Expectations for next season?

[RoyallyFcuked]

We will see what happens in the summer, but Adkins appointment has been made with promotion next season in mind.

..so was the appointment of Rodgers, but with players incapable of playing technical passing football it was doomed from the start.
I believe we are repeating that mistake, unless we literally replace the squad.

Weren't you were the one saying that we didn't play like this under McDermott? When it is actually McDs fault we are still playing like this. Adkins has only been here 2 games, give him a chance. We weren't really in the same situation when Rodgers arrived, and he didn't have anything like the CV Adkins has got now either. Next season half the squad does need to go though, so hopefully Nige will get the right funds to build a new team and get them playing attractive football.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Expectations will be too high, and so criticism will be widespread and unrealistic whenever things don't go exactly according to plan.

So no change there, then .....

Reading fans are far more patient than many other fans.

Once, maybe. But although you may well still be right, the degree of patience, and the proportion of patient fans, has been coming down all the time.

[Snowball]

It would be fascinating to know what owner and manager agree.

Long term the best bet might be to create a 100 point Championship side for 2014-15
That expects to be mid table Prem in 2015-16


But would the owner go for that and would the manager want to be seen as "failing" to gain promotion?


Or spend, buy promotion (very good chance) need to spend again, hope for 16-17th and then mid table a year later?



Fascinating dilemma.

Of course that's predicated on the idea that you can't build the right kind of team in 8 games, a summer, a per-season and a full 46-games.

Perhaps you can. Start patchily, be mid table, come good at Xmas, strengthen in January and either nick second or come third and win the POs


Unless we really do spend 30M (can't see it) I think the late run scenario is the most likely

Sort of McDermott-style but the football is entertaining

[melonhead]

slow start as new players/style beds in, quite a few games where we look good, but make a daft mistake and get punished, but slowly weed out those errors, and push for the playoffs in the new year. anything more a massive bonus

[AussieRoyal15]

Poor first half of season with indifferent results, then race home in second half of the season and just make playoffs.
I personally wouldn't mind two seasons in the championship so we have a solid ground and structure at the club to survive at the top
Championship winners by breaking our own points record in season 2014/15

[loyalroyal4life]

be great to be promoted and to do so via playoffs would be a highlight

[melonhead]

We will see what happens in the summer, but Adkins appointment has been made with promotion next season in mind.

..so was the appointment of Rodgers, but with players incapable of playing technical passing football it was doomed from the start.
I believe we are repeating that mistake, unless we literally replace the squad.

Weren't you were the one saying that we didn't play like this under McDermott? When it is actually McDs fault we are still playing like this. Adkins has only been here 2 games, give him a chance. We weren't really in the same situation when Rodgers arrived, and he didn't have anything like the CV Adkins has got now either. Next season half the squad does need to go though, so hopefully Nige will get the right funds to build a new team and get them playing attractive football.

brian mcdermott was a great manager for us, on of our best ever, he achieved and gave us some great memories.
he and his squad fell short this season due to deficiencies in squad, and tactics.
adkins has done great things, and may well achieve more than brian ever did. we all hope so.

why must everyone stick to this daft adkins vs brian daft fest


and lol at half the squad need to go.

[bcubed]

.... a half empty stadium
A rowsing reception for Brian
Excitement when one of the "big" teams - Bolton, Blackburn, Leeds - roll into town
Still having to wear blue shorts cos QPR will still be with us
Not being bothered to go and use my season tickets when Blackpool, Barnsley, Doncaster, Yeovil roll into town
Getting excited about drawing one of the Big 4 in the FA Cup
Not having to worry about deleting MOTD from Sky+
Adkins being sacked before Xmas for an "indifferent start to the season"
Shorter beer queue at half time
SHunt & Doyle to play and score blinders against us (but not celebrate)
Signing Southampton reserves
Carrico playing in the League Cup games
Kebe to still be continuously "injured"
McAnuff to still be captain
Madejski to win me my dead pool
Katsia to never grace the MadStad again.
Steve Sidwell on loan
Bournemouth to beat us at home
Samuel to prove that he is no better than Church
Cork City to cut feeder ties with us.

fairly optimistic then?

[royalsteve]

I don't think the championship has been that strong this year with all sides much of a muchness - someone could go down with around 55 points which is very unusual. There isn't that much money around either.

If Adkins is given money to spend I would expect us to be top 6.

True ive watched a lot of championship games and it seems the most even league ever. Generally the quality seems to have dropped quite a bit too. Once week Watford look quite good but the next week they are awful, same with cardiff.

It will still be tough though as we'll lose a lot of players and get new ones in and they'll time to blend in. Other teams, esp those that were relegated from the prem will be better this year after I guess wrongly thinking they'll walk the league and at least keep their manager for 5 seconds

Assuming Cardiff, Hull and Watford are promoted - I guess the favourites will

3 prem clubs QPR, Reading and I suspect sunderland
Brighton
Leicester
Forest
Leeds - if they get mcd
Palace

cant see anyone from league 1 joining the party, but you never know - hope Bournemouth come up - great day out - knowing our luck itll be mid week midwinter

[AkpansBFF]

I think no less than 136 points would be acceptable

Or

3rd but it all depends of the money available, who goes and who comes in.

[Snowball]

I think no less than 136 points would be acceptable

Or

3rd but it all depends of the money available, who goes and who comes in.

W45 D1 (who did we draw with?)

[AkpansBFF]

I think no less than 136 points would be acceptable

Or

3rd but it all depends of the money available, who goes and who comes in.

W45 D1 (who did we draw with?)

Barnsley

[St. Brynjar]

I've decided I want another play-off final. The atmosphere and the drama was incredible, it was the most exciting match I've ever been to. Painful as it was at times, we righted the wrong with our promotion and I hope we get another pop at Wembley soon.

[royal67]

Expect Leeds to beat us twice, and possibly finish above us. After all they have the better manager now.

They'll do neither. Just my opinion of course......

[Ian Royal]

Way too early to have an expectation. We're not down yet, we've had two games under Adkins and we don't know who'll stay, who'll go or who'll come in. We also don't know who else is down, who is up and what the other club's are doing. We could hopefully reasonably anticipate a top 16 finish at this point maybe looking at trying to bounce back. But there's just not enough information to really justify any firm expectation.

[RoyallyFcuked]

..so was the appointment of Rodgers, but with players incapable of playing technical passing football it was doomed from the start.
I believe we are repeating that mistake, unless we literally replace the squad.

Weren't you were the one saying that we didn't play like this under McDermott? When it is actually McDs fault we are still playing like this. Adkins has only been here 2 games, give him a chance. We weren't really in the same situation when Rodgers arrived, and he didn't have anything like the CV Adkins has got now either. Next season half the squad does need to go though, so hopefully Nige will get the right funds to build a new team and get them playing attractive football.

brian mcdermott was a great manager for us, on of our best ever, he achieved and gave us some great memories.
he and his squad fell short this season due to deficiencies in squad, and tactics.
adkins has done great things, and may well achieve more than brian ever did. we all hope so.

why must everyone stick to this daft adkins vs brian daft fest


and lol at half the squad need to go.

To be honest, I agree with everything you said there. But, in my opinion we will have more chance of bouncing straight back up next season if we get rid of some of the players that just haven't performed. If we were to have near enough the same team as this season and last, then I would fear for our chances. Its time to move on, and I think Adkins will make quite a few changes anyway, so I'm not too worried.

[Snowball]

Expect Leeds to beat us twice, and possibly finish above us. After all they have the better manager now.

They'll do neither. Just my opinion of course......

But if Leeds are in League 1?

[Jay o/]

Play-offs as a minimum.

[Caskeys Lovechild]

Storming the division with 107 points, or the disposal of McDermott (last years best championship manager) and replacement with Adkins (last years first loser, who had a. Massive points lead and bottled it) should go down as the reason that Russian twat stood down/got ousted at RFC

[winchester_royal]

I'm a twat

'greed