Life after Brendan

[Far Canal]

As I see it, life after Brendan has produced the following:

1. Mills in the side at the expense of Pearce and looking good.
2. Ivar back to form in his favoured position of left centre back.
3. A proper right back in the team in Andy Griffin.
4. Jem Karacan playing regularly in the side and looking good.
5. Four strikers to choose from in Church, Rasiak, Thorvaldsson and Long and goal scoring prospects considerably improved.
6. Jimmy Kebe dropped to the bench and proving to be a useful impact sub when needed.
7. Adam Federici looking like a proper keeper instead of a liability.
8. Gylfi Sigurdsson looking better than ever either in the middle or on the wing.
9. Jobi McAnuff, after a two or three game dip, back to form.
10.Bryn Gunnarsson looking like he can manage a game a week (but not two).

I realise that other factors are involved, but this is too much to be coincidence.
Well done so far Brian, just get a few league points and the job must be yours.

[Dirk Gently]

Plus the move back to a consistent 4-4-2, with minor changes only to suit the opposition, rather than wholesale changes each match.

Disappointing that the players didn't seem able to adapt, but at least we're recognising their limitations and playing to them.

[PEARCEY]

As I see it, life after Brendan has produced the following:

1. Mills in the side at the expense of Pearce and looking good.
2. Ivar back to form in his favoured position of left centre back.
3. A proper right back in the team in Andy Griffin.
4. Jem Karacan playing regularly in the side and looking good.
5. Four strikers to choose from in Church, Rasiak, Thorvaldsson and Long and goal scoring prospects considerably improved.
6. Jimmy Kebe dropped to the bench and proving to be a useful impact sub when needed.
7. Adam Federici looking like a proper keeper instead of a liability.
8. Gylfi Sigurdsson looking better than either in the middle or on the wing.
9. Jobi McAnuff, after a two or three game dip, back to form.
10.Bryn Gunnarsson looking like he can manage a game a week (but not two).

I realise that other factors are involved, but this is too much to be coincidence.
Well done so far Brian, just get a few league points and the job must be yours.

All true but the League points are now a desperate must in the next few games. We cannot afford to fall any further behind.

[The Cap]

Eh,Far Canal,excellent post and very well summed up.Can't see much wrong with that synopsis myself and who knows with a settled team we may just get ourselves out of the mire.

Based on the brief cameo I saw today I'd say the Thor lad also looks like he'll add a bit of bite up front.

As long as we can stay up this season, I reckon we've got the makings of a fairly decent side.

[Ian Royal]

I think Fed's lack of bad mistakes recently may come down to an improved defensive performance infront of him.

We've certainly improved since we've stopped playing two really slow centrebacks that's for certain. I would still like to see two further changes to the normal starting line up:
a) Howard in for Gunnarsson - Gunnarsson is just not mobile enough, and really is part of the old guard and the past, despite always giving his best and being very tidy on the ball. Howard is much more the future and is technically as good IMO, if maybe not quite as solid in defence.
b) Thorvaldsson in for Church - Church runs hard, but doesn't seem to be linking well with Rasiak, certainly in the Burnley game. Rasiak offers something different and is a better goalscorer. Thorvaldsson has impressed me in the very little I've seen.

As I've said elsewhere, I don't rate Ivar much any more, and I've always thought Cisse should be at centreback if he plays. So I'd be tempted to play him and Mills together. More pace, more quality on the ball. Griffin should give us the organisation and experience to allow it. But I don't think we can make that many changes, so I'd hold off on that a little longer to give Ivar a little more chance and Griffin time to bed in.

It also leaves the captaincy problem. I'd be thinking Howard or Karacan in those circumstances probably.

[strap]

Plus the move back to a consistent 4-4-2, with minor changes only to suit the opposition, rather than wholesale changes each match.

Disappointing that the players didn't seem able to adapt, but at least we're recognising their limitations and playing to them.

In other words, the amanger is managing! Not rocket science, somethign Bodgers' was singularly unable to do, and hence the reason why he will never amount to anything as a amanager.

[Avon Royal]

Just out of interest, how do Brendan and Brian's points per game records compare?

[Ian Royal]

Just out of interest, how do Brendan and Brian's points per game records compare?

Identical if you're comparing the same number of games from the start of their reign. Full league record then Rodgers will be better. McDermott's is currently 0.5 points per game. But then 4 games really isn't enough to really be worth working it out for.

[Avon Royal]

Just out of interest, how do Brendan and Brian's points per game records compare?

Identical if you're comparing the same number of games from the start of their reign. Full league record then Rodgers will be better. McDermott's is currently 0.5 points per game. But then 4 games really isn't enough to really be worth working it out for.

We are so going down............

[floyd__streete]

Sorry, who is this Brendan you speak of?

[LoyalRoyal22]

If Brian does not get a league win in his next 2-3 games, then get a new manager in. League is the priority. He hasnt really proved anything yet, its easy for players to rally themselves against big clubs.

[Maguire]

LOL@more of your shit propaganda

Best three players this season have been Gylfi, Bertrand, and McAnuff. The former was introduced to the first team by Brendan Rodgers. The latter two were brought into the club by, err, Brendan Rodgers.

Since Rodgers was sacked we haven't won a single league game.

"Jimmy Kebe dropped to the bench" - yeah like that never happened before

"A proper right back in Andy Griffin" - yes, and you all said he was shit after Forest away.

"Mills in the side" - again, never seen that happen before

"Increased striking options" - what? Church was given his proper chance by Rodgers. Long's been injured and is shit anyway. Rasiak was signed by Rodgers. And the new guy was brought in by...well you can work it out for yourselves

Oh and I might as well mention again that we haven't won a single league match under McDermott.

I actually think B-Mac comes across well and really hope he succeeds, but the revisionist agenda-driven shit that gets written on here is unbelievable.

[LoyalRoyal22]

LOL@more of your shit propaganda

Best three players this season have been Gylfi, Bertrand, and McAnuff. The former was introduced to the first team by Brendan Rodgers. The latter two were brought into the club by, err, Brendan Rodgers.

Since Rodgers was sacked we haven't won a single league game.

"Jimmy Kebe dropped to the bench" - yeah like that never happened before

"A proper right back in Andy Griffin" - yes, and you all said he was shit after Forest away.

"Mills in the side" - again, never seen that happen before

"Increased striking options" - what? Church was given his proper chance by Rodgers. Long's been injured and is shit anyway. Rasiak was signed by Rodgers. And the new guy was brought in by...well you can work it out for yourselves

Oh and I might as well mention again that we haven't won a single league match under McDermott.

I actually think B-Mac comes across well and really hope he succeeds, but the revisionist agenda-driven shit that gets written on here is unbelievable.

Spot on mate.

[Ian Royal]

LOL@more of your shit propaganda

Best three players this season have been Gylfi, Bertrand, and McAnuff. The former was introduced to the first team by Brendan Rodgers. The latter two were brought into the club by, err, Brendan Rodgers.

"A proper right back in Andy Griffin" - yes, and you all said he was shit after Forest away.

"Mills in the side" - again, never seen that happen before

Handily ignoring Karacan, who has been excellent and has nothing to do with Rodgers, yet was dropped for no good reason.

Not everyone thought Griffin was shit based on one game.

Mills should have played whenever he was fit. You can't claim Mills being in the side as not a positive, given how little Rodgers played him for no good reason.

On another note first 7 games in charge form (discounting Burton who were so far below the quality of our reserves it's a worthless comparison.

Rodgers: DLDLLWD (Rodgers last 7 games: WDWLWLD)
BMcD: DDLDWLW

So even on Rodgers best form BMcD is only converting one draw to a win from matching it. And arguably against stronger opposition. He just needs to translate his cup results into the league. Which I expect him to start doing in the next month.

[winchester_royal]

Actually Mags, Mills has freely admitted that the door was shut for him under Brendan.

[Rex]

Perhaps the reality is exactly that Mags, naturally the team has evolved under Rodgers. The results are running to the same (currently) form, but there are signs that the team are gelling together more. This could possibly also have happened under Rodgers. It's all speculation.
Perhaps Rodgers set the bar to high and oversold his intended targets, therefore setting himself up to fail. his strategy came across as a long term plan over X seasons. It's just that there was almost a daze of uncertainty amongst the team where communication levels on the pitch and the experience of working together never came together fast enough. Almost long the lines of : Plan A never worked , revert to plan B , shit that's not working either, now what.

[Ian Royal]

Perhaps the reality is exactly that Mags, naturally the team has evolved under Rodgers. The results are running to the same (currently) form, but there are signs that the team are gelling together more. This could possibly also have happened under Rodgers. It's all speculation.
Perhaps Rodgers set the bar to high and oversold his intended targets, therefore setting himself up to fail. his strategy came across as a long term plan over X seasons. It's just that there was almost a daze of uncertainty amongst the team where communication levels on the pitch and the experience of working together never came together fast enough. Almost long the lines of : Plan A never worked , revert to plan B , shit that's not working either, now what.

Exactly. Rodgers had a long term strategy which was excellent. The only problem was he implemented it badly at the same time as having no short term plan or ability to adapt when things were going wrong.

He brought in Mills for £2m as a ball playing centreback (which he isn't) then rarely played him. He staked his system on getting in Smith and failed. Then carried on with it for far too long anyway.

Rodgers was saved from a much worse performance with us to a large extent by us having an absolute gem in Sigurdsson lurking in our academy graduates.

If he can get past his handbook of how to play football and start living with the reality of the club he's at to start with, concentrating on the short time, but with an eye to his future plans. He'll be an excellent manager.

He just thought he knew best and ignored everything he didn't want to consider.

[Quagmire]

As I see it, life after Brendan has produced the following:

1. Mills in the side at the expense of Pearce and looking good.
2. Ivar back to form in his favoured position of left centre back.
3. A proper right back in the team in Andy Griffin.
4. Jem Karacan playing regularly in the side and looking good.
5. Four strikers to choose from in Church, Rasiak, Thorvaldsson and Long and goal scoring prospects considerably improved.
6. Jimmy Kebe dropped to the bench and proving to be a useful impact sub when needed.
7. Adam Federici looking like a proper keeper instead of a liability.
8. Gylfi Sigurdsson looking better than ever either in the middle or on the wing.
9. Jobi McAnuff, after a two or three game dip, back to form.
10.Bryn Gunnarsson looking like he can manage a game a week (but not two).

I realise that other factors are involved, but this is too much to be coincidence.
Well done so far Brian, just get a few league points and the job must be yours.

You forgot the most important ones...
11. At no point have we been in the lead during 4 league games
12. At no point looked like winning any of the 4 games.
13. 4 points off safety in the relegation zone.

[Maguire]

On another note first 7 games in charge form (discounting Burton who were so far below the quality of our reserves it's a worthless comparison.

Rodgers: DLDLLWD (Rodgers last 7 games: WDWLWLD)
BMcD: DDLDWLW

So even on Rodgers best form BMcD is only converting one draw to a win from matching it. And arguably against stronger opposition. He just needs to translate his cup results into the league. Which I expect him to start doing in the next month.

Are you even for real?

You discount one of Rodgers' wins completely because it doesn't suit your agenda, then go on to illustrate that his record in the 7 games leading up to his departure were better than the 7 games following it?

Like I said, results have got worse (WE HAVEN'T WON IN THE LEAGUE) yet you're still slavishly trotting out your Rodgers hatred and praising a manager who hasn't delivered a league win yet. Bewildering.

Thank God one or two Reading fans still have a bit of perspective.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

I think fans can only judge on what they've seen.

Perhaps some of BR's work has started to shine through eventually, perhaps not? - difficult to tell.

For me, the players look like they have more belief, they're prepared to have a dig & shoot which wasn't necessarily happening before, and they look fitter. They look like they are giving their all for him which has to be a positive given that we find ourselves in a relegation scrap.

The back 4 looks a million times better, we play a formation we understand, and the wingers are being properly utilised. To compete against Forest a team that are flying, come back from a goal down at Bristol City plus knock 2 prem teams out of the cup is a pretty good start. Plymouth was awful, but that's the only blip so far & that was quickly knocked into touch from what I can see & the players were rightfully given a rollocking.

Add to that the fact the Brian tells it as it is in interviews & you get a happier set of fans. I think that's the point Far Canal is trying to make & I'd agree with him in all honesty.