Who do you want to replace Clarke?

[Lacoste]

Just been thinking - surely Parkinson is the obvious, no brainer choice here?

He has strong connections to club and even now is well thought of and sung about

He has managerial experience, where he's shown consistent, level headed performances and has had some brilliant results

Managing us would - I guess - appeal to him

He's currently managing in league one - so it could be seen as a step up?

Depends if you want success or nostalgia.

[Pepe the Horseman]

.

To be honest I wouldn't actually care if he took us down three divisions, it would still be a great bragging point that one of the world's best players ever was managing us.

He'd be such a draw for other signings as well, I mean what sort of player would turn down the chance of playing for Bergkamp.

My hunch is that he'd probably be a decent manager, think he was one of the more intelligent footballers tbf.

Surely the same can be said of Stephen Hunt?

[Extended-Phenotype]

Stop going on about Stephen Hunt. You're never going to meet him.

[3points]

Well, Bergkamp is assistant boss at Ajax so he has some experience.

To be honest I wouldn't actually care if he took us down three divisions, it would still be a great bragging point that one of the world's best players ever was managing us.

He'd be such a draw for other signings as well, I mean what sort of player would turn down the chance of playing for Bergkamp.

My hunch is that he'd probably be a decent manager, think he was one of the more intelligent footballers tbf.

Who'd have thought Jimmy Floyd would have made a decent manager. Certainly not me. Bergkamp could be good - Clement looks to be doing OK at Derby and he's been a career long No 2, but there are plenty of others (Clarke included) who are always better assistants / coaches

[Norfolk Royal]

Have we got anyone in the bushes at Harwich Ferry Terminal for when Bergkamp arrives as a foot passenger?

[LUX]

Lolz at the Bergkamp love. Ok, I never liked Bergkamp so have previous, but Clarke fell from grace for being a mercenary. Bergkamp would leave us for a Premiership club at the first sniff.

[LUX]

Got to be Parkinson. Or Pearson I suppose.

[RoyalBlue]

Didn't someone say that the journalist involved in Ostrich Gate had moved and is now covering the Thames Valley area? !

[Extended-Phenotype]

Lolz at the Bergkamp love. Ok, I never liked Bergkamp so have previous, but Clarke fell from grace for being a mercenary. Bergkamp would leave us for a Premiership club at the first sniff.

He might not. He might love Reading. He might go to Danny's Kitchen and have a chicken burger and be like "fcuk, this is a very good chicken burger" and then stay.

[RoyalBlue]

I'm largely indifferent to the next manager, but would love to see Coppell in a director position, or similar, or even just some kind of honorary position, like Ferguson at Utd.

1 trillion percent agree. SC (the real one) is welcome any day and I'd love him to be in some kind of higher up position.

In regards to manager... I think we've lost track of "the reading way". I don't quite know how to describe that but Dicanio is definitely not fitting in with that!

I agree with the great post by Ian Herring - Warburton would be a great fit.

.

I voted for him but wonder how he would feel about having to move back to a top class fully competitive league.

[Norfolk Royal]

Lolz at the Bergkamp love. Ok, I never liked Bergkamp so have previous, but Clarke fell from grace for being a mercenary. Bergkamp would leave us for a Premiership club at the first sniff.

Bit noseist.

[Royal Rother]

Lolz at the Bergkamp love. Ok, I never liked Bergkamp so have previous, but Clarke fell from grace for being a mercenary. Bergkamp would leave us for a Premiership club at the first sniff.

So would everyone else.

Successful - poached away after a year.

Unsuccessful - sacked after a year.

Which would you rather have?

[Sutekh]

Lolz at the Bergkamp love. Ok, I never liked Bergkamp so have previous, but Clarke fell from grace for being a mercenary. Bergkamp would leave us for a Premiership club at the first sniff.

So would everyone else.

Successful - poached away after a year.

Unsuccessful - sacked after a year.

Which would you rather have?

But if Bergkamp did come and was successful then in all liklihood we would be in the Premiership so your point is rather moot.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Stop going on about Stephen Hunt. You're never going to meet him.

You have PM.

[genome]

Bergkamp's still 20/1, so worth a couple of quid

Now down to 12/1.

[Jack Celliers]

Bergkamp will be brilliant. I can't wait. It doesn't matter if we are crap and gets the sack after his 11 months, or if he is brilliant and moves on to better things after 11 months, at least we will be famous and exciting for a bit.

[Man Friday]

Media are saying Gary Bowyer!!! What's he done? Certainly didn't set the world alight at Blackburn.

[Ian Herring]

Have we got anyone in the bushes at Harwich Ferry Terminal for when Bergkamp arrives as a foot passenger?

Yeah, Andy Bernal...

[Ian Royal]

Lolz at the Bergkamp love. Ok, I never liked Bergkamp so have previous, but Clarke fell from grace for being a mercenary. Bergkamp would leave us for a Premiership club at the first sniff.

So would everyone else.

Successful - poached away after a year.

Unsuccessful - sacked after a year.

Which would you rather have?

How come Pardew managed us for 211 games if he was poached after one successful season? It's true though I spose, I mean it applies to every successful manager we've had in the last 15 years... Coppell, McDermott...


This really has been terrible timing... If Clarke had gone in the summer, when he'd done FA (Now that would have been an overly quick sacking in everything other than hindsight) we could have had Warburton. If Dolan wasn't seriously ill, he'd be a shoe in if he wanted it.

Pearson is a great option in football terms, but there's off the pitch worries there. Bergkamp is an extremely exciting possibility, but limited pedigree. Parkinson or Coppell are the obvious heart over head options, but I can't see either being up to it. Sigh.

[Dai Brainbocs]

How many of Pardew's 211 games were spent just undoing the damage Tommy Burns had done?