by RoyalinBracknell »
11 Mar 2013 18:49
My favourite ever Reading manager.
Built 3 highly successful Championship teams (and for all who say he can only play hoofball I thought his first 6 months or so was very entertaining with Gylfi and Bertrand still in the side - it certainly restored my interest after a woeful 2009), coped with key players going and limited funds, kept on taking us far beyond most supporters' expectations, and then when he got decent funds built a Championship winning side within a few months.
I loved his belief that we could win any game, that we could go to Anfield and Goodison in the cup and actually compete, really compete - and not just compete but win. Certainly at the start his substitutions always seemed to turn a game, adding that attacking spark as we went for it and more often than not won it. He had a belief and a calmness about him, and that made me believe in him. I felt included in what he was doing - how often did he refer to the importance of the fans, his connection with the supporters. (That it is probably the supporters' reaction on Saturday that hammered the final nail in his coffin is somewhat upsetting. I suspect it was just an emotive reaction to a painful defeat. I wonder how many supporters would elect not to boo if they were able to turn back time, aware of what would happen 48 or so hours later.)
I'll never forget watching that night we went to face Liverpool, face a Liverpool side containing Gerrard and Torres, and that unexpected thrill of delight as we came from behind to claim an amazing victory. Equally too that brilliant 3-2 win against West Brom in the cup when McDermott held firm with fans and pundits alike baying for a substitution. His decision to stay with what we had proved right - 2-2 in injury time, 3-2 in extra time. And so that set up an FA Cup quarter final appearance for the first time in who knows how long, something McDermott took us to once more a mere 12 months later. They were painful defeats but against Premier League opposition we gave it one hell of a go. I'll equally remember other moments from those first few months as McDermott comfortably took us away from an apparent relegation dogfight - a last minute winner v Leicester, 3-0 v Coventry, 6-0 v Peterbrough. The following season we lost Siggurddssson but still carried on going in the right direction. I remember beating Barnsley 3-0 with only 10 men; Robson-Kanu's introduction making all the difference. Then there was the case of Chris Armstrong, a tough situation that I felt McDermott handled with great class and respect; he must surely have played a key role in ensuring that the news didn't reach the media for a good 15 months or so. We won 8 in a row at the end of this season (not for the first time in McDermott's era), with some thrilling moments along the way as we ultimately arrived at the play-off final - in particular 4-3 v Forest and 3-0 v Cardiff in the play-off semi. Then last year the departures continued but so too did the comebacks; 3-2 v Bristol City, 3-2 v Ipswich. There were other highlights too - most notably the 3-0 home triumph against West Ham - and then, with TSI on board, things really got going. With more money to spend, McDermott led the team to an incredible 46 points out of a possible 41. I'll never forget attending the away win against West Ham when McDermott's belief in the importance of staying in a match was clearly seen, or how about watching the crucial triumph away to Southampton when the decision to replace Jay Tabb with Adam Le Fondre at 1-1 raised eyebrows but proved a masterstroke, or that night, just 4 evenings later, when Reading got promoted to the Premier League for only the second time in their history. How we all loved him then.
In his time here, I think McDermott has handled a range of situations with great dignity, and I find his overall progress and perspective inspiring. I think few other managers would have enjoyed the success he has done with that group of players over a long-term period. He's given a new lease of life to some players who had before been written off, has rebuilt a number of sides, has imposed (or reimposed) the ethics of hard work, spirit and a one-match focus on the team, and has generally shown a great deal of character, decency and pride in how he has represented this club. Listening to him speak at times, he really seems to have a firm grasp of the club's heritage.
I think McDermott has made mistakes this season, and I certainly feel he could have done a better job at times. Yet he's a fast learner and had we kept with him I think in the long run he'd have made a success of it once more. McDermott's mistake was showing too much loyalty to some of the players that helped us get to the premier league; who knows, our mistake might be not showing enough loyalty to the manager that helped us get to the premier league.