New manager Brendan Rodgers *confirmed*

[Forbury Lion]

Big Sam is a big twat! He is out of work for a good reason, he is rubbish! Did you ever see his teams play? Long ball rubbish that should not be played in this modern game.

Agreed, I would rather see us playing great football in the Championship than longball boring footy in the Premiership.

[Coppelled Streets]

Big Sam is a big twat! He is out of work for a good reason, he is rubbish! Did you ever see his teams play? Long ball rubbish that should not be played in this modern game.

Agreed, I would rather see us playing great football in the Championship than longball boring footy in the Premiership.

I think the vast majority of Reading fans would prefer to see us finish in the top six of the Premier League or there abouts each year, and with the likes of Anelka, Nolan and Campo in our side rather than Championship football.

[rotherwick_royal]

You heard it here first, Glenn Hoddle.

I hope SC stays but suspect he'll go, Hoddle would be my choice if he does.

Can see that happening, but only if we stay up.

[rhroyal]

Coppell shouldn't be sacked but I'm convinced he'll step down after all the talk about having a break earlier in the season. If that happens we should try and make Gary Johnson the man. Promoted from conference to League 2, followed by League 2 to League 1 with Yeovil. Then League 1 to Championship with Bristol City, who are now in the Championship play-offs. I think that's a pretty awesome record, and he deserves a chance at the top where he would flourish.

If City win the play offs, I'd expect him to want to stay with them.

Now THAT is a good call. However, City won;t win the play-offs, and why would Johnson leave a sussessful Champ club for one on the downward spiral?

Eamon Dolan is the next RFC manager, whenever Sir Steve leaves. 2 reasons, he knows how Mr Ego works, and more importantly he is cheap - a prerequisite for any dealing Mr Ego does in football.

I seem to remember Alan Pardew did, so why not Gary Johnson?

[Alan Partridge]

IF SC decides to step down or if the club decide a new manager is required *highly unlikely on the 2nd one* then I'd love for Coppell to stay in some capacity, Ideally IMO as Chief Executive/Director of Football. Nigel Howe is an embarassment at this club and having someone actually with a remote clue on the world of football, the goings on in football, and how to make club swork and progress would be a start. Colin Lee does that at Torquay and Coppell would be easily suited to a role like that, where the pressure is off him and he can work behind the scenes on all football methods. He'd be a great role model for someone like Parky, Sanchez or even Dolan to work with. IF we went down the route of a new manager, I'd probably want one of those 3. IF we go down then these are the sort of guys we could realistically get.

There is no way Gary Johnson would leave Bristol City to come here, nor Allardyce he wouldn't go to a CCC club. LOL @ those saying Allardyce is crap because the idiot geordies kicked out their first decent manager in years because they didn't beat sides 8-7. Waht allardyce achieved at Bolton and Notts County before that says he's a hell of a manager. Not a stone age long ball merchant, but someone who brought in science to football and European football regularly to a club no bigger than ourselves. We could go for a 'name' like Hoddle but I'd sooner we wnet for someone with the club at heart, who's young and with a point to prove, it MIGHT give us a a new drive and freshness.

Lots of IFs and maybe's in there. i think the real time for this thread is after next sunday's game and we know what league we are in.

[rhroyal]

I find this Coppell staying on stuff hard to believe. He's proved himself at Reading and I imagine that if he were no longer our manager he'd take a year out or so before trying his hand somewhere else.

[Arch]

IF SC decides to step down or if the club decide a new manager is required *highly unlikely on the 2nd one* then I'd love for Coppell to stay in some capacity, Ideally IMO as Chief Executive/Director of Football. Nigel Howe is an embarassment at this club and having someone actually with a remote clue on the world of football, the goings on in football, and how to make club swork and progress would be a start. Colin Lee does that at Torquay and Coppell would be easily suited to a role like that, where the pressure is off him and he can work behind the scenes on all football methods. He'd be a great role model for someone like Parky, Sanchez or even Dolan to work with. IF we went down the route of a new manager, I'd probably want one of those 3. IF we go down then these are the sort of guys we could realistically get.

There is no way Gary Johnson would leave Bristol City to come here, nor Allardyce he wouldn't go to a CCC club. LOL @ those saying Allardyce is crap because the idiot geordies kicked out their first decent manager in years because they didn't beat sides 8-7. Waht allardyce achieved at Bolton and Notts County before that says he's a hell of a manager. Not a stone age long ball merchant, but someone who brought in science to football and European football regularly to a club no bigger than ourselves. We could go for a 'name' like Hoddle but I'd sooner we wnet for someone with the club at heart, who's young and with a point to prove, it MIGHT give us a a new drive and freshness.

Lots of IFs and maybe's in there. i think the real time for this thread is after next sunday's game and we know what league we are in.

How the hell can you get Nigel Howe into a discussion about the manager of the team, and how can you put "Chief Executive/Director of Football" together like that? They are not even remotely the same job. Nigel Howe is a businessman who oversees the various business functions of the organization. He has nothing to do with the football side except in as much as it impinges on the running of the business. Every CEO is a tw@t. That's an empirical fact. It's not a reason to get rid of a CEO and replace him or her with an ex-footballer in a flat cap.

[Alan Partridge]

Quite what Nigel Howe does at this club would be nice to know, apart from talk absolute BOLLOCKS on regular occasions. Oh and isn't he JM's driver?

I base it on, albeit admittedly on a much smaller scale Colin Lee (ex Wolves, Reading, Walsall) is Chief Executive at Torquay, he is the main man in the boardroom but takes care of all transfer negotiations. So he's doing Hammond/Howe's job. I think Coppell could do this at Reading, he is respected throughout the game and knows the club and would give us a lot more respect from elsewhere, rather than either JM's buffoon puppet or Plymouth Argyle's reserve team goalkeeper.

Just a thought, if Coppell isn't the manager here next season. I'd definitely like him to have some sort of role here.

[The whole year inn]

I'd pay someone to smack Kevin Dillion in the mouth right now.

Why oh why is he coming out with all this 'if we can't beat Derby twe deserve to go down' shite in public? Why antagonise them before the game? Shut up FFS

I honestly wonder if are management team lost a few marbles at some point last summer. Could there be a gas leak in the changing rooms that is having a detrimental effect on their brain activity?

[Alan Partridge]

I'd pay someone to smack Kevin Dillion in the mouth right now.

Why oh why is he coming out with all this 'if we can't beat Derby twe deserve to go down' shite in public? Why antagonise them before the game? Shut up FFS

I honestly wonder if are management team lost a few marbles at some point last summer. Could there be a gas leak in the changing rooms that is having a detrimental effect on their brain activity?

Reminds me a bit of the last time we were in a real rut, during the 13 games without a win in the CCC, Dillon came out with 'we've been saying that weve had tough games, but this is Coventry at home, we should beat them' Something along those lines how Coventry weren't a very good side, we should beat them easily and of course we lost 2-1.

[The whole year inn]

It is all over the papers this morning. Exactly what Reading football club will be wanting Robbie Savage and co to be reading before this weekend.

Earth to Kevin. Earth to Kevin. Is anybody home?

[Hoop Blah]

Quite what Nigel Howe does at this club would be nice to know, apart from talk absolute BOLLOCKS on regular occasions. Oh and isn't he JM's driver?

I base it on, albeit admittedly on a much smaller scale Colin Lee (ex Wolves, Reading, Walsall) is Chief Executive at Torquay, he is the main man in the boardroom but takes care of all transfer negotiations. So he's doing Hammond/Howe's job. I think Coppell could do this at Reading, he is respected throughout the game and knows the club and would give us a lot more respect from elsewhere, rather than either JM's buffoon puppet or Plymouth Argyle's reserve team goalkeeper.

Just a thought, if Coppell isn't the manager here next season. I'd definitely like him to have some sort of role here.

To be fair I think there is probably a lot of difference between being the Chief Exec of Torquay Utd, with it's £1.5M turnover, 50 employees and Reading FC with it's revenue at £50m plus and 350 employees, brand new stadium (and planned redevelopment etc) and operating in the worlds richest league (for now!).

I'm not a fan of Howe and his involvement in the rhetoric that comes from the club and it's slide from a community based clubs to a huge business serving it's customers but I don't think he's to blame as the non-football side of RFC seems to work relatively well.

[Royal Family]

I seriously wish people would stop even linking the name 'Sanchez' with our managerial role. What's more unsettling is the fact that he's been at our last few games & I think uses the same agent as SC. Those who have slagged Stevie C off ... be careful what you wish for if the Royals end up with Sanchez. The man spent £26 million quid on actually making Fulham a worse team than the one he took over - buying a succession of failures including our own Seol along with the likes of Baird, Davis, Bouazza, Cook and up until recently Kamara (who presumably is now benefiting from some deceny coaching now Lawrie has gone!) I work with 3 Fulham fans for my sins & they literally hate the fella. He bought a bunch of dwarves & then proceeded to try & get then playing long ball football. You could have understood it if he had a team of giants - but no! For anyone wanting Sanchez to get the managers job at Reading .... if your wish it granted - be afraid ... be very afraid!!

[brendywendy]

ill be gutted if coppell goes

to have the success we have had and not even get the chance to give him the ovation he deserves would be just awful

likewise players who may leave such as DLC, hunt,, shorey, etc who have served the club well

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

Given Coppell's comments earlier in the season and his even more dour demeanour than usual lately, I can see SSC walking next week regardless of what happens at Derby - although I would far rather he stay. JM has gone on record as saying that SSC won't be sacked if we go down so it will be for him to walk.
I cannot see him taking an "upstairs" role though as that would mean either re-defining Hammond's role or forcing him out altogether & I don't think the club will be prepared to do that just to accomodate SSC's wish not to manage.
If (/when) SSC walks and we're relegated, I think the club will want to promote Eamon Dolan & I will be happy with that. If, somehow, we've survived, the club may go for a bigger "name" than Dolan, and maybe that could be Hoddle.

[NewburyURZFan]

Steve Mclaren was on the TV yesterday saying that he is gagging to get back into football and is just waiting for the phone to ring, i think that when we get relegated and SC is no longer with us, SM will be the right man for the job. i cant think of that many premiership clubs that would be after him, possibly Man City after Sven's departure. On the back of that i think he will have to start looking at championship clubs and where better than RFC.

[Royal Rother]

There've been worse suggestions.

[NWL Royal]

I'm a better fan than you.

[hughsies no.1]

theres one man that would be perfect for our club. PAUL INCE!!
He would be very ambitious and want to take the club places. He would do what Roy Keane is trying to do at sunderland. he will want to invest a lot of money and have high ambitions.

Steve Coppell is a legend and will always will never be fogotten for what he has done for this club but i believe he has taken us as far as he can now. I will never forget that championship season and another SC result when we beat west ham 2-0 against pards was great. But now i feel its time for this club to move to the next level and i really feel Paul Ince would be up for the challenge.

[Uke]

Reminds me a bit of the last time we were in a real rut, during the 13 games without a win in the CCC, Dillon came out with 'we've been saying that weve had tough games, but this is Coventry at home, we should beat them' Something along those lines how Coventry weren't a very good side, we should beat them easily and of course we lost 2-1.

Wasn't it 1-0 to us at half time and before we went on to lose 2-1? And hadn't that happened before?