Time to open the wallet

[Seal]

Ok thanks for the lecture in player value Mr Wenger!

My point is simply that there has been some serious "moving of goalposts" going on.

There have been a number of quite frankly patronising statements made by posters defending the club, essentially implying that fans who are worried by a lack of reinvestment don't understand club finances or want us to spend to financial oblivion. When the facts are spelled out, and factors such as savings on the wage bill and annualised costs are mentioned, then suddenly the story becomes "well you don't actually know how much we received", or "well we need some for January too".

All people have been trying to ask is will we sensibly and responsbily reinvest the funds we receive? Of course allowing for the financial factors such as black holes, signing on fees and so on that have been so repeatedly spelled to us out by some posters.

No one wants us to waste money on an overpaid marquee signing for the sake of it, and I think everyone admires the club for aiming break even every year. I think all fans are asking is have we spent enough? Bearing mind it does appear we have a transfer surplus, and, ultimately, we have lost 4 games on the spin.

[Svlad Cjelli]

No, we probably haven't spent enough - and not as much as we could have done with the money we have available.

But if there aren't the right players available we're not going to spend money for the sake of it, or just to appease Y26.

Having said that, I think ALF is a superb signing, and I'm amazed we got him so cheaply.

[Terminal Boardom]

For fear of becoming repetitive, the more we sell our quality players and replace with cast-offs and speculatative purchases, the less likely it is that we will be seen as competitive and "ambitious" by better players out there. Why did Nasri go to Man City? I will accept that an increase in weekly wage attracted him but also the chance to win more honours at City than he could forsee at Arsenal. Matt Mills knew that Zurab would not return and that Shane would leave. Why would he feel compelled to stay at Reading? Did he genuinely believe that Reading were not going to be in a position to push for promotion?

To be seen to be competitive and ambitious, there needs to be visible evidence. Selling quality players over a period of time and replacing them with a number of lucky punts sends the wrong message.

Now, before the RTGs come out with the usual flannel and waffle, I am not suggesting that the club should splash the cash for the sake of it.

Hopefully, Gorkss will be a more than useful acquisition. But much of that will depend on how the partnership works at the back with the other defenders and goalkeeper. Young Mills may have potential but lacks the exposure and experience whereas Alfie is a complete unknown at this level.

The way I see the club going, there is a clear mandate that this is the preferred level. Relegation to League 1 would be disasterous as gate revenues would decline and the best of the rest would want away. There may be the occasional flirtation with promotion and the play offs but that is all it will be. There is no way that the club has the resources in place to mount a serious promotion challenge this season and, if the unimaginable did occur and we got promoted, there is no way on earth that this squad would be anywhere near good enough to survive in the Prem. I would go so far to say that Derby's points record would be in danger.

Prepare for mid table mediocrity.

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

My point is simply that there has been some serious "moving of goalposts" going on.

Tell me about it!

[brendywendy]

I will accept that an increase in weekly wage attracted him

lol

[andrew1957]

For fear of becoming repetitive, the more we sell our quality players and replace with cast-offs and speculatative purchases, the less likely it is that we will be seen as competitive and "ambitious" by better players out there. Why did Nasri go to Man City? I will accept that an increase in weekly wage attracted him but also the chance to win more honours at City than he could forsee at Arsenal. Matt Mills knew that Zurab would not return and that Shane would leave. Why would he feel compelled to stay at Reading? Did he genuinely believe that Reading were not going to be in a position to push for promotion?

To be seen to be competitive and ambitious, there needs to be visible evidence. Selling quality players over a period of time and replacing them with a number of lucky punts sends the wrong message.

Now, before the RTGs come out with the usual flannel and waffle, I am not suggesting that the club should splash the cash for the sake of it.

Hopefully, Gorkss will be a more than useful acquisition. But much of that will depend on how the partnership works at the back with the other defenders and goalkeeper. Young Mills may have potential but lacks the exposure and experience whereas Alfie is a complete unknown at this level.

The way I see the club going, there is a clear mandate that this is the preferred level. Relegation to League 1 would be disasterous as gate revenues would decline and the best of the rest would want away. There may be the occasional flirtation with promotion and the play offs but that is all it will be. There is no way that the club has the resources in place to mount a serious promotion challenge this season and, if the unimaginable did occur and we got promoted, there is no way on earth that this squad would be anywhere near good enough to survive in the Prem. I would go so far to say that Derby's points record would be in danger.

Prepare for mid table mediocrity.

Spot on TB - agree with you.

The Chairman may talk about PL but is clearly signaling the opposite. I appreciate it is difficult when you have other clubs with richer benefactors like Leicester who are prepared to invest heavily and clearly we cannot compete with them.

However, for us this is the third season we have sold off the family silver and hoped that we can find some more in the attic. Watford (as an example) have been doing the same for 4 or 5 seasons now and each year they seem to be a little less competitive. Sooner or later they will end up in League 1 (possibly next season).

In football you either go forwards or backwards and it feels to me that at the moment we are doing the latter.

However, in RFC's favour we are building an excellent academy and this might well turn out to be the saving grace. The club has invested heavily there and the current development squad is crammed full of players with loads of potential. If we are ever to get to the PL again I suspect it will be by the development of a whole group of young home grown players.

In the meantime realistically all we as fans can hope for is a long stay in the Championship - with an occasional flirtation at the top end.

Does that mean we have no chance this season? No - ALF might turn out to be sensational and Gorkss much better than Mills. Brian might weave his magic and we might make top 6 and go up via the play offs. Who knows - but we are playing a dangerous game by continually selling and reinvesting very little.

[RoyalBlue]

For fear of becoming repetitive, the more we sell our quality players and replace with cast-offs and speculatative purchases, the less likely it is that we will be seen as competitive and "ambitious" by better players out there. Why did Nasri go to Man City? I will accept that an increase in weekly wage attracted him but also the chance to win more honours at City than he could forsee at Arsenal. Matt Mills knew that Zurab would not return and that Shane would leave. Why would he feel compelled to stay at Reading? Did he genuinely believe that Reading were not going to be in a position to push for promotion?

To be seen to be competitive and ambitious, there needs to be visible evidence. Selling quality players over a period of time and replacing them with a number of lucky punts sends the wrong message.

Now, before the RTGs come out with the usual flannel and waffle, I am not suggesting that the club should splash the cash for the sake of it.

Hopefully, Gorkss will be a more than useful acquisition. But much of that will depend on how the partnership works at the back with the other defenders and goalkeeper. Young Mills may have potential but lacks the exposure and experience whereas Alfie is a complete unknown at this level.

The way I see the club going, there is a clear mandate that this is the preferred level. Relegation to League 1 would be disasterous as gate revenues would decline and the best of the rest would want away. There may be the occasional flirtation with promotion and the play offs but that is all it will be. There is no way that the club has the resources in place to mount a serious promotion challenge this season and, if the unimaginable did occur and we got promoted, there is no way on earth that this squad would be anywhere near good enough to survive in the Prem. I would go so far to say that Derby's points record would be in danger.

Prepare for mid table mediocrity.

Spot on TB - agree with you.

The Chairman may talk about PL but is clearly signaling the opposite. I appreciate it is difficult when you have other clubs with richer benefactors like Leicester who are prepared to invest heavily and clearly we cannot compete with them.

However, for us this is the third season we have sold off the family silver and hoped that we can find some more in the attic. Watford (as an example) have been doing the same for 4 or 5 seasons now and each year they seem to be a little less competitive. Sooner or later they will end up in League 1 (possibly next season).

In football you either go forwards or backwards and it feels to me that at the moment we are doing the latter.

However, in RFC's favour we are building an excellent academy and this might well turn out to be the saving grace. The club has invested heavily there and the current development squad is crammed full of players with loads of potential. If we are ever to get to the PL again I suspect it will be by the development of a whole group of young home grown players.

Good points and I think Watford is a good comparison/warning. Worryingly, however, they too have an excellent academy but may not be able to produce new silver quickly enough to replace that being flogged off each season.