Gunter, GMac and 'the Reading way'?

[PistolPete]

Is forcing these two players to train with the U23s really the right option for a reputable club like Reading?

How can anyone say that Danny Loader should apologise for agreeing terms with Wolves; that Yakou Meite should apologise for telling fans that they have a short memory when defending Modou Barrow? Right now the club is disposing of two of the clubs most respected players with zero class or charm. It's a new way of doing things that, frankly, I don't like. It says that we're cutthroat, that we're a business, that we don't care about you so we really don't expect you to care about us.

100% put them as available for transfer and tell them that they're not in the first team plans, but I don't want my club to become like Chelsea!

It's not just what it says to future signings about us, it's clearly upsetting current players too. On this basis alone, we\re doing the wrong thing. NO-ONE thinks that the two should be played in the first XI, but for the good of squad unity, they need to be involved and treated properly.

#thereadingway?

If anyone comes back with 'they get paid a lot, suck it up' or 'they're unambitious' then they're seriously missing the point.`

[Royalwaster]

I agree it's a strange way to treat two of our most long serving players ...

[maffff]

Yes.

[CountryRoyal]

I'd rather Gunter didn't train with the U23s. Don't need him teaching the kids how to not stop a cross.

[Oilroyal]

Look, I get that it’s a difficult situation, the club would like these players to move on and that’s fine. I’m not in support of the club’s current tactic but I’m sure both club and player/s will come to some sort of compromise eventually. What I don’t get are the small number of fans who #tag players when being provocative and offensive over personal and career matters. I just don’t get it. What good will it do anyone?

[NewCorkSeth]

I dont exactly get why unwanted players like Gunter and McCleary should train with the under23s when they are valuable training assets for the first team.

Getting McCleary to push Richard's in some drills is useful for the first team. Maybe teating Boye against Gunter would give him a good induction to Championship football. If they're still here use them (not in matches)

As for the moving them on bit I'm with them. They are fully within their rights to stay until they find a move that suits them. They're at the tail end of their careers: why move across the country after 7 odd years when maybe some closer clubs will come in for them in the next 2 windows?

[Maneki Neko]

love em both to bits

but theres no way we can continue to pay them 20+k per week to not play, so they need to be shifted on by whatever means necessary.
its not a charity, and for the club there can be no real room for sentiment.


that said, any fans dishing out stick to them on twitter are grade A cnuts

[Hound]

Well if they are still here, may as well have them train with the first team squad, assuming they aren’t being disruptive. They could still be useful at times

Only takes a few injuries and they’d be back in.

Baldock has got himself back involved - I do wonder if he has shown a bit better attitude about it all

[Zip]

Is forcing these two players to train with the U23s really the right option for a reputable club like Reading?

How can anyone say that Danny Loader should apologise for agreeing terms with Wolves; that Yakou Meite should apologise for telling fans that they have a short memory when defending Modou Barrow? Right now the club is disposing of two of the clubs most respected players with zero class or charm. It's a new way of doing things that, frankly, I don't like. It says that we're cutthroat, that we're a business, that we don't care about you so we really don't expect you to care about us.

100% put them as available for transfer and tell them that they're not in the first team plans, but I don't want my club to become like Chelsea!

It's not just what it says to future signings about us, it's clearly upsetting current players too. On this basis alone, we\re doing the wrong thing. NO-ONE thinks that the two should be played in the first XI, but for the good of squad unity, they need to be involved and treated properly.

#thereadingway?

If anyone comes back with 'they get paid a lot, suck it up' or 'they're unambitious' then they're seriously missing the point.`

Fully agreed. It’s a poor way to treat long-standing employees. It wouldn’t happen in an office environment. I also wonder what those members of the squad who are not out favour make of it. They will be friends with Gunter and GMac.
I see it as counter-productive.

[genome]

Yes.

Watching you get rinsed on Twitter last night was quite entertaining I must say

[Jagermesiter1871]

They've been treated atrociously. Fair enough getting Popa or someone who has never performed for us to train with the kids but treating 2 long term servents of the club who have been nothing but superb both on and off it so poorly is really shit.

And tbh I think they both have something to offer the team.

[Hound]

Other thing is that apparently we turned down loan offers for Gunter

Found that very surprising, but maybe all isn’t as simple as it seems (as McCleary alluded to)

[Elm Park Kid]

We should buy out their contracts and let them move to foreign clubs whilst the window is still open.

[URZZZZ]

They've been treated atrociously. Fair enough getting Popa or someone who has never performed for us to train with the kids but treating 2 long term servents of the club who have been nothing but superb both on and off it so poorly is really shit.

And tbh I think they both have something to offer the team.

Superb on the pitch is an overstatement. They’ve been a part of years of failure. Reflecting on their time here, it’s been two relatively good signings but who have outstayed their welcome for too long now which is degrading peoples opinions of them

Off the pitch is an added bonus but it’s not what they’re paid to do

[Victor Meldrew]

Is there really a "Reading Way"?
Pete seems to imply that we have somehow been different from other clubs which I very much doubt.
Training with the U23s looks to be common practice within football for players who the manager does not want to play in the future and it is a clear statement that the players involved should be looking to get another club if they actually want to play rather than just draw wages.

Didn't I read somewhere that a player or two refused to go on tour?
If Gunter or GMAC were one of those then the approach of the manager seems to me to be right.

Football employment appears to be different from normal employment as the job is only really done on match day whereas with the rest of us work is a consistent thing throughout the week so marginalising employees just doesn't happen.

Both players, especially Gunter, should have got the message towards the end of last season that the manager didn't rate them and you would have thought they might have taken that on board and engineered a move to a club that actually wants them.
They may well be sulking and if so that is not good around the other players.

I don't think there is a "Reading Way" but there is a "Football Way" and this is where these players are now at.

[Jagermesiter1871]

They've been treated atrociously. Fair enough getting Popa or someone who has never performed for us to train with the kids but treating 2 long term servents of the club who have been nothing but superb both on and off it so poorly is really shit.

And tbh I think they both have something to offer the team.

Superb on the pitch is an overstatement. They’ve been a part of years of failure. Reflecting on their time here, it’s been two relatively good signings but who have outstayed their welcome for too long now which is degrading peoples opinions of them

Off the pitch is an added bonus but it’s not what they’re paid to do

Nonsense. Gmac has been a class signing, coming in on a bosman and making 200 odd appearances for us. For several years he was arguably our best player and certainly was one of few entertaining ones.

[RoyalBlue]

Is forcing these two players to train with the U23s really the right option for a reputable club like Reading?

How can anyone say that Danny Loader should apologise for agreeing terms with Wolves; that Yakou Meite should apologise for telling fans that they have a short memory when defending Modou Barrow? Right now the club is disposing of two of the clubs most respected players with zero class or charm. It's a new way of doing things that, frankly, I don't like. It says that we're cutthroat, that we're a business, that we don't care about you so we really don't expect you to care about us.

100% put them as available for transfer and tell them that they're not in the first team plans, but I don't want my club to become like Chelsea!

It's not just what it says to future signings about us, it's clearly upsetting current players too. On this basis alone, we\re doing the wrong thing. NO-ONE thinks that the two should be played in the first XI, but for the good of squad unity, they need to be involved and treated properly.

#thereadingway?

If anyone comes back with 'they get paid a lot, suck it up' or 'they're unambitious' then they're seriously missing the point.`

Fully agreed. It’s a poor way to treat long-standing employees. It wouldn’t happen in an office environment. I also wonder what those members of the squad who are not out favour make of it. They will be friends with Gunter and GMac.
I see it as counter-productive.

Whilst I'm in two minds about how Gunter and GMac should be managed in this situation, it is absolutely incorrect to say it wouldn't happen in an office environment. There are many work situations where, if they're lucky, employees get shunted into a backwater if their skills and capabilities no longer match the demands of the business. In other cases the business just make them redundant.

[Notts Royal]

They've been treated atrociously. Fair enough getting Popa or someone who has never performed for us to train with the kids but treating 2 long term servents of the club who have been nothing but superb both on and off it so poorly is really shit.

And tbh I think they both have something to offer the team.

Yea I think they both have something to offer...Gunter more than GMac as it looks like we are moving away from using conventional wingers (in whatever formation Gomes wants to play)

[Zip]

Is forcing these two players to train with the U23s really the right option for a reputable club like Reading?

How can anyone say that Danny Loader should apologise for agreeing terms with Wolves; that Yakou Meite should apologise for telling fans that they have a short memory when defending Modou Barrow? Right now the club is disposing of two of the clubs most respected players with zero class or charm. It's a new way of doing things that, frankly, I don't like. It says that we're cutthroat, that we're a business, that we don't care about you so we really don't expect you to care about us.

100% put them as available for transfer and tell them that they're not in the first team plans, but I don't want my club to become like Chelsea!

It's not just what it says to future signings about us, it's clearly upsetting current players too. On this basis alone, we\re doing the wrong thing. NO-ONE thinks that the two should be played in the first XI, but for the good of squad unity, they need to be involved and treated properly.

#thereadingway?

If anyone comes back with 'they get paid a lot, suck it up' or 'they're unambitious' then they're seriously missing the point.`

Fully agreed. It’s a poor way to treat long-standing employees. It wouldn’t happen in an office environment. I also wonder what those members of the squad who are not out favour make of it. They will be friends with Gunter and GMac.
I see it as counter-productive.

Whilst I'm in two minds about how Gunter and GMac should be managed in this situation, it is absolutely incorrect to say it wouldn't happen in an office environment. There are many work situations where, if they're lucky, employees get shunted into a backwater if their skills and capabilities no longer match the demands of the business. In other cases the business just make them redundant.

That’s different from being publically isolated from the rest of your work colleagues. As for the redundancy bit the players have specific contracts in place that expire on a certain date. The club could if it so wishes pay those contracts off and release the players.

[Silver Fox]

Whatever the deal is with Gunts and GMac training with the U23s while we were trying to shift them off the books now that the transfer window is closed it seems absolutely mental to me that they're not training with the full squad now just in case they're needed