Reading FC

Reading FC chairman Sir John Madejski
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Madejski: Reading FC fans need to get behind McDermott

By Jonny Fordham
December 10, 2012

Reading chairman Sir John Madejski has called on fans to get behind manager Brian McDermott and his team.

McDermott's position has come under the spotlight after his side fell to their fourth consecutive defeat, losing 1-0 at Southampton on Saturday.

And if they fail to come away with any points from tomorrow night's crunch game at relegation rivals Sunderland - then McDermott will undoubtedly be under even more pressure.

Reading are adrift in 19th-place, six points from safety and four behind the Black Cats.

But Sir John told BBC Berkshire: "We have to get this right and to unsteady the manager at this stage is not helpful in my opinion. If we were to get another manager he's not going to come in and give us instant success, that's for sure.

"People should get behind the squad, team and manager and let's work things out and get things right."

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With January approaching, McDermott told the Post last week that he was looking for two or three new signings.

However, he was unsure how much cash new owner Anton Zingarevich would stump up.

And Sir John added: "If it comes to splashing the cash then that is (Anton's) decision, not mine. We will just have to wait and see what happens in the January transfer window.

"All I can say is that as far as the squad and manager are concerned they're all positive, they're training well and doing their very best.

"There have been no major upsets and there haven't been any drubbings in recent times - it's always been a draw or the odd one goal here or there. We have to do our best with what we have at the moment.

"The chances are we will be improving the squad, but even so I have great faith in the squad anyway.

"It's not just about spending money - it's a team game. Look how long it took Abramovich to get Chelsea right by picking off the best players in the world. It's a mercurial business.

"However, I think that the Zingarevich family certainly are well-off, but, they like anyone else will want value for money and they will be looking for that. As far as I'm concerned they're doing a great job and will continue to do so."

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@ray northstander: many season tickets were renewals at £350, not £600. Concessions were £99. I'd be surprised if there were many players on as little as 20k - that's Championship wages. The fact is, the TV deals pay most of the wages and the ordinary fan who goes to games is just whistling in the wind.

CatAndHat
13/12/2012 at 22:22

Sincere apologies for two posts that state essentially the same thing. The latest one was torn off in a hurry about 2-3 days ago. I noticed it wasn't on here, so did the previous one just now, andblow me down they both went up when I submitted it.

ray northstander
11/12/2012 at 17:05

love buddha, Where do you get your skewed logic from ?

I've been eating Rice Krispies since I was a kid. That doesn't make me an investor in Kelloggs. It makes me a customer, that's all.

I'm afraid that's as far as your season ticket goes as well. It just entitles you to watch pro football at the Madstad.

I totally agree that the wages paid to pro footballers are scandalous, but the irony is that those wages are only affordable due to the ambivalence of the *real* investors.

To put it into some kind of perspective. (Very rough figures)

We sold around 18000 season tickets at say £600 18000 x 600 = £10.8M

Average wage at Madstad per player, say £20k/week = £1M per year.

So even with these very rough figures, which do not include so many other things, the ticket revenue does not even cover the wages of half of the squad.

ray northstander
11/12/2012 at 16:52

Whilst we all care about the plight of our football team, surely some need to think about their relationship with the club.

Think about this.

You may have eaten Rice Krispies for breakfast every day of your life. You've *supported* that company, if you like. Does this mean that you get a say in how Kellogg's is run ? What the packaging should look like ? How much their advertising budget should be ?

Let's say that you went to the cinema, watched Skyfall. You decide that Daniel Craig was not very good. Just because you paid to see the film, it does not give you any say as to whom should star as Bond in the next film.

Is the penny beginning to drop now ?

Your ticket money gives you a seat to watch a professional football match, that's all. We're all just customers, buying a commodity.

ray northstander
11/12/2012 at 16:52

I see nothing to be gained by sacking BM. He is a good manager and has proved that by getting the best out of a limited squad and funding. He needs time to adjust to the Premier but even if we go down we should stick with him. All the best managers go through difficult times and it's all about learning from mistakes and coming out even better. A few good loan signings and who knows.......

Brighton Royal
11/12/2012 at 13:07

No-one comes out of this with any credit - The Board, the manager or the players. The result tonight is irrelevant.

RFC is a joke.

Can some-one buy SJM a new drum for Christmas!

The owners are spending no money, the players are being paid - there is only one loser and that is the supporters who will be there after all the current incumbents have gone.

well, well, well
11/12/2012 at 10:09

I am annoyed by SJM's comments. I, as a season ticket holder for many years, along with many like me are supporting the manager and the club by spending our hard earned cash. We commit to this before a ball is kicked in anger. Therefore, I also believe we have every right to voice our opinions, whether they are good or bad.

I do not want BM to be sacked, because he is not the sole cause of our current predicament. SJM, AZ and the board offered very little financial support for what is required to succeed in the Prem. There is a handsome £90 MILLION + PL pay check on the table and they invest a pultry few million!!!

I am sure that in any of SJM's and AZ's other businesses they would invest many millions more for a "contract" with a £90 Million + potential.

AZ and SJM should grow some b***s and come out and make a statement as to how much they gave BM to spend and what their plans are for the future, and stop letting BM be the fall guy.

BM is too nice a person to complain, but I wouldn't mind betting that his signings would have been very different had he been given the financial backing in the summer. He has to work with the players he has at his disposal, and unfortunately some of them are just not performing for him.

Royals1871
11/12/2012 at 10:03

The budget is always shrouded in mystery (I appreciate that we can't advertise the exact amount). Details of whether more money was available are frustratingly vague. BM has continually insisted that he spent the entirity of what was at his disposal. Frankly, I believe him. The 'suggestions' that he 'underspent' are just that - suggestions. Although the board could end the speculation and conjecture by backing him up.

It's noteworthy that at no point does JM suggest that he believes results will improve (I may have overlooked/missed that bit. Old age, you know). Essentially he's saying accept poor results, amateur performances and poor planning, because we used to be rubbish. Brilliant! Although there are those who concur with that view.

The JM and AZ show reminds me of the old Morecambe and Wise appearing in Glasgow story. Wise took to the stage alone and was proving less than entertaining (much like me), before Eric joined him, at which point a voice at the back of the auditorium shouted 'Oh Christ no!!! There's two of 'em'!'

Why are there two of them?

Michael Duberry's Defensive Coach
11/12/2012 at 09:16

The club should be more honest about how much our budget is. If it tiny why? We are in the pl.

poru, Bournemouth
10/12/2012 at 22:27

BM keeps portraying that we are doing ok and he is the right person for the job then boasting 'look at where we were and see where we are now' ie in the best division in the world'. The guy is delusional and living in the past. When we were where we were ie in the Championship we had a manager and team that WAS 'fit for purpose'. THIS IS NO LONGER THE SITUATION and that is why we are where we are !He is, of course, trying to safeguard his position. He must know that the and his team are not right at this level and hoping that relegation will place him in back in a position and at a level where he belongs and that we just tag along with him for the ride. If we are to have some hope then he must go. I would like to think differently and to be proven wrong.

Richard Collings Caversham

Richard Collings
10/12/2012 at 20:19

BM keeps portraying that we are doing ok and he is the right person for the job then boasting 'look at where we were and see where we are now' ie in the best division in the world'.

The guy is delusional and living in the past. When we were where we were ie in the Championship we had a manager and team that WAS 'fit for purpose'. THIS IS NO LONGER THE SITUATION and that is why we are where we are !

He is, of course, trying to safeguard his position. He must know that he and his team are not right at this level hoping that relegation will place him in back in a position and at a level where he belongs and that we just tag along with him for the ride.

If we are to have some hope then he must go. We can't do worst!

I would like to think differently and to be proven wrong.

Richard Collings Caversham

Richard Collings
10/12/2012 at 20:19

'get behind the manager' bloody cheek! We do get behind our managers, remember the protests to keep Sir Steve?

What we don' t like is being the cheap stake Club in the PL, it's like turning up to a party with a bottle of milk.

Tilehurst Ender, Spencers wood
10/12/2012 at 20:15

Get your money out and invest in players!

However excellent the manager is is irrelevent.

hudson, reading
10/12/2012 at 20:09

Poru, the shocking thing is that many fans can pass the ball and can probably do it better than some of our players at present! They can't even receive a short throw, control it and pass it back to the feet of the player that took the throw!

You get what you paid for. Either McDermott was given plenty of money to spend in the summer and chose not to - in which case he should go now. Or he was only given very limited funds, which he largely wasted on Pog and Guthrie - players he will not play. If the latter then Madejski should have the decency to tell supporters that he and Anton decided not to provide the necessary finances and take the heat themselves, rather than leave the manager to carry the can.

HARB
10/12/2012 at 20:01

Won 1 drawn 6 lost 8!! Sorry no one thought it would be that bad sjm! Give us one GOOD reason why BM is the best man. Unless we are spending money in january then relegation is certain. Showering BM with blind love when he and the team are not delivering is not going to work. Yes we have lost some games narrowly ut many of those could have been 2 or 3 nil defeats!