All the players we 'missed out' on...

[cmonurz]

[Platypuss]

Derby also got a draw in midweek v Man City - a fair few of their new signings played.

[villain]

I used to play 5 a side with aaron brown.....altho obviously the standard is very different, he was an outstanding player. he is very agressive and competitive, this could be why he keeps getting injured. Other professionals played for us like lloyd dyer, darius vassell and andrew whing but aaron was the best that i saw. hopefully he'l get fit soon coz he would definately get into the 1st team......I am a villa fan but Reading are my 2nd favourite team, i do worry about u guys u hav'nt got the best team but fortunately you do have one of the best managers, chin up lads!!

[RoyalBlue]

They are failing.

They are all rubbish.

Sack SC, sack the board

Hound Mr Mad until he throws it in, or spends the millions of pounds that he's got from Sky, there's almost a never-emptying pot of money there, and we're beating off the players that want to come and play for Reading.


Wake up.

Come off it, Madjetski (and yes I know I spelt it incorrectly) throw it in! Where else can he buy a worldwide name for himself so cheaply? He may have had shedloads of cash but I would suggest few people in the general community had heard of him before he got involved with RFC. I would take an awful lot of convincing that he doesn't love all the attention, let alone hero worshipping, that his involvement with RFC has brought him. If he now choses to throw his toys out of the pram and leave, merely because he is now getting some criticism because of the dramatic downturn in the fortunes/performance of RFC then so be it.

In contrast, I recall Roger Smee standing in Norfolk Road one dark rainy evening, after a dismal performance added to the club's troubles ,and debating the issue with his paying customers (although he always seemed to treat us more as supporters).

JM keeps telling us that RFC is a business and in any real business that starts to go tits up, the shareholders start to ask some very serious questions of the chairman. Of course we are not shareholders but despite the fact JM holds the legal title to RFC he can only ever truly hold it in trust for the supporters. RFC and supporters, like any other football club, are inextricably linked. The club can and will go on in some form without the involvement of JM. However, if the supporters turn their back on the club then he is left with nothing.

And yes, the effing money is there and it's still rolling in. And yes, put it in the direction of players and they will want to join us. To suggest otherwise is to deny the very existence of a club like Wigan. i.e. not a footballing town, bugger all support to speak of, far smaller than Reading, far less of a tradition than Reading and yet still able to attract the players they decide they want/need.

Oh, and I've never played CM or any other football simulation game in my life. Despite what you might think I prefer to live in the real world. That's why I question whether some of those at RFC wish to live in the real world of top level professional football.

Got the message?!

[Royal Family]

Villain. Pity your lot couldn't have done us a favour yesterday!

On a serious note I'm very concerned about Foolham of all the teams around/below us. Hodgson is a great manager/coach IMO (I've got Scandi relatives who rave about his time managing out there) and he's bought in a load of new faces at Foolham.

Did you go or watch the whole game yesterday? As you only played us a couple of weeks or so ago, I'd be interested in your honest opinion about our capabilities compared to Foolham's? My worry is we've dropped in free fall from a position of almost mid-table comfort into this relegation scrap & they knew they were in big trouble ages ago & have seemed to have done something positive about it.

Really sorry about doom-mongering everyone, but I honestly can't see us staying out of the drop zone with teams like them & Brum below who will make up ground unless something drastic happens ... and the window is now closed, so no chance for ringing the changes.

[Uke]

Not "no comment" - I just haven't been online for a day or two.

I am concerned that our squad doesn't have a plan B given its size, but that's not the point of this thread is it?



Apart from Bolton who else should we track in this thread?

I think my original point was that you can't really measure the impact and contribution of all the signings the other clubs have made because it really depends on what role they're playing within their squads.

I'm glad you accept that our squad doesn't look very well equiped to cover potential unavailbilities, poor form etc. Wouldn't you have like to see the club address that at some point last summer or in January? From reading your posts I'd have said you think it's all pretty rosey in the RFC garden right now.

Even rose gardens have thorns. I've never been a D&G merchant, but I've never been a RTG either - I just don't see relegation as the ruin of the club that many think it will be.

Blimey the whole thread's turning into a repeat of the others! (not your post Hoop Blah!)

Probably the best tracker is Comonurz's league points - after all that's the be all and end all and takes into account not just players but managers too.

[cmonurz]

Perhaps it is best to look at points gained since the opening of the transfer window, as some clubs have been active in the transfer market since those first few days.

Bolton 8
Middlesbrough 6
Sunderland 6
Fulham 4
Birmingham 2
Derby 2
Reading 0

[Ozymandias]

They are failing.

They are all rubbish.

Sack SC, sack the board

Hound Mr Mad until he throws it in, or spends the millions of pounds that he's got from Sky, there's almost a never-emptying pot of money there, and we're beating off the players that want to come and play for Reading.


Wake up.

Come off it, Madjetski (and yes I know I spelt it incorrectly) throw it in! Where else can he buy a worldwide name for himself so cheaply? He may have had shedloads of cash but I would suggest few people in the general community had heard of him before he got involved with RFC. I would take an awful lot of convincing that he doesn't love all the attention, let alone hero worshipping, that his involvement with RFC has brought him. If he now choses to throw his toys out of the pram and leave, merely because he is now getting some criticism because of the dramatic downturn in the fortunes/performance of RFC then so be it.

In contrast, I recall Roger Smee standing in Norfolk Road one dark rainy evening, after a dismal performance added to the club's troubles ,and debating the issue with his paying customers (although he always seemed to treat us more as supporters).

JM keeps telling us that RFC is a business and in any real business that starts to go tits up, the shareholders start to ask some very serious questions of the chairman. Of course we are not shareholders but despite the fact JM holds the legal title to RFC he can only ever truly hold it in trust for the supporters. RFC and supporters, like any other football club, are inextricably linked. The club can and will go on in some form without the involvement of JM. However, if the supporters turn their back on the club then he is left with nothing.

And yes, the effing money is there and it's still rolling in. And yes, put it in the direction of players and they will want to join us. To suggest otherwise is to deny the very existence of a club like Wigan. i.e. not a footballing town, bugger all support to speak of, far smaller than Reading, far less of a tradition than Reading and yet still able to attract the players they decide they want/need.

Oh, and I've never played CM or any other football simulation game in my life. Despite what you might think I prefer to live in the real world. That's why I question whether some of those at RFC wish to live in the real world of top level professional football.

Got the message?!

Easy tiger.

You make some good points, my original comment was made with tongue firmly in cheek.

There is a negativity running throughout this board, which, looking at the majority of the posts, some fans believe would all be rosy and sorted by spending millions on players.

I wouldn't want to insult your intelligence by assuming that you believe this alone would be the answer.

[Uke]

Perhaps it is best to look at points gained since the opening of the transfer window, as some clubs have been active in the transfer market since those first few days.

Bolton 8
Middlesbrough 6
Sunderland 6
Fulham 4
Birmingham 2
Derby 2
Reading 0

Idea taken on board as this is the final deliverable

Surely Derby got one point?

Platypus will no doubt spot that one and berate you...

[Alan Partridge]

Perhaps it is best to look at points gained since the opening of the transfer window, as some clubs have been active in the transfer market since those first few days.

Bolton 8
Middlesbrough 6
Sunderland 6
Fulham 4
Birmingham 2
Derby 2
Reading 0

Idea taken on board as this is the final deliverable

Surely Derby got one point?

Platypus will no doubt spot that one and berate you...

City at home, Bham away = 2 points.

[Uke]

Perhaps it is best to look at points gained since the opening of the transfer window, as some clubs have been active in the transfer market since those first few days.

Bolton 8
Middlesbrough 6
Sunderland 6
Fulham 4
Birmingham 2
Derby 2
Reading 0

Idea taken on board as this is the final deliverable

Surely Derby got one point?

Platypus will no doubt spot that one and berate you...

City at home, Bham away = 2 points.

Not since the 1st Feb though. City @home was before the window shut.

[Alan Partridge]

"Perhaps it is best to look at points gained since the opening of the transfer window"

[Wycombe Royal]

Surely Derby got one point?

Platypus will no doubt spot that one and berate you...

City at home, Bham away = 2 points.

Not since the 1st Feb though. City @home was before the window shut.

I find it odd that pick out Derby's 2 points and not the 8 achieved by Bolton since the 1st Feb.

[Uke]

"Perhaps it is best to look at points gained since the opening of the transfer window"

Better to leave it at the end of the ransfer window I think - from when no further changes can be made (except for the occasional loan, etc..)

[Uke]

One week on, who made the big impressions this week and who was full of hot air out of the signings we missed?




Points since Feb the 1st...

Middlesbrough 4
Fulham 3
Bolton 3
Sunderland 3
Birmingham 2
Derby 1
Reading 0

[Victor Meldrew]

One week on, who made the big impressions this week and who was full of hot air out of the signings we missed?




Points since Feb the 1st...

Middlesbrough 4
Fulham 3
Bolton 3
Sunderland 3
Birmingham 2
Derby 1
Reading 0

Yes but they will all go the way of Leeds and end up skint whilst we............spend a fortune on trying to get back into The Premiership on much reduced gate receipts.
Is there a right way?

[RoyalBlue]

There's a middle way but our Chairman is so boss-eyed that he can't see it!

[Platypuss]

McFadden scores 2 as Brum get a point at home to Arsenal.

[cmonurz]

Nope, you are still choosing the stats that suit one argument best Uke. The transfer window opened on 1st January, and new players started contributing from then. As such, I shall continue my record of points here:

Middlesbrough 9
Sunderland 9
Bolton 8
Wigan 7
Fulham 4
Birmingham 4
Derby 3
Reading 0

Edited, don't know why I missed them out.

[Southbank Old Boy]

Why is nobody including Wigan? 10 points and looking like making it 13 since the start of the year.

Edit: 7 and looking like 10...didnt realise one win was in the cup.