CONFIMRED - Mark Bowen

[Old Man Andrews]

JLow on the Elm Park Royals podcast stating that we did approach one manager who turned us down so may well be that we had a #1 target and when we couldn't get him the board decided the best approach was to give it to someone already at the club to avoid a lengthy delay in appointing someone - certainly may explain why Bowen just has an initial scope of til the end of the season - if he does very well, he may get a new deal else they may well go back in for whoever the #1 target was.

Indeed, the target may have made it clear he has an interest but not interested until the summer.

Saw that. Been nice for JLow to have named names just for our interests sake

Wonder if it was Hughes - thought JLow hinted at him originally

There is of course the chance JLow is completely makign up this information.

I would lean towards Hughes if it is true though. Bowen probably would have put him forward and either the club wouldn't pay him enough or give him a big enough transfer budget.

Cracking start to his ever informative lunchtime Q&A session too. Always good to start a response to a question with "Who knows".

[Stranded]

Is some of the reaction due to constantly being lied to (Trump, Johnson etc.) meaning that trust is now an obsolete word?

I wondered if someone would bring this up - I can see why that may be the case but the big difference is there is tons of proof that both Trump and Johnson are liars so it is fair game to call them as such.

There is no evidence to suggest Bowen has either done anything inappropriate or lied, so calling him a snake or as some have (more on Twitter) a liar is low. If evidence comes to light that he has done so then fair enough but jumping to that conclusion frankly sickens me.

[Vision]

If we had enough money to buy Joao and Puscas, a settlement with Gomes and new manager is easily affordable.

Why does everyone seem to think that a no mark manager with no pedigree who was brought in as third choice would be on a big wedge?

Maybe, there just weren't many desireable options available who would consider us and Bowen has actually impressed people here.

Could we not just dismiss every new manager as a cheap yes man for a change?

Bowen has clearly impressed people at the club given this is the 3rd job the owners have either offered him or sanctioned for him since March.

The thing that is pissing me off the most at the mo is the reaction - I can understand not being a fan of the appointment but the belief that the guy just told lies in his press conference and is some evil genius who has Howe and the owners wrapped around his grubby little finger needs to stop - do you really think if he was he would have waited until 55 and 20 years into a career to do this. It simply makes no sense and that theory has more holes in it than a lump of Swiss Cheese.

Is some of the reaction due to constantly being lied to (Trump, Johnson etc.) meaning that trust is now an obsolete word?
Things happen in business-Bowen may well have done some back-stabbing and/or he has pushed his own credentials.
We can do f*** all about it, not even a referendum or a fans' vote so , as ever, we wait to see what is presented to us in terms of entertainment and success.

IMHO a 55 year-old with no experience of being the main man is quite a gamble-football people will tell you that managing is so much different from any other job in football.
Bowen seems to have already won over quite a few on here already by saying the right things in a single Press Conference so let's see how much further damage he can do to our club or what success he can bring.
A win on Saturday would be a good start but we can't judge him until a dozen or so games have been played and a further transfer window used.

The appointment itself makes far more sense than when Gomes was unveiled tbh. But yes I find it very hard to believe that the owners were entrusting Bowen with drawing up a shortlist of replacement managers but didn't seek his opinion on whether Gomes (whom he'd just been working directly with the past 6 months or so) was capable of turning things around.

That said, all the bleating really is laughable. The club has decided to remove a manager who at that current time was really struggling and for apparent lack of a more long term replacement have decided to go with someone already embedded with the club with a wealth of coaching/playing experience in the English games. It might well work out for him and us.

[Hound]

I'm not actually sure saying 'He isnt doing a great job and I could do better because....' is a massive issue even if he was asked tbh

[Stranded]

Saw that. Been nice for JLow to have named names just for our interests sake

Wonder if it was Hughes - thought JLow hinted at him originally

There is of course the chance JLow is completely makign up this information.

I would lean towards Hughes if it is true though. Bowen probably would have put him forward and either the club wouldn't pay him enough or give him a big enough transfer budget.

Cracking start to his ever informative lunchtime Q&A session too. Always good to start a response to a question with "Who knows".

His answer to being asked that seems to point to that man having been Hughton but that he is holding out for a bigger club/better job.

[Hound]

the bloke on twitter who 'broke' the sacking said that Hughton was going to be asked to replace him, so would tie in with that as well

[Stranded]

the bloke on twitter who 'broke' the sacking said that Hughton was going to be asked to replace him, so would tie in with that as well

So if true - seems like the timeline as we know it is:

- Gomes sacked
- Hughton identified as #1 target by Bowen/owners
- Hughton approached and some talks may have even taken place
- Hughton turns down job as decides not the right move for him now
- Owners, potentially worried that this may drag on again ask Bowen if he would be interested to end of season initially
- Bowen agrees

That feels likely using the bits of info we do have and therefore any flak being sent Bowen's way is unjust to say the least.

[Hound]

yeah thats how I read it. will leave it to you to tell mafff, CKS, Royal Dodger and their mates

[Vision]

I'm not actually sure saying 'He isnt doing a great job and I could do better because....' is a massive issue even if he was asked tbh

Matter of opinion how big a deal you think it is of course but it certainly isn't " I had nothing to do with Jose's sacking" is it?

His two interviews have said basically everything you'd expect him to say in his situation. I happen to think he's a pretty good appointment under the circumstances

[Hound]

I'm not actually sure saying 'He isnt doing a great job and I could do better because....' is a massive issue even if he was asked tbh

Matter of opinion how big a deal you think it is of course but it certainly isn't " I had nothing to do with Jose's sacking" is it?

His two interviews have said basically everything you'd expect him to say in his situation. I happen to think he's a pretty good appointment under the circumstances

no, not quite what I'm saying. I believe he had nothing to do with it, and believe what he said

However if he hadn't denied it, but said the above, then I don't think its awful either like the twitter boys and girls do.

Obvs if he lied in his interview, had advised them to sack him but then denied it, that'd be naughty. But I doubt thats the case.

[Lower West]

but didn't seek his opinion on whether Gomes (whom he'd just been working directly with the past 6 months or so) was capable of turning things around.

Reading his interview this wasn't the case. The decisions made were Gomes. Like isolating Gunter & Co.

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

No mention there on length of contract.

The snake confirmed in its Berkshire Live interview:

Contract

It's till the end of the season. I didn't think about the length of the contract.

https://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/foot ... k-17086617

So when it takes us down into League 1 at least there won't be a massive pay-off required to sack him. Maybe Mr Dai isn't as stupid as he looked when making this appointment on the snake's recommendation.

I seem to recall you saying some unpleasant stuff amount Jose Gomes when he was appointed. He isn’t a snake and whilst it’s not the appointment I wanted he deserves a chance.

This is a step up from his casual racism...

[WestRoyal]

All the above could have simply been written as "I'd already made up my mind based on nothing but supposition and am not going to change it - cheers"

Haha, the amount of naivety on here is amazing. I suppose Anton is still coming back to buy that 51% hey? The Thais weren't just after the land? Gourlay was a competent senieor exec?

I've based the above upon the operations of Reading over the years, that is seems to have been (and continues to be) poorly run by people with conflicted interests.

All I will add, if Bowen was such a snake why have 4 coaches that Gomes brought with him chosen to stay on? Usually when a manger goes the majority of their coaching staff go too - would 4 really stay to work for the man who got Gomes fired?

I wouldn't waste your energy trying to convince people, some are desperate to spread a certain narrative based on nothing which in some cases can be dangerous. In this case royal_rumble is just looking for someone else to blame and chooses to ignore the fact we were on a one way train to league one and something needed to change.

[Vision]

but didn't seek his opinion on whether Gomes (whom he'd just been working directly with the past 6 months or so) was capable of turning things around.

Reading his interview this wasn't the case. The decisions made were Gomes. Like isolating Gunter & Co.

What's that got to do with whether he was consulted about Gomes or not?

[Vision]

I'm not actually sure saying 'He isnt doing a great job and I could do better because....' is a massive issue even if he was asked tbh

Matter of opinion how big a deal you think it is of course but it certainly isn't " I had nothing to do with Jose's sacking" is it?

His two interviews have said basically everything you'd expect him to say in his situation. I happen to think he's a pretty good appointment under the circumstances

no, not quite what I'm saying. I believe he had nothing to do with it, and believe what he said

However if he hadn't denied it, but said the above, then I don't think its awful either like the twitter boys and girls do.

Obvs if he lied in his interview, had advised them to sack him but then denied it, that'd be naughty. But I doubt thats the case.

You don't think that the man who was charged by the owners/Howe for overseeing all footballing matters at the club (as he himself said in his interview a few months back "taking away all the excuses" ) wasn't even consulted by the same people when it came to sacking the manager. Especially when he's entrusted to draw up the shortlist for his replacement.

FWIW I don't think there was some Machiavellian plot from Bowen to oust Gomes in order to get his job but equally I'm baffled that others, whose opinions I usually agree with, seem to think that he had zero input into the decision.

[Hound]

I suspect he was asked for some feedback on JG and how things were going on the training ground. Then the owners and their advisers made the decision based on that and the results on the field.

I think thats still compatible with Bowen's interview. Bowen did suggest he was working far more closely with things behind the scenes - the academy etc than the first team on match days

[Millsy]

So if true - seems like the timeline as we know it is:

- Bowen gave Gomes wrong advice to make him look bad
- Gomes sacked
- Hughton identified as #1 target by Bowen/owners
- Hughton approached and some talks may have even taken place
- Bowen calls Hughton and puts him off the job. Makes up an elaborate story about Islamists targeting the next Reading manager
- Hughton turns down job as decides not the right move for him now
- Bowen drugs the owners and hires his mate who's an accomplished hypnotherapist to suggest Bowen should be given the job
- Owners, potentially worried that this may drag on again ask Bowen if he would be interested to end of season initially
- Bowen agrees


That feels likely using the bits of info we do have and therefore any flak being sent Bowen's way is totally justified.

Corrected for you.

[Vision]

I suspect he was asked for some feedback on JG and how things were going on the training ground. Then the owners and their advisers made the decision based on that and the results on the field.

I think thats still compatible with Bowen's interview. Bowen did suggest he was working far more closely with things behind the scenes - the academy etc than the first team on match days

Hmmmm. Oh well , benefit of the doubt and all that.

Onwards and upwards.

[PistolPete]

I was a huge Gomes fan based mainly on how he united the club. I liked how he wanted to do innovative (4-2-2-2) things; if you get to the premier league you need to be doing something a bit different, otherwise you'll likely just get beaten by better sides.

However, I'm very surprised at the lack of support Gomes got on social media when he was sacked. Rafael Cabral said some biblical stuff, Moore said some captain stuff, but not much more than that? For me, that's a barometer.

Failing another 'exciting' appointment, I wanted a safe one. A seven month contract and someone who can presumably step back as DOF (unlikely?) at the end of the season is a good idea. The worst case would have been a 3 year contract for a coach who has entrenched football ideas which are at odds with the squad we have.

Regarding Gunter and GMac? It makes absolute sense to bring them back into the squad (Gomes jettisoning of them was a fair risk, but it failed). However, Baldock would be the ideal partner for Puscas if he wants to play two up front. I was not a fan of the Joao signing and haven't changed my mind.

[krapmle]

Reaction on Twitter is nothing short of a disgrace. They’re the same people that will come crawling out of the woodwork if we get a couple of wins. Twitter really is full of knobs

Not really a disgrace is it. It is a highly controversial managerial appointment done in a very dodgy looking way that our supporters aren't happy about.

Its called having an opinion and expressing it. Grow up a bit.

I always think that Reading supporters cannot get any more dumb then people like old man andrew pipe up.