Reading FC - The Record Breaking Royals (FM24)

[Jogo Bonito]

A new career at a nothing club in the 3rd tier of English football - a really boring choice right?

But beneath the hood, herein lies a club that has a long and (until recently) proud history.

Formed in 1871, it is one of the oldest football clubs in the world, but The Royals (so nicknamed as they are from the Royal County of Berkshire) have never been remarkable. Most of their existence has been spent in the 3rd and 4th tiers, but since 2001/02 they've been 2nd tier stalwarts. Within that period they have also enjoyed their only three top flight years (2006/07 and 2007/08 then 2012/13). 

But after becoming perennial relegation battlers, the 2022/23 season finally delivered what was well overdue - relegation back to the 3rd tier. Locals thought this was rock-bottom, only to be 'entertained' by even greater depression as they have endured a torrid 2023/24 campaign spent largely in the relegation zone of League One. Remarkably results have improved in recent weeks, and a further relegation back to the 4th tier may just be avoided. But that shouldn't really be seen as something to celebrate.

Since 2017, the disastrous stewardship of Chinese owner Dai Yongge has seen the club lurch from one crisis to another. He's already been responsible for the closure of clubs in Belgium and China, so he certainly has 'form' in football failure. In 2023/24, all sorts of fan protests have been arranged to try and force the owner to sell, and hopefully this will happen before administration or even liquidation come calling.

So, what records does this club hold? Well, the latest can be proudly attached to the current owner's tenure. Yes, Reading are the only club in history to have points deductions in three successive campaigns. Last year this saw them relegated (excusing the fact they were awful and deserved it), and this year they must overcome a four point deduction after regular non-payment of wages to players & staff, and failure to pay HMRC tax on time. Other clubs have had bigger penalties than this, but to be so inept over such a sustained period is quite an achievement. The club also hasn't been able to sign players for a fee (and above a strict wage cap) for more windows than a glazing company have seen in a lifetime, and this will continue until 31st December 2024.

Before this period, the club was seen as a prime example of a well-run smaller club and in better days their records tended to be of a positive nature. The club still  holds the record for the number of successive league wins at the start of a season, with a total of 13 wins at the start of the 1985/86 (3rd tier) campaign, and also the record number of points gained in a professional league season with 106 points in the 2005/06 Championship (2nd tier) season. 

So why are we here then? Well, firstly it's the only time in my FM days that the club has started outside of the top two tiers. So that's 'exciting' right?

Secondly, I have found a way via the PGE to make some subtle changes to the database that stop this opportunity being passed up. I want to rescue and revive Reading, but not by making it easier. I want to do this in 'The Reading Way', which was how the community club was often described during the admired era of Sir John Madejski. Free transfers and occasional non-paying loans will be the order of the day until at least 2025, and after that, all fee and wage decisions will be taken with 'sensible financial prudence' at the forefront.

Summary of Changes

1. The Chinese owners & Thai director have been removed. Deleted. It was not possible to manage the club and see their names there, even if they were ousted very quickly.
2. The club has been made 'fan-owned' with the chance of any external takeovers excluded as I don't want rich buyers to come along.
3. The full debt of £89 million that was payable to the owner on departure has been put in to a repayable bank loan over 20 years at 3% interest. I did not want the debt to just disappear as the club deserves to be financially restricted for many years to come. I've also removed the rich benefactor entry.
4. Mark Bowen (current DOF) has been inserted as Chairman (with no elections) of the new fan-owned club. He is one of the few good guys in a sorry story. 
5. I extended the transfer embargo from August 2023 to January 2025, but eventually removed it entirely as it was stopping the club being able to bring in loan players or sign players on approach to sign deals. In real life they can bring in loan players if paying no fee, and they can even sign attached players as long as they don't pay any fee, and I wanted to be able to do the same. I'll just make sure no transfer fees are paid until 1st January 2025 in order to keep it real.
6. The wage cap of £6k per week could not be limited in time via the PGE so would have remained forever. I have therefore removed the cap but will again personally make sure no new players earn more than £6k per week until at least 1st January 2025.
7. I very slightly reduced the club reputation score in the editor, but not by too much.
8. I've removed all staff that are no longer at the club (including the two made redundant recently).
9. I've not sold or removed the players that were sold behind the back of the Manager/DOF this winter. But if an offer comes in for them, I will probably allow the sale. This deprives me of income, but I wanted a few months out of players who featured in the first part of the season. 
10. I've abolished contracts for Dean Bouzanis and Sam Hutchinson. Bye bye to both of you.
11. I've deleted Rubén Sellés from the database, but the new manager of the club is effectively a clone of him*.

*He's made plenty of mistakes, like the 4222 formation that saw the club unable to play football for many months, the exclusion of certain players early on, the desire to play players in unsuited positions etc. But he deserves full credit for fronting up week in, week out to the media. Being the only person at the club willing to talk, and finally beginning to use the players in a way they could perform properly. All done with good grace, charm and selflessness. There was no other choice but to reward his clone with the Reading job in FM24.

Credit and thanks to @Stuniverse for some guidance on my set-up plans. Much appreciated.

Edited February 26 by Jogo Bonito

[Jogo Bonito]

Manager Announcement

A welcome to the new (old) manager, from the new Chairman (old DOF).

Club Profile

General Info

The transfer embargo mentioned will be manually applied until 1st January 2025 (finances are kept as insecure)

Edited February 26 by Jogo Bonito

[Jogo Bonito]

The Squad

Three goalkeepers, Button will be first choice if not injured, with Pereira and Boyce-Clarke (long-term successor) offering support

Much depth in defence, but many are youngsters and/or injured

Yiadom will be right-back with two from Holmes, Bindon, Abbey and Mbengue centrally, and Mola, Dorsett and McIntyre left-back options

In real life Abbey and McIntyre left in the winter window but will be used here, Holmes also left but is still at the club on a loan-back 

The formation being used in recent times is either a 4141 or 4231

Wing is the main man here, with Savage or Craig playing the more defensive role, Elliott is lightweight but good in attacking phases

Ejaria is long-term injured and does not want to stay (mutually terminated in real life)

Knibbs has been best as a central attacking midfielder (almost a shadow striker) so will play that role rather than on the wing

Azeez will be an inverted winger on the right, Mukairu and Vickers will roam from the left flank

Ehibhatiomhan will play centrally as lone striker until Smith gets fit, Ballard and Clarke will support

In reality, Vickers was also sold in the winter window and Ballard had a season-ending injury in the autumn and returned to parent club Southampton

Pre-Season Results

Mixed results here, but perhaps the last outing will be one to inspire the team when the real action starts

Edited February 26 by Jogo Bonito

[Stuniverse]

36 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Credit and thanks to @Stuniverse for some guidance on my set-up plans. Much appreciated.

You're very welcome.

I'm a lifelong Derby County supporter and, having gone through a -21 points deduction recently, Administration, near liquidation, and relegation from the Championship (Tier 2) to League One (Tier 3) recently... I will be following this save.

Good luck!

[Jogo Bonito]

7 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

You're very welcome.

I'm a lifelong Derby County supporter and, having gone through a -21 points deduction recently, Administration, near liquidation, and relegation from the Championship (Tier 2) to League One (Tier 3) recently... I will be following this save.

Good luck!

You could say we are in a Parallel-Stuniverse!

Hopefully Reading FC will come out of the mess and recover as Derby and Bolton are doing. Good to have your support!

[Stuniverse]

1 hour ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Pre-Season Results

Quite a mixed bag of pre-season results there, @Jogo Bonito

Good luck 🍀⚽️🤞

Edited February 26 by Stuniverse

[Jogo Bonito]

1 minute ago, Stuniverse said:

Quite a mixed bag of pre-season results there, @Jogo Bonito

Indeed. Squad review now updated, we cannot yet put out a strong and consistent line-up due to injuries. Hopefully that will improve.

[warlock]

One from the heart, eh? Wish you the best of  luck with this.

In truth, that squad looks better than I expected, although injuries are an obvious issue. May be a bit light in central midfield but good options elsewhere.

Hope you can right those wrongs 

[Jogo Bonito]

On 26/02/2024 at 23:41, warlock said:

One from the heart, eh? Wish you the best of  luck with this.

In truth, that squad looks better than I expected, although injuries are an obvious issue. May be a bit light in central midfield but good options elsewhere.

Hope you can right those wrongs 

Thanks for the support mate! The squad is young but good enough for League 1. Since creating this thread, there has been another two points deduction added in real life, but if I re-started every time the idiot owner harms the club like that, it would never get going.

 

Season 2023/24

Despite the injuries, it has been a good start to the season with an impressive number of wins

U21 winger Mamadi Camara was promoted to star on the opening day as the two-goal replacement for the injured Femi Azeez on the right-wing

Two late goals just about saw off League 2 outfit Forest Green Rovers in the EFL Cup in the first of three fixtures where we had plenty of struggles

Lewis Wing scored a late winner at Port Vale in a tough battle, and we only drew at home to a weak Cheltenham side next time out

But two more wins over Stevenage (home) and Exeter (away) keep the club in a much better league position than we expected by this stage

Last time out, Southampton dumped us out in Round 2 of the EFL Cup but we weren't really expecting much in that competition

The tally of nine points from five games is of course a result of the four point deduction, but it's a really strong start

Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan is filling in well for the yet-to-feature Sam Smith as a lone striker in our 4231 formation

Our other fit attacking midfielders (Paul Mukairu and Harvey Knibbs) also have two league returns too

The finance graph shows a small positive balance, but that will be negative soon as sponsorship & season ticket sales hide the crisis the club faces 

The original £89 million debt and additional interest leaves a current net debt of over £100 million with monthly repayments of £475k for 20 years

With the self-imposed transfer restrictions on the club until 1st January 2025, we made just one new signing in the summer transfer window

We had options in central midfield, but most were suited to the defensive-minded central midfield role and we needed somebody suited to the other role Wing plays

He is one of the most important players in the side, so the signing needed to be tactically suitable, cheap and also willing to accept limited minutes too

Arsenal's Miguel Azeez was a perfect solution with well-suited attributes costing only £600 per week in wages, and being the brother of winger Femi Azeez

Young right-back Sam Paul is nowhere near the first team squad and was allowed to join Oxford City on loan

We blocked many loan bids for other youngsters as we feel many will be useful assets during this campaign

The club has a bit of history with recruiting young Irish and American rookies, and one such pre-contract move has been set up for January 2024

We think Orlando City striker Duncan McGuire will be a good asset for the club, and his £2.9k weekly pay falls well within our new wage structure

We also expect that some of our more established attackers may be stolen in the winter, so the American seems sensible business for the future

We also need to try and reduce the wage budget further, so ideally Guinness-Walker and Dean will be leaving by the winter

Edited March 3 by Jogo Bonito

[warlock]

A good start, and I like that you've had a different PoM in every game. It does look like Kelvin (let's just agree to call him Kelvin ) will be very important to you.

[Jogo Bonito]

4 minutes ago, warlock said:

A good start, and I like that you've had a different PoM in every game. It does look like Kelvin (let's just agree to call him Kelvin ) will be very important to you.

Indeed, a good start even if some of those wins were left very late!

Kelvin flatters to deceive at times IRL but does have some ability and will be an asset for me, especially until Sam Smith is fit. Then he might have to share the left-attacker role with Paul Mukairu as he does in real life. Local commentators frequently just call him Kelvin E. as they butcher his name when trying to say it too. Some opposing fans also remarked a few months back that we had a 'wifi password' playing in attack, which has also led to certain fans nicknaming him 'Wifi' too. And an added note for you, his younger brother Princewell is now on the books of 'your Southampton' after leaving Reading about a year ago.

[warlock]

9 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

his younger brother Princewell is now on the books of 'your Southampton'

Ah, well... he was on the books. He was released back in 2024 when the youth staff advised me not to offer a new contract. He's now the top scorer for Bendel Insurance in Nigeria 

[AlfieLucas]

Goodluck with this journey. I live just down the motorway from them, so they're my biggest local team. So will be keeping an eye out.

[Jogo Bonito]

5 hours ago, warlock said:

Ah, well... he was on the books. He was released back in 2024 when the youth staff advised me not to offer a new contract. He's now the top scorer for Bendel Insurance in Nigeria 

Yes he isn't looking great inside the game. But I guess they'll be dancing in the streets of Bendel Insurance....

5 hours ago, AlfieLucas said:

Goodluck with this journey. I live just down the motorway from them, so they're my biggest local team. So will be keeping an eye out.

Thanks for the comment, it's good to have some interest in a club that doesn't really have much positive appeal at the moment.  

[Stuniverse]

Great start to the season, @Jogo Bonito

[Jogo Bonito]

8 hours ago, Stuniverse said:

Great start to the season, @Jogo Bonito

Thanks, yes better than expected to be fair. But also we are aware we had the rub of the green with a few late goals so the points tally is a little generous. 

[Hootieleece]

Good Luck with this. I hope you don't fall a foul of Prima Donna players whining about everything from playing time, wages, and the color of the lunchroom's walls like I have in my career update.

[Carambau]

Decent start to the season! This is looking good

 

[Jogo Bonito]

On 04/03/2024 at 20:37, Hootieleece said:

Good Luck with this. I hope you don't fall a foul of Prima Donna players whining about everything from playing time, wages, and the color of the lunchroom's walls like I have in my career update.

Thanks Hootie. And yes, I really hope at League 1 level in England we don't get too much of that nonsense. 

On 05/03/2024 at 14:17, Carambau said:

Decent start to the season! This is looking good

 

Thanks, good to have you around. On the pitch yes, all good. Off the pitch, it's still a shambles. But at least the ownership doesn't come up as a deterrent to my enthusiasm.

[Wanderer1877]

good luck mate, save looking good already! always had a bit of a soft spot for reading so hoping you can do great things there.

[Jogo Bonito]

33 minutes ago, Wanderer1877 said:

good luck mate, save looking good already! always had a bit of a soft spot for reading so hoping you can do great things there.

Thanks, very kind. It seems the point deduction wasn't a big handicap (unlike in real life where the first 3-4 months were quite shocking). But the real challenge will be trying to keep the club ticking along without being able to pay fees for any players until 2025. I see that as manageable, whether playing at League 1 or Championship level.

[Wanderer1877]

4 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Thanks, very kind. It seems the point deduction wasn't a big handicap (unlike in real life where the first 3-4 months were quite shocking). But the real challenge will be trying to keep the club ticking along without being able to pay fees for any players until 2025. I see that as manageable, whether playing at League 1 or Championship level.

i've got an issue with overspending as an fm player so i have only allowed myself to sign players for under 20 million a pop in my wolves save. great for the bank balance but things get hard on the pitch as it is the pl.

nowhere near the same level that you'll have to manage finances but still hard for someone who has operated as a chequebook manager since picking up fm in 2018!

i have never been brave enough to manage as a deducted team so hats off to you for that- just makes it more interesting than some other saves on here for me.

[Jogo Bonito]

7 minutes ago, Wanderer1877 said:

i've got an issue with overspending as an fm player so i have only allowed myself to sign players for under 20 million a pop in my wolves save. great for the bank balance but things get hard on the pitch as it is the pl.

nowhere near the same level that you'll have to manage finances but still hard for someone who has operated as a chequebook manager since picking up fm in 2018!

i have never been brave enough to manage as a deducted team so hats off to you for that- just makes it more interesting than some other saves on here for me.

Chequebook manager, that sounds like a brand new franchise idea. Alas, my wife got that copyright sorted nearly 20 years ago.

I made some PGE tweaks as mentioned in my intro, but not with the aim of making it easier. Lo and behold a few days after starting, the club got another points deduction (and maybe more to follow) so I was a bit disappointed I didn't start with -10 or -12 really. But I had invested too much time by then, so will be continuing.

Wolves are a good club, nice history, I managed them a few times back in League 1 days. A limit of £20 million per player is probably harder at your level than what I am doing to be fair. I'll be doing another update soon so hope it remains interesting 

Edited March 10 by Jogo Bonito

[Wanderer1877]

31 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Chequebook manager, that sounds like a brand new franchise idea. Alas, my wife got that copyright sorted nearly 20 years ago.

I made some PGE tweaks as mentioned in my intro, but not with the aim of making it easier. Lo and behold a few days after starting, the club got another points deduction (and maybe more to follow) so I was a bit disappointed I didn't start with -10 or -12 really. But I had invested too much time by then, so will be continuing.

Wolves are a good club, nice history, I managed them a few times back in League 1 days. A limit of £20 million per player is probably harder at your level than what I am doing to be fair. I'll be doing another update soon so hope it remains interesting 

yeah it's nice to see a non-fan mention our history, we seem to go under the radar but i think we are a genuinely historically 'big' club with the potential to win some stuff under o'neil!

i had been lacking motivation to play fm for a while now, but adding in some challenges (whether they are imposed by the game or yourself) does make it harder and more fun. looking forward to the update mate, i'm sure this'll be a long and memorable story.

[Jogo Bonito]

Season 2023/24

September was an inconsistent month with two league wins, three league defeats, and a comfortable Cup win

October started in a similar way as a 3-0 lead at Northampton was wiped out with three late goals pegging us back, and a defeat at Leyton Orient

But since then we had another Cup win and followed that up with four consecutive league wins, with late goals this time being in our favour

Next up will be FA Cup Round 1, where Wrexham roll in to town with their famous owners and ex-Reading legend Phil Parkinson in the dugout

Below shows the progress so far, and we have to be very happy with the early season form and results

The graph above doesn't hint too much about the financial troubles, so below show the debt & loans and projection details on 1st November 2023

Quite sensibly the club are cutting back on staff numbers too, so we still don't have an official Assistant Manager or adequate physio or scouting pools

However, after opting to keep the willing and available Steve Coppell away from this mess, we did land a talented Director of Football recently

The arrival of ex-Liverpool man Julian Ward is a real coup for a club in our position, and he should help us identify & recruit those free transfer gems we will need 

We can only assume he got bored after leaving Liverpool, and wanted to face the biggest challenge of his career

Edited March 10 by Jogo Bonito

[Jogo Bonito]

On 10/03/2024 at 21:30, Wanderer1877 said:

yeah it's nice to see a non-fan mention our history, we seem to go under the radar but i think we are a genuinely historically 'big' club with the potential to win some stuff under o'neil!

i had been lacking motivation to play fm for a while now, but adding in some challenges (whether they are imposed by the game or yourself) does make it harder and more fun. looking forward to the update mate, i'm sure this'll be a long and memorable story.

I'm a bit of a traditionalist, so those teams that used to be good and have a good following and history are still important even if they haven't won much/anything recently. Teams like Burnley, Preston, both Sheffield clubs etc.

In League 1 for example, and I know @Stuniverse will appreciate this, I see Derby as a much bigger club than Reading. Probably Bolton, Blackpool, Portsmouth and Charlton are too, 

Challenges and self-imposed rules are a good way to test yourself, so I agree with you there. If I am honest, I'd like to have found this first season as a relegation battle, but my players are playing like they should have done all season in reality, so we should be top-half at worst.

Edited March 19 by Jogo Bonito

[Wanderer1877]

not sure how i didn't catch this but ward is a HUGE addition for you! he will find you some gems.

[warlock]

2 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

late goals this time being in our favour

That never-say-die character can be invaluable at both ends of the table. Some good results so far, and a few players with an eye for goal.

We share an eye for staff, too - Mr Ward was one of my first hires for the Southampton scouting team and he could be a difference-maker, as you say.

[Stuniverse]

2 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

In League 1 for example, and I know @Stuniverse will appreciate this, I see Derby as a much bigger club than Reading. Probably Bolton, Blackpool, Portsmouth and Charlton are too, 

I sure do, @Jogo Bonito.

Apologies but I’m rooting for Derby County to go up as Champions with Reading automatically pro,outed as runners-up.

So far so good 😂⚽️🤣

[Alejandro_FM]

Great job bringing Julian Ward onboard. He's surprisingly attainable in FM. Do you intend to rely on him much? 

[Jogo Bonito]

On 10/03/2024 at 23:10, Wanderer1877 said:

not sure how i didn't catch this but ward is a HUGE addition for you! he will find you some gems.

Thanks. Ward is 'too good' for us and for that reason I almost didn't take him. I could have had Steve Coppell but out of respect to him, I didn't want to drag him back in to this mess.

On 10/03/2024 at 23:57, warlock said:

That never-say-die character can be invaluable at both ends of the table. Some good results so far, and a few players with an eye for goal.

We share an eye for staff, too - Mr Ward was one of my first hires for the Southampton scouting team and he could be a difference-maker, as you say.

I hadn't spotted that about Ward at Southampton. Yes late goals at both ends can massively impact results and league standing. More are going for us than against us at present, so it has to be a good thing.

On 11/03/2024 at 00:11, Stuniverse said:

I sure do, @Jogo Bonito.

Apologies but I’m rooting for Derby County to go up as Champions with Reading automatically pro,outed as runners-up.

So far so good 😂⚽️🤣

Apologies not needed 

Derby and Bolton are looking strong, no idea how Charlton (or Reading) are doing so well though. In contrast Portsmouth are below mid-table, which is odd.

On 16/03/2024 at 04:19, Alejandro_FM said:

Great job bringing Julian Ward onboard. He's surprisingly attainable in FM. Do you intend to rely on him much? 

Thanks, it seems Ward is a popular choice! I have a really odd way of recruitment so don't really use a DOF too much actually. I use players known to me or in my head to fill certain roles and positions, so don't really use in-game Scouts much either. If there is a player I am keen on, I check their online stats, learn about their character and watch highlight videos (YouTube and scouting type) to help me decide. Then I see if their FM attributes & performances (and VFM of fee/wages) make them worth trying to sign. The 'character test' stopped me signing an Assistant Manager that I would otherwise have taken in fact.

Also we are on a no-fee policy until 2025, and wage capped at £6k per week until at least then, so transfer moves will have to be smart and sensible (and limited probably). Ward therefore won't make much difference except 'being in the background' and involved in staff recruitment and managerial meetings, unless he can do anything amazing on my free transfer and approach-to-sign targets, or helping offload any unwanted players. I know it's a waste of a seriously talented staff member, but I would have kept Mark Bowen in that role if I hadn't edited him in to be the Chairman!

Edited March 19 by Jogo Bonito

[Jogo Bonito]

Season 2023/24

After getting off to a decent start, our form in November was impressive seeing us unbeaten in four league games and with two Cup wins

Behind the numbers, Clinton Mola was the unlikely source of a late leveller against table-topping Derby and we scored even later to edge past Shrewsbury

After a very satisfying win at Wycombe we then needed more late goal joy to turn a 1-1 in to a comfortable sounding 4-1 against Carlisle

Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan's four-goal masterclass was an outstanding effort from the young striker there

December was largely good, with progress in the two Cups and three league wins seeing out the year in style after a three-game run without victory

With our main striker Sam Smith having a delayed start to the season and now on yet another spell injured, Harvey Knibbs has really stepped up with some goals recently

Injuries have actually been common, with a string of players (including planned starting keeper David Button) ruled out for long spells

Here is the status on 1st January 2024, and we still look good for a top-six finish which is well beyond expectations

'Big Kelvin' has taken advantage of opportunities to start regularly in the absence of Smith, but everyone used has chipped in with good contributions 

We haven't used Nestor Guinness-Walker or Harlee Dean at all, and Ovie Ejaria only twice from the bench, so may try to offload the trio in the winter transfer window

We also have American striker Duncan McGuire set to arrive in a few days so will make a call on the loan of Dom Ballard (and maybe even Miguel Azeez) shortly 

We need to do something to balance the wage roll as the finances are (correctly) showing as insecure, so Tom McIntyre may also be sacrificed

On Christmas Eve we finally decided to hire an Assistant Manager with the appointment of the respected Kit Symons

This was harsh on James Oliver-Pearce, and our young Coach was really considered after taking on such duties when real-life redundancy saw the previous one depart

JOP fell just short in the end, although we hope he may step up to the role in the future

Edited March 19 by Jogo Bonito

[warlock]

Going along nicely, bar that really irritating loss to Lincoln - hate scoring 3 and still coming out on the losing end.

One good FA Cup tie away to a big club could make a world of difference to the finances. Fingers crossed 

[Jogo Bonito]

1 hour ago, warlock said:

Going along nicely, bar that really irritating loss to Lincoln - hate scoring 3 and still coming out on the losing end.

One good FA Cup tie away to a big club could make a world of difference to the finances. Fingers crossed 

Thanks mate. We were 2-0 down against Lincoln, got back to 2-2 on the stroke of HT and went 3-2 up after the break. Then let in two late goals, so yes it wasn't a good day! I'd rather lose 2-0 than 4-3 to be honest, old school values etc.

We drew Bournemouth away in FA Cup Round 3 so neither a money-maker or good chance of progressing unfortunately! But yes, going well on the pitch 

[warlock]

17 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

We drew Bournemouth away

Hmm... not what I had in mind . 

[Jogo Bonito]

On 19/03/2024 at 17:31, warlock said:

Hmm... not what I had in mind . 

Me neither! Just hit the end of the winter transfer window so will do an update on January 2024 soon and then crack on with the remaining months.

[Jogo Bonito]

Season 2023/24

Here is a short review of January 2024 action so we can catch up on club developments and movements 

We had some eventful games to say the least, with the FA Cup serving up plenty of them

We earned a great 2-2  draw at Bournemouth and the same result in the home replay set up a nervy but delightful victory via penalties

In Round 4 we ran Newcastle close with a 4-2 loss only coming after we had a goal disallowed in stoppage time when 3-2 down (they then countered and scored a fourth)

We also survived two more rounds of the tiresome Bristol Street Motors Trophy, both victories also coming from penalty shoot-out success

The important matches are arguably in League 1 and we managed two wins and one draw from three fixtures - the Wigan 5-4 game was absolutely nuts 

So not much change in the league position (or financial position) after the month ended

The board did have to provide £200,000 additional funding to help the running costs though on 21st January

Transfer Activity

On New Years Day we welcomed American striker Duncan McGuire (22) to the club on a free transfer after a pre-contract move was agreed some months earlier

We also recruited Irish midfielder Joe O'Brien-Whitmarsh (18) from Cork City on a similar deal - the new Southampton signing IRL will join our U21 squad

On 2nd January, Arsenal recalled Miguel Azeez from his loan despite the fact he was playing regularly for us

He did well, but it wasn't a major issue as we had other options including the return of midfielder Jack Senga-Ngoyi (20) from loan at Ayr United

We thank Miguel for a useful contribution in his 24 appearances across all competitions

On the same day we took free agent Josh Onomah on trial for two weeks, but we couldn't get close to offering the weekly salary he wanted so he soon departed

With the arrival of McGuire, we also decided to terminate the loan of Southampton forward Dom Ballard

We took this decision as we prefer to pick our permanent players ahead of those on-loan, and in real life Dom had returned to Saints after a horrific injury anyway

We thank him for his efforts and below are the season stats for him across all competitions

On 12th January we also sanctioned the sale of utility man Tom McIntyre to Barnsley for a fee that should rise to £64,000 plus 20% of any future profit

Tom was moaning about a lack of starts and had a contract expiring in June (he was sold in January in real life) so it made sense to let him move on early here

Tom is a Reading fan and we thank him for his years of service, here are his stats across all competitions

And on 20th January we recruited promising Brazilian U17 international midfielder Luiz Freitas (19) from Fluminese on another free transfer

Luiz will also join our U21 squad, and it will be interesting to see how his development goes over time

Several other young Brazilians came recommended to us (perhaps Julian Ward's influence) but we turned those down as they weren't players of interest

Apart from the two loan terminations and sale of McIntyre, we also allowed three U21 players to head out on loan

This gives Geniero Maragh (Yeovil), Charlie Wellens (Torquay) and Matty Carson (Mansfield) the chance to get some first-team action elsewhere

Unfortunately, unwanted first team trio Harlee Dean, Nestor Guiness-Walker and Ovie Ejaria could not be moved on and will be eating up money for some time yet 

Staff Activity

We had Tobias Loveland poached by Aston Villa on 20th January and picked up Jason Euell as a replacement Coach three days later

We also added ex-Southampton Physio Mo Gimpel to the ranks earlier in the month - working under Head Physio Eva Carneiro is not something to reject...

Edited March 20 by Jogo Bonito

[Stuniverse]

Looks like you’ve had a busy month on and off the pitch @Jogo Bonito

Still doing very well in League One.

Progressing well in the EFL Trophy although it looks like you needed two penalty shootouts.

Shame about the FA Cup defeat, although understandable against Newcastle, because Reading could do with the money from a FA Cup run.

[warlock]

8 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

Shame about the FA Cup defeat

Quite, but the real shame was getting a home tie - an away game at Newcastle could have been worth quite a bit.

Also a shame that you can't shift the expensive deadwood. Otherwise, things are looking good.

[Jogo Bonito]

9 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

Looks like you’ve had a busy month on and off the pitch @Jogo Bonito

Still doing very well in League One.

Progressing well in the EFL Trophy although it looks like you needed two penalty shootouts.

Shame about the FA Cup defeat, although understandable against Newcastle, because Reading could do with the money from a FA Cup run.

Yes it was busy hence the one-month review. The top-six finish still seems quite possible although I would love another season in League 1 to be honest. The Cups have been quite exciting, I just wish I could be out of the Tinpot Trophy earlier!

[Jogo Bonito]

1 minute ago, warlock said:

Quite, but the real shame was getting a home tie - an away game at Newcastle could have been worth quite a bit.

Also a shame that you can't shift the expensive deadwood. Otherwise, things are looking good.

Yes agreed. We were so close to getting a 3-3 home draw and a replay on Tyneside. Much money missed. Oh well!

Agreed on the deadwood. Ejaria is a really talented player but we mutually terminated his contract before the winter window and he still hasn't found a new club. In-game he said he would not be staying so it seemed natural to try and replicate reality. It's actually a real shame, no idea what happened with him but it must be some deep issues as he definitely has the ability. The other two are not featuring for me as they don't in real life, I will keep trying to shift them all on.

[warlock]

2 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

We were so close to getting a 3-3 home draw

I remember in one of last season's FA Cup rounds, a non-league club getting a home draw and the media interviewer asking the manager if he was disappointed they couldn't find a winner. "The chairman would have killed me if we'd won," came the reply 

[Jogo Bonito]

2 minutes ago, warlock said:

I remember in one of last season's FA Cup rounds, a non-league club getting a home draw and the media interviewer asking the manager if he was disappointed they couldn't find a winner. "The chairman would have killed me if we'd won," came the reply 

Haha, absolutely! 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Aint been on the careers sub forum for a while. Nice to see you still contributing and I am enjoying your journey with Reading.

Freitas looks like a right hidden gem. I hope he does well for you.

Do you still have big Andy Carroll?

[AlfieLucas]

You're doing well, won't be long before you're back in the Championship.

[Jogo Bonito]

7 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Aint been on the careers sub forum for a while. Nice to see you still contributing and I am enjoying your journey with Reading.

Freitas looks like a right hidden gem. I hope he does well for you.

Do you still have big Andy Carroll?

Thanks mate. Freitas could be a gem but time will tell! No, Andy Carroll was sold back in the summer IRL so we didn't have him when I started.

6 hours ago, AlfieLucas said:

You're doing well, won't be long before you're back in the Championship.

Thanks. Not sure about that but we are doing way better than I expected for the first season.

[Jogo Bonito]

Season 2023/24

February was a difficult month, three good wins, three defeats and a draw at home to Shrewsbury that really should have been a comfortable win

The defeat at Oxford came after we clawed back to 3-3, but no complaints in the home loss to Charlton or the thumping at runaway leaders Derby

March also got off to a terrible start, losing 3-0 at Carlisle and at home to mid-table training-ground-stealing hopefuls Wycombe 

But we bounced back with a very good win in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy (we will now play the Final in April against Blackpool)

The month closed out with home games against struggling sides and saw wins over both Cambridge and Northampton

Striker Sam Smith has disappointed somewhat this season as we struggled to get him playing like he has in real life

But he ended a goalless spell of 10 hours against Northampton in a win that was only sealed with a penalty after 93 minutes (and his hat-trick after 94)

April will see the remaining six league fixtures played out, and we could realistically finish anywhere between 2nd and 9th in a very tight top section

Derby have been a class above the rest of us, and our own expectation now will be a play-off spot

The temptation to switch to three central defenders has been ignored as we have played a true-to-life formation all season

This is similar to a 433 and is referred in-game as a 4231 DM asymmetric AM(R) system, which kind of rolls off the tongue

Clearly we do need to reduce some of the defensive vulnerabilities (again at least that has been realistic defending)

At the end of February we encountered the following difficulties when trying to renew the contract and WP of highly-rated defender Tyler Bindon

This doesn't seem to be a thing in real life so not sure why this has happened as he has been selected as much as possible in this journey so far

Also, it seems odd that a capped New Zealand international no longer qualifies for renewal of the ESC work permit he currently holds

It would be a major disappointment to lose Bindon in 2025 as he is one of the youngsters seen as 'the future of the club'

The financial situation of the club seems to heading in the expected direction (again realistic)

In March, the board were forced to make their second capital payment to help with the running costs

Edited March 24 by Jogo Bonito

[Stuniverse]

47 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

At the end of February we encountered the following difficulties when trying to renew the contract and WP of highly-rated defender Tyler Bindon

This doesn't seem to be a thing in real life so not sure why this has happened as he has been selected as much as possible in this journey so far

Also, it seems odd that a capped New Zealand international no longer qualifies for renewal of the ESC work permit he currently holds

It would be a major disappointment to lose Bindon in 2025 as he is one of the youngsters seen as 'the future of the club'

That does seem odd.

 

48 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

The financial situation of the club seems to heading in the expected direction (again realistic)

In March, the board were forced to make their second capital payment to help with the running costs

How bad are the finances (in-game)?

50 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

April will see the remaining six league fixtures played out, and we could realistically finish anywhere between 2nd and 9th in a very tight top section

Your Reading are doing very well. 2nd would be amazing but playoffs very much a possibility for you.

52 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Derby have been a class above the rest of us, and our own expectation now will be a play-off spot

👍

[Jogo Bonito]

30 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

That does seem odd.

How bad are the finances (in-game)?

Your Reading are doing very well. 2nd would be amazing but playoffs very much a possibility for you.

Odd indeed. We will just keep selecting Bindon and keep appealing every time we are allowed. 

The net debt is over £100 million but the overall balance is only just under £1.9 million (negative). We have £77 million of £83 million left on the bank loan (£475,000 payable per month until 2042).

We are looking to make the turnover higher than the expenditure, which will be a massive step in the right direction. With the strength of the Academy, this seems like a legitimate goal, even if it takes a year or two.

Yes, going better than expected and holding a play-off spot would be a major achievement.

[Hootieleece]

2 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

At the end of February we encountered the following difficulties when trying to renew the contract and WP of highly-rated defender Tyler Bindon

This doesn't seem to be a thing in real life so not sure why this has happened as he has been selected as much as possible in this journey so far

Also, it seems odd that a capped New Zealand international no longer qualifies for renewal of the ESC work permit he currently holds

It would be a major disappointment to lose Bindon in 2025 as he is one of the youngsters seen as 'the future of the club'

You should have waited until after the Summer and offered him a contract then. Probably hasn't played enough for New Zealand yet. In general the player needs at least 10 caps and to have played in at least 30% of the recent matches to get a WP from my experience.