Sold 80 goals and bought 20.

[readingbedding]

It's a shame.

[Svlad Cjelli]

For "sold", read "unable to stop moving on."

[readingbedding]

That's football, I still think it's a shame.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Absolutely, and it's gutting when you watch Motd and see Shorey cross for Long to score (like seeing a couple of ex-girlfriends you loved take part in a threesome with someone else) - but it's the reality of life for a team of our size, the way football is structured and financed today.

[readingbedding]

More and more we're consolidating ourselves as a Championship team.
From where we've come from, that's progress.
But will that be good enough for the fans post 2005?

[readingbedding]

Saying that, will that be good enough for most?

[under the tin]

but it's the reality of life for a team of our size, the way football is structured and financed today.

And so it will be in the future.
The big powerful clubs already have the dice loaded in their favour, and they are determined to pull up the drawbridge so that the status quo will be perpetuated.
Years ago, when the F A cup holders were knocked out of the competition by Sutton United, there was honour.
Nowadays, such a feat is diminished, because the big boys "only sent down a team of fringe players and kids"

I like football, but don't love it anymore.

[Terminal Boardom]

All about expectation levels. That applies across the board. Not just supporters but also the people who run the football club. As long as there is seen to be progress then I think the majority would be happy. But does anyone want to aimlessly drift along? As SC has said above, this is the way it is with RFC. What is key is for the football club to maximise its revenue streams and ensure that the non footballing activities generate a substantial return especially as gate receipts don't cover the costs.

[melonhead]

Absolutely, and it's gutting when you watch Motd and see Shorey cross for Long to score (like seeing a couple of ex-girlfriends you loved take part in a threesome with someone else) - but it's the reality of life for a team of our size, the way football is structured and financed today.

proud>>>gutted

[Terminal Boardom]

Thing is, how many times did Shorey play in Long for any Reading goals?

[Svlad Cjelli]

Thing is, how many times did Shorey play in Long for any Reading goals?

Not very many times (if any) - but that doesn't disguise the sense of loss.

[Hoop Blah]

For "sold", read "unable to stop moving on."

Or read "didn't do anything to encourage them to stay because you quite like the look of the incoming transfer fee".

[Svlad Cjelli]

For "sold", read "unable to stop moving on."

Or read "didn't do anything to encourage them to stay because you quite like the look of the incoming transfer fee".

How does that square with the undeniable fact that we couldn't offer them either the level of football that they felt they needed or the size of pay packet they needed?

[melonhead]

it doesnt, some people are just beyond logical truth

[Hoop Blah]

I'm not saying that we shouldn't have cashed in but there is a fair argument that in the cases of Long and Sigurdsson we didn't have to sell them and that there was a possibility that neither were really pushing for that move you seem to say was unstoppable.

How hard did we try and stop them then?

[melonhead]

what is the fair argumenmt that we didnt have to sell them then?

thought it was on record that long signed his extension on the proviso that if we didnt go up, and we had a decent offer, whe would be allowed to go?

[Svlad Cjelli]

I'm not saying that we shouldn't have cashed in but there is a fair argument that in the cases of Long and Sigurdsson we didn't have to sell them and that there was a possibility that neither were really pushing for that move you seem to say was unstoppable.

How hard did we try and stop them then?

If you really think that there is any way that Reading could have kept Shane Long there this summer - or even that it would be worth trying to do - then I'd like to send you an e-mail I received about a Nigerian inheritance ....

He was ready to go from a career point of view, he wanted to go - and I half suspect that one of the reasons he did so well was because he'd been promised he could go if the right offer came in and we didn't get promotion.

Ditto Gylfi - although different circumstances, an unexpected offer came in which he'd have been stupid to turn down at the time, and ditto for the club.

[RoyalBlue]

For "sold", read "unable to stop moving on."

That didn't stop us spending the money received though did it?

So just change the headline to 'Took the money for 80 goals and only reinvested enough for 20'.

More and more we're consolidating ourselves as a Championship team.

I would very much challenge that assertion. Who is next to be sold to plug the gap and what will happen when we have no more silver to flog off?

And do not forget that our form to date this season is just one bad run off relegation. In contrast the run required for automatic promotion looks far more difficult and less likely to achieve.

[Svlad Cjelli]

For "sold", read "unable to stop moving on."

That didn't stop us spending the money received though did it?

So just change the headline to 'Took the money for 80 goals and only reinvested enough for 20'.

That's a different argument - but there are two criticisms that I keep hearing about the club's financial position ......

"They don't spend enough on the team" and "They have a black hole that needs plugging every year."

Which would you like? Because considering that the salary levels of the players we have is set by "the market" so if we reduced it we'd be unable to keep even more players, the two criticisms are completely contradictory.

[Terminal Boardom]

Who, in the current squad, is regarded as the next "Black Hole" filler?

Who, in our current squad, would walk into a top 6 Championship side let alone a Premier one?

I doubt it is a case of selling the family silver. More a case that the pewter and wood is what's on the table.