Oh dear.....

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

Look here, he may have said that he'd be happy with 3 forwards, but it doesn't mean he's not trying to find another forward. He's just saying that if he fails to get another forward for some reason (like being unable to agree a fee with the selling club or being unable to agree wages with the player), then he'll make do with 3 forwards.

Like quote " we werent able to get any strikers for £300k, so we will stick with what we have"

[Stranded]

Can people actually use the full quote or the full story rather than just picking a random sentence to fit their stance.

http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/pa ... 86,00.html

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

Its just possible that coppell has put these comments out there to make potential selling clubs realise we arent that desperate so wont be held over a barrel on price


there are many reasons to say something to the press
usually-informing us fans about"the truth" is usually well down the priority list

We never bid enough to get hauled over the barrel on price ! - nosebleeds all around at £1m plus - unfortunately thats the going rate these days for a half decent player - unless they are from Cork City that is!

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

Ive said it before but mid table whilst finally blooding some of our own youngsters would do me fine for the next couple of seasons.

'greed, though I want to see them put some effort into replacing Shorey before the season starts.

How about putting Shorey on the bench behind Golbourne for the first home game of the season. Thatll give Nicky the message, with the additional bonus of amusing me greatly. Wouldnt care if we lose then.
Ill be happy with mid table, providing the board stop pissing around signing European lower league nobodies in a ridiculous bid to 'buy quality at next to nothing'.

[Elm Park]

Can people actually use the full quote or the full story rather than just picking a random sentence to fit their stance.

http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/pa ... 86,00.html

I fully agree. What do people expect them to say, "we are desperate to sign a striker, so please feel free shaft us."

[Alan Partridge]

Can people actually use the full quote or the full story rather than just picking a random sentence to fit their stance.

http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/pa ... 86,00.html

I fully agree. What do people expect them to say, "we are desperate to sign a striker, so please feel free shaft us."

'Kitson going has left a big void that we realistically need to fill if we want to challenge at the top end of this division. We've got 3 very good forwards here but Kits was something different, both in style of play and of course his height and presence. That is something the other 3 don't possess and something that we need to try and address if we can'

Doesn't that sound just a shade better with 'I'm happy with 3 strikers'

[Tinrib]

Its just possible that coppell has put these comments out there to make potential selling clubs realise we arent that desperate so wont be held over a barrel on price


there are many reasons to say something to the press
usually-informing us fans about"the truth" is usually well down the priority list

Through the fog of shit and negativity from the majority, comes a beacon of balanced reasoning...

[Schards#2]

As things stand, although I don't think we WILL be relegated, I believe we are more likely to be relegated than promoted.

[Stranded]

He says we have irons in the fire but that nothing is close to being resolved firstly before mentioning the other 3 strikers.

Completely changes the context from what some want to read in to it.

[SteveRoyal]

Can people actually use the full quote or the full story rather than just picking a random sentence to fit their stance.

http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/pa ... 86,00.html

I fully agree. What do people expect them to say, "we are desperate to sign a striker, so please feel free shaft us."

'Kitson going has left a big void that we realistically need to fill if we want to challenge at the top end of this division. We've got 3 very good forwards here but Kits was something different, both in style of play and of course his height and presence. That is something the other 3 don't possess and something that we need to try and address if we can'

Doesn't that sound just a shade better with 'I'm happy with 3 strikers'

Not to mention his ginger hair!

[Alan Partridge]

As things stand, although I don't think we WILL be relegated, I believe we are more likely to be relegated than promoted.

Hard to disagree, mid table I think is likely (as it stands currently) Birmingham or Derby haven't lost anyone they wanted to keep (we have) both teams have bought in good cHampionship players that have without doubt improved their teams. Wolves look strong, I think Ipswich will do well, QPR are a bit of a mystery, Sheffield Utd will be there or thereabouts, Palace too. Us? I can't see our youngsters and last season's fringe players stepping up to make us stronger. Our squad now is so much weaker than we had in 2005, you have to aks one question with all the money and exposure and everything the club has recieved in the last 2 years....How?

[Stranded]

As things stand, although I don't think we WILL be relegated, I believe we are more likely to be relegated than promoted.

I disagree. I'm not saying we will go up but we will finish the season nearer to promotion than relegation both positionally and mathematically.

[Toadie]

The facts are thus:

- It is inevitable that, following relegation after two years in the PL, that you will lose some players to others teams.
- Kitson is arguably the most difficult person in the side to replace, given his work-rate and skill level.
- There have been some very good quality signings made already by the teams who we [i]should[i] be challenging for the top two spots come May
- We don't appear to have even been turned down by players, which suggests the JM isn't getting his purse out of his MadBag, even when the opportunity crops up.

Players like Phillips, Earnshaw, Eastwood and Bent could quite conceivably bang in 25 goals next year, whilst Ebanks-Blake and the like also have great records at CCC level. I've not heard our name mentioned around any of those players, and there aren't many other proven players to look at??? Instead, we're chancing our arm on two players (allegedly) who haven't played at in England at all, which is a big step up from their respective leagues. The chances of finding another player who adapts like Doyle did are slim-to-none if we're honest with ourselves.

Whilst I don't think we'll be in the dogfight at the bottom of the table, as our defenders are pretty good for that league, I can see us monotonously plugging away up front with no rewards due to poor supply, and poor finishing.

Come November we'll probably all be as bored as a midget in a theme park...

[Forbury Lion]

Interesting that Coppell says that as i seem to recall last summer him telling us that our 4 forwards were our strongest suit, they then didn't muster 20 goals between them.
.

Spacey Mode On >>> Yes they did <<< Spacey Mode Off.

Correct:

Kitson = 10
Doyle = 6
Long = 3
Lita = 2

TOTAL = 21 goals.

AP murked....

Thankfully the others didn't score as many as Kitson otherwise Stoke might have bought them as well..... never mind the fact we went down on goal difference.

[Schards#2]

As things stand, although I don't think we WILL be relegated, I believe we are more likely to be relegated than promoted.

Hard to disagree, mid table I think is likely (as it stands currently) Birmingham or Derby haven't lost anyone they wanted to keep (we have) both teams have bought in good cHampionship players that have without doubt improved their teams. Wolves look strong, I think Ipswich will do well, QPR are a bit of a mystery, Sheffield Utd will be there or thereabouts, Palace too. Us? I can't see our youngsters and last season's fringe players stepping up to make us stronger. Our squad now is so much weaker than we had in 2005, you have to aks one question with all the money and exposure and everything the club has recieved in the last 2 years....How?

'greed.

Some saides, like Watfoord, accept they are going down, don't spend much but return the Championship stronger financially.

We seem to be the first club in history to go up, spend nothing and come down financially weaker and we were there for two seasons.

[Stranded]

As things stand, although I don't think we WILL be relegated, I believe we are more likely to be relegated than promoted.

Hard to disagree, mid table I think is likely (as it stands currently) Birmingham or Derby haven't lost anyone they wanted to keep (we have) both teams have bought in good cHampionship players that have without doubt improved their teams. Wolves look strong, I think Ipswich will do well, QPR are a bit of a mystery, Sheffield Utd will be there or thereabouts, Palace too. Us? I can't see our youngsters and last season's fringe players stepping up to make us stronger. Our squad now is so much weaker than we had in 2005, you have to aks one question with all the money and exposure and everything the club has recieved in the last 2 years....How?

The thing is, I can almost guarantee that fans of virtually all the clubs you mention in your post are saying similar things about other clubs and will be mentioning us as a team with the chance to do better than them.

I would argue that the squad appears weaker than in 2005 because of what that squad did. If you could put the side by side and take out any knowledge of what happened then they may not seem too far apart.

Even if this squad is for aruements sake 30 points worse than 2005 then a decent season awaits unless you believe that the squad is much weaker than that and the other squads have become much stronger during that spell.

[Millsy]

Even as a very staunch Coppell fan I seriously hope he doesn't mean it when he says 3 strikers will be enough. Although with John "the squad's too big" Madejski as his boss I can see what his thoughts are catalysed/created by.

We defo need a replacement for Kitson and having sold him for 5.5million there's NO excuse for not getting another top quality striker in, whoevers fault it actually is.

[Alan Partridge]

As things stand, although I don't think we WILL be relegated, I believe we are more likely to be relegated than promoted.

Hard to disagree, mid table I think is likely (as it stands currently) Birmingham or Derby haven't lost anyone they wanted to keep (we have) both teams have bought in good cHampionship players that have without doubt improved their teams. Wolves look strong, I think Ipswich will do well, QPR are a bit of a mystery, Sheffield Utd will be there or thereabouts, Palace too. Us? I can't see our youngsters and last season's fringe players stepping up to make us stronger. Our squad now is so much weaker than we had in 2005, you have to aks one question with all the money and exposure and everything the club has recieved in the last 2 years....How?

The thing is, I can almost guarantee that fans of virtually all the clubs you mention in your post are saying similar things about other clubs and will be mentioning us as a team with the chance to do better than them.

I would argue that the squad appears weaker than in 2005 because of what that squad did. If you could put the side by side and take out any knowledge of what happened then they may not seem too far apart.

Even if this squad is for aruements sake 30 points worse than 2005 then a decent season awaits unless you believe that the squad is much weaker than that and the other squads have become much stronger during that spell.

The only reason we would be mentioned as posible favourites by anyone is because we were in the PRem last season. The only reason.

I understand your 2nd point but disagree, even if you look at it on paper,

we had 3 keepers, at the time of the signing we all thought Stack would produce better competition for Hahnemann, he is certainly still >>>>>>>>>> Andersen who is now 3rd choice it seems, starting as 2nd choice as AF is away.

full backs are similar, Rosenior and Makin similar, the others are still here, just all older, Duberry is an improvement on the cover we had that year, obviously Bikey is an improvement so centre half is stronger now.

RM absolutely no contest, Little and Oster are better than Kebe and Henry, wide left is the same, central midfield of Sidwell, Harper and a younger Gunnarsson I would take over our current options, although Marek should do well next season.

And up front we are 1, (if you count Cox) 2 strikers down.

I seriously doubt the chances of this team getting 70+ points, although you are right if we do then it would be a decent season that would ensure a top 6 finish.

[Streets]

Deja vu time.

Latest comment from Coppell on the OS:

If we go into the season with three happy forwards then I'd be fine with that because I think we'd be alright

I just about give up.

I'm even starting to question the management now.

[Elm Park]

Can people actually use the full quote or the full story rather than just picking a random sentence to fit their stance.

http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/pa ... 86,00.html

I fully agree. What do people expect them to say, "we are desperate to sign a striker, so please feel free shaft us."

'Kitson going has left a big void that we realistically need to fill if we want to challenge at the top end of this division. We've got 3 very good forwards here but Kits was something different, both in style of play and of course his height and presence. That is something the other 3 don't possess and something that we need to try and address if we can'

Doesn't that sound just a shade better with 'I'm happy with 3 strikers'

Firstly the article doesn't say 'I'm happy with 3 strikers' it states Coppell is fine with three happy strikers.

Also, if you quote a type or style of player you want you are ruling out others that may be available.

I would hope that they have identified players to bring in. The article quotes that there are options available and that they are keen to bolster the squad. In addition you don't want to p1ss off any existing players as you may need to rely on them later in the season.

In an ideal world, you would release all the players you decide aren't good enough for the coming season and at the same time sign all their replacements and you would get exactly the players you want at the price you can afford with plenty of time for a full pre-season. Unfortunately this isn't an ideal world, so I will wait to see where we are when the transfer window closes and judge the players on how they perform, not on any preconceived idea of them.