HNA approval/disapproval of NA

[AirRaidSiren]

The real jokers here are Grade A twats like you

We are in the Championship looking to gain promotion to the Premiership. In this respect, Holloway has a better record than Atkins so, calling the man "a joke" says more about you than him.

Please explain this better record? (and when you do please bear in mind the form of Palace after Freedman left them last season).

I'd fancy Olly to achieve that end far more than the man whose highly paid teams have already been beaten this season by Peterborough, Sheffield Wednesday and Bournemouth

Is this the same Holloway who spent £21+ million on transfers in the summer and bottled it, walked away because he couldn't get his own team to function the way he wanted?

[winchester_royal]

The elephant in the room here is that - while those snobs who stoically stand by their viewpoint that 'Adkins supposedly > McD' because of this myth that only sides who retain significant amounts of possession in the Premier League can survive there - Hull City have started well and look well capable of staying safe from trouble under that well known exponent of 'total football' Steve Bruce

Oooh I'm not sure anyone holds that specific viewpoint, however the ability to retain possession in certain periods of the game does come in handy, and it's an ability that Hull (with players like Huddelstone, Livermore, and Koren) do possess.

Hull have a nice balance to their side, they're not a long-ball team by any means, but it's a little early in the season to be saying they'll definitely survive, especially given how tight that relegation scrap will be.

Flexibility is, imo, the key to PL survival. We didn't have that last season. Sadly, we're not regularly demonstrating it this season either.

[Big Foot]

Was arguing ^ that, earlier.

Not sure why people think we have a stronger squad and therefore should be doing better, comparing our promotion season to this.

McDermie Vs Adkins

The instrumental Harte >>>>>>>>>>>> An injured Bridge / his weak replacement
The then in form Gorkss >>>>>>>>>>> the blundering up and down Morro
Then In form McAnuff >>>>>>>>>>>>> HRK / McCleary / Obita / Injured Drenthe
Kebe >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> HRK / McCleary / Obita / Injured Drenthe
Jason Roberts >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Pog
Noel Hunt >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sharp / Alf
L-Wood >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Injured Williams
Karacan >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Injured Baird

The only genuine improvement I can think of is Gunter (marginally better than Cummings) and Guthrie (more creative than our previous CM pair). But the notion Adkins should be doing better "because he has a better squad" doesn't really make any sense.

Is Morro "blundering" and "up and down" because he's confused by unclear instructions from the manager and therefore performed better under McD?

Bit like Pearce, Cummings & Long under Rodgers - looked dire & then McDermott simplified things and the improvement was near enough immediate and dramatic.

[floyd__streete]

Oooh I'm not sure anyone holds that specific viewpoint, however the ability to retain possession in certain periods of the game does come in handy, and it's an ability that Hull (with players like Huddelstone, Livermore, and Koren) do possess.

Hull have a nice balance to their side, they're not a long-ball team by any means, but it's a little early in the season to be saying they'll definitely survive, especially given how tight that relegation scrap will be.

Flexibility is, imo, the key to PL survival. We didn't have that last season. Sadly, we're not regularly demonstrating it this season either.

They're not a long ball side.....but they're hardly a Swansea either.

Fair comeback though. Fancy a pint sometime .....No, neither do I

[floyd__streete]

Bit like Pearce, Cummings & Long under Rodgers - looked dire & then McDermott simplified things and the improvement was near enough immediate and dramatic.

+1.

Its all very well saying 'oh but he hasn't got the players to play the style of football he wants'. Well, he should have applied for the Brazil job then

Ironically - for all the snobbishness, someone the other day describing McD's style as hit and hope football - I felt recently at times (certainly at the Charlton game) as if I was watching Reading under McD; ball hit early into the channels etc. Its just that Adkins isn't as skilled at getting this to work as his predecessor was

[Pepe the Horseman]

Fair comeback though. Fancy a pint sometime .....No, neither do I

[Wimb]

Many have said Adkins should be doing a lot better with the team he has right now but which of these three lineups would you rather have?

Adkins 19th Championship game McCarthy, Cummings, Pearce, Gorkss, Gunter, Williams, Guthrie, Robson-Kanu, Obita, McCleary, Sharp

This proves nothing other than Adkins/Hammond/AZ should have signed better in the summer.....or certainly not signed crocks like Bridge and over-weight Drenthe

Can't disagree that they should have been smarter in the summer (one might guess that something happened mid-way through the 'rebuild.....) allthough Bridge played 42 games for Brighton who got to a play-off semi-final last season, hardly a crock but Drenthe I'll give you. Still, it might be worth pointing a bit of a finger at Brian and the men upstairs who were happy to carry or sign three right backs under the age of 30 but put their total faith in the 30+ Harte and Shorey both on short-term deals.

Also factor in that Adkins had a full 4 months before the start of this Championship season to a) Reorganise his playing personnel, b) reorganise his coaching personnel, c) adjust and d) have a full pre-season under the belt of all his players.

Oh, and an extra 8 league games the season prior.

Overall - shambolic job by the smug one, he has to go by hook or by crook he needs to be forced out of the club.

So what of McDermott's advantage of working in the club for 10 years with more than half that squad plus having a loan/January window to add some players, or the fact that Coppell took over a side left in good shape by Alan Pardew?

Not denying Adkins has made mistakes and should have the team playing a bit better, I just look at those squads and don't see why Adkins should be doing that much better than two very successful Reading managers who finished those respective season's outside the play-offs.

[winchester_royal]

They're not a long ball side.....but they're hardly a Swansea either.

True. Swansea were fcuking shite last night though. Just ftr, I have absolutely no desire for us to start playing in a similar way to Laudrup's team. Too slow, too narrow, too dull.

[winchester_royal]

Fair comeback though. Fancy a pint sometime .....No, neither do I

That's not far off tbh

[Wycombe Royal]

The real jokers here are Grade A twats like you

We are in the Championship looking to gain promotion to the Premiership. In this respect, Holloway has a better record than Atkins so, calling the man "a joke" says more about you than him.

Please explain this better record? (and when you do please bear in mind the form of Palace after Freedman left them last season).

2 promotions to the top flight.........................one more than Adkins.

We are going nowhere without Premiership money and even Adkins current side (let alone the fantasy one that his apologists seem to think can be paid for with fairy dust ) could not be financed without McDermott's brilliantly secured promotion.

Some of you need to get your heads out of Nigel's backside and get real. Forget building a team to out football Man U & Citeh and find the next McDermott to get us back to where we would at least have the money to maintain the squad we've got

I'd fancy Olly to achieve that end far more than the man whose highly paid teams have already been beaten this season by Peterborough, Sheffield Wednesday and Bournemouth

So it's nice to see you ignored the work done by Freedman at Palace then, not that I am surprised.

Pre-Holloway - 1.85 points per game
With Holloway - 1.45 points per game

Without that start Freedman gave them they would not have been promoted. Also Adkins promotion was automatic and not from finishing 5th and 6th.

[Hoop Blah]

I suppose the only point to make out of it is maybe we don't have as strong an XI as some might think? Especially with the injuries we've had to deal with.

...due to Adkins signings crocks (Bridge, Williams, Drenthe) and sacking our Sports Scientist.

You don't think our poor injury record might be WHY the sports scientist was given the boot?

Halibi was a Rodgers appointment and perhaps Adkins thinks his man will get our players in the shape he wants.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Was arguing ^ that, earlier.

Not sure why people think we have a stronger squad and therefore should be doing better, comparing our promotion season to this.

McDermie Vs Adkins

The instrumental Harte >>>>>>>>>>>> An injured Bridge / his weak replacement
The then in form Gorkss >>>>>>>>>>> the blundering up and down Morro
Then In form McAnuff >>>>>>>>>>>>> HRK / McCleary / Obita / Injured Drenthe
Kebe >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> HRK / McCleary / Obita / Injured Drenthe
Jason Roberts >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Pog
Noel Hunt >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sharp / Alf
L-Wood >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Injured Williams
Karacan >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Injured Baird

The only genuine improvement I can think of is Gunter (marginally better than Cummings) and Guthrie (more creative than our previous CM pair). But the notion Adkins should be doing better "because he has a better squad" doesn't really make any sense.

Is Morro "blundering" and "up and down" because he's confused by unclear instructions from the manager and therefore performed better under McD?

Bit like Pearce, Cummings & Long under Rodgers - looked dire & then McDermott simplified things and the improvement was near enough immediate and dramatic.

Possibly. The point is though, that Adkins is hardly operating with a vastly superior team. Whatever the criticism aimed towards him, this would seem a bit misplaced in my opinion.

It's not even Adkins per se, that I'm defending. In my opinion


1) We have been hit by an injury crisis
2) We are trying to develop and implement a new style of football which will arguably help us fare better if and when we are promoted
3) We are bedding in a new manager, new players and new formations
4) we have not spent much money or vastly improved the team

Yet we have been in or around the play-off places all season. Yes, we may have only put in a couple of memorable performances but thinking back to our promotion season, the same was true of that - it's not that often I've witnessed Reading string great game after great game together, or perhaps any other club either.

I'm a fan of giving the manager, who ever he is, time to get it right. If we were floating around the relegation places maybe it would be concerning. But we are in a challenging position while still work-in-progress. When it all comes together, we could be in for a treat.

[Hoop Blah]

On the Adkins vs Holloway promotion count, how many times has Adkins been in any sort of position to win promotion? Once? Now twice? (I don't think Scunny were ever realistically going to challenge were they?)

Holloway has surely had more opportunity to win promotion to the Premier League so his 2 v 1 win in promotions can't be too much to write home about.

[Wycombe Royal]

On the Adkins vs Holloway promotion count, how many times has Adkins been in any sort of position to win promotion? Once? Now twice? (I don't think Scunny were ever realistically going to challenge were they?)

Holloway has surely had more opportunity to win promotion to the Premier League so his 2 v 1 win in promotions can't be too much to write home about.

Once with Southampton and he achieved it. This is his second realistic chance.

I don't see how anyone, except Woodcote, can even start to believe that Holloway's managerial record is better than Adkins. Lets remember the fantastic job he did at both Leicester and QPR.

[The Goat was fed]

My beef with Adkins is:

1. We're playing boring dross disguised as "passing" (in this case, just ineffective) football. Dull, dull, dull.
2. Our record post-Adkins appointment in the Prem was actually shocking, but he got away with it because "it wasn't his team". There was no "new boss bounce".
3. He's as boring as his team. Fancy a night out with Nigel Adkins? Thought not.
4. There's no team spirit. 2-0 down at HT under McDermott, you knew you were still with a shout. Under Adkins, you just know it's game over.
5. The players must hate him. Play well or not, there's a very good chance you'll be dropped the next game anyway, so why bother?
6. He's just not "one of us", feels like he belongs elsewhere and is just passing through, a bit like the owner. As said elsewhere, decent manager at the wrong club at the wrong time.

[Extended-Phenotype]

My beef with Adkins is:

1. We're playing boring dross disguised as "passing" (in this case, just ineffective) football. Dull, dull, dull.

> The argument here would be that, given time, our players will get used to this style of football and become more effective and creative with it. In turn that would see us perhaps more competitive when we do win promotion again.

2. Our record post-Adkins appointment in the Prem was actually shocking, but he got away with it because "it wasn't his team". There was no "new boss bounce".

> It wasn't good, no. Then again was Adkins trying to win games or testing out players and setting in a new system? It's feasible that it's the latter and not particularly relevant in the grand scheme of things.

3. He's as boring as his team. Fancy a night out with Nigel Adkins? Thought not.

> He isn't as likeable as Brian. But I loved SC, and he hardly seemed electrifying company. In the end, I'm looking for quality in football managers, not drinking partners or best friends.

4. There's no team spirit. 2-0 down at HT under McDermott, you knew you were still with a shout. Under Adkins, you just know it's game over.

> I think we have shown resolve to pull back scores on occasion. I think a team which is bedding in new players and a new system is bound to be less 'together' to begin with. Hopefully when the team clicks, we will see much improvement - without the click we are still managing to challenge the play-off spots.

5. The players must hate him. Play well or not, there's a very good chance you'll be dropped the next game anyway, so why bother?

> Difficult to understand why he chops and changes when he gives little away. I'm sure as a reasonably experienced manager he keeps his players well informed as to why they are in or out of the side. There can't be much issue when many players coming back into the side put in decent performances (Pog, Alf, Gorkss, McCleary, Williams, Jobi, Gunter etc.)

6. He's just not "one of us", feels like he belongs elsewhere and is just passing through, a bit like the owner. As said elsewhere, decent manager at the wrong club at the wrong time.

> Sadly, there isn't much chance of many future managers being "one of us". But that feeling can develop with time - who knows what the future holds? He could be our manager for ages and we could grow to love him.

[Victor Meldrew]

What is this so-called "new system"?
9 months in or however long it is I don't see much change whereas when McGhee came in it was about 9 days.
I think the idea that we are playing a much-changed passing game is a myth.

[Extended-Phenotype]

What is this so-called "new system"?
9 months in or however long it is I don't see much change whereas when McGhee came in it was about 9 days.
I think the idea that we are playing a much-changed passing game is a myth.

Then why is everyone complaining about our much-changed passing game?

Make your minds up.

[floyd__streete]

What is this so-called "new system"?
9 months in or however long it is I don't see much change whereas when McGhee came in it was about 9 days.
I think the idea that we are playing a much-changed passing game is a myth.

McGhee's Reading utterly sucked initially and barely won back-to-back games for 18 months. The difference between MM and NA being that MM was a novice manager who had a miniscule budget

Anyway, here's one for you all:

If there was such a desire to 'improve' the playing style for purposes of potential longevity in the top flight (some plausible logic at play here), then could we have not given Brian a season in the Champ with the brief of making a top 6 side play a more possession-based game, instead of wasting goodness knows how many 10s of thousands paying him off Adkins apologists asking for him to be given time is an opinion that holds some sway.....so why couldn't Brian have been given that time to achieve a similar objective

[P!ssed Off]

4. There's no team spirit. 2-0 down at HT under McDermott, you knew you were still with a shout. Under Adkins, you just know it's game over.

> I think we have shown resolve to pull back scores on occasion. I think a team which is bedding in new players and a new system is bound to be less 'together' to begin with. Hopefully when the team clicks, we will see much improvement - without the click we are still managing to challenge the play-off spots.

Occasions where points have been won this season from a losing position:
3rd August Reading 2 - 1 Ispwich. 3 points gained.
10th August Bolton 1 - 1 Reading. 1 point gained.

Total: 4 points

Occasions where points have been lost from a winning position:
17th August Reading 3 - 3 Watford. 2 points lost.
1st October Barnsley 1 - 1 Reading. 2 points lost.
26th October Reading 1 - 1 Millwall. 2 points lost.
9th November Reading 1 - 1 QPR. 2 points lost.

Total: 8 points

There's your resolve.