Steve Clarke

[paultheroyal]

Delighted with this appointment and in my top 3.

Proven assistant manager.
Excellent contacts throughout the game and with clubs at a very high level.
Exceeded expectations in his first season with WBA. (Premier League).

On paper a sound, solid appointment.

Strikes me more of a solid unit manager. Tighten up, wing play, attack!

I am sure other clubs across the country would nod their head in a positive manner with this appointment.

Good luck Steve. Lets hope for significant improvement.

[LWJ]

As far as I am concerned. I will judge Steve Clarke from 3.00pm onwards from Saturday and the weeks that follow. Commenting on someone I don't know personally is extremely foolish.

RT

[paultheroyal]

Co-Chairwoman Lady Sasima Srivikorn said, “We have appointed Steve because of his proven history as a manager and coach. We have chosen a leader who can develop our players and help them perform to the best of their ability. We will monitor the transfer market in the next window, but within the limits of Financial Fair Play, so therefore Steve has the right attributes to help our squad and he was our first choice. We look forward to moving up the league and the board share the view that we have found the right man in Steve.”

i.e he was the cheap option

I doubt that he was cheap.

What would be your preferred expensive option then?

[paultheroyal]

He is a worse manager than Adkins.

JESUS CHRIST.

We are doomed.

Help me out here. Explain in more detail.

[Royal Rother]

Correctly whelmed, he did a decent enough job at WBA, not like anyone was expecting a massive name where they?

Team West Brom
G 59
W 19
D 14
L 26
Win % 32.20%


yea stunning lololol, lost almost half his games in charge.

Typical Reading Fan Silver Fox all excited until the facts arrive.

He's a Yes man who's cheap and can't spend what isn't there, ala McD Adkins

if we normalise that for a 38 game season it's about 47 points which would put you in 11th last season

this is WBA we're talking about btw

And his 1st job in management.

He might end up being crap for Reading but there's nothing much to indicate that's a fair call to make on what he's achieved so far in coaching and management.

[Uke]

It's not true until it's on Wiki for the second time

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Clarke

[SPARTA]

That's not a bad win % considering it's WBA in the PL... We know how tough it is. It's almost two different leagues in terms of quality. He has a lot to prove, but that's exactly what we want!

[Mr Angry]

From what I can see the guy over achieved at West Brom and then got the blame when they drifted back nearer towards their natural position in the Premier League; frankly all that matters is how he fits our Club in the circumstances we find ourselves in today.

I don't think he can be judged too quickly; after all, he has to settle in, see the players in training and assess them, then see if he can start to turn things round on the pitch. Obviously there isn't going to be much money (if any at all) to spend in January, so it will be down to his coaching skills to get players who SHOULD be performing better than they have been, to perform better.

By what criteria is he to be judged? Solely on results?? I think that's a bit simplistic given the circumstances he has inherited. Not getting relegated is obviously top of the "Must Achieve" list, but I think its also about getting better performances and more consistency in the team, to get the players to not give the impression that every time the opponents cross the half way line there is going to be a goal scoring opportunity for them, and - though I hate to say this - just try to be entertaining in a positive way.

Mid table mediocrity, but finishing the season by making the fans genuinely look forward with anticipation to August, that would be success in my eyes this season.

[Kurtz]

"Moderately whelmed." A solid 6/10.

It was time for Adkins to go. Decent manager at the club at the wrong time. Will probably do OK at his next club. Good luck to him.

Hard to see Clarke as a significant improvement but happy to let early results & performances speak for themselves.... and then if we're not top of the table by April he can do the decent thing and walk. Obviously now looking forward to the traditional 'post-sacking' victory on Saturday.

[RoyallyFcuked]

Not quite sure how can people can be underwhelmed. Who were you expecting? IMO underwhelmed would have been Dolan as caretaker with a view to permanent (not saying that would have been bad though). I suggested Clarke a couple of months back when that "Who do you want?" thread started and I said yesterday he would be my prefered choice. It's not often you get what you wish for.

I think it's a very good appointment, I remember thinking at the time of his sacking at WBA it was pretty harsh. He might be a bit harder (more honest as well perhaps) than Adkins but that's probably just what they need. Some of them need a good kick up the arse tbh but they will be working extra hard for these next few weeks to try and impress him.

He has a good CV and some great experience at big clubs (albeit as a no2), my only concern is he has no experience at this level and obviously hasnt taken a club up to the PL before, whereas Hughton for example has, but Clarke has a better PL record than Hughton.

Anyway having said that, I don't see a reason why Clarke can't do well here and hopefully take us back up within the next couple of years. Also warmed to him and thought he interviewed quite well when he was at WBA. I remember after we somehow came back to win 3-2 against them in the PL after a shite display for 80 minutes he rounded it off by saying something like "Football can sometimes be a very strange game"

LOL. Well said.

[MeMeMe]

West Brom (June 2012 - Dec 2013)
Played 60
Won 19
Drawn 15
Lost 26

But then who would want the Reading managers job right now? ....we maybe have the best of the applicants ?

[Eaststandman]

Does he live locally or fairly adjacent? (no stalker)

[moo]

The assistant manager/backroom staff he has in mind are at other clubs.

He said anyone who knows his career would be able to work it out.

Who are they?

[Pearcehegone]

The assistant manager/backroom staff he has in mind are at other clubs.

He said anyone who knows his career would be able to work it out.

Who are they?

Kevin Keen.

He was assistant with SC at West Brom. Now at Fulham, working with their academy, so wouldn't have thought it would be much of a struggle to get him here.

[USA_Loyal_Royal]

How good is the style of football he employs? Is it more direct and hoofbally like mcdermott?

[Pearcehegone]

How good is the style of football he employs? Is it more direct and hoofbally like mcdermott?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rKOdVAKTv8

should be entertaining.

[Lower West]

How good is the style of football he employs? Is it more direct and hoofbally like mcdermott?

The players at the managers disposal dictate the style.

I would happily watch Reading grind out 1-0 wins for the remainder of the season. While seeing the academy players continue to get their chance in the squad.

[Norfolk Royal]

Having just watched the press conference in its entirety it's pretty clear what's happened here.

About two weeks ago the new owners became concerned that their investment was going down the gurgler quicker than they could have imagined.

They told SJM, Howe, and Hammond to toddle off and draw up a list of likely managerial candidates should they have to sack Adkins in a few weeks if results didn't improve.

This was done and after the humiliation of the Birmingham result they had a board meeting and Clarke emerged as the preferred candidate.

All this is pretty obvious really but it at least shows who is now calling the shots, ie the new owners.

Also, I think SJM referred to NA as Atkins during the press conference and kept saying 'intonated' when he meant 'intimated' although I cannot be sure of that.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

How good is the style of football he employs? Is it more direct and hoofbally like mcdermott?

If the game Vs West Brom at the Mad stad in Jan 2013 is anything to go by then pretty good. They played us off the park with quick incisive passing moves for 80 mins and should have been 5 up only to fall apart in the last ten mins - but then again the same happened with Chelsea 2 weeks later.

[P!ssed Off]

I saw someone ask earlier if Steve Clarke lived locally, can't remember who asked this, or on what thread.

For anyone interested, I've just learnt that Reading is very local to where the Clarke family is based.
A friend went to school with Clarke's son, in Farnham. Apparently the family moved to the area when Clarke joined Chelsea, and have been based here since. (Chelsea's training ground is based in Cobham, not far away, for anyone that doesn't know).

I would therefore imagine that location was a very positive factor when it came to both Clarke's and Reading's decision making.