Brian: The right decision?

[ManchesterRoyals]

Hi guys. Not wanting to start an argument here but both being over achieving clubs and neither being prepared for the EPL, it is mistifying as to what RFC hope to achieve in sacking a manager with just 9 games to go whilst In as much s**t as we are and with no transfer window available. I pray to god that you do not end up with the Welsh muppet (Hughes) as reported that our owners got conned into employing and spending vast amounts of cash on his best friend agents players. Do you think it's a problem having a Russian owner who apparently has to rely on his old mans cash or is it Madjeski & co who are still running the show ?.

I am mystified why so many people seem to find the timing strange and argue that it is wrong. It's not just about this season, which in most people's eyes is already blown, it's about getting a new manager in earlier and giving them longer to prepare for next season. They have the added advantage of being able to see the squad play competitive games this season and form their view on what is required over the summer, rather than having to wait till the start of next season. A smart move in my eyes. And if they manage to pull a miracle out of the bag and keep us up, that is a very real and unexpected bonus.

Agree

[Agent Balti]

I am mystified why so many people seem to find the timing strange and argue that it is wrong. It's not just about this season, which in most people's eyes is already blown, it's about getting a new manager in earlier and giving them longer to prepare for next season. They have the added advantage of being able to see the squad play competitive games this season and form their view on what is required over the summer, rather than having to wait till the start of next season. A smart move in my eyes. And if they manage to pull a miracle out of the bag and keep us up, that is a very real and unexpected bonus.

That's been my view also since the dust settled. Whilst doing it in January would have been better, this scenario is better than doing it in May/June time.

[Arch]

Rare agreed, RB. The timing fuss is nonsense. Brian was probably under threat at New year, but the January run saved is bacon until after Villa the position became untenable. I cannot see any earthly reason for sticking it out to the end of the season if you've lost faith in your manager. Once you're at that point, you have to pull the trigger.

[mr_number]

The point about timing is that there is about 1% of safety now, so we should realistically be looking at the Championship. What kind of manager do we need for the Championship? One like Brian. Hence, it seems strange to get rid of him now.

If there was a realistic chance of survival, i.e. this had been done 3 months ago, then yes, it would have made more sense. But makes no sense at all now.

[Libertine]

Well the thing is if we fired Brian to bring in a new manager to help us save our season I would think that person would have been all lined up and ready to be introduced. I hear now it will be Dolan for the Man Utd game (possibly the rest of the campaign?) and even a rumor of Jobi and Legs being co-player managers for the remainder. If either of those scenarios play out there will be little credibility that this move was made to "save our season". And if not trying to save the season why even fire Brian at this point? So short of us bringing someone in with a proven track record of saving teams from the drop I think firing Brian would have been the wrong decision to make at this point...

[ManchesterRoyals]

and even a rumor of Jobi and Legs being co-player managers for the remainder

Hope your joking

And people were slagging Di Canio off ffs

[Libertine]

and even a rumor of Jobi and Legs being co-player managers for the remainder

Hope your joking

And people were slagging Di Canio off ffs

Like I said...rumors, and not too believable ones. But that is all we're hearing at this point...a complete lack of any indication that there is a plan in place.

[ManchesterRoyals]

and even a rumor of Jobi and Legs being co-player managers for the remainder

Hope your joking

And people were slagging Di Canio off ffs

Like I said...rumors, and not too believable ones. But that is all we're hearing at this point...a complete lack of any indication that there is a plan in place.

Cant see it especially after Sats Booing

[Agent Balti]

The point about timing is that there is about 1% of safety now, so we should realistically be looking at the Championship. What kind of manager do we need for the Championship? One like Brian. Hence, it seems strange to get rid of him now.

If there was a realistic chance of survival, i.e. this had been done 3 months ago, then yes, it would have made more sense. But makes no sense at all now.

But it DOES make sense because the football philosophy that Brian advocates is in the dark ages. Brian loves wingers and 4-4-2. It's outdated and needs a fresh approach.

[windermere_royal]

most of the guys at work were jumping through hoops this morning

[ManchesterRoyals]

The point about timing is that there is about 1% of safety now, so we should realistically be looking at the Championship. What kind of manager do we need for the Championship? One like Brian. Hence, it seems strange to get rid of him now.

If there was a realistic chance of survival, i.e. this had been done 3 months ago, then yes, it would have made more sense. But makes no sense at all now.

But it DOES make sense because the football philosophy that Brian advocates is in the dark ages. Brian loves wingers and 4-4-2. It's outdated and needs a fresh approach.

Agree his tactics were woeful this season, how many games have we thrown the lead away because he never changed it about

[Libertine]

Hope your joking

And people were slagging Di Canio off ffs

Like I said...rumors, and not too believable ones. But that is all we're hearing at this point...a complete lack of any indication that there is a plan in place.

Cant see it especially after Sats Booing

Again agree, and like I said it is the wildest of speculation. My whole point is if management was concerned about us staying up and fired Brian to bring someone in to help us stay up I would hope to hear of a new (interim at least) manager named relatively quickly. The longer we go without having someone with somekind of proven track record of beating the drop named the more it will look like they fired Brian just for the sake of firing Brian (and establishing an official scapegoat) rather than with an eye to survival. And if that turns out to be the case the firing was the wrong decision to make at this specific time...

[mr_number]

It's interesting that almost every single piece of commentary I've read in papers today suggests this was a silly decision, whereas this board appears to have the opposite view.

[melonhead]

have to wait and see how it pans out to make any conclusions on whether it was the right thing to do

[windermere_royal]

Lets be fair about this, as I said to my work colleague earlier, how many games have we been to where we have come away saying we played well? Sunderland maybe?..but still not great, we won 5 games and in each of these barring West ham we could quite easily and maybe should have lost them.
Nice guy that BM is he clearly isn`t caplable yet of managing at the top level, to stay loyal to the group was dire management. everyone could see we were lacking apart from him, and he paid the ultimate price rightly

[melonhead]

newcastle. x2


......ok no. that first half vs newcastle away was dire

[Libertine]

Lets be fair about this, as I said to my work colleague earlier, how many games have we been to where we have come away saying we played well? Sunderland maybe?..but still not great, we won 5 games and in each of these barring West ham we could quite easily and maybe should have lost them.
Nice guy that BM is he clearly isn`t caplable yet of managing at the top level, to stay loyal to the group was dire management. everyone could see we were lacking apart from him, and he paid the ultimate price rightly

Ok. No arguments on the assessment of Brian and where we stand at this point in the season. I might not fully agree but I am in no mood to argue that. The point is if we are trying to change our results and stave off relegation are we better off with Dolan leading us? Was that their plan to save the season? We are managerless right now. I don't know how that helps what was trying to be fixed with the firing of Brian.

[Vision]

Lets be fair about this, as I said to my work colleague earlier, how many games have we been to where we have come away saying we played well? Sunderland maybe?..but still not great, we won 5 games and in each of these barring West ham we could quite easily and maybe should have lost them.
Nice guy that BM is he clearly isn`t caplable yet of managing at the top level, to stay loyal to the group was dire management. everyone could see we were lacking apart from him, and he paid the ultimate price rightly

Ok. No arguments on the assessment of Brian and where we stand at this point in the season. I might not fully agree but I am in no mood to argue that. The point is if we are trying to change our results and stave off relegation are we better off with Dolan leading us? Was that their plan to save the season? We are managerless right now. I don't know how that helps what was trying to be fixed with the firing of Brian.

Wouldn't it have been more disrespectful to manoeuvre someone in position whilst the other guy was in charge so that the change was going to be made regardless of results a la Southampton.?

[Barry the bird boggler]

Right decision but 3 months too late, should have been done after one of the Sunderland/Wigan/Villa away embarrassments

Doing it now is better than changing it in the summer though.

[P!ssed Off]

It's interesting that almost every single piece of commentary I've read in papers today suggests this was a silly decision, whereas this board appears to have the opposite view.

Have the journalists and so called experts been following Reading this season? other than looking at the occasional result.
Outsiders see Reading in a league position where they expected them to be.
Insiders who have been to the majority of games, like many on this board, are aware that McDermott was under performing and therefore largely respect the decision to sack him.

As one prominent thread used to say, the media cannot even spell McDermott's name, so why we would be interested in their opinion on his sacking.