McDermott Sacked (AGAIN)

[howser]

Hardly an unexpected decision, when appointed it was much written that he wasn't the Thais choice, more that they took SJM and Howe's advice, so any slight issue over results and points gathering would give them the opportunity to make the change, and in reality the results and performances were pretty dire particularly towards the end of the season. The "it's not his team" doesn't really cut much ice.

Would be interesting to know SJM's thoughts, being very much a McDermott admirer and supporter.

[Lower West]

The sort that make you play a diamond formation week in week out that clearly didn't work?
or the ones that make you recall a player from loan only to leave him on the bench while you sub on a player who is leaving?
or maybe the ones that mean not using youth players that could be available?
or possibly not recalling a young forward who is having a cracking season, but instead relying on other forwards who couldn't score in a drug den?

Sounds as if you've being playing computer games too long. From the numerous games I watched last season. Reality was the squad wasn't up to the task. Playing kids wasn't the answer either. Simple as that.

Which match was so successful with the diamond then?

What formation worked last season at all? How many good performances did the team put in under Clarke? Not just wins.

[Lower West]

The "it's not his team" doesn't really cut much ice.

Seems little point in having football managers at clubs any more . Might as well ask the fans to pick the starting 11.

[Lower West]

Which difficulties would they be?

The sort that make you play a diamond formation week in week out that clearly didn't work?
or the ones that make you recall a player from loan only to leave him on the bench while you sub on a player who is leaving?
or maybe the ones that mean not using youth players that could be available?
or possibly not recalling a young forward who is having a cracking season, but instead relying on other forwards who couldn't score in a drug den?

Selling your two top scorers within a week comes to mind

I agree, wont have helped at all. BUT their purple patches had finished a couple of months earlier. Why not recall Samuel in January, or any time after that.

How much div 1 football have you watched recently? Championship is a step up.

[LWJ]

Not saying it is, but there were signs of improvment under Clarke when he joined in similar circumstances, there have been no signs of improvement under Brian.

Signs of improvement under Clarke?

Our position 30/12/14:
16 Reading 24 8 5 11 30 40 6 2 4 19 13 2 3 7 11 27 -10 29

Our finishing position 14/15:
19 Reading 46 13 11 22 48 69 8 5 10 24 25 5 6 12 24 44 -21 50

On the pitch performances still improved overall, particularly in defence. I thought you went to games?

McD inherited a much better squad in a better position in the table and the performances didn't improve ANYWHERE.

The only improvement was we stopped shipping 3+ goals a game. We didn't improve in any other areas!

How can you comment on McD's improvements if you didn't go? As you have already said....

[LWJ]

The sort that make you play a diamond formation week in week out that clearly didn't work?
or the ones that make you recall a player from loan only to leave him on the bench while you sub on a player who is leaving?
or maybe the ones that mean not using youth players that could be available?
or possibly not recalling a young forward who is having a cracking season, but instead relying on other forwards who couldn't score in a drug den?

Sounds as if you've being playing computer games too long. From the numerous games I watched last season. Reality was the squad wasn't up to the task. Playing kids wasn't the answer either. Simple as that.

Which match was so successful with the diamond then?

Forest and Bolton to name two within the last few weeks of the season..

Suppose you weren't there though?

[Haag Royal]

The "it's not his team" doesn't really cut much ice.

Seems little point in having football managers at clubs any more . Might as well ask the fans to pick the starting 11.

Agreed.

If they are as poor as McDermott then yes. But thankfully many have far better records than he does. And that is why he lost his job.

[Lower West]

The "it's not his team" doesn't really cut much ice.

Seems little point in having football managers at clubs any more . Might as well ask the fans to pick the starting 11.

Agreed.

If they are as poor as McDermott then yes. But thankfully many have far better records than he does. And that is why he lost his job.

55 league managers lost their jobs last season. They cannot of all had bad records.............

When 5th and an FA Cup isn't good enough. Then what is?

[LWJ]

The "it's not his team" doesn't really cut much ice.

Seems little point in having football managers at clubs any more . Might as well ask the fans to pick the starting 11.

Agreed.

If they are as poor as McDermott then yes. But thankfully many have far better records than he does. And that is why he lost his job.

I wait with baited breath...

[RoyallyFcuked]

Signs of improvement under Clarke?

Our position 30/12/14:
16 Reading 24 8 5 11 30 40 6 2 4 19 13 2 3 7 11 27 -10 29

Our finishing position 14/15:
19 Reading 46 13 11 22 48 69 8 5 10 24 25 5 6 12 24 44 -21 50

On the pitch performances still improved overall, particularly in defence. I thought you went to games?

McD inherited a much better squad in a better position in the table and the performances didn't improve ANYWHERE.

The only improvement was we stopped shipping 3+ goals a game. We didn't improve in any other areas!

How can you comment on McD's improvements if you didn't go? As you have already said....

From a mate that has been going, plus many other sources. Yeah i've only been to couple since he's been back but it doesn't change the fact that no one is saying we've improved in any way.

[WoodleyRoyal]

From what I have heard he was going to be kept on, but the season ticket renewals currently stand at about 3000. The club felt a change was needed to boost ticket sales...

[maffff]

The "it's not his team" doesn't really cut much ice.

Seems little point in having football managers at clubs any more . Might as well ask the fans to pick the starting 11.

Based on a TTE poll? I'm game for that.

[Royal Lady]

Well I think they have treated him appallingly personally. They haven't given him a chance really and, if what is rumoured is true and we will have to rely on the younger players this season, Brian was the best person to get the best out of them. Brian was Reading through and through - his hands were clearly tied, he had players here on loan that he would not have signed and who didn't exactly light up the Championship, but yeah, let's sack him cos we gave him 4 and a bit months here. I presume if the next incumbent doesn't get us promoted, they'll be gone too then? More like, the Thais don't want to spend any money on the club, they are in it for the redevelopment and that's why they bought the club in the first place, remember none of them appear to have any idea about football - but they all have great business heads. If anyone was in any doubt that they bought this club for the land around it, I think it's all very clear now.

[Royal Lady]

From what I have heard he was going to be kept on, but the season ticket renewals currently stand at about 3000. The club felt a change was needed to boost ticket sales...

Yep, I'm certainly going to renew mine, knowing that they don't even give a manager a full season before sacking them. It was clear when they said they were not having a pre-season friendly trip really. Dressing it up as though they had the fans at the centre of it, so we didn't have to pay too much money to travel and watch them.

[Maneki Neko]

I think Gravenberch would have known. He looked a bit shifty in the video interview that he gave on the official site. He looked like he already knew that the club would be managed by the Dutch.

Does new Dutch leadership mean a possible permanent move for Ola John?

These latest moves by the Thais mean that they must be ready to spend millions now on this team.

[Ian Royal]

I said I'd do it, this morning if they made the stupid decision, so I have. oxf*rd you RFC.

Dear Reading FC

Please find the below complaint for the attention of the owners and managers of RFC:

Dear Lady Sassima and co.

I'm disgusted that you have just announced that Brian McDermott has been sacked as Manager of Reading Football Club.

One of the things that makes Reading stand out as a club to be proud to support is that, until recently, it had not jumped on the bandwagon of demanding instant success and sacking managers every five minutes. I for one, do not want to be associated with a club that takes the Massimo Cellino insanity approach of sacking a manager every six to twelve months. Brian's second tenure has not gone particularly well, but then no manager has done well here since he got us promoted. A revolving door policy for the Manager's office is the last thing we need. Stability, even at the risk of relegation, is essential after three managers in less than two years. And I have every faith that under McDermott, with reasonable backing, relegation would not have been an issue and consolidation in mid-table ready for a strong promotion push would have been likely, with that push under McDermott or someone else. How is the club supposed to move forward, when there's a different pair of hands steering every six months?

Brighton have just ably demonstrated that a successful season is possible, despite a difficult start under Chris Hughton. And Brentford recently demonstrated that you don't move forward by sacking a good manager.

I recently renewed my season ticket in good faith, expecting Brian McDermott to be in charge and there to be some much needed sanity and stability at this club. If you were going to make a change, it should have been done weeks ago so people could make an informed decision, what exactly has changed since the final game of the season?!

As someone who was not upset when Brian was sacked last time and who wasn't clamouring for his return this time, I feel I have to register my unhappiness with this situation. If you are not going to place faith in the people you appoint to run the team for a reasonable period of time, then I don't see why I should give you and the club my support. I fully understand that sometimes difficult decisions must be made to try to fight disaster, but those decisions are for Managers who are leading us downwards towards imminent relegation, not Managers who have wandered closer than is entirely comfortable, but are completely safe and have a whole pre-season and several months of the season to demonstrate they will do better, and before any worry sets in.

I no longer wish to be a season ticket holder at Reading FC if it will be run in such a shambolic way, and I would very much like a full refund and cancellation of the said season ticket.
My details are:
Ian *****
Member Number ********
Seat: *********

Please refund my payment to the card I made the payment on, I'm sure you have the details. If not, please provide me with a secure method for supplying them.

I will return to supporting the club, when the ownership and management demonstrate they have a clue what they are doing.

Yours sincerely

[RoyallyFcuked]

And the clown hasn't even been to any games.

I don't have an ST anymore no, mostly only go to away games now. Did a handful under Clarke towards the start of the season, since Brian returned I've only been to two as I've become too disillusioned to keep attending and frankly lost a lot of interest over the season, as I said already.

How many you been to this season you cretin? Been enjoying it have you? Tell me more about how much we've improved.

[semtex1871]

hahahaha....absolute LOL at you divs who are constantly pining for ex players & managers to come back

RFC should never have got rid of Adkins, unfortunately they listened to the divvy fans who were hoping they'd get Coppell back

I said at the time that it was the wrong move going back for McDonut.....it gives me immense pleasure to say I told you so!!!

[Extended-Phenotype]

Is there a single thing to be positive about, really?

RFC deserve all the mocking that's coming their way.

Agreed.

One can only hope that at the cost of feeling like we support a honourable, rational club this is just a sign of some owners with a huge transfer kitty for rebuilding t team, not being convinced that Brian would be the one to trust it with, and looking to sign significant managerial talent to take the club forward in a new dawn.

Sadly I think it's a sign of clueless owners not watching any games or appreciating the difficulties Brian faced, failing that give me him the benefit of the doubt or backing him when the chance of a clean slate arrived just a few months after he picked up the reigns of another man's dying, horse.

Which difficulties would they be?

The sort that make you play a diamond formation week in week out that clearly didn't work?
or the ones that make you recall a player from loan only to leave him on the bench while you sub on a player who is leaving?
or maybe the ones that mean not using youth players that could be available?
or possibly not recalling a young forward who is having a cracking season, but instead relying on other forwards who couldn't score in a drug den?

As I've said before, I'm sure Brian has to shoulder some blame somewhere, but with so many other factors it's far too noisy to state how much with any confidence. My hope was we'd get to see his true colours once he could start afresh this summer, without these other factors clouding judgement.

Other factors such as:
- losing the two top goal scorers
- picking up a dispirited side low on confidence
- loan players seeing the season out in cruise mode
- a string of meaningless games in a long dead season
- players looking to jump ship
- no real core of a side, disjointed and needing investment

I felt that with these somewhat resolved by the summer and with some new recruits, we could finally assess Brian with clear vision.


The overwhelming plus of signing McD was that he would be a long term investment, with the clubs interests at heart and a history of building a good team spirit.

Firing him after five months makes signing someone like him in the first place utterly pointless.

And now what? A celebrity rookie manager? These types of signings are lose/lose for clubs like Reading.

If the suck they suck.
If they are any good, with status bigger than RFC, they will be off at the first opportunity.

I can't help but think some fans are missing the value of loyalty.

[Lower West]

I said I'd do it, this morning if they made the stupid decision, so I have. oxf*rd you RFC.

Dear Reading FC

Please find the below complaint for the attention of the owners and managers of RFC:

Dear Lady Sassima and co.

I'm disgusted that you have just announced that Brian McDermott has been sacked as Manager of Reading Football Club.

One of the things that makes Reading stand out as a club to be proud to support is that, until recently, it had not jumped on the bandwagon of demanding instant success and sacking managers every five minutes. I for one, do not want to be associated with a club that takes the Massimo Cellino insanity approach of sacking a manager every six to twelve months. Brian's second tenure has not gone particularly well, but then no manager has done well here since he got us promoted. A revolving door policy for the Manager's office is the last thing we need. Stability, even at the risk of relegation, is essential after three managers in less than two years. And I have every faith that under McDermott, with reasonable backing, relegation would not have been an issue and consolidation in mid-table ready for a strong promotion push would have been likely, with that push under McDermott or someone else. How is the club supposed to move forward, when there's a different pair of hands steering every six months?

Brighton have just ably demonstrated that a successful season is possible, despite a difficult start under Chris Hughton. And Brentford recently demonstrated that you don't move forward by sacking a good manager.

I recently renewed my season ticket in good faith, expecting Brian McDermott to be in charge and there to be some much needed sanity and stability at this club. If you were going to make a change, it should have been done weeks ago so people could make an informed decision, what exactly has changed since the final game of the season?!

As someone who was not upset when Brian was sacked last time and who wasn't clamouring for his return this time, I feel I have to register my unhappiness with this situation. If you are not going to place faith in the people you appoint to run the team for a reasonable period of time, then I don't see why I should give you and the club my support. I fully understand that sometimes difficult decisions must be made to try to fight disaster, but those decisions are for Managers who are leading us downwards towards imminent relegation, not Managers who have wandered closer than is entirely comfortable, but are completely safe and have a whole pre-season and several months of the season to demonstrate they will do better, and before any worry sets in.

I no longer wish to be a season ticket holder at Reading FC if it will be run in such a shambolic way, and I would very much like a full refund and cancellation of the said season ticket.
My details are:
Ian *****
Member Number ********
Seat: *********

Please refund my payment to the card I made the payment on, I'm sure you have the details. If not, please provide me with a secure method for supplying them.

I will return to supporting the club, when the ownership and management demonstrate they have a clue what they are doing.

Yours sincerely

Love it.