Sack The Manager... REALLY?!

[AthleticoSpizz]

......yet took us to our best finish in the last three seasons.....narrowly missing out on a play-off spot for the Prem

We must not get drawn into the Sky TV hire and fire managerial culture

It has already f11cked us over and has unsettled what meagre team spirit that there ever was on the pitch.

[Lower West]

Listening to the reactions on BBCRB from telephone calls, texts and Twitter I'd just like to say that I f[u]cking hate Reading fans.

I'm inclined to agree, but as I've said before, I don't think it's exclusive to Reading fans. I think football fans in general are thickcunts.

Football fans...

New manager takes over ... "Finally what we've been waiting for, here we go then, results are about to change! Come on team!!!"

They lose the next game

Fans tweet and moan "what the hell? Seriously, one more loss and he's got to go. Just look at results. It's pathetic"

I wish those at that were ringing in today to voice discontent actually came to the away games such as today's. Was far from doom and gloom.

[AthleticoSpizz]

That's the spirit!

Well said

[bobby m's syrup]

I am not a Mc Dermott fan and I fear that he is more likely to take us to Swindon than Stoke. I think his day has come and gone and his notable lack of success since the heady days of 2012 supports that assumption. However, it would be unfair and counter productive to fire him before we see just what the owners have in mind for a summer signing budget, what ventures he and the staff make into the transfer market and how his new squad shapes up..

Nevertheless, from 2 or 3 games in next season, a run of poor form,say 8-10 matches and he must walk.

I don't pine for instant Premiership success, but I want to see my team established as a good footballing side in this league and respect for our squad re established.

I am perfectly prepared to apologise on these boards, should events prove me wrong, but somehow, sadly, I don't think I will have to,

[Dr_Hfuhruhurr]

Aren't our issues one step higher up than the manager?

McDermott picked up the same poisoned chalice that Adkins and Clarke did, except he's hardier than Adkins and significantly more hardier than Clarke proved to be. And that's all we can really ask for right now. He's doing the right things. He's engaging the media, going to the Fan's Forum, taking the boos at the stadium, protecting the players (even if they dont deserve it) and trying to find the first XI and the right formation, even if they don't exist. Its a pretty thankless task, lets be honest.

The problem is that we are now a Championship club who no longer have a plan to get into the playoffs apart from hoping it will happen. And, really, it all boils down to the squad. Brian can only motivate those that want to be motivated; and then it goes out the window if we don't have the quality to go unbeaten for a string of games.

Adkins was unsupported wrt to squad building, excepting one window which was all a bit half arsed and random. Clarke gambled - and the gamble didnt pay off - and let's not rewrite history here, the rot started whilst he was still here. The result is that in the closed season, Brian faces the problem of having to replace half the first team and not knowing if there is any money to do so.

This is where the board have to step up. We cant do what happened when Adkins got relegated. We cant say 'Play the U21s and shut up', It didn't work then and it won't work now - I have no idea why we haven't seen a youth player anywhere near our set up since Tsihbola got injured (Although I'm guessing the club believe Loan > Youth Player. That has to change). If the board don't step up and make squad building a priority, then it doesn't matter if we have Brian, or any Manager-du-jour. Sacking him now would be like when we sacked him the first time - making him a scapegoat for the board's shortcomings. Don't we ever learn? It's easy to blame the manager, but it won't necessarily improve things.

[Ian Herring]

Before the Internet football...and the world...seemed to be far less hysterical.

Now, everyone has some kind of agenda to screech about.

All short term, all mainly knee-jerkable.

But also, football..and the world...seemed a whole lot more mature.

All the screeching and impeaching seems so immature. As if a generation of adults have never shed their toddler reins while learning to walk.

Now, it seems that even though these so-called adults are 'grown-up' - that they still need to learn to talk.

(Just look as Facebook and Twitter as fine example, and any other social media drip-downs from thence.) It's like the Tories had closed down all the nurseries in the 80s instead of the mental homes. Care in the community replaced by the dummy-spitters' mass break-out.

What has happened to people?

Have they been converted into sponge-like mouth-gaping 'consumers' with cloacal mindsets who can only thrive upon one-phase peristaltic rhythms caused by self-serving auto-effective self-constructed outrage?

That's my question for today.

Although I would say 'yes'.

I await your moderate and considered adult thoughts...

[frimmers3]

My question is where did you copy and paste your question from?

[Pandoras Box]

16 year old Dozzell scores the equaliser for Ipswich yesterday on his senior team debut. Although now injured, we can't even try out a near 22 year old who has been knocking them in for a top 6 league one team. FFS, how old do you have to be?

[sandman]

Which gives him confidence and experience of a positive atmosphere at a football club rather than moaning bedwetters who text in and tweet to call the manager all sorts and a mid table slog.

[genome]

Before the Internet football...and the world...seemed to be far less hysterical.

Now, everyone has some kind of agenda to screech about.

All short term, all mainly knee-jerkable.

But also, football..and the world...seemed a whole lot more mature.

All the screeching and impeaching seems so immature. As if a generation of adults have never shed their toddler reins while learning to walk.

Now, it seems that even though these so-called adults are 'grown-up' - that they still need to learn to talk.

(Just look as Facebook and Twitter as fine example, and any other social media drip-downs from thence.) It's like the Tories had closed down all the nurseries in the 80s instead of the mental homes. Care in the community replaced by the dummy-spitters' mass break-out.

What has happened to people?

Have they been converted into sponge-like mouth-gaping 'consumers' with cloacal mindsets who can only thrive upon one-phase peristaltic rhythms caused by self-serving auto-effective self-constructed outrage?

That's my question for today.

Although I would say 'yes'.

I await your moderate and considered adult thoughts...

Perhaps, it's always been there, but the internet has given them a voice and you notice it all more.

[sandman]

......yet took us to our best finish in the last three seasons.....narrowly missing out on a play-off spot for the Prem

We must not get drawn into the Sky TV hire and fire managerial culture

It has already f11cked us over and has unsettled what meagre team spirit that there ever was on the pitch.

A play off spot being minimum requirement during that season.

[LWJ]

16 year old Dozzell scores the equaliser for Ipswich yesterday on his senior team debut. Although now injured, we can't even try out a near 22 year old who has been knocking them in for a top 6 league one team. FFS, how old do you have to be?

How many has he knocked in for the 'top' league 2 team at 22?

How many did Vydra knock on before and including 22 for Championship and above teams?

Let's not put our hopes on a striker who can't score 15+ in league one.

[AthleticoSpizz]

......yet took us to our best finish in the last three seasons.....narrowly missing out on a play-off spot for the Prem

We must not get drawn into the Sky TV hire and fire managerial culture

It has already f11cked us over and has unsettled what meagre team spirit that there ever was on the pitch.

A play off spot being minimum requirement during that season.

why? 23 other teams that would've said otherwise.

We had already f11cked over by the Russian weasel by then.

[Ian Royal]

......yet took us to our best finish in the last three seasons.....narrowly missing out on a play-off spot for the Prem

We must not get drawn into the Sky TV hire and fire managerial culture

It has already f11cked us over and has unsettled what meagre team spirit that there ever was on the pitch.

A play off spot being minimum requirement during that season.

why? 23 other teams that would've said otherwise.

We had already f11cked over by the Russian weasel by then.

sandman's right if talking expectations at the start of the season. Of course, by halfway through the season it was apparent we'd been totally done over, had no money, so no option to strengthen in the January window and were in a dire situation with at least a couple of dodgy signings by the missing owner. So just finishing in touch with the play offs was actually a pretty good result in hindsight, making you actually right.

[RoyalCrisp]

We’ve arguably got worse with McDermott and now players are fighting amongst themselves. McD didn’t cover himself with glory on the radio this week either. I don’t think there is any doubt that we have / had a squad capable of achieving something this season, so clearly his second spell hasn’t worked. Get rid.

Got to disagree on this, those last few weeks under Clarke were horrendous, remember Cardiff in particular as a massive red light, the players looked lost and devoid of confidence, it seemed to carry on into December and January after Brian came in but for the last couple of months or so performances have been decent and we picked up the wins we needed to be assured of a mid table finish. A few crucial mistakes have cost us badly and overshadowed the performances IMO, played well at Leeds and Boro and could've had 4 points, then most fans who haven't gone see the results and chuck their phones out the window crying McDermott out because they can't think of anything constructive to say about the club.

How are we ever going to build anything if a manager never gets a proper chance to succeed? Clarke got a chance and it didn't come off, got to give Brian a chance now. Performances are improving, let the loans go and let McDermott show his scouting worth in the summer. Wouldn't place too much expectation on him, the club is hardly in shape for a promotion push at the moment. A top half finish next season would be good considering where we've been for the last few years.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Thank you Ian

Fwiw, I see no benefit (for the sake of the club and the players) in sacking any Reading manager for the next three years.

Let's stick with what we've got and learn to build on it.

The key thing is the ownership and shiney suit wearers.......IF there is no money during the closed season....then f11cking tell us.....we can live with that.......and ultimately lower our expectations........(which for someone as old as me, is easy to remember low RFC expectations)

[Ian Royal]

Thank you Ian

Fwiw, I see no benefit (for the sake of the club and the players) in sacking any Reading manager for the next three years.

Let's stick with what we've got and learn to build on it.

The key thing is the ownership and shiney suit wearers.......IF there is no money during the closed season....then f11cking tell us.....we can live with that.......and ultimately lower our expectations........(which for someone as old as me, is easy to remember low RFC expectations)

I think 3 years is pretty unrealistic. And if he can't push us up the table in 18 months, I don't see how he'll do any different in a further 18 months. But I tend to go with stick unless we're actively looking doomed, which you can't tell until December at the very earliest. As long as you're picking up some points and above about the bottom four/five there's room to get things to click, push up the table and maybe make a challenge the next season.

On the last point, the club has been very good at telling people what to expect. Unfortunately most don't listen. McDermott's already told us not to expect big spending in the summer iirc.

[P!ssed Off]

On the last point, the club has been very good at telling people what to expect. Unfortunately most don't listen. McDermott's already told us not to expect big spending in the summer iirc.

You're talking rubbish.
Not for the first time...

See the end of the below.
http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... n-11187909

Were Brian certain that there is no money to spend his refusal to play youth, and persistence with loan players, would be all the more contemptible.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Good retort (Ian)

Other than I think that the 3 year thing is very realistic

Too many teams and websites have bought into the Sky knee jerk sack-the-manager philosophy.......Reading needs a lengthy period of stability

How can we exploit the youth-hunt qualities that someone like Brian can offer if he is not given the time to see it through?

3 years is a very realistic period to give our current manager

[Lower West]

Were Brian certain that there is no money to spend his refusal to play youth, and persistence with loan players, would be all the more contemptible.

Won't be the money available to compete with the big spenders. The "youth" are out on loan gaining experience. Without the loan players the squad is somewhat depleted. You never know what options we may have with regards to them either for next season.