FM17: Reading FC - One of our own, his legacy lives on

[Abaddon879]

 

Whilst I build this thread, I'll leave you with this tribute to the late, great, Eamonn Dolan.

Eamonn Dolan
1967 - 2016

Quote

 

His energy for football was infectious. His enthusiasm for the sport we all love was evident in his every compelling word he uttered. The pride in his work was enviable. And each young player who Eamonn carefully nurtured through our Academy ranks and into professional football will today stand tall as testament to one great man’s total dedication and unassuming but single-minded commitment to his job. Eamonn led by shining example. And most notably, his love for this club was overwhelming. 

That love was mutual. Everyone who worked with him at Reading respected and admired a man who will be desperately missed by staff, managers, coaches and players – both past and present throughout his 12 years as a Royal. 

And our supporters fully appreciated the role he played within their club’s success, the impact he had and continued to consistently make during his tenure at the helm of our Category One Academy, as well as the indelible legacy he leaves at Madejski Stadium. 

Upon hearing of his renewed fight against cancer with the removal of a tumour and a course of chemotherapy that began last summer, our supporters came together in an emotional show of support for Eamonn – a spontaneous minute’s applause in the 21st minute of the opening home league match of last season representing the recent success he had enjoyed with our newly-promoted U21 team and the unequivocal support Dolan had from fans of football. 

At the time, #21forDolan saw supporters stand by Eamonn’s side. Former manager Nigel Adkins took to twitter to label him ‘inspirational’ while his successor Steve Clarke used words such as ‘humble, generous and engaging’ to describe his colleague. Ex-Academy graduate Shane Long called him an ‘unsung hero’ and Jem Karacan used the word ‘influential’. Former first team stars added their voices to the growing campaign on social media, Steve Sidwell calling him ‘a gentleman’, Adam Federici describing him as his ‘mentor’ and Noel Hunt simply wishing ‘a fantastic friend’ well. 

 

Dolan joined the club in 2004 and led our Academy through a golden era, a spell which saw 32 Academy players come through the ranks to make their first team debuts with Reading. He also had a big hand in first team affairs, assisting Steve Coppell, Brendan Rodgers, Brian McDermott, Nigel Adkins and Steve Clarke as well as standing in the opposite dugout to Sir Alex Ferguson when in caretaker charge of the club at Old Trafford three years ago. Throughout, Eamonn has been the model professional and the closest of allies. 

For a man so modest, working tirelessly and with a real zest for success but without the desire for recognition for his countless achievements or any sort of limelight, to make such a monumental impact on a club and its supporters is extremely rare. Human beings like Eamonn Dolan are rare. 
Eamonn was one of the good guys. He will be so sorely missed by so many. We will never forget him. 

 

 

[Abaddon879]

 CLUB INFORMATION

GENERAL
Full name: Reading Football Club
Nickname: The Royals
Founded: 1871
Status: Professional
Ground: Madejski Stadium, Reading
Owner Status: Loves the club
Manager: Jaap Stam
Legends: Phil Parkinson, Trevor Senior, Martin Hicks, Steve Death, Robin Friday,
Icons: Steve Coppell, Maurice Evans, Mick Gooding, Eamonn Dolan, Graeme Murty, Michael Gilkes, Adrian Williams, Ronnie Blackwell, Alf Messer, Jimmy Wheeler, Jimmy Quinn, Shane Long, Shaka Hislop, Glenn Little, Kerry Dixon, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Darren Caskey, Ivar Ingimarsson
Favoured Personnel: Dariusz Wdowczyk, Steve Sidwell, Nicky Shorey
Fierce Rivals: Oxford (Local), Swindon (Local)
Other Rivals: Southampton (Local), Bristol City (Local), QPR (Competitive), Wycombe (Local), West Ham (Competitive)
Finances: Secure
Average Ticket Price: £26
Average Season Ticket Price: £495
Season Ticket Holders: 12,250
Estimated Value: £38.5M (Loan Debt: £2.7M)
Continental Competition: None
Media Prediction: 17th
Squad Personality: Professional
Captain: Paul McShane
Vice Captain: Chris Gunter

FACILITIES
Stadium Name: The Madejski Stadium
Location: Reading
Capacity: 24,197 all-seater
Year Built: 1998
Owned By: Reading
Stadium Condition: Very Good
Under Soil Heating: Yes
Roof: No
Surface: Grass

Training Facilities: Excellent Training Facilities
Youth Facilities: Great Youth Facilities
Youth Setup Category: 1
Youth Coaching: Average Junior Coaching
Youth Recruitment: Above Average Youth Recruitment
Corporate Facilities: Good corporate facilities

FINANCES
Balance: £11.4M
Transfer Budget: £3M
Wage Budget: £370K p/w
Current Wage Total: £350K p/w
% of transfer revenue made available: 55%
Sponsors: 1 year main kit sponsorship deal at £1.5M per season. Ends 2017
1 year away kit sponsorship deal at £1M per season. Ends 2017
1 year back of shirt sponsorship deal at £250K per season. Ends 2017
1 year back of shirt sponsorship deal at £250K per season. Ends 2017
1 year general sponsorship deal at £100K per season. Ends 2016
Loans Outstanding: Bank loan of £1.75M. Ends 2019
Bank loan of £10M. Ends 2016

[Abaddon879]

 BACKROOM STAFF

BOARDROOM

Narin Niruttinanon - Owner
Sasima Srivikorn - Chairman
Sumrith Thanakarnjanasuth - Director
Theekharoj Piamphongsarn - Director
Jack Srisumrid - Director
Sir John Madejski - Director
Ian Wood-Smith - Director
Nigel Howe - Director

MANAGEMENT
Currently: 1 | Advised: 1 - Head of Youth Development
Currently: 1 | Advised: 1 - U23s Manager
Currently: 1 | Advised: 1 - U18s Manager
Currently: 1 | Advised: 1 - Assistant Manager
Currently: 0 | Advised: 1 - U23s Assistant Manager
Currently: 0 | Advised: 1 - U18s Assistant Manager

Andries Ulderink - Assistant Manager
Lee Herron - Head of Youth Development
Martin Kuhl - Under 23s Manager
David Dodds - Under 18s Manager

SENIOR SQUAD COACHING
Currently: 3 | Advised: 3 - Reading Coaching Staff

Said Bakkati - Coach
Steven Reid - Coach
Dave Beasant - Goalkeeping Coach

U23/U18 COACHING
Currently: 0 | Advised: 0 - Under 23s Coaching Staff
Currently: 4 | Advised: 3 - Under 18s Coaching Staff

Colin Barnes - Under 18s Coach
Graham Dougall - Under 18s Coach
Geoff Taylor - Under 18s Coach
Ed Franklin - U18s Fitness Coach

MEDICAL
Currently: 1 | Advised: 1 - Head Physio
Currently: 0 | Advised: 2 - Physio
Currently: 0 | Advised: 1 - Under 23s Physio
Currently: 3 | Advised: 2 - Under 18s Physio
Currently: 1 | Advised: 1 - Head of Sports Science
Currently: 1 | Advised: 1 - Sports Scientist
Currently: 0 | Advised: 0 - Under 23s Sports Scientist
Currently: 0 | Advised: 1 - Under 18s Sports Scientist

Jonathon Urwin - Head Physio
John Alti - Under 18s Physio
Steve Cottrell - Under 18s Physio
Yvonne Moore - Under 18s Physio
Ed Clark - Head of Sports Scientist
Tristan Baker - Sports Scientist

SCOUTING & TRANSFERS
Currently: 1 | Advised: 1 - Director of Football
Currently: 1 | Advised: 1 - Chief Scout
Currently: 4 | Advised: 6 - Scout
Currently: 1 | Advised: 1 - Chief Data Analyst
Currently: 0 | Advised: 1 - Data Analyst
Currently: 0 | Advised: 0 - Under 23s Data Analyst
Currently: 0 | Advised: 1 - Under 18s Data Analyst

Brian Tevreden - Director of Football
Steve Shorey - Chief Scout
Dean Gorre - Scout
Carl Delpianque - Scout
Mikele Leigertwood - Scout
Brendan Flanagan - Scout
Scott Madle - Chief Data Analyst

[Abaddon879]

 SENIOR SQUAD

Goalkeepers

26 | Ali Al-Habsi
 | AGE: 34
POSITION: Goalkeeper
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★

31 | Anssi Jaakkola
 | AGE: 29
POSITION: Goalkeeper
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★

 

Defenders

2 | Chris Gunter
 | AGE: 26
POSITION: Defender (Right) / D (L)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★

30 | Tennai Watson
 | AGE: 19
POSITION: Defender (Right)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★

11 | Jordan Obita
 | AGE: 22
POSITION: Defender/Wing Back, Midfielder/Attacking Midfielder (Left)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★

32 | Tyler Blackett
 | AGE: 22
POSITION: Defender (Left, Centre)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★

5 | Paul McShane
 | AGE: 30
POSITION: Defender (Centre) / D (R)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

16 | Liam Moore
 | AGE: 23
POSITION: Defender (Right, Centre) / WB (R)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

3 | Jake Cooper
 | AGE: 21
POSITION: Defender (Centre)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

24 | Sandro Weiser
 | AGE: 23
POSITION: Defender (Left, Centre)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★

28 | Danzell Gravenberch
 | AGE: 22
POSITION: Defender (Centre) / DM
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★

 

Midfielders

4| Joey van den Berg
 | AGE: 30
POSITION: Defensive Midfielder, Midfielder (Centre) / D (C)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

23 | Daniel Williams
 | AGE: 27
POSITION: Midfielder (Centre) / DM
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

6 | George Evans
 | AGE: 21
POSITION: Defensive Midfielder, Midfielder (Centre) / D (C)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

8 | John Swift
 | AGE: 21
POSITION: Midfielder (Centre) / AM (C)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

21 | Stephen Quinn
 | AGE: 30
POSITION: Midfielder (Left, Centre)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

7 | Roy Beerens
 | AGE: 28
POSITION: Midfielder/Attacking Midfielder (Right) / M/AM (L)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

12 | Gareth McCleary
 | AGE: 29
POSITION: Attacking Midfielder (Left, Right) / M (R)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

15 | Callum Harriot
 | AGE: 22
POSITION: Midfielder/Attacking Midfielder (Left)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★

 

Strikers

18 | Yann Kermorgant
 | AGE: 34
POSITION: Striker (Centre)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

10 | Deniss Rakels
 | AGE: 23
POSITION: Striker (Centre)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

9 | Joseph Mendes
 | AGE: 25
POSITION: Striker (Centre) / AM (R)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★
 

14 | Dominic Samuel
 | AGE: 22
POSITION: Striker (Centre)
CA: ★★★★★★★★★★
PA: ★★★★★★★★★★

Reading FC 16/17 Squad

 

[Abaddon879]

 U23/U18 SQUAD PROSPECTS

Goalkeepers

Jonathon Bond

Defenders

Daniel Akinwumni
Niall Keown

Midfielders

Tyler Frost
Ryan East
Tarique Fosu
Josh Barrett
Jack Stacey
Aaron Kuhl
Craig Tanner

Forwards

Danny Loader
Harry Cardwell

[Abaddon879]

 GETTING STARTED

Formations

4-3-3

 

Potential Transfers

Coming soon...

[Jogo Bonito]

Lovely stuff so far!

I've been managing Reading and kept it as close to real life as possible - same formation, tactics, style of play etc. Despite knowing there is a lack of goals from the strikers, I opted not to make any signings in the first window (did not disable, just stuck to my guns) as I wanted to mirror reality.

As per real life, the strikers haven't been scoring, but I'm staying patient as results have been alright so far (top half). In the winter window, I might decide to bring in a striker similar to what might actually happen. Nobody left the club except for those youngsters that asked for a loan (accepted if not in my first team squad) and a couple of players were loaned out as I don't think they will make much of an impact in real life (Gravenberch, Wieser etc).

I have one other thing happening that is really realistic. Despite having surprisingly decent composure stats, Joey has been sent off three times already (I'm at the end of September) and this is without having any extra tackling settings set. The first of those dismissals was in the very first fixture - an internal friendly against the U23 team!!! I wanted to use him as a half-back, but that instructions says the other two central defenders push up, and that isn't what happens in real life, so I opted for an anchor man role instead. I might have to settle for DLP (defend) to try and eliminate these dismissals.

I'll update in due course, but finding it very enjoyable now that the club has a really clear tactical identity.

[Abaddon879]

On 21/11/2016 at 03:37, Jogo Bonito said:

Lovely stuff so far!

I've been managing Reading and kept it as close to real life as possible - same formation, tactics, style of play etc. Despite knowing there is a lack of goals from the strikers, I opted not to make any signings in the first window (did not disable, just stuck to my guns) as I wanted to mirror reality.

As per real life, the strikers haven't been scoring, but I'm staying patient as results have been alright so far (top half). In the winter window, I might decide to bring in a striker similar to what might actually happen. Nobody left the club except for those youngsters that asked for a loan (accepted if not in my first team squad) and a couple of players were loaned out as I don't think they will make much of an impact in real life (Gravenberch, Wieser etc).

I have one other thing happening that is really realistic. Despite having surprisingly decent composure stats, Joey has been sent off three times already (I'm at the end of September) and this is without having any extra tackling settings set. The first of those dismissals was in the very first fixture - an internal friendly against the U23 team!!! I wanted to use him as a half-back, but that instructions says the other two central defenders push up, and that isn't what happens in real life, so I opted for an anchor man role instead. I might have to settle for DLP (defend) to try and eliminate these dismissals.

I'll update in due course, but finding it very enjoyable now that the club has a really clear tactical identity.

Great to see you back managing Reading.

Thanks, there are still a few bits I want to add if I get time,  but working in Sydney at the moment and they are keeping me pretty busy so I don't get as much time as I might like. I wanted to get something up however as I see Reading as a really great youth development side, and as you say they finally have a defined tactical system that suits that perfectly. Hopefully I'll be able to get a good save going this year and be able to provide regular updates of my progress.

I totally agree on Wieser and Gravenberch being unlikely to make much of an impact, and they will likely be some of the first I will look to offload. There are a number of great youth prospects in the U23 and U18 teams this year. Danny Loader looks to be a real prospect if you get lucky with his PA. Would be interesting to see which youth prospects have the highest ratings in your save.

I think a striker will need to be a priority (much like real life), but its very much about getting the right type of striker in, something that Brian Tevreden has alluded to in the local press. From what I can gather they are looking for a strong, pacy striker - very much a complete striker. Asamoah Gyan would have been a good fit for this i feel, but I think his fitness concerns were too great a risk to take.

In regards to the DM position, I have been a little disappointed with the Half Back role and have looked at the DLP role as well to try and get the best out of the position. We seem to use that role to hold the ball up a little while the central midfielders push forward to supplement the attack, often resulting in 5 players in or around their box. I think the midfield trio are key to the success of the tactic in terms of build-up.

[oi_oi_ginger_roy]

I've not got the game yet but is Weiser really listed as a DC/L? - he's a holding midfielder, that can play CB..... although granted we've not seen him play yet but that's what he was bought in as

[Jogo Bonito]

@Abaddon, you're not going to get much sympathy over your workload if you're in Sydney

I agree about Loader, he's a real talent and I think the club may struggle to keep hold of him. One of my aims is to get him in to the first team squad, although given his promising stats he's only been decent in the U18's instead of a class above it. I'm expecting that to improve though. Tom McIntyre is the other one that the club seem to have high hopes for, but I've seen it many times over the years where players in training or at youth level promise much and then don't kick on.

On the other hand, do you recall what I said about Antonio a few years back when he left? I always felt he had some great potential, but he's performing even better than I imagined he would. The striker one is interesting as it may make the difference, but it may actually cause more harm than good. I was one that was quite positive about Gyan, but I think they would only finalise it if he was either fit immediately or not going to the African Nations. With both of those factors, it was probably sensible not to proceed.

I really like how Stam and Tevreden put their points across, and I think they will get a striker with pace and movement (they seem to think that Mendes is a little too similar to Yann, although I'm not convinced they're the same type at all, as Mendes if fit would offer more pace and power). Rakels will be back again too, although I don't see him as being 'prolific'. I really like Samuel who I think is the most exciting youngster the club has brought through for a while. With Yann offering what he does to the team effort, how necessary will a 5th striker be by then? Time will tell if a new signing would work out, or 'goes a bit Vydra' - who would have predicted how that spell would go?

Back to the game, I really don't want to block Dom's path, and I'm not sure whether I will make any moves if he makes the most of the increasing number of starts I'm giving him. I've been unfortunate to lose G-Mac and Mendes to injury, but still have plenty of options all over the squad.

@ginger, Yes Wieser is listed as that, seems there was an error somewhere. I pointed it out to the researcher (along with quite a few other small bits and bobs) but it looks like it was too late. Not that he should be anywhere near your first team squad anyway! 

[inthisspace]

Sorry, I am playing a save as Boreham Wood at present. Reading is one of my parent clubs. I have an Icelandic centre back by the name of Axel Andresson, which was loaned from Reading. May I know if he turns out any good?

At the Varanama National League level, he is deemed as one of the best. Only fault of him is his determination.

[Abaddon879]

I haven't had a chance to play for any length of time as Reading yet to be able to assist, but he was solid in last years version. Not sure what his PA is like to know if he develops much more beyond his current level. From my coach's ratings though, he looks capable of being a good Championship player in the future with luck.

[oi_oi_ginger_roy]

On 22/11/2016 at 19:04, Jogo Bonito said:

@ginger, Yes Wieser is listed as that, seems there was an error somewhere. I pointed it out to the researcher (along with quite a few other small bits and bobs) but it looks like it was too late. Not that he should be anywhere near your first team squad anyway! 

What other small bits and bobs did you notice? - i like it to be real so will use the editor before i start a game to reflect it

 

Just saves me searching myself

[Jogo Bonito]

Hope the above link gives you the info you need, good luck and keep us updated

[Jogo Bonito]

Season 1 expectations - very reasonable

I wanted to keep this as realistic as possible, so only loaned out a couple of youngsters and squad players who I don't expect to feature

Early results were OK, but no goals and no points in the first three away league games was a concern

Improved away form helped us climb up the table, but a decent EFL Cup run finally ended 

Happy with that, although it's early days and still very compact

 

So, it's early days at Madejski Stadium but I've had a decent enough start. My aim isn't all about promotion, it's about how the game is played and how the club evolves. I'm following the traditions of the club (despite their relatively low status, Reading has a first class Academy that is the envy of many top Premier League clubs). It's about the philosophy that Brian Tevreden (DOF) and Jaap Stam (manager, replaced by Roy Race) implemented, with the full backing of the board this summer. It's possession-based football, sticking to principles, and winning the fans back after a couple of very lacklustre and dull seasons. I'm copying the real life 433 tactics that the club are using (with ability to switch to 532, 352, 343 and even 442) keeping possession of the ball, and not worrying if opportunities take time to emerge. The defence is to be kept solid, with new centre-back Liam Moore a key ingredient. The central midfield is hard-working and has the extra flair of John Swift added in to the mix, whilst the attacking threat comes from pace and skill on both flanks. The lone striker isn't really something that has clicked, and as in real life there isn't a huge amount of goals from the man in that role. Young Academy graduate Dominic Samuel is one that many fans (including myself) hope will deliver on the undoubted potential he has, but there are a variety of options with unique skills to fill that role. One of the key things to me is that the youngsters will be involved, I don't want to block their path and therefore new signings will be extremely limited. This is something the club itself  is very aware of, and there are so many prospects throughout the ranks that can step up and make an impact. I've already taken the decision to extend the contracts of American midfielder Danny Williams and Jamaican winger Garath McCleary. With contracts expiring in 2017, they may have attracted pre-contract attention in the winter window from overseas clubs, and I didn't want to lose them that early.

 

[Abaddon879]

Great start to the season Jogo. Good to see that we are no longer a relegation threatened club under your management! I am using a similar philosophy with no signings made and instead making use of the squad that exists.

I seem to have managed to find a successful tactic that mirrors the real world tactics of Stam (or at least so I think). I am playing a very fluid 4-1-4-1. After just 8 games, we top the possession stats with 57% average and a pass completion rate of 80%, are top of the form table having won our last 6 games,  and have conceded only 3 goals so far and 6 clean sheets.

I will update once I get a little further into the season, but we currently sit 4th in the table, just 4 points off top.

 

Lets hope I haven't jinxed myself...

Edit: And with that, I just lost 3-2 against Leicester, conceding as many in one game as I had so far all season. I hate this forum...

[Jogo Bonito]

Nice start, good to see. Talking of jinxes, I couldn't bring myself to play my home game against Bristol City until today's real fixture has passed! Who have you been using as your lone striker, and have they scored any goals? Keep up the good work.

[Abaddon879]

I've been using a combination or Rakels (I still think he should have been ruled out in the data), Yann, and Samuel once he returned from injury. Cardwell has also got a look in during cup games as he seems highly rated in my game. The striker position is a real struggle, as in real life, and I think it may take another year or so to find the right player to really get the best out of this formation.

Saying that, most my goals have come from midfield (much like real life). The wingers and central midfielders are the main goal scorers currently for me.

I'm top 3 after 13 games, so still keeping the run going, although I have started drawing and conceding a few more. Have now conceded 3 in my last 5 games and that has resulted in me drawing my previous 3 games. Man management is huge in recent editions, and its down to me to turn this slide around and keep them performing!

Edit: Just realised that turning off all tactic match training reduces familiarity despite playing the same sty,le week in week out. This may explain my dip, and subsequent first loss in 12 games. Lesson learnt.

[Abaddon879]

So after an extremely promising start to the season, I was feeling very confident of a good season.

However, after saying how well everything was going, the curse of the forum hit and I went on a horrendous run of form that saw me plummet down the table from a top 2 position down to barely mid table in 10th.

 

I'm hopeful that with this win, I can turn thing around and restore our initial season form and reignite out early season form.

[Jogo Bonito]

Wow, that was a surprising downturn in form. The 5-1 win may be just what you needed to get the season back on track though. Don't worry, I was much lower than 10th in the early part of my season, so you're not the worst manager the club has ever had!

[Abaddon879]

Reading FC - Sky Bet Championship - 2016/17

I took over with the club predicted to finish 17th in the league, with the boarding wanting a mid-table finish and to reach the Third Round of the League Cup and Fourth Round of FA Cup as a minimum.

Despite the expectations set out prior to the start of the season, I knew that the team had a lot more quality than the media and board were giving credit for. They just needed to be motivated and rediscover their self belief.

   

Pre-Season - Things started extremely well, managing to go unbeaten during pre-season and conceding only two goals.

Sky Bet Championship -  We came so close this season. At points we were 2nd in the table, but once we conceded a goal our team took a huge hit in form.
Fixtures #1 #2

EFL Cup -  A first round tie with arch rivals Oxford proved more difficult than I would have liked. Finally knocked out by Premier League champions Leicester City.

FA Cup - Tale of two East Midlands clubs, but never really got started.

Transfers - No signings, but I did loan out a few players that weren't in or around the first team.

Finances - Not in a great situation, and will need to reduce the wage bill where I can.

Key Player Profiles:

Jake Cooper - Cleaned up at end of season awards, receiving both Young Player and Fans Player of the Season.

Jordan Obita - Avg. rating of 7.33 in the league, and second highest scorer from attacking fullback

Roy Beerens - Had two injuries during the season, which coincided with our dips in form.

Dominic Samuel - Top scorer with 14 goals in all competitions. 

John Swift - Playmaker of the team, and 5 MoM awards.

Career Overview:

Season    League                     Position    Achievements
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016/17   Sky Bet Championship  	 7th       

Next Season:

Our dips in form really affected us this year and ultimately cost us promotion. Next season if we can maintain our form, promotion should be confirmed.

(template shamelessly stolen from dafuge)

 

 

[Abaddon879]

Well this wasn't in the script...

Is going to make my role a bit more challenging, and due to the financial situation of the club, they aren't currently willing to invest the necessary funds to increase the rating.

[Jogo Bonito]

Decent first season there Abaddon. Pleasing to see Cooper, Obita and Samuel make an impression - but what happened with Liam Moore? Shame about the Academy status, and clearly the club wouldn't let that happen in real life. I'm also losing money every month, without making any signings. It's a warning that the same downgrade may well happen to me.

[Abaddon879]

Moore and McShane were rotated for the second central defender position, with McShane taking a slight advantage due to being captain. Moore and McShane aren't too dissimilar and neither really shone throughout the season. Initially Yann and Rakels were first choice strikers, but Yann was too immobile and Rakels got injured so Samuel took his chance. Rakels then started throwing his toys out the pram despite us being on an unbeaten run, so I decided he isn't someone I want around and I'll be looking to offload him over the summer.

With regards to the youth rating, I hadn't yet received the TV and prize money. The owner also gave a nice £9M injection of cash to help cover losses, so my balance is looking a bit more healthy at £11M. I may try going back to them and asking to improve the youth rating once more, as youth will be a large part of my philosophy.

Edit: My request was granted and £4M has been deducted to cover the improvement costs for the youth facilities. Phew...

[Jogo Bonito]

Yeah, Rakels hasn't done much for me either, which is a shame. Yann got an early hat-trick but didn't score again after that. I do use him for away games where his other abilities come in to play, but it gave me every excuse to give Samuel his opportunity to cement a place in the starting line-up. I've not been able to squeeze Cooper in very often, but he is definitely one that I want to keep around for years (expecting him to replace McShane as he declines). Good news about the cash and youth facilities, well done.

[Abaddon879]

Stoke have just come in with a £9M+ offer for John Swift... 

[Jogo Bonito]

Oooh, that's a lot of money. I guess it's not a bad deal - one I might be tempted to take. Can you get a loan-back option? Or a buy-back clause option? At least a % of any future fee? Are the likes of Kelly and Barrett ready to take the slot? Is Williams on a new contract?

[Abaddon879]

I've given Brian responsibility of dealing with contracts and he has Williams on £22k/week until 2020.

Josh Barrett played as cover for Swift during last season, so he would be a viable option. Coaches think he is a good player at  this level. Kelly didn't get much time and I'm looking to loan him out with Hibs a possible destination.

I think this is one to think over and decide tomorrow. I can't easily turn down a club record fee though. That would bankroll me for a couple of seasons or allow for a real promotion push this year. If I can haggle it up a little more and include a better sell on than 40% of profit then I think he will be going.

[Jogo Bonito]

I'm a big fan of Brian T - I think you can trust him with contracts! I'll be honest though, I'm surprised how good his work has been  - a really smart guy, not to mention one of the coolest around.

I'd probably be taking that option on Swift, as you say it's a massive deal for the club. For realism, I don't think it is beyond the realms of possibility that either this season or next, a bigger club will come calling (not that I would expect anything like that fee to be paid).

[Welshace]

Are none of you having any joy with Mendes?

[Jogo Bonito]

Mendes is very much in my plans, but got injured early on and is only just nearing a return. Those first few games didn't bring any joy - but I'm hopeful and will be keeping him around.

[Abaddon879]

Mendes was in and around my first team, however his return of 3 goals and 2 assists in 8(13) wasn't enough to warrant more first team action. I will give him another chance this upcoming season, as in theory his stats look good with pace and power.

 

After some negotiation, I finally decided what to do with Stoke's offer for John Swift...

[Jogo Bonito]

Fantastic negotiating on Swift, very well done. Keep us updated, and I'll be doing the same!

[Abaddon879]

Thanks, I was pleased with how negotiations went. They wouldn't match his £16M buy-out clause, but if he plays well for them I should see the rewards from the appearance clauses and possibly even a few England caps along the way!

Whilst I was disappointed to loose him, I wished him the best of luck with the next step of his career. He responded positively, stating he had loved his time at the club, but was pleased I had given him the opportunity to further his career as it was too good an opportunity to turn down. I'm sure it had nothing to do with almost tripling his wages to £42K/week!

Next order of business is to decide whether I need to use some of the money to buy a replacement? I have Barrett and Kelly, but I fear Kelly is a little lightweight for this league and the style of play. I've accepted a loan offer from Hibs for him, but am yet to confirm the deal until I decide whether I will use him. I've been monitoring a young Portuguese player for a few months who is similar to John Swift. He would probably be available for £1.8-2.6M according to my scouts, and his wage demands should come in below £10K/week.

The main disadvantages I can see are his lack of any PPMs (Swift was very strong in this area: Gets Forward Whenever Possible, Tries Killer Balls, and Arrives Late In Opponents' Area), and much weaker tackling, marking, and physical stats.

I think I might let Kelly go out on loan as Hibs have great facilities and it should not harm his progression if he can get first team football. I can then bring in Guzzo to fight for a first team spot with Josh Barrett who is a little more capable defensively but weaker technically.

[Jogo Bonito]

I've just given Swift a new extended contract, which he agreed and is hopefully about to sign. I've been forced to include a £22.5m release clause to clubs in a higher division, but he is still on less than £8k p/w wages.

He rewarded me with an absolute screamer from 32 yards in the next match, a 3-0 home demolition of Bristol City. I've tried to upload the goals package (Swift got the first, Samuel the second and third) as all three were pretty good - but I only ever did this once before, so every chance I haven't done it right!

McCleary and Mendes both returned from the bench after long injuries, and the win took us up to 3rd spot (although we played Friday so now back to 5th). Apparently this fixture broke our attendance record too, with 24,197 beating the previous best from 2012 against Tottenham.

Unfortunately, it's Fulham away next - and most of us will probably know what that means every season...

https://youtu.be/SJHHJHCwIEc

 

 

[grimslaa]

Took over Reading at the beginning of the 3rd season in game. League cup win and Play Off Final defeat in the first season. Still a fair amount of original squad around, but made quite a few signings throughout the year. New strikers in the form of Tyler Roberts on loan from West Brom and Anastosis Donis in January from Juventus for £220k. Also signed John McGinn from Hibernian and Jordan Pickford from Sunderland after spotting him in their u23 squad. Picked up Mason Holgate in the January also.

Sold Donis for £11.5m to Palace in the Summer window and resigned Tyler Roberts on loan. Got rid of Gunter as he was entering last year of contract, and replaced him with James Bree. Signed Kasey Palmer on a free who has been amazing in AM(S) role 19 goals and 23 assists in January. Holgate left for £10.5m in January which allowed me to bring in Bersant Celina from City, Josh Murphy from Villa and Bielik from Arsenal. 2nd in the league 3 points behind Stoke but with 2 games in hand due to European commitments. Got through to First Knockout round losing to Gladbach on away goals.

[Stretcheddie]

I finally got round to my traditional Reading Save. I'll try and post in more depth later but in short I am trying to use 3 Defender formations so as to provide an extra man in attack, an idea lifted straight from the Art of Defensive and Art of Attacking posts on @Cleons excellent website www.sisportscentre.com. Signings wise I took Jordan Williams from Liverpool on loan, Sondre Rossbach from Odd as I felt I needed better options in goal considering the wages that Ali al-Habsi is on and the interest from Metz he has. McGinn from Hibs as I jogged on Quinn and a Brazilian Striker called Thalles, who I found on one of those Wonderkid lists somewhere. I also bought Kevin Conboy as cover for WBL and Tony Hibbert on a free as WBR cover. I wanted to send Watson out on loan, which is working really well.

Mid December I am second after a bit of a ropey start but now I've got the tactics working we are doing really well, apart from Rossbach breaking his Hand and Thalles knackering his knee, but they'll be back soon. Barrett is playing well as an Shadow Striker and everything is going well, Even got offered a new contract by the end of November!

 

Going forward I want to drastically trim down the U23 and U18 squads as they are bloated and I want some of the older high earners off the wage bill. I'm also looking at future targets, if I go up, which I think I will with Luck, I'm going to go for Cauley Woodrow, as he always does well in Hoops as well as Zach Clough. I will also look to jog on Weiser and Gravenbach and maybe get one more Quality centre half to replace them and McShane as age starts to catch him....

 

As I said I'll try and post Tactics and transfer activity later.

[oi_oi_ginger_roy]

On 08/02/2017 at 10:31, Stretcheddie said:

As I said I'll try and post Tactics and transfer activity later.

Any joy? - i am just about to start a RFC save

[Jogo Bonito]

I'm nearly at the end of season one with Reading, where I am attempting to manage without making any new signings, instead relying on giving the younger players an opportunity to replace any players I sell or release. For this reason, although the squad is better in 17.3, I will probably continue with the season's original squad where those youngster opportunities will come along slightly faster. Promotion in season 1 isn't important, I'm just trying to get some pleasure out of the youngsters coming through the system for a change.

[Stretcheddie]

On 03/03/2017 at 12:20, oi_oi_ginger_roy said:

Any joy? - i am just about to start a RFC save

I am so Sorry, It completely slipped my mind.

 

I'll have a go later

[GylfiAsCharged]

Started a new career with Reading last night intending to emulate our current 5-3-2 tactics, however after seeing the success some people have had when using three Shadow Strikers in the AM strata I decided to give that a go instead. 

Have signed Bradley Dack from Gillingham as he looks perfect for that role, while Swift and Kelly already look well suited and both have impressed in preseason. Looking to blood Josh Barrett there this season too.

Al-Habsi

Moore - Ilori - McShane

Gunter - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Obita

Williams - Evans

Swift - Kelly - Dack

Grabban and Oxford have had their loans terminated, and Quinn has left for Brentford in a £600k deal.

Hoping for a play-off finish this term, as are the board. My attacking options are all young and should improve over the course of the season, and I'm quite excited to see how things go.