Adkins - Pros and Cons

[Zana Badawi]

in my opinion, hes done pretty well to get us to where we are.

Define 'where we are', because I fail to see that 13th on the same points and GD as Leeds in a year and a half is any achievement whatsoever

bit of moneyon loans or in jan could see us challange for the play offs, and i cant see any reason not to be happy with that

Surely that's the same for any club hanging around midtable?
I don't see how us spending more cash than Leeds or Blackburn, for instance, would be an achievement of NA.

This is the longest bedding in period of any manager at Reading I can remember. Its no wonder some fans are impatient.

[Extended-Phenotype]

This is the longest bedding in period of any manager at Reading I can remember. Its no wonder some fans are impatient.

Maybe they aren't being particularly sympathetic to factors outside of Adkins control, while others just want to give the bloke a clean shot.

[Sanguine]

This is the longest bedding in period of any manager at Reading I can remember. Its no wonder some fans are impatient.

Maybe they aren't being particularly sympathetic to factors outside of Adkins control, while others just want to give the bloke a clean shot.

This. They realise that losing McCarthy and Le Fondre, starting players like Kuhl, and Edwards and having next to no experience to call on from the subs bench, carrying demotivated squad players like Guthrie and Drenthe and having a long injury list, whilst all the time receiving little financial backing, is not a situation Adkins would have dreamt up when he join the club 18 months ago.

In the circumstances, mid-table, and more importantly some of our performances this season regardless of result, have been pretty decent indeed.

[Zana Badawi]

This is the longest bedding in period of any manager at Reading I can remember. Its no wonder some fans are impatient.

Maybe they aren't being particularly sympathetic to factors outside of Adkins control, while others just want to give the bloke a clean shot.

Im not particularly impressed by the factors he has had control in.

[No Fixed Abode]

That old chestnut EP "Getting performances and results confused". Performances bring results more often than not.

Results aren't always indicative of performances, though. You can play well and not get the points. It's not really complicated to understand, fella: we hadn't played well for ages but recently we have improved, are passing the ball well, playing some good football, creating chances and scoring goals. What you generally see is that, as performances improve so do results. It doesn't always happen instantly - sometimes the results pick up by grinding out ugly wins and draws and performances come with confidence. Sometimes the football improves, confidence grows in pockets around the field but a few things still need to be ironed out. Either way, when one of results/performances improve, the other tends to follow given a bit of time.

And chillax mate, it was only a tease - hardly an insult. Try not to be too sensitive about banter in the future, you'll have a better time if you ease up a bit.

Drumming up a lot of excuses there. Football is ONLY a results business. You've improved, but probably on your worse run of the season?

[Schards#2]

in my opinion, hes done pretty well to get us to where we are.

Define 'where we are', because I fail to see that 13th on the same points and GD as Leeds in a year and a half is any achievement whatsoever

bit of moneyon loans or in jan could see us challange for the play offs, and i cant see any reason not to be happy with that

Surely that's the same for any club hanging around midtable?
I don't see how us spending more cash than Leeds or Blackburn, for instance, would be an achievement of NA.

This is the longest bedding in period of any manager at Reading I can remember. Its no wonder some fans are impatient.

Given where we stood at the start of the season in terms of ownership problems and injuries, I'd have taken that at this stage, if offered.

[urz13]

We were crap last season and in the PL under him. We've now got new owners, made 5 supposedly great new signings, and have essentially the same squad as last year, and we're still crap. Especially defensively - I fail to see why ownership issues should excuse the fact that our defending has gotten progressively worse under his 'leadership'.

I don't think it's ever going to work for him here, that's just the case sometimes, the difficulty is seeing it and getting rid early enough.... Happy to be proved wrong but I am confident that I won't be.

[Extended-Phenotype]

That old chestnut EP "Getting performances and results confused". Performances bring results more often than not.

Results aren't always indicative of performances, though. You can play well and not get the points. It's not really complicated to understand, fella: we hadn't played well for ages but recently we have improved, are passing the ball well, playing some good football, creating chances and scoring goals. What you generally see is that, as performances improve so do results. It doesn't always happen instantly - sometimes the results pick up by grinding out ugly wins and draws and performances come with confidence. Sometimes the football improves, confidence grows in pockets around the field but a few things still need to be ironed out. Either way, when one of results/performances improve, the other tends to follow given a bit of time.

And chillax mate, it was only a tease - hardly an insult. Try not to be too sensitive about banter in the future, you'll have a better time if you ease up a bit.

Drumming up a lot of excuses there. Football is ONLY a results business. You've improved, but probably on your worse run of the season?

Not excuses, just facts. Of course, in the end, results are what count. But playing better is a step towards that, surely.

[SCIAG]

We ... have essentially the same squad as last year, and we're still crap.

Since last year, we have lost four of our starting XI (McCarthy, McAnuff, Morrison, Le Fondre), and we haven't been able to use at least a further two (McCleary and Williams).

This is a pretty strong team: McCarthy, Kelly, Morrison, Gorkss, Bridge, McCleary, Williams, Karacan/Guthrie, McAnuff, Drenthe, Le Fondre. In fact that's probably 8 of the 11 Adkins wanted to field last season.

[floyd__streete]

Cons:

He's doing a pretty poor job as manager of Reading.

Pros:

At some point he will no longer be manager of Reading.

[Froomes]

We ... have essentially the same squad as last year, and we're still crap.

Since last year, we have lost four of our starting XI (McCarthy, McAnuff, Morrison, Le Fondre), and we haven't been able to use at least a further two (McCleary and Williams).

This is a pretty strong team: McCarthy, Kelly, Morrison, Gorkss, Bridge, McCleary, Williams, Karacan/Guthrie, McAnuff, Drenthe, Le Fondre. In fact that's probably 8 of the 11 Adkins wanted to field last season.

We hardly 'lost' those four you mentioned.

We flogged McCarthy, Morrison and Le Fondre the first opportunity we got during the summer (yes, I understand we needed to sell ALF to pay off bills) and we let McAnuff leave on a free. I wouldn't class that as losing those four players at all.

Also Adkins let McAnuff and Gorkss leave on frees and he's forced Drenthe out (rightly IMO), so to say he's missing 8 players from last season when 6/7 of them aren't playing/at the club due to Adkins own choice is rather misleading...

[Extended-Phenotype]

how do you know it was his choice? From a financial perspective those players could have been released or sold against Adkins preference.

[No Fixed Abode]

Results aren't always indicative of performances, though. You can play well and not get the points. It's not really complicated to understand, fella: we hadn't played well for ages but recently we have improved, are passing the ball well, playing some good football, creating chances and scoring goals. What you generally see is that, as performances improve so do results. It doesn't always happen instantly - sometimes the results pick up by grinding out ugly wins and draws and performances come with confidence. Sometimes the football improves, confidence grows in pockets around the field but a few things still need to be ironed out. Either way, when one of results/performances improve, the other tends to follow given a bit of time.

And chillax mate, it was only a tease - hardly an insult. Try not to be too sensitive about banter in the future, you'll have a better time if you ease up a bit.

Drumming up a lot of excuses there. Football is ONLY a results business. You've improved, but probably on your worse run of the season?

Not excuses, just facts. Of course, in the end, results are what count. But playing better is a step towards that, surely.

Not really. Arsenal often play good football but only have one FA Cup to show for it over 10 years.

[Froomes]

how do you know it was his choice? From a financial perspective those players could have been released or sold against Adkins preference.

Good point, I don't. But at the same time you don't know that they weren't!

The fact that when he had the opportunity to bring players in he neglected to bring anyone in to cover the loss of Morrison, Gorkss and Legs would suggest that he wasn't overly fussed that they were no longer on the pay roll...

[Sanguine]

how do you know it was his choice? From a financial perspective those players could have been released or sold against Adkins preference.

Good point, I don't. But at the same time you don't know that they weren't!

The fact that when he had the opportunity to bring players in he neglected to bring anyone in to cover the loss of Morrison, Gorkss and Legs would suggest that he wasn't overly fussed that they were no longer on the pay roll...

You assume he had the funds to do so.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Not excuses, just facts. Of course, in the end, results are what count. But playing better is a step towards that, surely.

Not really. Arsenal often play good football but only have one FA Cup to show for it over 10 years.

Haven't finished outside the top 4 for almost 20 years, shows that the results happen more often than not, though.

[Froomes]

You assume he had the funds to do so.

We brought in Murray, Mackie and Cox. All very recent premier league players and thus will still be on very competitive wages, therefore, there were some funds available.

Adkins chose not to replace Gorkss, Morrison and Legs, he obviously thought replacing them wasn't of paramount importance.

After the goals we've shipped so far this season I would probably disagree...

[Pepe the Horseman]

And if he hadn't bought Cox and Murray how many goals would we have scored this season?

[Froomes]

And if he hadn't bought Cox and Murray how many goals would we have scored this season?

Not as many, quite obviously.

However if we were harder to break down we wouldn't need to score as many, would we...

[Pepe the Horseman]

True. We'd probs only have lost 1-0 on Saturday rather than 3-1.