DavesaRam

Well if that is Paul Warne hoofball, bring it on! It was a very enjoyable watch and we gave a good account of ourselves for 80 of the 90 minutes. All three goals against were from our sloppy play - it isn't as though Sheffield United ripped us apart. They did create a couple of good chances, but that was all.
We are certainly showing more aggression and bite in our tackles, and more threatening with crosses and corners, all a plus on recent seasons. To me though, Nelson had a few wobbles with the ball in defence, and Waghorn did his "trapping a bag of cement" impression on one occasion, although otherwise he actually looks like a footballer, so may well do well in this League.
I am taking a different view about Hourihane than most - yes he can be quite creative, but several times in his pre-season he has been guilty of just lumping the ball high and long, more in hope of it reaching one of our players than actually passing the ball. And he often misses the obvious defence splitter, opting to turn and go the opposite way, or backwards. So instead of the creative edge, he ends up breaking up our play, stifling the chance of surging forwards. Just my opinion, mind.
And regards Tommo, caymanram said it well with this: "To be fair he’s up against a quality of player he won’t meet in League 1. His attacking contributions looked good, and I hope he doesn't get a season of being played out of position, or kept on the bench, because pre-season has shown that he has plenty to offer. Your observation also leads us to why it was good to end our pre-season against such strong opposition. Regardless of the result, we won't come up against that quality of performance in League One, apart from maybe just one or two. I think we are looking good for a fun season! Whether we actually have enough to get the job done I have no idea, but I am looking forwards to being there to yell my head off for them!
COME ON YOU RAMS!

Well if that is Paul Warne hoofball, bring it on! It was a very enjoyable watch and we gave a good account of ourselves for 80 of the 90 minutes. All three goals against were from our sloppy play - it isn't as though Sheffield United ripped us apart. They did create a couple of good chances, but that was all.
We are certainly showing more aggression and bite in our tackles, and more threatening with crosses and corners, all a plus on recent seasons. To me though, Nelson had a few wobbles with the ball in defence, and Waghorn did his "trapping a bag of cement" impression on one occasion, although otherwise he actually looks like a footballer, so may well do well in this League.
I am taking a different view about Hourihane than most - yes he can be quite creative, but several times in his pre-season he has been guilty of just lumping the ball high and long, more in hope of it reaching one of our players than actually passing the ball. And he often misses the obvious defence splitter, opting to turn and go the opposite way, or backwards. So instead of the creative edge, he ends up breaking up our play, stifling the chance of surging forwards. Just my opinion, mind.
And regards Tommo, caymanram said it well with this: "To be fair he’s up against a quality of player he won’t meet in League 1. His attacking contributions looked good, and I hope he doesn't get a season of being played out of position, or kept on the bench, because pre-season has shown that he has plenty to offer. Your observation also leads us to why it was good to end our pre-season against such strong opposition. Regardless of the result, we won't come up against that quality of performance in League One, apart from maybe just one or two. I think we are looking good for a fun season! Whether we actually have enough to get the job done I have no idea, but I am looking forwards to being there to yell my head off for them!
COME ON YOU RAMS!

Well if that is Paul Warne hoofball, bring it on! It was a very enjoyable watch and we gave a good account of ourselves for 80 of the 90 minutes. All three goals against were from our sloppy play - it isn't as though Sheffield United ripped us apart. They did create a couple of good chances, but that was all.
We are certainly showing more aggression and bite in our tackles, and more threatening with crosses and corners, all a plus on recent seasons. To me though, Nelson had a few wobbles with the ball in defence, and Waghorn did his "trapping a bag of cement" impression on one occasion, although otherwise he actually looks like a footballer, so may well do well in this League.
I am taking a different view about Hourihane than most - yes he can be quite creative, but several times in his pre-season he has been guilty of just lumping the ball high and long, more in hope of it reaching one of our players than actually passing the ball. And he often misses the obvious defence splitter, opting to turn and go the opposite way, or backwards. So instead of the creative edge, he ends up breaking up our play, stifling the chance of surging forwards. Just my opinion, mind.
And regards Tommo, caymanram said it well with this: "To be fair he’s up against a quality of player he won’t meet in League 1. His attacking contributions looked good, and I hope he doesn't get a season of being played out of position, or kept on the bench, because pre-season has shown that he has plenty to offer. Your observation also leads us to why it was good to end our pre-season against such strong opposition. Regardless of the result, we won't come up against that quality of performance in League One, apart from maybe just one or two. I think we are looking good for a fun season! Whether we actually have enough to get the job done I have no idea, but I am looking forwards to being there to yell my head off for them!
COME ON YOU RAMS!

Well if that is Paul Warne hoofball, bring it on! It was a very enjoyable watch and we gave a good account of ourselves for 80 of the 90 minutes. All three goals against were from our sloppy play - it isn't as though Sheffield United ripped us apart. They did create a couple of good chances, but that was all.
We are certainly showing more aggression and bite in our tackles, and more threatening with crosses and corners, all a plus on recent seasons. To me though, Nelson had a few wobbles with the ball in defence, and Waghorn did his "trapping a bag of cement" impression on one occasion, although otherwise he actually looks like a footballer, so may well do well in this League.
I am taking a different view about Hourihane than most - yes he can be quite creative, but several times in his pre-season he has been guilty of just lumping the ball high and long, more in hope of it reaching one of our players than actually passing the ball. And he often misses the obvious defence splitter, opting to turn and go the opposite way, or backwards. So instead of the creative edge, he ends up breaking up our play, stifling the chance of surging forwards. Just my opinion, mind.
And regards Tommo, caymanram said it well with this: "To be fair he’s up against a quality of player he won’t meet in League 1. His attacking contributions looked good, and I hope he doesn't get a season of being played out of position, or kept on the bench, because pre-season has shown that he has plenty to offer. Your observation also leads us to why it was good to end our pre-season against such strong opposition. Regardless of the result, we won't come up against that quality of performance in League One, apart from maybe just one or two. I think we are looking good for a fun season! Whether we actually have enough to get the job done I have no idea, but I am looking forwards to being there to yell my head off for them!
COME ON YOU RAMS!

Well if that is Paul Warne hoofball, bring it on! It was a very enjoyable watch and we gave a good account of ourselves for 80 of the 90 minutes. All three goals against were from our sloppy play - it isn't as though Sheffield United ripped us apart. They did create a couple of good chances, but that was all.
We are certainly showing more aggression and bite in our tackles, and more threatening with crosses and corners, all a plus on recent seasons. To me though, Nelson had a few wobbles with the ball in defence, and Waghorn did his "trapping a bag of cement" impression on one occasion, although otherwise he actually looks like a footballer, so may well do well in this League.
I am taking a different view about Hourihane than most - yes he can be quite creative, but several times in his pre-season he has been guilty of just lumping the ball high and long, more in hope of it reaching one of our players than actually passing the ball. And he often misses the obvious defence splitter, opting to turn and go the opposite way, or backwards. So instead of the creative edge, he ends up breaking up our play, stifling the chance of surging forwards. Just my opinion, mind.
And regards Tommo, caymanram said it well with this: "To be fair he’s up against a quality of player he won’t meet in League 1. His attacking contributions looked good, and I hope he doesn't get a season of being played out of position, or kept on the bench, because pre-season has shown that he has plenty to offer. Your observation also leads us to why it was good to end our pre-season against such strong opposition. Regardless of the result, we won't come up against that quality of performance in League One, apart from maybe just one or two. I think we are looking good for a fun season! Whether we actually have enough to get the job done I have no idea, but I am looking forwards to being there to yell my head off for them!
COME ON YOU RAMS!

Well if that is Paul Warne hoofball, bring it on! It was a very enjoyable watch and we gave a good account of ourselves for 80 of the 90 minutes. All three goals against were from our sloppy play - it isn't as though Sheffield United ripped us apart. They did create a couple of good chances, but that was all.
We are certainly showing more aggression and bite in our tackles, and more threatening with crosses and corners, all a plus on recent seasons. To me though, Nelson had a few wobbles with the ball in defence, and Waghorn did his "trapping a bag of cement" impression on one occasion, although otherwise he actually looks like a footballer, so may well do well in this League.
I am taking a different view about Hourihane than most - yes he can be quite creative, but several times in his pre-season he has been guilty of just lumping the ball high and long, more in hope of it reaching one of our players than actually passing the ball. And he often misses the obvious defence splitter, opting to turn and go the opposite way, or backwards. So instead of the creative edge, he ends up breaking up our play, stifling the chance of surging forwards. Just my opinion, mind.
And regards Tommo, caymanram said it well with this: "To be fair he’s up against a quality of player he won’t meet in League 1. His attacking contributions looked good, and I hope he doesn't get a season of being played out of position, or kept on the bench, because pre-season has shown that he has plenty to offer. Your observation also leads us to why it was good to end our pre-season against such strong opposition. Regardless of the result, we won't come up against that quality of performance in League One, apart from maybe just one or two. I think we are looking good for a fun season! Whether we actually have enough to get the job done I have no idea, but I am looking forwards to being there to yell my head off for them!
COME ON YOU RAMS!

Well if that is Paul Warne hoofball, bring it on! It was a very enjoyable watch and we gave a good account of ourselves for 80 of the 90 minutes. All three goals against were from our sloppy play - it isn't as though Sheffield United ripped us apart. They did create a couple of good chances, but that was all.
We are certainly showing more aggression and bite in our tackles, and more threatening with crosses and corners, all a plus on recent seasons. To me though, Nelson had a few wobbles with the ball in defence, and Waghorn did his "trapping a bag of cement" impression on one occasion, although otherwise he actually looks like a footballer, so may well do well in this League.
I am taking a different view about Hourihane than most - yes he can be quite creative, but several times in his pre-season he has been guilty of just lumping the ball high and long, more in hope of it reaching one of our players than actually passing the ball. And he often misses the obvious defence splitter, opting to turn and go the opposite way, or backwards. So instead of the creative edge, he ends up breaking up our play, stifling the chance of surging forwards. Just my opinion, mind.
And regards Tommo, caymanram said it well with this: "To be fair he’s up against a quality of player he won’t meet in League 1. His attacking contributions looked good, and I hope he doesn't get a season of being played out of position, or kept on the bench, because pre-season has shown that he has plenty to offer. Your observation also leads us to why it was good to end our pre-season against such strong opposition. Regardless of the result, we won't come up against that quality of performance in League One, apart from maybe just one or two. I think we are looking good for a fun season! Whether we actually have enough to get the job done I have no idea, but I am looking forwards to being there to yell my head off for them!
COME ON YOU RAMS!

Well if that is Paul Warne hoofball, bring it on! It was a very enjoyable watch and we gave a good account of ourselves for 80 of the 90 minutes. All three goals against were from our sloppy play - it isn't as though Sheffield United ripped us apart. They did create a couple of good chances, but that was all.
We are certainly showing more aggression and bite in our tackles, and more threatening with crosses and corners, all a plus on recent seasons. To me though, Nelson had a few wobbles with the ball in defence, and Waghorn did his "trapping a bag of cement" impression on one occasion, although otherwise he actually looks like a footballer, so may well do well in this League.
I am taking a different view about Hourihane than most - yes he can be quite creative, but several times in his pre-season he has been guilty of just lumping the ball high and long, more in hope of it reaching one of our players than actually passing the ball. And he often misses the obvious defence splitter, opting to turn and go the opposite way, or backwards. So instead of the creative edge, he ends up breaking up our play, stifling the chance of surging forwards. Just my opinion, mind.
And regards Tommo, caymanram said it well with this: "To be fair he’s up against a quality of player he won’t meet in League 1. His attacking contributions looked good, and I hope he doesn't get a season of being played out of position, or kept on the bench, because pre-season has shown that he has plenty to offer. Your observation also leads us to why it was good to end our pre-season against such strong opposition. Regardless of the result, we won't come up against that quality of performance in League One, apart from maybe just one or two. I think we are looking good for a fun season! Whether we actually have enough to get the job done I have no idea, but I am looking forwards to being there to yell my head off for them!
COME ON YOU RAMS!

No, but he does have a dirty raincoat and is not afraid to use it.

I haven't voted because the options are too polarised.
However, I would obviously prefer to see us winning playing attractive football. I was a bit fed up during Rowett's run to the playoffs, for example, because I knew those players were capable of so much better! 
I thought Warne would play much more pragmatic football than he has so far, tbh. But I did see some great attacking moves and not as much spoiling of play as I expected last season. We didn't really have those sort of players, thankfully. When we did resort to hoofball it was because we didn't have the speed of play yo break down an opponent.
This season my expectations aren't set to one sort of style or another. I think we'll be set up to defend leads etc and will therefore expect a bit less artistry at times. But as long as we have a team with Bird, Hourihane,  Mendez-Laing in it, we're going to see some football being played on the deck, so I'm not too worried.
I really like the fast transitions, and don't feel the need to moan when this sort of play breaks down, because I can see what we're trying to do. 

Do you really believe he needs forgiving for last season?

I don’t think you’ll get unattractive football. Think the pole is loaded.
Warne ball is ok. It’s isn’t fancy Dan play out from the back wannabe prem ( which is unlikely to work in L1)
its mix and match, pragmatic, within the skill set of the players available. It isn’t and doesn’t want to be hoofball.
I’m going with the flow and not getting in to polarised us and them games which are counter productive 

A couple of perms?

Interesting last couple of pages. Can you begin to imagine the s**** that might be flying if we were all having a similar wheeze at the Prophet Mohammed.

FTFY

And I saw Joe Lolley who was running off with a trolley 🤷‍♂️ (from Sainsburys, not Homebase)

That a striker has been signed perhaps 🤔 

Although in front of goal his feet are made of sponge!

Doesn't matter how many we've sold. The only important thing is how much we get behind the team on the first game.
COYR. 🐏

Max Bird, played in a more advanced position compared to how he's been used (or mis-used) so far, is more than capable of fulfilling that midfield role. We need to take the shackles off him.

I look forward to him taking 200 shots on goal to do it. 

Yeah don’t like to see other fans in turmoil.
However the way Reading have been treated with kid gloves by the EFL sticks in the craw!

I hope not (c) I’d rather go in to the season short of a striker than lose Cash. He’s a bedrock foundation and needs to go up with Derby County. 

@ollycutts1982 - already addressed that I believe. Guess my thinking was that I remember him as a bit of a step down from Powell, all views are personal and all that. Same with Spencer Prior, he just had a hard act to follow (though I actually liked Prior, strangely more than many around me).
Maybe that's the next thread - players who everyone else seemed to despise / dislike / get irritated by and you quite liked them. McGovern would be a good example of that. Couple of other examples, I quite liked Craig Fagan - he was one of the few in that team who was able to challenge an opponent and get a cross in. Same with Weimann, always thought he never got the chance he probably deserved and his tenure with Bristol City has proved that.

I did say it was probably an unpopular opinion! I struggled with a lot of our signings around that time - just seemed to be money-motivated and there were lots of rumours about brown envelopes.
He was prob on bench 'cos he was a fat git so couldn't last 90 typically. I just remember him standing around and then when he did have the occasional run everyone would wet themselves. Not doubting his talent but I if you asked the players of the time (as I did) they'd say he was not a great pro.