General thoughts on the current squad

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SuffolkRoyal

Member
Oct 23, 2011
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Not too confident about the current squad for the forthcoming season.

With the money, reportedly, available to McDermott, and the subsequent new additions, we seem to have done it on the cheap. There was lots of speculation regarding a few big names but, as expected by most of us, nothing materialised.

If we were still in the championship and had brought in the new signings I would have said we were really showing some intent for promotion. As it is, I think we'll struggle to make much of an impact with the squad we now have.

Could be a great opportunity wasted. Hope I'm wrong, I have been on several occasions!
 
Hi Suffolk, and firstly I very much miss your input on RR. It's like one of the gang is missing ...


With regards to the squad, it's so difficult to say. I believe the squad is/will be better ... but by how much? If we have the good fortune of a fine start it might be plain sailing, but if it's a traditional Brian-type start to the season we might get punished and not recover. Even so, I'm optimistic on the whole. No pre-season victory came our way in the small Portugal tour, it's true, but by all accounts the play, style and flair was improving day by day. So the two remaining first team friendlies - Brighton & Crystal Palace - to me now assume more importance than I'd have given before the lads got back into training.

Boy, I'm doing a hell of a lot of work on match threads right now for the premier season, but I promise they'll be better than ever!
 
Hiya daib0. I just feel a little more secure on here :biggrin: In the absence of any other posters, I just chatter to myself hahaha.
 
I'm used to people disagreeing with me buddy.

McDermott had a golden opportunity to buy, at least, one class player and he blew it. What we've got is a decent championship squad at best.

I truly hope McDermott can work his magic with this lot in the prem because, if he gets off to his usual slow start and its not looking good by Christmas, he'll be on his way. And that would be a crying shame after what he's achieved with next to nothing over the last few years.
 
Good luck Royals! Personally I think your squad is shaping up nicely and the players you've brought in so far in the summer seem like decent purchases.

The Pog looks like he will score goals in the top flight. Guthrie was starting to look the part for us last season - and many of us Toon fans were upset to see him walk. Mariappa is a decent player who we tried to sign. And McCLeary + Gunther from Forest seem like decent purchases too. Added to your current squad, I think that looks healthy.

I think it would have been wrong for the club to spend loads on buying one or two 'stars', as that is the kind of purchse that can disturb the team spirit and style of play McDermott has instilled. As we Toon fans well know. Keeping to a style of player and a type of player/character is more important. I respect McDermott and tink he'll keep you guys up. Not saying it will be easy, but the club has the infrastructure - and now the money - to really push on.

Hope you do well. Good luck from the Toon. <ok>
 
Obi Wan

Despite how I might sound, and I have been misquoted many times, I have never said we should spend silly money on players. In the past, before our Russian benefactor came on board, I just prayed that we would keep our squad together for the next season and just strengthen a little bit where there were weaknesses. It never happened, we always ended up breaking up the momentum of the team by selling off our best players to 'balance the books', and then replecing them with cheap options from the lower leagues.

This year McDermott had a, reported, budget of £15million, on top of not having to sell any of our best players. To date we have spent around £5million. We were linked to many players. Some were over the hill or plagued by injury, Owen and Hargreaves were a couple linked to us and I think we're all glad they never materialised.

But there were rumours about Shane Long, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jordan Rhodes. Ultimately Gylfi had far better options, Rhodes is untried at championship level let alone the prem, so I wasn't too bothered that his signing didn't materialise. But I reckon, with a bit of effort, we might have tempted Shane Long back. Instead we spent a third of the money available and scrabbled around for free transfers. Some might see that as clever negotiating but, for me, it is a massive gamble for a promoted club attempting to make an impression in the EPL.

Time will tell. I've been wrong about my club many times, but I genuinely believe that if the wheels are falling off by Christmas, McDermott will have shot himself in the foot and will pay the ultimate price. He'll likely be told "you had funds made available to you but you didn't spend them". The new owner will be far more ruthless that Madejski ever was.

And good luck to you next season. Pardew seemed an unlikely choice at first but he seems to be doing a great job for you.
 
SuffolkRoyal said:
Obi Wan

Despite how I might sound, and I have been misquoted many times, I have never said we should spend silly money on players. In the past, before our Russian benefactor came on board, I just prayed that we would keep our squad together for the next season and just strengthen a little bit where there were weaknesses. It never happened, we always ended up breaking up the momentum of the team by selling off our best players to 'balance the books', and then replecing them with cheap options from the lower leagues.

This year McDermott had a, reported, budget of £15million, on top of not having to sell any of our best players. To date we have spent around £5million. We were linked to many players. Some were over the hill or plagued by injury, Owen and Hargreaves were a couple linked to us and I think we're all glad they never materialised.

But there were rumours about Shane Long, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jordan Rhodes. Ultimately Gylfi had far better options, Rhodes is untried at championship level let alone the prem, so I wasn't too bothered that his signing didn't materialise. But I reckon, with a bit of effort, we might have tempted Shane Long back. Instead we spent a third of the money available and scrabbled around for free transfers. Some might see that as clever negotiating but, for me, it is a massive gamble for a promoted club attempting to make an impression in the EPL.

Time will tell. I've been wrong about my club many times, but I genuinely believe that if the wheels are falling off by Christmas, McDermott will have shot himself in the foot and will pay the ultimate price. He'll likely be told "you had funds made available to you but you didn't spend them". The new owner will be far more ruthless that Madejski ever was.

And good luck to you next season. Pardew seemed an unlikely choice at first but he seems to be doing a great job for you.
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Sorry, wasn't quoting you - those were my words. <ok>

I just meant money can easily be squandered on one or two players who can ultimately mess up the dressig room more than improve results on the pitch. We've had pleny of those over the years.

Anyway, fair point if the funds were there to spend and haven't been used to the 'best' result. Pressure will no doubt be on McDermott. Although still time in this transfer window to do more business.

Yeah, Pards was a surprise choice and raised many eyebrows. Although most of the fans' heated reactions were aimed at the board for getting rid of Hughton without just cause, rather than about pardew himself. But it still meant Pardew was on a hiding to nothing. If he'd failed, there would have been serious trouble. But fair play to him, he's done us proud so far.

Anyway, I genuinely hope you guys do well and stay up. Like the style of play - and for me, Reading is the 'local' club, so know plenty of fans. Medejski is alegend for what he has done with the club, given where it was before. I hope the new owners show the club and fans the same respect that guy has. <ok>
 
My comment wasn't aimed at you Obi Wan. It comes from much closer to home from fellow Reading fans. Then again, I have to admit to being the perrenial pessimist where RFC is concerned so most criticism I get is justified.

Thanks for the kind words, I am looking forward to the season but will always remain a little pessimistic. To many years of supportng Reading in the lower leagues I suppose.
 
SuffolkRoyal said:
My comment wasn't aimed at you Obi Wan. It comes from much closer to home from fellow Reading fans. Then again, I have to admit to being the perrenial pessimist where RFC is concerned so most criticism I get is justified.

Thanks for the kind words, I am looking forward to the season but will always remain a little pessimistic. To many years of supportng Reading in the lower leagues I suppose.
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Nothing wrong with a bit of pessimism - less likely to be disappointed. Take that from a supposedly 'deluded' Geordie! <ok>

As for lower league games, I remember wet days at Elm Park cheering on the Buscuitmen, watching Trevor Senior run in slow motion and Martin Hicks hoof the ball 40 foot over the stand. Best game I recall was the 4:3 vs Huddersfield (?) when 3 down with about 20 minutes to go. Had some good times there as a teenager.

Martin Hicks used to coach the Sunday Youth team I was in.
 
SuffolkRoyal said:
My comment wasn't aimed at you Obi Wan. It comes from much closer to home from fellow Reading fans. Then again, I have to admit to being the perrenial pessimist where RFC is concerned so most criticism I get is justified.

Thanks for the kind words, I am looking forward to the season but will always remain a little pessimistic. To many years of supportng Reading in the lower leagues I suppose.
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Sorry mate, but you make a staement about how the club are doing things on the cheap, but the players we've bought in are Premier League standard. Gunter & McCleary would've been snapped up by someone else in the PL, then you would've said the club/Manager was too slow to act.
 
Well, its now under 48 hours until we get to see how we fare in our first game back in the prem. We'll get some idea of how prudent the choice of our new additions has been.

Over the season we may get the odd result against some of the big boys but thats more in hope than expectation, so, without disrespecting Stoke, it is clubs like them who we have to try and get the points from.

I'm looking forward to Saturdays game but very nervous at the same time.
 
Todays game is of, it is raining up here but unbeleivable the game has been postponed, state of the art pitch one the best in the world!. Feel sorry for the Reading supporters travelling.
 
Hey Suffolk! So far, we've not knocked the Premier League on its' ear, but I don't think any of us expected that. A few more points would certainly be welcome, but I'm still looking forward to seeing the season play out. I do believe we have a squad that can compete quite well in the Premier League, but I'm also a very optimistic fan and tend to follow the Company Line ('drink the cool-aide' as is said over here). We'll see how things play out, as with only 6 matches played of the 38, I feel it's too early to make a solid call - at 11 to 13 I think we'll have a better impression. If we're at 6-10 points then, I'll be more concerned; if we're at 15, I'll feel much better.

The Royals certainly didn't break the bank going into the season, and I do hope we did enough, as the January window can be expensive and any help brought in then could be too late. Your concerns are well-founded, and so far there has been no strong evidence to reduce them.
 
Good to see you on here Owlish! If you look at the Premier league board page - http://www.not606.com/forumdisplay.php/9-English-Football - then only 6 clubs (I think it is) don't have a moderation team of their own, and most clubs now have 3 or more mods. So little by little we can build up a small representation on here, even if it is basically a Royals Rendezvous overspill! Some of these other boards do have great chat though - try looking at, for example, QPR and Norwich, both with a hell of a lot of activity daily, so there's every chance of respectfully sounding out fans from other clubs!
 
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