Richardson out

[Four Of Clubs]

Bring back Stevie Richardson

....one for us 'Oldies' from up the back steps of the Tilehurst End

"OFFSIDE ??!!"

..

and of course -
"Get off Richardson - you're Rubbish!"

...always chorused in jest of course as he very much wasn't.....

Got chanted at Hereford once when he sat on the bench (injured - leg in plaster) - it cheered him up on a very dull day

...and again a few years later which caused him to chuckle in surprise whilst warming up as a sub for Basingstoke @ Thame United's old ground.....

....magnificent servant...

[Hound]

The problem with the “give him the start of next season, reassess in November…” approach, is that it would just set the next manager up for a mid-season rescue operation and a repeat “give him the start of next season” scenario. It’s just a cycle of rescue-reset.

At least if LR left at the end of this season, a new manager could start his career here with a summer to build his team, rather than having half a season in damage limitation mode with someone else’s squad.

Unless a new bloke was lined up, been watching us and ready to go, think it would be an absolute shambles. How would he know what players to keep, try to sell, offer new contracts to?

We’re done this time next week, no more training, no games. Contracts run out end of June

Basically relying on the same people to make the calls as we did in the summer, except someone who actually managed them

[Sutekh]

Bring back Stevie Richardson

....one for us 'Oldies' from up the back steps of the Tilehurst End

"OFFSIDE ??!!"

..

and of course -
"Get off Richardson - you're Rubbish!"

...always chorused in jest of course as he very much wasn't.....

Got chanted at Hereford once when he sat on the bench (injured - leg in plaster) - it cheered him up on a very dull day

...and again a few years later which caused him to chuckle in surprise whilst warming up as a sub for Basingstoke @ Thame United's old ground.....

....magnificent servant...

Left in 1995 for Newbury Town then the aforementioned Basingstoke, I last heard of him as an asst. Mgr at Farnborough in around 2010. He’s now 64 and possibly still a better left back than some we’ve seen this in the last few seasons…

[morganb]

Do we think Richardson also deep down wants out?

His family never moved down South so he is living away from his wife and children. If he saw Reading as a long-term prospect would they not have moved down with him?

Is he purposely playing poor football, alienating the crowd and players, giving buzzword interviews in the hope he gets sacked, receives a big payoff and can go back up North to his family?

Perhaps he misses lazing around the house all day watching Loose Women and Tipping Point like he's done for the past few years?

[Brogue]

Do we think Richardson also deep down wants out?

His family never moved down South so he is living away from his wife and children. If he saw Reading as a long-term prospect would they not have moved down with him?

Is he purposely playing poor football, alienating the crowd and players, giving buzzword interviews in the hope he gets sacked, receives a big payoff and can go back up North to his family?

Perhaps he misses lazing around the house all day watching Loose Women and Tipping Point like he's done for the past few years?

His Mrs has been replacing the carpet in their family home as it was getting thread bare with all the sideways and backwards routes leam would take when pacing around the house. Once they have all been replaced he will go back home.

[RG30]

I didn't see it mentioned on here but was doing the rounds on X. When we went 1-0 down on Saturday, a few fans started chanting for Leam out. Shortly after a woman went down the front of the stand to approach a steward who then called another colleague over. Those who were chanting for his removal were then kicked out themselves. Unless they said something offensive that wasn't audible from where we were sat, then it looked and sounded rather odd. Those accused have said on X it was his wife who snitched on them but I wouldn't have a clue whether it was her or not. The stewards then spoke with the woman afterwards at HT again.

[Forbury Lion]

Do we think Richardson also deep down wants out?

His family never moved down South so he is living away from his wife and children. If he saw Reading as a long-term prospect would they not have moved down with him?

Is he purposely playing poor football, alienating the crowd and players, giving buzzword interviews in the hope he gets sacked, receives a big payoff and can go back up North to his family?

Perhaps he misses lazing around the house all day watching Loose Women and Tipping Point like he's done for the past few years?

I don't think he took the job with the intention of performing badly and getting the sack, but clearly it hasn't all gone the way he hoped, at least on the pitch.
I imagine he'd have likely taken a similar job closer to home if one had been offered, but you have to be flexible in his line of work. Also why unsettle his family when the average manager tenure in the top four divisions of English football is roughly 1 year, best to leave them where they are settled.

[Forbury Lion]

I didn't see it mentioned on here but was doing the rounds on X. When we went 1-0 down on Saturday, a few fans started chanting for Leam out. Shortly after a woman went down the front of the stand to approach a steward who then called another colleague over. Those who were chanting for his removal were then kicked out themselves. Unless they said something offensive that wasn't audible from where we were sat, then it looked and sounded rather odd. Those accused have said on X it was his wife who snitched on them but I wouldn't have a clue whether it was her or not. The stewards then spoke with the woman afterwards at HT again.

That then is on the stewards, You can't eject away fans for starting or joining in a chant to sack their own manager.
If it was something more personal, particularly aimed at Leam's wife then that's a different matter

[UpThePrem]

I didn't see it mentioned on here but was doing the rounds on X. When we went 1-0 down on Saturday, a few fans started chanting for Leam out. Shortly after a woman went down the front of the stand to approach a steward who then called another colleague over. Those who were chanting for his removal were then kicked out themselves. Unless they said something offensive that wasn't audible from where we were sat, then it looked and sounded rather odd. Those accused have said on X it was his wife who snitched on them but I wouldn't have a clue whether it was her or not. The stewards then spoke with the woman afterwards at HT again.

We were sat in the row behind some of them and a few rows in front of the others. Nothing unusual or particularly offensive said. Just the usual songs. We didn't know what was going on as absolutely nothing different from any other game. They were told that they could come back in but had to move to the other end of the stand so she couldn't here them.

[Whore Jackie]

Bit strange she was in the away end TBH, given recent results. Presumably Leam has still got connections at Rotherham and they could have found her a more salubrious place to sit.

[fred sharpes nose]

Games in hand being played tonight
> Cobblers vs Tykes- irrelevant to us
> Posh vs Stags - Mansfield win and move to to 9th and we drop to 11th
> The Hatters (?) vs Valaints- irrelevant to us, a point for Stockport secures Playoffs

So we are firmly in the 3rd best group of 4 - could finish 9th or 12th

If we lose on Staurday 12th is a very possible outcome - would give just 2 points from final 6 games.

Does anyone think such a poor finish to the season and a pretty poor final placing vs expectations made by Rob / Joe will have any bearing on Leam retention or not ?

[Royal Rother]

Yes, because the "noise" will get louder and louder and owners keen to get bums on seats next season ignore that at their peril.

[Uke]

Yes, because the "noise" will get louder and louder and owners keen to get bums on seats next season ignore that at their peril.

We say that every time

Yet everyone still renews

[MR. CYNICAL]

Games in hand being played tonight
> Cobblers vs Tykes- irrelevant to us
> Posh vs Stags - Mansfield win and move to to 9th and we drop to 11th
> The Hatters (?) vs Valaints- irrelevant to us, a point for Stockport secures Playoffs

So we are firmly in the 3rd best group of 4 - could finish 9th or 12th

If we lose on Staurday 12th is a very possible outcome - would give just 2 points from final 6 games.

Does anyone think such a poor finish to the season and a pretty poor final placing vs expectations made by Rob / Joe will have any bearing on Leam retention or not ?

Yes.

[traff]

Watching PSG v Bayern the entertainment levels, skill, endeavour and poitiveness is off the charts. Both teams have some reasonable defenders too and still 9 goals!

What I would I would pay for a season ticket watching this sort of football !!!!!
At least Olise reminds me that we have some connection (very faint) to this, otherwise a different sport!

[West F]

Games in hand being played tonight
> Cobblers vs Tykes- irrelevant to us
> Posh vs Stags - Mansfield win and move to to 9th and we drop to 11th
> The Hatters (?) vs Valaints- irrelevant to us, a point for Stockport secures Playoffs

So we are firmly in the 3rd best group of 4 - could finish 9th or 12th

If we lose on Staurday 12th is a very possible outcome - would give just 2 points from final 6 games.

Does anyone think such a poor finish to the season and a pretty poor final placing vs expectations made by Rob / Joe will have any bearing on Leam retention or not ?

One imagines that Mr. Richardson has been managing upwards more than coaching down. I expect he is submitting management reports demonstrating that the KPIs are revealing that we are still on track to meet his forecasted targets against the anticipated initial downturn expected from a severe and long lasting strategic re-evaluation of squad dynamics.

In other words. New manager bounce has finally hit the ground like a bag of crisps. So it is buzzword bingo time. Time to be positively positive about the positivity.

[Silver Fox]

The problem with the “give him the start of next season, reassess in November…” approach, is that it would just set the next manager up for a mid-season rescue operation and a repeat “give him the start of next season” scenario. It’s just a cycle of rescue-reset.

At least if LR left at the end of this season, a new manager could start his career here with a summer to build his team, rather than having half a season in damage limitation mode with someone else’s squad.

Yet giving Leam a summer to build his team is a bad thing I guess?

[katweslowski]

Yes, because the "noise" will get louder and louder and owners keen to get bums on seats next season ignore that at their peril.

We say that every time

Yet everyone still renews

That surely is a weak argument. Season ticket's are at an all time low (well, they may have increased simply due to DY being booted out). But my point is we've had some games this season where 8000 people have attended.

The general footfall at the ground is declining. Look at the likes of Bolton, Bradford, Derby etc - admittedly much bigger supports, but they regularly get over 20,000. Derby when they were in league one got 25k+ at many home games.

I know we'll never get anywhere near those numbers, but our attendances have been around 10-12k mostly, with quite a few at 8 and 9k.

That's pitiful really, especially for a club just recently rescued and with a bright future ahead (on paper at least)

[stealthpapes]

The problem with the “give him the start of next season, reassess in November…” approach, is that it would just set the next manager up for a mid-season rescue operation and a repeat “give him the start of next season” scenario. It’s just a cycle of rescue-reset.

At least if LR left at the end of this season, a new manager could start his career here with a summer to build his team, rather than having half a season in damage limitation mode with someone else’s squad.

At some point, we want to break the cycle of rescue & reset and then actually build.

As Brogue summarised, managers all eventually go but normally only in three specific situations. Losing games. Losing the players. Losing the boardroom.

Even with the collapse in April, it ain't the former. By any points or wins-based metric, Leam has done a good job.
The board have come out and publicly supported him.
There's some rumours of the middle.

No, let's throw everything up in the air again and see how it lands this time.
It will be different.
It will. It will. It will.

Lunchtime doodle - all the teams that sacked/replaced managers this season. I've highlighted the top 3 in the categories of win %, points per game and places risen.


Again, by any points or wins based metric ...

[stealthpapes]

The other idle thought I had over my black bean ribs was "which of the top 6 managers in League 1 wouldn't cause a meltdown if we hired them ".

It's Dave Challinor.
Just him.