Dolan Press Conference

[Sir Dodger Royal]

If you think Dolan is the answer because RFC manage to string one or two passes together and one shot in 95 minutes then you are deluded. What RFC do not need is one of McDonet's mates as manager. Get a life or you just confirm you are a bunch of ****.

Real Facts from the main mannnnnnnnnnn

[The Beardy Man]

Well I liked what I saw on Saturday out of our Dolan led team yesterday. I think we completed more passes than any three games combined (no and don't stat check that for me snowball, lol...just some hyperbole). We looked very well organized and kept possession well. What was it 48% against Man Utd @ Old Trafford? Outside of the fluke goal they never really tested Taylor in open play. And right up to the final whistle there was an opportunity to get something out of this game, and even if we were doing better that is all you can ask of a team playing Utd at their place to do. If I remember right the final whistle went as we were entering the final third. Usually the team on the attack are given the opportunity to get one more attempt on goal or give possession away before the whistle goes in injury time. Didn't happen Saturday but I guess when injury time is up, it is up...but right up to it we were attacking. I liked the formation and the substitutions. Going from one attacker to two attackers with the double substitution was the right move, at the right time, with the right players. I know sacrificing HRK for one of the strikers was harsh, he had a very good game, likely our MoTM, but we needed to press the play more at that point.

All I took out of this game was positive. I really never expected we'd get something out of this game so losing doesn't bother me about this game. The way we passed it and the way we were organized was probably almost the best I have seen from the team this season. No, ED isn't the "messiah", but what he did with the team was very positive. Pogrebnyak is back for the Arsenal game, that'll help. Saw improvements in some areas of our game (which pains me to say because I am a fan of Brian) and that is all we can ask for at this point. Improve our play, and hopefully it will be as good if not more improved against Arsenal...

Excellent post.

[Libertine]

If you think Dolan is the answer because RFC manage to string one or two passes together and one shot in 95 minutes then you are deluded. What RFC do not need is one of McDonet's mates as manager. Get a life or you just confirm you are a bunch of ****.

Real Facts from the main mannnnnnnnnnn

Is stirring shit up for the sake of stirring shit up really that much fun for ya?

And just to respond for the sake of responding sitting here drinking my coffee on a Sunday morning (here at least still)...I am not saying one game, especially a game against Utd where they took their foot off of the gas once the got the lead and were more concerned with making sure they got an important 3 points than attempting to run up the score, means Dolan is the answer (never mind a "messiah"). You don't need to be a "messiah" to realize that our best chance to get something from each and every game from here on out is making sure we are in a position to get something out of each game. A 4-5-1 does that, we were well organized, defensively more sound, had a chance up until the final whistle to get something on Saturday and were able to limit Utd's time on the ball...and since Dolan was the man in charge for it I will give him "credit" for doing that for this one game. Will we get a "high(er) profile" permanent manager at some point? Sure. But from what I saw on Saturday we could easily do much worse than having Dolan in the job the rest of the way.

[SPARTA]

If you think Dolan is the answer because RFC manage to string one or two passes together and one shot in 95 minutes then you are deluded. What RFC do not need is one of McDonet's mates as manager. Get a life or you just confirm you are a bunch of ****.

Real Facts from the main mannnnnnnnnnn

Is stirring shit up for the sake of stirring shit up really that much fun for ya?

And just to respond for the sake of responding sitting here drinking my coffee on a Sunday morning (here at least still)...I am not saying one game, especially a game against Utd where they took their foot off of the gas once the got the lead and were more concerned with making sure they got an important 3 points than attempting to run up the score, means Dolan is the answer (never mind a "messiah"). You don't need to be a "messiah" to realize that our best chance to get something from each and every game from here on out is making sure we are in a position to get something out of each game. A 4-5-1 does that, we were well organized, defensively more sound, had a chance up until the final whistle to get something on Saturday and were able to limit Utd's time on the ball...and since Dolan was the man in charge for it I will give him "credit" for doing that for this one game. Will we get a "high(er) profile" permanent manager at some point? Sure. But from what I saw on Saturday we could easily do much worse than having Dolan in the job the rest of the way.

Superb post!

Sir Dodger Royal again very quick to put the club down but as always lacking the intelligence and debate to make his points stick.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Performance would be improved as its Manu so there's nothing to lose. Just pack the defence and it make it reasonably difficult.

If we'd scored Manu would have just upped their game and gone back in front.

It'll be a similar story at Arsenal only they'll probably be a bit more up for it given their need for points and we'll lose by 2 or 3

Proof of the pudding will be Southampton.....

[Ian Royal]

Performance would be improved as its Manu so there's nothing to lose. Just pack the defence and it make it reasonably difficult.

If we'd scored Manu would have just upped their game and gone back in front.

It'll be a similar story at Arsenal only they'll probably be a bit more up for it given their need for points and we'll lose by 2 or 3

Proof of the pudding will be Southampton.....

Yes yes yes, But it was the way the performance improved that was important. McDermott got good performances against Utd, but certainly in the cup game we didn't pass nearly as well. I don't think we've passed that well all season.

[Gordons Cumming]

Sir Dodger Royal again very quick to put the club down but as always lacking the intelligence and debate to make his points stick.

Spot on.

[Once were Biscuitmen]

Can we not IP ban Roger and his collection of users names (sdr, thou voice, west stand flash etc)?

He was a tedious troll in 2001, over a decade of this is just the most pathetic thing I have ever encountered.

[Royal Rother]

Thou Voice is not SDR.

[akranes]

Thou Voice is not SDR.

Both are retarded, regardless.

[Sir Dodger Royal]

The problem with the RTGs is that they can't hack it when deep down they know SDR is spot on and if the RFC Board had taken my advice in December we may still have had a chance. Instead they sack McDonet and don't even have anyone lined up. So sad but then it's the "Reading Way" but as SDR knows it's the wrong way.

Real Facts. You know it makes senseeeeeeeee

[The Beardy Man]

Performance would be improved as its Manu so there's nothing to lose. Just pack the defence and it make it reasonably difficult.

If we'd scored Manu would have just upped their game and gone back in front.

It'll be a similar story at Arsenal only they'll probably be a bit more up for it given their need for points and we'll lose by 2 or 3

Proof of the pudding will be Southampton.....

I agree that Southampton will be a better test, however...

I really don't think Fergie has achieved what he has today by accepting his teams taking their foot off the gas when there is only 1 goal in it. We earned the fact our keeper was barely tested, it wasn't handed to us.

Of course it is a completely different thing to take the game to the opposition, but lets give Dolan and the team he put out credit. That was about as much as we have actually looked like a top flight team all year.

[Divvy]

The problem with the RTGs is that they can't hack it when deep down they know SDR is spot on and if the RFC Board had taken my advice in December we may still have had a chance. Instead they sack McDonet and don't even have anyone lined up. So sad but then it's the "Reading Way" but as SDR knows it's the wrong way.

Real Facts. You know it makes senseeeeeeeee

Not every club sacks someone and appoints a replacement within a few days. In fact, I can't recall many at all.

Yes we should have made the decision before Christmas, but, and I can understand why, AZ would have felt compelled to trust in Brian and stick with him. It hasn't worked out, and this was the right time if ever there was one, to part company with BM. We have (at the time of the sacking) four weeks until the next winnable fixture, and that provides us with good time to make the next appointment the right one. There is no need to rush it. Why should we? The gap was four points, and we were hoping the sides above us didn't gain any more points on us; sadly the worst happened and they've all but left us in a perilous position. Now we have to appoint the new man, support him, whoever he will be, and he then gets 7-8 games to familiarise himself with the squad he inherits, before deciding who can go, who he wants to keep, and who he wants to bring in. Waiting until May would give us 3 months less preparation for the new season.

So yes, December was the right time and we will have learnt from that. But making the decision now is also right, and we can look at it as three extra months for the new manager to settle in and plan for next season.