The Repercussions

[brendywendy]

with cummings and mcarthy McD took the position that experience>>>>>>>>inexperience

we'll never know. but it was the injection of said experience that turned us around last year, so its not a totally mental decision.

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

with cummings and mcarthy McD took the position that experience>>>>>>>>inexperience

we'll never know. but it was the injection of said experience that turned us around last year, so its not a totally mental decision.

Brendy didnt think it was a mental decision, but was a decision that did not make sense imo ...team were on a roll....the string of results said that, then Aussie comes back and its a bit hit and miss .....why change a winning team ??? ......and thats what BM did at end of day ......

McCarthys ok to play against prem opposition in FA cup but not against equals in the championship ??? dont really understand it tbh ....

[Big Ern]

There will certainly be repercussions with regards to players leaving. Long is 100% certain to leave, anyone hopeing for him to stya out of loyalty to the club are just deluding themsleves. I would expect 2 more from the likes of Kebe, Karacan, Mills, Feds, McAnuff to go as well. It won't be a total sell off of our better players, but some will and probably need to move on. I wpould say a max of 3 of our best players will go, along the likes of Ivar, Bryn an maybe fringe players like Howard.

Losing playoff finalists normally do not do that well the following season, mainly due to the "Playoff Final Hangover" and the departure of certain players and it expect i to be no different with us. We may struggle to compete next year with regards to promotion, but I do not think for a minute we will be in any serious threat of relegation.

The team will change and evolve, either with a few signings to replace those gone, or some of the young players coming through, but I expect attendances to improve a little as well. We have increased our core fan base after each playoff final, and in fact I started supporting full-on after the Bolton Playoff defeat, so some plastics could be converted which can only be good for the growth of the club. Unless you are a Premiership club, fans through the turnstiles play a vital part in contributing to the clubs financial footing.

I am still gutted by the loss. I never expected us to beat Swansea, but it will not all be doom and gloom. Every team has to go through a change caused by some catalyst, beit playoff defeat, relegation or indeed promotion and change is not always bad. There will be reasons to get excited next season, thats football.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Seemed that McCarthy was left carrying the can for the Sheffield result though, which I don't think was fair, in addition Kebe had picked up his thigh injury and was missing which could also explain the little dip in form at that time.

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

Seemed that McCarthy was left carrying the can for the Sheffield result though, which I don't think was fair, in addition Kebe had picked up his thigh injury and was missing which could also explain the little dip in form at that time.

Maybe Barry, but one poor game, when tbh McCarthy wasnt the pantomime villain, seems a bit harsh...

Can BM handle the big personalities/egos like Federici I wonder ....?

[brendywendy]

with cummings and mcarthy McD took the position that experience>>>>>>>>inexperience

we'll never know. but it was the injection of said experience that turned us around last year, so its not a totally mental decision.

Brendy didnt think it was a mental decision, but was a decision that did not make sense imo ...team were on a roll....the string of results said that, then Aussie comes back and its a bit hit and miss .....why change a winning team ??? ......and thats what BM did at end of day ......

McCarthys ok to play against prem opposition in FA cup but not against equals in the championship ??? dont really understand it tbh ....

i just think a majority of experienced managers would have gone for experience in a masssive game like that.

[Wycombe Royal]

Bit unfair to say Long let us down on Monday. He didn't exactly get much service and he was still running around all over the shop trying to win us the ball. I wish him good luck wherever he goes.

He had his one big chance at the end of the first half and could have given us a lift going in at half time, but he fluffed it. Didn't get another sniff after that.

Jeez, and what about the 25 goals he DID score?

Mackail Smith missed two glorious chances in his PO final, then had a naff shot deflected in.

Strikers miss. It happens.

Without Shane we'd never have made the top half, never mind the top six
and without Shane we'd've lost in Cardiff and not got to Wembley.


The kid works his socks off for RFC and is kicked to death most games. If he goes, (after equaling Doyles' 55 goals in 20 games less)
he should go with our blessing and thanks, and we then hope we can get another great servant

Get off you bloody high horse will you (but please don't fall becuase from that height it will be painful). I just pointed out he had a big chance and he fluffed it. That was all. I was taking this incident in isolation in answer to someone elses post. I was not a match review of his performance let alone a season review.

Sometimes you just need to step back and understand what someone is writing and the context in which they are writing it.

[Franchise FC]

It is now time for some Gordon Brown style management. Don't cut too fast or too deep. No ifs no buts no first eleven cuts!

I don't think management by 'burying your head in the sand' is the right approach for RFC at this point in time.

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

i just think a majority of experienced managers would have gone for experience in a masssive game like that.

Brendy - accept your point...i just wish now he hadn't on both counts (McCarthy and Cummings)

[Hoop Blah]

As a manager you will pretty much always go with what you know and feel comfortable with. In this case Federici and Griffin were McDermotts trusted first choice players in their respective positions and I can understand why (even though I'm not a Federici fan by any stretch of the imagination). All the don't change a winning team rhetoric is just that, rhetoric, especially at such a key and pressured point of the season.

Coppell would change a wining team as does any decent manager if it means strengthening the team.

[westendgirl]

FWIW my opinion is that Jobi is by far the more coveted of our wingers amongst other clubs, as witnessed by QPR's bid last summer. I doubt that Jimmy will move to another British club unless it's silly money or there's a good friend if his already there. Far more likely for him to move to a French club, if at all.

I am quite surprised at the television commentaters always using superlatives before the name McAnuff, in fact I sometimes think he is the only Reading player some of them have ever heard of - surely it can't be the same for managers

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

FWIW my opinion is that Jobi is by far the more coveted of our wingers amongst other clubs, as witnessed by QPR's bid last summer. I doubt that Jimmy will move to another British club unless it's silly money or there's a good friend if his already there. Far more likely for him to move to a French club, if at all.

I am quite surprised at the television commentaters always using superlatives before the name McAnuff, in fact I sometimes think he is the only Reading player some of them have ever heard of - surely it can't be the same for managers

As most will know on here, to me McAnuff is an over-rated journeyman....theres no questioning what hes capable of if he can be bothered and put his mind to it, but the fact is he can't...10 or 20 minute cameos per game, here and there, arent good enough when others are putting in full shifts .....

The fact that he didnt even make the first team at Watford before BR arrived there, probably says more about his attitude...he needs to realise that if he wants to become a " big time charlie" he'll have to work at it .....

[Hoop Blah]

That was kind of my preconceptions of McAnuff before he signed. Having watched him for two seasons I don't think it could be further from the truth.

Not only has he worked tirelessly on and off the ball (I'm not sure we've had a more defensively disciplined true winger in the last 10 years or so) and supported his fullback excellently but he's also played out of position for the majority of his Reading career. I've never got wind of him moaning or being a reluctant fullback, emergency central midfielder or any grips at playing on the left as opposed to the right. The only comments I've heard from those close to the squad is that he's a great pro and one of the more dependable characters.

It's true he's not been the most spectacular flair player we've had and hasn't consistently torn defences apart, which was more what I was expecting, but he has still got more assists than any player in the squad over his time here (helped by his corner duties of course).