I believe Macron are the ones responsible for the 150th anniversary shirt for Reading FC and that one was very popular with their fans. Macron definitely have it in them to do a good job of this, it just depends on what the club allows them to do.

Batth is out of contract. I don't see 3 at the back but has Elliott Jackson pointed out last night he could play left side midfielder like Ismael wanted to do with Owen Beck. Hopefully not, good solid player.

Just saw earlier that Uriah Rennie has died at the age of 65. Quite saddened and shocked by that to be honest. Along with being a referee he was a martial arts black belt I believe. He was a shit ref though.

Only if he's smoking synnies

Someone on Instagram has said that De Neve 'looks like a stoner from Rishton' 😅.

Maybe, is he actually good though? I'm not convinced

Why would there be no signings?

But quick and two-footed so there’s positives too.

Funds that were transferred under the guise of being for the club, were diverted and used for other purposes, so yes you are right. What some people are saying is that the club, are not under investigation, which is true, but logic tells us that the owners being under investigation and ultimately being forced to provide a bond, which seems to have, made them reluctant to send funds, is bound to have an affect on the club.

Probably his best position. He doesn’t have the pace or crossing ability for a wing back in a back 3 formation.

Potentially to be used at left centre back? In a back 3 ofc.

I wonder if any of those locals know he's been pissing off locals in another town halfway across the world for nearly 15 years now.

Could Pickering perhaps be going?

CF playing in a 2, running onto things in the channels I'd guess.

Another wide player that can't cross.

“ Puma “ back then were made in West Germany. Top quality boots. As you say real leather.

Definitely looks like a LWB more than a LB...Looks quite handy going forward and does seem like he has abit of pace.

46 games. Sure we’ll play plenty of them with 4 at the back, but it appears he wants the option of wing backs

You can give up on the league in December when the three relegated teams are already confirmed in November. Last season was the most pathetic season of football there has ever been. So boring, so predictable, such low quality from top to bottom. And I'm not just talking about the premier league there, that's across the whole of Europe at minimum. Just another glaring example of how selling off your culture to billionaires and multinational conglomerates leads to nothing other than an end product that is at best mediocre and completely toxic at the worst whilst also being massively overpriced and overhyped.

They've already used the emergency payday loans once, no reason they won't do it again. Also, am I reading that ED press release right? That 3.3m that was supposedly sent to VLL for the club was instead diverted to invest in Akon's music company? If that's the case - surely the line that "the case doesn't involve/affect the club" is nonsense. Balaji still hanging out with Akon. He had him at his birthday party in December that led to a bunch of complaints from angry locals: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/case-against-organisers-of-pune-bash-featuring-shankar-mahadevan-akon-2647944-2024-12-10

Assuming no signings, perhaps Ismael is aiming for something like: Toth Hyam. Batth, Wharton Brittain, Trav, Tron, Ribeiro Cantwell, Kargbo Ohashi

Exactly, you surely cant just absolve yourself of any responsibility in the league. Trophies are more important than anything so I do think that their season has to be seen as more successful and more memorable than the 16 years (?) prior. That being said, merely just winning that trophy doesnt automatically mean that he must be the manager best placed to go forward. Its not even as if they finished 9th or 10th and won a cup where there might be an argument to justify keeping him, a team who more often than not finishes in the top 6 finished 17th, thats not a minor underperformance. The league is the best barometer when deciding and they did pathetically, humiliatingly badly. The cup win doesnt mean that he is going to repeatedly win trophies either, they wont be in that competition for a start but cups unlike leagues are much more influenced by luck. I think him going benefits everyone. The fans will forget how shockingly badly they did in the league and he can go as a hero with a big pay out, and the club can potentially get someone to get the players performing on a far more consistent basis in line with where they should be at based on the squad and resources.

eh? Not at all. Wouldn't surprise he we play him wide right or left tbh.

I suspect that defenders are cheaper than forwards, can imagine a situation where Kargbo and Cantwell play behind Ohashi/Gueye as a 3. Saves us buying more expensive wingers to replace Dolan etc. Worth bearing in mind most of Kargbo's best performances as Cesena actually came playing as a 10 not a winger.