Spanish

7 minutes ago, Gaspode said:

If he's failed with the funding again, does that mean they are likely to get another points deduction?

I don’t think so they have moved their attention to him and not the club for the advance funding.  If they miss a salary day again then that would trigger a points penalty 

50 minutes ago, trappatoni said:

Bird - I like him.   Think he can play in a midfield 2 - Warne said he  topped the running stats in pre-season, but when so many other teams play a 3 unless you have Kante x 2 in there you are going to have to accept sometimes their numbers will tell.   I would like to see him run beyond a bit more but possibly the rest of the midfield 4 don't offer enough protection. 

Elder - by no means am I writing him off but offered nothing going forwards and the error was calamitous.  Now if Sibley has a game like that he's instantly dropped.  

John Jules - yes did nothing wrong but didn't do enough.   I actually do think we need to stick with him because you can tell he has the quality and physicality to succeed he just had a quiet game as all players do.  

 

we see things differently,  JJ had an a part  for goal 1 and made 2 other opportunities that should/could have been put away.  Elder had a part in the 2nd goal

50 minutes ago, Gabby'sThighs said:

Exactly. I thought Elder was okay overall, he put that lovely cross in, but the mistake was awful. He's rusty, and it's unfortunate that his slip directly led to a goal. It also goes to show that, for all we slag off the standard of League One, a fraction-of-a-second brain fart like Elder's can be ruthlessly punished.

Interestingly, I haven't seen Nelson get any flak for the first goal, when he sat off Seddon and allowed him to shoot. I think this is because Nelson has been consistently very good all season he gets leeway (I think I'm right in saying he's played every minute of every game so far...), whereas Elder has been injured and struggled to get going. We need Elder to get match-fit and have to accept some wobbles.

It's frustrating to see the same old niggly complaints on here when we should be excited about being 1 point off top!

bit concerned that Elder has a significant confidence issue to deal with which won't be helped by last night

2 hours ago, Stive Pesley said:

Yeah we had a guy who kept telling us we had complied with FFP and had nothing to worry about too...

 

Still with us of course

4 minutes ago, Kernow said:

I know, but what happens if next time, there's 16 minutes played and it's 0-1 to Derby, or they wait til later in the game when there has been goals? If there are going to be different sanctions depending on the scoreline then it just encourages them to get the games abandoned as early as possible to get their point across.

They want their owners gone, I think any punishment such as fines will just encourage it to happen again as it's hitting the owners. I think the EFL will have to punish the Club in a way that has a negative impact on the team to try and deter the fans, if it continues it just makes the whole ordeal embarrassing for them.

Docking them points and consigning them to relegation is the obvious outcome, if you start gifting the opposition the three points then those who have already played at Reading will feel aggrieved, it's a tough one.

Thing is EFL have targeted the owner and not the club currently.  It’ll get referred to disciplinary but they’re in a pickle now.  He’s not paying the fines and they want to encourage him to go rather than go down the will they or wont they survive the season worry.  Who would want to buy Reading at the moment?  Nobody in their right mind.  Most likely will be admin and 12 points penalty.  Realistically the abandoned game was outside the control of the club so punishment will be to play behind closed doors which doesn’t help us.  Win win for EFL 😀

2 hours ago, Mucker1884 said:

I say void the game and award the 3 points to Vale.

If it happens at their next game, then void again, and award double that to the opposition.  

#Hail the efl
#etc

See what you did there given we are next up

23 minutes ago, TomTom92 said:

Watched 30 mins of the second half and Dobson knows how to hit a 30 yard pass over the top. Can’t say he looked too menacing as a goal threat though. But wouldn’t sniff at him.

Would you say he would provide better cover than we have when we play 3 at the back

9 hours ago, kevinhectoring said:

You’re arguing rather a lot for someone who isn’t looking to be right.
 

Some more facts: 

- We were told in the summer the EFL restrictions were significantly relaxed. Don’t believe we had details.

- Warne also made it clear in the summer that the owners wanted a large part of transfer receipts applied to cover operating losses    

- there’s been no change in the ownership structure since the summer that I know of so no reason to expect change on approach. Warne told us re Jan he did not expect an ‘amazing window’ which certainly suggests Jan will be like the summer. Seems he’s true to his word so far. 

- the EFL business plan isn’t designed as a punishment. They punish through points deductions etc. The business plan is intended primarily to ensure there’s not a repeat of the insolvency. So if the insolvency is followed by a change of ownership and EFl is comfortable with the new owner, it’s likely that departures from our (relaxed) business plan that are prudently funded will be permitted 
 

You indicate the club is funded from DC’s ‘personal fortune’. I think that’s a misunderstanding of the current ownership structure and that’s not a good starting point to understand the owner’s likely ambition for capital expenditure. 
 

You’ve suggested all will change next season when we’re out of restrictions.  If that is your prediction, I don’t think the facts support it. 
 

This is a matter of real interest to the fans, because we want to know what our chances are of getting out of this division; and we want to know how we might fare in the championship when we do get promotion. I’ve said elsewhere I don’t think DC is the right long term owner for us. That is also a matter of real interest to the fans 
 

Don’t forget, I have respectfully told you a few times that you might (might) be right. But I don’t think the facts support your position. 

Nicely done.  You do not believe that DC is the right long term owner and I think that is also his opinion.  What he wants is reliable and balanced new owners with significant resources and no desire for immediately success.  If only there was a local long term fan who’s could fit the bill🤔😀.
 

I had a look at EFL rules for Div1 clubs which are typically vague (what is etc?) but god knows how Reading remain compliant.

League One and League Two Clubs follow the Salary Cost Management Protocol (“SCMP”) These state that Clubs can only spend a fixed percentage of its revenue on player wages etc. This limit can also be added to or impacted by equity injections or net transfer spend.

Pompey 2 down

Posh leading Pompey losing

12 minutes ago, sage said:

For all his dribbles. How many goals and assists?

Important but not the only consideration.  Opponents tend to double or treble up on him leaving spaces elsewhere.  He is also exciting which is something lacking in the rest of the team.  For me above average league 1 player and the more we have of these the better our chances

20 minutes ago, I DONT MIND said:

Cheers i thought it was separated in 2001 but looking at it was pretty artificial separation were it became effectively 2 cost centres.

It became a completely different business in 2011, of course they are still enmeshed with one and another with RM picking letters up from the PO structures.

i think a lot of people are to blame in letting it fly from the time of Blair and Brown right through to present day.

 

 

 

Yep I read the Tory graph were trying to get Blair and starmer enmeshed in this.  Clearly the tories have been out of power for decades

7 hours ago, I DONT MIND said:

Just to be pedantic (i do intensely dislike the man as well) Adam Crozier was CEO of Royal Mail not the Post Office they are different legal personalities.

At present he is the chairman of Whitbread and BT. 😢

Quote from telegraph 

Adam Crozier, the former chief executive of Royal Mail, would have been aware about the faulty Horizon IT system after it was identified as “problematic” by his technology specialists, an insider has claimed

royal mail owned the post office at that time

5 minutes ago, Returning ram said:

I'm not sure what you question is, we continue to operate under a business plan, is that higher or lower than others is irrelevant, it still restricts us on overspending. If your saying, it's as good or bad as anyone else's, a different question and one I don't the answer. All

I know is that we are NOT allowed to go over it.

"Decisions are still to be made on next season, but we remain in positive discussions with the EFL. We will continue to be under a business plan next season, which will obviously be divisional specific, however it will be one that we propose to the EFL and will be reviewed collectively in order that we can demonstrate that we are not being over-ambitious, which we aren’t being – we will be continuing to build in a progressive and sensible manner.

The point is whether the restriction is purely internal.  I think it is and reflects DC’s understandable reluctance to do anything other than be sustainable.  Some think it is the EFL that are dictating how much we can spend 

5 minutes ago, Returning ram said:

There is no confusion here, we set a business plan with the EFL, that is a restriction that we have to adhere to.
 

Had we not, then we could at any time change our spend upwards over that, at this current time we cannot.

But our budget complies with EFL rules for a div1 club.  Have the EFL imposed harsher spending rules on us?  Would DC have pushed the budget if there was some headroom to the general spending rules?

3 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

Does that mean there is no speed limit on the estate where I live because I have no intention of exceeding 30mph? 😀

Seriously though, if we are still subject to agreed business plan that includes self imposed spending limits, surely effectively they are restrictions if the business plan wouldn’t have been approved without them. We’ll never know if it would have been rejected but I’m pretty confident that DC and his team had a reasonable idea of the type of spending the EFL were likely to approve. Surely conversations took place.

My view is that, technically we may not be able to call them restrictions but effectively they probably are.

So it’s either a budget on what DC wants or a budget based on what DC would expect the EFL to be comfortable.  Like I said we don’t know whether we are working within external imposed restrictions or not.  I don’t think DC is going to do anything that is not business sustainable.

2 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

The restrictions lasted for 2 seasons.

Having to agree a business plan is a restriction.

From memory, DC or SP said the EFL accepted our business plan without any amendments.

What it does mean though is, if someone became available now that PW thought was the player that could get us over the line then we could only sign him within the constraints of the business plan.

So although you're correct insomuch that we are acting within our self imposed constraints, I don't think its correct to say there are no restrictions. 

Just my take on it.

We can’t know for certain but my view is you can’t call them restrictions if we have no intention of breaching them 

1 minute ago, Returning ram said:

Pretty sure we are still limited on what we spend until Aug 24. Whilst the EFL lifted "Restrictions", we still have to operate under the business plan which was previously submitted.

DCs budget which EFL have approved as not breaching any rules.  Happy to be persuaded otherwise but I don’t sense DC would like to spend more.

9 hours ago, G STAR RAM said:

Well being under EFL restrictions would make it a reasonable assumption. 

There's usually a reason why a player is available on a free transfer, either young and looking to get a move up the ladder, or old and surplus to requirements. 

I think most of our signings fall into the latter category.

I don’t think there any restrictions, DC has a budget and is spending what he feels is appropriate.  I am not aware that he feels constrained in any way.  DC model is slow progress and that is not a criticism.  It is his money and he spends it how he wants.  

7 minutes ago, Ratpackram said:

Cashin is imperious.   A Rolls-Royce of a centre half.  We need promotion if were gonna keep him 

Thought Nelson and cash played their worst games in some time.  Looked out of shape but in a 3

19 minutes ago, jimtastic56 said:

Possibly . Are we still singing “Sky TV is effing crap”? As the time has not been moved , but they still bankroll the Greedy Prem .

Jim, I know the answer now outside Uk there is no country on the black out list

4 minutes ago, jimtastic56 said:

You would not want to bet against Mel (with his huge ego) buying another club - to prove he can make a success of owning a football team.

Is he fit and proper?

23 minutes ago, Anag Ram said:

Agree the shoot out was utterly daft. Managed to suspend my disbelief long enough as if it were James Bond.

It’s never going to be believeable but it is great entertainment.

Yep not factual but entertainment 

2 hours ago, Bob The Badger said:

Is it better than season 2?

I ONLY stuck with that because of how good Oldman was. I can't stand Jack Lowden.

4 episodes into Kin and really starting to like it. Loved the pub shooting scene, it was like it had come straight out of The Sopranos.

@Anag Rami thought s2 and s3 were great,  of course it will be a personal choice but there is nothing to dislike in s3 if you like s2.  Latter part of S3 is much more gritty and a different pace to the others though.  Closer to the Spooks series’ on BBC

On 24/12/2023 at 13:18, therealhantsram said:

Just thinking back on the TV I've really enjoyed this year... and thinking about dicthing some of those streaming services 

Time, Blue Lights and Happy Valley - all BBC.
The Last of Us, Poker Face - Sky.
Slow Horses, Ted Lasso and Severance - all Apple.

Netflix and Disney - Dissapointing. You guys are facing the chop in 24.

Just finished s3 of slow horses, damn good. Can’t help but think that was the sort of show the beeb used to do.  If it did now there would be 15 mins of warnings and disclaimers.  All Mankind on apple is very watchable probably peaking with the moon base series