a good thing.

If we just all posted ‘isn’t Guthrie great’, and ‘I like Pog’s hair’ the board would be a bit boring.

Hey, I have no problem with justified criticism. It's the we're doooooomed, this is s**t, that is s**t, ignore all the good points, overstated ramblings which I am not so keen on.

[melonhead]

6 years on and this thread could have been started today

There was a similar one floating around before our relegation season, too.

and every season ive ever been on here
this is the first year when weve bought loads of really decent players, and its still happening

[Snowball]

The game turned round and the rest is history etc, but I sincerely believe had we lost badly that day we'd've gone down

Normally Mr Snowball I think you talk a lot of sense, but this is absurd to say the least, we went on to finish 8th that season and you are saying we would have gone down if we lost the FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON!!!
and we were never badly outplayed any time in that game.

That is precisely what I believe. Had we lost (and been so outclassed) I think we might wll have gone on a long pointless run

I'm quite shocked to hear that you think we weren't outplayed.

IMO we were outclassed. Frankly I can't remember the turn-round, and obviously I know the result
but when we were 2-0 down I thought we were lucky to have the nil.

We were so thoroughly outplayed (as I remember it) for the first half-an-hour and Boro were running rings round us.

[melonhead]

running rings is harsh tbf- we were in the game and got sucker punched twice

agree that th ebelief we got when we finally shook off the awe at the occasion and started playing properly was huge for us. personally i think it helped get us to 8th rather than being the difference between staying up and relegation

[Snowball]

Just went and read the match report.

We had one chance in the first 30 and it was "Boro in total control"

[Alexander Litvinenko]

That is precisely what I believe. Had we lost (and been so outclassed) I think we might wll have gone on a long pointless run

I'm quite shocked to hear that you think we weren't outplayed.

IMO we were outclassed. Frankly I can't remember the turn-round, and obviously I know the result
but when we were 2-0 down I thought we were lucky to have the nil.

We were so thoroughly outplayed (as I remember it) for the first half-an-hour and Boro were running rings round us.

I remember the turnaround well. At 2-0 down heads were really dropping and we looked totally out of our depth, until Nicky Shorey had the ball just inside the Boro half, and instead of an aimless punt towards Kitson he cut inside, beat his man and went on a run.

from that point you could literally see the confidence come flooding back - it sounds stupid but it really was as clear-cut on that one incident. The crowd picked up on it too and there was no looking back.

And I agree with Snowball too (possibly because he's posted an opinion and not tried to prove it with stats!) - if we#d gone on the way we started that match, in that mindset, that whole season would have been embarrassing with relegation a near-certainty.

[melonhead]

Just went and read the match report.

We had one chance in the first 30 and it was "Boro in total control"

i dont think that really constitutes running rings, its ok if you do though
the bloke who wrote the match report may even agree with you

[melonhead]

And I agree with Snowball too (possibly because he's posted an opinion and not tried to prove it with stats!) - if we#d gone on the way we started that match, in that mindset, that whole season would have been embarrassing with relegation a near-certainty.

since we are posting random hyperbolicstatements with no basis in anything other than our own brain spew.

i believe if wed have lost that game it would have galvansised us further and we would have made europe, winning the europa league the next year and staying up