Worried

[floyd__streete]

So, Doyle gone, Hunt gone, Bikey and Harper bound to go and we'll be left with Jossy's Giants to get us through the hard season ahead. Just supposing for a moment - as many of you utterly refuse to countenance - our young players don't come up to the mark, will we use the many millions of pounds of transfer fees we are stockpiling to panic-buy our way out of trouble?

[floyd__streete]

People want Madejski to invest in the club but why should he when there is clear evidence that a lot of Reading fans aren't willing to do the same.

Or, conversely, people are fed up with the club talking a good game with regard to our commitment to get back into the Premier League, whilst seeing our best and most established players leave to be replaced by untried and untested kids.

[Royalee]

So, Doyle gone, Hunt gone, Bikey and Harper bound to go and we'll be left with Jossy's Giants to get us through the hard season ahead. Just supposing for a moment - as many of you utterly refuse to countenance - our young players don't come up to the mark, will we use the many millions of pounds of transfer fees we are stockpiling to panic-buy our way out of trouble?

I think we'll bring in a couple between now and the end of the window anyway, but I'm pretty much certain our young players will be good enough.

[Royalee]

Is that the same coppell who handed church his debut. And played karacan, pearce and kelly for chunks of last season? And all that bignall and mooneys goals v burton prove is that theyre good enough for div 2. That said we will be buying, and the other kids could all progress and prove themselves in this league. We are building for winning the league with a team of graduates next season which would equal coppells 106 achievements imo. Dont panic!

and also the Coppell who dropped Karacan and Pearce as soon as they had 1 poor game, and also the Coppell who handed Church his debut in the most important game of the season under pressure to change things. Coppell was a fantastic manager but like a pensioner doesn't like change.

you said hed have given them no chance at all
otherwise id not have bothered replying.

He gave them far less of a chance than most managers would have.

[floyd__streete]

I'm pretty much certain our young players will be good enough.

I do hope so. The 'rest assured' attitude of many HNA posters (not including yourself here) never fills me with much confidence; remember three worse teams?

[Royalee]

I'm pretty much certain our young players will be good enough.

I do hope so. The 'rest assured' attitude of many HNA posters (not including yourself here) never fills me with much confidence; remember three worse teams?

Oh I was very much agitated during Coppell's 'I'll do nothing and hope for the best' tactics, but this is different - we're clearing out the dross just like we did in 2005 and replacing it with decent players and we all know what happened then.

[ZacNaloen]

Southamptons Academy gets a lot of hype, with the product that has just come out of ours I wonder how close we are to that sort of setup.

[SteveRoyal]

So, Doyle gone, Hunt gone, Bikey and Harper bound to go and we'll be left with Jossy's Giants to get us through the hard season ahead. Just supposing for a moment - as many of you utterly refuse to countenance - our young players don't come up to the mark, will we use the many millions of pounds of transfer fees we are stockpiling to panic-buy our way out of trouble?

I think we'll bring in a couple between now and the end of the window anyway, but I'm pretty much certain our young players will be good enough.

If the one's that are playing are not good enough, we still have plenty more youngsters to choose from!

[Focher]

Southamptons Academy gets a lot of hype, with the product that has just come out of ours I wonder how close we are to that sort of setup.

you're right but Southamptons back room staff was shit, i don't think ours is.

[floyd__streete]

Southamptons Academy gets a lot of hype, with the product that has just come out of ours I wonder how close we are to that sort of setup.

Not very close at all hopefully - they just got relegated, but they got relegated with their own kids, hurrah

[ZacNaloen]

Southamptons Academy gets a lot of hype, with the product that has just come out of ours I wonder how close we are to that sort of setup.

Not very close at all hopefully - they just got relegated, but they got relegated with their own kids, hurrah

I mean, in reality are we actually ahead or on-par with the quality of our youth academy now, and southampton get a lot hype that we avoid.. or is it just that the rest of the club had a terrible setup.

[Royalee]

I'd say ahead now.

[rg6royal]

I'm not worried at all tbh.

[strap]

Yes, but you are moaning saying that SJM is lining his own pockets when he clearly isn't. We will buy players, just calm the frick down.

You know that he is not, how, exactly? No one knows where the money has gone to, and won't until the accounts for 2009-10 are published, which won't be until c. Oct 2011.

Personally I have few concerns about the wellbeing of the club. It will still be around in some form for us to support for a few years yet. What irks me is the nonsensical rhetoric spouted by the club that we are serious about returning to the PL asap. That rhetoric is total rubbish, and insults the intelligence (such as it exists) of the fan base. The way the club is working during the last 6 (yes six) transfer windows is clearly to batten down the hatches and conserve as much capital as possible, for as long as possible. Some of the penny pinching apparent at Hogwood this year is laughable, and again shows the true "ambition" of this club.

As long as we accept that the Golden Days of RFC are over until Mr Mad sells up, we will not be disappointed. Sit back, enjoy what may be a decent footballing side this year, but don't expect a serious tilt at the PL for another 5 years or so. I'll go further, and reiterate my earlier prediction that we will not see RFC in the PL again whilst ever Mr Mad remains in charge.

[Thaumagurist*]

No one knows where the money has gone to,

Er, yes, we do, the money has gone to RFC's bank account!

[Schards#2]

People want Madejski to invest in the club but why should he when there is clear evidence that a lot of Reading fans aren't willing to do the same.

Or, conversely, people are fed up with the club talking a good game with regard to our commitment to get back into the Premier League, whilst seeing our best and most established players leave to be replaced by untried and untested kids.

Pre season 2008

£11 million received
£1.5 million spent

Pre season 2009 (est)
£12 million received
£2 million spent

This does, indeed, show the club's commitment to get back to the premiership, but not in the way they think it does.

[Thaumagurist*]

But that's the sell high and buy low philosophy, Schards! I don't think the amount of money spent actually guarantees promotion.

[CMRoyal]

People want Madejski to invest in the club but why should he when there is clear evidence that a lot of Reading fans aren't willing to do the same.

Or, conversely, people are fed up with the club talking a good game with regard to our commitment to get back into the Premier League, whilst seeing our best and most established players leave to be replaced by untried and untested kids.

Pre season 2008

£11 million received
£1.5 million spent

Pre season 2009 (est)
£12 million received
£2 million spent

This does, indeed, show the club's commitment to get back to the premiership, but not in the way they think it does.

For comparison, what were the figures for 2005-6 pre-season?

[Schards#2]

But that's the sell high and buy low philosophy, Schards! I don't think the amount of money spent actually guarantees promotion.

Indeed, great on the balance sheet, terrible on the pitch.

Sadly, its what happens on the pitch that dictates if you get promoted.

[Thaumagurist*]

Not if you find quality bargains like Kevin Doyle.