Leam in or out

[blythspartan]

I can’t see Leam going anywhere, but I wouldn’t trust him with a summer budget. For me, the football has now regressed from Hunt ball and I didn’t think that possible. It’s out from me.

[The Royal Forester]

I think another point we need to consider is whether any replacement for Richardson would resolve the fundamental issues.

Constantly sacking managers feels like we'd be back to the Championship Dai-era run of Stam; Clement; Gomes; Bowen; Paunovic; Ince which covered about six years. You can't progress towards anything when the manager's constantly changing and is often just used as a mask for deeper issues.

Also would any replacement be an improvement on Richardson? Let's not forgot one of the arguments for getting rid of Hunt is anyone would improve the style football.

He may have improved the results. But the football style? I have never heard so many fans saying "I won't be renewing my season ticket next year" Not only on here but on the radio as well.

[RoyalBlue]

I think another point we need to consider is whether any replacement for Richardson would resolve the fundamental issues.

Constantly sacking managers feels like we'd be back to the Championship Dai-era run of Stam; Clement; Gomes; Bowen; Paunovic; Ince which covered about six years. You can't progress towards anything when the manager's constantly changing and is often just used as a mask for deeper issues.

Also would any replacement be an improvement on Richardson? Let's not forgot one of the arguments for getting rid of Hunt is anyone would improve the style football.

I think that the argument was that any decent coach/manager would be able to improve the style of football with the squad we'd got. If not yet unanimous I think it likely that the jury are nearing a majority verdict and that is that Richardson is not a decent coach/manager.

[Extended-Phenotype]

I’m not massively impressed by LR, but I have always been an advocate of giving managers time. There’s a lot of talk about players growing into their game, I think this can be true of managers too. I’m wary of sacking manager after manager having given each only a short shift - its a bit fantastical to believe one can just rock up here and be immediately amazing.

If there is a silver lining to Leam, I don’t think we’d be in any risk of relegation under him - so sticking with him wouldn’t be a gamble. He surely must know where our weaknesses are, and where he is underachieving, so maybe a summer and fresh season might see us improve in terms of football.

If it doesn’t, I’ll be fully behind a new appointment.

[Stranded]

I’m not massively impressed by LR, but I have always been an advocate of giving managers time. There’s a lot of talk about players growing into their game, I think this can be true of managers too. I’m wary of sacking manager after manager having given each only a short shift - its a bit fantastical to believe one can just rock up here and be immediately amazing.

If there is a silver lining to Leam, I don’t think we’d be in any risk of relegation under him - so sticking with him wouldn’t be a gamble. He surely must know where our weaknesses are, and where he is underachieving, so maybe a summer and fresh season might see us improve in terms of football.

If it doesn’t, I’ll be fully behind a new appointment.

You are right that I don't think we would likely go down under him but given the club wants/needs to be at Champ level realistically (and certainly the owners will want that) that is hardly a vote of confidence.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Which available manager would be interested in coming to an average league 1 side who will give us promotion and make us play sexy football so that it’s like watching Barcelona every week?

[ILoveMoonPig]

Everyone always claims that after X years of following Reading, "it's never been this bad" and they're going to stop coming: Stam, Clement, Gomez, Pauno, Ince, Hunt and now Richardson.

I'm going to buck the trend and say that I just enjoy turning up with my old man and a mate and just watching some sport on a Saturday afternoon. I'll renew regardless and I'll still enjoy it even if we do terribly.

Supporting the club is about being there regardless. If you wanted non-stop excitement and goals flying in every few minutes, with 40 shots on target and 80% possession, Reading might not be the club for you.

[tidus_mi2]

Everyone always claims that after X years of following Reading, "it's never been this bad" and they're going to stop coming: Stam, Clement, Gomez, Pauno, Ince, Hunt and now Richardson.

I'm going to buck the trend and say that I just enjoy turning up with my old man and a mate and just watching some sport on a Saturday afternoon. I'll renew regardless and I'll still enjoy it even if we do terribly.

Supporting the club is about being there regardless. If you wanted non-stop excitement and goals flying in every few minutes, with 40 shots on target and 80% possession, Reading might not be the club for you.

Yeah same, go with my dad and nephews, probably will continue to do so, only difference now is, starting with Selles I started going to away games but haven't been to one since Wycombe frankly due to a combination of how unentertaining it has been and going alone.

[ILoveMoonPig]

Everyone always claims that after X years of following Reading, "it's never been this bad" and they're going to stop coming: Stam, Clement, Gomez, Pauno, Ince, Hunt and now Richardson.

I'm going to buck the trend and say that I just enjoy turning up with my old man and a mate and just watching some sport on a Saturday afternoon. I'll renew regardless and I'll still enjoy it even if we do terribly.

Supporting the club is about being there regardless. If you wanted non-stop excitement and goals flying in every few minutes, with 40 shots on target and 80% possession, Reading might not be the club for you.

Yeah same, go with my dad and nephews, probably will continue to do so, only difference now is, starting with Selles I started going to away games but haven't been to one since Wycombe frankly due to a combination of how unentertaining it has been and going alone.

Yeah, I completely get that, I think lockdown fundamentally changed how people socialise and I think football is really important for maintaining a lot of those relationships that you might otherwise not have, these days. It's nice that you're able to go as a family and watch something together.

[leon]

Everyone always claims that after X years of following Reading, "it's never been this bad" and they're going to stop coming: Stam, Clement, Gomez, Pauno, Ince, Hunt and now Richardson.

I'm going to buck the trend and say that I just enjoy turning up with my old man and a mate and just watching some sport on a Saturday afternoon. I'll renew regardless and I'll still enjoy it even if we do terribly.

Supporting the club is about being there regardless. If you wanted non-stop excitement and goals flying in every few minutes, with 40 shots on target and 80% possession, Reading might not be the club for you.

Yeah same, go with my dad and nephews, probably will continue to do so, only difference now is, starting with Selles I started going to away games but haven't been to one since Wycombe frankly due to a combination of how unentertaining it has been and going alone.

Yeah, I completely get that, I think lockdown fundamentally changed how people socialise and I think football is really important for maintaining a lot of those relationships that you might otherwise not have, these days. It's nice that you're able to go as a family and watch something together.

hard not to agree with these posts. I'll still go, but christ we need to improve the football.

[6ft Kerplunk]

The football has been awful to watch but I understand why to begin with we needed to stop being such a push over and grind out some results. But I struggle to see how it can be in anyway motivating for the players to have the manager telling the the media that they're too slow and rubbish to play a more expansive style. Maybe its enough to keep you going if there's still a sniff of the playoffs but no surprise at all that as soon as that was extremely unlikely its got worse.

[BarryWhiteRFC]

I have always been a 'give them time', and don't get rid so soon kind of guy. However, this is, for the first time in my 46 years of supporting Reading where I am saying 'out'. I feel I have got to an age where if I'm honest, results aren't AS important as they use to be. I want to be entertained. The football at the moment is so utterly sh!te, uninspiring and dull that I'm not even bothered about watching us. I do not want another season of this. At least under Noel Hunt the football was entertaining even if the results were bad.

[leon]

The football has been awful to watch but I understand why to begin with we needed to stop being such a push over and grind out some results. But I struggle to see how it can be in anyway motivating for the players to have the manager telling the the media that they're too slow and rubbish to play a more expansive style. Maybe its enough to keep you going if there's still a sniff of the playoffs but no surprise at all that as soon as that was extremely unlikely its got worse.

christ is that what he said? that has Paul Ince levels of motivation..."the only good player out there was my son"

[6ft Kerplunk]

I'm paraphrasing a bit but that what its been sounding like to me.

[Brogue]

The football has been awful to watch but I understand why to begin with we needed to stop being such a push over and grind out some results. But I struggle to see how it can be in anyway motivating for the players to have the manager telling the the media that they're too slow and rubbish to play a more expansive style. Maybe its enough to keep you going if there's still a sniff of the playoffs but no surprise at all that as soon as that was extremely unlikely its got worse.

christ is that what he said? that has Paul Ince levels of motivation..."the only good player out there was my son"

Yeah he said if he had played expansive football we would have been relegated as the players can’t do that.

[tidus_mi2]

The football has been awful to watch but I understand why to begin with we needed to stop being such a push over and grind out some results. But I struggle to see how it can be in anyway motivating for the players to have the manager telling the the media that they're too slow and rubbish to play a more expansive style. Maybe its enough to keep you going if there's still a sniff of the playoffs but no surprise at all that as soon as that was extremely unlikely its got worse.

christ is that what he said? that has Paul Ince levels of motivation..."the only good player out there was my son"

Yeah he said if he had played expansive football we would have been relegated as the players can’t do that.

I feel there's some truth to the statement but not as extreme as relegation, always goes on about lack of fitness and a pre-season too.

[Royal Rother]

christ is that what he said? that has Paul Ince levels of motivation..."the only good player out there was my son"

Yeah he said if he had played expansive football we would have been relegated as the players can’t do that.

I feel there's some truth to the statement but not as extreme as relegation, always goes on about lack of fitness and a pre-season too.

It's the excuse that keeps getting thrown out, but does anyone actually believe that having only 7 pros signed on at the start of pre-season, and then the resulting lack of a "proper pre-season" has an impact on style of play 9 months later?

Personally I find that one a bit tough to swallow.

[Stranded]

Yeah he said if he had played expansive football we would have been relegated as the players can’t do that.

I feel there's some truth to the statement but not as extreme as relegation, always goes on about lack of fitness and a pre-season too.

It's the excuse that keeps getting thrown out, but does anyone actually believe that having only 7 pros signed on at the start of pre-season, and then the resulting lack of a "proper pre-season" has an impact on style of play 9 months later?

Personally I find that one a bit tough to swallow.

As mentioned before, your base level at season start will impact your whole season. If the players base level was less than the other sides in the division, it is very hard to catch up as they will also obviously continue to do fitness work. So to catch up, you either have to lose recovery time or spend time on fitness that would otherwise be used on playing patterns, that may allow a team to play something a bit more entertaining or attacking than pass, pass, pass, HOOF!

[Esteban]

Yeah he said if he had played expansive football we would have been relegated as the players can’t do that.

I feel there's some truth to the statement but not as extreme as relegation, always goes on about lack of fitness and a pre-season too.

It's the excuse that keeps getting thrown out, but does anyone actually believe that having only 7 pros signed on at the start of pre-season, and then the resulting lack of a "proper pre-season" has an impact on style of play 9 months later?

Personally I find that one a bit tough to swallow.

I agree with that, but also think a big part of the problem is the players we have here at the moment. Richardson should be doing better with the type of football we play, but at the same time, how many of our squad are getting in the teams currently in the top 6? Wing and Marriott, certainly, Pereira, Williams, Savage and Ward probably. Three of those have spent a long time injured this season and all of them (possibly Ward aside) haven't been consistent enough.

The problem for me is a mix of the Summer recruitment, Richardson's style of play and the squad just not being good enough. Top 10 is about par for this squad, reaching the playoffs would be overachieving, IMO. Lots of work to do in the summer.

[stealthpapes]

I feel there's some truth to the statement but not as extreme as relegation, always goes on about lack of fitness and a pre-season too.

It's the excuse that keeps getting thrown out, but does anyone actually believe that having only 7 pros signed on at the start of pre-season, and then the resulting lack of a "proper pre-season" has an impact on style of play 9 months later?

Personally I find that one a bit tough to swallow.

As mentioned before, your base level at season start will impact your whole season. If the players base level was less than the other sides in the division, it is very hard to catch up as they will also obviously continue to do fitness work. So to catch up, you either have to lose recovery time or spend time on fitness that would otherwise be used on playing patterns, that may allow a team to play something a bit more entertaining or attacking than pass, pass, pass, HOOF!

Yeah this.