Steve Clarke Lined Up As Manager

16 December 2014
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Reading are set to reveal former West Brom manager Steve Clarke as the new manager following yesterday's sacking of Nigel Adkins. The quick appointment, and lack of announcement of any caretaker manager, indicates that Clarke was already lined up before Adkin's dismissal - and conversations were probably well underway before the 1-6 defeat at Birmingham that were used to trigger the management changes.

It is a full year since Clarke was sacked as West Bromwich Albion manager after winning 19 games from 60 in charge. A run of four straight defeats was enough to cost him his job on 14 December 2013 with West Brom two points outside the bottom three. 2013 was a bad year for Clarke after his side managed just seven wins from 34 Premier League games in the year. However, the 2012/2013 season saw West Brom finish eighth in the Premier League and was seen as an excellent campaign. Clarke took over at West Brom after Roy Hodgson left to become the new England manager and left behind an impressive side.

Steve Clarke's 60 games at West Brom, and a single defeat as caretaker manager at Newcastle in 1999, remain his only managerial experience. However he was assistant manager at Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool. His 60 games as manager included 15 draws and 26 defeats. Clarke's career as a player spanned 16 years and saw him make 200 appearances for St. Mirren in Scotland and 330 for Chelsea.

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