Does sacking managers work?

[andrew1957]

It has often struck me how sacking managers has little or no impact in the final outcome of the season.

As an example if we look at last year's Championship at this time the positions were:

Charlton 11 played 13 points
Southampton 11 - 11
Norwich 11- 10
Barnsley 11 - 8
Doncaster 11 - 8
Notts Forest 11 - 5

Of these four sacked their managers and the two who did not (Doncaster and Barnsley) both survived. Only Forest seemingly gained a benefit from changing managers and as four sacked theirs - one of that four were bound to survive. We can say that during last season keeping the manager from the start of the season was 100% successful. I have looked at other seasons/leagues and there does seem to be a pattern.

I am sure there are exceptions and this may well not apply to the PL as the standard there is very much higher, but in general changing managers part way through a season does not guarantee survival - in fact the stats would suggest it increases the likelihood of relegation - probably as the new man will want to change tactics/personnel etc, which wastes time and effort.

[Dorset-Knob]

Best manipulation of facts ever!

[AF1]

Its a moot point coz we wont sack the manager, unlike too many of the posters on here the board isnt comprised of moody charlatans who have never even played the game and know feck all about football - they will stick by Rogers.

Fact. Reading have completed more successful passes than any other team in the CCC this season - meaning statistically we have played by far and away the best football. OK, the results at times have been disapointing but it's still a joy to watch.

[papereyes]

It has often struck me how sacking managers has little or no impact in the final outcome of the season.

As an example if we look at last year's Championship at this time the positions were:

Charlton 11 played 13 points
Southampton 11 - 11
Norwich 11- 10
Barnsley 11 - 8
Doncaster 11 - 8
Notts Forest 11 - 5

Of these four sacked their managers and the two who did not (Doncaster and Barnsley) both survived. Only Forest seemingly gained a benefit from changing managers and as four sacked theirs - one of that four were bound to survive. We can say that during last season keeping the manager from the start of the season was 100% successful. I have looked at other seasons/leagues and there does seem to be a pattern.

I am sure there are exceptions and this may well not apply to the PL as the standard there is very much higher, but in general changing managers part way through a season does not guarantee survival - in fact the stats would suggest it increases the likelihood of relegation - probably as the new man will want to change tactics/personnel etc, which wastes time and effort.

There's actually statistical research on this.

For most teams, changing the manager gives a short term burst and then the players go back to how good they were in the first place.

The question is - do we think we're at the beginning or end of a journey. Do you think things will improve as BR gets time or is our current performance level the best we can get out of the squad and this management.

[Baines]

Its a moot point coz we wont sack the manager, unlike too many of the posters on here the board isnt comprised of moody charlatans who have never even played the game and know feck all about football - they will stick by Rogers.

Fact. Reading have completed more successful passes than any other team in the CCC this season - meaning statistically we have played by far and away the best football. OK, the results at times have been disapointing but it's still a joy to watch.

Agreed with AF1. After years of direct football, we're seeing the beginnings of a system which will change the way that Reading are regarded throughout football. I'm just proud that we get to come in on the ground floor.

I hope that hobnob stores all the negative posts so that those posters can be forced to eat their words in the future.

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Yes, ask the Fulham fans!!!

[Y21]

Its a moot point coz we wont sack the manager, unlike too many of the posters on here the board isnt comprised of moody charlatans who have never even played the game and know feck all about football - they will stick by Rogers.

Fact. Reading have completed more successful passes than any other team in the CCC this season - meaning statistically we have played by far and away the best football. OK, the results at times have been disapointing but it's still a joy to watch.

So which part of Saturday afternoon, specifically the second half was 'a joy to watch'? I don't find possession football with zero end product particularly joyful to watch. I like seeing my team score goals, or at worst, threaten to score goals. Frankly I don't give a rats ass how many pretty little passes we've made, and in any case, since when does that mean we've played the best football? We could spend 90 minutes passing it around the back 4 and make no progress into the opposition half, but by your twisted logic, that would mean we are playing the best football, because we've made the most passes.

So I haven't played the game (at any significant level), does that mean I know feck all about football? I'd rather be a 'moody charlatan' than an ignorant, blinkered, arrogant little twerp who can't even spell the managers surname, carrying a little calculator and applauding the fact that, statistically, we're the best cos we completed 56.7675784967% of our passes. Fact.

Oh, and since you like the word, you get points for winning games. Fact. Scoring goals is going to win you more games than passing it prettily. Fact. The more points you have, the less likely you are to be relegated. Fact.

So fact off.

[Ian Royal]

Of course it works. Name one manager that has been unsuccessfully sacked!

It's the replacing them that doesn't work.

[Platypuss]

Surprised you can type so much with that hook in your mouth.

[Royal With Cheese]

Its a moot point coz we wont sack the manager, unlike too many of the posters on here the board isnt comprised of moody charlatans who have never even played the game and know feck all about football - they will stick by Rogers.

Fact. Reading have completed more successful passes than any other team in the CCC this season - meaning statistically we have played by far and away the best football. OK, the results at times have been disapointing but it's still a joy to watch.

Agreed with AF1. After years of direct football, we're seeing the beginnings of a system which will change the way that Reading are regarded throughout football. I'm just proud that we get to come in on the ground floor.

I hope that hobnob stores all the negative posts so that those posters can be forced to eat their words in the future.

Nice.......

[Ian Royal]

Didn't the majority of them come from the 75 minutes spent passing the ball in a triangle between Karacan, Pearce and Cisse in the Forest game though?

I certainly haven't seen a great deal of nice passing since then. Bits and pieces only,

[Y21]

Surprised you can type so much with that hook in your mouth.

Ah well, so long as I am providing joy to a internet message board wind up merchant (how cool must they be?) I guess my existence must be of some value.

This used to be a good site, seems to be turning more and more into a playground for the terminally in-bred.

[weybridgewanderer]

Its a moot point coz we wont sack the manager, unlike too many of the posters on here the board isnt comprised of moody charlatans who have never even played the game and know feck all about football - they will stick by Rogers.

Fact. Reading have completed more successful passes than any other team in the CCC this season - meaning statistically we have played by far and away the best football. OK, the results at times have been disapointing but it's still a joy to watch.

another column i missed on the league table that means we'll avoid relegation, most successfull completed passses?

so a team comes to our place, scores after 10 minutes and then sits back and watches us pass the ball between the back 4 and the keeper

our football is not a joy to watch, it is dire and unimaginative

[strap]

Its a moot point coz we wont sack the manager, unlike too many of the posters on here the board isnt comprised of moody charlatans who have never even played the game and know feck all about football - they will stick by Rogers.

Fact. Reading have completed more successful passes than any other team in the CCC this season - meaning statistically we have played by far and away the best football. OK, the results at times have been disapointing but it's still a joy to watch.

For your information,

a) Rodgers has never played League football.
b) His managerial experience can only have been garnered from playing Championship Manager as aside from pissing time at Watford, he has never manager a real football team.
c) It is possible to pass a ball across your back four for 90 minutes. That is not enertainment, nor is is football. It certainly isn't a joy to watch.

HTH.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

AF1's efforts of late have been pretty poor imo, good return to form there son.

I don't think the board are anywhere near sacking him, be amazed if JM gave him less than a year to be honest.

[Platypuss]

I think it says a lot for Royalee and other one-eyed RTGs when the most transpearent WUMmery from AF1 can get taken at face value.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

OK, the results at times have been disapointing but it's still a joy to watch.

If what we are seeing is a joy to watch, give me Delaps throw ons any day of the week.

A joy to watch? dear god. Abject tedium more like.

[Dorset-Knob]

Of course it works. Name one manager that has been unsuccessfully sacked!

It's the replacing them that doesn't work.

Nice,

[Millsy]

Yes whenever a manager leaves it works out fine.

Sacked or not.

There is no learning period, no gelling period, nothing.

Works even better when the backroom staff and the team leave too.

New manager comes in and hey presto - everything is expected to be just as it was.

[Dorset-Knob]

Yes whenever a manager leaves it works out fine.

Sacked or not.

There is no learning period, no gelling period, nothing.

Works even better when the backroom staff and the team leave too.

New manager comes in and hey presto - everything is expected to be just as it was.

I'd like you to be right, I'd love it if your optimism were well founded, but supposing it turned out not to be the case, at which point would you lose faith in BR, league 1, league 2, the conference?