Steve Clake - New Poll

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Who out of this current squad has actually won anything? Pearce, Federici, Karacan, HRK & Mackie? No other names that I can think of......

As he said yesterday, the current crop have got used to failing and they're being paid handsomely for it.

Clear them out & start again. I'll judge Clarke once he's done some of his own dealings and actually has something resembling a strike force. Until then, I can't be bothered to slag him off on here.

Adkins / the club made a massive error of judgement selling Alfie too. I would have rather he sold any other player/s in that squad & it's come back to bite us on the arse massively.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Via the easiest extended cup run we've had in decades.

Away
Away
Away
Away
Arsenal

88 (eighty eight) years Ian.

Amongst all the current bickering, I just think back to Villa home 2013, the day it all started. Championship winners and looking like going down, but putting up a pretty good fight of it. That wasn't good enough for our support and they wanted the manager out. Not just out, they were mocking him and players. They got their wish.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21639183
"... while Reading have scored more Premier League goals in the final 15 minutes than any other side". In other words, a team that were punching well above their weight but fighting to bitter end every game. Still not good enough?

Reading fans, as a whole, deserve every ounce of the current shit being served up at the Madejski.

[sandman]

Via the easiest extended cup run we've had in decades.

Away
Away
Away
Away
Arsenal

88 (eighty eight) years Ian.

Amongst all the current bickering, I just think back to Villa home 2013, the day it all started. Championship winners and looking like going down, but putting up a pretty good fight of it. That wasn't good enough for our support and they wanted the manager out. Not just out, they were mocking him and players. They got their wish.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21639183
"... while Reading have scored more Premier League goals in the final 15 minutes than any other side". In other words, a team that were punching well above their weight but fighting to bitter end every game. Still not good enough?

Reading fans, as a whole, deserve every ounce of the current shit being served up at the Madejski.

And they still mock said manager today and back the word of the Russian con man over him.

Now they are lashing out because the man they hyped up to be a great visionary who was going to get us to play 'better' football failed to do so and took us backward.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Without wishing to sound like Royal Blue, the board must take a massive chunk of the blame on how things have panned out.

Blackman - stuck with him until 2016 on Anton mega bucks
Akpan - see above
Pog - see above
HRK - see above
Ferdinand - see above & hasn't even fcuking played although I'm hoping his wages aren't as obscene
Williams - contracted until 2017 on mega bucks

How on earth will we get rid of any of those? (Williams excepted).

I dread to think what the weekly cost of that list is. My guess is probably an average cost of at least £25k per head per week. Just mental.

[Ian Royal]

Via the easiest extended cup run we've had in decades.

Away
Away
Away
Away
Arsenal

88 (eighty eight) years Ian.

Amongst all the current bickering, I just think back to Villa home 2013, the day it all started. Championship winners and looking like going down, but putting up a pretty good fight of it. That wasn't good enough for our support and they wanted the manager out. Not just out, they were mocking him and players. They got their wish.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21639183
"... while Reading have scored more Premier League goals in the final 15 minutes than any other side". In other words, a team that were punching well above their weight but fighting to bitter end every game. Still not good enough?

Reading fans, as a whole, deserve every ounce of the current shit being served up at the Madejski.

Ooo. The away bit makes all the difference. Much harder to play a midtable Championship side away than a Premier League team at home.

Good fight of it? We were abject in crucial games against the teams we were actually competing against. I for one, and I believe many others, would have backed McDermott if we looked like we were putting up a good fight and he was doing everything he could and should be able to do about it. He didn't, we didn't. But this is ancient history and of no relevance to our current situation. At least where McDermott is concerned, who I'm still grateful for the two and a half years of excellent service we got from him as manager. Obviously Zingaravich is a massive influence on our current position.

[floyd__streete]

I for one, and I believe many others, would have backed McDermott if we looked like we were putting up a good fight and he was doing everything he could and should be able to do about it.

Didn't you see TLM's stat about the late goals? He over-achieved with a moderate side and should have been given a further season to turn things around given his excellent track-record in the Championship at the time.

We absolutely shouldn't have sacked BM when we did, the club has continued on a downward spiral ever since and who wouldn't bet against that extending into a losing relegation battle next season?

[SCIAG]

I thought McDermott deserved time given that he was the one who got us promoted, but we didn't over-achieve and it was his mistakes that got us relegated.

I don't think we'll get relegated next season. If the odds are remotely decent and our transfer dealings have been too, I'll put a bet on at the start of the season.

[Ian Royal]

I for one, and I believe many others, would have backed McDermott if we looked like we were putting up a good fight and he was doing everything he could and should be able to do about it.

Didn't you see TLM's stat about the late goals? He over-achieved with a moderate side and should have been given a further season to turn things around given his excellent track-record in the Championship at the time.

We absolutely shouldn't have sacked BM when we did, the club has continued on a downward spiral ever since and who wouldn't bet against that extending into a losing relegation battle next season?

Yeah I did. I don't think late goals is a good indicator of 'putting up a fight'. I'll take capitulating abjectly against our relegation rivals, Villa, Wigan and co over scoring a late equaliser against Chelsea and a couple of late goals to win against West Brom.

McDermott's not pulled up any trees since leaving. I don't see how you could expect him to have kept us up, or done much better than Adkins last year, given all of the massive problems behind the scenes. Probably would have been a better person to have this season, but by then he'd have almost certainly have gone anyway.

[Lacoste]

I fail to see how Brian is relevant to this current situation?

Rightly or wrongly he was fired. End of story.

This is about the no2 we have have pretending he's a manager, nothing else.

[Ian Royal]

I fail to see how Brian is relevant to this current situation?

Rightly or wrongly he was fired. End of story.

This is about the no2 we have have pretending he's a manager, nothing else.

Well yes, but I got suckered in by the people who just can't get over it.

[Lacoste]

Wasn't aimed at you.

[Haag Royal]

Two more defeats this season and he should go. Get rid. We should no longer willing to put up with dismal performances and dreadful team selections especially at home on games that don't matter. Bought/loaned 6 payers only one of which started in Saturday and not one finished the game. And people on here want to give him the job of rebuilding?

Dreadful run of league games (7 points from 12 games?) and on the basis that the league is what we depend on, not the Cup he should be put out of his misery.

Has he ever re built a Champ side?

Has he ever got a Champ side promoted?

Actually what has he done apart from blame the previous regime for a losing mentality - in fact points gained by NA is the only reason we have stayed up.

He is probably the worst manager I have seen at RFC in living memory..

[MmmMonsterMunch]

He hasn't got any decent strikers.

I repeat - he hasn't got any decent fcuking strikers!!

Blooming nora - anyone with half a fcuking brain knew we'd struggle once Alfie was sold. In addition, Murray was not replaced when he left.

I'm watching the game now - my god we miss him. Always in the right place.

44 goals is absolutely woeful but not that surprising given the options Clarke's had.

[Haag Royal]

He hasn't got any decent strikers.

I repeat - he hasn't got any decent fcuking strikers!!

Blooming nora - anyone with half a fcuking brain knew we'd struggle once Alfie was sold. In addition, Murray was not replaced when he left.

I'm watching the game now - my god we miss him. Always in the right place.

44 goals is absolutely woeful but not that surprising given the options Clarke's had.

FFS open your eyes. He has bought in a striker - Yakubu (he must have rated him?) and never plays him - and had the chance to bring in more on loan and didn't. He could have bought Samuel back from Coventry but didn't. And he plays HRK up front on his own on Saturday leaving Cox in the bench?

I don't know for the life of me why Clarke has so many apologists on this board.

[Man Friday]

Semtex1871: " the only thing I fear....is running out of beer"
Bore off, pea-brain.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

He hasn't got any decent strikers.

I repeat - he hasn't got any decent fcuking strikers!!

Blooming nora - anyone with half a fcuking brain knew we'd struggle once Alfie was sold. In addition, Murray was not replaced when he left.

I'm watching the game now - my god we miss him. Always in the right place.

44 goals is absolutely woeful but not that surprising given the options Clarke's had.

FFS open your eyes. He has bought in a striker - Yakubu (he must have rated him?) and never plays him - and had the chance to bring in more on loan and didn't. He could have bought Samuel back from Coventry but didn't. And he plays HRK up front on his own on Saturday leaving Cox in the bench?

I don't know for the life of me why Clarke has so many apologists on this board.

Oh come on. Do you really think Clarke wanted Yakubu? Really?

It was mentioned on BBCRB about Cox - rumours of a bust up apparently. He didn't turn up for training or something.

Why bring Samuel into a pile of steaming dog turd - much better to let him get his tail up out on loan. Whats to say he won't get a chance next season?

How do you know he had the chance to bring in another striker on loan? You're just making that up now!

[Haag Royal]

He hasn't got any decent strikers.

I repeat - he hasn't got any decent fcuking strikers!!

Blooming nora - anyone with half a fcuking brain knew we'd struggle once Alfie was sold. In addition, Murray was not replaced when he left.

I'm watching the game now - my god we miss him. Always in the right place.

44 goals is absolutely woeful but not that surprising given the options Clarke's had.

FFS open your eyes. He has bought in a striker - Yakubu (he must have rated him?) and never plays him - and had the chance to bring in more on loan and didn't. He could have bought Samuel back from Coventry but didn't. And he plays HRK up front on his own on Saturday leaving Cox in the bench?

I don't know for the life of me why Clarke has so many apologists on this board.

Oh come on. Do you really think Clarke wanted Yakubu? Really?

It was mentioned on BBCRB about Cox - rumours of a bust up apparently. He didn't turn up for training or something.

Why bring Samuel into a pile of steaming dog turd - much better to let him get his tail up out on loan. Whats to say he won't get a chance next season?

How do you know he had the chance to bring in another striker on loan? You're just making that up now!

As I said. With apologists like you he's as safe as houses.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Right so you won't address any of the points I made but instead just keep bashing Clarke?

He's had little to no say on transfers. You can blame Adkins for selling the only striker that could actually score regularly. In addition, getting Murray permanently was clearly never an option as the player was here to get fit.

[peterroyal76]

Was ALF not sold to pay an imminent tax bill?

[Haag Royal]

Really I am not bashing Clarke but just happen to think that a return of 7 point sin 12 games is dire. So:

Yakubu - he said himself signing him was a no brainer. I think he mean't he had no brain but I may be wrong.....

Does anyone on this board, unless they have not had a few beers and a chaser or two think HRK should play up front on his own? Honestly?

If Cox had a barney why was he on the bench and was bought on with 10 to go? And as Clarke admitted is on contract for the next season? And he is our "top" scorer.........

Samuel from Cov - why not bring him back? We are short of goals and he seems to be hitting the back of the net?

Sorry. Clarke in my view from day one was a cheap, lives local and was available as an option - Bit like our loan strategy to date under him.