Next Reading Manager: Press Conference @ 9:15

[SPARTA]

The only reason any of us thought the Adkins thing was dead is because of Jonny Fordham. No one else has backed his tweet up that he isn't interested. Until Adkins or Reading Football Club say otherwise, then he's as likely as anyone else.

I do understand the doubts about Adkins being the right man for us and some claiming he is just McDermott #2, but I think a few of us need to wake up a bit and realise we aren't a big catch for anyone (yet), and we don't exactly have the choice of top managers. Adkins is the ideal man to rebuild a team for a promotion challenge next season, or worst case scenario, the season after.

Adkins or Curbishley for me. Anyone else would appear to be a punt.

[AirRaidSiren]

Whats the next target? Can Anton fcuk things up enough to reach it?

Could you please elaborate how Anton has 'fcuk things up' so far?

[SPARTA]

Whats the next target? Can Anton fcuk things up enough to reach it?

Could you please elaborate how Anton has 'fcuk things up' so far?

New owner in taking his time to make the right appointment shocker. Football fans lack patience and brain cells, another shocker.

If we cannot get the first couple of targets now, then as we're all but relegated already, surely the most sensible approach would be to keep Dolan in until the summer and continue our search. Anton is ambitious, and he wont rush into making a decision just to appease impatient small minded football fans - and that is the right approach.

[sandman]

Whats the next target? Can Anton fcuk things up enough to reach it?

Could you please elaborate how Anton has 'fcuk things up' so far?

Hi Anton, going with the completely in denial la la la I can't hear you strategy eh?

[Jay o/]

Whats the next target? Can Anton fcuk things up enough to reach it?

Could you please elaborate how Anton has 'fcuk things up' so far?

New owner in taking his time to make the right appointment shocker. Football fans lack patience and brain cells, another shocker.

If we cannot get the first couple of targets now, then as we're all but relegated already, surely the most sensible approach would be to keep Dolan in until the summer and continue our search. Anton is ambitious, and he wont rush into making a decision just to appease impatient small minded football fans - and that is the right approach.

exactly this. and surprisingly it's mostly the newer/younger fans who want news now and think it's a disgrace we haven't got a new manager in yet. not getting your number one target is not a balls up. poyet is right to say no. brighton are in a great position, and he will have no doubt used his talks with us to get brighton to support him that bit more in the summer when he wants a big transfer kitty. now we have to fight even harder for target number two. and as you sparta says, we can't just settle for anyone and make a mistake, so keep looking into the summer if need be. we have to get this right!

[Royal Rother]

I suspect AZ & SJM decided that BM was not the right man long-term but that they would not get involved in discussions with, and approaches to, others behind his back, therefore made the move to sack him without having anyone lined up.

Totally at odds with the way most clubs operate but RFC aren't like most clubs, thankfully.

[RoyalBlue]

I suspect AZ & SJM decided that BM was not the right man long-term but that they would not get involved in discussions with, and approaches to, others behind his back, therefore made the move to sack him without having anyone lined up.

Totally at odds with the way most clubs operate but RFC aren't like most clubs, thankfully.

Fully agree with this. Furthermore, as I've mentioned previously, many of those currently moaning about the time it is taking to find a replacement would no doubt have been apoplectic had they found out that the club had been planning to replace McDermott behind his back.

[Wycombe Royal]

I suspect AZ & SJM decided that BM was not the right man long-term but that they would not get involved in discussions with, and approaches to, others behind his back, therefore made the move to sack him without having anyone lined up.

Totally at odds with the way most clubs operate but RFC aren't like most clubs, thankfully.

Indeed, the club can't win. Have someone lined up and they would have been accused of being disrespectful to McD (as they were over Di Canio). Don't have someone lined as they get accused of making a balls up, not being prepared, not thinking it through, making a knee-jerk sacking, etc.

To me they are going about it the right way and aren't discussing it in the media. They are taking their time and just because we got turned down, although nothing has been confirmed in that respect, doesn't mean they made a mistake.

[AirRaidSiren]

Whats the next target? Can Anton fcuk things up enough to reach it?

Could you please elaborate how Anton has 'fcuk things up' so far?

New owner in taking his time to make the right appointment shocker. Football fans lack patience and brain cells, another shocker.

If we cannot get the first couple of targets now, then as we're all but relegated already, surely the most sensible approach would be to keep Dolan in until the summer and continue our search. Anton is ambitious, and he wont rush into making a decision just to appease impatient small minded football fans - and that is the right approach.

'greed

[sandman]

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

[MmmMonsterMunch]

What bugs me is that there is zero proof we have approached anyone or interviewed anyone. No statements from any club, manager etc etc yet the media seems intent on portraying us as knee-jerk numpties because it fits their agenda.

Forgive me if I don't use SSN as a reliable news source!

McDermott didn't even talk to Wolves yet they made a huge deal of that.

[soggy biscuit]

Meeuur!

[PistolPete]

exactly this. and surprisingly it's mostly the newer/younger fans who want news now and think it's a disgrace we haven't got a new manager in yet. not getting your number one target is not a balls up.

That's just a load of old cowdung, if we didn't have anyone ready to come in we should have waited until the end of the season before sacking the manager - that's if you're one of those people who actually think he needed sacking, which he didn't - it's mostly the newer/younger/idiot fans who think the manager needed sacking.

Sacking the manager in the midst of a relegation battle and then not appointing a new manager IS a balls up, how the oxf*rd do you expect it to make any difference in the relegation battle, except make it worse?!?

Why do you think the man that has us joint bottom of the league is the right man?? Do you not think that McDermott did a good job as caretaker and that Dolan might too? Do you not think that with an international break and two games against Man Utd and Arsenal (games which rely more on luck than judgement) might be a good time to go about finding a new manager? No, of course you don't...

Anyone who calls this a balls up is wrong.

[sandman]

You're in denial. Anger will come later.

[AirRaidSiren]

exactly this. and surprisingly it's mostly the newer/younger fans who want news now and think it's a disgrace we haven't got a new manager in yet. not getting your number one target is not a balls up.

That's just a load of old cowdung, if we didn't have anyone ready to come in we should have waited until the end of the season before sacking the manager - that's if you're one of those people who actually think he needed sacking, which he didn't - it's mostly the newer/younger/idiot fans who think the manager needed sacking.

Sacking the manager in the midst of a relegation battle and then not appointing a new manager IS a balls up, how the oxf*rd do you expect it to make any difference in the relegation battle, except make it worse?!?

You're a fool to think keeping McDermott on until the end of the season would of done. No it wouldn't.

We're already one oxf*rd game in without him and there is plenty of bullshit flying about already, 'what if this and what if that'..for crying out loud, have patience. We're not just going to appoint anyone, they(the board, the owners) are going about it professionally and keeping it under wraps, including us, until there is a new manager appointed. If it takes until the summer, so be it. It's a better position than it was WITH McDermott here, who completely oxf*rd up our football, which is what it is all about

[Hoop Blah]

I suspect AZ & SJM decided that BM was not the right man long-term but that they would not get involved in discussions with, and approaches to, others behind his back, therefore made the move to sack him without having anyone lined up.

Totally at odds with the way most clubs operate but RFC aren't like most clubs, thankfully.

I can't remember us ever having a replacement lined up when sacking managers before (or having contingency when we lost someone like Pardew or McGhee), and I don't think most clubs do either as it happens. I can't really think of examples of other clubs having a replacement lined up when they've sacked an incumbent manager, apart from Spurs when they had discussions with Ramos and got slated for it.

The sacking was totally justified and the timing made total sense, even if some can't see that or just happen to disagree, but there is a logic about it and its easily justified.

[SPARTA]

Adkins odds dropping and now favourite again with all bookies.

Also BetVictor making him the odds on favourite after "a flurry of bets".

[Hoop Blah]

exactly this. and surprisingly it's mostly the newer/younger fans who want news now and think it's a disgrace we haven't got a new manager in yet. not getting your number one target is not a balls up.

That's just a load of old cowdung, if we didn't have anyone ready to come in we should have waited until the end of the season before sacking the manager - that's if you're one of those people who actually think he needed sacking, which he didn't - it's mostly the newer/younger/idiot fans who think the manager needed sacking.

Sacking the manager in the midst of a relegation battle and then not appointing a new manager IS a balls up, how the oxf*rd do you expect it to make any difference in the relegation battle, except make it worse?!?

You keep coming out with some real tosh on this subject, even by your standards Ideal, but this post possibly takes the biscuit.

[Hoop Blah]

We have options we just need to use them carefully and quickly. I'd even say bring Brian back if we go down, but that seems unlikely

There is still no massive rush, but really, even if it could happen, what would be the point of bringing McDermott back?

[Hoop Blah]

Absolutely. The media have decided to build a story out of McDermott's previous success and our history of mostly having patience with manager

And rightly so, McDermott was a good manager, and there was no reason to sack him - and even if you argued that there was the timing was completely off.

They're looking at it from the persepective that we were try hard relegation certainties from before the first ball was kicked, so we've met their expectations and therefore sacking McDermott was a bad decision.

And they are 100% spot on if that is their view, we were doomed from the start and if anything we have ammassed a shocking number of points, much more points than I expected - I was worried we might beat derby's record low points tally!!!

So really, you haven't got a clue what you're talking about - you are making all my points for me.

If we'd started the season with a fit goalkeeper and an effective game plan for holding the leads we took in those first half a dozen games or so we'd not have been in such mire and been fighting such negative momentum all season.

If we'd managed to beat two very poor Premier League sides in Wigan and Villa, at home in key games, which is well within the capability of our squad if used well and with even 3 or 4 players in form, we'd have been 5 or 6 points clear of the relegation zone at the time McDermott was sacked.

The timing was down to rightly giving McDermott enough of a chance to make this season work after being so responsible for getting us here in the first place.