How impressed are you with BMcD's return to the club?

[RoyalBlue]

Very true about the Thais there is nothing fom them now, of course there will be if their development plaans get kicked out......hopefully !!

I don't think it's true about the Thais at all. Didn't we have a load of constant moaning before that we didn't hear anything from them?

Obviously there was a little flurry of PR from them when they were launching the development plans, around the time of McDermott's appointment and also, IIRC, when they were over here to see a few games. Apart from that I think their general approach has been to stay out of the way and leave it to Howe to run things and be their mouthpiece.

Owners should stick to the business and allow the football side to run itself. Im glad theyvarent constantly talking in the press tbh.

But aren't they widely reported as having interfered in the choice of transfer targets/signings?

[Hoop Blah]

Yes RB they have, something your hero Madejski didn't appear to do, like good owners don't.

The point wasn't about them making signings, it was about their media presence and the amount of hot air we hear coming from them.

[No Fixed Abode]

Very true about the Thais there is nothing fom them now, of course there will be if their development plaans get kicked out......hopefully !!

I don't think it's true about the Thais at all. Didn't we have a load of constant moaning before that we didn't hear anything from them?

Obviously there was a little flurry of PR from them when they were launching the development plans, around the time of McDermott's appointment and also, IIRC, when they were over here to see a few games. Apart from that I think their general approach has been to stay out of the way and leave it to Howe to run things and be their mouthpiece.

Owners should stick to the business and allow the football side to run itself. Im glad theyvarent constantly talking in the press tbh.

I thought you were all for foreign people coming over here and interfering with stuff?

[RoyalBlue]

So we've had the work ethic, club DNA, pride in badge, play for fans, team ethic bit and now McDermott has tried the'lock them in the dressing room for 45 minutes after the game' trick.

We are told that this was to ensure the players understood that things had to be different against Cardiff on Saturday.

If things are not significantly better on Saturday, will more people finally begin to recognise that our one trick pony manager (and yes, that one trick worked very successfully for one season) is now a busted flush?

[RoyalBlue]

Yes RB they have, something your hero Madejski didn't appear to do, like good owners don't.

The point wasn't about them making signings, it was about their media presence and the amount of hot air we hear coming from them.

Actually I believe the point stated was they should 'allow the football side to run itself'.

And 'appear' is the right word too. Who appeared to order that Sig had to be sold when the manager didn't want to?

[Hoop Blah]

Yes RB they have, something your hero Madejski didn't appear to do, like good owners don't.

The point wasn't about them making signings, it was about their media presence and the amount of hot air we hear coming from them.

Actually I believe the point stated was they should 'allow the football side to run itself'.

And 'appear' is the right word too. Who appeared to order that Sig had to be sold when the manager didn't want to?

Cashing in on assets when we need to in order to keep the club afloat IS the business side, what I'm sure brandy means is chucking players at the manager and trying to influence team selection and tactics.

[Ian Royal]

So we've had the work ethic, club DNA, pride in badge, play for fans, team ethic bit and now McDermott has tried the'lock them in the dressing room for 45 minutes after the game' trick.

We are told that this was to ensure the players understood that things had to be different against Cardiff on Saturday.

If things are not significantly better on Saturday, will more people finally begin to recognise that our one trick pony manager (and yes, that one trick worked very successfully for one season) is now a busted flush?

Whilst we appreciate that you've freshened up by changing a lyric from Madejski to McDermott, you haven't really changed the tune, despite requests for about 10 years. Must try harder.

[Royal_jimmy]

I have not been impressed with results since McDermott returned but we have sold Sa and Blackman for a combined fee of over £4m and only spent 500k on one 34 year old striker in Kermorgant to replace them whilst our best young prospect Samuel is banging the goals in on loan at Gillingham who are in contention to be promoted from league 1. Can anyone be surprised where we are in the league and why we are struggling for goals? If you can't score then you can't win games.

Defensively we are solid at home, away maybe we could be more solid but the truth is we don't score anywhere near enough goals. Vydra has only scored twice, is that McDermott's fault he keeps missing sitters?

I do question some of McDermott's teams though, I don't know what he was thinking playing Cox up front on his own on friday night. Nor can I understand why he is making Norwood play further up the pitch and putting Hector in the 'Leigertwood' role. He should just adapt the team to their strengths and not change the system round otherwise players will lose form.

[Top Flight]

If we were able to keep hold of Vydra and Ola John and Hector and Kanu then in my opinion we are just 1 good striker away from having a top notch team in this division.

Since we will most likely be losing:

Hector
Vydra
Ola John
Hal Robson Kanu
Piazon
Fernandez

McDermott will have a very difficult summer trying to rebuild and reshape our team.

We will just need to be patient and support McDermott. He will make us a good side again but it will not be done quickly. A huge amount of patience is required now from the Reading faithful to allow McDermott to do the job that needs to be done.

[No Fixed Abode]

This time last season RL was looking forward to a semi.

[Maneki Neko]

So we've had the work ethic, club DNA, pride in badge, play for fans, team ethic bit and now McDermott has tried the'lock them in the dressing room for 45 minutes after the game' trick.

?

^^its called management

[Maneki Neko]

I don't know what he was thinking playing Cox up front on his own on friday night

is the answer that he was our only fit, and non cup tied striker?

[genome]

And it worked against West Brom.

[Maneki Neko]

To be fair to Brian, beyond the standard media platitudes, the players were kept in the dressing room for 45 minutes after the game as Brian aired his views on the current state/direction of the club

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... t-11046513

Royals' manager gave a frank assessment of his side's third defeat in a week and told players: "We need to get back to what this club's about"

Reading FC manager Brian McDermott admits the club has lost its way following the 1-0 defeat at Brighton on Tuesday night .

The loss was Royals' third in a week and McDermott kept his matchday squad in the changing room for 45 minutes after the game at the Amex Stadium.

And although he would not reveal what was said among the players and staff, the 54-year-old pulled no punches in his post-match assessment of where the club is currently at following his return at the end of last year.

"We had a chat and a conversation about where we've got to be going forward," said McDermott.

"The conversation we had in the changing room will stay in there. It was very straight forward.

"I've been here for many years. I had a little time away but I know what this football club's all about.

"I look back and just think probably I've seen something. Possibly in 2012 we lost our way and we need to get back to what this club's about.

"It's a working class club, it's about players who work hard for the badge, for the supporters and work their socks off every game.

"Every game anyone plays against Reading knows it's going to be a tough game and the opposition knows that if Reading play well or badly - they know exactly what they're going to get.

"That's what we've got to get back to."

"Everyone in the group will support each other, the staff, the players that are the playing and the ones who are not - that's part of the DNA of Reading"
Royals have won just three out of 15 Championship games since McDermott returned to the club in mid-December.

The defeat at Brighton followed on from the FA Cup quarter-final loss to Crystal Palace last Friday night.

Royals lie 15th in the league table, eight points off the relegation zone and although a relegation scrap appears unlikely, McDermott says the club need to get back to basics to pick up positive results.

He said: "I'm not worried about next season. I'm thinking about Wednesday and we have to make sure we're spot on in training over the next three days and then we've got another game.

"I'll pick another team for Cardiff (Saturday at Madejski Stadium) - everyone in that group will support each other, the staff, the players that are the playing and the ones who are not, and that's part of the DNA of Reading - being a football club where we all support each other.

"Two or three games ago we were unbeaten in six and we need to get back to a little run and it starts on Saturday."

McDermott added: "There's no danger about motivating the players as far as I am concerned.

"We have got big motivation for 10 games - we've discussed that and what we've got to play for.

"Every single time we put on a Reading shirt we're motivated to produce and we have to get back to what this football club is all about.

"And I'm looking forward to that happening."

sounds bang on to me. only a massive div could see negatives in that.

Brian's strongest point is to know when and how to say the right things to the press.

Only a massive div would fall for such baloney....

you say he says the right things.
but that ive fallen for them in some way?
how can that be if theyre the right things?


it is a bit daft to criticise the manager for saying the right things.


"god, I just really wish hed say something wildy wrong once in a while!!!"
*shakes fist at the sky

[The Cap]

Part of Charlie boy's transcript with Bri, this morning, included:-

Do you have to buy new players then?

No. We have to find something within each other to bring it out. You couldn’t say that wasn’t there against Crystal Palace - whatever you thought of the performance with the ball. Our boys were throwing their bodies in and we could have won that game.

The game plan was we get to 60 minutes, Vydra comes on, Williams comes on - we try to get beyond the ball and win it.

We had an opportunity with Ola John. That goes in we win the game 1-0 and you say wow, that was a good performance.

It didn’t quite go that way. They get a poxy penalty and they win the game.

That performance shows that we’ve got it within us - but we need it every game. It needs to be every time we tee-up, every time we play.

Poxy penalty. Brilliant. Say it like it is Bri

[Maneki Neko]

The game plan was we get to 60 minutes, Vydra comes on, Williams comes on - we try to get beyond the ball and win it

I realise vydra wasn't fit enough for the whole game, but still, im not a mad fan of this game plan

[Hoop Blah]

The game plan was we get to 60 minutes, Vydra comes on, Williams comes on - we try to get beyond the ball and win it

I realise vydra wasn't fit enough for the whole game, but still, im not a mad fan of this game plan

It's pretty par for the course with McDermott though, it shouldn't come as a surprise.

[Ian Royal]

The game plan was we get to 60 minutes, Vydra comes on, Williams comes on - we try to get beyond the ball and win it

I realise vydra wasn't fit enough for the whole game, but still, im not a mad fan of this game plan

It's largely what he did to get us promoted. Keep it tight, soak up pressure, look to benefit from errors and then go hard for the last 20-30 minutes when they're tiring. Hence ALFie time.

[Maneki Neko]

The game plan was we get to 60 minutes, Vydra comes on, Williams comes on - we try to get beyond the ball and win it

I realise vydra wasn't fit enough for the whole game, but still, im not a mad fan of this game plan

It's pretty par for the course with McDermott though, it shouldn't come as a surprise.

Yep. Defo would prefer if that plan were shelved tbh.

[AirRaidSiren]

sounds bang on to me. only a massive div could see negatives in that.

Brian's strongest point is to know when and how to say the right things to the press.

Only a massive div would fall for such baloney....

you say he says the right things.
but that ive fallen for them in some way?
how can that be if theyre the right things?


it is a bit daft to criticise the manager for saying the right things.


"god, I just really wish hed say something wildy wrong once in a while!!!"
*shakes fist at the sky

Very good.

You know what is meant by my comment. Brian = the yes man, will say anything to please the press/fans, to say it in the right way. He must practice in the mirror several times over what he is going to say next.

Ya know, the really nice guy? Never mind the inept manager of our club.....it doesn't matter how we do in the league, how shit we are, the crappy signings again, as long as he remains a nice guy, he's safe.

Some of you tend to think he's bigger than our club, the messiah. He clearly isn't. Hopefully the Thai's will get rid at the end of the season cause I wouldn't want him anywhere near our next transfers of players in or out again.