Richardson out

[WestYorksRoyal]

I guess the question is, if we finish 9th next season playing uninspiring football, does he go, or do we double down on the need for stability and planning?

The Coppell comparison is fair, I remember some dire football in the second half on 04/05 with Kitson injured where it was almost an insult that we were in the play-off race. But Pardew turned it round very quickly; the second half of 99/00 was enjoyable, as was our near miss season in 2000/01. But that was pre-transfer window, and it felt like we were consistently adding more quality to his squad.

[Sutekh]

Today was the day the fanbase turned. He has to go now. Everyone wants him gone. Playoffs are done. Get him gone now. Absolutely fcuking awful manager.

Absolute nonsense in every way.

Quite agree, LR is part of the way through what is a complex job. Last summer the club had next to no players, a rookie manager and new owners. Consequently pre-season was not ideal and players were still arriving right up to Christmas so it’s unsurprising there are things not quite right in levels of fitness and issues with injuries.

He’s done well since arriving and put the club onto an upward trajectory and raised expectations (thus all the current silly bed wetting from some quarters) which is all you can ask for. Yes the “style” of play isn’t very attractive but what do you expect, exactly, when you’ve only got half the parts? The summer should see the club add the options necessary to give strength in depth and provide different options to add into the team dynamic.

The time to start judging him is after the summer doings and season start, probably around Xmas 2026, not after having just picked up the pieces and starting the rebuild (which in itself - one window - has been very promising).

So another season playing tough games at a low level is on the way but, IMO, it should be a season with a realistic challenge for automatic promotion in what is going to be a difficult division with some unusually (for the 3rd division) big names cluttering up the place.

[Snowflake Royal]

I guess the question is, if we finish 9th next season playing uninspiring football, does he go, or do we double down on the need for stability and planning?

The Coppell comparison is fair, I remember some dire football in the second half on 04/05 with Kitson injured where it was almost an insult that we were in the play-off race. But Pardew turned it round very quickly; the second half of 99/00 was enjoyable, as was our near miss season in 2000/01. But that was pre-transfer window, and it felt like we were consistently adding more quality to his squad.

Context dependent, obviously. You're doing different things in this three senarios:

1) start badly but get progressivley better results - stay.
2) have a good season but flub our lines in the last few games - stay
3) start well, have a strong season then fall badly towards the end - probably time to move on

And that's all with poor quality football. Add more exciting football to any of them and it's pretty much stay comfortably

If we started badly butv

Success doesn’t need to involve inspiring football.

[stealthpapes]

The speed with which people wanted Hunt gone is not a good omen.

The inability to cope with play off form being roughly 3 wins 1 draw and a defeat every 5 games is not a good omen.

The one critique I’ve any sympathy for is a lack of use of homegrown/academy players but I think we went so deep into that pool, we were due a fallow season.

Avoid a poor start, nothing stupid in the cups, clear lines of succession from the academy. Turn a few of those points lost into solid results, build, build, build.

[WestYorksRoyal]

The inability to cope with play off form being roughly 3 wins 1 draw and a defeat every 5 games is not a good omen.

That's 2 ppg which is automatic promotion form. Shows even the best teams can't expect to win every week. 05/06 and Lincoln's ludicrous run of W15 D5 is very rare.

[Royalwaster]

Also look at Lincoln - they hardly played scintillating football .... but they were efficient, very.

[Esteban]

Also look at Lincoln - they hardly played scintillating football .... but they were efficient, very.

It was a strange game, because we never looked out of it, and yet Lincoln looked far more likely to score than we did and it took another Wing wonder goal for us to get on the scoresheet. Defensively, we really struggle without Williams.

When everyone is fit, we've got a good first 11 who can beat anyone, but we don't have the squad to cope with injuries and suspensions. Building a squad capable of getting promotion will take a couple more transfer windows, at least.

[andrew1957]

What concerns me most is the absolutely boring dire football this season under LR. Last season we had everything against us and yet at times we played sone nice stuff and finished 7th. This season the off field issues are largely solved, but on the field, game after game has been boring sideways tippy tippy, hoofball and a complete inability to win or hold the ball in midfield. I have watched about 20 games live this season and feel so frustrated after each awful performance that I wonder why I have bothered.

It is impossible to know if this is LRs fault or that the players are just not good enough to play any other way. The only mitigating factor is the constant injuries which we have endured - which cannot help. The list of injuries is as bad as I can remember.

I am just not convinced about LRs tactics. Will be interesting to see what the owners do in the summer. Stick or twist for the manage? We certainly need quite a few new players if we are to compete for promotion next season.

[morganb]

For new players are we mainly talking about bringing in players from outside or do you think we can promote some of our Academy players into the first team?

We still have players playing U21 games but also now have a fair few out on loan gaining valuable experience. I imagine we've kept an eye on their progress and know which ones will be ready for the step up.

For example Michael Stickland has been getting good reviews at Farnborough. With Finn Burns returning to Man City after his loan spell do you think we'd try using Stickers as a bench option again next season or must we go out and loan in/buy a new centre back? Whoever we use in the bench CB role is likely to be behind O'Connor/Williams/Ward (though given their injury records...).

[andrew1957]

For new players are we mainly talking about bringing in players from outside or do you think we can promote some of our Academy players into the first team?

We still have players playing U21 games but also now have a fair few out on loan gaining valuable experience. I imagine we've kept an eye on their progress and know which ones will be ready for the step up.

For example Michael Stickland has been getting good reviews at Farnborough. With Finn Burns returning to Man City after his loan spell do you think we'd try using Stickers as a bench option again next season or must we go out and loan in/buy a new centre back? Whoever we use in the bench CB role is likely to be behind O'Connor/Williams/Ward (though given their injury records...).

I would welcome young players being given a chance. That was one of the great things about last season. We had to rely on the Academy and I just don’t know why we didn’t do more to keep say Wareham, who has now scored 18 for a team in the bottom 4 and I know I will get shouted down, but I think Camara is a much better player than say Lane and yet has barely been seen and will no doubt get released at the end of the season and likely do well elsewhere. And so one of my reservations about LR is that he seems to prefer the likes of Richie and Keane over our own young players.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

For new players are we mainly talking about bringing in players from outside or do you think we can promote some of our Academy players into the first team?

We still have players playing U21 games but also now have a fair few out on loan gaining valuable experience. I imagine we've kept an eye on their progress and know which ones will be ready for the step up.

For example Michael Stickland has been getting good reviews at Farnborough. With Finn Burns returning to Man City after his loan spell do you think we'd try using Stickers as a bench option again next season or must we go out and loan in/buy a new centre back? Whoever we use in the bench CB role is likely to be behind O'Connor/Williams/Ward (though given their injury records...).

I would welcome young players being given a chance. That was one of the great things about last season. We had to rely on the Academy and I just don’t know why we didn’t do more to keep say Wareham, who has now scored 18 for a team in the bottom 4 and I know I will get shouted down, but I think Camara is a much better player than say Lane and yet has barely been seen and will no doubt get released at the end of the season and likely do well elsewhere. And so one of my reservations about LR is that he seems to prefer the likes of Richie and Keane over our own young players.

I'm a bit concerned about this too, but you'd have to say O'Connor and Williams are better than any of the available Academy graduates in their positions. For now. That may change.

Elsewhere the absence of Academy players is a bit worrying. Then again, it's hard to argue with the move away from relegation strugglers to play-off contenders. Marriott may be an old hand, but not sure anyone can argue he shouldn't have started ahead of any youngsters.

[stealthpapes]

Elsewhere the absence of Academy players is a bit worrying. Then again, it's hard to argue with the move away from relegation strugglers to play-off contenders. Marriott may be an old hand, but not sure anyone can argue he shouldn't have started ahead of any youngsters.

Multiple things going on here.

First, we dug quite deep into the academy the last two years, so players that should still be perceived as academy players (up to Big Kelv, I think) are now just players.

Second, this means that the well is slightly dry this year. Take Garcia for example, we got a season and a half from him before he was 20. In a different era, he'd have been eased into the squad.

Third, we had players who'd been around a season or two that wanted new challenges. It happens. The main two here are Craig (played out of position for a season) and Wareham. But we lost Wareham for O'Mahoney and that one I agree, rankles.

Fourth, we've had two changes in manager in something like 18 months. Different focus. Different playing style. Different everything, really. Most of our winter '26 signings have been good, the only one that makes me shudder is Keane (but is he any better or worse that Worrall and Boden from last season?)

[stealthpapes]

oh yeah sorry to forgot hitting that drum

which of these will be made any better or any worse by chopping and changing all the time?

[Jack Celliers]

Change the manager and we get:
Better football. The second half of Stevenage away is the worst I have seen any team play football.
Better signings. No more of Leam's friends who are past it.
Decent loanees. Would you let any of your young players come and complete their education in the current Reading set-up?
Youth players.

I'm not sure he deserves the sack, but I would jump for joy if another club came in for him.

[Hound]

Kanu maybe? Would rather give him a look before going back to Stickland. Ahmed played plenty early season and still v young

Borgnis is getting to the age when he needs to play 1st team or leave. Patton should come again. Hear good things about Coke Miles Smith, Duah and Hicks. Osho looked good in preseason and been an ever present in the u21s since injury

Guess some of those may be an option but none banging the door down I don’t think

[Royal Rother]

Lots of talk about giving him another couple of windows to shape the squad.

Trouble is, the football is so dire that, given other options, decent players may not want to come here.

And (the football is so dire that) the decent players we do have may be looking for other options.

Maybe we can offer better money than clubs we will be competing with but that’s not really the path we want to be going down again. The facilities may be attractive to some, but most decent footballers want to play for a coach who plays decent football.

So I’m not convinced another couple of windows for this manager is going to produce what some seem to think it will.

Rather than putting my regular £5 on Reading to get promoted, I think I’ll be looking at relegation odds, and Richardson out by November for a bit more value.

[morganb]

If not Richardson then who?

Who is currently available for free or at a low price who is proven to be "better"?

(Where "better" means able to get us promoted playing attractive football and can also develop youth)

[Royal Rother]

Someone a bit like Noel Hunt you mean?

[Snowflake Royal]

Change the manager and we get:
Better football. The second half of Stevenage away is the worst I have seen any team play football.
Better signings. No more of Leam's friends who are past it.
Decent loanees. Would you let any of your young players come and complete their education in the current Reading set-up?
Youth players.

I'm not sure he deserves the sack, but I would jump for joy if another club came in for him.

That's a hell of an assumption.

[Snowflake Royal]

Someone a bit like Noel Hunt you mean?

Lolwut?