Next Reading Manager: Press Conference @ 9:15

[Divvy]

We have options we just need to use them carefully and quickly. I'd even say bring Brian back if we go down, but that seems unlikely

There is still no massive rush, but really, even if it could happen, what would be the point of bringing McDermott back?

It would be utterly ridiculous and wont ever happen! We will "move on" and rightly so. Onwards and upwards for both manager and club.

[LightwaterRoyal]

Just give the job to Eamonn Dolan and get this over and done with, Id much rather see us appoint someone who has the clubs interests at heart (much like McDermott). I really hope Brian knows how much the fans actually appreciate him as he is up there as one of if not the best greatest Reading managers of all time.

[Ian Royal]

I suspect AZ & SJM decided that BM was not the right man long-term but that they would not get involved in discussions with, and approaches to, others behind his back, therefore made the move to sack him without having anyone lined up.

Totally at odds with the way most clubs operate but RFC aren't like most clubs, thankfully.

Indeed, the club can't win. Have someone lined up and they would have been accused of being disrespectful to McD (as they were over Di Canio). Don't have someone lined as they get accused of making a balls up, not being prepared, not thinking it through, making a knee-jerk sacking, etc.

To me they are going about it the right way and aren't discussing it in the media. They are taking their time and just because we got turned down, although nothing has been confirmed in that respect, doesn't mean they made a mistake.

Voices of reason are not welcome.

[Ian Royal]

We have options we just need to use them carefully and quickly. I'd even say bring Brian back if we go down, but that seems unlikely

There is still no massive rush, but really, even if it could happen, what would be the point of bringing McDermott back?

It would be utterly ridiculous and wont ever happen! We will "move on" and rightly so. Onwards and upwards for both manager and club.

There's only really one way we'll end up as a laughing stock and that's if we bring McDermott back as manager.

[Agent Balti]

That's just a load of old cowdung, if we didn't have anyone ready to come in we should have waited until the end of the season before sacking the manager - that's if you're one of those people who actually think he needed sacking, which he didn't - it's mostly the newer/younger/idiot fans who think the manager needed sacking.

Sacking the manager in the midst of a relegation battle and then not appointing a new manager IS a balls up, how the oxf*rd do you expect it to make any difference in the relegation battle, except make it worse?!?

The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again when expecting a different result. That's what we did time and time again. All this 'Reading Time' when we scored heavily in the last few minutes of games wasn't some tactical master stroke - it was desperation! The standard of play was and is not Premier League standard...it just isn't. We looked much, much better when Eamonn promoted the tactic of 'pass the ball'. There was no confidence to carry this off and it was Man Utd we were up against...but the players did it, under instruction! What did they do beforehand? Play this long ball balls just 'because'...no, that was Brian's tactic (note: Tactic, not plural!) And that tactic was not good enough for this division. Not even close.

Brian had lost the players, lost a lot of the fans, made some truly bonkers decisions...and let's face facts, we have won just FIVE games all season. If you don't change anything, then no change can be made. You can't change the players at this point, there's very little else you can do but you can change the manager.

Yes, it is the last roll of the dice...but if Anton had no confidence in Brian, other than him being a 'lovely bloke' (and this is where a lot of the sentiment for Brian is 'twisted') then I can't blame him for giving it a shot to try and change it.

[Ian Royal]

It's generally not a good idea to ask someone to rebuild a squad to make it good enough to go up and survive in the Premier League, when he's responsible for building the team that went up and failed miserably to challenge. It rather suggests a lack of understanding of what's needed in the first place, and a lack of perspective on where the problems are and how to go about it.
You need someone who is at a couple of steps removed from the whole thing to bring fresh ideas.

[Divvy]

That's just a load of old cowdung, if we didn't have anyone ready to come in we should have waited until the end of the season before sacking the manager - that's if you're one of those people who actually think he needed sacking, which he didn't - it's mostly the newer/younger/idiot fans who think the manager needed sacking.

Sacking the manager in the midst of a relegation battle and then not appointing a new manager IS a balls up, how the oxf*rd do you expect it to make any difference in the relegation battle, except make it worse?!?

The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again when expecting a different result. That's what we did time and time again. All this 'Reading Time' when we scored heavily in the last few minutes of games wasn't some tactical master stroke - it was desperation! The standard of play was and is not Premier League standard...it just isn't. We looked much, much better when Eamonn promoted the tactic of 'pass the ball'. There was no confidence to carry this off and it was Man Utd we were up against...but the players did it, under instruction! What did they do beforehand? Play this long ball balls just 'because'...no, that was Brian's tactic (note: Tactic, not plural!) And that tactic was not good enough for this division. Not even close.

Brian had lost the players, lost a lot of the fans, made some truly bonkers decisions...and let's face facts, we have won just FIVE games all season. If you don't change anything, then no change can be made. You can't change the players at this point, there's very little else you can do but you can change the manager.

Yes, it is the last roll of the dice...but if Anton had no confidence in Brian, other than him being a 'lovely bloke' (and this is where a lot of the sentiment for Brian is 'twisted') then I can't blame him for giving it a shot to try and change it.

Top post!

[AirRaidSiren]

That's just a load of old cowdung, if we didn't have anyone ready to come in we should have waited until the end of the season before sacking the manager - that's if you're one of those people who actually think he needed sacking, which he didn't - it's mostly the newer/younger/idiot fans who think the manager needed sacking.

Sacking the manager in the midst of a relegation battle and then not appointing a new manager IS a balls up, how the oxf*rd do you expect it to make any difference in the relegation battle, except make it worse?!?

The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again when expecting a different result. That's what we did time and time again. All this 'Reading Time' when we scored heavily in the last few minutes of games wasn't some tactical master stroke - it was desperation! The standard of play was and is not Premier League standard...it just isn't. We looked much, much better when Eamonn promoted the tactic of 'pass the ball'. There was no confidence to carry this off and it was Man Utd we were up against...but the players did it, under instruction! What did they do beforehand? Play this long ball balls just 'because'...no, that was Brian's tactic (note: Tactic, not plural!) And that tactic was not good enough for this division. Not even close.

Brian had lost the players, lost a lot of the fans, made some truly bonkers decisions...and let's face facts, we have won just FIVE games all season. If you don't change anything, then no change can be made. You can't change the players at this point, there's very little else you can do but you can change the manager.

Yes, it is the last roll of the dice...but if Anton had no confidence in Brian, other than him being a 'lovely bloke' (and this is where a lot of the sentiment for Brian is 'twisted') then I can't blame him for giving it a shot to try and change it.

Top post!

+1

I welled up reading that

[winchester_royal]

It is indeed a good post, and as much as the anti-Anton brigade would like us to believe it was an irrational decision made by a stubborn little rich boy...there was some perfectly understandable reasoning behind it. Whether or not you agree with the decision is one thing, but to call it 'embarassing' or 'the end of the Reading way' is completely ridiculous.

[Once were Biscuitmen]

Lets face it we have one of the weakest Premiership squads ever and Brian was on a hiding to nothing having massively over-achieved last season.

At the start of last season I thought if we could have made the play-off that would have been a great result given the quality of the squad and we won the freaking league instead.

If we had just missed out last season and then strengthened this season Brian would still be in the job and the club would be in a much more favorable place in the squad development cycle to be going up to the top tier.

[The Cap]

Yes, Agent Balti's post is top drawer and indicative of another fan who cares deeply about the club that we all follow/support. It struck me the other day that regardless of peoples' opinions, perceived as whingeing or not, there's no denying the level of passion being shown on this board - particularly at this moment in time. There are a lot of people who are visible, and quite a few who visit and remain invisible. However, when all's said and done, we all have one common interest. The appointment of a manager who has all the required attributes on his CV but, most of all, one who cares as much as we do. And amen to that people.

[RoyalBlue]

Lets face it we have one of the weakest Premiership squads ever and Brian was on a hiding to nothing having massively over-achieved last season.

At the start of last season I thought if we could have made the play-off that would have been a great result given the quality of the squad and we won the freaking league instead.

If we had just missed out last season and then strengthened this season Brian would still be in the job and the club would be in a much more favorable place in the squad development cycle to be going up to the top tier.

That would have been dependent on Brian strengthening with the right type of signings and his record of doing that in the past two windows was not particularly good.

[Agent Balti]

Yes, Agent Balti's post is top drawer and indicative of another fan who cares deeply about the club that we all follow/support. It struck me the other day that regardless of peoples' opinions, perceived as whingeing or not, there's no denying the level of passion being shown on this board - particularly at this moment in time. There are a lot of people who are visible, and quite a few who visit and remain invisible. However, when all's said and done, we all have one common interest. The appointment of a manager who has all the required attributes on his CV but, most of all, one who cares as much as we do. And amen to that people.

Cheers for that Cap. There are many who are just vocal for being vocal...way too many 'look at me with a witty riposte'. There may be a common interest, but some just want to pick fights. It's a common interest, but the goal for them is distinctly different.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Yes, Agent Balti's post is top drawer and indicative of another fan who cares deeply about the club that we all follow/support. It struck me the other day that regardless of peoples' opinions, perceived as whingeing or not, there's no denying the level of passion being shown on this board - particularly at this moment in time. There are a lot of people who are visible, and quite a few who visit and remain invisible. However, when all's said and done, we all have one common interest. The appointment of a manager who has all the required attributes on his CV but, most of all, one who cares as much as we do. And amen to that people.

You are Mick Gooding AICMFP!

[RockheadRumple]

The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again when expecting a different result. That's what we did time and time again. All this 'Reading Time' when we scored heavily in the last few minutes of games wasn't some tactical master stroke - it was desperation! The standard of play was and is not Premier League standard...it just isn't. We looked much, much better when Eamonn promoted the tactic of 'pass the ball'. There was no confidence to carry this off and it was Man Utd we were up against...but the players did it, under instruction! What did they do beforehand? Play this long ball balls just 'because'...no, that was Brian's tactic (note: Tactic, not plural!) And that tactic was not good enough for this division. Not even close.

Brian had lost the players, lost a lot of the fans, made some truly bonkers decisions...and let's face facts, we have won just FIVE games all season. If you don't change anything, then no change can be made. You can't change the players at this point, there's very little else you can do but you can change the manager.

Yes, it is the last roll of the dice...but if Anton had no confidence in Brian, other than him being a 'lovely bloke' (and this is where a lot of the sentiment for Brian is 'twisted') then I can't blame him for giving it a shot to try and change it.

Sad, but very true indeed.

[Arch]

I was worried we might beat derby's record low points tally!!!

So really, you haven't got a clue what you're talking about...

[Eaststandman]

"Brian had lost the players" who might that be then?

[Simon's Church]

Amelia Earhart


etc

[Norfolk Royal]

"Brian had lost the players" who might that be then?

Sheppard and Williams for two. We signed them and they just vanished.

[Eaststandman]

"Brian had lost the players" who might that be then?

Sheppard and Williams for two. We signed them and they just vanished.