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

[Crux]

http://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/201 ... ubs-future

[Top Flight]

Everyone fails at Leeds. Who would you have instead?

I guess that's true but there is a number of managers we could have chosen. Pearson, Jokanovic, Di Matteo?

You are a contradiction in terms.

Despite his achievements of winning the league and leading a side to a play-off final in just 3 years of managing at Championship level he is not a top manager at this level.

I hope you don't work in recruitment, that's all I can say. You don't know how to recruit.

It still doesn't make him a top manager at this level, because tactically he is far from it. If he's so brilliant then why weren't there a host of championship clubs (other than Leeds) wanting him when he left us? And why did no one want to bring him in when he left Leeds?

Whatever you say pal. It's the club that doesn't know how to recruit, and you by the look of it.

You're telling me that Brian is not a good manager because in your opinion he is not good tactically and because there wasn't a host of Championship clubs wanting him when he left us, apart from Leeds of course.

You're just talking nonsense and you can't back up your argument with any substance. Royally FFfffd has decided that Brian is not good tactially for no reason at all. And you say that no one was queueing up for him. Something you couldn't possibly know anything about. Unless your his agent.

I can tell you that he has won 1 title, has had 1 play-off final and 3 cup qtr finals in just 4 seasons managing Championship football clubs.

There is plenty of evidence and substance to say that Brian is a good manager and very little to say that he is not.

[Maneki Neko]

the tactics formation stubbornness shit is just really lazy nonsense
imo

[Top Flight]

the tactics formation stubbornness shit is just really lazy nonsense
imo

I agree.

The most important factor in the end are the players. We didn't have good players last season. Hopefully next season we will have better ones.

[No Fixed Abode]

the tactics formation stubbornness shit is just really lazy nonsense
imo

I agree.

The most important factor in the end are the players. We didn't have good players last season. Hopefully next season we will have better ones.

Most of the players were of Championship experience or above. BM failed to get the best out of them with his 'Russain roulette' style tactics.

[Top Flight]

the tactics formation stubbornness shit is just really lazy nonsense
imo

I agree.

The most important factor in the end are the players. We didn't have good players last season. Hopefully next season we will have better ones.

Most of the players were of Championship experience or above. BM failed to get the best out of them with his 'Russain roulette' style tactics.

Are you embarassed that a Gooner will do a much better job with us than a Blue?

McDermott managerial achievements: 1 League title, 3 Cup Qtr Finals, 1 Play-Off Final
Clarke managerial achievements: 19th placed finish in Championship, 1 Cup Semi-Final

Let me think. Who is a better manager?

[Rollerbob]

I'm with No Fixed Abode on this one.

Brian's proved he's not all that this season. Clarke's team was showing signs of the wheels coming off, McDermott was appointed and he's only made it worse.

McDermott had one terrific season as boss, fair play to him for that - but this season he's been an absolute nightmare.

"It's the players fault" - Fine, so don't play the troublemakers. Al-Habsi, Gunter, Quinn, McCleary, Hector, Norwood, Ferdinand, McShane are all internationals, who don't strike me as players who aren't willing to put a shift in. On top of that we had really talented players like Williams, Piazon, Sa, John, Vydra etc

Individually, they are all better than most players in teams who we were losing to. It's McD's job to get these players firing. Clarke got Blackman firing; McDermott got nobody firing. McD has a wealth of talent within that changing room, and he's not been able to get anyone to care enough. That is shocking man-management.

"He's a tactical genius" - LOL - Team selection (though that might not count as tactical) has been suspect (to say the least) since he came in. Cooper at CB week in week out has been an absolute joke.

A manager needs to find a way to get his team to win more games. Has he done that with any consistency at ALL? No. Therefore, his tactics haven't been good enough.

Ultimately, since his return, all McDermott has done is taken a talented, but 'mentally-shot' team, and made them worse, in pretty much every department.

[Top Flight]

There isn't really anything else for me to say. I've made my points.

At least you put a much better argument forward than No Fixed Abode who doesn't really have an argument and his position is not authentic anyway. The Chelsea fan is just out fishing.

Orlando Sa wasn't one of the players that Brian had available remember. Either Sa or the Thais wanted Sa out.

I guess the judgement is coming down to this:

Could/Should Brian have got more out of this team.
Were the players such arseholes that no manager would have got anything out of them.

I believe it is the latter. I don't think these players would perform for anyone. That is what they have proven for a few years now. And that is why I believe the only kind of management appropriate is a wholesale change in players which cannot happen outside of the transfer windows.
Others, like yourself believe that this was a talented group and Brian should have got these arseholes playing.

This is perhaps where people are either falling in support of Brian or falling against him.
According to Get Reading, it looks like a 50/50 split at the moment.

[Top Flight]

One further point that I would make is that the last 7 games shouldn't really be part of the judgement.

It has been blatantly clear that this final phase of the season was highly experimental, these so called talented players like Vydra, John, Piazon barely featured, the players were no longer motivated since safety was assured. It was a completely meaningless period of experimentation and has no bearing on anything.

Prior to that phase, tactically, Reading were solid, we were difficult to beat and we were getting results. We did well enough that we had alot of meaningless games towards the end of the season. We had secured ourselves pretty early.

[Rollerbob]

There isn't really anything else for me to say. I've made my points.

At least you put a much better argument forward than No Fixed Abode who doesn't really have an argument and his position is not authentic anyway. The Chelsea fan is just out fishing.

Orlando Sa wasn't one of the players that Brian had available remember. Either Sa or the Thais wanted Sa out.

I guess the judgement is coming down to this:

Could/Should Brian have got more out of this team.
Were the players such arseholes that no manager would have got anything out of them.

I believe it is the latter. I don't think these players would perform for anyone. That is what they have proven for a few years now. And that is why I believe the only kind of management appropriate is a wholesale change in players which cannot happen outside of the transfer windows.
Others, like yourself believe that this was a talented group and Brian should have got these arseholes playing.

This is perhaps where people are either falling in support of Brian or falling against him.
According to Get Reading, it looks like a 50/50 split at the moment.

This is undoubtedly my favourite comment of yours that I've seen on here. Ladies and gents of the Hobnob forums, take note - this is how you disagree with someone. Although you have disagreed with me here Top Flight, so Oxf*rd off.

[Maneki Neko]

Brian's proved he's not all that this season. Clarke's team was showing signs of the wheels coming off, McDermott was appointed and he's only made it worse.

LOL at showing' signs. lost 8 of the previous 9 before he went didn't he? plus we didn't sack Clarke cos he was shit. plus you have to view brains performance in the context of our manager wanting to oxf*rd off to Fulham, and then being sacked,and selling our only two strikers

"It's the players fault" - Fine, so don't play the troublemakers. Al-Habsi, Gunter, Quinn, McCleary, Hector, Norwood, Ferdinand, McShane are all internationals, who don't strike me as players who aren't willing to put a shift in. On top of that we had really talented players like Williams, Piazon, Sa, John, Vydra etc

Individually, they are all better than most players in teams who we were losing to. It's McD's job to get these players firing. Clarke got Blackman firing; McDermott got nobody firing. McD has a wealth of talent within that changing room, and he's not been able to get anyone to care enough. That is shocking man-management.

disagree- think he got plenty of players improving.

"He's a tactical genius" - LOL - Team selection (though that might not count as tactical) has been suspect (to say the least) since he came in. Cooper at CB week in week out has been an absolute joke.

who were the other CB options?

A manager needs to find a way to get his team to win more games. Has he done that with any consistency at ALL? No. Therefore, his tactics haven't been good enough.

cant argue there if your definition of shit tactics are any that lose games. personally, id say that tactics weren't really the issue

Ultimately, since his return, all McDermott has done is taken a talented, but 'mentally-shot' team, and made them worse, in pretty much every department.

also believe that to be utter nonsense

[Hoop Blah]

One further point that I would make is that the last 7 games shouldn't really be part of the judgement.

It has been blatantly clear that this final phase of the season was highly experimental, these so called talented players like Vydra, John, Piazon barely featured, the players were no longer motivated since safety was assured. It was a completely meaningless period of experimentation and has no bearing on anything.

Prior to that phase, tactically, Reading were solid, we were difficult to beat and we were getting results. We did well enough that we had alot of meaningless games towards the end of the season. We had secured ourselves pretty early.

Prior to this run we beat Forest (the worst team I've seen at Madjeski for years) thanks to a late Norwood goal and nicked a 1-0 win away to a relegated Bolton side who played 70 minutes with 10 men.

Before that we lost 3 (including a pretty insipid performance in the Cup) and drew 2.

I'd hardly call that hard to beat and solid.

[Rollerbob]

Other CB options include Ferdinand, McShane & Hector. All 3 are twice as good as Cooper.

[Rollerbob]

disagree- think he got plenty of players improving

Ermm.. Al-Habsi - I'll give you that.. though that's probably down to our GK coach. Genuinely can't think of another player who's got better since McD came back in...

...Cox?

[SCIAG]

Other CB options include Ferdinand, McShane & Hector. All 3 are twice as good as Cooper.

Generally McShane or Ferdinand was playing alongside Cooper and the other was unavailable. Hector's got as many mistakes in him as Cooper imo.

[Maneki Neko]

Other CB options include Ferdinand, McShane & Hector. All 3 are twice as good as Cooper.

Ferdinand injured/going
Mcshane- played whenever fit/not suspended,
Hector- going, and was doing a grand job at DCM when he was playing

erm........

[Maneki Neko]

disagree- think he got plenty of players improving

Ermm.. Al-Habsi - I'll give you that.. though that's probably down to our GK coach. Genuinely can't think of another player who's got better since McD came back in...

...Cox?

#
cox, gunter, piazon all showed big improvements for me.

[Rollerbob]

So Cooper is in your 1st choice??

Mental.

We lost so many points this season due to Cooper this year. Points we wouldn't have lost with Ferdinand or Hec.

[Rollerbob]

disagree- think he got plenty of players improving

Ermm.. Al-Habsi - I'll give you that.. though that's probably down to our GK coach. Genuinely can't think of another player who's got better since McD came back in...

...Cox?

#
cox, gunter, piazon all showed big improvements for me.

Gunter??

[Haag Royal]

disagree- think he got plenty of players improving

Ermm.. Al-Habsi - I'll give you that.. though that's probably down to our GK coach. Genuinely can't think of another player who's got better since McD came back in...

...Cox?

#
cox, gunter, piazon all showed big improvements for me.

Gunter? If you like players who pass it back or sideways each time they get the ball then yes I suppose you are right.