Noel Hunt appreciation thread

[JR]

Three things filled me with optimism when reading Noel’s first interview this week:

- he’s bringing the squad together, sees everyone as important and aligning them on a common goal
- he has stated a desire to be aggressive, attacking and get the ball down and encourage players to play without fear
- he recognises the importance of the points record. He is Reading through and through

Personally and hopefully for many of you, this resonates and gives massive encouragement.

It could be too late, but a least we have a shot at survival now.

[Franchise FC]

OK, if we had the choice of keeping the record OR staying up, where do we go ?

[JR]

OK, if we had the choice of keeping the record OR staying up, where do we go ?

Sorry, not relevant for this thread and one of this pointless theoretical questions.

[Snowflake Royal]

OK, if we had the choice of keeping the record OR staying up, where do we go ?

Record, every time for me. Appreciate that might not be the popular view.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

I’d like to stay up and keep the record.

[Winston Biscuit]

Noticed today he has had a hair job

[AthleticoSpizz]

@JR

Weren't we saying pretty much the same first two things about Ince when first got here?

Yes we were.

“Galvanised” comes to mind


I wish Noel all the very very best here.

I truly do

[Snowflake Royal]

@JR

Weren't we saying pretty much the same first two things about Ince when first got here?

Yes we were.

“Galvanised” comes to mind


I wish Noel all the very very best here.

I truly do

Do you genuinely think Hunt will be Reading manager at the start of next season?

[JR]

@JR

Weren't we saying pretty much the same first two things about Ince when first got here?

Yes we were.

“Galvanised” comes to mind


I wish Noel all the very very best here.

I truly do

I don’t think Ince would ever have said the points record was important. In fact he would certainly have played it down.

Yes, he did galvanise us and did a good job at the time in the particular situation.

Ince would never have started the youngsters either that fans have been calling for.

[AthleticoSpizz]

@JR

Weren't we saying pretty much the same first two things about Ince when first got here?

Yes we were.

“Galvanised” comes to mind


I wish Noel all the very very best here.

I truly do

Do you genuinely think Hunt will be Reading manager at the start of next season?

stranger* things have happened in football…..but no.

[Snowflake Royal]

@JR

Weren't we saying pretty much the same first two things about Ince when first got here?

Yes we were.

“Galvanised” comes to mind


I wish Noel all the very very best here.

I truly do

Do you genuinely think Hunt will be Reading manager at the start of next season?

stranger* things have happened in football…..but no.

Agree, me either

[Stranded]

Do you genuinely think Hunt will be Reading manager at the start of next season?

stranger* things have happened in football…..but no.

Agree, me either

Perfect thing for me would be to bring in someone who can help lead the rebuild in the way we want to play - which is probably the way Hunt wants us to play and have Hunt learn from them - focussing mainly on the U23 side but working more with the senior side to increase that pathway - then Hunt may be well placed to take over permanently after the next guy.

Lot of factors could change that but would be good if we got some proper succession planning in place.

[Snowflake Royal]

stranger* things have happened in football…..but no.

Agree, me either

Perfect thing for me would be to bring in someone who can help lead the rebuild in the way we want to play - which is probably the way Hunt wants us to play and have Hunt learn from them - focussing mainly on the U23 side but working more with the senior side to increase that pathway - then Hunt may be well placed to take over permanently after the next guy.

Lot of factors could change that but would be good if we got some proper succession planning in place.

Yes,if Bowen's plan isn't to position Hunt as a succession plan for our next perm manager he's missing a trick imo.

Get him to work close enough to keep learning, but at enough of an arms length that he isn’t tainted by any poor performance.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I'd imagine it would be in the long-term thinking, we should always look to build from within, that's where we've had a lot of success with coaches, players, managers etc and that's what we should be getting back to doing.

If we can get a good turnover of lads from the U23's to the first team in the next 2-3 years, you'd imagine Hunt would be well-placed to take over from that point as he knows the pathway into the first team from the U23's and will have good knowledge on the players as well. Obviously a lot can happen in that time though.

[Snowball]

There are two ways we can stay up.

Be not-very good but other sides are cr@p and
we scrape home, maybe on Goal Difference..

OR

Win 3 games or W1 D3 (or better) to show
we are (should have been) a mid-table side

After the 0-0 v Burnley, any of these
would look great on Noel's CV

W4 D0 L0
W3 D1 L0
W3 D0 L1
W2 D2 L0
W1 D3 L0

NOT saying any of these are going to happen, but surely, if
Noel has a brilliant last four games and we are seriously well-
clear of relegation he must have a good shout of at least a
one-year contract.

Last season I for one was not impressed by Paul Ince.
Sure he "did enough" but when did "doing enough" become an accolade?
Our finish was dire and we showed little promise for 2022-2023.

So, IMO, Hunt should get a one-year contract,
not if we merely stay up by the skin of our teeth,
but if we finish really well.

For me that would be not-getting-hammered by Luton
and Coventry (and maybe stealing a point) and winning
the last two games to finish three points clear of relegation.

PS If he can send Huddersfield and Cardiff (or QPR) down
then I suggest a contract for life.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Thank you NHunt for two points from your first two games.

Burnley and Luton, whatever happens it’s almost certainly two more points than we would have got with PInce.