Boro Match Thread

[Westwood52]

Too often Managers are unfairly sacked-however once you lose the Players there is no point him carrying on-trouble is there is no one at the Club to get Adkins out.

[leon]

Setting aside the bigger picture (investment, Anton, etc.), Adkins cannot be exempted of blame here. First of all, he has stated that he believes he has enough cover at left back and centre back, so the lack of like-for-like back up is his responsibility. Secondly, he should provide effect tactics, substitutions, and man management. Nor can he be excused on the grounds that these players cannot apply his style of play, because the first requirement is the basics of football: tackling, passing, centering, making chances. When a team fails at those, the manager has to take much of the blame.

no apparently the entire squad has never been able to pass the ball, tackle, score or find space. That was the squad Brian left us with.

[muddyfeet]

Setting aside the bigger picture (investment, Anton, etc.), Adkins cannot be exempted of blame here. First of all, he has stated that he believes he has enough cover at left back and centre back, so the lack of like-for-like back up is his responsibility. Secondly, he should provide effective tactics, substitutions, and man management.

Nor can he be excused on the grounds that these players cannot apply his style of play, because the first requirement is the basics of football: tackling, passing, centering, making chances. When a team fails at those, the manager has to take much of the blame.

And we haven't played well for a full 90 minutes all season

He had to take some of the blame

[Platypuss]

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=119725

the thread was in response to everyone's views on our upcoming season.

Indeed. And I can't see anything on there to back up what you claimed.

Why was there even a thread then? Because everyone was being overly pessimistic?

Because some were?

Show me where a majority thought we'd be top two.

[Woodcote Royal]

More in hope than anything else but I really hope the board back Adkins in Jan & allow him to build a squad that can compete for next season.

Anything can happen but surely we have no hope of play-offs with the current squad?

It makes absolute sense for them to write this season off & give him (Adkins)some cash to see what he can do.

Post of the season from the upper reaches of Nigel Adkins backside.

No one in their right mind would give this guy another brass farthing of the clubs money.

[Ouroboros]

I think after a tough, emotional day, the last word should be with Tim Dellor, hitting the nail on the head as usual:

There is no way Reading should be swanking up and down on airplanes

Damn right Tim.

[Platypuss]

Another crap result but still a long way to go and still think we will get into the playoffs.

People suggesting the manager should be sacked are just morons. With the current ownership situation, nobody in their right mind would take over, and even once these situations are resolved Adkins needs to be backed in the transfer market to at least give him a chance.

Too much truth for some though.

[muddyfeet]

I can't really think of a game I've really enjoyed yet this season

[Oilroyal]

Setting aside the bigger picture (investment, Anton, etc.), Adkins cannot be exempted of blame here. First of all, he has stated that he believes he has enough cover at left back and centre back, so the lack of like-for-like back up is his responsibility. Secondly, he should provide effect tactics, substitutions, and man management.

Nor can he be excused on the grounds that these players cannot apply his style of play, because the first requirement is the basics of football: tackling, passing, centering, making chances. When a team fails at those, the manager has to take much of the blame.

Seems odd the manager continues to insist on playing a certain style of football instead of playing to the team strength. Points are what we need not pride and post match interviews of positivity and possession stats. Keep NA but he needs to be more adaptable and play to the teams strengths

[facaldaqui]

If the ridiculous did happen and they hooked Adkins after the next defeat on Wednesday, who would the "sack him" brigade like to take over ? to vent their "oh Brian we love you, he's not like you" anger on

Even though i cannot stand Adkins, I do not want him sacked. But if he is sacked, I would have Dolan in charge to the end of the season.

[Man Friday]

So those dreadful performances, valuable points gift-wrapped to our relegation rivals and the table itself were all figments of my imagination?

Agree though, he isn't the type to take satisfaction from what is happening now. I suspect that, having had to put up with god knows how many disappointing transfer windows under Madejski and Hammond, he will be feeling a lot of sympathy towards Adkins.

He was robbed of 6-7 points by terrible officiating (Chelsea, Viila, Man City - the push, and a couple of others). Small clubs like us don't stand a chance.

[SHORT AND CURLY]

I can't really think of a game I've really enjoyed yet this season

Well if we persist with Adkins, there will be plenty more rubbish to come.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

More in hope than anything else but I really hope the board back Adkins in Jan & allow him to build a squad that can compete for next season.

Anything can happen but surely we have no hope of play-offs with the current squad?

It makes absolute sense for them to write this season off & give him (Adkins)some cash to see what he can do.

Post of the season from the upper reaches of Nigel Adkins backside.

No one in their right mind would give this guy another brass farthing of the clubs money.

Sorry ANOTHER brass farthing?! What fcuking money has he had? Drenthe & Williams are nothing to do with him whatsoever. We've made probably £3.5-4m in transfer fees from Palace for Kebe & Mariappa & as a result he was allowed to get Baird & Sharp on loan.

I'm not up Adkins' backside. The performances are woeful. BUT WHO ELSE WOULD WE GET AND WHO ELSE COULD MAKE A SUCCESS OF IT WITH THE CONTINUAL LACK OF INVESTMENT???!!!

[Ouroboros]

Tim Dellor is literally shaking with anger.

[Barry the bird boggler]

The problems are a lack of money/investment from the board (so no change there then), players not believing in NA's methods and a manager running a squad without adequate defensive cover and who is obsessed with keeping possession over creativity.

Bid big decisions to be made in January.

[Platypuss]

So those dreadful performances, valuable points gift-wrapped to our relegation rivals and the table itself were all figments of my imagination?

Agree though, he isn't the type to take satisfaction from what is happening now. I suspect that, having had to put up with god knows how many disappointing transfer windows under Madejski and Hammond, he will be feeling a lot of sympathy towards Adkins.

He was robbed of 6-7 points by terrible officiating (Chelsea, Viila, Man City - the push, and a couple of others). Small clubs like us don't stand a chance.

Bollocks - Shorey was a complete pussyole there.

[Big Ern]

If the ridiculous did happen and they hooked Adkins after the next defeat on Wednesday, who would the "sack him" brigade like to take over ? to vent their "oh Brian we love you, he's not like you" anger on

I think this sums it up perfectly. Brian was very popular and even those who thought he had to go said it with a heavy heart. Unless we got a Reading legend to manage us such as Parky, then it was always going to be difficult for the new manager.

People also need to realise that the squad needs serious work on it as well. Of the starting 11 we have some that are past their best, some that don't want to be here, some that still need to develop and only a couple who are playing at their prime. Adkins needs to time to bring players in and bring through the younger players. It may take this season and next before we are ready to mount a serious promotion campaign, at present the best is oping to get lucky in the playoffs

[P!ssed Off]

Adkins has 90 more minutes as far as I'm concerned.
If we lose against Forest then he's done as far as I'm concerned.
I think the majority of fans (regardless of what a few on HNA say) feel the same way.

I just don't get this attitude(not you directly, but the fans you are talking about), I will say this again and again until I'm blue in the face. Leicester City under Pearson. His first season was a season where he changed this to do things his way, it's taken him nearly TWO seasons to get the blend right, and they are reaping the benefits. Were Leicester fans on his back before January of his first season? No. They gave him the time he needed.

I don't follow Leicester mate.
Did Nigel Pearson's Leicester really go a whole half a season without 1 single decent performance?
I highly doubt it...

Leicester did okay for 2 seasons and now they're doing very well.
Pearson took over a squad in October that had finished 10th in the Championship the previous season.
Then he finished 9th, then 6th, now he's 1st.

Adkins is taking Reading down in quality and standing. How you can compare that Pearson's Leicester?

[RoyalBlue]

So those dreadful performances, valuable points gift-wrapped to our relegation rivals and the table itself were all figments of my imagination?

Agree though, he isn't the type to take satisfaction from what is happening now. I suspect that, having had to put up with god knows how many disappointing transfer windows under Madejski and Hammond, he will be feeling a lot of sympathy towards Adkins.

He was robbed of 6-7 points by terrible officiating (Chelsea, Viila, Man City - the push, and a couple of others). Small clubs like us don't stand a chance.

But that's what tends to happen against those big clubs. That's why you have to win your games against the other 'smaller' clubs who are down the bottom with you and McDermott and his squad failed dismally in that respect. That is why he ended up getting sacked (add to that the fact that he p*ssed away what little transfer money there was on 'ones for the future').

[Gordons Cumming]

I do feel, at the moment, there seems to be cause for concern about our future prospects................

Would I be right in this assumption?