CONFIMRED - Mark Bowen

[WestYorksRoyal]

Ultimately the drama will fade. Good first interview. If he improves things on the pitch and gets us up the table he's a good appointment. If nothing improves and we go down he's a bad one. Performances will matter more, but that interview has persuaded me to give him the benefit of the doubt at first

[royal_rumble]

Let us just say he wasn't involved in sacking Jose, and didn't marginalise him in any way.

He wasn't involved in appointing himself i.e. putting himself forward.

Jose was genuine in his 'glowing reference' (i'm sure he wasn't going to badmouth a current employee when his friends are there and he's waiting for a nice payoff).

GIVEN all that - which is all VERY unlikely. This is is still a horrible appointment. A coach with no managerial experience, managing a club with real issues, which seemingly haven't been able to be corrected by a succession of managers. Done the way it was, it just makes it even worse.

As a footnote the whole Gunter / McCleary thing stinks too. Can imagine they helped oust Jose in some way shape or form too.

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.

[Hound]

As a footnote the whole Gunter / McCleary thing stinks too. Can imagine they helped oust Jose in some way shape or form too.

not sure why it stinks. Of course they aren't going to be happy being booted out of the team, esp when they both put in a big effort to help us stay up last year. Of course they are going to moan to their mates about Gomes. It was always the problem with banishing them to the U23s with no route back to the first 11.

[windermereROYAL]

Just finished listening to it, comes across as a genuine guy, I have no reason to suggest he is lying , but the gimps know better than anyone else.

[genome]

Let us just say he wasn't involved in sacking Jose, and didn't marginalise him in any way.

He wasn't involved in appointing himself i.e. putting himself forward.

Jose was genuine in his 'glowing reference' (i'm sure he wasn't going to badmouth a current employee when his friends are there and he's waiting for a nice payoff).

GIVEN all that - which is all VERY unlikely. This is is still a horrible appointment. A coach with no managerial experience, managing a club with real issues, which seemingly haven't been able to be corrected by a succession of managers. Done the way it was, it just makes it even worse.

As a footnote the whole Gunter / McCleary thing stinks too. Can imagine they helped oust Jose in some way shape or form too.

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.

You call it naivety, we call it not throwing your toys out of the pram over complete conjecture

[Old Man Andrews]

It is simply down to what happens on the pitch now, no point in going around in circles with it. If he wins the next 3 Jose Gomes will be a distant memory, not a very good one either. If we end up losing the next 3 and losing well then Mr Bowen will be in deep, deep water and the accusations and criticsm won't go away. He simply has to get off to a flying start on Saturday be it in performance or result.

[URZZZZ]

As I said. It wouldn't matter a jot what he said, none of them will believe him, because they've already made their minds up.

Yep, already seen the "Bowen is lying" going around on Twitter. It's nice to see the average fan knows more about what's going on from outside the set up to someone who was right in the middle of it

Well to be fair he might be.

It's entirely possible he subtly put Gomes in a negative light and declined to support him fully over months dropping hints he was interested, putting the suggestion forward gently that his ideas were better etc. I work alongside real political type psychopathic twats and I see day in day out how these people operate.

Whatever it is though, it is. If Gomes wasn't up to sorting it out himself then he deserved to go. And sneaky or not in the whole affair, Bowen at least deserves a shot, it is only a short term thing. Kind of like an extended caretaker. Only results matter, so the twitter conspiracists can STFU now and get behind our man because the guy is getting sacked at the earliest hint that he's not the right man.

Well, yeah. Your point was he might be. Bowen may not be telling the truth but I’m just intrigued to know how so many people know he’s “lying”

[URZZZZ]

It is simply down to what happens on the pitch now, no point in going around in circles with it. If he wins the next 3 Jose Gomes will be a distant memory, not a very good one either. If we end up losing the next 3 and losing well then Mr Bowen will be in deep, deep water and the accusations and criticsm won't go away. He simply has to get off to a flying start on Saturday be it in performance or result.

The way football is, sadly if we don’t get good results from the next three, he’ll be under huge pressure considering the next two are relegation rivals Millwall and Luton

However I can see us getting 4 points from next week. A win against Preston, draw at QPR and our annual defeat at Forest

[Victor Meldrew]

It would be the most Reading thing ever if he does really well and gets us promoted after all this backlash

Is there really much backlash though?
As I see it fans are a bit surprised at the appointment and maybe disappointed that the club has not selected an experienced organiser to sort this lot out and get the best from them, something that hasn't happened during his time of involvement in the supervisory structure..

Is there a backlash!? You're either blind or you don't have Twitter

Half-blind FWIW and Twitter is for chavs.

[Ascotexgunner]

As a footnote the whole Gunter / McCleary thing stinks too. Can imagine they helped oust Jose in some way shape or form too.

not sure why it stinks. Of course they aren't going to be happy being booted out of the team, esp when they both put in a big effort to help us stay up last year. Of course they are going to moan to their mates about Gomes. It was always the problem with banishing them to the U23s with no route back to the first 11.

Puscas and Joao were blamed publicly and dropped by Gomes after the Charlton defeat.
Im pretty sure they probably had a big moan as well. Bowen mentioned that match and thought we did well and were unlucky which was true to some extent......smashing the bar and a blatant hand ball on the line to stop a goal he has a point.
Just wonder if the rot set in for Gomes after that with the team, and as you say banishing the experienced players like that after their effort at the end of last season. I know he praised them a few weeks back but could there have been a problem with Gomes and a certain section of the squad that grew to a point where the confidence started draining? Looking at them when they went 1-0 down to Fulham just said everything to me. Their heads dropped and their body language said it all.

[Stranded]

Let us just say he wasn't involved in sacking Jose, and didn't marginalise him in any way.

He wasn't involved in appointing himself i.e. putting himself forward.

Jose was genuine in his 'glowing reference' (i'm sure he wasn't going to badmouth a current employee when his friends are there and he's waiting for a nice payoff).

GIVEN all that - which is all VERY unlikely. This is is still a horrible appointment. A coach with no managerial experience, managing a club with real issues, which seemingly haven't been able to be corrected by a succession of managers. Done the way it was, it just makes it even worse.

As a footnote the whole Gunter / McCleary thing stinks too. Can imagine they helped oust Jose in some way shape or form too.

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?

[Maneki Neko]

comes across well in interview

not a lot we can do about it apart from get behind him and give him a chance to sort things out.
which I very much hope he does.

[Hound]

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?

maybe they all stabbed Jose in the back as well?

[Zip]

comes across well in interview

not a lot we can do about it apart from get behind him and give him a chance to sort things out.
which I very much hope he does.

Yes given his comments it does appear the owners were responsible for Gomes sacking and his hiring. So whilst I don’t agree with the sacking Bowen gets my support. Pointless not to back him. He wants to do well for himself and the club.

[Millsy]

Yep, already seen the "Bowen is lying" going around on Twitter. It's nice to see the average fan knows more about what's going on from outside the set up to someone who was right in the middle of it

Well to be fair he might be.

It's entirely possible he subtly put Gomes in a negative light and declined to support him fully over months dropping hints he was interested, putting the suggestion forward gently that his ideas were better etc. I work alongside real political type psychopathic twats and I see day in day out how these people operate.

Whatever it is though, it is. If Gomes wasn't up to sorting it out himself then he deserved to go. And sneaky or not in the whole affair, Bowen at least deserves a shot, it is only a short term thing. Kind of like an extended caretaker. Only results matter, so the twitter conspiracists can STFU now and get behind our man because the guy is getting sacked at the earliest hint that he's not the right man.

Well, yeah. Your point was he might be. Bowen may not be telling the truth but I’m just intrigued to know how so many people know he’s “lying”

Oh, they just know.

--

Unrelated, I think he comes across quite a tough chap. I wouldn't want to be on the end of his angry side if we are 1-0 down at half time. Much as love Gomes and his style and his "we are all family" nature, I can't imagine him giving anyone the hairdryer treatment.

[Snowflake Royal]

If what he is saying is true then the owners/Howe need to take some responsibility for the reception he's got. It doesn't to take a genius to work out this is how the appointment will likely be interpreted by the fans/press. A short quote in the announcement from Dai himself saying exactly what Mark's just said would have avoided all of this...

Facts and statements don't concern those who leap to these sort of conclusions, so I sincerely doubt that.

[Snowflake Royal]

Haven't seen/heard this latest interview, but the bits people have been posting about, alongside what I've already seen and heard make me really like Bowen.

I'm fully behind the bald beauty, even though I started out a little underwhelmed at the announcement and idea.

I really hope he gets a reaction and some points out of the players nice and early. Also glad to see Gunts and G back involved. Not really starters for me these days, but useful squad players.

Plus someone needs to push Yiadom a bit harder for his place so he doesn't develop Gunter comfort syndrome.

[Millsy]

Apparently his hobby is to be an Alan Shearer lookalike.

Traditionally every year Alan Shearer has won the annual Annual Alan Shearer lookalike competition, except for this year when he was soundly beaten by Bowen.

[strap]

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.

[Zip]

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.