The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

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My managerial option would be

Richie Wellens
13
18%
Robbie Savage
5
7%
Matt Bloomfield
10
14%
Gareth Ainsworth
3
4%
Ruben Selles
7
10%
Gareth Southgate
4
6%
Michael Gilkes
1
1%
Dave Challinor
0
No votes
AN Other (please specify)
12
17%
Ian Royal
16
23%
 
Total votes: 71
MR. CYNICAL
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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by MR. CYNICAL » 28 Oct 2025 09:49

At the end of the day, whoever is chosen, he will either be a failure and get the sack of do well and move to a better job at the first opportunity.
Anyway, Brendan is available, he's quit Celtic!

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Orion1871 » 28 Oct 2025 09:52

Certainly a left field appointment if true as he has been out of work for a while now. Interesting that apart from a stint at pompey as assistant to Cook he has never played or managed down this way.

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Snowflake Royal
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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Snowflake Royal » 28 Oct 2025 10:10

Sutekh
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WestYorksRoyal I think Google AI has said he likes physical, direct football which people are also beating him up about, but in his own words he likes teams to dominate possession.


If even the AI is accurate I’ve no particular issue with this. I think we’re way too lightweight at the moment, esp up front. But it’d need different players to come in from what we have currently


This.

Direct football is greater than possession based tedium anyway. Just as long as it isn't hoofball

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Sutekh » 28 Oct 2025 10:31

MR. CYNICAL At the end of the day, whoever is chosen, he will either be a failure and get the sack of do well and move to a better job at the first opportunity.
Anyway, Brendan is available, he's quit Celtic!


Would have suggested Rodgers to Rangers a week or so ago :lol:

Presume Postecoglu will be favourite for a return to Celtic.

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by mikey_1871 » 28 Oct 2025 10:50

Snowflake Royal
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If even the AI is accurate I’ve no particular issue with this. I think we’re way too lightweight at the moment, esp up front. But it’d need different players to come in from what we have currently


This.

Direct football is greater than possession based tedium anyway. Just as long as it isn't hoofball


Agree - it sounds more akin to the football we played under McDermott when we won the league rather than aimless hoofball


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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Hound » 28 Oct 2025 10:55

mikey_1871
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Sutekh
This.

Direct football is greater than possession based tedium anyway. Just as long as it isn't hoofball


Agree - it sounds more akin to the football we played under McDermott when we won the league rather than aimless hoofball


Obvs this is selective and can’t give the full picture but scanning round some YouTube highlights from Wigan in 21/22 lots and lots of crosses and headed goals. Quite a few long shots as well

Certainly from the 5 or 6 I watched it wasn’t tippy tappy or trying for through balls.

Charlie Wyke, then Will Keane seem to have been their main forward. Both 6ft2 and strong in the air
Last edited by Hound on 28 Oct 2025 11:07, edited 1 time in total.

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From Despair To Where?
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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by From Despair To Where? » 28 Oct 2025 11:03

leon
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Really good insight there papes. Nice work mate :wink:


To be fair, there's a lot in there that's positive and if he's the man, suggests that some thought has gone into the appointment.


I'd agree with all of this


I just remember when Selles was appointed and the general consensus was that he was going to be shit because of his record at Southampton, but when you dug down a little bit into his past experience and his philosophy, there was enough there to suggest that this wasn't just some random appointment.

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by WestYorksRoyal » 28 Oct 2025 11:16

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mikey_1871
Snowflake Royal Direct football is greater than possession based tedium anyway. Just as long as it isn't hoofball


Agree - it sounds more akin to the football we played under McDermott when we won the league rather than aimless hoofball


Obvs this is selective and can’t give the full picture but scanning round some YouTube highlights from Wigan in 21/22 lots and lots of crosses and headed goals. Quite a few long shots as well

Certainly from the 5 or 6 I watched it wasn’t tippy tappy or trying for through balls.

Charlie Wyke, then Will Keane seem to have been their main forward. Both 6ft2 and strong in the air

I get the impression we targeted a big old school CF on deadline day and failed. We simply don't have the players to do this. If we get crosses in the box, I think Marriot is smart enough to find space and make near post runs even if he's not the biggest, the bigger challenge is working the ball into good crossing positions.

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Sutekh » 28 Oct 2025 11:18

Pepe the Horseman Couhig on the Hard Truth podcast says the new manager has already been chosen, so guess Richardson it is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyXOP5dT_74


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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Hound » 28 Oct 2025 11:23

WestYorksRoyal
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mikey_1871
Agree - it sounds more akin to the football we played under McDermott when we won the league rather than aimless hoofball


Obvs this is selective and can’t give the full picture but scanning round some YouTube highlights from Wigan in 21/22 lots and lots of crosses and headed goals. Quite a few long shots as well

Certainly from the 5 or 6 I watched it wasn’t tippy tappy or trying for through balls.

Charlie Wyke, then Will Keane seem to have been their main forward. Both 6ft2 and strong in the air

I get the impression we targeted a big old school CF on deadline day and failed. We simply don't have the players to do this. If we get crosses in the box, I think Marriot is smart enough to find space and make near post runs even if he's not the biggest, the bigger challenge is working the ball into good crossing positions.


Should suit Ritchie and Lane down to the ground. Not Marriotts game at all. Maybe MoM will be better suited to that style - who knows. Not sure what his game actually is. Kelvin occasionally shows glimpses - the goal vs Northampton for example. Abrefa a decent overlapper and crosser as is Ryan. Not so much Jacob or Dorsett from what I’ve seen

But yeah think we’ll need a new striker in, and a different CAM option. Maybe Fraser if he isn’t crocked as Brogue suggests

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by SouthDownsRoyal » 28 Oct 2025 11:34

Sutekh
Pepe the Horseman Couhig on the Hard Truth podcast says the new manager has already been chosen, so guess Richardson it is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyXOP5dT_74

Around 12:30 “ the person we had selected”

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Sutekh » 28 Oct 2025 11:39

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Obvs this is selective and can’t give the full picture but scanning round some YouTube highlights from Wigan in 21/22 lots and lots of crosses and headed goals. Quite a few long shots as well

Certainly from the 5 or 6 I watched it wasn’t tippy tappy or trying for through balls.

Charlie Wyke, then Will Keane seem to have been their main forward. Both 6ft2 and strong in the air

I get the impression we targeted a big old school CF on deadline day and failed. We simply don't have the players to do this. If we get crosses in the box, I think Marriot is smart enough to find space and make near post runs even if he's not the biggest, the bigger challenge is working the ball into good crossing positions.


Should suit Ritchie and Lane down to the ground. Not Marriotts game at all. Maybe MoM will be better suited to that style - who knows. Not sure what his game actually is. Kelvin occasionally shows glimpses - the goal vs Northampton for example. Abrefa a decent overlapper and crosser as is Ryan. Not so much Jacob or Dorsett from what I’ve seen

But yeah think we’ll need a new striker in, and a different CAM option. Maybe Fraser if he isn’t crocked as Brogue suggests


A good manager should be able to be flexible in approach to work with and get results from what resource is available.

Meanwhile Fraser is likely to miss most of the rest of the season if not all.

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by stealthpapes » 28 Oct 2025 11:41

Sutekh
Pepe the Horseman Couhig on the Hard Truth podcast says the new manager has already been chosen, so guess Richardson it is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyXOP5dT_74


The timing on this.


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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Royalwaster » 28 Oct 2025 11:45

Sutekh
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WestYorksRoyal I get the impression we targeted a big old school CF on deadline day and failed. We simply don't have the players to do this. If we get crosses in the box, I think Marriot is smart enough to find space and make near post runs even if he's not the biggest, the bigger challenge is working the ball into good crossing positions.


Should suit Ritchie and Lane down to the ground. Not Marriotts game at all. Maybe MoM will be better suited to that style - who knows. Not sure what his game actually is. Kelvin occasionally shows glimpses - the goal vs Northampton for example. Abrefa a decent overlapper and crosser as is Ryan. Not so much Jacob or Dorsett from what I’ve seen

But yeah think we’ll need a new striker in, and a different CAM option. Maybe Fraser if he isn’t crocked as Brogue suggests


A good manager should be able to be flexible in approach to work with and get results from what resource is available.

Meanwhile Fraser is likely to miss most of the rest of the season if not all.


The same Fraser who according to Brogue is not injured?

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by windermereROYAL » 28 Oct 2025 11:48

SSN just reported, done deal, verbal agreement before official announcement.

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Millsy » 28 Oct 2025 11:50

So refreshing to have manager already lined up and to be installed soon it looks like.

None of this take far to long sack when it's been needed for months, followed by months of deciding whether or not to even start looking for a replacement etc

Sad to see Hunty sacked, decent chap who did well under v tough circumstances but also not unreasonable to want a change. In Couhig we trust.

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Hound » 28 Oct 2025 11:55

SouthDownsRoyal
Sutekh
Pepe the Horseman Couhig on the Hard Truth podcast says the new manager has already been chosen, so guess Richardson it is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyXOP5dT_74

Around 12:30 “ the person we had selected”


Very interesting this

Esp bit when MacAnthony asks what went wrong after he said we were an exciting young team last year…’we looked like we didn’t know what we were trying to be’ or words to that extent

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Sutekh » 28 Oct 2025 11:59

Royalwaster
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Should suit Ritchie and Lane down to the ground. Not Marriotts game at all. Maybe MoM will be better suited to that style - who knows. Not sure what his game actually is. Kelvin occasionally shows glimpses - the goal vs Northampton for example. Abrefa a decent overlapper and crosser as is Ryan. Not so much Jacob or Dorsett from what I’ve seen

But yeah think we’ll need a new striker in, and a different CAM option. Maybe Fraser if he isn’t crocked as Brogue suggests


A good manager should be able to be flexible in approach to work with and get results from what resource is available.

Meanwhile Fraser is likely to miss most of the rest of the season if not all.


The same Fraser who according to Brogue is not injured?


Yes. Last I actually read in the last week or so about it was:

Liam Fraser has been dealing with multiple injuries, including a significant one that required surgery for an adductor tendon and sports hernia, which will keep him out for 12-16 weeks.

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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by Brogue » 28 Oct 2025 12:12

Sutekh
Royalwaster
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A good manager should be able to be flexible in approach to work with and get results from what resource is available.

Meanwhile Fraser is likely to miss most of the rest of the season if not all.


The same Fraser who according to Brogue is not injured?


Yes. Last I actually read in the last week or so about it was:

Liam Fraser has been dealing with multiple injuries, including a significant one that required surgery for an adductor tendon and sports hernia, which will keep him out for 12-16 weeks.


You mean the injury he got last year whilst playing for FC Dallas :|


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Re: The inevitable poll for the next Reading manager

by windermereROYAL » 28 Oct 2025 12:33

Everybody is exploding about this news, Can`t say I`m over the moon, but let him prove us all wrong, this has got a Paul Ince appointment written all over it.

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