SQUADWATCH - Summer 2026

[Hound]

Niskanen looks a decent option.

Seen a few different suggestions as to where he plays. From what I can establish another Hayon Roberts?

Wiki says he is a left back/left wing, transfermarkt have him as a right midfield

At least that clarifies things

Could be a bit of a utility merchant which would be useful.

He’s also a Finnish international and got subbed in when England last played Finland but was played out of position apparently.

Where in goal? Seems to play everywhere else

FWIW whoscored has him mainly as a right mid and DCM last year. But apparently player 8 different positions over the season

[Sutekh]

Seen a few different suggestions as to where he plays. From what I can establish another Hayon Roberts?

Wiki says he is a left back/left wing, transfermarkt have him as a right midfield

At least that clarifies things

Could be a bit of a utility merchant which would be useful.

He’s also a Finnish international and got subbed in when England last played Finland but was played out of position apparently.

Where in goal? Seems to play everywhere else

FWIW whoscored has him mainly as a right mid and DCM last year. But apparently player 8 different positions over the season

Perhaps he’s really Ady in disguise

[Hound]

Niskanen off to Blackpool then. Disappointing, sounds like Exeter fans rated him

[tidus_mi2]

Niskanen off to Blackpool then. Disappointing, sounds like Exeter fans rated him

Always a bit sceptical about a player who is rated by a team that got relegated, I mean oxf*rd, we voted Tom Ince as player of the season when we got relegated and I'm pretty sure most people hate him now.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Niskanen off to Blackpool then. Disappointing, sounds like Exeter fans rated him

Always a bit sceptical about a player who is rated by a team that got relegated, I mean oxf*rd, we voted Tom Ince as player of the season when we got relegated and I'm pretty sure most people hate him now.

Ince was undoubtedly the best player that season. Off the pitch and behind the scenes everyone seemed to like him, but he moaned so much on the pitch, that people don't remember him fairly.

It was a terrible time in the club's history, and although he did more than any other player to get us through it, he is unfairly associated with the overall decline and bad vibes.

[leon]

Niskanen off to Blackpool then. Disappointing, sounds like Exeter fans rated him

Always a bit sceptical about a player who is rated by a team that got relegated, I mean oxf*rd, we voted Tom Ince as player of the season when we got relegated and I'm pretty sure most people hate him now.

Ince was undoubtedly the best player that season. Off the pitch and behind the scenes everyone seemed to like him, but he moaned so much on the pitch, that people don't remember him fairly.

It was a terrible time in the club's history, and although he did more than any other player to get us through it, he is unfairly associated with the overall decline and bad vibes.

And his thick cnut father kept saying in post match interviews that he was the only good player on pitch.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Pre season starts today and a few snaps about. Feels like this pre season is huge, along with this head of fitness we've recruited.

If you look at Pereira, O'Connor, Ward, Roberts, Wing, Lisbie and Kyerewaa you have a decent spine there. If 5 of these guys can give us 40+ games then we should do well (a couple will probably get a contact injury). And then there's Marriott; can you even imagine what he could do in this league if we kept him fit for a season?

Obviously we need another 5 or so additions, but what will really make or break our season is how many minutes we can get out of our key players.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Rob Kelly has left for personal reasons, looks like he'll be replaced by John Coleman...

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Pre season starts today and a few snaps about. Feels like this pre season is huge, along with this head of fitness we've recruited.

If you look at Pereira, O'Connor, Ward, Roberts, Wing, Lisbie and Kyerewaa you have a decent spine there. If 5 of these guys can give us 40+ games then we should do well (a couple will probably get a contact injury). And then there's Marriott; can you even imagine what he could do in this league if we kept him fit for a season?

Obviously we need another 5 or so additions, but what will really make or break our season is how many minutes we can get out of our key players.

Didn't see Ward in any of the pre season photos which is a worry.

[Sutekh]

Rob Kelly has left for personal reasons, looks like he'll be replaced by John Coleman...

John Coleman?

The former Accrington manager who was once the longest serving manager in the FL. Last job was managing Aldershot.

Seems a bit of an odd dynamic to create?

[MR. CYNICAL]

Rob Kelly has left for personal reasons, looks like he'll be replaced by John Coleman...

John Coleman?

The former Accrington manager who was once the longest serving manager in the FL. Last job was managing Aldershot.

Seems a bit of an odd dynamic to create?

Exactly!

[Royals and Racers]

Rob Kelly has left for personal reasons, looks like he'll be replaced by John Coleman...

John Coleman?

The former Accrington manager who was once the longest serving manager in the FL. Last job was managing Aldershot.

Seems a bit of an odd dynamic to create?

Big mate of Liam’s

[Sutekh]

Well he did great things at Accrington, got them promoted to this division as champions a decade ago and previously got them to the FL from the Northern Premier League First Division (tier 8 ).

Obviously knows Leam and must know James Beattie and Benn Ward too. Knows a thing or two about scoring goals as was prolific in his years playing in the NL game in the 80s & 90s (over 500 goals in two decades apparently). No doubt will have a good idea of the top talent currently available in the NL game too, which might be useful.

Looking forward to Josh Barrett returning already!

[MR. CYNICAL]

Well he did great things at Accrington, got them promoted to this division as champions a decade ago and previously got them to the FL from the Northern Premier League First Division (tier 8 ).

Obviously knows Leam and must know James Beattie and Benn Ward too. Knows a thing or two about scoring goals as was prolific in his years playing in the NL game in the 80s & 90s (over 500 goals in two decades apparently). No doubt will have a good idea of the top talent currently available in the NL game too, which might be useful.

Looking forward to Josh Barrett returning already!

Unfortunately, this would be a lower league appointment by a club who seem set to stay in the lower leagues for a while.

[Marcel]

Well he did great things at Accrington, got them promoted to this division as champions a decade ago and previously got them to the FL from the Northern Premier League First Division (tier 8 ).

Obviously knows Leam and must know James Beattie and Benn Ward too. Knows a thing or two about scoring goals as was prolific in his years playing in the NL game in the 80s & 90s (over 500 goals in two decades apparently). No doubt will have a good idea of the top talent currently available in the NL game too, which might be useful.

Looking forward to Josh Barrett returning already!

WTAF listen to yourself, trying to justify what would be an absolutely joke appointment.
It’s bad enough having Richardson and Jacobson. Now they are bringing in all their old mates.
Obviously they have no real contacts above NL and league 2.

[morganb]

Well he did great things at Accrington, got them promoted to this division as champions a decade ago and previously got them to the FL from the Northern Premier League First Division (tier 8 ).

Obviously knows Leam and must know James Beattie and Benn Ward too. Knows a thing or two about scoring goals as was prolific in his years playing in the NL game in the 80s & 90s (over 500 goals in two decades apparently). No doubt will have a good idea of the top talent currently available in the NL game too, which might be useful.

Looking forward to Josh Barrett returning already!

WTAF listen to yourself, trying to justify what would be an absolutely joke appointment.
It’s bad enough having Richardson and Jacobson. Now they are bringing in all their old mates.
Obviously they have no real contacts above NL and league 2.

Unfortunately Reading does seem to be turning into an Old Mates Club

Surely you would interview for the role and we know that both Murty and James Oliver Pearce are both available and probably "better" on paper than John Coleman as in they know/knew the club and have worked at a higher level (a level we are aiming to reach)

[Sutekh]

Football so often turns into an old mates club. If they do appoint him it might be a disaster and the owners will have to dump everyone by Christmas (as that’s been the Reading way with management for the last decade. At least he has a great deal of experience, my issue is that I just have no idea what sort of dynamic they’re trying to create. Seems to me that it’s all being led by trying to get the key bits done on the cheap yet again.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I wonder how people would have reacted to appointments like Wally Downes and signings like Kevin Doyle would have been received if we had social media in the early 00s.

[Extended-Phenotype]

I wonder how people would have reacted to appointments like Wally Downes and signings like Kevin Doyle would have been received if we had social media in the early 00s.

People were more nuanced back then. Now everything is either the best or worst thing in the world.

People bringing in other people they have had a positive experience working with is not something Leam and Couhig invented.

[Brogue]

Come on, guys. The unrelenting positivity around every decision the club makes is tedious. This would be a dreadful appointment.