Welcome back Brian!

[CountryRoyal]

Its hardly taking the club forward though, is it.....

To me this is just Madejski reminiscing - i don't think its going to end well

It depends on the contract length. I said in another thread this morning/last night that I'd be happy if it was til the end of the season, we need to inject a bit of a feel good factor into the club and have someone who really cares about Reading. I don't think he's the answer long term though.

There is no way he'd quit his Arsenal role for a 6 month deal

2.1/2 years minimum

I'm not saying he would, just that it would be most ideal (for me).

[Top Flight]

I think this is a great appointment for Ola John who will now get many more opportunities to impress. The winners are Ola John, GMAC, Orlando Sa, Vydra and Blackman. The loser will likely be Piazon.

The Reading team for future matches could look something like this:

4-4-2

GK: Al Habsi
RB: Gunter
LB: Obita
CB: McShane
CB: Hector
RW: McLeary
CM: Williams
CM: Norwood
LW: Ola John
FW: Orlando Sa
FW: Matej Vydra

This is something that Clarke never really tried.

Plenty of service going in to the front men. Ability to counter attack. The season ahead could be about to get very exciting indeed. I certainly want to see Ola John get more game time. I think he has the ability to beat a man and get quality balls in to the box. Orlando Sa could be about to go on a good goal scoring run in a McDermott team.

[West Stand Man]

I think this is a great appointment for Ola John who will now get many more opportunities to impress. The winners are Ola John, GMAC, Orlando Sa, Vydra and Blackman. The loser will likely be Piazon.

The Reading team for future matches could look something like this:

4-4-2

GK: Al Habsi
RB: Gunter
LB: Obita
CB: McShane
CB: Hector
RW: McLeary
CM: Williams
CM: Norwood
LW: Ola John
FW: Orlando Sa
FW: Matej Vydra

This is something that Clarke never really tried.

Plenty of service going in to the front men. Ability to counter attack. The season ahead could be about to get very exciting indeed. I certainly want to see Ola John get more game time. I think he has the ability to beat a man and get quality balls in to the box. Orlando Sa could be about to go on a good goal scoring run in a McDermott team.

If Blackman is one of the winners in this new Reading why doesn't he even feature in your team? How is being dropped a 'win'.

[andrew1957]

Welcome back Brian.

I always felt you were unfairly sacked. IMO Brian just got us promoted too early and the squad we had in the last PL season was if anything inferior to the one that we have now. I think that Howe and Madejski also felt at the time that Brian had been hard done by and they have no doubt recommended him highly to the current owners.

But I do think he has a big problem as some of Clarke's signings are just not working out. I would send Piazon back if at all possible but hopefully Brian can get the best out of the rest of them.

I also wonder what he will do about the backroom staff.

I still think we can at least make the play offs despite the turmoil of recent days.

[Steve_Upper_West]

EXCELLENT....... now get Sal back and McCarthy in on loan !!

[Hoop Blah]

Firstly, welcome back McDermott, if this happens then it does put a bit of the soul back into the club.

I'm hoping he manages to get us playing some better football than last time around, but I'm generally pleased we've gone for someone who's heart should be in it over other options who would see us as more of a stepping stone.


Having said that, this bit is rubbish I'm afraid TFF, McDermott fully played his part in the failure of that season. Yeah perhaps his hands were tied somewhat, but he still made plenty of mistakes and didn't get the best from far too many of his players.

Failure to invest in the prem was his downfall, not his tactics.

Brian often mentions that he fully believes that a system should fit the players you have rather than the other way round (unlike Adkins or Rodgers). We played differently with Sig and Long and once they went he reverted to 4-4-2 as that suited what we had. How right he was.

I hope that plays out as you say, but his insistence on playing 4-4-2 in the Premier League far too often when we had the players and the need to be a lot different suggests that his actions didn't quite match up to his words.

I'm not having a pop at McDermott here, I'm relatively pleased he's looking likely to the be the new man, and I hope we end up seeing him get the best out of Sa and Vydra as a good old fashioned front two, but there's still some realism to be had in between all the nostalgic celebration.

[Y21]

Meh. Been there, done that.

[Top Flight]

I think this is a great appointment for Ola John who will now get many more opportunities to impress. The winners are Ola John, GMAC, Orlando Sa, Vydra and Blackman. The loser will likely be Piazon.

The Reading team for future matches could look something like this:

4-4-2

GK: Al Habsi
RB: Gunter
LB: Obita
CB: McShane
CB: Hector
RW: McLeary
CM: Williams
CM: Norwood
LW: Ola John
FW: Orlando Sa
FW: Matej Vydra

This is something that Clarke never really tried.

Plenty of service going in to the front men. Ability to counter attack. The season ahead could be about to get very exciting indeed. I certainly want to see Ola John get more game time. I think he has the ability to beat a man and get quality balls in to the box. Orlando Sa could be about to go on a good goal scoring run in a McDermott team.

If Blackman is one of the winners in this new Reading why doesn't he even feature in your team? How is being dropped a 'win'.

Yeah because I think the forward three will change between Sa, Vydra and Blackman. He might go with Sa and Blackman. But Blackman definitely is going to be involved.

Robson Kanu will be vying for a place in the side as well. Exciting times ahead.

Who else will lose out though apart from Piazon? I think McDermott will favour Obita over Taylor as well as he prefers attacking wing play, overlapping full backs etc.

The major position that McDermott needs to sort out in the January transfer market will be the GK position. Because we aint going to NO premiership if Al Habsi and Bond keep dropping the football. I think Clarke understood this weakness as well but couldn't deal with it until January and didn't want to humiliate our keepers publically by drawing attention to it.

[Forbury Lion]

I have a sneaky suspicion Vydra might blossom (for us) under McD.

Let's hope Nick Blackman continues to shine - he didn't do that well under Brian, but the fact Brian signed him and saw something in him when we were in the Premiership may be a positive.

[Nameless]

Blackman hardly played under Mc D did he ?

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Can't wait till we sign uddersfields best player after the 3rd round

[Sutekh]

Shouldn't we wait for the official club statement and press conference otherwise we're all going to look rather daft if there's an 11th hour hitch.

[strap]

EXCELLENT....... now get Sal back and McCarthy in on loan !!

I think McCarthy or Feds in on loan must be nailed on. Al Dropsi has made more clangers in his short time here than even Feds did in his entire RFC career - and that's saying something!

[maffff]

Can't wait till we sign uddersfields best player after the 3rd round

+1

[genome]

Blackman hardly played under Mc D did he ?

He was there for about a month before Brian was sacked.

Edit: He made 3 sub appearances in the four games he was here before Brian was sacked.

[No Fixed Abode]

Meh. Been there, done that.

Oh come on. Jose delivered us the Premier League title and the league cup in his 2nd season in charge.

[stealthpapes]

Shit Things in Reading

Alan Pardew - Your high school sweetheart. Young, lithe and a bit of a looker, she wasn't popular at the time but it didn't take long before the Sixth Formers starting taking a shine to her. Last you heard she'd had a boob job and only knocked about with rich blokes with fancy cars.

Steve Coppell - Ah... 'The One'. She was a bit older than you and had plenty of one night stands since leaving her husband but you were together almost six years. You still think of her from time to time. Wistfully. Apparently she lives on a barge now with some bloke who eats fire at music festivals. Shame.

Brendan Rodgers - Your sister's old school friend. You hooked up with her bored one summer and had a bit of a laugh, but never really clicked. Weirdly, she got married to some millionaire type, but he soon binned her off once he realised what she looked like without make-up on.

Brian McDermott - She'd worked behind the bar at your local for years and while you'd always flirted, you never really seriously thought about getting with her. Still, drunk one night, you went back to hers and just kept seeing her. Sure, your friends took the piss a bit, but you got on well. You don't really know what happened there. Nice girl.

Nigel Adkins - Her previous boyfriend left her for an Argentinian tango dancer and you hooked up with her at a works party soon after. Kept going on about her dogs and what diet she was on and dressed like a woman twice her age. Best shot of, really. Now goes out with some dirty miner type up north.

Steve Clarke - You've still got it... You surprised a few friends bagging this little sort. It didn't take long before she announced she was leaving you for some flash banker, though. Sure, she came back with her tail between her legs after that fell apart, but it was never the same afterwards. She showed you up at a party a few weeks later and you left her crying at the cab rank. The silly tart.

Brian McDermott - You're getting too old for this shit. Sod it - ask that barmaid out again. She puts out and your mum liked her.

[CountryRoyal]

Shouldn't we wait for the official club statement and press conference otherwise we're all going to look rather daft if there's an 11th hour hitch.

Like Clarke and Fullhamg8?

Tbf we're reading fans. We have so much egg on our face we're practically walking omelettes.

[RoyalJames101]

Shit Things in Reading

Alan Pardew - Your high school sweetheart. Young, lithe and a bit of a looker, she wasn't popular at the time but it didn't take long before the Sixth Formers starting taking a shine to her. Last you heard she'd had a boob job and only knocked about with rich blokes with fancy cars.

Steve Coppell - Ah... 'The One'. She was a bit older than you and had plenty of one night stands since leaving her husband but you were together almost six years. You still think of her from time to time. Wistfully. Apparently she lives on a barge now with some bloke who eats fire at music festivals. Shame.

Brendan Rodgers - Your sister's old school friend. You hooked up with her bored one summer and had a bit of a laugh, but never really clicked. Weirdly, she got married to some millionaire type, but he soon binned her off once he realised what she looked like without make-up on.

Brian McDermott - She'd worked behind the bar at your local for years and while you'd always flirted, you never really seriously thought about getting with her. Still, drunk one night, you went back to hers and just kept seeing her. Sure, your friends took the piss a bit, but you got on well. You don't really know what happened there. Nice girl.

Nigel Adkins - Her previous boyfriend left her for an Argentinian tango dancer and you hooked up with her at a works party soon after. Kept going on about her dogs and what diet she was on and dressed like a woman twice her age. Best shot of, really. Now goes out with some dirty miner type up north.

Steve Clarke - You've still got it... You surprised a few friends bagging this little sort. It didn't take long before she announced she was leaving you for some flash banker, though. Sure, she came back with her tail between her legs after that fell apart, but it was never the same afterwards. She showed you up at a party a few weeks later and you left her crying at the cab rank. The silly tart.

Brian McDermott - You're getting too old for this shit. Sod it - ask that barmaid out again. She puts out and your mum liked her.

[Stuka]

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