Hob Nob Anyone?

Rumoured to be in line for the job after turning down Swansea job. Would be an outstanding buffer between Nigel Howe ( who's skills are CEO ) and look at the results achieved since he came in to support Jose as Technical Adviser.

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/spor ... ansea-job/

But could he have got 500k for Andy Hughes?

Sutekh wrote:https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/sport/17696366.mark-bowen-rumoured-to-be-taking-over-as-readings-director-of-football-after-links-with-swansea-job/

But could he have got 500k for Andy Hughes?

Might have stopped us signing him in the first place

I dunno, Hughes was good for a short while when he played in-behind Forster.

Some Stoke fan on Twitter says he would be a terrible DoF. Something about signings made under his watch while there. He seemed to have a huge hand in our up turn in results what with all the formation shifts to counter teams.

Hendo wrote:I dunno, Hughes was good for a short while when he played in-behind Forster.

Very handy stop gap utility player when our options were otherwise limited too.

I'm still surprised that Nicky Hammond hasn't been invited back. As far as I am aware he is available.

Snowflake Royal wrote:

Hendo wrote:I dunno, Hughes was good for a short while when he played in-behind Forster.

Very handy stop gap utility player when our options were otherwise limited too.

Hughsie was good value all round

https://youtu.be/4VcjVz8zWR8

NewCorkSeth wrote:Some Stoke fan on Twitter says he would be a terrible DoF. Something about signings made under his watch while there. He seemed to have a huge hand in our up turn in results what with all the formation shifts to counter teams.

Their transfers in during Hughes' first few seasons are incredible

Marc Muniesa and Stephen Ireland on frees.
Peter Odemwingie for Kenwyne Jones
Marko Arnautovic for £2m
Erik Pieters for £3m (has since made 200+ appearances for them)

They made a lot of good signings over the next few years - a lot of reliable free transfers plus Bojan, Wollscheid, and of course Shaqiri.

In the last few windows there were some huge flops - first Imbula, then Wimmer, Ndiaye, and worst of all, Odemwingie. You'd probably also argue that Joe Allen and Bruno Martins Indi didn't offer value for money.

Don't know how recruitment worked at Stoke, but they picked up some really good players and often punched above their weight for a few years, before going off the rails when they splashed the cash. We don't have cash to splash, and have always been bad at it when we do splash it, so that's not a problem.

SCIAG wrote:

NewCorkSeth wrote:Some Stoke fan on Twitter says he would be a terrible DoF. Something about signings made under his watch while there. He seemed to have a huge hand in our up turn in results what with all the formation shifts to counter teams.

Their transfers in during Hughes' first few seasons are incredible

Marc Muniesa and Stephen Ireland on frees.
Peter Odemwingie for Kenwyne Jones
Marko Arnautovic for £2m
Erik Pieters for £3m (has since made 200+ appearances for them)

They made a lot of good signings over the next few years - a lot of reliable free transfers plus Bojan, Wollscheid, and of course Shaqiri.

In the last few windows there were some huge flops - first Imbula, then Wimmer, Ndiaye, and worst of all, Odemwingie. You'd probably also argue that Joe Allen and Bruno Martins Indi didn't offer value for money.

Don't know how recruitment worked at Stoke, but they picked up some really good players and often punched above their weight for a few years, before going off the rails when they splashed the cash. We don't have cash to splash, and have always been bad at it when we do splash it, so that's not a problem.

Have to say I didnt scrutinise his comment and you seem to be offering contrary evidence but was Bowen possibly a coach or assistant manager during the first few years when the good signings were made? And then the signings fell to pieces when he was put in charge? I'll see if I can find the tweet and I'll ask the guy to clarify.

As far as I can tell, Mark Cartwright was the technical director at the time (and still is). Bowen was just assistant manager. Perhaps an expert would know better what the dynamic between them was and how it changed over time.

If this is true, that we’ve got Bowen, it would be another example of how we’re not financially screwed.

Snowflake Royal wrote:

Hendo wrote:I dunno, Hughes was good for a short while when he played in-behind Forster.

Very handy stop gap utility player when our options were otherwise limited too.

More than adequate at left back too.

IIRC we had injuries at left back and Hughes stepped forward, said he had experience playing there and did so for the team even though he was getting stick and where lesser men would have kept their head down and not put the team first.

And possibly the next Reading manager in waiting when/if JG goes.