Bowen, Sack? Yes or no?

[Stranded]

What a load of drivel.

Not Snowball's biggest fan but there is some sense to that timeline despite the usual assumptions, what is your realistic alternative?

[Snowball]

What a load of drivel.

The perfectly circular five-word statement.

Well done, OMA, Senyru would be proud of you.

[Franconian Royal]

If I am reading the tea-leaves correctly...

Miazga lost
Blackett gone
Ejaria unlikely to be signed
Moore likely to be sold even if we only get a few million
Puscas might well be sold
Meite might well be sold
Swift at least 50/50 to be sold


(I'm sure there are more)

FORGET who the manager is!

That leaves us with a team that will do well to finish out of the bottom three.


Now, say Bowen stays a year, we get lucky, find a gem. We finish 18th.

Surely that is BRILLIANT! ??????

We are moving from an over-spending dick-head club close to becoming basket-case, to a club "cutting its cloth" and hoping to retain Championship status.


IF we lose the players we are expected to lose (Ejaria, Swift, Moore, Miazga, Blackett, Gunter, McCleary, Meite, Puscas no longer available, surely finishing above last place is an achievement?

That is, if the exodus and replacements is s bad s it might be, Jesus Christ couldn't keep us up.


I am not crazy about Bowen, but he ticked the boxes, did his job. If we offload all the players we are expected to offload AVOIDING RELEGATION NEXT SEASON WILL BE STELLAR SUCCESS.

How may people here felt that after we had played abysmally for 11 games and were already relegation-fodder thought we could realistically make top half? Game by game I have not been thrilled, but you know I'm a stats man and it is TOTALLY UNDENIABLE that Bowen improved us substantially over Gomes 2019.

I am beginning to think Bowen is TRANSITION MAN. We have to survive this year (TICK!) and next year 2020-2021, then look to flirt with the top six, 2021-2022 then go for it ti 2022/23. Boring as duck I know, but restructuring a club is a long-term thing

I agree with you fully. I know that I, for example, am not a stats man. I find stats incredibly boring. I don't know how you can do it, but that's your thing.

Point being: that timeline you've written makes sense. It would be a shame to not keep Swift and Meite, but if it does mean that we cut our wage budget a lot, then I'd be up for it. As for Moore, he looks like his head has been turned. In my opinion, if I were Bowen, I would build my team around Swift and Meite. Make Swift captain. Ok, he's not the loudest guy on the pitch, but he seems intelligent (intelligent as it gets for football players on bloated wages). I'd sell Puscas, cut the losses. Find someone from lower divisions who could score goals (there must be someone from one of the relegated teams or in higher reaches of League 1).

Bowen needs time, it's no use chopping and changing every 9 months. Let him have the time to build HIS team. This summer is going to be hard, because of the financial problems we have, but surely he should be allowed to put his own team together.

[Old Man Andrews]

What a load of drivel.

Not Snowball's biggest fan but there is some sense to that timeline despite the usual assumptions, what is your realistic alternative?

Let me be clear, I don't expect to win the league or get in the playoffs any time soon. I don't demand instant success or have unrealistic goals. It will be a struggle next season and we need to rebuild from the bottom up.

My issue is that Bowen clearly isn't best place to be in charge of a rebuild, he has absolutely no experience of doing this and when you are going to have a largely young squad we need and experienced manager to help them and guide them through it. We also need a manager with experience of working with unfancied sides/sides on a tight budget. I have no faith based upon what I've heard or seen from Bowen that he is the man to do this, if anything he could damage a lot of the players should we get off to a bad start next season. We are more than capable as s club to comfortably finish midtable next season, we shouldn't aspire to narrowly miss out on relegation as Snowball suggests. The guy has never criticised the team or a manager once, he is slightly delusional and thinks supporting the club means he cannot criticise the club. His sycophantic nonsense is really annoying to read.

Bowen 100% come across like a puppet, in place because he will comply with all the decisions made by the owners and Kia Joorabchian. There is a good reason why he got the job and it wasn't because he was the best man for the job, it was because he could be easily controlled by the ownership. We need a Neil Warnock type managing us next season, someone with vast experience in motivating players and grinding out results. Instead we have a P.E teacher in charge who is clearly not what is required.

[Old Man Andrews]

What a load of drivel.

The perfectly circular five-word statement.

Well done, OMA, Senyru would be proud of you.

Type in bold or italics to make it appear like you know what you're talking about.....

You're without doubt the most arrogant, know it all supporter we have on this board, just awful.

[Stranded]

What a load of drivel.

Not Snowball's biggest fan but there is some sense to that timeline despite the usual assumptions, what is your realistic alternative?

Let me be clear, I don't expect to win the league or get in the playoffs any time soon. I don't demand instant success or have unrealistic goals. It will be a struggle next season and we need to rebuild from the bottom up.

My issue is that Bowen clearly isn't best place to be in charge of a rebuild, he has absolutely no experience of doing this and when you are going to have a largely young squad we need and experienced manager to help them and guide them through it. We also need a manager with experience of working with unfancied sides/sides on a tight budget. I have no faith based upon what I've heard or seen from Bowen that he is the man to do this, if anything he could damage a lot of the players should we get off to a bad start next season. We are more than capable as s club to comfortably finish midtable next season, we shouldn't aspire to narrowly miss out on relegation as Snowball suggests. The guy has never criticised the team or a manager once, he is slightly delusional and thinks supporting the club means he cannot criticise the club. His sycophantic nonsense is really annoying to read.

Bowen 100% come across like a puppet, in place because he will comply with all the decisions made by the owners and Kia Joorabchian. There is a good reason why he got the job and it wasn't because he was the best man for the job, it was because he could be easily controlled by the ownership. We need a Neil Warnock type managing us next season, someone with vast experience in motivating players and grinding out results. Instead we have a P.E teacher in charge who is clearly not what is required.

Thanks for detailing your view. My opinion is, he has done a good enough job to this point and we has not had a window where he could effectively recruit.

Now he may be a puppet of the Board and Joorabchian but if Bowen goes, the others will remain and have input in hiring the next guy, likely a client of Joorabchian's to boot. So why would the next guy be any less of a puppet? Perhaps even more so?

[Old Man Andrews]

Not Snowball's biggest fan but there is some sense to that timeline despite the usual assumptions, what is your realistic alternative?

Let me be clear, I don't expect to win the league or get in the playoffs any time soon. I don't demand instant success or have unrealistic goals. It will be a struggle next season and we need to rebuild from the bottom up.

My issue is that Bowen clearly isn't best place to be in charge of a rebuild, he has absolutely no experience of doing this and when you are going to have a largely young squad we need and experienced manager to help them and guide them through it. We also need a manager with experience of working with unfancied sides/sides on a tight budget. I have no faith based upon what I've heard or seen from Bowen that he is the man to do this, if anything he could damage a lot of the players should we get off to a bad start next season. We are more than capable as s club to comfortably finish midtable next season, we shouldn't aspire to narrowly miss out on relegation as Snowball suggests. The guy has never criticised the team or a manager once, he is slightly delusional and thinks supporting the club means he cannot criticise the club. His sycophantic nonsense is really annoying to read.

Bowen 100% come across like a puppet, in place because he will comply with all the decisions made by the owners and Kia Joorabchian. There is a good reason why he got the job and it wasn't because he was the best man for the job, it was because he could be easily controlled by the ownership. We need a Neil Warnock type managing us next season, someone with vast experience in motivating players and grinding out results. Instead we have a P.E teacher in charge who is clearly not what is required.

Thanks for detailing your view. My opinion is, he has done a good enough job to this point and we has not had a window where he could effectively recruit.

Now he may be a puppet of the Board and Joorabchian but if Bowen goes, the others will remain and have input in hiring the next guy, likely a client of Joorabchian's to boot. So why would the next guy be any less of a puppet? Perhaps even more so?

You're correct in what you say, I think the board want a puppet. My view was more from a supporters perspective of what we want from a manager.

I think recent history tells us Reading are much better off when we have a manager who is in complete control, Steve Coppell and Brian McDermott tell us this. They were allowed to take bottom up control of all aspects and the rewards are there for all to see. In recent years Reading have allowed some very shady people into the club who make decisions based upon their own personal greed. How have we allowed this to happen?

[Stranded]

Let me be clear, I don't expect to win the league or get in the playoffs any time soon. I don't demand instant success or have unrealistic goals. It will be a struggle next season and we need to rebuild from the bottom up.

My issue is that Bowen clearly isn't best place to be in charge of a rebuild, he has absolutely no experience of doing this and when you are going to have a largely young squad we need and experienced manager to help them and guide them through it. We also need a manager with experience of working with unfancied sides/sides on a tight budget. I have no faith based upon what I've heard or seen from Bowen that he is the man to do this, if anything he could damage a lot of the players should we get off to a bad start next season. We are more than capable as s club to comfortably finish midtable next season, we shouldn't aspire to narrowly miss out on relegation as Snowball suggests. The guy has never criticised the team or a manager once, he is slightly delusional and thinks supporting the club means he cannot criticise the club. His sycophantic nonsense is really annoying to read.

Bowen 100% come across like a puppet, in place because he will comply with all the decisions made by the owners and Kia Joorabchian. There is a good reason why he got the job and it wasn't because he was the best man for the job, it was because he could be easily controlled by the ownership. We need a Neil Warnock type managing us next season, someone with vast experience in motivating players and grinding out results. Instead we have a P.E teacher in charge who is clearly not what is required.

Thanks for detailing your view. My opinion is, he has done a good enough job to this point and we has not had a window where he could effectively recruit.

Now he may be a puppet of the Board and Joorabchian but if Bowen goes, the others will remain and have input in hiring the next guy, likely a client of Joorabchian's to boot. So why would the next guy be any less of a puppet? Perhaps even more so?

You're correct in what you say, I think the board want a puppet. My view was more from a supporters perspective of what we want from a manager.

I think recent history tells us Reading are much better off when we have a manager who is in complete control, Steve Coppell and Brian McDermott tell us this. They were allowed to take bottom up control of all aspects and the rewards are there for all to see. In recent years Reading have allowed some very shady people into the club who make decisions based upon their own personal greed. How have we allowed this to happen?

I can't disagree that when we have a manager who shapes the club in a certain direction, you see the benefits. At the moment, we can only go with what Bowen says, and he says he has been tasked with rebuilding the club and the philosophy - that is not a 9 month job and can only really be done when he has the players in that he wants to use not hangovers from the last 3 managers.

We all know the club have brought in to many players of late but we have often still relied on the same core of players where just doing enough seems to be good enough - that mindset has to change.

As Bowen said ""I've got plans I want to put in place with my own squad and players and put demands on them every day because things have to change.

"It's been almost like an acceptance of mediocrity for too long and I'm not going to have that going into next year."

Now that may be words and we may come to a point where we are 10 games in with just 10 points and getting a deja vu feeling but his record to date has earnt him the right to take on the challenge and prove if he is up to it or not.

The anti-Bowen thing is, in my mind, simply a hangover of people not liking the bloke, some still actively blaming him for Gomes' departure (although only Gomes' is to blame for that) and people making their mind up on him on day 1. The one thing we all must have learnt from the world in the last few years, is when people get entrenched in a position then most will become stubborn, not shift and wait to be proven right.

Lets see what the player churn looks like, and who we put out as the starting XI in September rather than judging him on a timeline that includes, what for us, was a pointless 9 game run with a squad where about a third of the players knew they weren't going to be there by the end of it.

[Hound]

What a load of drivel.

Not Snowball's biggest fan but there is some sense to that timeline despite the usual assumptions, what is your realistic alternative?

I don't agree with this:

That leaves us with a team that will do well to finish out of the bottom three.

We should have plenty enough even with those players leaving as long as we can get some good solid freebies in. There will be some absolute dross in the division next year

[Old Man Andrews]

What a load of drivel.

Not Snowball's biggest fan but there is some sense to that timeline despite the usual assumptions, what is your realistic alternative?

I don't agree with this:

That leaves us with a team that will do well to finish out of the bottom three.

We should have plenty enough even with those players leaving as long as we can get some good solid freebies in. There will be some absolute dross in the division next year

Bear in mind Sheffield Wednesday and possibly Derby will have a points deduction too. Relegation isn't something we should be anywhere near us.

[Stranded]

What a load of drivel.

Not Snowball's biggest fan but there is some sense to that timeline despite the usual assumptions, what is your realistic alternative?

I don't agree with this:

That leaves us with a team that will do well to finish out of the bottom three.

We should have plenty enough even with those players leaving as long as we can get some good solid freebies in. There will be some absolute dross in the division next year

That's why I said it makes some sense - I think even with major changes a finish of around 14-16 has to be the minimimum target.

So 20/21 - mid-table 14th to 16th but still with an eye more down than up
21/22 - 8th to 12th - comfortable top half finish with maybe half a chance of the play-offs with a few games left but ultimately not being quite good enough
22/23 - play-offs

That is a very plausible timeline IF we get this rebuild right. The big difference this summer for me is that we are losing a lot of long term high earners by default rather than trying to find a suitor for them and as you say the free transfer market will be a lot bigger this year with some real talent to be picked up - I liked what MB said about that also being a trap and needing to be sure the players have the right mentality and fit to how he wants to play rather than - oh yeah Joe Bloggs did great over there, quick offer him 20k and get him in , ah, he doesn't actually fit in here.

That has been an issue with out transfer policy in recent years - Edwards, Meyler etc.

Of course, as we all know, the beauty of the Championship is that with a few shrewd signings and a team that gels - we could turn 14th in to 2nd in one season - or equally 14th quickly becomes 24th.

[Hendo]

What a load of drivel.

Nice sig. etc, etc....

[linkenholtroyal]

What a load of drivel.

Not Snowball's biggest fan but there is some sense to that timeline despite the usual assumptions, what is your realistic alternative?

Let me be clear, I don't expect to win the league or get in the playoffs any time soon. I don't demand instant success or have unrealistic goals. It will be a struggle next season and we need to rebuild from the bottom up.

My issue is that Bowen clearly isn't best place to be in charge of a rebuild, he has absolutely no experience of doing this and when you are going to have a largely young squad we need and experienced manager to help them and guide them through it. We also need a manager with experience of working with unfancied sides/sides on a tight budget. I have no faith based upon what I've heard or seen from Bowen that he is the man to do this, if anything he could damage a lot of the players should we get off to a bad start next season. We are more than capable as s club to comfortably finish midtable next season, we shouldn't aspire to narrowly miss out on relegation as Snowball suggests. The guy has never criticised the team or a manager once, he is slightly delusional and thinks supporting the club means he cannot criticise the club. His sycophantic nonsense is really annoying to read.

Bowen 100% come across like a puppet, in place because he will comply with all the decisions made by the owners and Kia Joorabchian. There is a good reason why he got the job and it wasn't because he was the best man for the job, it was because he could be easily controlled by the ownership. We need a Neil Warnock type managing us next season, someone with vast experience in motivating players and grinding out results. Instead we have a P.E teacher in charge who is clearly not what is required.

I am backing snowballs statement. aswell as are the majority of people on the poll above so I think you are fighting a losing battle here.

[Westwood52]

I am surprised the majority want him to stay.But there again the Remoaners were supposed to win 60/40 over the Brexiteers.

[Hound]

I am surprised the majority want him to stay.But there again the Remoaners were supposed to win 60/40 over the Brexiteers.

er what?

[Old Man Andrews]

I am surprised the majority want him to stay.But there again the Remoaners were supposed to win 60/40 over the Brexiteers.

er what?

He is the thickest person I've ever known.

[Elm Park Kid]

Not Snowball's biggest fan but there is some sense to that timeline despite the usual assumptions, what is your realistic alternative?

Let me be clear, I don't expect to win the league or get in the playoffs any time soon. I don't demand instant success or have unrealistic goals. It will be a struggle next season and we need to rebuild from the bottom up.

My issue is that Bowen clearly isn't best place to be in charge of a rebuild, he has absolutely no experience of doing this and when you are going to have a largely young squad we need and experienced manager to help them and guide them through it. We also need a manager with experience of working with unfancied sides/sides on a tight budget. I have no faith based upon what I've heard or seen from Bowen that he is the man to do this, if anything he could damage a lot of the players should we get off to a bad start next season. We are more than capable as s club to comfortably finish midtable next season, we shouldn't aspire to narrowly miss out on relegation as Snowball suggests. The guy has never criticised the team or a manager once, he is slightly delusional and thinks supporting the club means he cannot criticise the club. His sycophantic nonsense is really annoying to read.

Bowen 100% come across like a puppet, in place because he will comply with all the decisions made by the owners and Kia Joorabchian. There is a good reason why he got the job and it wasn't because he was the best man for the job, it was because he could be easily controlled by the ownership. We need a Neil Warnock type managing us next season, someone with vast experience in motivating players and grinding out results. Instead we have a P.E teacher in charge who is clearly not what is required.

Thanks for detailing your view. My opinion is, he has done a good enough job to this point and we has not had a window where he could effectively recruit.

Now he may be a puppet of the Board and Joorabchian but if Bowen goes, the others will remain and have input in hiring the next guy, likely a client of Joorabchian's to boot. So why would the next guy be any less of a puppet? Perhaps even more so?

I didn't understand why Bowen was appointed to begin with. But then I wasn't sure why we went with Gomes or (to a lesser extent) Clement. If your policy is to spend ££££ on player wages, why not take a cut of that and bring in the most experienced manager you can. It might have shifted the mentality at the club a bit is a 'big name' came in an installed a bit more optimise.

But I 100% disagree with firing a manager after less than a full season based on football results/performances alone. Unless he's committing fraud or banging someone he should be, a manager should always be given a full season.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Glad to see a clear majority in the poll for keeping him on. This surely means he won't be sacked.

Jokes aside, clearly behind the HNA meltdowns, most posters are more measured

[NewCorkSeth]

Let me be clear, I don't expect to win the league or get in the playoffs any time soon. I don't demand instant success or have unrealistic goals. It will be a struggle next season and we need to rebuild from the bottom up.

My issue is that Bowen clearly isn't best place to be in charge of a rebuild, he has absolutely no experience of doing this and when you are going to have a largely young squad we need and experienced manager to help them and guide them through it. We also need a manager with experience of working with unfancied sides/sides on a tight budget. I have no faith based upon what I've heard or seen from Bowen that he is the man to do this, if anything he could damage a lot of the players should we get off to a bad start next season. We are more than capable as s club to comfortably finish midtable next season, we shouldn't aspire to narrowly miss out on relegation as Snowball suggests. The guy has never criticised the team or a manager once, he is slightly delusional and thinks supporting the club means he cannot criticise the club. His sycophantic nonsense is really annoying to read.

Bowen 100% come across like a puppet, in place because he will comply with all the decisions made by the owners and Kia Joorabchian. There is a good reason why he got the job and it wasn't because he was the best man for the job, it was because he could be easily controlled by the ownership. We need a Neil Warnock type managing us next season, someone with vast experience in motivating players and grinding out results. Instead we have a P.E teacher in charge who is clearly not what is required.

Thanks for detailing your view. My opinion is, he has done a good enough job to this point and we has not had a window where he could effectively recruit.

Now he may be a puppet of the Board and Joorabchian but if Bowen goes, the others will remain and have input in hiring the next guy, likely a client of Joorabchian's to boot. So why would the next guy be any less of a puppet? Perhaps even more so?

I didn't understand why Bowen was appointed to begin with. But then I wasn't sure why we went with Gomes or (to a lesser extent) Clement. If your policy is to spend ££££ on player wages, why not take a cut of that and bring in the most experienced manager you can. It might have shifted the mentality at the club a bit is a 'big name' came in an installed a bit more optimise.

But I 100% disagree with firing a manager after less than a full season based on football results/performances alone. Unless he's committing fraud or banging someone he should be, a manager should always be given a full season.

Whats wrong with banging someone you should be banging?

[Elm Park Kid]

Thanks for detailing your view. My opinion is, he has done a good enough job to this point and we has not had a window where he could effectively recruit.

Now he may be a puppet of the Board and Joorabchian but if Bowen goes, the others will remain and have input in hiring the next guy, likely a client of Joorabchian's to boot. So why would the next guy be any less of a puppet? Perhaps even more so?

I didn't understand why Bowen was appointed to begin with. But then I wasn't sure why we went with Gomes or (to a lesser extent) Clement. If your policy is to spend ££££ on player wages, why not take a cut of that and bring in the most experienced manager you can. It might have shifted the mentality at the club a bit is a 'big name' came in an installed a bit more optimise.

But I 100% disagree with firing a manager after less than a full season based on football results/performances alone. Unless he's committing fraud or banging someone he should be, a manager should always be given a full season.

Whats wrong with banging someone you should be banging?

*shouldn't be