Kevin Keen

[Cripple Creek]

I do apologise if the subject of our assistant manager has appeared elsewhere, in which case please delete my post.
However, does anyone know exactly what Keen's role is (in short, I'm saying that I don't really know what an assistant manager does or how much influence they have)? Keen comes with quite a lot of non-managerial pedigree. He was an outstanding midfielder for a brief period as a player and worked under Dalglish at Liverpool so I would imagine his experience and expertise will be a huge bonus to Reading. I have never, to be honest, quite understood why he was never given a proper chance to be a manager at another club.
I should add that I have a kind of interest in Keen as he was in my class at The John Hampden School, HIgh Wycombe. A very nice bloke he was as well - very self-effacing and also academically very bright. Still makes me laugh that all the school's teachers referred to him as "Kev" or "Kevin": I imagine that they were hoping some of his expected success as a footballer would one day reflect on them. What a sorry bunch they were.

[Nameless]

I recall whenever Keen played against us at EP there was always someone at the front of the South Bank he came over and chatted to.

As for his role, I suspect it is entirely dependent on the manager. It isn't a role the club would define in any way. His influence would be huge, if it isn't then there is no point being here. In some famous cases the nominal assistant is actually an equal partner (see Clough and Taylor)

As for Keen not being given a managers job, perhaps he doesn't want one. He'll be very well paid but not get anything like the pressure or profile of the manager. If he just wants to get on with working with players and has no desire to see his cliched views in the press he may feel being assistant is an ideal role.

[Sutekh]

He has had 4 stints as a caretaker manager, 1 with Macclesfield and 3 times at West Ham.

Been "associated" with Steve Clarke since Liverpool so no surprise he's come in as no. 2 here.

[Forbury Lion]

Assistant Managers assist the Manager in whatever way the manager wants, A good partnership is having an assistant manager whose has strengths in areas where the manager has a weakness.

Pardew and Martin Allen worked well, with Martin Allen doing a great job of motivating the players and getting them to psyche out the opposition whereas Pardew concentrated on the powerpoint presentations and tactics. Some of Allen's methods were strange - I remember the players said he got them to play football with an imaginary ball, he also got them to warm up in the oppositions half of the pitch.

I think Coppell and Downes worked well - Coppell being quite and thoughtful with Downes loud and confrontational.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Pardew and Allen worked well at first, then Pardew had to sack him.

Downes wasn't Coppell's assistant.

[Nameless]

To be honest I think while Mad Dog had a great impact when he joined the relationship between him and Pardew was nothing like the typical manager/assistant set up

Alien was brought in to shake up a problematic situation, which he did. But he's a bit of a one trick pony and once the shock value had worn off he had nothing to offer.

[Forbury Lion]

Pardew and Allen worked well at first, then Pardew had to sack him.

True, Once the need for a motivator had passed there wasn't any reason to keep him on.

Downes wasn't Coppell's assistant.

Who was then?

[Nameless]

Downes was our defence coach and pet attack dog.

Kevin Dillon made the tea for SSC

[From Despair To Where?]

Alien was brought in to shake up a problematic situation, which he did. But he's a bit of a one trick pony and once the shock value had worn off he had nothing to offer.

Basically the story of every coaching or managerial job Mad Dog's ever had.

[Ian Royal]

Pardew and Allen worked well at first, then Pardew had to sack him.

True, Once the need for a motivator had passed there wasn't any reason to keep him on.

Downes wasn't Coppell's assistant.

Who was then?

[maffff]

Well, we actually paid compensation for him so that must mean something.

We haven't been that lucky in terms of supporting team for a while. Gibbs and Crosby were both pretty useless.

[Ian Royal]

Well, we actually paid compensation for him so that must mean something.

We haven't been that lucky in terms of supporting team for a while. Gibbs and Crosby were both pretty useless.

Not sure that's fair on Gibbs but you can add Frank Lampard Snr

[Forbury Lion]

Pardew and Allen worked well at first, then Pardew had to sack him.

True, Once the need for a motivator had passed there wasn't any reason to keep him on.

Downes wasn't Coppell's assistant.

Who was then?

Can't believe I forgot Kevin Dillon

[peterroyal76]

Well, we actually paid compensation for him so that must mean something.

We haven't been that lucky in terms of supporting team for a while. Gibbs and Crosby were both pretty useless.

Not sure that's fair on Gibbs but you can add Frank Lampard Snr

Definitely add Frank Lampard Snr, I'm still not sure what he did.

[Eaststandman]

Assistant Managers assist the Manager in whatever way the manager wants, A good partnership is having an assistant manager whose has strengths in areas where the manager has a weakness.

Pardew and Martin Allen worked well, with Martin Allen doing a great job of motivating the players and getting them to psyche out the opposition whereas Pardew concentrated on the powerpoint presentations and tactics. Some of Allen's methods were strange - I remember the players said he got them to play football with an imaginary ball, he also got them to warm up in the oppositions half of the pitch.

I think Coppell and Downes worked well - Coppell being quite and thoughtful with Downes loud and confrontational.

I asked Mad Dog at an Allen family wedding why, particularly at home, it was that we warmed up in front of our own fans, suggesting that it would get right up into the faces of our opposition if we warmed up in front of the south stand, of our own stadium and whoever agreed the polite convention in any event? next home game he led the team to the south end of the pitch and did exactly that! fan power?

[AthleticoSpizz]

Wasn't it away at Preston where he got the players out early to warm up in front of their fans?

Muchly giving them the arse.

[grey_squirrel]

I remember playing against Kevin Keen (Flackwell Heath, IIRC) as a kid. I always thought Andy Parr was a far better player. Ohhhh.

[Ian Royal]

Not sure that's fair on Gibbs but you can add Frank Lampard Snr

Definitely add Frank Lampard Snr, I'm still not sure what he did.

Watch Chelsea from what I can recall.

[Rudolph Hucker]

Think you're doing Nigel Gibbs a disservice there Maffff. Nigel Gibbs is an outstanding coach and along with Brian got the best out of a good but not great squad of players in 2011-12. His defensive organisational skills are right up there with the much lauded Wally Downes, as you'd expect from someone who played approaching 700 league games.
I agree with you about the clearly inept Gary Crosby - a very average player and coach but surely even he's eclipsed by Dean Austin, who disappeared without a trace once Brendan Rodgers got the bullet.

[tidus_mi2]

It's Andy Crosby but it's an understandable mistake since you don't seem to have a high opinion of him.