um pahars

I would agree. It was different from the type of borrowing that Leeds undertook (i.e. they spent it on players and wages) and as you say it was an investment that had a chance to pay for itself. There was always a risk abut servicing the debt if we went down, but on the whole I think it was a good decision. As someone else mentioned, going down so soon after completion was not in the plans, but I don't think you can knock Lowe et al for building SMS.

Are we still in Pearson dipped out mode:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Just who do you think wrote this total b******** statement thanking the Executives for their hard work and creditable results???? I'll give you a clue, it was the outgoing Executives themselves. Hold on a minute, I thought you maintained that the Execs did nothing wrong during their time here. Are you now saying their own claims that they did a creditable job are horse?????? Just what exactly is your position as you seem to be changing sides more times than the Italians did in the World War II And once again you totally miss the point. This statement was written by the Executives who only a month or so earlier had been running the scare story about the January firesale. So why the sudden change of heart from them??

Wotton and Forecast didn't feature and Perry was here last season. So only 2 out the 9 odd new signings featured. HTH.

2-0 victory Surman double.

Were you one of the lucky ones amongst us that received Sundance's unsolicited rants via a PM when he announced he was leaving this board a few months back??? Can't remember who else was on the cc list and want to read it again for a giggle.

I also didn't think that NP was the finished article, but he certainly installed some steel, passion and belief in both the team and the players. For the first time in ages there was a semblence of spirit and unity about the place. His comments (and I have put them up here many times) show he was more than willing to work with, and use, the youngsters, and that he was also aware of our financial problems. He knew players had to go. I also think he would have been his own man and only brought in players he wanted to bring in, and he would have only played te way he wanted to play, i.e. I don't think he would have stood for any interference, interference which IMHO is addingto our problems.

As a start, our squad last season was way too big for a Club in the CCC. We were quite right to cull loads of them with many of the ones you mentioned not even getting a look in on a regular basis - Baseya, Hammill, Licka, Ostlund, Pericard, Rasiak etc etc etc. To be honest they were no real loss. And then of course we're so desperate for players and our squad is so threadbare this season that only 2 of these new signings actually featured against Swansea on Saturday. Good job we brought 9 in so that we could play 2 of them!!!!!!!!!

I was actually agreeing with your analysis (just didn't say it).

Not from yours I'm not!!!!!!!! I have no doubt it's financial and any latitude we probably had was used up bringing in 9 odd new faces over the summer. Decisions have been made this summer and we will have to sit back and see if they are the right ones, but as we stand here today, I'm starting to think too many of them were false economies and we didn't prioritise correctly. We're still very weak and the back and toothless up front.

And as you and others have pointed out in the past, there is no such thing as a free transfer or a free agent. And as you have often said, there will be agents fees, loan fees, signing on fees, accomodation expenses, wages etc etc etc. Add all those fees & wages up (and things such as Webster's salary) and you have a nice little sum that may have been better spent on bringing in some experience or retaining the good players we already had. We obviously have had some latitude with regards the finances, so let's not pretend otherwise.

I would certainly have preferred him to have gone rather than John (but that's only if the manager decided to play him!!!!!!!!!), but perhaps the question should be why have we put 9 or so new faces on the wage bill (along with all the fees that come with them)?

Come on fella, let's not try and pass the blame on to the fans on this one. Even if the scenario was as you painted (which I very much doubt BTW), then it's still up to those in charge to make the best decision as they see fit.

The idea that our man from Barclays (who is probably a Reading fan anyway) is telling us what day to day decisions we have to take is pure folly. GM tried to insinuate that a while back, but it is pure poppy****. Our man will be laying down targets and deadlines (and they may indeed be very harsh), but he will be leaving up to the management of the Club to deliver upon them. Mr Barclays is not playing the role of the Administrator.

With all due respect (and I fully accept Davis has performed well this season) I have to say I don't think a goalkeeping coach on some serious wonga is a priority at this point in time!!!!!! The story is that Webster wanted o go to Ipswich, Ipswich wanted him, but we held out for compensation. Ipsich baulked at that and went elsewhere for their coach. We could have saved some decent wonga, but played it all wrong. Another poor choice.

Spot on. We have had a myriad of opportunities and choices to make, we have just chosen the wrong ones. Of course Lowe wants to succeed (both for £££'s and ego), but sadly his return has failed to live up to the pre season hype. As you succinctly put it, "He isn't managing on a limited budget; he is mismanaging on a limited budget"

With us still paying some of his wages (a deal that we refused to countenance a few months back, which would indicate how desperate we are to save some ££££'s)????? Maybe we should have let Webster go back there as well, saving £££'s on his salary????? ££££'s that coud have gone towards keeping more important players. There have been choices, we just seem to be making the wrong ones.

LOL at the apologist comparing us to the football giant of Oxford United. With all due respect to Oxford, things must be really bad if this is the best response that can be wheeled out when being faced with a shambles on and off the pitch!!!!!!!!!

Perhaps you have to question who is identifying and acquiring the players that have been brought in. It would appear that quite a few have come in without Jan even seeing them play!!!!!

Me too. It was all too Wigleyesque for my liking. Nice guy, good coach and loads of hype didn't cover the deficiencies of this revolutionary coaching set up. But have we gone too far down the trodden path now for any change to be of any use??? Once again, just like with Wigley, have we lost the all important close season in terms of prepaation and ins and outs??? Has the rot set in, a rot from which we will never recover???

Indeed he will, but just because he will also benefit from success doesn't ean he is able to deliver it. His tenure ended in failure last time around and it looks as though lightning has struck twice.

(a) He hasn't really featured, and (b) the manager persists in playing a formation which is not achieving results. But what about the money spent on the 9 or 10 new players we have got in (transfer fees, agents fees, players fees etc etc etc). We have had choices throughout this sorry period, looks like we made the wrong ones.

Have another think about that one. Ostlund definitely underperformed here, but he played 22 times for Sweden. James by comparison is being skinned every week!!!!!!!!!

And being serious for a minute, I reckon most of those players would waltz into our current team. Idiakez - Played well towards the end of last season and would bring some experience to the middle of the park. Rasiak - Considering we don't look like scoring, I think he would definitely get a look in. Wright - Give me right every day over James at right back. May even be an option in midfield. Lucketti - Definitely play him at centre half. Would pick him ahead of Lancashire or Wotton. Vignal - As a proper left back, he would get a game. Ostlund - Not sure about him, but he's certainly better than James at right back. Licka - Probably not!!!!!!! I'm not the greatest fans of some of the above, but it shows how far we have fallen that I would accept most of them back into the team for tomorrow night!!!!!!!!!!!!! Total Football Me Up](*,)](*,)