Well Done Reading and Swansea - Come on Reading in the Final. I don't like whinging Billy Davies and Cardiff are so financially immoral this is the final I wanted. However I still haven't forgiven BR, so good luck Reading and Nigel Gibbs.
Says a lot about the moral calibre of teams in this division that Swansea, Mr. Integrity in tow, were everyone's second-least-worst team going into the playoffs. But it's not even as if three of the worst teams happened to end up in those places. With the notable exception of our non-league neighbours, half a dozen of the country's worst clubs are (were) in this division this season. Look at the two teams directly above the playoffs: you have a team that was found guilty of illegal payments to agents. Heck, even Norwich are managed by a man who demolished the best team in his division 7-1, and a fortnight later resigned to join the losing team. I don't blame him for that decision, but from a Colchester perspective it undoubtedly falls into the same bracket as Owen Coyle and BR. What about immediately below the playoffs, I hear you ask? We have a financially hamstrung club living off of past glories, with a high proportion of unsavoury regulars, and where the more moderate fans have wildly unrealistic expectations even by footballing standards. Oh, and we have Leeds too. Further down? I don't like to reinforce the Millwall stereotype, but they keep doing that for themselves. And you have two teams that are only in this division because of this country's relatively lenient administration rules. Leeds and Loo Town will understandably beg to differ, but it's possible to go into administration, wipe off 70 odd percent of your debt and stay in the division. Contrast that to foreign clubs such as Fiorentina or Gretna.
But it seems you have forgiven the club that could have picked any manager but against our wishes stole ours. For me the "crime" committed by Reading of tapping up and then poaching our manager was far worse than the "crime" by BR. If he had not made his stupid Integrity comment we would all have recognised that a Manager might want to return to a club where he had roots, We would not hate Malky forever if he went to Norwich. BR got his come uppance when Reading sacked him. I hope he stuffs that down their throats at Wembley
If I'm honest, I'm not too fussed about which team goes up... Just glad it wasn't Cardiff or Billy Davies!! If I had to choose, I suppose I would say Reading, just so I can go to the Liberty Stadium next season... as long as it is not mid-week again! I'm over the Rodgers thing... I just think he was a bit arrogant thinking he is the next Jose and naive with his integrity comments. He would have learnt from this, it is just unfortunate we were the 'victims' of the learnig experience! I also think we have done well out of the whole deal though... Getting a fair whack for Rodgers and McAnuff, Rodgers getting the best out of Priskin so upping his fee, and loved the whole Smith affair, choosing Pompey over Reading!
Fully agree - I like McDermott and since they sacked Judas, I am OK with Reading. Swansea should not even be allowed to play in an Englisg league, so I always want them to lose...
Did Reading poach Rodgers? Frankly I'm not sure. I know I was working with a big Reading fan at the time and he told me in the Spring that Coppell would leave and Reading would come in for Rodgers. I'd had so many conversations along that line that I'd accepted that he was going ....... and then came the integrity comment and I changed my outlook. I was wrong, but time is a great healer. Anyone bitter at Reading needs to ask themselves if they've ever forgiven an ex-girlfriend? Time moves on, so by and large I'd prefer Reading to beat Swansea, but thankfully we will see the "big club, big spenders" of Forest and Cardiff again next season and we'll be able to laugh at them once more. When you hear stories of how much these 2 clubs are losing (Forest ã18m last year - Cardiff ..... who knows with the way they cook the books), it just makes you wonder when they will go bust - thereby letting us overtake them.
Well - your workmate along with many others were aware that Reading would come for Rodgers so that smells like tapping to me - even if only by leaking it in public I could name my top ten favourite teams and my ten least favourites - Reading would be in the latter category. Same with girlfriends - some you feel fondly about after breaking up but some become real b*tch*s. But the point I was making is why does everyone continue to blame Rodgers and hate him rather than the perpetrators i.e. Reading - Rodgers only real mistake was his claim to have Integrity. So in a contest between the two it is Reading not Rodgers in my book who are least favourites Having said that I don't really care much about either
Rodgers - good manager 90% did not want to leave us - made a stupid comment Reading - bunch of thieves who tap up and steal another club's manager and then sack him before he has had even 4 months in the job
Just a thought Leo But rodgers could have told Reading , No I have a contract and will stay and honour it!!! ( oh I forgot he did!!!) He didnt have to take off at the first sniff of alternate employment! I`m sure that you have never told an employer you were staying ,then left in the next breath! What might calm transfer markets dowm a bit(apart from global recessions) is if there was a decent notice period that had to be worked through!
Point taken Lenny. Although to be fair to Reading, everything that is bad about them is entirely down to Nick Hammond. That's exacerbated by the fact that he is probably the most influential director of football in the country. From what I've experienced of him, he is probably on a par with Dennis Wise and Mark Ashton as someone to have working above the manager. Good in theory is the most charitable thing that can be said about him. Madejski, while he has his faults (not least employing Nick Hammond) is pretty good as owners go. And traffic volumes aside, he has done wonders for his town.
He could have - but it was the club of his younger days and an opportunity of a lifetime for him - not one he would turn down if offered - you cannot believe that in football either clubs or managers are guilty of excessive loyalty - that is left to the fans. Reading should not have made the approach - he did not by all accounts apply for the job No employer ever knew till I resigned that I would go - never gave them a chance to pre-empt me Nice idea but impractical - once a person is going he would lose the confidence of his team
Point 1 If he had any honour especially after saying what he did! he would have stayed even if Man U came in for him! point 2 when leaving a job for another I always played the white man and gave and honored a notice period!(this practice meant leaving on good terms and not burning bridges,always good for business!) Point3 Tommy knew he was on his way, but was a consummate professional to the end and scored in his last game as well! The team still trusted him!
1 He looks after himself like 99% of the football world - players, clubs and managers - already agreed that his one mistake was the Integrity comment - take that away and it would be the same as Malky going to Norwich - and remember the Board "lied" to him when they appointed him by not telling him how bad the financial situation was - he nearly "walked" immediately so he did not believe the Club had integrity - and he was right about the Board at that time 2 The club could have refused to let him go - he was under contract and if they had wanted to they could have enforced it - other clubs have - we did not 3 Tommy is a special guy - no-one would accuse BR of being that All of which says BR did what 99% of people would have done - minus the stupid integrity comment. Reading were thieving Bastards and are worse than him - so in any contest Reading v BR I would vote AGAINST Reading - not FOR BR
Why should he have turned them down - would you say that if Norwich came for Malky and he accepted. He did what anyone in his position would have done - he went back to the club where he had started out - nothing wrong with that - as I keep saying his only "crime" was his daft integrity comment. Why do you all forgive Reading? They were the ones who caused it - once they were after him he was always going to go? The more I realise I am the only one who thinks Rodgers is better than Reading the more entrenched I feel in this view and the less I understand the opposite position. Someone please explain how what Reading did was not worse than what Rodgers did.
