Steve Clarke

[SPARTA]

Charles Watts ‏@charles_watts · 1m1 minute ago
Steve Clarke will be confirmed as the next #readingfc manager.

Happy! Nice and quick and ready for the next defeat.

[Reading4eva]

Mixed emotions if Clarke becomes our manager. He did do a very good job with West Brom - HOWEVER it was a team Hodgson built and again when the wheels come off, he couldnt get them back on.

Unlike Adkins though he seems a nice man so he has my full backing

[SPARTA]

Confirmed by Charlie Watts! Will be done and dusted today.

[Martin41]

Underwhelmed for me. But will give him a chance and back him. Just always come across as dull dull, dull!! I just want some passion shown on the pitch for now so if he can get that back great!

[RG30]

Clarke was a defender in his career so the obvious assumption will be that he gets us organised and hard to beat - no problem with that, we've had some heavy defeats over the Adkins era.

Watched him twice as a guest this year on Goals on Sunday and always came across very well. Very good coaching CV working for Mourinho and Sir Bobby Robson.

[Big Foot]

Clarke was a defender in his career so the obvious assumption will be that he gets us organised and hard to beat - no problem with that, we've had some heavy defeats over the Adkins era.

Watched him twice as a guest this year on Goals on Sunday and always came across very well. Very good coaching CV working for Mourinho and Sir Bobby Robson.

^This - plus, he's not Adkins. IN!

[Winston Smith]

Watched him twice as a guest this year on Goals on Sunday and always came across very well.

High praise indeed. I may not be so underwhelmed any more.

[genome]

Steve Clarke, earlier, genuinely ecstatic upon hearing he's landed the Reading job.

[blueroyals]

re: Steve Clarke
Style of Play ?

The emphasis will be upon Team Shape & Opposition Containment.

He`ll make you hard to break down, his teams {If the Baggies are any yardstick} like to play their way into matches, so nothing to gung ho or exciting from the kick off.

This does tend to hand the incentive to the opposition from the word go who usually have more of the ball as you plug the gaps, so expect to be on the back foot as you begin to get a foot hold in the game with your team looking to counter at every opportunity.

In theory you should grow into the game and get stronger and go on the front foot more as the game develops.

But the basis is always the same, team shape & containing.

Good Luck.

[melonhead]

Whelmed.

As good an appointment as we could get imo.
Glad he's a no nonsense dour type
Glad he will sort this defence out
He's well connected and has good experience for a young manager.
Imagine he'll play a style that suits the players we have
Will be able to assess squad and maybe make the odd change in jan.
Sensible choice imo

[Duke the Dog2]

Jeez, if this is true, is it only me who is stunned by a) the club doing anything for a start b) then doing it all so quickly. It certainly wasn't SJM's way. It would imply they actually have a plan and know what they're doing, which is reassuring, isn't it?

I was convinced no one was around who would make a decision, let alone on that might involve spending money.

I suppose we can hope they spend money in January too?

As for Clarke himself, not sure, I think he should be ok.

[Norfolk Royal]

People saying he's dull zzzzzzzzz.

How would you know what he's like? For all you know you'd go round his house on Christmas Day and he's dressed as Santa giving it the ho, ho, ho, and dishing out presents before leading a riotous charades game and party poppers everywhere.

Just because he's got a somewhat lugubrious expression doesn't necessarily denote his character.

[Duke the Dog2]

re: Steve Clarke
Style of Play ?

The emphasis will be upon Team Shape & Opposition Containment.

He`ll make you hard to break down, his teams {If the Baggies are any yardstick} like to play their way into matches, so nothing to gung ho or exciting from the kick off.

This does tend to hand the incentive to the opposition from the word go who usually have more of the ball as you plug the gaps, so expect to be on the back foot as you begin to get a foot hold in the game with your team looking to counter at every opportunity.

In theory you should grow into the game and get stronger and go on the front foot more as the game develops.

But the basis is always the same, team shape & containing.

Good Luck.

Sounds like McDermott to me!

[TBM]

re: Steve Clarke
Style of Play ?

The emphasis will be upon Team Shape & Opposition Containment.

He`ll make you hard to break down, his teams {If the Baggies are any yardstick} like to play their way into matches, so nothing to gung ho or exciting from the kick off.

This does tend to hand the incentive to the opposition from the word go who usually have more of the ball as you plug the gaps, so expect to be on the back foot as you begin to get a foot hold in the game with your team looking to counter at every opportunity.

In theory you should grow into the game and get stronger and go on the front foot more as the game develops.

But the basis is always the same, team shape & containing.

Good Luck.

Sounds like McDermott to me!

Although he has a Scottish name, McDermott was actually English - so can't see why you say he sounds like him?!

[TFF]

Whelmed

We were never going to get a big name and now is not the time to take a risk on someone like Dolan or Parky.

He's a decent coach. Let's give him a chance.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

We have a good record with dour managers called Steve so I am pleased.

This inherent ing the team hodgson built nonsense is just that. Hodgson was only there a season or so.

[Sanguine]

but has shown the ability to build a team from a squad or "normal" players.

Based on what? As I posted earlier, he won 8 of his first 13 league games at West Brom with Hodgson's squad, then only 8 of the next 41 games before he was sacked.

[PieEater]

He's not going to have the best of starts with the upcoming fixtures.

Of Watford H, Brighton A, Norwich H, Huddersfield A, Middlesboro H, Fulham A I'd be surprised to get more than 6 points.

[M Brook]

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/footba ... ading-boss

[SPARTA]

Watts, BBC, TalkSport, the lot, all confirming he'll be named today. Chuffed with that. I don't think we'd have got anyone better tbf. But he needs backing from the board. No good hoping for several miracles from the academy to get us where we want us to be!