Adkins: The right decision?

[Silver Fox]

My only issue with the decision is that it came 19 months too late

[Forbury Lion]

Yes.


I supported Nigels aims, but it just was not working and without extensive funds he wouldn't get it never would.

+1 Like Rogers and Burns, The right man at the wrong time..... we have to turn things around now and avoid relegation.

We need a manager who can adapt to the situation - Big Sam at West Ham for example (not that he'd come here now), started off with his usual long ball / dull football to get results but has now got them playing attractive football. The problem with Rogers, Adkins and possibly Burns is that they try to get the team to play their way too quickly instead of focussing on getting results first and slowly changing the style of play..... admittedly, Adkins has had many other issues at the club to deal with, plus a unfathomable injury list.

[mjcuthy]

Definately the right decision. I have supported Nigel for most of his time here, however its very hard to look over the recent performances and results. Personally, I think one of the biggest mistakes this season was selecting Jem as captain, when injured. Chris Gunter doesn't really possess the leadership skills required, and he has suffered because of it. The youngsters need leadership and there doesn't seem to have been that, when we have gone 1-0 down, far too many times we have gone into a shell and conceded 2 or 3 more, you can't expect to concede 3+ goals a game and be successful.

Best of luck to Nigel, but time for a change now and look towards the future.

[Sanguine]

Yes.


I supported Nigels aims, but it just was not working and without extensive funds he wouldn't get it never would.

+1 Like Rogers and Burns, The right man at the wrong time..... we have to turn things around now and avoid relegation.

We need a manager who can adapt to the situation - Big Sam at West Ham for example (not that he'd come here now), started off with his usual long ball / dull football to get results but has now got them playing attractive football. The problem with Rogers, Adkins and possibly Burns is that they try to get the team to play their way too quickly instead of focussing on getting results first and slowly changing the style of play..... admittedly, Adkins has had many other issues at the club to deal with, plus a unfathomable injury list.

Slight re-write of history there. All of Allardyce's teams have played the same brand of football (arguably his Championship side a little less so). And this is his 4th season in charge at West Ham, where he was under pressure after a pretty appalling 13-14 season. This is more of an epiphany for Big Sam than evidence of his coaching flexibility.

[Hoop Blah]

I think that's a bit unfair on Allardyce's Bolton team that was built around some very good players likes Hierro, Campo, JJ Okocha and jorkaeff. That was quite a good team to watch and wasn't half as long ball as people like to label Allardyce's teams.

At Bolton I'd say he did a pretty similar job of evolving things as he has at West Ham.

[CountryRoyal]

Re fat Sam - whilst he ha been pressured into applying a more attractive, attacking brand of football, the biggest factor in their play this season (and something he eluded to in a recent interview) is the quality of the players they have gotten in. Velencia, Sakho, Zarate, Song, Kouyate...etc even Downing tbf.

Re Adkins - if we were to do it then it might as well be now, realistically, especially under our new ownership, I doubt any manager will have the luxury of 3/4/5 years to completely instil their philosophies. A lot of the people calling for Adkins head recently were probably the same people that claimed they would have happily accepted a relegation if the club was moving in the right long term direction.

[wingnut]

Re Adkins - A lot of the people calling for Adkins head recently were probably the same people that claimed they would have happily accepted a relegation if the club was moving in the right long term direction.

With respect, that's absolute bollocks.

[leon]

A lot of the people calling for Adkins head recently were probably the same people that claimed they would have happily accepted a relegation if the club was moving in the right long term direction.

No they weren't. You're thinking of Ian Royal - who didn't seem to think we had any problems.

Beat me to it - wingnutters

[wingnut]

[CountryRoyal]

Oh I thought his opinion was the only one that mattered, and he was the voice of footballing reason and logic regarding Reading Football Club. My bad.

[Cureton's Volley]

Precisely. The guy has failed massively. It has been like Bodgers v 2.0.....except worse.

At least it now ends the debate on the type of manager that fits the Reading culture. We've now tried 2 supposed philosophers or alleged master tacticians of the beautiful passing game .................... and they were both shit.

Rodgers stock is falling rapidly & he is being found out.

+1

It is strange to think of a Reading culture. It's a bit like saying American culture! Reading Culture is a couple of pints in The Walkabout before pissing up against The Forbury Lion.

However, footballing wise, we actually do seem to have a culture. Fast-paced and get stuck in. Typified by the multi ball scandal in the '06 season.

I need wingers or I can't cope. From Gilkesy, to McCleary, via The Lord Kebe and even Bobby of the Convey, we love our wingers. Glen Little me'Lord! Johnny Salad Salako in the last depths of his faltering career. I even loved it when Mass Sarr and Ra Ra Rougier ambled down the flanks from the middle. They made me laugh and cry with equal measure.
I need my wingers being wingers. I need a foot stuck in. I need Parky and Sidwell and Karacan and Tabb not doing much except getting in the bleeding way.

I need an on-loan defender to come I and make an impact and then try and hit the ball out of the stadium.

I don't need 70% possession. I just need the ball a few times in the back of the opposition net.

I want to scream and shout at something exciting. Not pretty. Give me 2 goals against West Brom in the last few minutes. Give me a scrambled, messy, 2 nil get 4 injuries against Leeds. But give me something to sing about! I can't sing "We've had more of the ball than you". I don't care!!

"Adkins out! Adkins out" Oh......

"Find someone else then!!!!!! Find someone else then"!

I love this post.

Sadly it's not hard to put a finger on when a critical mass of the Reading fanbase became football snobs. The Premier League and the plasticism which followed has forever destroyed the soul of our club.

Tra la la Rougier.

[notloyalenuffroyal]

Careful what you wish for. There is nothing exciting about playing route one when your strikers have no pace or bottle. You might imagine that agricultural defending lets you get great results every time, but you are more likely to be given the runaround by championship teams with strong legs and decent passing, like Swansea in the play-off final, than beat Barcelona because they don't like it up em. There is a right way to play football, and Adkins had it in mind for all Reading teams for the next few years.

Why is passing and possession the right way! It's just A way!

I certainly wasn't saying give-it-to em defending gets great results, but actually it does tend to provide entertaining football. Were we found out by Swansea in the play-off final. Yep. Did we have a darned good go in the second half though? Blooming heck yes! I loved it! People on here moan and moan that it was one of their worst experiences supporting Reading. I thought it was great! Wembley rocked under that huge noise when the second went in. All built on energy, fight, wingers, speed and lumps at the back!

The Reading way! Our culture! I love it. Give me more and I think Steve Clarke won't mind a bit of it either.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Yes.


I supported Nigels aims, but it just was not working and without extensive funds he wouldn't get it never would.

+1 Like Rogers and Burns, The right man at the wrong time..... we have to turn things around now and avoid relegation.

We need a manager who can adapt to the situation - Big Sam at West Ham for example (not that he'd come here now), started off with his usual long ball / dull football to get results but has now got them playing attractive football. The problem with Rogers, Adkins and possibly Burns is that they try to get the team to play their way too quickly instead of focussing on getting results first and slowly changing the style of play..... admittedly, Adkins has had many other issues at the club to deal with, plus a unfathomable injury list.

I really don't buy into the right man, wrong time stuff. The best managers do the best with what they have. Out of the last 7 managers we've had, Adkins has been the worst at doing that, therefore he's the wrong man full stop.

[Lower West]

And this is his 4th season in charge at West Ham, where he was under pressure after a pretty appalling 13-14 season.

4th season is the key. Takes time to build teams. Big Sam has kept them up.