HNA approval/disapproval of NA

[andrew1957]

But the worrying thing is that we are going backwards. We are worse now than we were at the start of the season.

You can blame injuries but most of the problems are at the back and yesterday the issues were less poor defending than the complete inability to create chances.

I see no sign of improvement whatsoever.

[Man Friday]

can you name anyone who would do better?

What, do better than play cr@p football? Most mangers actually. Especially Brian.

[Hoop Blah]

But the worrying thing is that we are going backwards. We are worse now than we were at the start of the season.

You can blame injuries but most of the problems are at the back and yesterday the issues were less poor defending than the complete inability to create chances.

I see no sign of improvement whatsoever.

We aren't going backwards andrew, not in my opinion, we're just extremely inconsistent.

If we were going backwards we wouldn't have had poor performances previously (Sheff W, Posh etc) and good performances more recently like Forest.

I agree with Schards that we're struggling to evolve the style as much as I'd hoped. We do in parts, the centre backs getting on the ball and a lot less hopeful hooks into the channels, but we are struggling to create enough. Drenthe and others coming back from injury should help to address that.

[winchester_royal]

But the worrying thing is that we are going backwards. We are worse now than we were at the start of the season.

You can blame injuries but most of the problems are at the back and yesterday the issues were less poor defending than the complete inability to create chances.

I see no sign of improvement whatsoever.

We aren't going backwards andrew, not in my opinion, we're just extremely inconsistent.

If we were going backwards we wouldn't have had poor performances previously (Sheff W, Posh etc) and good performances more recently like Forest.

I agree with Schards that we're struggling to evolve the style as much as I'd hoped. We do in parts, the centre backs getting on the ball and a lot less hopeful hooks into the channels, but we are struggling to create enough. Drenthe and others coming back from injury should help to address that.

Agreed. We actually kept possession quite nicely yesterday, especially in the first 35 minutes where they hardly had a sniff, but when we got into that final third we just didn't have the quality to break through a very resolute Bournemouth defence.

This is where the next window will hopefully be crucial. We don't have the existing quality in the current squad to play through 2 deep banks of four. We're being linked to the likes of Ben Pringle and Dorrans, players who get on the ball and are capable of unlocking defences, and hopefully we'll be able to bring in a couple of players who will make that difference and bring the extra quality needed to take advantage of what is an improving build up game.

It's dull football at the moment because we're not creating chances, and NA is quite rightly getting stick for that, but we also shouldn't ignore the fact that we are starting to look more comfortable playing through the defence and midfield, and because of that I don't think we're a million miles away from getting it right, although admittedly it did seem like that yesterday.

[Ian Royal]

Other:
Not happy with how things are going performance wise, but we've been really hit with injuries and we're decently placed in the league. It won't take much to get some terrific performances and wins out of us. Adkins deserves until at least November. 2014. Unless something drastic happens and we start nosediving into the bottom 8.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Other:
Not happy with how things are going performance wise, but we've been really hit with injuries and we're decently placed in the league. It won't take much to get some terrific performances and wins out of us. Adkins deserves until at least November. 2014. Unless something drastic happens and we start nosediving into the bottom 8.

not really getting that


He is still the same manager, surely?

[Platypuss]

Jesus. What a bunch of fickle finger-sniffing bedwetters.

[Cureton's Volley]

Jesus. What a bunch of fickle finger-sniffing bedwetters.

That's what a lot of were saying (alas, not so eloquently) when people had the knives out for Brian weeks after he won Prem MOTM!

[Green]

FAO team boarders - usa_loyal_royal provides a laugh every now and again but it's a wind up in the style of twitter's @usasoccerguy

[leon]

Jesus. What a bunch of fickle finger-sniffing bedwetters.

Right so you're happy with how things are going? Any areas to improve?

[SCIAG]

Jesus. What a bunch of fickle finger-sniffing bedwetters.

Only 35% of users are even contemplating sacking him soon.

I don't think he should be sacked any time soon. When you sack a manager, it should be because the current guy is doing really badly and bringing in someone can fix the mistakes he was making. This was the case when we sacked Rodgers, and it was the case when we sacked McDermott (who had cost us many points as his tactics/non-selection of Guthrie and Pearce stopped us from holding onto leads).

Right now, I think Adkins is making some questionable team selections (Sharp ahead of Pogrebnyak, HRK in the hole, Cummings over Kelly, Obita and McAnuff being exchanged for no obvious reason), but is also struggling due to injuries. Guthrie hasn't really had a settled midfield partner, and only McCleary has been anything like a regular selection on the wings as the others have been injured or Obita. I don't go to every match, but I think a big part of our problems is lack of familiarity between the players. If we look at the team for Charlton, only McAnuff and Pogrebnyak were regulars in the Premier League under McDermott, and only McAnuff and the centre backs played regularly for us in the Championship (Cummings did, but in his proper position).

In short, I think it will come over time as the players get used to playing with each other, particularly when we form regular partnerships.

[Ian Royal]

Other:
Not happy with how things are going performance wise, but we've been really hit with injuries and we're decently placed in the league. It won't take much to get some terrific performances and wins out of us. Adkins deserves until at least November. 2014. Unless something drastic happens and we start nosediving into the bottom 8.

not really getting that


He is still the same manager, surely?

Yes he is, but we're judging him on his performance and if it gets that bad then we're in danger of relegation and we need to take action. Brian was a good manager. But his performance drastically dipped so we got rid. Correctly.

The level we're at and the parachute payments we've got, we can afford to give him a season of mediocrity and see if he can build on the next year. If he doesn't look to be improving we get shot at that point. But considering what we're currently getting is not mediocre, let alone poor (we're still top six right?), it's a bit moot. Albeit, poor enough that it's not inconceivable we could slump into mid-table mediocrity.

[Big Foot]

Shouldn't have been appointed in the first place - Adkins OUT

[P!ssed Off]

Agreed. We actually kept possession quite nicely yesterday, especially in the first 35 minutes where they hardly had a sniff, but when we got into that final third we just didn't have the quality to break through a very resolute Bournemouth defence.

This is where the next window will hopefully be crucial. We don't have the existing quality in the current squad to play through 2 deep banks of four. We're being linked to the likes of Ben Pringle and Dorrans, players who get on the ball and are capable of unlocking defences, and hopefully we'll be able to bring in a couple of players who will make that difference and bring the extra quality needed to take advantage of what is an improving build up game.

It's dull football at the moment because we're not creating chances, and NA is quite rightly getting stick for that, but we also shouldn't ignore the fact that we are starting to look more comfortable playing through the defence and midfield, and because of that I don't think we're a million miles away from getting it right, although admittedly it did seem like that yesterday.

Agreed. We need another player in CM as confident on the ball as Guthrie. I've not seen Pringle play but I have seen Anthony Wordsworth play. Saw him play for Colchester United last season and he was clearly a cut above. Great left footed passer, confident on the ball and can play CM or LM. Set piece taker as well. No surprise when a Championship team picked him up in January, only surprise was that it was a team as shit as Ipswich, but they're local to where he's from so that must have been a factor.
He picked up a bad injury early days at Ipswich and hasn't got back in the team since. Now McCarthy's saying he might send him out on loan. I would imagine he just doesn't fit their style (a midfield including S Hunt and Jay Tabb under Mick McCarthy is hardly Nige's tippy-tappy is it?)
A 6 month loan in January, with a view to buy, would be a great bit of business for Reading IMO.

btw Reading would do well to keep an eye on Colchester's CAM, 19 year-old starlet Alex Gilbey. He's been great so far this season and the cheeky oxf*rd is currently refusing to extend his contract beyond the end of the season. Would be a good target in the Summer.
This guy is truly one of League One's top prospects.

Also, what about Reading born, schooled in Yatelely, Jed Wallace? 19 and Portsmouth's best player recently by a mile. Currently going to be a free agent next Summer as well.

[sandman]

Other:
Not happy with how things are going performance wise, but we've been really hit with injuries and we're decently placed in the league. It won't take much to get some terrific performances and wins out of us. Adkins deserves until at least November. 2014. Unless something drastic happens and we start nosediving into the bottom 8.

not really getting that


He is still the same manager, surely?

Yes he is, but we're judging him on his performance and if it gets that bad then we're in danger of relegation and we need to take action. Brian was a good manager. But his performance drastically dipped so we got rid. Correctly.

The level we're at and the parachute payments we've got, we can afford to give him a season of mediocrity and see if he can build on the next year. If he doesn't look to be improving we get shot at that point. But considering what we're currently getting is not mediocre, let alone poor (we're still top six right?), it's a bit moot. Albeit, poor enough that it's not inconceivable we could slump into mid-table mediocrity.

Nope, incorrectly. You give a manager in that league enough money then it doesn't matter what tactics or formation you play. See City, Stoke. Guthrie's struggling in the Championship let alone the Premier League and Pearce was forced upon him from higher up.

Too much talk on here about systems, probably a product of too much football manager. Players win you games not systems and we failed to back our manager enough to get the right players in. Meaning he had to make do with signing the likes of the vastly overrated Danny Guthrie.

[Big Ern]

Because we are not running away with the league and people are annoyed shows just how spoilt we have been. I fo one totally support NA, and although things are not 100% right on the pitch at present, he will get there. 6th considering how much he was allowed to spend on players is not a nad acheivement so far and there is a long way to go in the season still.

[Maguire]

Totally agree with the point sandman raises about the obession with formations. I saw someone on here yday write something like "if you play two banks of four then you'll probably get relegated". No, you won't. You can win the league playing 4-4-2 if your players are good enough.

Back to Adkins - his biggest problem IMHO is that he's a bellend. Reading fans will never truly warm to him because he comes across as such a helmet. I still think he'll be successful with the right backing from the owner but I literally can't bear to hear him speak, always turn the radio off if he's about to come on.

[Silver Fox]

6th in the table not even half way through the season having inherited a team devoid of confidence with 5 first team starters out injured for long periods of time. Yeah he's shit, sack him.

Did you see our wins against Yeovil, Forest and Charlton, the loss against Sheff Wed, The draw at Barsnley (where we were played off the park)
Take those gained points away and a more realistic picture emerges

No it doesn't

[ZacNaloen]

Totally agree with the point sandman raises about the obession with formations. I saw someone on here yday write something like "if you play two banks of four then you'll probably get relegated". No, you won't. You can win the league playing 4-4-2 if your players are good enough.

Back to Adkins - his biggest problem IMHO is that he's a bellend. Reading fans will never truly warm to him because he comes across as such a helmet. I still think he'll be successful with the right backing from the owner but I literally can't bear to hear him speak, always turn the radio off if he's about to come on.

I have this problem with Abbie Clancey on Strictly tbf

[Hampshire Royal]

We sacked Brian less than a year ago. It was the wrong decision at the time and I believe that he should have been given this season to prove himself (again).

Adkins was brought in with a very good track record, and he deserves our support as well as enough time to prove himself (again).

Do we really want to be the sort of club that sacks a manager too quickly, especially when the problems we might be having are very little to do with him? And, are people really calling for him to be sacked when we are sixth in the league? Really???