In praise of...Johnny Fordham

[Royal With Cheese]

Loving both Kebe's honest assesment of the season and that he backs McDermott fully.

[SPARTA]

No, I mean he's literally lost the dressing room - he's forgotten where it is and is therefore unable to give any pre-match teamtalks, hence all the players running around totally devoid of any tactics or plan.

No, I think the problem is he knows where the dressing room is and he keeps giving team talks.

[Hoop Blah]

Loving both Kebe's honest assesment of the season and that he backs McDermott fully.

Agreed.

The cynic in me questions why he's come out and given this interview just before the transfer window opens and off the back of being on the end of that investment himself last year. The only other interview I can remember him making was the 'give me a contract or I'm off one' in January.

I'd like to think he's done this one to back McDermott up and give the club another nudge about getting in new players, but I'm not 100% convinced that's the case. Either way, it's too little too late and his contribution this season has been part of the problem too so 'glass houses' and all that springs to mind.

It's also very interesting to hear him come out and say they basically know they aren't good enough. That's possibly part of the problem, they don't really believe all the bullshit we read and hear about them being here to compete etc etc. They've possibly given up themselves. When we got relegated last time I think the players had given up on the club a bit because we didn't show enough ambition to play in Europe. This time around it feels like they've accepted the club haven't done enough to give them the tools to stay up.

[Royal Lady]

I think JK is off in January and already knows it - hence he doesn't mind having a pop at AZ.

[Royal With Cheese]

I think JK is off in January and already knows it - hence he doesn't mind having a pop at AZ.

Really?

I can't see anyone coming in for him bearing in mind he's now tied into a decent contract and he's hardly played this season.

[Millsy]

This is what I mean. Deep down you must know his position is untenable - you just can't/won't face up to it. Nobody in their right mind could look at the current clusterfuck situation he has created and think "yep, he's up to the job".

Nonsense.

Placing blame on a man who's meant to keep us in the Prem on a shoestring budget is laughable. Even the players are now risking their jobs by saying it's the fault of TSI.

I could retort with "deep down you must know Anton's position is untenable" etc but thats pointless.

We know there's not a single scapegoat here, its been a catalogue of mishaps, finances and bad luck that has left us where we are now in the relegation zone- incidentally where three clubs happen to be every season every year. As I say, no catastrophe, just a shame.

And in defence of Anton I don't recall him promising to keep us n the Prem, just that over the next few years we will be a prem team. If that means getting infrastructure sorted before focussing on the team then so be it, I'm not having a go at him. But to have a go at Brian is as I say quite laughable.

[Avon Royal]

This is what I mean. Deep down you must know his position is untenable - you just can't/won't face up to it. Nobody in their right mind could look at the current clusterfuck situation he has created and think "yep, he's up to the job".

Nonsense.

Placing blame on a man who's meant to keep us in the Prem on a shoestring budget is laughable. Even the players are now risking their jobs by saying it's the fault of TSI.

I could retort with "deep down you must know Anton's position is untenable" etc but thats pointless.

We know there's not a single scapegoat here, its been a catalogue of mishaps, finances and bad luck that has left us where we are now in the relegation zone- incidentally where three clubs happen to be every season every year. As I say, no catastrophe, just a shame.

And in defence of Anton I don't recall him promising to keep us n the Prem, just that over the next few years we will be a prem team. If that means getting infrastructure sorted before focussing on the team then so be it, I'm not having a go at him. But to have a go at Brian is as I say quite laughable.

The whole "it's not Brian's fault, he should have had more money" argument is fatally flawed by the fact that he has wasted all the money he has been given.

I agree that we should have spent more, I just also think that it ideally would have been someone other than McDermott spending it.

[Top Flight]

He hasn't wasted any money whatsoever. Who else would you have signed for a couple of million that are better than what we have? He has signed good championship players because he was given a championship budget.

[Top Flight]

This is what I mean. Deep down you must know his position is untenable - you just can't/won't face up to it. Nobody in their right mind could look at the current clusterfuck situation he has created and think "yep, he's up to the job".

Nonsense.

Placing blame on a man who's meant to keep us in the Prem on a shoestring budget is laughable. Even the players are now risking their jobs by saying it's the fault of TSI.

I could retort with "deep down you must know Anton's position is untenable" etc but thats pointless.

We know there's not a single scapegoat here, its been a catalogue of mishaps, finances and bad luck that has left us where we are now in the relegation zone- incidentally where three clubs happen to be every season every year. As I say, no catastrophe, just a shame.

And in defence of Anton I don't recall him promising to keep us n the Prem, just that over the next few years we will be a prem team. If that means getting infrastructure sorted before focussing on the team then so be it, I'm not having a go at him. But to have a go at Brian is as I say quite laughable.

The whole "it's not Brian's fault, he should have had more money" argument is fatally flawed by the fact that he has wasted all the money he has been given.

I agree that we should have spent more, I just also think that it ideally would have been someone other than McDermott spending it.

He hasn't wasted any money whatsoever. Who else would you have signed for a couple of million that are better than what we have? He has signed good championship players because he was given a championship budget.

[melonhead]

that argument is in itself fatally flawed.


we needed a right back who would compete with cummings. we got one.
we needed another midfielder,hopefully better, and different to what we had, we got one.


that they are no longer in the 1st team doesnt negate both of those facts.


for 4.5 million quid, we filled 6 vital positions in the squad, with some young and hungry reading type players, as well as bringing in a little premiere league experience.

[Avon Royal]

we needed a right back who would compete with cummings. we got one.
we needed another midfielder,hopefully better, and different to what we had, we got one.


that they are no longer in the 1st team doesnt negate both of those facts.

That's a pretty weak argument Brendy.

Players that never play are a waste of money full stop.

[melonhead]

we needed a right back who would compete with cummings. we got one.
we needed another midfielder,hopefully better, and different to what we had, we got one.


that they are no longer in the 1st team doesnt negate both of those facts.

That's a pretty weak argument Brendy.

Players that never play are a waste of money full stop.

@ never play
@ you

[Avon Royal]

we needed a right back who would compete with cummings. we got one.
we needed another midfielder,hopefully better, and different to what we had, we got one.


that they are no longer in the 1st team doesnt negate both of those facts.

That's a pretty weak argument Brendy.

Players that never play are a waste of money full stop.

@ never play
@ you

@ you

[RoyalBlue]

He hasn't wasted any money whatsoever. Who else would you have signed for a couple of million that are better than what we have? He has signed good championship players because he was given a championship budget.

Hasn't wasted any money whatsoever?

Whilst there may have been no fee for Pog and Guthrie, they would still have cost a lot to sign and are no doubt costing a fortune in wages.

Therefore McDermott wasted a considerable sum of money on two players that he hardly ever plays and, when he does, don't fit into his style of play.

He might also have signed better players than McCleary, Mariappa and Gunter - perhaps by spending that money on different players or buying two instead of three for higher fees.

He very much has wasted money.

[No Fixed Abode]

He's just made himself look a right mug in twitter! Just before City scored.....

Jonny Fordham ‏@JonnyFordham
Aguero storms through and fires into the side netting - City fans pouring out of the stadium. #readingfc fans will celebrate this like a win

[moonwalklikebas]

Hes a total bell-end

[Mike Hunt]

ok bud

[LoyalRoyal22]

Johnny Fordham >>>> Tim Dellor

[North Somerset Royal]

His Twitter feed is certainly more reliable and accurate than Dellors commentary and the club official TF. Generlly first with the real story like today

. @JonnyFordham: Had it confirmed form a source that, as expected, rumours linking Welbeck with a loan move to #readingfc from #mufc are nonsense

[melonhead]

johnny fordham- in no way are we in for adam le fondre - about an hour before he signed