Are to unhappy Steve Clark is staying?

[Coppelled_Streets]

Wasn't it Coppelled Streets that announced on here that 'at best' we would finish mid table, just before we broke the record for the most points in a season?

Most of our pre-season predictions were off that season. ISTR I opted for 8th. No-one could have predicted promotion, let alone ripping the Football League a new arsehole. A very odd thing for you to bring up tbh.

[MoorgateRoyal]

No.

Give him a chance to a) explain and b) get us out of this slump.

Five games ago he could walk on water in the eyes of everyone on here.

and, LOL at Fulham.

It all gets a bit 'I never fancied her anyway' when managers leave, or in this case, look like leaving.

I think he's a decent manager and we were going really well until the recent slump.

Obviously it seems he didn't handle this too well, but he never said anything public about it either way. All the evidence we have is the 'BBC Sport/SSN understands...' type of reports and some Sun(!) journo putting his two pennies in.

It will be difficult for him to get people back on side now but we should give him a chance at least.

For all we know, he may have spoken to Fulham out of courtesy and never wanted to leave. Obviously he may have asked to go, too, but we may never find that out.

[Pepe the Horseman]

In the summer he cleared out the coaching staff and built his own team. Four months later, he meets with a team below us in the league, to see if they can offer him something better. If they had, he'd be gone. No qualms about ditching this project 16 games into his first full season. I just can't understand how people are ok with that. It's not like he's taken us as far as he can and is seeing what's out there. It's like applying for a new job when you're in your probation period.

[Nameless]

Fulham were offering hm £80k a year more money

Why wouldn't he talk to them

Because that's probably not that big a pay rise for him ? And for the chance of what may be a relatively small amount of money you diminish yourself in the eyes of your employers, your players and the club supporters ?
He's free to make that decision, I'm free to be disappointed that his commitment to the job he has here is now in doubt.
If he had gone I don't think it would have been hard to replace him with a better manager. If he does stay he's now made his job a lot harder, in the short term at least, when questions were already being asked about his capability.
It seems a poor piece of judgement on his part.

[strap]

Top marks for doing an interview so soon after.

As if he had any choice in the matter!

[RG7Fan]

What was on offer at Fulham wasnt as good as what he has at Reading apparently according to his press conference just now, but he spoke to them because they came knocking with apparently a big money offer (but nothing behind it).

Top marks for doing an interview so soon after.

i took from it that if fulham had offered more he would have gone. Personally i don't think he has done himself an favours with comments like that. Just makes you distrust the bloke and when the next club who come knocking, what happens then, clubs know his head can be turned

But I think the 'offered more' wasn't money (as in salary) in my view - sounded like the whole set up, e.g. coaching staff, transfer budget, influence, etc.

[CrowthorneRoyal]

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... e-10473132

[Royal Lady]

If Clarke wasn't looking to go, he wouldn't have spoken to Fulham in the first place. Then there would have been none of this rubbish. It seems entirely feasible that he threw his toys out of the pram because he couldn't take his backroom staff - none of whom I think we'd miss.

However, clearly the board couldn't afford to lose the entire coaching team a few hours before our next match - therefore, I reckon we'll be lining up a new manager and backroom staff and as soon as they are ready to come, we'll ditch Clarke and "his" backroom staff and good riddance I say!

[DaddyKuhl]

What was on offer at Fulham wasnt as good as what he has at Reading apparently according to his press conference just now, but he spoke to them because they came knocking with apparently a big money offer (but nothing behind it).

Top marks for doing an interview so soon after.

i took from it that if fulham had offered more he would have gone. Personally i don't think he has done himself an favours with comments like that. Just makes you distrust the bloke and when the next club who come knocking, what happens then, clubs know his head can be turned

But I think the 'offered more' wasn't money (as in salary) in my view - sounded like the whole set up, e.g. coaching staff, transfer budget, influence, etc.

Agree with this. And agree with steve clarke when he says if someone is willing to pay good money to get you (1.25m I have heard) then you would be curious to see what was on offer. He then chose going forward, for whatever reason, Reading was still the better option for him. I am surprised people are so shocked! But then, these are the same people who would sack a manager with ease then cry loyalty when a manager looks to leave.

[Nameless]

If Clarke wasn't looking to go, he wouldn't have spoken to Fulham in the first place. Then there would have been none of this rubbish. It seems entirely feasible that he threw his toys out of the pram because he couldn't take his backroom staff - none of whom I think we'd miss.

However, clearly the board couldn't afford to lose the entire coaching team a few hours before our next match - therefore, I reckon we'll be lining up a new manager and backroom staff and as soon as they are ready to come, we'll ditch Clarke and "his" backroom staff and good riddance I say!

None of that makes sense.
Of course we could sack Clark before a game. It happens all the time. There are other people at the club who can step in short term.
If we line up anew manager then sack Clark and his team it would cost us millions. We'd have been better losing him now and being paid compensation than waiting a week and wasting 3 or 4 million that would be better spent on players.

[Stranded]

All seems fair enough to me.

Was headhunted, had a conversation, the full package (and it sounds like it is not just money) was not as it was sold so stayed where he was. Happens in every walk of life.

It's not like he's applied for the job there.

[genome]

In the summer he cleared out the coaching staff and built his own team. Four months later, he meets with a team below us in the league, to see if they can offer him something better. If they had, he'd be gone. No qualms about ditching this project 16 games into his first full season. I just can't understand how people are ok with that. It's not like he's taken us as far as he can and is seeing what's out there. It's like applying for a new job when you're in your probation period.

Paul Bowen @theboybowen
If I'm in Nando's having some peri peri chicken and chips I don't walk out half way to go get dough balls from Pizza Express. #readingfc

[Pepe the Horseman]

Not sure that analogy really works, but I like it. And it's making me hungry.

[Stranded]

If Clarke wasn't looking to go, he wouldn't have spoken to Fulham in the first place. Then there would have been none of this rubbish. It seems entirely feasible that he threw his toys out of the pram because he couldn't take his backroom staff - none of whom I think we'd miss.

However, clearly the board couldn't afford to lose the entire coaching team a few hours before our next match - therefore, I reckon we'll be lining up a new manager and backroom staff and as soon as they are ready to come, we'll ditch Clarke and "his" backroom staff and good riddance I say!

None of this suggests he was looking to go at all.

Likely cause of events is he was focused on prep for tomorrow. Howe gets a call from Fulham saying we'd like to talk to your manager, we're willing to pay £x if we employ him or even just for the right to talk. Howe goes OK, Steve Fulham would like to talk to you about their position, you are free to talk if you wish. He thinks OK, I'm happy here but that could be an interesting opportunity - so he goes for the talk to weigh up what is best for him (as I think we all would).

If the deal was out of this world (both financially and professionally) he may wellhave gone, it clearly wasn't so he stays with an employer that he is happy working for.

We all know that football clubs will get rid almost at a drop of a hat, so I have no problem with this having happened - his position is exactly as tenable as it was last week. Only results will dictate if it remains so. Lose a few more and drop off the pace and the owners won't think twice about replacing him - he knows that, you know that. Loyalty is pretty much a moot conceit in football.

[paultheroyal]

All seems fair enough to me.

Was headhunted, had a conversation, the full package (and it sounds like it is not just money) was not as it was sold so stayed where he was. Happens in every walk of life.

It's not like he's applied for the job there.

Agreed.

Not ideal but its happened. Lets hope for a positive effect with a winning and decent performance tomorrow.

Stevie Clarkes Blue and White Army - and repeat!

[Pepe the Horseman]

If Clarke wasn't looking to go, he wouldn't have spoken to Fulham in the first place. Then there would have been none of this rubbish. It seems entirely feasible that he threw his toys out of the pram because he couldn't take his backroom staff - none of whom I think we'd miss.

However, clearly the board couldn't afford to lose the entire coaching team a few hours before our next match - therefore, I reckon we'll be lining up a new manager and backroom staff and as soon as they are ready to come, we'll ditch Clarke and "his" backroom staff and good riddance I say!

None of this suggests he was looking to go at all.

Likely cause of events is he was focused on prep for tomorrow. Howe gets a call from Fulham saying we'd like to talk to your manager, we're willing to pay £x if we employ him or even just for the right to talk. Howe goes OK, Steve Fulham would like to talk to you about their position, you are free to talk if you wish. He thinks OK, I'm happy here but that could be an interesting opportunity - so he goes for the talk to weigh up what is best for him (as I think we all would).

If the deal was out of this world (both financially and professionally) he may wellhave gone, it clearly wasn't so he stays with an employer that he is happy working for.

We all know that football clubs will get rid almost at a drop of a hat, so I have no problem with this having happened - his position is exactly as tenable as it was last week. Only results will dictate if it remains so. Lose a few more and drop off the pace and the owners won't think twice about replacing him - he knows that, you know that. Loyalty is pretty much a moot conceit in football.

He was in negotiations with them for two days. Doesn't sound like he just wanted to see what they were offering.

[Stuka]

Why don't you fukk off,
Why don't you fukk offffff,
Fukk off to Fullham,
Why don't you fukk off.

Sounds good to me. Will try and sing it tomorrow!

[Winston Smith]

What I have here is mind blowing. I’m happy with what I have here

don't go overboard m8!

[genome]

It's going to be a strange atmosphere on Saturday that's for true

[Winston Smith]

It's going to be a strange atmosphere on Saturday that's for true

weirder than that September 11th 2001 game against West Ham?