Are you all feeling as depressed as me ?

[URZZZZZZZZ]

Not feeling depressed at all, in fact Im really excited for the season to start!! I think our squad as it is will win us promotion, and I can't see any more than 2 players leaving, if that!

[georgerob]

Not feeling depressed at all, in fact Im really excited for the season to start!! I think our squad as it is will win us promotion, and I can't see any more than 2 players leaving, if that!

totally agree, but we do need new faces in the squad to freshen it up a bit and to add more quality and depth to the squad. If we dont make any major signings it wont be the end of the world, this season Coppell will finally resort to the academy players who will effectively be like new players and deserve their chances to play in the first team.

[clauski]

I guess there's been little to excite us this close season (even less than last year) and that is a bit depressing. Why anyone would ever be happy with their squad and not try to improve it, regardless of how good the team is or is not, puzzles me. Even Man Utd and Real Madrid try to improve - there is always the opportunity to find someone who brings that something more. Deja vu.

So who have they signed this close season then so far??

It's not that they have signed anyone but whether they have expressed any desire to. Man Utd have made a bid for a player, Real Madrid are clearly interested in a certain Ronaldo. We don't seem to be interested in anyone other than our existing yet diminishing squad and don't exactly seem to be reaching for the stars in terms of ambition. Aim high and if we get part way there maybe we'll get a decent player and promotion. Aim low and we'll end low.

[Royal Rother]

Whenever we do business it is done quietly. Reading about it in the papers might give you a kick but it is not the way we operate.

[TheMaraudingDog]

Whenever we do business it is done quietly. Reading about it in the papers might give you a kick but it is not the way we operate.

I think that’s a bit of a myth to be honest, doing business quietly. I’d suggest that it’s more to do with the fact that the players Reading tend to go for are not well enough known for the papers to use valuable space covering.

“READING IN FOR £25K DOYLE”

Or

“REAL CHASE RONALDO”

Which one is going to sell papers RR? I think you’re paying an un-necessary compliment. The fact is Reading like to buy relative unknown quantities and the media and the public are not interested in these, hence the fact you don’t read about it.

The only ‘significant’ signing in recent times was Lita, and that story was in the press before the signing was made official.

[Alan Partridge]

Whenever we do business it is done quietly. Reading about it in the papers might give you a kick but it is not the way we operate.

I think that’s a bit of a myth to be honest, doing business quietly. I’d suggest that it’s more to do with the fact that the players Reading tend to go for are not well enough known for the papers to use valuable space covering.

“READING IN FOR £25K DOYLE”

Or

“REAL CHASE RONALDO”

Which one is going to sell papers RR? I think you’re paying an un-necessary compliment. The fact is Reading like to buy relative unknown quantities and the media and the public are not interested in these, hence the fact you don’t read about it.

The only ‘significant’ signing in recent times was Lita, and that story was in the press before the signing was made official.

'greed, there weren't many pages of the Sun took up with 'Reading eye Kebe' presumably they were still laughing about such a deal.

[Barry the bird boggler]

The close season is full of rumours and talk put about by players, player's agents, chairmen and clubs. Some is valid, some is rubbish, some is just tentative noise put about as clubs try to talk themselves up and try to show that they mean business.

Personally there is no point being depressed about the situation as football continually changes and this time next season the dynamic will have changed completely and yet again another year on from there - its all matter of patience, we've been through crap before and the good times will return in due course.

At least we have a club generally on the up, much better than the 50 years of absolute nothing that happened between about 1930 and 1980...

[Royal Rother]

Whenever we do business it is done quietly. Reading about it in the papers might give you a kick but it is not the way we operate.

I think that’s a bit of a myth to be honest, doing business quietly. I’d suggest that it’s more to do with the fact that the players Reading tend to go for are not well enough known for the papers to use valuable space covering.

“READING IN FOR £25K DOYLE”

Or

“REAL CHASE RONALDO”

Which one is going to sell papers RR? I think you’re paying an un-necessary compliment. The fact is Reading like to buy relative unknown quantities and the media and the public are not interested in these, hence the fact you don’t read about it.

The only ‘significant’ signing in recent times was Lita, and that story was in the press before the signing was made official.

'greed, there weren't many pages of the Sun took up with 'Reading eye Kebe' presumably they were still laughing about such a deal.

We don't go public about our transfer targets - speculation comes out but the club rarely if ever passes comment. Is that really in dispute?

Anyway, we've done very well in the last few years through signing a load of no marks that nobody else is interested in. Any reason to think it can't happen again?

IIRC it was Bristol City who released the Lita story early and we were not best pleased about it as the deal had not been properly penned when it was leaked.

[JezD]

Well ladies & gents,

It's the 'close' season and I don't know about you but I only foresee disappointment ahead for the fans of our great club.

Every comment I hear from SC (yes, the man we fought to keep.....why?) is a dour observation about how poor;

Life is
Agents are
Players who wont honour contracts are
Our situation is

Get a fu**ing grip Steve. With you attitude everyone will be feeling suicidal come August 10th.

Everything I hear or don't hear about us in the press is negative. All our players want to leave, even the stayers are only doing so because no one else wants them.

Birmingham who see themselves as a yo yo club have already bought wisely, adding Kevin Phillips and Lee Carsley to the impressive James Mcfadden. Optimism & planning to win things the blue noses, not us however, because as Steve bleats on 'No one wants to come and play for us anyway' (cue violins).

This brings me to my final point. Scott Carson the England No.1 goalkeeper(arguably) could be on his way to Stoke ! or West Brom ?
How in the world are these clubs any different to us ?
It seems to be like the answer has to be wages/bonuses.

Why otherwise can these clubs attarct players when we supposedly can't.

I'm sorry but I don't believe anyone at RFC at present.

Will we sign anyone at all ? Probably not and of course we'll have sold half the players come August.

So what do we have to look forward to ?

Murts not bombing down the right wing as his legs wont do that anymore
No midfield ballwinners...because we've sold them all
Strikers ? Long & Lita - The 5' nothing show doing bugger all, week after week, oh but don't worry Simon Church & Robson-Kanu are on the bench if their defenders are big ?!!!!

From one who was not too despondent @ Derby in May (belieiving naiively that the club would invest and give it a real good go to get back in The Prem) I have become bitter & twisted.

Can anyone shed any joy on my Royals world ?

I agree with much of what you say, although having seen this coming and chosen not to renew my season ticket home or away, I am having a bit of a chuckle at how stupid some of the absolute buffoons who were cheerleading in a car park for the man responsible for this mess are beginning to look.

We aren't, we're still proud to support our team. You're just one of those oxf*rd who used to come to watch Rooney and Henry play, not to watch Reading. Good riddance to you and your type, it's good you guys aren't renewing your season tickets because it now means some real fans can sit there. If you wont watch the club you love because you think SC is shit (which he isn't, our best manager in history and you can't argue) then you should oxf*rd off back to Old Trafford. You can chuckle at me but I'm just gonna chuckle back cause I'm going to enjoy watching my team play football next year. And as for that other twat moaning about SC not buying, we're hardly into the transfer window, we've sold two players so far and there have been a lot of rumours about us watching players. Give it some oxf*rd time rather than moaning about how crap our transfer policies, we haven't even officially sold Kitson yet! As SC said.. we'll buy once we've sold. We're about to sell so I think you'll find we're about to buy... Stop moaning and being oxf*rd and get behind the team you supposedly support?

[RoyalBlue]

The answer to your question, Crowthorne, is yes.

But then no doubt we will be berated by those who spent the whole of last season accusing people of being too negative and assuring everyone that we would still be a PL team at this time!

Many of those very same people also mocked Sunderland's big spending in their (successful) attempt to retain top flight status and will no doubt do likewise with regard to Stoke's very clear demonstration of real ambition and apparent ability to compete effectively (in financial terms) in the PL.

Whenever we do business it is done quietly. Reading about it in the papers might give you a kick but it is not the way we operate.

Or maybe it's just that the type of business we do (and on the rare occasion that we do it) doesn't tend to excite the general footballing public and therefore isn't regarded as being newsworthy!

[readingbedding]

I'm happy because ....

[The whole year inn]

I'm happy because ....

you are hammered? Again