McDermott Sacked (AGAIN)

[AthleticoSpizz]

Yeah like they know the first thing about football....lol at you you do know that a lot of that team were "soon-to-be" journeymen loanees

Time to release another song to the Madstad masses...ffs

[Victor Meldrew]

There have been some fantastically blinkered views on here based on what Brian and his players achieved some years ago.
After that he oversaw a spineless relegation and this time a 6 months period of dire stuff.
Everybody would have loved the first coming of Brian being repeated but it hasn't happened.
In the modern world of football it is all about hire and fire so why do some posters somehow think that Reading is different?

If the club had stuck with Rodgers who knows whether he would have come good but he had less time than Brian has had this time.
Subsequent efforts at Liverpool and Swansea might suggest that he could have come good but the club sacked him.
The club has also since then sacked Brian, Adkins, Clarke and Brian again- it is how football is and crying on here will make no difference.
Move on folks and either carry on supporting the club or don't - it's your choice, anyone would think that the Thais have murdered somebody rather than give them a great fat redundancy cheque.
Brian is now significantly richer than at least 99.9 of the posters on here-he will get another job and good luck to him as he continues his life as a millionaire just like Adkins and Clarke.

[Ian Royal]

I think it incredibly unlikely he was their choice though. He's have been recommended by the old guard, probably a little hastily. We could have taken a little time back then to find a candidate, see who we could have got. Instead we hired Brian immediately, when he might not have been the best option.

If they weren't completely convinced when they hired him, they'd have seen nothing to convince them in his spell here. I feel his sacking was harsh due to the short amount of time he was given, but there was nothing to indicate any corners were being turned.

We didn't hire him immediately, it was a couple of weeks with several days delay before announcement after it was reported as a done deal. Contrast with Clarke who was appointed within about three to five days.

Nigel Howe seems to have form for picking managers* before the old one has gone, and I doubt McDermott was any different, or we were really looking at anyone else.

* before Tommy Burns got sacked, for example, a mate of mine had a meeting with him up at the stadium (He bizarrely got invited in for a chat by Nigel Howe, after being heard shouting some abuse after we lost at Bournemouth). In that meeting Howe was suggesting managers to him, asking how fans would react to Joe Kinnear being manager, for example.

There's contingency planning and then there's having a deal done already. Given the time it normally takes to appoint someone permanently for us, I don't think we do more than perhaps enquire about availability and interest. Clarke being the obvious exception as he was appointed with indecent haste.

[3points]

McDermott was appointed by the Thais, all decisions have been theirs since they took over, this wasn't them correcting some mistake made by the old guard, this was them showing how poor their management of the club is.

I think it incredibly unlikely he was their choice though. He's have been recommended by the old guard, probably a little hastily. We could have taken a little time back then to find a candidate, see who we could have got. Instead we hired Brian immediately, when he might not have been the best option.

If they weren't completely convinced when they hired him, they'd have seen nothing to convince them in his spell here. I feel his sacking was harsh due to the short amount of time he was given, but there was nothing to indicate any corners were being turned.

We didn't hire him immediately, it was a couple of weeks with several days delay before announcement after it was reported as a done deal. Contrast with Clarke who was appointed within about three to five days.

Spot on tmesis. The delay in Brian's appointment was over the length of his contract. Thais wanted only 18 months. Brian didn't want to leave Arsenal on such a short contract

[RoyalinBracknell]

For those asking about the regulations regarding Season Ticket refunds, 4.3 on part 2 of this page might be significant - http://www.readingfcdirect.co.uk/Terms.aspx

'All season ticket sales are full and final and are only refundable if returned to the club before the commencement of the first game for which they are valid'.

So presumably if a supporter requests one before the start of the season they should be entitled?

[Haag Royal]

I think it incredibly unlikely he was their choice though. He's have been recommended by the old guard, probably a little hastily. We could have taken a little time back then to find a candidate, see who we could have got. Instead we hired Brian immediately, when he might not have been the best option.

If they weren't completely convinced when they hired him, they'd have seen nothing to convince them in his spell here. I feel his sacking was harsh due to the short amount of time he was given, but there was nothing to indicate any corners were being turned.

We didn't hire him immediately, it was a couple of weeks with several days delay before announcement after it was reported as a done deal. Contrast with Clarke who was appointed within about three to five days.

Spot on tmesis. The delay in Brian's appointment was over the length of his contract. Thais wanted only 18 months. Brian didn't want to leave Arsenal on such a short contract

Correct - and negotiating a release with Arsenal.

[Nameless]

Saying they are full and final suggests you can't get a refund on a whim. More likely they would do it in exceptional circumstances such as death, serious long term illness, major financial problems or having to move away from the area.
I'd be surprised if they just hand back cash on the fairly flimsy grounds that a fan doesn't think they've been fair to a manager. They would be setting a massive precedent with people demanding money back because player A was sold, or player B wasn't bought.

[RoyalinBracknell]

Saying they are full and final suggests you can't get a refund on a whim. More likely they would do it in exceptional circumstances such as death, serious long term illness, major financial problems or having to move away from the area.
I'd be surprised if they just hand back cash on the fairly flimsy grounds that a fan doesn't think they've been fair to a manager. They would be setting a massive precedent with people demanding money back because player A was sold, or player B wasn't bought.

I would have thought so but if for instance someone died the day after the first game of the season I struggle to believe they wouldn't offer any sort of refund but would have done 48 hours previously!

Certainly worth asking the question for anyone interested!

[Snowball]

Can someone direct me to these comments by Clarke, Coppell, Kitson, Dillon, Karacan etc?

Clarke - http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/full-transcript-reading-fcs-former-11236390

Coppell - BBC during Palace game.

Kitson - https://www.instagram.com/p/BF6Qd_ykfRy/?taken-by=theboykitson

Dillon - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03v93df Was on the short lunch time chat so hopefully included in the full programme.

Cox - https://twitter.com/SCoxy31Real?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor retweeted by Karacan and Taylor.

Thanks for that, Sandman

[Longhorn1970]

What worries me the most is that we have good football people telling us that things are not right at this football club yet we still have fans going on about how this is so positive and will make them renew.

Simon Cox loves Reading FC he's a supporter as well as a former player and has inside knowledge of the workings around the club and he's telling you things aren't right. Jake Taylor, Jem Karacan, Dave Kitson, Kevin Dillon are all saying the same.

Our greatest ever manager was on TV a couple of months ago saying the football club has lost it's identity due to the change of owners and that things aren't right at the top of the club because the owners have a lack of leadership, which is vital for the success of a club like Reading.

Even Steve Clarke, and whatever you think of Steve Clarke he is a real football man, said that it's difficult to manage upwards with these owners.

Again, these are football people, they know what they are talking about and they are telling you that something is seriously wrong.

fair observation, the only saving grace is the owners don't seem willing to get us into debt which would be even more perilous than losing a few backroom staff ..

[Longhorn1970]

You can say McDermott's performance wasn't good enough all you like, but the simple fact is that the vast majority of clubs who show no patience in a manager struggle and deteriorate in the long run.

Sacking someone after 5 months sends the message that you have no idea what you're doing when appointing someone and that you have to instantly perform or you're out regardless of circumstance. That does not make for an attractive club for good managers.

Our performance under McDermott was not without redeeming features. The defence was vulnerable, but that's what you get when bringing through a young centreback. It was fixable. Our sttikers were a mess, but that was fixable. Midfield was fine.

And the fact remains that McDermott did no worse than Clarke in his first season. Yet got binned. If a manager with far less track record who showed absolutely nothing could get us briefly playing excellently, there's no reason McDermott couldn't.

Look at Pearson turning around Leicester in the PL. Hughton with Brighton.

It was a short-termist, reactionary leap into the unknown that causes yet more chaos and uncertainty within the club. At the same time other major figures have gone. It means we'll be steered in yet another direction, the fourth in under two years.

If you keep changing the manager you'll never go anywhere.

What if the new guy starts badly? Sack him by Xmas? At least if McDermott had still been here and we'd done badly we'd have had 12 months of stability before moving on, not 18 months of disruption. Because McDermott sure as hell wouldn't have oxf*rd us about like Clarke did and damaged the squad from within. We know he wouldn't have courted a move to our rivals at the first sniff of money. We won't with the new guy.

BM courted a move from Arsenal to RFC presumably on more money (and holding out for a longer contract). Hammond likewise to WBA and Davies to Celtic presumably on more money. Had BM moved us in the right direction he too may have been approached by another club ...

[AthleticoSpizz]

"Moved us in the right direction"......how exactly should that be done with somebody elses team?

[Hoop Blah]

"Moved us in the right direction"......how exactly should that be done with somebody elses team?

Ask every other manager who's managed to improve a teams form without replacing half the squad, there are plenty out there! You could ask McDermott as it's exactly what he did when he took over Rodgers side.

I don't agree with the decision to sack McDermott without the chance to rebuild the squad, but it's hard to overlook his failure over the last dozen games or so and the excuse that it was someone else's team just doesn't wash.

[Longhorn1970]

"Moved us in the right direction"......how exactly should that be done with somebody elses team?

Same as warnock and Lee Johnson done ... why are you still blaming a perfectly adequate squad ?

[Longhorn1970]

"Moved us in the right direction"......how exactly should that be done with somebody elses team?

Ask every other manager who's managed to improve a teams form without replacing half the squad, there are plenty out there! You could ask McDermott as it's exactly what he did when he took over Rodgers side.

I don't agree with the decision to sack McDermott without the chance to rebuild the squad, but it's hard to overlook his failure over the last dozen games or so and the excuse that it was someone else's team just doesn't wash.

+1000

[AthleticoSpizz]

Sorry Hoops...it does with me

Last season was already played-out when he arrived....the team that he inherited had no inclination to take us anywhere after the Palace game.........those that had the talent evidently didn't want another spell with us.....Again, this is 100% failure by the hierachy....whichever way you care to look at it....they remain clueless

[Longhorn1970]

Sorry Hoops...it does with me

Last season was already played-out when he arrived....the team that he inherited had no inclination to take us anywhere after the Palace game.........those that had the talent evidently didn't want another spell with us.....Again, this is 100% failure by the hierachy....whichever way you care to look at it....they remain clueless

That's why they re-appointed BM ?

[AthleticoSpizz]

"Moved us in the right direction"......how exactly should that be done with somebody elses team?

Same as warnock and Lee Johnson done ... why are you still blaming a perfectly adequate squad ?

cannot speak for LJ, but Rotherham had something to play for.....survival

We were all but safe...we were also looking at a another Wembley trip.....when that faded...the "team" all became individuals.....BM was in the process of replacing them


Ultimately, the last thing that we needed right now was another managerial sacking...defying all logic

[Longhorn1970]

"Moved us in the right direction"......how exactly should that be done with somebody elses team?

Same as warnock and Lee Johnson done ... why are you still blaming a perfectly adequate squad ?

cannot speak for LJ, but Rotherham had something to play for.....survival

We were all but safe...we were also looking at a another Wembley trip.....when that faded...the "team" all became individuals.....BM was in the process of replacing them

Was BM appointed in April then ! Or did you erase 4 mths from your memory ..

[AthleticoSpizz]

That'll be the four months before the poor run of results that had him hung