How impressed are you with BMcD's return to the club?

[RoyalBlue]

We gave Adkins and Clarke the benefit of the doubt when they took over and couldn't get results. It wasn't their team we all said. When it was their team the results didn't improve.

Now we've come full circle and Brian is back and now we've got to give him time to build his squad again

Why don't we A) hire a manager that can work with the existing squad and B) stop letting managers spend our money until they have proven themselves?

I'm pissed off that we seem to be in a position where we're completely rebuilding our squad every summer to suit different managers. The whole idea of a director of football / chief exec is to give the club an identity and make sure all players and coaching staff signed are aligned to that (e.g. Swansea, Southampton) so we're not facing a re-build every time the manager changes.

Absolutely spot on.

Only thing is a reasonable number of these players are already Brian's men and still he can't improve things.

[RoyalBlue]

FFS just read his post match comments wittering on about work ethic, playing for badge, supporters etc.

He is a one trick pony. If we really could get to the PL and stay there on work ethic and pride in the club alone, he and Hammond could sign up the squad from HNA. That really would fit the Reading model of minimal investment!

Oh and apparently he's going to work really hard over the next three days (again!) to ensure we see the right type of commitment, performance and result v Cardiff. We shall see.........

[Sutekh]

To be fair to Brian, beyond the standard media platitudes, the players were kept in the dressing room for 45 minutes after the game as Brian aired his views on the current state/direction of the club

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... t-11046513

Royals' manager gave a frank assessment of his side's third defeat in a week and told players: "We need to get back to what this club's about"

Reading FC manager Brian McDermott admits the club has lost its way following the 1-0 defeat at Brighton on Tuesday night .

The loss was Royals' third in a week and McDermott kept his matchday squad in the changing room for 45 minutes after the game at the Amex Stadium.

And although he would not reveal what was said among the players and staff, the 54-year-old pulled no punches in his post-match assessment of where the club is currently at following his return at the end of last year.

"We had a chat and a conversation about where we've got to be going forward," said McDermott.

"The conversation we had in the changing room will stay in there. It was very straight forward.

"I've been here for many years. I had a little time away but I know what this football club's all about.

"I look back and just think probably I've seen something. Possibly in 2012 we lost our way and we need to get back to what this club's about.

"It's a working class club, it's about players who work hard for the badge, for the supporters and work their socks off every game.

"Every game anyone plays against Reading knows it's going to be a tough game and the opposition knows that if Reading play well or badly - they know exactly what they're going to get.

"That's what we've got to get back to."

"Everyone in the group will support each other, the staff, the players that are the playing and the ones who are not - that's part of the DNA of Reading"
Royals have won just three out of 15 Championship games since McDermott returned to the club in mid-December.

The defeat at Brighton followed on from the FA Cup quarter-final loss to Crystal Palace last Friday night.

Royals lie 15th in the league table, eight points off the relegation zone and although a relegation scrap appears unlikely, McDermott says the club need to get back to basics to pick up positive results.

He said: "I'm not worried about next season. I'm thinking about Wednesday and we have to make sure we're spot on in training over the next three days and then we've got another game.

"I'll pick another team for Cardiff (Saturday at Madejski Stadium) - everyone in that group will support each other, the staff, the players that are the playing and the ones who are not, and that's part of the DNA of Reading - being a football club where we all support each other.

"Two or three games ago we were unbeaten in six and we need to get back to a little run and it starts on Saturday."

McDermott added: "There's no danger about motivating the players as far as I am concerned.

"We have got big motivation for 10 games - we've discussed that and what we've got to play for.

"Every single time we put on a Reading shirt we're motivated to produce and we have to get back to what this football club is all about.

"And I'm looking forward to that happening."

[msmivie]

Just ONE win in the last 11 League games, and that was over the mighty Rotherham United (pre Warnock)
All going well isn't it!!!

[Maneki Neko]

FFS just read his post match comments wittering on about work ethic, playing for badge, supporters etc.

He is a one trick pony. If we really could get to the PL and stay there on work ethic and pride in the club alone, he and Hammond could sign up the squad from HNA. That really would fit the Reading model of minimal investment!

Oh and apparently he's going to work really hard over the next three days (again!) to ensure we see the right type of commitment, performance and result v Cardiff. We shall see.........

[Maneki Neko]

To be fair to Brian, beyond the standard media platitudes, the players were kept in the dressing room for 45 minutes after the game as Brian aired his views on the current state/direction of the club

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... t-11046513

Royals' manager gave a frank assessment of his side's third defeat in a week and told players: "We need to get back to what this club's about"

Reading FC manager Brian McDermott admits the club has lost its way following the 1-0 defeat at Brighton on Tuesday night .

The loss was Royals' third in a week and McDermott kept his matchday squad in the changing room for 45 minutes after the game at the Amex Stadium.

And although he would not reveal what was said among the players and staff, the 54-year-old pulled no punches in his post-match assessment of where the club is currently at following his return at the end of last year.

"We had a chat and a conversation about where we've got to be going forward," said McDermott.

"The conversation we had in the changing room will stay in there. It was very straight forward.

"I've been here for many years. I had a little time away but I know what this football club's all about.

"I look back and just think probably I've seen something. Possibly in 2012 we lost our way and we need to get back to what this club's about.

"It's a working class club, it's about players who work hard for the badge, for the supporters and work their socks off every game.

"Every game anyone plays against Reading knows it's going to be a tough game and the opposition knows that if Reading play well or badly - they know exactly what they're going to get.

"That's what we've got to get back to."

"Everyone in the group will support each other, the staff, the players that are the playing and the ones who are not - that's part of the DNA of Reading"
Royals have won just three out of 15 Championship games since McDermott returned to the club in mid-December.

The defeat at Brighton followed on from the FA Cup quarter-final loss to Crystal Palace last Friday night.

Royals lie 15th in the league table, eight points off the relegation zone and although a relegation scrap appears unlikely, McDermott says the club need to get back to basics to pick up positive results.

He said: "I'm not worried about next season. I'm thinking about Wednesday and we have to make sure we're spot on in training over the next three days and then we've got another game.

"I'll pick another team for Cardiff (Saturday at Madejski Stadium) - everyone in that group will support each other, the staff, the players that are the playing and the ones who are not, and that's part of the DNA of Reading - being a football club where we all support each other.

"Two or three games ago we were unbeaten in six and we need to get back to a little run and it starts on Saturday."

McDermott added: "There's no danger about motivating the players as far as I am concerned.

"We have got big motivation for 10 games - we've discussed that and what we've got to play for.

"Every single time we put on a Reading shirt we're motivated to produce and we have to get back to what this football club is all about.

"And I'm looking forward to that happening."

sounds bang on to me. only a massive div could see negatives in that.

[sandman]

Forget the Monaco owner buying shares in us, we should get Florentino Perez to buy in. Then you utter tw@ts would realise your dream of getting the manager sacked every week.

[Hoop Blah]

Very true about the Thais there is nothing fom them now, of course there will be if their development plaans get kicked out......hopefully !!

I don't think it's true about the Thais at all. Didn't we have a load of constant moaning before that we didn't hear anything from them?

Obviously there was a little flurry of PR from them when they were launching the development plans, around the time of McDermott's appointment and also, IIRC, when they were over here to see a few games. Apart from that I think their general approach has been to stay out of the way and leave it to Howe to run things and be their mouthpiece.

[Snowball136]

I think we DO lack character, what used to be The Reading way.

I remember 2006-07 when a Reading midfielder would go crashing in,not get
the ball but the saving pass was only 90%, and a second midfielder would
go crashing in, "fail" but act pass was 80% and when the third RFC player
challenged he'd win the ball. of course all three challenges mattered.

There was fight, heart, energy, commitment. It was like the players said,
"Hey we're not Barcelona, but by oxf*rd we can fight!"

I don't mind getting beat, even 4-0 if every man has gone in leather flying, every one
has done lung-bursting runs, every one has put his head on the block like that
amazing opposition defender (Burnley?) who, lying on the floor put his face in
front of a shot.

Think of Shane Long with Noel Hunt. How many times did Hunty get a head injury?
This guys would run through a brick wall for this club. Think of Pearce when he scored,
Mills at Leicester, Feds at Manchester United, the 4-3 win at Forest.

Think how many times we were HAMMERED and won 1-0.

We really have lost our soul. We may need to go down, play kids to re-find it, we may not,
but having seen Adkins and Clarke suffer, and now McD, it's a lot more than mere management,
it's something fundamentally, maybe not "rotten" but not right, in the heart of this club


If I said Long and Hunt, Karacan (as examples) add your own to the list)
gave 10/10 and cared 10/10, how many of these do, what score would you give them
Not quality now, just heart, soul, commitment?

9 Ali

6 Gunts, nah not really
6 Obita, just a competent going through the motions, style
6 Ferdinand, decent enough bloke, but just playing out time

? McShane
? Cooper
5 Hector. Mistake? yeah. I'm a Chelsea Player mate.

6 Norwood, unhappy, no new contract offered
5 Williams. Sure he runs about a lot but it's for HIM, not Reading
7 Quinn. Better, could become "a club heart" but isn't yet
7 Tish

5 Kermogant. May rise to 6 but there is no passion
7 Cox. Must be depressed but one of the few who puts in a shift
7 Vydra Tricky to score. Has the body-language of a 3-4 and is "gone" but shows flashes of 9

6 HRK An average of 8s and 4s, but another one playing out time.
6 McCleary. Just another day at the office these days

7 John (maybe) but he's a loanee so hardly gonna die for the badge

[Hoop Blah]

I think there's an element of truth in that Snowball, although I'd suggest it's possibly a trait of modern football as there's been a big push on technique over heart and guts in the youth systems over the last 20 years and the rule changes/interpretations have taken a bit out of the blood and thunder approach.

Having said that, I don't think you could criticise Quinn, Norwood, Williams, McShane for their willingness to go in where it hurts or to work hard enough for the side. I'm sure Kermagant and Vydra are much the same too. Hector will at times as well, but I agree there isn't that tenacity that we've had in our successful sides. I don't remember players like Oster, Little, Convey, Shorey or Lita being too quick to put their bodies on in the line during our successful period either.

What really comes first though, that willingness to put your body on the line or the success a team is having? If we were in the top 6 and fighting for automatic promotion I'd argue you'd see more of that extra 10% coming from players who currently look like they're looking after themselves at times. There's a saying that team spirit is a myth created by success, but I think that definitely overlooks the importance of team ethic and a work rate in success.

Having so many loan players and players looking to move on at the end of the season obviously will have an impact on the guts you rightly want to see too.

[No Fixed Abode]

Another loss last night as predicted. Apart from Blackburn and Bolton every fixture you have left this season are teams above you...........

[genome]

Liking those comments from Brian. Unfortunately I do feel now we have nothing to play for (barring a great run from Charlton/Rotherham and we sustain this losing run - which I don't think will happen) the loan players will just be going through the motions until the end of the season and won't really care about the direction the club is going in.

If we can nick a couple of wins and all but guarantee safety, I think we should start blooding players like Barrett, and give some more game time to Fosu/Stacey/Kuhl.

[Sutekh]

Just ONE win in the last 11 League games, and that was over the mighty Rotherham United (pre Warnock)
All going well isn't it!!!

Was the Charlton game in the cup then?

[msmivie]

Correct. Apologies!

[quickwingerswife]

Time to go Brian, lots of verbal from you about what we are about etc. Bottom line you haven't got what it takes. Look at the Palace game. Lone striker up front hoping to get onto missiles from the back. Palace must have thought our lucky day, we can deal with this for 90 minutes and they did, easily. Most of the missiles missed the target anyway, you saw it Brian, did you deliberately ignore the obvious, what did you see? Boring football and no sense of direction, Adkins, Clarke, McDermott, the clones persist. Please Please let's have some entertainment.

[AirRaidSiren]

To be fair to Brian, beyond the standard media platitudes, the players were kept in the dressing room for 45 minutes after the game as Brian aired his views on the current state/direction of the club

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... t-11046513

Royals' manager gave a frank assessment of his side's third defeat in a week and told players: "We need to get back to what this club's about"

Reading FC manager Brian McDermott admits the club has lost its way following the 1-0 defeat at Brighton on Tuesday night .

The loss was Royals' third in a week and McDermott kept his matchday squad in the changing room for 45 minutes after the game at the Amex Stadium.

And although he would not reveal what was said among the players and staff, the 54-year-old pulled no punches in his post-match assessment of where the club is currently at following his return at the end of last year.

"We had a chat and a conversation about where we've got to be going forward," said McDermott.

"The conversation we had in the changing room will stay in there. It was very straight forward.

"I've been here for many years. I had a little time away but I know what this football club's all about.

"I look back and just think probably I've seen something. Possibly in 2012 we lost our way and we need to get back to what this club's about.

"It's a working class club, it's about players who work hard for the badge, for the supporters and work their socks off every game.

"Every game anyone plays against Reading knows it's going to be a tough game and the opposition knows that if Reading play well or badly - they know exactly what they're going to get.

"That's what we've got to get back to."

"Everyone in the group will support each other, the staff, the players that are the playing and the ones who are not - that's part of the DNA of Reading"
Royals have won just three out of 15 Championship games since McDermott returned to the club in mid-December.

The defeat at Brighton followed on from the FA Cup quarter-final loss to Crystal Palace last Friday night.

Royals lie 15th in the league table, eight points off the relegation zone and although a relegation scrap appears unlikely, McDermott says the club need to get back to basics to pick up positive results.

He said: "I'm not worried about next season. I'm thinking about Wednesday and we have to make sure we're spot on in training over the next three days and then we've got another game.

"I'll pick another team for Cardiff (Saturday at Madejski Stadium) - everyone in that group will support each other, the staff, the players that are the playing and the ones who are not, and that's part of the DNA of Reading - being a football club where we all support each other.

"Two or three games ago we were unbeaten in six and we need to get back to a little run and it starts on Saturday."

McDermott added: "There's no danger about motivating the players as far as I am concerned.

"We have got big motivation for 10 games - we've discussed that and what we've got to play for.

"Every single time we put on a Reading shirt we're motivated to produce and we have to get back to what this football club is all about.

"And I'm looking forward to that happening."

sounds bang on to me. only a massive div could see negatives in that.

Brian's strongest point is to know when and how to say the right things to the press.

Only a massive div would fall for such baloney....

[genome]

Why don't we A) hire a manager that can work with the existing squad and B) stop letting managers spend our money until they have proven themselves?

a) That's easier said than done, who could Reading realistically attract who would be able to motivate a squad who know they will be off in the summer? You need a top, top manager to do that. And what's the point in doing that now? You may as well see what Brian can do with the summer now and see how he gets on when he's given a chance to do what he does best.

b) Brian hardly spent any money, Rakels wasn't his signing either

[floyd__streete]

Lets be honest, the past few weeks have proven that there really isn't any discernible improvement under McD. What is clear however is that the rot set in this season under Clarke rather than McDermott.

[Ian Royal]

After the defeat at Brighton last night, Brian McDermott's record in Champioship matches since his return reads:- Played 15. Won. 3. Drawn 5. Lost. 7. Points. 14
Could we still get relegated?

No it doesn't.

[Maneki Neko]

Very true about the Thais there is nothing fom them now, of course there will be if their development plaans get kicked out......hopefully !!

I don't think it's true about the Thais at all. Didn't we have a load of constant moaning before that we didn't hear anything from them?

Obviously there was a little flurry of PR from them when they were launching the development plans, around the time of McDermott's appointment and also, IIRC, when they were over here to see a few games. Apart from that I think their general approach has been to stay out of the way and leave it to Howe to run things and be their mouthpiece.

Owners should stick to the business and allow the football side to run itself. Im glad theyvarent constantly talking in the press tbh.