Next Reading Manager: Press Conference @ 9:15

[Libertine]

No, no, no to all of the usual suspects.

Please get someone from the continent who embraces a game where the ball stays on the deck more and players can string more than two passes together. Enough of the macho, swashbuckling, punt the ball upfield hope you can out battle the opposition for it. I know it didn't work out for Rodgers when he tried to rework our style but the time has now come and we have an owner who will be able to bring in the players, even if slowly, who can play this style and a manager with enough nous to know how to teach it and implement it.

If we are making a change for the better let's do it right this time...

[genome]

Had a thought - I can't see Di Canio's relationship with the board being particularly brilliant if we stick to our "prudent" approach. I could see him doing a Rodgers and throwing a paddy about it, especially seeing as I don't expect Mr. Mad would allow a complete U-turn in transfer policy.

[Libertine]

Was this move part of AZ starting to flex his muscles to get ready to spread his wings? I know SJM is still with the club but AZ has an extra 2% of it...and didn't pay the money he did to own a "well run Championship team".

[sandman]

And now he's turning it into a poorly run one.

[Libertine]

It all depends on where we go from here...hiring one of the "usual suspects" as manager and I might agree.

[Paul Cowin]

The Sun says that Di Canio was at the Villa game....make of it what you will !!

[genome]

The Sun says that Di Canio was at the Villa game....make of it what you will !!

[Libertine]

Please get someone from the continent who embraces a game where...

Not going to happen, we've made the wrong decision and we will pay the price for it.
Chances are no decent manager will want to join us at this stage of the season, and we'll be forced to pick from the toilet bowl selection of discarded managers nobody else would want.

Just look at WoLOLves, I imagine the next RFC manager being someone equally useless as Dean Saunders or TErry COnnor.

And I can just as easily look at Zola @ Watford...

[sandman]

Watford are in a false position in the championship.

[jonnyroyal1871]

The 'old guard' JM, NH and NH favour Dolan until the end of the season. AZ wants a name, which won't be Adkins, who has had Southampton leaking goals, spent a fortune and has been half a dozen points at best above us most of the season.

Expect PDC or a continental manager with a middling profile, ala Laudrup.

[Libertine]

Well no arguing with that logic then...just hire Warnock and continue playing the way we have been and hope for lightning to strike again so we can enjoy the next one year miserable stint in the PL.

[72 bus]

Adkins, who has had Southampton leaking goals, spent a fortune and has been half a dozen points at best above us most of the season.

Half a dozen points over us at the end of the season sees them staying up.

[jonnyroyal1871]

Half a dozen at best. Frequently less. Point being, Adkins could be seen as a sideways move.

[Arch]

No doubt any merit of this observation will have been exploded by the time I wake up, but the fact that Di Canio was at the game is not all that conclusive. He's an ambitious guy who doubtless hasn't been sitting on his hands since he moved on from Swindon. A game between two Premier League teams each of which may well be looking for a new manager soon? Seems like worth a visit.

[West Stand Man]

Watford are in a false position in the championship.

Define 'false' in this context please?

[Bandini]

Watford are in a false position in the championship.

Define 'false' in this context please?

25th.

13.5th.

Something like that.

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

Zola > Di Canio .... But Di Matteo the better of the Italian options[url][/url]

[AussieRoyal15]

Anyone really surprised BM got the heave ho? I'm not in the least surprised as it's been long coming.

First of all though - the man should be thanked for sorting out the hideous mess Brendan Rodgers was making. I've been a season ticket holder since Pardew took over, and never have I seen the club in such a dire fix. Brian came in and kept the club up (relegation would've been catastrophic at that point) - definitely a massive achievement in itself given the hangover clubs relegated from the premiership often experience. He's been a loyal servant to the club for years and brought the iconic Doyle and Long to the club (Kitson as well?).

His getting the team to a playoff final and then finishing as champions the next season were nothing short of miraculous. The squad was paper thin even when they got relegated from the premiership, and only let more players go each season without bringing in proper reinforcements. People may disagree but it's clear to me Brian got the job because he wasn't going to kick off at Madjeski's lack of critical investment in the playing staff (yes, JM has done wonders for the club since he bought it but that's another matter). He even sang the owner's praises when Sigurdsson was sold to a non-club who threw money at our chairman.

Unfortunately for him, the premiership is a cruel league and he's simply out of his depth at this level. His and the board's abject failure in the transfer market has also cost the team dearly. Going into the premiership with Ian Harte as your first choice LB, Gorkss (to start with), McAnuff and Leigterwood as key players is absolutely unforgivable. Signing Guthrie was a good move on paper, but incredibly naive as he just doesn't fit into the sort of system Brian uses. McDermott is totally unable to adapt tactically to matches. He only ever has a vague plan B - last season it was to move Karacan to right back and move McAnuff into the middle (which was utter crud). This season has been to bring on Le Fondre to try and nab a goal. With an overachieving lower playoff-standard team, you need organised tactics to make up for your players' lesser quality.

Tactics have been to simply play at a high tempo and get the ball forward, which hasn't worked. It was fine in the Championship where spirit, graft and kick & rush can get results, but you need that something extra to succeed at this high a level. McDermott only changes the formation after several games where his lineup hasn't delivered. Even during the run of form in January after finally switching to a more conservative 4-5-1, he still didn't adapt the team for the important home games where more attacking formations would've won games. There's next to no defensive cohesion or consistency because the defence is never the bloody same. Pearce not signing a new contract doesn't help, but nor does hurting the team by leaving your best centre back out of the side and playing an academy graduate who hadn't even played for the club at championship level. We've had the weakest left flank in the entire league for the majority of our games, and every team we've played as exploited this.

He was always living on borrowed time thanks to his and the team's heroics last season, but he became to reliant on this. It was like Brian bingo after a game - 'these players have given me everything', 'this time last season we were at the bottom of the table' etc. He needed to drop the players who were out of form, not continuously alienate those who were on the bench. Zingarevich has wanted to get rid of him for ages, but clearly has a good relationship with Mr Madj so has stuck with his manager. Two back to back home defeats against Wigan and a very poor Villa side is unacceptable. Did Brian take responsibility? No. He got the tactics wrong, he got the team selection wrong, and this has been the case all season.

It's stupid to let him go with so few games left. Should've sacked him in January and given a new manager the transfer window. Now the club are crying out for a manager who will be able to secure the long term future of the club rather than swan in and flog a dead horse that is this current league campaign. Adkins maybe - he did well at Southampton but the core of his team had been put in place by Pardew. My big worry is whoever comes in to replace McDermott has a major restructuring of the club to do, and most likely have to accept relegation on their CV.

Excellent post.

Beautiful said +1 to that

[TommyF]

di matteo, if not then adkins - but have a horrible feeling it will be di canio

Not sure I understand the love for di matteo

Yes he won a couple of things but ended up being sh*t at Chelsea and more importantly sh*t at WBA in the prem.

CURBISHLY PLEASE!!!!

He still has it, will be refreshed and hungry.

Curbs hasn't been a Premiership manager for 5 years now.......the game has moved on, has he with it?

I would rather Di Matteo, at least he knows it and what is needed to be in it. Having Curbishley will be no better than keeping McD

Curbs did basically pull off a miracle at West Ham when he took over, winning 7 of their last 9 games, beating both Arsenal and Man Utd. Also, he is sixth in terms of most Premier League games managed. Don't like his style but clearly we sacked Brian to try and stay in the EPL (on the basis that Brian is the best manager to have in the Championship) and he probably gives us a better bet of that than any other manager,

[Platypuss]

Sorry about spelling the guys name wrong which i had corrected! For some reason my thread was pulled! Hope it is true or has Fordham goofed?

For some crazy reason it got merged with this thread.

We're all so proud of you Mr Mighty Moderator.

Thanks - your views are really of genuine interest to me.