Dear Mr Chairman

[rabidbee]

We're competative at this level.

This is where we are parting company. Madejski is letting the club free fall to the level at which it will become self sufficient. He will no longer prop up the club, and I agree, that unlike other "mongs" that chucking money guarantees any degree of success. Where I differ is that any business, football or otherwise, depend on the income from sales to exceed expenditure.

We've not finished below 9th in this division since promotion in 2002.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

We're competative at this level.

This is where we are parting company. Madejski is letting the club free fall to the level at which it will become self sufficient. He will no longer prop up the club, and I agree, that unlike other "mongs" that chucking money guarantees any degree of success. Where I differ is that any business, football or otherwise, depend on the income from sales to exceed expenditure.

We've not finished below 9th in this division since promotion in 2002.

We will be this season. It's pretty much nailed on. Then the cloth cutting will start again & ST's will drop by another 2-3000 & the whole vicious cy cle starts again until we end up scrapping to stay up. I will be amazed if we finish higher than 13-14th this season. We just don't have any goals in us.

[joe999]

And the "9th" you refer to was last season. You can't deny we're slipping, and quickly.

[Horsham Royal]

We just don't have any goals in us.

Same was being said this time last year. We did ok.
Swansea finished 7th having scored ~40 goals last year.
New striker would be good though.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

The only striker we have with potential is Church IMO. All the others could do with being shipped out. Doyle made Hunt look better than he was & why we persevere with Long I just don't know - that cat has had about 500 lives time to go. This ought to be top priority for BM whether it be Jan or next summer as our forwards just aren't good enough.

[joe999]

Whenever Long gets the ball it reminds me of trying to run while underwater in Sonic the Hedgehog.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

If the back 4 don't get at least 10 between them & our midfielders don't pop up with minimum 20 goals or so then we're really up sh1t creek.

[weybridgewanderer]

The only striker we have with potential is Church IMO. All the others could do with being shipped out. Doyle made Hunt look better than he was & why we persevere with Long I just don't know - that cat has had about 500 lives time to go. This ought to be top priority for BM whether it be Jan or next summer as our forwards just aren't good enough.

but snowball has categorically proven that, given starts, Long will score 25+ goals a season.....

[MmmMonsterMunch]

The only striker we have with potential is Church IMO. All the others could do with being shipped out. Doyle made Hunt look better than he was & why we persevere with Long I just don't know - that cat has had about 500 lives time to go. This ought to be top priority for BM whether it be Jan or next summer as our forwards just aren't good enough.

but snowball has categorically proven that, given starts, Long will score 25+ goals a season.....

I take it all back. Auto promotion awaits!!

[joe999]

Well that'd give us 30 goals and I don't see Long getting any Hunt might hit form but Im not relying on him as a saviour, especially now Stephen is long gone, which I imagine is the main reason he came. Church is lightweight. Probably has potential, but way off at the moment. Our midfield is going to have to get a hell of a lot.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Well that'd give us 30 goals and I don't see Long getting any Hunt might hit form but Im not relying on him as a saviour, especially now Stephen is long gone, which I imagine is the main reason he came. Church is lightweight. Probably has potential, but way off at the moment. Our midfield is going to have to get a hell of a lot.

I'm not exaggerating though am I?! We need minimum 30 goals from the non strikers this season or we're genuinely in the shit. Just hope Howard takes this chance as he is the obvious replacement for Sig with long range shots etc. I can see us relying a lot on set pieces this season!

Hoping Kebe can improve his shooting a bit too.

[joe999]

I actually really rate Howard. 100% every game and very technically gifted. Kebe is class most games, not worried about him. When Tabb's fit it's going to make for a quality midfield. But you're not exaggerating at all, I don't see where goals are coming from with Siggy gone at all.

[Horsham Royal]

I actually really rate Howard. 100% every game and very technically gifted. Kebe is class most games, not worried about him. When Tabb's fit it's going to make for a quality midfield. But you're not exaggerating at all, I don't see where goals are coming from with Siggy gone at all.

They'll mostly be coming from the 2 up front.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Can't see any of the 3 strikers getting to double digits in the league this season. If even 20 between the 3.

Where's Snowball when you need him?! A breakdown of who has scored for us in the league over the last 5 seasons would be rather nice. My guess is it generally gets uglier each season (apart from Sig last yr of course!)

[joe999]

I actually really rate Howard. 100% every game and very technically gifted. Kebe is class most games, not worried about him. When Tabb's fit it's going to make for a quality midfield. But you're not exaggerating at all, I don't see where goals are coming from with Siggy gone at all.

They'll mostly be coming from the 2 up front.

That does mean playing 4-4-2 of course

[Horsham Royal]

I actually really rate Howard. 100% every game and very technically gifted. Kebe is class most games, not worried about him. When Tabb's fit it's going to make for a quality midfield. But you're not exaggerating at all, I don't see where goals are coming from with Siggy gone at all.

They'll mostly be coming from the 2 up front.

That does mean playing 4-4-2 of course

My point exactly.

[rabidbee]

And the "9th" you refer to was last season. You can't deny we're slipping, and quickly.

Actually, no. We also finished 9th in 2004. The season before that, we finished 4th; the season after, 7th. Last season, we finished 4th, so who knows?

As last season shows, any talk before Easter about a "nailed-on" relegation is just a silly.

[Row Z Royal]

Can't see any of the 3 strikers getting to double digits in the league this season. If even 20 between the 3.

30 between the three, I reckon.

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

If asking the public of reading to rally round the flag, and buy season tickets is the extent of being the chairman, then we should have eleven thousand of them. I don't know what a "mong" is, but I presume its a derogatory term. Ah well.

So he's dammed if he doesn't put any investment into the club and he's dammed if he does because it'll never be enough. Make your mind up.

[weybridgewanderer]

And the "9th" you refer to was last season. You can't deny we're slipping, and quickly.

Actually, no. We also finished 9th in 2004. The season before that, we finished 4th; the season after, 7th. Last season, we finished 4th, so who knows?

As last season shows, any talk before Easter about a "nailed-on" relegation is just a silly.

and as the prvious coupleof seasosn has show, is any talk of promotion just as silly?

It would be interesting to compare who all predicted "promotion"/"play offs" for this team before a ball was kicked with those that are now screaming for the chairmans head because he hasn't "invested" (invested in players that is as we rarely make a profit). Maybe reality is dawning on them that we are in all likelyhood a mid table championship team, with or without the sig!

Funny thing is, I don't think there is a team in the land that thinks their chairman is investing enough! Every team wants "just 2 more players"