by Alan Partridge »
28 Nov 2012 09:42
Not usually one for sack the manager, simply because in my view manager's take too much praise when things go well and too much stick when they don't. Football is 90% about players and 10% about managers. If you've got crap players you won't win anything and only when squads are close does that slightly better manager really make a difference in the vast majority of cases.
there are occasions when managers are really incompetent and that theory gets blown out of the window, it's rare to be honest but sometimes someone finds themself in a job they absolutely can't do. John Barnes for example!
also there comes a time where managers start to make decisions out of desperation/panic but also ones that are almost unexplainable, McDermott is starting to make those now.
What i would worry about with McDermott isn't so much Reading have a crud style of play nor even that they are losing. They were crap to watch last year and now they are in a better league with the same Championship plodders squad, what would concern me is everything he has done this year has been so different to what he and Reading as a club have done over the last 10 years really. It's all been kneejerk, all been squabbles and ridiculos inclusions/non inclusions in the side. I can understand change when things aren't working, you have to do that but there has been almost ridiculous change this season, it's been HNA team selection esque. There is no consistency to his selection, nor regular way that they play. I'd seen a couple of games on TV and Reading have generally looked a team and a threat, last night I don't think they looked either. They are getting worse as well not better.
Whether you rate Federici or not, he's had similar spells in his RFC time where he's been dire, McDermott has always stuck with him. First sign of iffy form, dropped. That's a big decision to leave your 'keeper out especially one that he was so happy with last season, who played every game as Reading won the league.
Pearce player of the season, couple of indifferent games, contract issues maybe, dropped. Now Mariappa and Morrison!!? Who on Earth would have predicted that in August? As it happens Morrison looks a natural as does McCarthy but again it strikes me as a manager taking gambles. Those 2 have worked there have been many more that haven't.
Guthrie dropped and for Jay Tabb. Jay Tabb who has played more games in a row in the PRemier League than he has at Reading for any time in his career when Reading were in a worse league. That makes no sense to me.
The strikers are changed on the weekly. ALF was IN, ALF was out, Hunt and Pog were in, now Pog's out, Roberts is in but Hunt's out. It's all very messy. The wingers too have changed, now HRK who like Tabb was never a regular starter is now playing every game. He like Tabb was barely good enough for the Championship how is he going to be good enough in this division?
This is a case of a manager losing the plot to be honest, it's someone that has got serious issues in this squad, there is obviously something not right, Guthrie and Federici have spoken out, there's all this change and it's got the point where he's not picking his best available team for whatever reasons. That would concern me the most.
it probably does need some fresh eyes with no previous agendas or issues to come in and take a look at it, it's one of those rare cases that although the players as a group definitely aren't good enough, the manager really does have quite a lot of accounability as well.
