Life after Brendan

[floyd__streete]

What Rodgers didn't do was help himself by talking up his own ability and past experience, talking of 'world class models' and bumper books of tactics. But then maybe he was trying to soften the blow that this club wasn't going to be challenging the top 4 of this league for a couple of seasons?

How on earth is talking up his ability, experience and model an attempt at trying to soften the blow that we wouldn't be challenging? Surely it was quite the opposite, unrealistically raising expectations. Rodgers was naive. And that is the politest thing I can say about him.

But I still find it utterly ludicrous that some fans refuse to accept Rodgers had any part in this run we're now on.

I find your impassioned defence of the previous regime to be utterly ludicrous and your post doesn't even make sense in places, as I have highlighted above. You really need to let it go and accept that McDermott has made infinitely more of the resources at his disposal than Rodgers ever did, with his simple and understated management.

Our progress under McD has put Rodgers abject failings into perspective. To start to give Rodgers credit for McD's achievements is almost insulting to our current manager.

[winchester_royal]

McDermott is infinitely better than Rodgers.

Case closed. It is impossible to argue anything else. As Wimb just showed.

[floyd__streete]

McDermott is infinitely better than Rodgers.

Case closed. It is impossible to argue anything else. As Wimb just showed.

What i find most objectionable is that a few weeks back after a difficult run of games, the (tiny) pro-Rodgers faction were almost revelling in McD's poor points-per-game record. Now that we have eliminated three good sides from the FA Cup and won 5 out of 6 in the league they are claiming that Rodgers should take some credit. And Wimb has the cheek to call those questioning this ludicrous.

[working class hero]

I wanted to see the back of BR - but at the end he was changing and the team was improving. I think BMc is reaping the benefits of BR taking all the flak.

IF BR had not had to have a firesale things would have been different. If he had been given a few months more we might still be where we are now... I can't prove it [and I doubt it!] but it might be true.

BR got the rough end of a shitty stick.

BMc is getting thebenefit of a sense of 'anything is better than BR'. Very unfair - but typical of football.

For me the test will be how long the revival lasts. Often these improvements are short lived. Once [if] we go out of the cup and lose a couple of games will we bounce back? I would hope so because now we are doing what we didn't under BR - showing spirit.

[krisholland]

I think that McDermott is everything Rodgers isn't. I was never a fan of Rodgers, didn't like the man's arrogance and lack of humility so I would be biased but McDermott has got the team back to basics, playing simple effective football that plays to the squads' strengths, not some fanciful idea of some idealistic model and trying to get round pegs to fit square holes. We are no longer porous at the back and toothless up front.

I like McDermott's honesty, there's no bullshit, no complaining about the quality of player available, no making excuses and no taking the credit for himself. I like the fact that he has taken someone else's squad and got them playing for him and he has made 2 low key signings in key positions that needed strengthening that have improved the squad imeasurably. The players clearly like and respect him and want to play for him. I like the fact that Mills is now looking something like the £2m defender we thought we were buying, I like the fact that Howard is getting back to the form that got him noticed in the first place. I like the fact that Kebe has upped his game, I like the fact Cummings is nowhere near the first team, I like the fact that the forwards as a collective now look like scoring goals, I like the fact that we don't crumble at the first sign of pressure and fight to the final whistle. I like the fact that McDermott has recognised the real issues and just got on with the job at hand.

Most of all, I like the fact that we know have a team that plays with a bit of pride.

I would have liked it better if Cummings now was playing in the first team proving to be the great signing I hoped he would be.The fact that we now have three loan signings playing at the back at a regular basis is something that I find quite worrying.
That however doesn`t mean I don`t appreciate the progress the club has made in terms of results recently.
This 5-0 home win doesn`t appear to be a coïncidence to me at least.

[shoey]

we needed the loand signings, because br signed crap!, and if u bother to look about the championship, you will find every team, brill and bad, have at least3-6 loans, meaning we all need them they add experience, so you must be worried about everyone!

[Wimb]

What Rodgers didn't do was help himself by talking up his own ability and past experience, talking of 'world class models' and bumper books of tactics. But then maybe he was trying to soften the blow that this club wasn't going to be challenging the top 4 of this league for a couple of seasons?

How on earth is talking up his ability, experience and model an attempt at trying to soften the blow that we wouldn't be challenging? Surely it was quite the opposite, unrealistically raising expectations. Rodgers was naive. And that is the politest thing I can say about him.

But I still find it utterly ludicrous that some fans refuse to accept Rodgers had any part in this run we're now on.

I find your impassioned defence of the previous regime to be utterly ludicrous and your post doesn't even make sense in places, as I have highlighted above. You really need to let it go and accept that McDermott has made infinitely more of the resources at his disposal than Rodgers ever did, with his simple and understated management.

Our progress under McD has put Rodgers abject failings into perspective. To start to give Rodgers credit for McD's achievements is almost insulting to our current manager.

Thanks for the reply Floyd, My apologies, tis late on a Saturday and reading back tis a little waffly , but if I can clarify.

Talking up LONG TERM dreams of playing good football and world class models softens the short term blow that it won't be happening over night and we might not be challenging for honours in the short term. I don't think he ever said he'd get us playing in such a way over night. It was naive and as you said but I can't begrudge a man for having ambitions.

I didn't say anywhere that McDermott hasn't been performing better then Rodgers and agree 100% that he's made great use of the resources available to him. What my point was is that I personally believe that Rodgers himself was making progress, a fact backed up by both our upturn in results in his final few matches, and increased level of performance from QPR onward.

I don't think anyone ever revelled in BM's poor points to game ratio, what sort of fan revels in their clubs failings?!

Your claim that Maccy D is making infinatly more of the resources at his disposal then Rodgers, is ignoring a massive fact that the resources you speak of weren't available to Rodgers during most of the first half of his stint in charge. The periods I compare are Rodgers post QPR and Maccy D since he took over. In that comparison Brian is still the better manager but Rodgers isn't quite the fool he's made out to be.

I agree with what WCH says, BM is reaping the benefits of BR taking all the flak. But that doesn't mean Brian planned it that way or his achievments are any less brilliant.

What I would say, and this isn't aggressively asked, is that Floyd do you not believe we were improving under BR, and do you honestly think some of these 5 wins in 6 were any better then the performances and wins we had under Rodgers? Some of them, (Palace, Wednesday and the cup games), 100% yes they were better. But games like Plymouth x2, Barnsley, Blackpool had just as many failings as any poor Rodgers display.

What has made Brian's reign stand out and the more impressive is the fact they have been in 5 out of 6 games. But lets not get carried away, yes you can only beat what is put in front of you but so far Brian has beaten teams in, 11th,14th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd.

Rodgers wins this year came against teams in 8th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 22nd. What let him down was drawing the games against the likes of Donny, Watford, Scunthorpe and Ipswich.

As WCH rightly states the biggest test for Brian will be when he gets a run against harder teams. Rodgers had to play every team in the top 10 so far this season, Brian has so far faced just 4. I'm not saying he won't continue his fine form when we do face better sides (his cup record certainly suggests he can) but before we hurl superlatives at him it would be wise to wait and see a little bit.

This has never been about claiming Maccy D is worse then Rodgers, or that Rodgers is the behind our recent good form. It's about looking back and suggesting that maybe Rodgers had a rough deal. Brian is doing fantastically well but considering he's using the bulk of a team that had picked up 11 points from the last 18 under Rodgers seems to suggest that our former manager was slowly finding the right way to get results. What Brian has now done is taken that improvement, built on it even further and is making a success of himself.

[krisholland]

I don`t worry about the rest of the teams because I don`t give a shit about them.
Next season those loan signings are gone, and so is Ivar as it appears, so that leaves Mills and Pearce I guess.
But to make my point clear once more:I do like the fact our current back four is finally functioning properly, even if they mostly consist of loan signings.
And yes..I do realise keeping clean sheets is more like a team issue than a back four issue.

[clauski]

Rodgers was just a disaster, McDermott has us believing and playing well. OK, confidence went right up after the displays vs Liverpool and that's helped us since but fundamentally he's getting more from the players than Rodgers did, proving better tactically and given the whole club a real spirit again. Most importantly he's realised you need a blend of experience and youth, and hasn't tried too many wholesale changes. Selling certain players may have been forced upon Rodgers but not utilising players like Gunnarsson, or sourcing experienced defenders even on loan was his choice, as was attempting to overhaul a successful tactical style his players seemed happy with. Too many mistakes from Rodgers and he is best forgotten - long may McDermott continue this current vein of form.

[Very near...far away]

What sort of fan revels in their club's failings?!

There's quite a few on here I'm afraid. They're a bit conspicuous by their absence right now.

[Millsy]

Rodgers has said since he left, as you pointed out, that maybe he would have done things differently had he known he had just 6 months to succeed. I don't see how thats seen as whinging or whining, that's him saying what he might have done differently, what do you expect him to say?

Generally well made post: yes Rodgers had it tough, I do feel for him and one day he might do well... but it all boils down to the above point. Having a 3 year plan is one thing... but doing so at the expense of staying up is something else altogether. It's either arrogance, stupidity or plain incomptence.

It's funny how McDermott is succeeding despite the same constraints that Rodgers had (if not worse given the pressure and inherited league position). Either that makes McDermott a genius or Rodgers inept/// i.e. able to spot and buy players perhaps, but totally clueless at getting the best out of them as individuals and a team. To suggest that McDermott happened to be lucky in that he joined *just* as they were about to click, and that it would have happened anyway is even mroe a ridiculous excuse as any of Rodgers' "it's never my fault" "if you don't think we're amazing you're not a Reading fan" excuses.

The bottom line is Rodgers was a dud and it was clear to a whole lot of us before he joined.

Yes he obviously had some redeeming qualities (bringing in some good players, introducing youth) which we are enjoying today and as McDermott had no choice but to use his team yes of course the foundation of the current team was laid by Rodgers.

But as his ineptness outdid his strengths he was utterly incapable of delivering the goods ultimately and I am delighted and thankful that the board took the action they did and appointed one who actually knows what to do with these youth and these signings.

[Woodcote Royal]

Rodgers underachieved, but you can't just blame him for taking the club backwards, it was always going to go backwards after the overspending of last season and the subsequent cost cutting measures that had to be adopted.

What Rodgers didn't do was help himself by talking up his own ability and past experience, talking of 'world class models' and bumper books of tactics. But then maybe he was trying to soften the blow that this club wasn't going to be challenging the top 4 of this league for a couple of seasons?

He signed a three year contract and placed his faith in players and in systems he believed would do well in the long run for this club. He played the likes of Church, Long, Karacan,Sig, Pearce, HRK, and brought in players such as Mills, McAnuff and Howard who would do well over that 3 year period, as well as shoring up areas with a loan signing or 2 (Bertrand, O'Dea) as well as the likes of Rasiak to do a short term job for a low cost.

You say he bought crap in, well who do you mean? Yes Cummings has been a dud, but considering he came through Chelsea's youth system, played a season at the MK Dons and was then on loan at West Brom it was a reasonable assumption to believe he would be ok. Sadly the lad got absolutely ripped apart at West Brom by Jerome Thomas and never recovered. Hopefully the kid can go away, play another season at L1 or in the reserves and then come back. Bad signing for now yes, but not conclusively proven to be a bad signing long term.

Rodgers has said since he left, as you pointed out, that maybe he would have done things differently had he known he had just 6 months to succeed. I don't see how thats seen as whinging or whining, that's him saying what he might have done differently, what do you expect him to say? to stand by some tactics and player selection policies that went wrong? You'd think him more of an idiot if he did that wouldn't you? There is a massive difference between assembling a team thats going to be a midtable team in the short term, or building a side you think will go on to take you to the next level, it doesn't just happen overnight. It even took SSC the best part of 3 years to make it click.

The first few months of his tenure here were very disappointing in terms of both results and performances. But again he had to deal with not having the funds to bring in his own players until some were sold and had to deal with significant injuries to the likes of Kelly, Armstrong, Ivar, and Noel Hunt. These are not excuses but help to show why his job was a difficult one and why it took him a while to build any momentum. During those early months there were some awful displays but we were also unlucky not to get more from games such as Watford, Doncaster, Cardiff and Peterborough.

Then we had the lowpoint of the season, with the utterly pathetic display away at QPR nothing can excuse that display but then even Coppell had games such as Fulham and Bolton at home when you were stupified into how the team could just be so spineless.

But whether you like it or not, Rodgers seemed to have a bit of a wake up call after QPR, and from that point on went back to playing 4-4-2 when possible. It seems he was trying to bring in players on loan (even Griffin it seems) to shore up a team he felt needed a bit more experience in the short term.

From that point on the results and performances began to come. We played Leicester of the park but lost, but we managed to beat Coventry, Sheff Weds and Blackpool, the later finally ending the home jinx. We also arguably deserved to win the games against Scunny and Ipswich too but the fact is we didn't and Rodgers did have to take some of the blame for that. But the killer blow seemed to be Palace, a game which on paper was so winnable, we failed. It didn't matter that Mosses was inspired, Fed looked shaky and again we failed to take our chances, it was a crunch game we couldn't afford to lose given the league table.

So then he was sacked, the club was perilously close to the drop zone and the board (be that Mr Mad, Nigel Howe, Hammond or whoever) felt they needed something fresh.

They gave Maccy D a chance and he's grasped it, making those astute loan signings and keeping things simple. He's led us on a great cup run and back towards safety and proving himself to be a good manager so far. The team does look fitter and hungrier and that's brilliant.

But I still find it utterly ludicrous that some fans refuse to accept Rodgers had any part in this run we're now on. Even on BBCRB today both Gooding and Dellor, who's known for his belief that Rodgers wasn't the right man, agreed that Brendan had begun to lay some of the foundations upon which Maccy D is now reaping the rewards.

Never the less Brian deserves the bulk of the credit for the results recently and it's hard to doubt he's got the players playing well and has inspired the likes of Kebe to new heights, overall its been a great reign so far.

In my own opinion, certain sections of our fanbase needed a scapegoat to unleash their frustrations that we are no longer a Premiership team. The pressure was first aimed at Madejski during the 'where's the money gone' era then turned on Hammond and then Rodgers. In the end there was only 1 man who was going to go from that and the big change seemed to settle the fanbase and gave them something to rally behind.

The greatest shame of the whole thing isn't the fact that Rodgers was sacked, this is football, he's made a good bit of money from it and I'm sure he'll bounce back. It's the fact that we'll never know if he could have carried us forward in the long term. Brendan clearly cared for this club deeply and was desperate for it to succeed, how great would it have been for a 'fairytale' that started as a YTS lad cleaning boots alongside Ady Williams at Elm Park to end in promotion to the Premier League lifting the trophy with a team built around a core of academy players he helped to sign and develop?

Every fan is entitled to their opinions but I saw enough potential both in the man and in displays on the pitch, to suggest that he was learning and learning quickly enough to take this club forward over a period of time. Sadly, in my opinion, that's something we'll never know.

Rodgers didn't get to where he was because he was a shite manager, or a cock of a person. He made he was from being a YTS player to taking charge of some of the best players in the world, before getting 2 jobs at Championship level. Yes his time here wasn't amazing but I've little doubt he has the ability to do well given the right environment. I might be proved wrong and there's a chance that could well happen, I'm just a regular fan like everyone else afterall.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking too it. You can call my RTG or an apologist for Brendan if you so chose but at the end of the day that's how I see it. I accept that some people are going to see it the other way and that's just fine too but the unrationalised abuse the guy gets from some people here is just childish at best and pathetic at worse.

What matters is that this club is climbing towards safety and now has a cup quarter final to look forward too. I don't care who manages us as long as he gives 100% for the club and is building towards something positive. Brian is having a great run and whether thats partly down to Rodgers or not doesn't matter. It's Maccy D's team and his responsibility now and I'm backing the guy 100%. I just hope that this time around we give a manager a bit more time to prove himself.

Thank you, Mrs Rodgers, when hubby took you up the ailse he showed 10 times more foresight than was on view throughout his short spell in charge at RFC.

I blame Brendan Rodgers AND Steve Coppell for taking this club backwards in recent times whilst Brian McDermott has reversed that trend in a matter of weeks with no money, two well chosen loanees and a squad assembled by his predecessor.................................... who had already decided it wasn't good enough and was demanding more funds in order to avoid the drop.

Whilst love is a wonderful thing, with every passing week Brian shows not only why the board were spot on in removing Brendan when they did, but also that they made a huge howler in appointing him in the first place.

I agree that in Mills, Bertrand and Mac he made some good signings but the fact he refused to pick the former says everything about why he's currently on the dole whilst Brian deservedly enjoys all the plaudits coming his way.

Coppell and Pardew could only dream of spending 4 million in a Champonship campaign and it was thanks to two seasons in the top flight that allowed your better half to fork out two million on Mills............................and not playing him displayed a complete lack of understanding of the financial realities of life at this level.

The plain fact is Brian has no money because Mr Rodgers blew it on a team that was playing League One football throughout his time here and it took McDermott's superior management skills to get those same players performing to a standard that is more than good enough to not only survive at this level but also aspire to returning to the top flight.

Rodgers always had more than six months PROVIDED his project didn't involve relegation. Four million in the right hands should have insured that this wasn't the case and, if he wasn't aware of this state of affairs he was never the right man for the job.

The sad fact is people like Brendan can get this far and still make sh*t managers whilst good ones appear from nowhere having spent 10 years in the background as scouts or looking after the reserves. There's a world of difference between being a number two to having all the responsibility of the top job and a few months in charge at Watford was never going to be conclusive proof that Rodgers would have what it it takes.

Brendan screwed up big time, deservedly paid the price yet is young enough to learn from his mistakes. I genuinely hope this proves to be the case but, for pity sake, remove those "I Love Brendan" specs!

[rhroyal]

Rodgers has to take some credit. He brought in McAnuff, Bertrand and Rasiak who have been useful throughout the whole season. I also credit him with helping Siggy develop.

However, generally, Rodgers failed to bring the best out of a squad which I always thought was good enough to be sitting in mid-table. His signings of Howard and Mills have now proved valuable too, but only under McD's management. You should really be able to do better with players you yourself have looked at and brought in. Looking at the likes of Long, Church, Gunnarrsson and, of course, Jimmy Kebe, you have to say that McD is far better at bringing the best out of resources at his disposal. Then add the signings of Kish and Griffin - inspired. McD is obviously a better manager.

However, I'd have to agree to an extent with Wimb. Rodgers was learning and improving; post QPR backs this argument up. Would he have learned quickly enough to guide us to safety this season? I'm not sure, which is why sacking him was the right decision (with the advantage of hindsight). However, I really wouldn't be surprised to see him given a chance in L1 or L2 and learn his trade a bit better. He could well be capable at this level in the future.

He took over our club at a very bad time to take over. After our best manager ever and at a time of complete transition. I think it was a bit much from our board to expect a man with only 6 months experience to guide us through a time like that. I expect Rodgers' career to recover from it though.

[From Despair To Where?]

I think that McDermott is everything Rodgers isn't. I was never a fan of Rodgers, didn't like the man's arrogance and lack of humility so I would be biased but McDermott has got the team back to basics, playing simple effective football that plays to the squads' strengths, not some fanciful idea of some idealistic model and trying to get round pegs to fit square holes. We are no longer porous at the back and toothless up front.

I like McDermott's honesty, there's no bullshit, no complaining about the quality of player available, no making excuses and no taking the credit for himself. I like the fact that he has taken someone else's squad and got them playing for him and he has made 2 low key signings in key positions that needed strengthening that have improved the squad imeasurably. The players clearly like and respect him and want to play for him. I like the fact that Mills is now looking something like the £2m defender we thought we were buying, I like the fact that Howard is getting back to the form that got him noticed in the first place. I like the fact that Kebe has upped his game, I like the fact Cummings is nowhere near the first team, I like the fact that the forwards as a collective now look like scoring goals, I like the fact that we don't crumble at the first sign of pressure and fight to the final whistle. I like the fact that McDermott has recognised the real issues and just got on with the job at hand.

Most of all, I like the fact that we know have a team that plays with a bit of pride.

I would have liked it better if Cummings now was playing in the first team proving to be the great signing I hoped he would be.The fact that we now have three loan signings playing at the back at a regular basis is something that I find quite worrying.
That however doesn`t mean I don`t appreciate the progress the club has made in terms of results recently.
This 5-0 home win doesn`t appear to be a coïncidence to me at least.

i actually agree with you and hope that Cummings comes through this and is a success. To be fair to Rodgers, he is proving to be the only unqualified disaster of a signing that he made, so far. It has taken a different manager to bring the best out of the other signings and maybe McDermott can do the same for Cummings. I think part of the problem is that Rodgers bigged Cummings us as the "modern full back" or words to that effect but he's been thrown into the deep end with a struggling team and has floundered.

I agree that we need permenant solutions to our problems at the back. With it looking more likely that we can comfortably dig ourselves out of a relegation struggle, it wouldn't suprise me to see Griffin and Khisanishvilli make their moves permenant in the summer. Neither have much future at their parent club, neither would cost the earth to buy and I doubt either are on big wages and I reckon McDermott will be given some money in the summer. Left back is defefinitely a concern though, irrpesective of whether Armstrong can come back from injury or not, He and Kelly are both injury prone and Kelly is still someowhat unproven at this level.

[Wimb]

Thank you, Mrs Rodgers, when hubby took you up the ailse he showed 10 times more foresight than was on view throughout his short spell in charge at RFC.

I blame Brendan Rodgers AND Steve Coppell for taking this club backwards in recent times whilst Brian McDermott has reversed that trend in a matter of weeks with no money, two well chosen loanees and a squad assembled by his predessor.................................... who had already decided it wasn't good enough and was demanding more funds in order to avoid the drop.

Whilst love is a wonderful thing, with every passing week Brian shows not only why the board were spot on in removing Brendan when they did, but also that they made a huge howler in appointing him in the first place.

I agree that in Mills, Bertrand and Mac he made some good signings but the fact he refused to pick the former says everything about why he's currently on the dole whilst Brian deservedly enjoys all the plaudits coming his way.

Coppell and Pardew could only dream of spending 4 million in a Champonship campaign and it was thanks to two seasons in the top flight that allowed your better half to fork out two millon on Mills............................and not playing him displayed a complete lack of understanding of the financial realities of life at this level.

The plain fact is Brendan has no money because Mr Rodgers blew it on a team that was playing League One football throughout his time here and it took McDermott's superior management skills to get those same players performing to a standard that is more than good enough to not only servive at this level but also aspire to returning to the top flight.

Rodgers always had more than six months PROVIDED his project didn't involve relegation. Four million in the right hands should have insured that this wasn't the case and, if he wasn't aware of this state of affairs he was never the right man for the job.

The sad fact is people like Brendan can get this far and still make sh*t managers whilst good ones appear from nowhere having spent 10 years in the background as scouts or looking after the reserves. There's a world of difference between being a number two to having all the responsibility of the top job and a few months in charge at Watford was never going to be conclusive proof that Rodgers would have what it it takes.

Brendan screwed up big time, deservedly paid the price yet is young enough to learn from his mistakes. I genuinely hope this proves to be the case but, for pity sake, remove those "I Love Brendan" specs!

Oh wow, 'Mrs Rodgers' how creative of you!!!111!!, it's nice to know that people are so comfortable with their opinions that they don't have to resort to petty juvinile name calling to get their point across....

Christ, I don't think anyone has the nerve or is of the opinion that Rodgers time here was a success. The very fact we were 3 points from the drop zone when he left proves his overall time spent here wasn't up to scratch. The only point I, or any other 'Mrs Rodgers' is trying to point out is that he had far from ideal conditions when he got here, made some huge cock ups, but was appearing to turn the corner when he was sacked.

The bloke DID make some pretty huge mistakes and got some dissapointing results, but the sad fact is that people such as yourself are so blinkered and happy to blame the guy for all our woes is that you refuse to accept that he was starting to get better results and there were SIGNS that he MIGHT turn it around.

Would he have turned it around? would he have gotten the same results as Mac? I doubt he would have been quite as succesfull, but I don't think he was so bad that he couldn't have gotten wins over the likes of Plymouth, Barnsley (who he'd already beaten), Sheff Weds (who he'd already beaten) or Donny (who we'd battered but drawn) I'll put the same question to you as I did Floyd, do you honestly think we were THAT BAD post Leciester? and similarly do you think that some of Brians games (Blackpool, Sheff Utd, Plymouth x2, Barnsley) have been THAT MUCH BETTER? both managers have proved they had the ability to get results. What's putting Brian ahead of Brendan is his ability to get them far more consistantly, which is a good thing obviously and his amazing cup run which he deserves all the credit for.

In terms of transfers you can hardly call the '£4 million' (which realistically is about £3 million given the various clauses in the Mills deal) was badly spent as we got in Mills, McAnuff, Rasiak, Howard, plus Bertrand on loan, all of whom have been solid or good signings.

It seems he did fall out with Mills yes but that happens sometimes and theres nothing to say they wouldn't have patched it up. Rodgers seems to be frequently beaten with the Cummings stick, and wow 1 bad permanent signing! that's a terrible record and SSC would NEVER have wasted money on a player, nor would Sir Alex or anyone like that....

Again what is putting Brian ahead of Brendan, as you've said, is the fact that he's been able to get the most out of the squad. He's got Kebe, Howard, Mills and others all playing very well and long may that continue. But Brian does benefit from having far more history with some of the other players around the team such as Kebe then Brendan had. But again thats letting Rodgers off to lightly and if Brian can do it there's no reason or excuse as to why Rodgers couldn't have got more of the players.

My biggest problem right now is with people sitting here and claiming Brian has 'proved himself' because of a fantastic cup run and 5 league wins. To me its dangerous and is the sort of short term thinking that gets the likes of Ricky Sbragia and Paul Hart (no offence to them) appointed into jobs that they aren't up too in the long term. He's got some great cup results and beaten teams around us in the league but he's yet to prove himself against some of the better teams in the league, the cup results suggest that we're capable of winning such matches but until he gets points on the board against such teams (be it this season or next) lets just wait and see before hailing him as the messiah.

Brian has improved results without any question but hailing him as a great managerright now is as naive. Even Terry bloody Bullivant got us up to midtable and into a cup quarter final during the first half of his tenure in charge, did that end well?

However, on the other hand Alan Pardew came up by a similar route to Brian, oversaw a similar recovery and we benefited massivly from his appointment long term.

I HAVE NO IDEA if Brian will prove a good appointment long term, but nobody is saying he's not done well in the short term and he deserves to be MoTM for the run we're on.

All I am waiting for is a longer period of time, and a transfer window or 2 to judge the bloke. Rodgers got the benefit of 1 window and about 20 league games before he was dismissed, yes that may prove (and it appears now) as if that was the right decision but in my own opinion it was too short a time to throw him on the scrapheap.

But as SSC said,the focus should just be WNG!

Whatever the case the decision has been made and SJM seems to have got this one right. I couldn't be happier then to be celebrating 5 wins in 6 and looking forward to a cup quarter final. However that doesn't mean to say I can't still question whether Rodgers could have gained similar results. I didn't 'love' the bloke, I didn't like the fact we were struggling, he was falling out with players and the media, I didn't like the fact we were doing too much too soon.

Despite all that I saw what he was trying to do and just felt that with a bit of experience and given some support from fans and the board, he MIGHT have turned it around.

[Franchise FC]

The only problem in the immediate short term is the very real possibility of BMc being Manager of the Month - if so, we're out of the Cup already.

[Royal Lady]

McD has learned from SSC - he's understated, never blows his own trumpet and has gone back to basics to try and get the best out of each and every player.

BR, on the other hand, thought he knew it all because he worked under Mourinho, couldn't stop blowing his own trumpet and made some pretty weird tactical choices on a number of occasions, including, as many have mentioned, not playing a £2 million defender that HE signed.

And, Wimb, despite your protestations - BR very clearly came out and said, when he became manager, that RFC would be pushing for promotion - the stuff he did/came out with was nothing to do with "softening the blow" of not going back up in the near future.

McD has all the attributes of a good manager and long may it continue. BR had all the attributes of a Billy Big Bollox who thought he knew it all and wouldn't listen to criticism. IMO.

[Royal With Cheese]

McD has learned from SSC - he's understated, never blows his own trumpet and has gone back to basics to try and get the best out of each and every player.

BR, on the other hand, thought he knew it all because he worked under Mourinho, couldn't stop blowing his own trumpet and made some pretty weird tactical choices on a number of occasions, including, as many have mentioned, not playing a £2 million defender that HE signed.

And, Wimb, despite your protestations - BR very clearly came out and said, when he became manager, that RFC would be pushing for promotion - the stuff he did/came out with was nothing to do with "softening the blow" of not going back up in the near future.

McD has all the attributes of a good manager and long may it continue. BR had all the attributes of a Billy Big Bollox who thought he knew it all and wouldn't listen to criticism. IMO.

I thnk that pretty much sums up what I feel about both managers.

BR has to change his attitude if he is to become sucessful in the lower leagues. However, I suspect he'll end up in a coaching role wherever Mourinho ends up in England where his big bollocks will fit in quite nicely.

[Wimb]

McD has learned from SSC - he's understated, never blows his own trumpet and has gone back to basics to try and get the best out of each and every player.

BR, on the other hand, thought he knew it all because he worked under Mourinho, couldn't stop blowing his own trumpet and made some pretty weird tactical choices on a number of occasions, including, as many have mentioned, not playing a £2 million defender that HE signed.

And, Wimb, despite your protestations - BR very clearly came out and said, when he became manager, that RFC would be pushing for promotion - the stuff he did/came out with was nothing to do with "softening the blow" of not going back up in the near future.

McD has all the attributes of a good manager and long may it continue. BR had all the attributes of a Billy Big Bollox who thought he knew it all and wouldn't listen to criticism. IMO.

Shocking as it might seem I do agree with you in general RL.

He did play up his connections etc too much, but then fans were questioning his pedigree when he joined so perhaps he felt it was some way of calming fears that he wasn't up to the job because of a lack of experience. That being said, I think the press and fans made more of his connections with Jose then he ever did (though he obviously did mention it more then once and hardly played it down which didn't win him fans, myself included)

He obviously didn't handle criticism that well either as Dellor showed but then neither do other so called 'good managers' like Sir Alex. Problem is Brendan didn't have the results to back it up like the treble winning Scottsman.

The Mills issue is something that was stupid and rather puzzling. It was pretty daft but in fairness one critisism of BR's early tenure was that we chopped and changed the team too much. Eventually he decided an Ivar/Pearce combo was the centre back pair he was sticking too, the team with them in it then picked up a few results so is it so surprising he decided to keep with it? Mills is clearly the better defender but you can understand the hesitancy to change a winning side.

Outside of that reason, he clearly had some sort of bust up with Mills but the player also DID have a few niggling injuries which is again why PERHAPS he never played quite as many games as we all would have liked. But again that's excuse making and the fact was when fit Mills SHOULD have been in the team over Pearce.

And yes Rodgers did say they would be pushing for promotion, he also said he didn't expect that to be this season did he not? by near future I'm talking the 12 months ahead. It was Sir John that talked up 'Premiership ambitions' etc.

I guess I just fail to understand the sheer venom that some people throw towards the guy, we were fairly bad but were getting better and his final games pointed towards a lower half but safe finish this season. I can understand why he wasn't everyones cup of tea, can understand the frustration, but its the sheer hatred of the bloke I don't get. He's clearly a Reading fan, busted a gut to do well and failed. I don't see why that deserves some of the abuse he's getting now, or why people refuse to even let in the idea that he MAY have turned it around.

[under the tin]

I like McDermott's honesty, there's no bullshit, no complaining about the quality of player available, no making excuses and no taking the credit for himself. I like the fact that he has taken someone else's squad and got them playing for him and he has made 2 low key signings in key positions that needed strengthening that have improved the squad imeasurably. The players clearly like and respect him and want to play for him. I like the fact that Mills is now looking something like the £2m defender we thought we were buying, I like the fact that Howard is getting back to the form that got him noticed in the first place. I like the fact that Kebe has upped his game, I like the fact Cummings is nowhere near the first team, I like the fact that the forwards as a collective now look like scoring goals, I like the fact that we don't crumble at the first sign of pressure and fight to the final whistle. I like the fact that McDermott has recognised the real issues and just got on with the job at hand.

[b]Most of all, I like the fact that we know have a team that plays with a bit of pride[/b].[/quote]

("I blame Brendan Rodgers AND Steve Coppell for taking this club backwards in recent times whilst Brian McDermott has reversed that trend in a matter of weeks with no money, two well chosen loanees and[b] a squad assembled by his predessor.................................... who had already decided it wasn't good enough and was demanding more funds in order to avoid the drop.[/b]

Total agreement here /\ /\

[quote]I agree that we need permenant solutions to our problems at the back. With it looking more likely that we can comfortably dig ourselves out of a relegation struggle, it wouldn't suprise me to see Griffin and Khisanishvilli make their moves permenant in the summer. Neither have much future at their parent club, neither would cost the earth to buy and I doubt either are on big wages and I reckon McDermott will be given some money in the summer[quote]

Whilst I'd love it to happen, That's optimistic. Bentley Continentals do not come cheap,and I suspect you will see Andy Griffin at one of the newly promoted Prem clubs next season.