BRIAN MCDERMOTT SIGN HIM UP

[Millsy]

Simple as that.

Any player will get worked up and play out of their skin against Liverpool. BM won't have had much to do with it at all.

The League always has been and still is what matters and where a manager is tested.

BM seems to be doing even worse than that recordless wonder, which is not surprising given the poor lad is not a manager. Although you might expect some sort of a honeymoon period but we're not even getting that.

He may well come good, as may anyone if you give them a chance but I will not accept such a risk given our position.

Madesjki - you've ****ed up several times already since promotion. I for one am getting sick and tired.

GET A PROPER MANAGER IN.

[Millsy]

Well where are all the RTG's crying for McDermott to get the job? The cup is a total irrelevance in our position, so far it's 2 points from 12 in the league and that is relegation form. Well done Brian, you're definately the right man for the job.

Madejski/Hammond, appoint a proper manager before it's too late.

Spot on.

[Millsy]

I forgive you.

Seriously though. The Liverpool games were fantastic and great for the club, but they're pretty meaningless when it comes to the real importance of our League situation. They could galvinise us and give us a huge confidence boost, but really they're one offs that can't be taken into account.

Spot on.

[Alan Partridge]

Madejski said in the week 'the results speak for themselves' They certainly do John, Reading haven't won a league game since the 5th of December.

McDermott will get the job till the end of the season, I'm not sure whose left out there who would be worth getting, McDermott was getting the job the moment BR was gone no matter what the results were.

[Sir Dodger Royal]

Time for demonstrations against the Chairman before it is too late.

Time for him to stand down and bring Fabrio Brio as a new owner. At least we could have a change of management every five weeks.

Real Opportunityyyyyyyy. Get to it. Dodger has spoken.

[Arch]

From today's Indy. Fair assessment?

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... 69425.html

McDermott must stoke Reading's home fires

In the week of Reading's midweek victory at Anfield it was widely asserted that caretaker manager Brian McDermott should be given the job permanently. The reality is he deserves only an extended trial.

Since replacing Brendan Rodgers, McDermott has also overseen three draws, one at home to Liverpool, and a 4-1 thrashing by relegation rivals Plymouth. Managers should not be hired on such results.

It can be argued that as the best performances are the most recent, against Liverpool in the FA Cup, McDermott's methods are now taking effect. The counter is that, in twice outplaying Liverpool, Reading's players have shown they are hugely underperforming in the league. That is down to their managers.

They have played particularly poorly at home, winning one of 12 matches. Teams are always under more pressure at home, and Reading, having been in last season's play-offs, were also expected to be promotion contenders. That they were able to play fluid, enterprising football at Anfield suggests the problem has been one of failing to cope with these expectations. Against Liverpool, with nothing expected of them, they relaxed and played with freedom, benefiting from Liverpool being the team cramped by expectation.

What John Madejski, Reading's owner-chairman, must decide is whether McDermott is the man who can enable the players to cast off their inhibitions in the league.

The only way to find out is to wait another month. Today's match at Nottingham Forest is no guide, there is no expectation on Reading, nor in the Cup tie against Burnley and following league match at Bramall Lane. But in the fortnight from 30 January Reading play four clubs in the Championship's bottom 10 and will be expected to win. If they win most of them, McDermott should get the job.

g.moore@independent.co.uk

That is an excellent assessment.

[Ups and Downs]

From today's Indy. Fair assessment?

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... 69425.html

McDermott must stoke Reading's home fires

In the week of Reading's midweek victory at Anfield it was widely asserted that caretaker manager Brian McDermott should be given the job permanently. The reality is he deserves only an extended trial.

Since replacing Brendan Rodgers, McDermott has also overseen three draws, one at home to Liverpool, and a 4-1 thrashing by relegation rivals Plymouth. Managers should not be hired on such results.

It can be argued that as the best performances are the most recent, against Liverpool in the FA Cup, McDermott's methods are now taking effect. The counter is that, in twice outplaying Liverpool, Reading's players have shown they are hugely underperforming in the league. That is down to their managers.

They have played particularly poorly at home, winning one of 12 matches. Teams are always under more pressure at home, and Reading, having been in last season's play-offs, were also expected to be promotion contenders. That they were able to play fluid, enterprising football at Anfield suggests the problem has been one of failing to cope with these expectations. Against Liverpool, with nothing expected of them, they relaxed and played with freedom, benefiting from Liverpool being the team cramped by expectation.

What John Madejski, Reading's owner-chairman, must decide is whether McDermott is the man who can enable the players to cast off their inhibitions in the league.

The only way to find out is to wait another month. Today's match at Nottingham Forest is no guide, there is no expectation on Reading, nor in the Cup tie against Burnley and following league match at Bramall Lane. But in the fortnight from 30 January Reading play four clubs in the Championship's bottom 10 and will be expected to win. If they win most of them, McDermott should get the job.

g.moore@independent.co.uk

That is an excellent assessment.

Yeah it is. And it's nice to see a reasoned outside opinion that sums up what the more realistic amongst us are thinking too.

I hope he is the man. Having been at the club for years he has more passion for the job for anyone else. As a fan, what more could you ask for? Although Brendan allegedly had it and he didn't know his arse from his elbow.

Despite a good couple of games against Liverpool, what we might have to come to grips with, having seen our team ripped apart, is that this team simply can't gel and no manager will be able to get it right before the seasons out.

[Ian Royal]

To be fair, it helped us that Liverpool are in poor form with a mediocre Premier League squad, lacking in confidence. And they turned up totally complacent, even after the game we'd given them at the Mad Stad.

Forest are a team on fire at the moment. And we didn't have our best player by far on the pitch against Forest.

[Pseud O'Nym]

Must say I became more dubious about him today when I saw the teamsheet, with Sigurdsson out playing Cisse and Karachan left McAnuff as the only creative player. Still at least his substitutions worked, whereas Rodgers would probably have just made things worse.

I wonder if Karacan and Sigurdsson wouldn't be worth trying as a central midfield pairing now.

[Wycombe Royal]

Must say I became more dubious about him today when I saw the teamsheet, with Sigurdsson out playing Cisse and Karachan left McAnuff as the only creative player.

Who else could he have played in central midfield? Howard was the only other first team central midfielder who was fit and most on here don't want him in the team?

[Ian Royal]

Must say I became more dubious about him today when I saw the teamsheet, with Sigurdsson out playing Cisse and Karachan left McAnuff as the only creative player.

Who else could he have played in central midfield? Howard was the only other first team central midfielder who was fit and most on here don't want him in the team?

Howard's not a great first choice attacker, but he's a better option than Cisse. I'm assuming Tabb was on the left, so we could have played Kebe, HRK or even Church wide and had Tabb in the middle.
At least he can string passes together.

[Pseud O'Nym]

Must say I became more dubious about him today when I saw the teamsheet, with Sigurdsson out playing Cisse and Karachan left McAnuff as the only creative player.

Who else could he have played in central midfield? Howard was the only other first team central midfielder who was fit and most on here don't want him in the team?

Yes, it would have had to be Howard. I don't expect McDermott was thinking much about what most on here want when he made his selection.

[Wycombe Royal]

Must say I became more dubious about him today when I saw the teamsheet, with Sigurdsson out playing Cisse and Karachan left McAnuff as the only creative player.

Who else could he have played in central midfield? Howard was the only other first team central midfielder who was fit and most on here don't want him in the team?

Yes, it would have had to be Howard. I don't expect McDermott was thinking much about what most on here want when he made his selection.

No he played the central midfielder who had done a decent job in midfield against a better side in the previous two matches. Forest were also a better side and so there was no need to change a central midifeld partnership that was doing OK.

If he had changed it and brought in Howard for Cisse and we lost today then he would have been criticised for breaking up the midfield duo from the two matches against Liverpool. Basically the only way he wouldn't have got criticised is if we hadn't lost.

[Pseud O'Nym]

No he played the central midfielder who had done a decent job in midfield against a better side in the previous two matches. Forest were also a better side and so there was no need to change a central midifeld partnership that was doing OK.

If he had changed it and brought in Howard for Cisse and we lost today then he would have been criticised for breaking up the midfield duo from the two matches against Liverpool. Basically the only way he wouldn't have got criticised is if we hadn't lost.

He took Cisse of on Wednesday and replaced him with Howard after which we seemed to improve, as indeed we did today, which is what led me think that was a better choice.

[Ian Royal]

Cisse had clearly been the weak link against Liverpool (not that he was especially poor) but against a team on form and in our own League playing two defensive players, particularly one who can't pass, was a poor decision.

Understand why he made it. But It was pretty clear it would fail to me.

[Wycombe Royal]

No he played the central midfielder who had done a decent job in midfield against a better side in the previous two matches. Forest were also a better side and so there was no need to change a central midifeld partnership that was doing OK.

If he had changed it and brought in Howard for Cisse and we lost today then he would have been criticised for breaking up the midfield duo from the two matches against Liverpool. Basically the only way he wouldn't have got criticised is if we hadn't lost.

He took Cisse of on Wednesday and replaced him with Howard after which we seemed to improve, as indeed we did today, which is what led me think that was a better choice.

So it led you to believe he was the better choice, but only after seeing inprovements against Liverpool on Wednesday and TODAY against Forest after Cisse was substituted. Unfortunately McD couldn't select his team based on both of those.

Today was always going to be a tough game and the majority of managers would go with the more defensive player over the more attacking one in those circumstances.

Hindsight though is a wonderful thing.....

[Platypuss]

The only way to find out is to wait another month. Today's match at Nottingham Forest is no guide, there is no expectation on Reading, nor in the Cup tie against Burnley and following league match at Bramall Lane. But in the fortnight from 30 January Reading play four clubs in the Championship's bottom 10 and will be expected to win. If they win most of them, McDermott should get the job.

g.moore@independent.co.uk

That is so spot on it hurts.

[Pseud O'Nym]

So it led you to believe he was the better choice, but only after seeing inprovements against Liverpool on Wednesday and TODAY against Forest after Cisse was substituted. Unfortunately McD couldn't select his team based on both of those.

No, I thought it based on the improvement after the substitution on Wednesday.

Today was always going to be a tough game and the majority of managers would go with the more defensive player over the more attacking one in those circumstances.

Hindsight though is a wonderful thing.....

I thought it looked unlikely to work as soon as I saw the team though.

[Wycombe Royal]

So it led you to believe he was the better choice, but only after seeing inprovements against Liverpool on Wednesday and TODAY against Forest after Cisse was substituted. Unfortunately McD couldn't select his team based on both of those.

No, I thought it based on the improvement after the substitution on Wednesday.

Today was always going to be a tough game and the majority of managers would go with the more defensive player over the more attacking one in those circumstances.

Hindsight though is a wonderful thing.....

I thought it looked unlikely to work as soon as I saw the team though.

I think a Howard/Karacan partnership is too lightwight and if those had played and we had still lost (which we probably would have done) then I could be on here saying the same thing.

But I'll go with thw person who has been in football for over 30 years and who has worked with Cisse ever since he joined the club over someone who thinks they know better on the Internet.

[Platypuss]

But I'll go with thw person who has been in football for over 30 years and who has worked with Cisse ever since he joined the club over someone who thinks they know better on the Internet.

That's the nonsense kind of argument that was made redundant when we went down from the Premiership.
That people are still using it now is ridiculous.