Richardson out

[morganb]

How many 90+ minute goals have we conceded under Richardson? Think we've had 4 just in the 96th minute.

He started as he meant to go on with his very first game in charge, that FA Cup game against Carlisle

[leon]

I really wanted LR gone last season as I hated the style of play. But with the relative lack of transfer activity, I almost feel sorry for LR as it seems as though he is being set up to fail (much as Hunty was last season). Unless we have a really good first 10 or so games I suspect he will be gone in which case why did the owners persist with him?

I thought they would back him with quite a few new players and leave him with no excuses but we have had 14 players who played a fairly significant part last season - playing 10+ games (Stickland, Jacob, Elliott, Richie, D.Williams, Ehib, Garcia, Yiadom, Burns, MOM, Camara, Doyle, Nyambe, Keane) plus others who played 5+ games (Rushesha and Young) leave and just 4 in so far.

Totally agree. Noel Hunt was not backed by the owners, and unless we have a number of incomings - it looks like history is repeating itself. We do not have a strong enough squad to get promotion currently. Defence is not strong enough and we need at least one forward to cover Marriott. Very frustrating game today, but I thought Luton deserved the win. They cut through our defence at will at times and looked the home team. Owners need to back the manager with signings to reach their intended goal (in the promotion race).

I'm going to disagree to an extent. This was about a lack of leadership and organisation in defence and throughout the team, and an inability to adapt to the game as it played out.

I'm afraid that one is entirely on Richardson. I was keen to give him a second chance hoping he'd learn a lot of lessons from last season but today has made me think twice. I just don't think he's a very good manager. I'm hoping I'm wrong. We will see in the next few matches. But I don't think he has long.

[Ascotexgunner]

I really wanted LR gone last season as I hated the style of play. But with the relative lack of transfer activity, I almost feel sorry for LR as it seems as though he is being set up to fail (much as Hunty was last season). Unless we have a really good first 10 or so games I suspect he will be gone in which case why did the owners persist with him?

I thought they would back him with quite a few new players and leave him with no excuses but we have had 14 players who played a fairly significant part last season - playing 10+ games (Stickland, Jacob, Elliott, Richie, D.Williams, Ehib, Garcia, Yiadom, Burns, MOM, Camara, Doyle, Nyambe, Keane) plus others who played 5+ games (Rushesha and Young) leave and just 4 in so far.

Totally agree. Noel Hunt was not backed by the owners, and unless we have a number of incomings - it looks like history is repeating itself. We do not have a strong enough squad to get promotion currently. Defence is not strong enough and we need at least one forward to cover Marriott. Very frustrating game today, but I thought Luton deserved the win. They cut through our defence at will at times and looked the home team. Owners need to back the manager with signings to reach their intended goal (in the promotion race).

People still banging on about Noel Hunt.... The football was awful, the squad wasn't that bad but we were going nowhere with him I charge..... We ain't going anywhere with this bloke either. His in game management is shite.

[Gunny Fishcake]

Only Reading ….Richardson is a clown, the team looked clueless second half and subs did nothing , unlike Luton. The man should do the honourable thing and fall on his sword , tonight

[windermereROYAL]

Last 7 league games, D2 L5. how many people in the stadium today were comfortable at 3-1?, nobody around me I can tell you, I really don`t need to spell it out do I?
Even the fecking hydration break couldn`t improve us.

[Royal Rother]

I found it quite amusing that the Sky commentator seemed to think it was game over at 3-1 and that it was a remarkable turnaround that nobody could have foreseen.

We all knew different.

[Sutekh]

How come Reading couldn’t last the pace. Second half was nowhere near the level of the first. Seems preseason was as poor as last season.

[Royal Shepherd]

Oh come on, get your bloody finger out.

Delaying the inevitable is pointless.

You used to back managers RR, TBH with another crap owner we stand no chance.

Give the game back to fans, not TV fans, not pubs but actual fans. I would rather see a full ground at £15 a head than half empty at twice the price. Be a leader not a member of the flock

[Royal Shepherd]

What many people don't understand about business, and football is a massive business, is that potential is what matters.
You get a reliable income from an already successful business, but a business with potential can make a fortune. JM made a fortune from a business with potential, he believed in Autotrader. It worked and made him a fortune. Things have all moved on and making a fortune comes to less but they are bigger rewards.
Online makes money, AI and computers can manage business. But in football money only gets success if you actually put it in, which you can only do within limits

[Royal Rother]

Oh come on, get your bloody finger out.

Delaying the inevitable is pointless.

You used to back managers RR,

Only when I think they are worth backing.

People can moan about the quality and depth of the squad all they like but I can’t think of a single player who has improved under Richardson. In fact, I think they’ve all gone backwards.

(Except for Marriott but I doubt his excellence has much to do with Richardson.)

All the youngsters who have come through into his team and shown promise have faded away.

His football is turgid, his game management is poor, his coaching is crap and his excuses are stale and feeble.

Get rid.

[The Cap]

Oh come on, get your bloody finger out.

Delaying the inevitable is pointless.

You used to back managers RR,

Only when I think they are worth backing.

People can moan about the quality and depth of the squad all they like but I can’t think of a single player who has improved under Richardson. In fact, I think they’ve all gone backwards.

(Except for Marriott but I doubt his excellence has much to do with Richardson.)

All the youngsters who have come through into his team and shown promise have faded away.

His football is turgid, his game management is poor, his coaching is crap and his excuses are stale and feeble.

Get rid.

Nice enough bloke accompanied by a degree in social care. Just wondering whether he's missed his calling in life? Shirley there must be a church in the vicinity of his accommodation whenever he's staying in the local area. A few prayers today maybe?

[WestYorksRoyal]

The owners are getting it in the neck for recruitment, but a big criticism of Hunt and now Richardson is not improving players and getting the best out of resources.

3 years ago, Azeez looked like a non-league player, Mbengue had no best position, Bindon was an unproven 18 year old. Smith had done well at Cambridge, but his previous seasons were inconsistent. All these players improved massively at the club. Selles had a choice; I think Richardson and Hunt would have tried to milk all they could out of Carroll, Holmes, McIntyre, Guinness-Walker, Dean and Hutchinson. Now obviously the elephant in the room is that Selles would probably have been sacked before he turned it around in normal circumstances, but ultimately he showed the rewards of investing in player development.

Look at some of the situations since he left:

- Should we have seen the potential in Wareham and fought harder to retain him?

- Why has O'Connor fallen so far short of expectations?

- Why did O'Mahony look so poor despite ripping up Brighton's academy and an encouraging loan spell at Portsmouth? Ditto Jacobs having had Championship experience.

- Could Dorsett have improved to a level where he's not the weak link in our defence?

- Should Kyerewaa be showing more consistency and end product by now?

- Should Lane be capable of pushing for a starting XI spot or making an impact off the bench, given his achievements at Portsmouth?

I'm sure there are other examples I'm missing. I feel like everyone wants us to go out and sign the finished product to compete for promotion, which is costly, hard to do and risky (e.g., O'Connor was a "finished product" signing).

The management need to take some blame for the lack of development. Maybe our squad would look better now had we prioritised that in the past 18 months.

Put another way. Name a single player who is better now than when we signed them / when Selles left.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I would add to my post above, last time we were at this level we spent big to get out, but we still had Nicky Shorey signed from the Orient U21 and Harper with no senior experience when we signed him, plus bigger names like Forster still kicked on and improved within the team.

[URZZZZ]

I really wanted LR gone last season as I hated the style of play. But with the relative lack of transfer activity, I almost feel sorry for LR as it seems as though he is being set up to fail (much as Hunty was last season). Unless we have a really good first 10 or so games I suspect he will be gone in which case why did the owners persist with him?

I thought they would back him with quite a few new players and leave him with no excuses but we have had 14 players who played a fairly significant part last season - playing 10+ games (Stickland, Jacob, Elliott, Richie, D.Williams, Ehib, Garcia, Yiadom, Burns, MOM, Camara, Doyle, Nyambe, Keane) plus others who played 5+ games (Rushesha and Young) leave and just 4 in so far.

Totally agree. Noel Hunt was not backed by the owners, and unless we have a number of incomings - it looks like history is repeating itself. We do not have a strong enough squad to get promotion currently. Defence is not strong enough and we need at least one forward to cover Marriott. Very frustrating game today, but I thought Luton deserved the win. They cut through our defence at will at times and looked the home team. Owners need to back the manager with signings to reach their intended goal (in the promotion race).

People still banging on about Noel Hunt.... The football was awful, the squad wasn't that bad but we were going nowhere with him I charge..... We ain't going anywhere with this bloke either. His in game management is shite.

Harsh - did well in his first season having the likes of Rushesha, Garcia, Wareham (inexperienced at the time) and Camara as a mainstay in the XI and having to rely on the likes of Bodin and Akande (doesn't get near the squad for Colchester these days) to chase games

Poor start to his second season but easily forgotten he only lost 2 of his last 11 league games here before being shown the door

In dire need of a couple of reinforcements in defence, but personally don't think that a bench of Fraser, Savage, Lane, R Williams and Brown is weak at all

[URZZZZ]

Oh come on, get your bloody finger out.

Delaying the inevitable is pointless.

You used to back managers RR,

Only when I think they are worth backing.

People can moan about the quality and depth of the squad all they like but I can’t think of a single player who has improved under Richardson. In fact, I think they’ve all gone backwards.

(Except for Marriott but I doubt his excellence has much to do with Richardson.)

All the youngsters who have come through into his team and shown promise have faded away.

His football is turgid, his game management is poor, his coaching is crap and his excuses are stale and feeble.

Get rid.

Would argue DK improved under Richardson, however I still don't think he offers enough, certainly not to justify the playing time he gets - looks busy without ever really doing much

[Orion1871]

You used to back managers RR,

Only when I think they are worth backing.

People can moan about the quality and depth of the squad all they like but I can’t think of a single player who has improved under Richardson. In fact, I think they’ve all gone backwards.

(Except for Marriott but I doubt his excellence has much to do with Richardson.)

All the youngsters who have come through into his team and shown promise have faded away.

His football is turgid, his game management is poor, his coaching is crap and his excuses are stale and feeble.

Get rid.

Would argue DK improved under Richardson, however I still don't think he offers enough, certainly not to justify the playing time he gets - looks busy without ever really doing much

Pace merchant with zero end product.

[yuomi]

Yesterday was one of DK's better performances for us imo, which probably goes to show how bad he's been. He's an upgrade on Camara, but then I'd be an upgrade on Camara.

The first half showed that we have the makings of a system that can work. The second half showed we don't have a plan b, and that LR can't adapt his gameplan when circumstances change. Of course, none of that was helped by gifting Luton three of their four goals.

It all feels very deja vu at the moment and unless he can pick up a few wins quickly LR will go the way of Hunt, despite not getting what he spent all summer clearly saying he needed.

If Couhig was serious about the whole "There's still loads of interest in the club, but we're having too much fun to sell" line I wonder how much longer that can persist as well...

[PieEater]

Is this a different mini Leam? He seems like a smaller version of last season, I hadn't realised he was so titch.

[Hound]

When we signed DK thought he’d be one of those exciting and inconsistent wingers you get knocking about

In fact he’s just a very safe defensive wing option. He does all the basics well - works hard, tracks back, keeps possession, positions well - but he’s lost any flair and his crossing is poor

I don’t mind him - he’s just a solid squad option to me, no more

[West F]

When we signed DK thought he’d be one of those exciting and inconsistent wingers you get knocking about

In fact he’s just a very safe defensive wing option. He does all the basics well - works hard, tracks back, keeps possession, positions well - but he’s lost any flair and his crossing is poor

I don’t mind him - he’s just a solid squad option to me, no more

He is Mamadi Camara with pace. He shares the complete lack of end product whilst running more quickly into blind alleys. His only instinct is to cut inside on his right foot. Never tries to beat a fullback for pace down the line, even when there are acres of empty grass in behind. He isn’t going to change and falls into the Long Kelvin category of me not getting upset with him when he is bobbins, it is who he is and that is that. There is a dressing room in my mind that houses Kyerewaa, Dorsett, O’Connor and Crawley guy. They won’t get better. It is a potential performance purgatory. None of it is their fault and they are trying their best, and therefore it is unkind to expect more.