by Royals and Racers » 02 May 2019 12:05
by Nameless » 02 May 2019 12:15
by LWJ » 02 May 2019 12:21
From the CEO | A message from Nigel Howe
Together, we now look to the next challenge…
1 Hour ago
Since the start of 2019, we’ve achieved the short-term objectives we aimed to achieve. Together.
We managed to get this group of players playing good football as a team, fighting tooth and nail for every point to earn positive results under a manager who has been a real catalyst in uniting everyone within the club.
The players demonstrated that they were willing to adapt, learn, scrap and battle for this club. It’s not been easy, but we now go into the last day of the season secure in our Championship status for 2019-20.
When I resumed the CEO role in December, I inherited a number of significant club issues which urgently needed to be addressed. As a priority, we had to immediately get to grips with the costs and complications of an over-sized first team squad, whilst conducting some shrewd business in the loan market during an extremely busy January transfer window. These were imperative measures to take.
Our owners are ambitious. And they would very much like to invest further in our first team…but, at present, it’s just not that simple under the EFL’s Profit and Sustainability regulations.
I expect this summer’s transfer window will be even busier than the last. Our challenge right now must be to reduce the size and cost of the first team squad to meet Profit and Sustainability targets - so we will see even more player movement in the coming weeks and months than we achieved back in January. Only then can we continue to move this club forward.
José will naturally be at the heart of this process and we will all be working extremely hard in the coming months to balance our figures and secure the stability we need to establish a talented, hungry squad of players ready to tackle 2019-20 head on and challenge in the top half of the table rather than scrapping for survival. We have a big summer ahead of us.
Results are what the club is measured by in the main, but they can never be guaranteed. However, I can commit to some things. Perhaps, recently, as a club we lost our way a little. It will now be our collective aim - myself, my staff and with the help of our supporters - to reinject our identity into all we do.
jasonpix_012_Meet_The_Players howe.JPG
We must continue to connect with our community, actively engage with local business, embrace and celebrate our history whilst aspiring to great things in our future. And it has to be our objective to shout about this great club, its thriving Community Trust, its Category One Academy, its burgeoning Women’s team and our shared values - to tell our story to a wider community, engaging with new supporters and making a positive impact on the town of Reading, its community and beyond.
Our loyal supporters have the very best interests of this club at heart and are also rightly our harshest critics; we will continue to listen and learn from you, our fans.
And, on that note, thank you. The way you have rallied at Madejski Stadium to support the team with such passion…it’s real credit to our fanbase and the whole Reading Football Club community.
From the stands, supporters nor staff can score the goals that will win us games next season, but we can all strive to create a positive environment for those who can - the players out in the middle. The Club 1871 project has been a shining example of that - a modest but defiantly encouraging group of fans setting up camp in our South Stand which has grown and evolved over the last year. The East Stand continued to make its presence felt, loud and proud, while the Eamonn Dolan Stand came alive with clap banners in the Family Area. Encouragement was coming from all four sides of Madejski Stadium as you got right behind your team when times were tough to create a truly positive atmosphere here. Long may that last.
by LWJ » 02 May 2019 12:23
by Hound » 02 May 2019 12:23
by WoodleyRoyal » 02 May 2019 12:49
by RoyalBlue » 02 May 2019 13:43
by Nameless » 02 May 2019 14:15
WoodleyRoyal setting our expectations for next season basically. bargain basement on transfers in and some of our 'star' players out the door. If that's what's needed to get this club back on an even keel then so be it.
by UpNorth » 02 May 2019 15:07
by Nameless » 02 May 2019 15:16
UpNorth '... get to grips with the costs and complications of an over-sized first team squad, whilst conducting some shrewd business in the loan market during an extremely busy January transfer window.'
Basically NH needs to repeat his January trick of reducing squad size and finding good loan players. Simple!
Challenging times ahead but Nigel has done it once and I see no reason why he cannot do it again.
by Snowflake Royal » 02 May 2019 18:00
RoyalBlue A good statement, clearly aimed at managing expectations.
Far better than some of those issued by his first boss at the club who would get over enthusiastic and build expectations up to fever pitch levels, only for them to be dashed by reality.
Under promise and over deliver. I'll settle for that.
by Nameless » 02 May 2019 18:31
Snowflake RoyalRoyalBlue A good statement, clearly aimed at managing expectations.
Far better than some of those issued by his first boss at the club who would get over enthusiastic and build expectations up to fever pitch levels, only for them to be dashed by reality.
Under promise and over deliver. I'll settle for that.
You can't resist having a pop, can you, get over it. Madejski is a legend.
by Elm Park Kid » 03 May 2019 15:55
by Sutekh » 03 May 2019 16:19
Elm Park Kid Did no one else read that and get the impression that we will be selling a lot and buying very little during the summer?
by Elm Park Kid » 03 May 2019 16:44
SutekhElm Park Kid Did no one else read that and get the impression that we will be selling a lot and buying very little during the summer?
Impression I have is that though a lot will be moved on by various means (both youngsters and established “stars”) the squad is going to be invested in sensibly. You don’t necessarily have to “buy” players, clubs can do a lot by being shrewd in the freebie and loan markets.
Overall next season I think I would expect a squad that sits around mid table never really troubling either end with any purpose. This would then give a solid foundation to kick on and to slightly loosen the purse strings next summer.
As has been said previously Sir Steve produced a miracle with essentially one marquee signing (Lita) and a hotch potch of bargains from various places over 2/3 seasons that melded perfectly as a team.
And, just as under Sir Steve, while some that JG brings in won’t work out, others will. But most importantly I think it’s getting a squad together that plays as one for each other. That sort of mentality is a very good proportion of what makes any successful team.
by PieEater » 04 May 2019 10:18
by Royals and Racers » 05 May 2019 08:32
PieEater I hope there is some recognition that the club lost touch with its fans largely because of a succession of anonymous and silent owners, who thankfully bankrolled the club but otherwise never said much publicly.
by Royal Rother » 05 May 2019 08:43
RoyalBlue A good statement, clearly aimed at managing expectations.
Far better than some of those issued by his first boss at the club who would get over enthusiastic and build expectations up to fever pitch levels, only for them to be dashed by reality.
Under promise and over deliver. I'll settle for that.
by paddy20 » 05 May 2019 09:09
Elm Park KidSutekhElm Park Kid Did no one else read that and get the impression that we will be selling a lot and buying very little during the summer?
Impression I have is that though a lot will be moved on by various means (both youngsters and established “stars”) the squad is going to be invested in sensibly. You don’t necessarily have to “buy” players, clubs can do a lot by being shrewd in the freebie and loan markets.
Overall next season I think I would expect a squad that sits around mid table never really troubling either end with any purpose. This would then give a solid foundation to kick on and to slightly loosen the purse strings next summer.
As has been said previously Sir Steve produced a miracle with essentially one marquee signing (Lita) and a hotch potch of bargains from various places over 2/3 seasons that melded perfectly as a team.
And, just as under Sir Steve, while some that JG brings in won’t work out, others will. But most importantly I think it’s getting a squad together that plays as one for each other. That sort of mentality is a very good proportion of what makes any successful team.
Well no one ever means to be 'not sensible' when investing in the transfer market. This stuff is extremely hard and unpredictable; you usually have to buy 3 players just to get one you actually want.
I'm hope i'm proved wrong, but it seems to me that people are underestimating how much of a change we're going to need to make to avoid FFP problems. I mean, we lost 30m in the 2017/18 season right? We probably lost something similar this season. That's a lot of wages to cut down.
The squad we have at the moment without the loan players is clearly relegation material. If we can't keep them - or have to let our better players go - we could be in a lot of trouble.
by Denver Royal » 05 May 2019 16:19
Elm Park KidSutekhElm Park Kid Did no one else read that and get the impression that we will be selling a lot and buying very little during the summer?
Impression I have is that though a lot will be moved on by various means (both youngsters and established “stars”) the squad is going to be invested in sensibly. You don’t necessarily have to “buy” players, clubs can do a lot by being shrewd in the freebie and loan markets.
Overall next season I think I would expect a squad that sits around mid table never really troubling either end with any purpose. This would then give a solid foundation to kick on and to slightly loosen the purse strings next summer.
As has been said previously Sir Steve produced a miracle with essentially one marquee signing (Lita) and a hotch potch of bargains from various places over 2/3 seasons that melded perfectly as a team.
And, just as under Sir Steve, while some that JG brings in won’t work out, others will. But most importantly I think it’s getting a squad together that plays as one for each other. That sort of mentality is a very good proportion of what makes any successful team.
Well no one ever means to be 'not sensible' when investing in the transfer market.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 169 guests