Brian McDermott

[FormerlyPlymRed]

Probably decent before/after the game but once the game started he would be fair game imo

[BruceChatwin]

Probably decent before/after the game but once the game started he would be fair game imo

This. Unless he sued us in which event he'd get massacred.

[dalumpimunki]

Reading have a reputation of being incredibly sensible, even a bit conservative in the way they run their club. No debts, generally breaking even, healthy balance sheet, a succession of not very high profile (arguably slightly boring) experienced coaching professionals as managers.

Paola would be a fucking massive change of tack for them. I can't see it. Adkins would seem to be more their style.

[fittons_coaching_badge]

Reading have a reputation of being incredibly sensible, even a bit conservative in the way they run their club. No debts, generally breaking even, healthy balance sheet, a succession of not very high profile (arguably slightly boring) experienced coaching professionals as managers.

Paola would be a fucking massive change of tack for them. I can't see it. Adkins would seem to be more their style.

That was true while Madjeski was the major shareholder.  He no longer is.  New owner = new direction maybe?

[dalumpimunki]

That was true while Madjeski was the major shareholder.  He no longer is.  New owner = new direction maybe?

Madjeski is still there as chairman, and looks like he's pretty much there for life; he's friendly with the Russian family that bought the club out.

If the approach to this season in the Premiership is anything to go by, I can't see that there's been a huge change in the way the club are going about things.

[Ardiles]

Reading have a reputation of being incredibly sensible, even a bit conservative in the way they run their club. No debts, generally breaking even, healthy balance sheet, a succession of not very high profile (arguably slightly boring) experienced coaching professionals as managers.

Paola would be a fucking massive change of tack for them. I can't see it. Adkins would seem to be more their style.

I think you've hit the nail on the head.  And more to the point, PDC is the wrong answer to Reading's problem.  If Reading were struggling because a talented set of players were failing to respond to the manager who had 'lost the dressing room', then a PDC-style appointment would make sense.  He would rejuvenate and tighten things up and, possibly, get them across the line.

But that isn't Reading's problem.  Reading's problem is that the playing squad is not good enough for the Premiership.  Zingarevich failed to invest to the extent that he needed to, and that was not Brian McDermott's fault.  They're screwed now, whoever takes over.  Which is good for us, I suppose.  Talk of expanding their stadium to 38,000 odd and trying to expand their catchment out our way is, yet again, on hold.  As it should be.

[Flashheart]

Both seasons under PDC, and despite a full pre-season, we had a fairly slow start. Not exactly what you need when time is running out.

[thepeoplesgame]

I think you've hit the nail on the head.  And more to the point, PDC is the wrong answer to Reading's problem.  If Reading were struggling because a talented set of players were failing to respond to the manager who had 'lost the dressing room', then a PDC-style appointment would make sense.  He would rejuvenate and tighten things up and, possibly, get them across the line.

But that isn't Reading's problem.  Reading's problem is that the playing squad is not good enough for the Premiership.  Zingarevich failed to invest to the extent that he needed to, and that was not Brian McDermott's fault.  They're screwed now, whoever takes over.  Which is good for us, I suppose.  Talk of expanding their stadium to 38,000 odd and trying to expand their catchment out our way is, yet again, on hold.  As it should be.

As a longer term appointment, though, it makes more sense. He might not keep Reading up this season, but properly backed he will have them in the top half of the Premier League within three years either way.

And for Paolo, even if they go down he gets what he was promised when he signed on here - a Championship club with a new stadium and sustainable funding to push into the Premier League - without having to do the whole turning the entire culture of the club around, getting them promoted through two divisions and then waiting for the ground to be built bit (which he was doing remarkably well with nonetheless).

[Ardiles]

Good points.  Actually quite a good fit...just not right now.  He should bide his time.

[Arriba]

Diva di canio to a club with tight purse strings looks daft to me.

[horlock07]

But looking at it the otherway its a no brainer for PdC isn't it...

Keeps them up - he is the messiah, PdC kept them up single handed, they get relegated its not his fault, gets a premiership job on his CV etc - its the same scenario as when Shearer took over at Newcastle.

We shall see, always thought it would be interesting to see how he acted in a job with real pressure... Would be a risky appointment for Reading but it was the same here, depends how many risks the russian guy wants to take, they were suggesting Advocaat on the radio last night.

[Power to people]

Apparently the Reading players have made it known they do not want Di Canio as their next manager, I expect they are scared having heard his reputation with his training sessions and fitness ideas.

For PDC to get another club they would need to be prepared to spend money, but I also could not see him managing a big club they way he spoke about players at his time here, imagine if he started calling someone like Terry, Rooney or Ferdinand a donkey and such like he would probably end up losing the dressing room as a lot of the premier players like to be pampered.

I could see him taking over a championship team and taking them to promotion that way

[Arriba]

Tough jobwinning over the players for whoever takes over considering how popular Mcdermott was. Can't see anyone getting more out of them.

[horlock07]

Tough jobwinning over the players for whoever takes over considering how popular Mcdermott was. Can't see anyone getting more out of them.

Totally agreed, they seem a commited bunch who seem to be playing for the team unlike some of the other teams down there.

Still not altogether clear exactly what our players actually thought of Paolo, his treatment of Caddis, McCormick and to a lesser degree Foderingham will have had some effect, I wonder how many who are now suggesting he was the messiah were saying that he had lost the dressing room after those events.