News and Views
Another Season Another Manager
30 August 2020
By Hob Nob Anyone?
It's now barely a surprise when Reading FC's owners make stupid decisions to replace yet another manager who has been given hardly any time and done what might be considered a reasonable job. This this around it is Mark Bowen that is being relieved of his duties for no good reason as manager of the Reading FC first team. It's more of a shoulder shrug than anything else as Bowen steps aside in favour of another unknown manager who will turn up for a bit, do ok as Reading bump around the bottom half of the table, and then get sacked next summer or earlier.
You have to feel sorry for Bowen who was appointed Reading manager only in October last year and guided Reading to a respectable mid-table finish with 14 wins from 40 matches. He did all that was really expected of him. Bowen is expected to remain at the club but will shrink back behind the scenes, perhaps in his previous position.
The new manager is Veljko Paunovic who managed American side Chicago Fire in the MLS between 2015 and 2019, where he took them to the play-offs ones season but in his other seasons did a thoroughly average job. Paunovic was an attacking midfielder or striker in his playing days, and is a young manager at just 43. It's a strange appointment and not a very exciting one. But as always we wish Paunovic well and obviously hope he is successful.
Reading's owners put out a statement that quite frankly sounded like a load of old bollocks: "This has been a process and this appointment has been made only after long, careful consideration. After meeting with him, we found Veljko to be an exceptional candidate who impressed us immediately. I am sure he is the right man for Reading Football Club. I'm delighted he has agreed to sign as our new manager."
Paunovic takes over as Reading manger just a week before the new season kicks-off with the Royals playing Colchester United at the Madejski Stadium in the Leage Cup next Saturday. Our first league game is Saturday 12 September - a trip to Derby County. Expectations for the new season are not high.
In better news, Reading have finally secured the services of Ovie Ejaria, who finally joins the Royals permanantly on a four year contract.
Discussion On This Story:
McDermolenko
Mark Bowen will be moving back into a boardroom role at the club.
Serbian coach Aleksandar Stanojević will be coming in as the new Reading manager.
The players have been told not to come to training tomorrow and will be flying to Portugal this coming Friday for a 10-day training camp ahead of this season (presumably to meet the new manager without quarantine required).
SOURCE:
alfie9
The players have been told not to come to training tomorrow and will be flying to Portugal this coming Friday for a 10-day training camp ahead of this season (presumably to meet the new manager without quarantine required).
Can you imagine, if the new guy hasn't already quarantined here that's a good indication that ZERO planning went into this appointment
Good luck to Mr. Stanojevic, and God help this football club
RoyalBlue
Is there any real substance in this or have GetReading just picked up on a rumour on Twitter and the fact that one of the clubs Stanojević used to manage is owned by Mr Dai?
Also it appears he left Renhe in July 2019 despite the club wanting him to remain. I wonder what Mr Dai would have made of that.
McDermolenko
I have it on good authority that Bowen has ACCEPTED the club’s proposal to move back upstairs. Will still be a very important figure at the club. New manager (who I still can’t spell or pronounce) will be announced tomorrow. #readingfc
This has all happened very quickly. Highly likely these talks have been going on for some time behind the scenes and they’ve only come to light now. Explains Baldock’s interview.. #readingfc
he is already on ignore along with DD but that is half the forum gone and everyone quotes them anyway
royalp-we
Whatever way people want to look at it, it is an impressive win ratio at his 8 previous stints. Plus, of the two most recent appointments, Rehne didn’t want him to leave.
I’m annoyed that Bowen isn’t getting the chance to see the task through, but with him working very closely to this new coach; you’ve got to look at the positives in the hope that it might just work out.
Feeling more positive than when that fraud Gomes was appointed anyway
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