Next Reading Manager: Press Conference @ 9:15

[Agent Balti]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/385790/Reading-want-Brighton-boss-Gus-Poyet

Poyet, 45, had talks with Reading yesterday after being given permission to speak to the club.

The Royals want to name Poyet as their new manager in the next 24 hours – with eight games left to save their top-flight status.

The Uruguayan was thinking over the move after two-and-a-half years in charge at Brighton but has been told by Reading owner Anton Zingarevich that even if the Royals go down – they are seven points adrift of safety after sacking Brian McDermott – he will get a massive transfer budget to ensure they come straight back up.

Former Southampton boss Nigel Adkins is next on the list to replace Brian McDermott at Reading

Reading would have to pay about £1.5million compensation for the remaining three years of Poyet’s contract with Brighton
Zingarevich also held talks with former Southampton boss Nigel Adkins yesterday, but Poyet is the man he wants, and the parties were talking terms last night.

Reading would have to pay about £1.5million compensation for the remaining three years of Poyet’s contract with Brighton, whom he led into the Championship in 2011 with attractive football that has alerted several big clubs.

Poyet has been linked with Chelsea, whose interim manager Rafa Benitez will leave in the summer, and West Ham. Brighton, seventh and only outside the play-off places on goaldifference, could turn to Adkins, 48, if Poyet leaves.

If Poyet stays at the Amex, Adkins is next on Zingarevich’s list and he wants the job, but would lose the compensation due from Southampton.

[Colin Cheeselog]

For oxf*rd sake Brian has gone. He created that side and managed it. He was a real loyal royal.but sadly his management was found wanting in the pl. He should have moved players on in the summer and bought in more quality. He chose to be loyal to the chanp crop.. That was his mistake. They are not good enough.

Now for a new chapter. Football is a business end of. Move on dummies.

Amen to that brother. How could anybody not agree with such a well constructed, well thought out literary masterpiece?

[RoyalSheep]

Everyone ready for another day of checking HNA? and the betting odds every two minutes?

Think my life has been on standby since Brian left tbh.

[Cripple Creek]

I know it's probably a bit late to be throwing another name into the ring but has anyone thought of Kevin Keen? He was a very decent ball player, Dalglish thought enough of him to recruit him as coach of Liverpool and, personally, I think he would be worth taking a risk on. He was very unlucky not to have been picked over Big Sam as West Ham manager.

[winchester_royal]

Are we all ready for another day of twists, turns, hysteria, ecstasy, anticipation, anxiety, and ultimately disappointment?

Bring it on.

[Rollerbob]

Are we all ready for another day of twists, turns, hysteria, ecstasy, anticipation, anxiety, and ultimately disappointment?

Bring it on.

[UpThePrem]

his management was found wanting in the pl. He should have moved players on in the summer and bought in more quality. He chose to be loyal to the chanp crop.. That was his mistake. They are not good enough.

Or maybe his hands were tied......

Still doesn't explain his choice of starting line ups and baffling substitutions at times. Whether he was backed by the board with new signings or not, he made the wrong decisions with the players he had at his disposal. That is why he was removed.

[Z175]

All managers seem to make baffling decisions, even the very best ones. For me Alan Pardews baffling idea that when we were losing we should take off all our defenders for attackers was as baffling as Steve Coppells refusal to barely ever make a substitution at all!

And Brian has made his own share of big calls - he'd hit upon Tabb/Howard/Sigurdsson as an effective combination in his first half season, but started the following season with Gunnarsson and Karacan behing Sig and we got beaten at home to Scunthorpe (IIRC?!) But its a game of opinions and you are never going to get things right 100% of the time. For me Brian McDermott has made relatively few bad decisions compared to other managers. If you think hmmm "we're needing creativity, an extra striker, strength in the midfield"...you look up and Brian's already got the sub prepared..

Look at the performance Shaun Cummings gave at Cardiff or look at the form of Shane Long or Matt Mills who didn't play before Brian. For me Brian got a few decisions wrong, dropping Pearce and signing Mariappa being the main examples, but for me 90% of his decisions were right, even in the PL.

- Giving Federici a couple of games to prove himself then ruthlessly playing McCarthy, ending up with two top class keepers in form. (not his fault theyre injured)
- Bringing Harte back when Shorey looked to have eased off a bit gave us a bit more possession and ended up with us winning some games.
- Replacing a dud signing in Gunter by bringing in the composed Kelly.
- Giving Gorkss time to prove himself (again he'd earnt that last season) before, again being ruthless and shipping him out on loan.
- Realising Guthrie is a lightweight liability and not selecting him.
- Selecting McAnuff and Kebe as our first choice wingers (I say this to be controversial, but much as I admire HRK and GM, theyre not nearly as consistent in their effort and crossing. )
- Making substitutions at the right time like McCleary, HRK and Le Fondre, all of whom have come on and scored to earn us, pretty much, all our points.
- Finding an effective playing style that was picking us up points (until the Wigan debacle)

Obviously with hindsight you might argue Federici would have started the season as 2nd choice, Gorkss could have been immediately sold upon promotion ala QPR and we should never have signed Guthrie and Gunter. But take away the hindsight, I don't think any of those were bizarre decisions, a lot of managers would have worse.

So whether we go for Poyet, Adkins or anyone else, they'll make their own decisions and plenty will disagree. But I suspect a lot of their big calls will prove a lot more controversial than the humile yet ruthless McDermott! Apologies for McDermott focussed post - as soon as the new mans in, we move on!

[MouldyRoyal]

What's wrong with Mariappa?

[Hoop Blah]

Totally agree that all managers make 'mistakes' but I don't think giving Gorks a third of the league season before doing something about is a sign of ruthless McDermott...

McDermott's decisions panned out very well in the Championship and he reaped the benefits from that. In the Premier League his decisions backfired far too often unfortunately. It's a fine line between success and failure at this level (it gets smaller the higher you go IMO) and his decisions were probably costing us points and like all other managers he ultimately paid the price for it.

[barelylubedcock]

I think it is fair to say he got hammered by a mixture of transfer window, internationals and that cancelled game or two at the start of the season. When it became apparent there were deep shortcomings to the side, which are only found by testing in competitive games, there was very little he could do about them for months.

[Bowman's Quiver]

What's wrong with Mariappa?

Arguably BM best signing

[andrew1957]

Much as I still disagree with the sacking of Brian, I would much prefer Poyet to any of the other prospective available candidates. In truth I did not think there was a chance he would leave Brighton - with them in contention - but he is clearly ambitious and if Anton will provide a lot of money for new players, it might swing the deal.

I watched Brighton v Reading at the Amex at the end of last season and in pre season and both times I was very impressed by their style of play. Reading did a smash and grab at the end of last season - one free kick by Harte - but were totally outplayed by Brighton. Pre season was a similar story.

If Anton backs Poyet, then he is one manager who could change the Reading style for the better.

[soggy biscuit]

I watched Brighton v Reading at the Amex at the end of last season and in pre season and both times I was very impressed by their style of play. Reading did a smash and grab at the end of last season - one free kick by Harte - but were totally outplayed by Brighton. Pre season was a similar story. .

So tippy tappy without being effective to the point even a hoofball team like us last season can beat them.

[blueroyals]

Mariappa is surely our POTS?

[soggy biscuit]

What's wrong with Mariappa?

For player manager?

[Royal Ginger]

If Anton backs Poyet, then he is one manager who could change the Reading style for the better.

Square peg round hole? Probably wrong, but going for a drastically different style has shades of Rodgers about it and under similar circumstances.

[andrew1957]

I watched Brighton v Reading at the Amex at the end of last season and in pre season and both times I was very impressed by their style of play. Reading did a smash and grab at the end of last season - one free kick by Harte - but were totally outplayed by Brighton. Pre season was a similar story. .

So tippy tappy without being effective to the point even a hoofball team like us last season can beat them.

You cannot have been there. They were all over us and we were incredibly lucky not to be slaughtered. Fed hads a worldy and I think they hit the woodwork once of twice.

[Simon's Church]

I watched Brighton v Reading at the Amex at the end of last season and in pre season and both times I was very impressed by their style of play. Reading did a smash and grab at the end of last season - one free kick by Harte - but were totally outplayed by Brighton. Pre season was a similar story. .

So tippy tappy without being effective to the point even a hoofball team like us last season can beat them.

You cannot have been there. They were all over us and we were incredibly lucky not to be slaughtered. Fed hads a worldy and I think they hit the woodwork once of twice.

Neither of those things have anything to do with luck though.

[Norfolk Royal]

They do really. In most games where the opposition is all over you, you end up losing.