FatSpanishWaiter
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- Jan 15, 2010
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Started the game unemployed with a vision of becoming a club's hero around December time when they are struggling near the foot of the table. I was offered several jobs including Deportivo, Tranmere and Fulham, but none of these quite tickled me fancy. Then, on the 6th January 2010, exactly what I was looking for !
Reading Approach Yogi Bear
After a quick glance at the squad and the league position (22nd) I knew this was the club for me. With a great history, they were only playing in the Premier League a few years ago, I could really see myself taking this club back to the top where they belong.
I instantly stamped my authority on the team making plenty of transfers on just my first day at the club. I could see big ego's who didnt deserve to be at this club who were earning big wages, so this was the priority. Here are the transfers that were made on that memorable day for Royals fans:
Noel Hunt sold to Porto for £2m
Julian Kelly sold to Coventry for £975k
Inigo Calderon sold to Tenerife for £500k
Gregorz Raziak sold to West Ham for £240k
Jimmy Kebe sold to Porto for £2.5m
All together, £6.25m was brough in, which is a huge sum of money considering we only had £150k in the balance when I took over.
In order to cover the losses, I brought in several loan signings. I didn't see the need to go spending money, as the aim for this year was just to stay in the division so the money would be better saved for the summer.
Hayden Mullins on loan
Gael Kakuta on loan
Isaiah Osbourne on loan
Dan Gosling on loan
Tom Cleverley on loan
Marcus Bent on loan
Richard Hughes on loan
Henri Lansbury on loan
Gabriel Obertan on loan
Salif Diao for £230k
A good blend of youth and experience to shake the squad up. And it worked. We mananaged to work our way up the table putting a run of 5 games unbeaten together near the end of the season. We finished in 18th place and the board were delighted with where we finished.
Now though, the real business started. Taking this club back to the top.
The board only requested that we Consolidate this season, but I was feeling optimistic and said we would at least achieve a top half finish. The club gave me a massive budget of £120k to spend and a very small wage budget, so it was apparent that loan signings and free transfers were going to be the dish of the day again.
Many players left the club, raising a massive £11.25m in total. Here are the departed players :
Jay Tabb to Bolton for £2m
Brian Howard to Fulham for £1.4m
Chris Armstrong to Bolton for £2.9m
Hal Robson-Kanu to Everton for £1.5m
Marek Matejovsky to Standard for £3.5m
Some reserve players also left on free transfers, in order to free up some wage budget and clear space for new players to come in.
The board gave me almost 50% of any transfer incomings to spend on players, so I had some money to play with at last.
Gary Hooper from Scunthorpe £1.5m - Top goalscorer in the Championship last season, even though Scunthorpe were relegated.
Jay Simpson on loan
Guille Franco on a free
David N'Gog on loan
David Gray on a free
Nemanja Matic on loan
Felipe Caicedo on loan
Havard Nordtveri on loan
Corry Evans on a free
Nacer Barazite on loan
Adam Eckersley on a free
Jaume Costa for £450k
Joe Allen for £2.5m
Kyle Naughton on loan
Andrew Driver on loan
Many of the loanees were only for 3 months, to ensure we got a good start to the season. I am confident the players at the club are good enough to carry on any form we can pick up.
We will be using 2 tactics this season, an attacking 4-4-2 at home, and a tough to beat counter attacking 4-1-2-2-1 away from home. With the pacey attacking players in the squad this should work well.
Coca Cola Championship - Match 1
Leeds 1 v 1 Reading - Becchio (14), Caicedo (17)
Good performance considering a lot of the players are new to the squad and will need time to settle. Should have won the match having the better of possesion and shots on target.
English League Cup - Round 1
Oxford 0 v 4 Reading - McAnuff (33), Pearce (40), Sigurdsson (65) and Franco (92)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 2
Reading 4 v 1 Watford - N'Gog (2,21), Caicedo (41) McAnuff (67), O'Toole (93)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 3
Ipswich 3 - 1 Reading - Priskin (37), Ayoze (63), Nordtveit O.G.(81), Karacan (13)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 4
Reading 2 - 2 Bristol City - Mills (35), Matic (59), Federici O.G. (11), Jutkiewicz (57)
Enlgish League Cup - Round 2
Barnsley 1 - 4 Reading - Hume (54), Ingimarsson (1), Franco (48,57), Harper (76)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 5
Swansea City 1 - 3 Reading - Lopez (49), Harper (18), Ingimarsson (39), Naughton (88)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 6
Reading 3 - 1 Southampton - Franco (4,50), Henry (38), Rowe (47)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 7
Blackpool 0 - 4 Reading - Pearce (45), Harper (61), Driver (79), Hooper (87)
So far so good. Into the 3rd round of the League Cup where we have a home tie against Premier League side Hull and we are sitting 3rd in the Championship. Think we have a great chance of reaching the playoffs if we can keep this form up.
I hope you will follow my story.
Reading Approach Yogi Bear
After a quick glance at the squad and the league position (22nd) I knew this was the club for me. With a great history, they were only playing in the Premier League a few years ago, I could really see myself taking this club back to the top where they belong.
I instantly stamped my authority on the team making plenty of transfers on just my first day at the club. I could see big ego's who didnt deserve to be at this club who were earning big wages, so this was the priority. Here are the transfers that were made on that memorable day for Royals fans:
Noel Hunt sold to Porto for £2m
Julian Kelly sold to Coventry for £975k
Inigo Calderon sold to Tenerife for £500k
Gregorz Raziak sold to West Ham for £240k
Jimmy Kebe sold to Porto for £2.5m
All together, £6.25m was brough in, which is a huge sum of money considering we only had £150k in the balance when I took over.
In order to cover the losses, I brought in several loan signings. I didn't see the need to go spending money, as the aim for this year was just to stay in the division so the money would be better saved for the summer.
Hayden Mullins on loan
Gael Kakuta on loan
Isaiah Osbourne on loan
Dan Gosling on loan
Tom Cleverley on loan
Marcus Bent on loan
Richard Hughes on loan
Henri Lansbury on loan
Gabriel Obertan on loan
Salif Diao for £230k
A good blend of youth and experience to shake the squad up. And it worked. We mananaged to work our way up the table putting a run of 5 games unbeaten together near the end of the season. We finished in 18th place and the board were delighted with where we finished.
Now though, the real business started. Taking this club back to the top.
The board only requested that we Consolidate this season, but I was feeling optimistic and said we would at least achieve a top half finish. The club gave me a massive budget of £120k to spend and a very small wage budget, so it was apparent that loan signings and free transfers were going to be the dish of the day again.
Many players left the club, raising a massive £11.25m in total. Here are the departed players :
Jay Tabb to Bolton for £2m
Brian Howard to Fulham for £1.4m
Chris Armstrong to Bolton for £2.9m
Hal Robson-Kanu to Everton for £1.5m
Marek Matejovsky to Standard for £3.5m
Some reserve players also left on free transfers, in order to free up some wage budget and clear space for new players to come in.
The board gave me almost 50% of any transfer incomings to spend on players, so I had some money to play with at last.
Gary Hooper from Scunthorpe £1.5m - Top goalscorer in the Championship last season, even though Scunthorpe were relegated.
Jay Simpson on loan
Guille Franco on a free
David N'Gog on loan
David Gray on a free
Nemanja Matic on loan
Felipe Caicedo on loan
Havard Nordtveri on loan
Corry Evans on a free
Nacer Barazite on loan
Adam Eckersley on a free
Jaume Costa for £450k
Joe Allen for £2.5m
Kyle Naughton on loan
Andrew Driver on loan
Many of the loanees were only for 3 months, to ensure we got a good start to the season. I am confident the players at the club are good enough to carry on any form we can pick up.
We will be using 2 tactics this season, an attacking 4-4-2 at home, and a tough to beat counter attacking 4-1-2-2-1 away from home. With the pacey attacking players in the squad this should work well.
Coca Cola Championship - Match 1
Leeds 1 v 1 Reading - Becchio (14), Caicedo (17)
Good performance considering a lot of the players are new to the squad and will need time to settle. Should have won the match having the better of possesion and shots on target.
English League Cup - Round 1
Oxford 0 v 4 Reading - McAnuff (33), Pearce (40), Sigurdsson (65) and Franco (92)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 2
Reading 4 v 1 Watford - N'Gog (2,21), Caicedo (41) McAnuff (67), O'Toole (93)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 3
Ipswich 3 - 1 Reading - Priskin (37), Ayoze (63), Nordtveit O.G.(81), Karacan (13)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 4
Reading 2 - 2 Bristol City - Mills (35), Matic (59), Federici O.G. (11), Jutkiewicz (57)
Enlgish League Cup - Round 2
Barnsley 1 - 4 Reading - Hume (54), Ingimarsson (1), Franco (48,57), Harper (76)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 5
Swansea City 1 - 3 Reading - Lopez (49), Harper (18), Ingimarsson (39), Naughton (88)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 6
Reading 3 - 1 Southampton - Franco (4,50), Henry (38), Rowe (47)
Coca Cola Championship - Match 7
Blackpool 0 - 4 Reading - Pearce (45), Harper (61), Driver (79), Hooper (87)
So far so good. Into the 3rd round of the League Cup where we have a home tie against Premier League side Hull and we are sitting 3rd in the Championship. Think we have a great chance of reaching the playoffs if we can keep this form up.
I hope you will follow my story.