And now you're gonna believe us?????

[brendywendy]

the smallest, cheapest team in the prem manages to stay up by a good few points, closer to midtable than the drop, after spending nowt?

something to be proud of, not ashamed.

Please don't get carried away just yet. We aren't safe yet, the same way ManUre haven't won anything yet. Doesn't mean we won't stay up but saying we have by a few good points is premature. I still think (and have done even during the 8 in a row period) that we will be safe, but I would rather not tempt fate by saying that the job is done.

im aware we are still in the shit, still able to go down etc

but im happy with the way we are playing now, happy with how the team and SC have turned round the nightmare patch.happy the way players have bedded in, and the new players we have bought this season.
and not wanting to tempt fate, but we have turned it round, i cant see us losing 5 points more than all of the bottom four over the next 7, im confident as can be.
but i get your point

[Fezza]

I was wrong to put all those quotes down as SC.....

“Nicky Hammond says Reading have the resources to sign five 'established' players in the January transfer window.” 21/11/07

“So, for this club to be ambitious we've got to be acquiring three substantial signings every year and be honest, it's a minimum of three.” Coppell 04/12/07

“We believe there is a huge amount of potential still to be achieved at Reading and we are 100 per cent committed to moving this club to the next level,”
“We are also fully aware that investment is required to make that happen, and we are prepared to strengthen the squad in January.” JM 03/12/07

“Reading manager Steve Coppell is adamant that he will not be pressured into purchasing players in the January transfer window.” Sky 15/01/08

“Steve Coppell has admitted he rejected the chance to bolster his Reading squad further during the January transfer window.” Sky 05/02/08

“Reading manager Steve Coppell insists he will refrain from making any 'knee-jerk' reactions as his struggling side attempt to maintain their Premier League status.” Sky 23/02/08

Three days later

“Reading manager Steve Coppell is threatening to ring the changes after seeing his side slump to their eighth consecutive Premier League defeat on Sunday.” Sky 26/02/08

Yes they probably were aimed at kicking the squad up the arse, still I found the whole thing to be quite yoyo like. Still going back over the quotes has made it all a bit clearer to me and I no longer believe that SC is mad!

[CMRoyal]

I was wrong to put all those quotes down as SC.....

“Nicky Hammond says Reading have the resources to sign five 'established' players in the January transfer window.” 21/11/07

“So, for this club to be ambitious we've got to be acquiring three substantial signings every year and be honest, it's a minimum of three.” Coppell 04/12/07

“We believe there is a huge amount of potential still to be achieved at Reading and we are 100 per cent committed to moving this club to the next level,”
“We are also fully aware that investment is required to make that happen, and we are prepared to strengthen the squad in January.” JM 03/12/07

“Reading manager Steve Coppell is adamant that he will not be pressured into purchasing players in the January transfer window.” Sky 15/01/08

“Steve Coppell has admitted he rejected the chance to bolster his Reading squad further during the January transfer window.” Sky 05/02/08

“Reading manager Steve Coppell insists he will refrain from making any 'knee-jerk' reactions as his struggling side attempt to maintain their Premier League status.” Sky 23/02/08

Three days later

“Reading manager Steve Coppell is threatening to ring the changes after seeing his side slump to their eighth consecutive Premier League defeat on Sunday.” Sky 26/02/08

Yes they probably were aimed at kicking the squad up the arse, still I found the whole thing to be quite yoyo like. Still going back over the quotes has made it all a bit clearer to me and I no longer believe that SC is mad!

Fezza, you are a scholar and a gentleman for going back and checking all that out, then adjusting your view slightly as a result. I salute you, sir, and hope others (including myself) are as thorough in our reasoning as you have just been.

[Rawlie19]

I was wrong to put all those quotes down as SC.....

“Nicky Hammond says Reading have the resources to sign five 'established' players in the January transfer window.” 21/11/07

“So, for this club to be ambitious we've got to be acquiring three substantial signings every year and be honest, it's a minimum of three.” Coppell 04/12/07

“We believe there is a huge amount of potential still to be achieved at Reading and we are 100 per cent committed to moving this club to the next level,”
“We are also fully aware that investment is required to make that happen, and we are prepared to strengthen the squad in January.” JM 03/12/07

“Reading manager Steve Coppell is adamant that he will not be pressured into purchasing players in the January transfer window.” Sky 15/01/08

“Steve Coppell has admitted he rejected the chance to bolster his Reading squad further during the January transfer window.” Sky 05/02/08

“Reading manager Steve Coppell insists he will refrain from making any 'knee-jerk' reactions as his struggling side attempt to maintain their Premier League status.” Sky 23/02/08

Three days later

“Reading manager Steve Coppell is threatening to ring the changes after seeing his side slump to their eighth consecutive Premier League defeat on Sunday.” Sky 26/02/08

Yes they probably were aimed at kicking the squad up the arse, still I found the whole thing to be quite yoyo like. Still going back over the quotes has made it all a bit clearer to me and I no longer believe that SC is mad!

Fezza, you are a scholar and a gentleman for going back and checking all that out, then adjusting your view slightly as a result. I salute you, sir, and hope others (including myself) are as thorough in our reasoning as you have just been.

You both need to get out more.

[Fezza]

God I hate office work! Going back to Uni in 6 months to be a Primary teacher (really must work on spelling/grammer/not making up facts) so enjoying the peace of th office while I can!

[CMRoyal]

You both need to get out more.

It's surely a given that if we could get out we wouldn't be posting here.

[RoyalBlue]

I was wrong to put all those quotes down as SC.....

But I think if you want to spend a bit more time looking you will be able to find quotes attributed to SC, not long before the Jan window opened, where he accepted that he had made a mistake in not strengthening more over the summer and wanted to put it right in the forthcoming window.

Anyway, hopefully all's well that ends well!

[sucatraps]

"He does know what he's doing" "He does know what he's doing"

[Uke]

I was wrong to put all those quotes down as SC.....

But I think if you want to spend a bit more time looking you will be able to find quotes attributed to SC, not long before the Jan window opened, where he accepted that he had made a mistake in not strengthening more over the summer and wanted to put it right in the forthcoming window.

Anyway, hopefully all's well that ends well!

Nope, I think you'll find he said something along the lines of "I could have strengthened more but chose not to" That is not accepting he has made a mistake, it is stating fact.

You have made the assumption either from your own interpretation or from what posters have written on here.

Of course unless someone finds the real quote, then I could be as guilty as I'm accusing you of putting words into SSC's mouth

[Platypuss]

The quote in full from December 10:

"The Chairman's intentions are the same as mine, to improve the squad.
"Money was available in the summer, I could have spent it then but I made the decision [not to].
"On the back of the last two years and our players reaching their targets, I thought I would challenge them again.
"It's obvious now we need to strengthen."

I certainly read that as him acknowledging that with hindsight he would have done things differently in the summer.

[Uke]

The quote in full from December 10:

"The Chairman's intentions are the same as mine, to improve the squad.
"Money was available in the summer, I could have spent it then but I made the decision [not to].
"On the back of the last two years and our players reaching their targets, I thought I would challenge them again.
"It's obvious now we need to strengthen."

I certainly read that as him acknowledging that with hindsight he would have done things differently in the summer.

Not the admission of fault though that some read into it.

It is interesting though that a lot of the strengthening is coming from within with payers like Rosenior, Cisse and Bikey who were already on our books.

[Ian Royal]

Indeed, where are all those shouting that we hadn't signed a single decent player.

Whilst he had been on Loan, Bikey was technically a signing. As was Cisse & Rosenior and Marek in January.

That leaves Fae and Kebe, one of which is a work in progress and too early to see, the other is still a possible, if a fairly remote one.

Coppell just doesn't really make signings that have instant impacts. Kitson, Hunt, Doyle, Sonko & Convey all took a little time to bed in to a greater or lesser degree.

Coppell makes 3 kinds of signings IMO, slow burners who take a while and then come really rather good, players that will do a job and tide us over until we can move on to better things and young very cheap, low cost, long shots.

Sometimes he gets a duff one, but not all that often if you give it long enough.

[Royal Rother]

I agree with all that you say Ian.

I reckon we could sell Lita, spend a net couple of million on a new back up striker and another couple of works in progress and still stay up comfortably next season!

Just imagine the frothing at the mouth from the usual suspects as Sunderland, Wigan, M'Boro, Brum, Stoke, Palace et al spend £25m+ on a bunch of over-priced much-travelled average under-performers!

Lovely stuff eh?!!

[seahawk10]

In Coppell We Trust! Sir Steve has done a remarkable job. Let's hope that he stays on as gaffer for a long time. That article about him being burnt out and needing to get away still lingers at the back of my mind. I hope he can take some holiday time in the summer to re-charge. He should be pleased with how the team is playing and has responded to the relegation threat.

[Gordons Cumming]

I'm finding all this sickly, isn't Coppell great, we're staying up, next year will be easy, talk a bit hard to take from HNA as it was only a matter of a few weeks ago it was all doom and gloom.

Fickle and hypocrite springs to mind.

..............oh well.

[Ian Royal]

I agree with all that you say Ian.

I reckon we could sell Lita, spend a net couple of million on a new back up striker and another couple of works in progress and still stay up comfortably next season!

Just imagine the frothing at the mouth from the usual suspects as Sunderland, Wigan, M'Boro, Brum, Stoke, Palace et al spend £25m+ on a bunch of over-priced much-travelled average under-performers!

Lovely stuff eh?!!

I may just find and save all this year's posts and then recycle them for next season. I don't imagine many of the arguements or idiots will have changed by then. It's not like Royalee has changed in the last 2-3 seasons.

[Ian Royal]

I'm finding all this sickly, isn't Coppell great, we're staying up, next year will be easy, talk a bit hard to take from HNA as it was only a matter of a few weeks ago it was all doom and gloom.

Fickle and hypocrite springs to mind.

..............oh well.

If you pay close attention, you may notice it is different people on the whole who were doom and gloom a few weeks ago. There is also a world of difference between staying up easily and comfortably as Rother put it.

Myself and Rother (I'd rather not side with the smug, pompous bugger, but he is generally right) amongst others having been singing the same tune all season for the most part.

[Gordons Cumming]

I'm finding all this sickly, isn't Coppell great, we're staying up, next year will be easy, talk a bit hard to take from HNA as it was only a matter of a few weeks ago it was all doom and gloom.

Fickle and hypocrite springs to mind.

..............oh well.

If you pay close attention, you may notice it is different people on the whole who were doom and gloom a few weeks ago. There is also a world of difference between staying up easily and comfortably as Rother put it.

Myself and Rother (I'd rather not side with the smug, pompous bugger, but he is generally right) amongst others having been singing the same tune all season for the most part.

Agreed. But you must admit the tone IS a little different now...................We're not out of the woods yet.

I have always said that we will stay up and that wont change ..............until we go down of course.
I'm not a knee jerker from week to week unlike quite a few on here.

[Ian Royal]

It's true in any situation. The Doom mongers either get converted or go quite until they can bang their drum again if things go well.

The Rtgs tend to go quite if it goes shite because there are only so many times you can say the same things, and only so much ridicule and abuse you can take from STGs

I try to stick it out and fight the good fight for what I see as good sense, but as above there is only so much I can take, and I have to admit my faith was starting to waiver towards the end of the bad run.


Disclaimer: The above is a completely biased viewpoint and recognised as such by myself.

[Gordons Cumming]

We'll be OK.

"An unbiased view"