January Transfer Window

[Handsome Man]

In reply to HoneyRoast:-
No, we are on the back of a 2-0 loss and hanging on to 6th spot with a number of clubs within a few points of us.
The time to buy is when you are in a position of strength and we cannot just say surely that we will wait till next year or the following year and pick our time to get promoted.
There are many clubs bigger than us that were once at the top level but through lack of investment have spent a lot of time at the lower levels such as Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester, Leeds,Forset, Ipswich,etc. so I feel that if there is a chance we should try our utmost to take it and that means improving the squad.
What is the point otherwise?

Some of those clubs did not sink due to under-investment but due to lack of success and bad investments ....

[SPARTA]

Not the point. JIM is saying no sniffs of players coming in - that seems to be a rather big one. More so than mindless paper spaculation

Because another manager is more than likely using us to get a fee for a player that was otherwise leaving for nothing in the summer? Do you honestly believe we would table a £950k bid plus 20k a week wages when we've had to sit back and watch Billy Sharp join Doncaster on loan? We can't even offer Chris Baird a contract..

To be fair to JIM, we haven't had a sniff of anyone coming in yet. It's just agents and managers name dropping thus far.

[Royalwaster]

Not the point. JIM is saying no sniffs of players coming in - that seems to be a rather big one. More so than mindless paper spaculation

Because another manager is more than likely using us to get a fee for a player that was otherwise leaving for nothing in the summer? Do you honestly believe we would table a £950k bid plus 20k a week wages when we've had to sit back and watch Billy Sharp join Doncaster on loan? We can't even offer Chris Baird a contract..

To be fair to JIM, we haven't had a sniff of anyone coming in yet. It's just agents and managers name dropping thus far.

Things are really dire when Reading4Eva has only invented one transfer rumour so far ...

[HoneyRoastHoax]

In reply to HoneyRoast:-
No, we are on the back of a 2-0 loss and hanging on to 6th spot with a number of clubs within a few points of us.
The time to buy is when you are in a position of strength and we cannot just say surely that we will wait till next year or the following year and pick our time to get promoted.
There are many clubs bigger than us that were once at the top level but through lack of investment have spent a lot of time at the lower levels such as Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester, Leeds,Forset, Ipswich,etc. so I feel that if there is a chance we should try our utmost to take it and that means improving the squad.
What is the point otherwise?

We performed to a 7-1 standard recently with the same. We are in playoffs, Teams are always going to be close (have you never looked at tables before?) Yes of course we need to strengthen the team but we don't have to buy to do that as we have a number of first team players returning from injury. We also have two groups trying to buy us to bung a load of cash in for the future. Whats there to be grumbly about?

[Ian Royal]

In reply to HoneyRoast:-
No, we are on the back of a 2-0 loss and hanging on to 6th spot with a number of clubs within a few points of us.
The time to buy is when you are in a position of strength and we cannot just say surely that we will wait till next year or the following year and pick our time to get promoted.
There are many clubs bigger than us that were once at the top level but through lack of investment have spent a lot of time at the lower levels such as Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester, Leeds,Forset, Ipswich,etc. so I feel that if there is a chance we should try our utmost to take it and that means improving the squad.
What is the point otherwise?

7-1, 0-2, 5-1.

[SPARTA]

Adkins reiterates not to expect any business this window.

[Ian Royal]

Adkins reiterates not to expect any business this window.

Boo oxf*rd hoo.

[jellytot]

I will probably go to bed on Friday (2am for me) after the tranny window has closed. Safe in the knowledge that even if we haven't signed anyone our squad is still more than capable of finishing in the top 6 and we ARE currently 6th.

We have ownership issues. Let's hope that gets sorted. We do not want to do a Pompey or a Wolves. If we sign no one. So what. I hate the play-offs anyway. Have experienced nothing but depression in them. The Bolton loss and that silly, silly loss to Walsall still sticks in my mind. The daftest, freakiest ever goal off Rougier's backside (the kind of thing that only happens to us). If we finish 7th and new owners move in in Feb or March I will be happy. I cannot stand the heartache of the plays-offs again.

[SPARTA]

Adkins reiterates not to expect any business this window.

Boo oxf*rd hoo.

As long as we don't lose anyone key, then I'm happy this window, considering what's going on at the club.

[From Despair To Where?]

In reply to HoneyRoast:-
No, we are on the back of a 2-0 loss and hanging on to 6th spot with a number of clubs within a few points of us.
The time to buy is when you are in a position of strength and we cannot just say surely that we will wait till next year or the following year and pick our time to get promoted.
There are many clubs bigger than us that were once at the top level but through lack of investment have spent a lot of time at the lower levels such as Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester, Leeds,Forset, Ipswich,etc. so I feel that if there is a chance we should try our utmost to take it and that means improving the squad.
What is the point otherwise?

Don't think your examples are particularly good there

Sheffield Wednesday have, or had at the time of their relegations, mountains of debt and were a Mandaric buyout away from administration

Leicester have been in administration this century and only where they are now because the owners have the financial clout to spend sums in the region of £5m on players like Matt Mills.

I'm intrigued by the idea that Leeds fell through the leagues due to a lack of investment.

Before their new owners came in, Forest had mountains of debt

I'm not sure Ipswich have spent any time outside the top 2 divisions in the last 50 years.

So you have 4 clubs that spent way beyond their means and one club who haven't been outside the top 2 divisions in 3 generations.

If we haven't got the money available to spend then we are hardly in a position of strength. I actually think the club is doing the right thing. We are in a comfortable league position with what we have and the ownership issue is uncertain so surely it is better to keep what we have and build on it when we are better placed to do so.

[Schards#2]

Adkins reiterates not to expect any business this window.

Boo oxf*rd hoo.

As long as we don't lose anyone key, then I'm happy this window, considering what's going on at the club.

I would agree with this, the current squad has enough in it to comfortably make the play offs if it performs to its potential which, at long last, it's showing signs of doing.

My concern is more long term. If a sale does not go through, I can only see the squad deteriorating as Zigaravich won't be interested in investing in it and would probably try and milk as much as he can off it. Indeed, if we were to get promoted, I could see him refusing to sell, pocketing the TV money and leaving the team to fend for itself on the same budget as this year.

Sale can't go through soon enough, pretty much anyone would be better than the current situation.

[under the tin]

My concern is more long term. If a sale does not go through, I can only see the squad deteriorating as Zigaravich won't be interested in investing in it and would probably try and milk as much as he can off it. Indeed, if we were to get promoted, I could see him refusing to sell, pocketing the TV money and leaving the team to fend for itself on the same budget as this year.

Sale can't go through soon enough, pretty much anyone would be better than the current situation.

^^^^^Absolutely this
The nightmare scenario of a disinterested major shareholder, and a (relatively) skint minority shareholder unwilling to put any money into an enterprise over which he has little control.
The ownership situation is indeed far more important than this season's finishing position.

[Ian Royal]

Completely disagree that anyone would be better. Zingaravich has done no real damage and left some positives. There are numerous examples of people who do incredible levels of damage when they take over a club.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Can't remember the last time I had so little expectation going into a deadline day. We've always been told that we're going to try and get something done, or something similar. Wonder if we could be in for a pleasant surprise.

[winchester_royal]

Can't remember the last time I had so little expectation going into a deadline day. We've always been told that we're going to try and get something done, or something similar. Wonder if we could be in for a pleasant surprise.

I've been having similar thoughts all day. Unfortunately I've now managed to convince myself that Reading are planning a big surprise for us all (a la the attempted Siggy transfer this time last year).

It will be this hope that causes the most hurt in 30 hours time.

[mr_number]

Can't remember the last time I had so little expectation going into a deadline day. We've always been told that we're going to try and get something done, or something similar. Wonder if we could be in for a pleasant surprise.

People always complain the club get their expectations up unfairly, so I think we should applaud them for lowering our expectations very effectively this time. For me, this is a gr8 transfer window from the club.

[Royal Ginger]

To be fair, Steve Bruce is the only person who has been getting our hopes up in the last couple of weeks.

[@sonkimarsson]

Maybe Chris Baird will be a 'shock' transfer? #TechnicallyASigning

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... 28627.aspx

[Mike Hunt]

Why is the club emailing about transfer news, when they are also saying that they are not signing anybody?

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[Avon Royal]

Why is the club emailing about transfer news, when they are also saying that they are not signing anybody?

Well, it will be "transfer news" when we sell Alex, Alfie and the Pog won't it?