That's how I see things going at Reading FC right now. The preposterous claim that Brian MacDermott (who I have absolutely nothing against I might add) offers 'continuity' sums up the situation. Sadly, the way things look at the moment nothing suggests that 2010 will be any better than the 'annus horribilis' of 2009.
Thursday 31 December 2009
Led by donkeys?
Imagine, if you will, the following scenario: in the heat of the battle one army is taking an almighty hammering and appears to be encircled, taking losses from all sides. The beleaguered soldiers are in the main young and inexperienced but have a firm belief in their young, charismatic commander who is leading from the front. Despite having lost the best fighters with no hope of reinforcements, slowly but surely and with will and determination things seem to be turning around and the opposing armies are being beaten back inch by inch. Suddenly, just hours before a big campaign to break out of the encirclement, word is sent from behind the front line that the commander is being relieved of his duties. The high command have decided to promote a lieutenant with no experience at all in the hope that he might come good in the hour of need, whilst the commander is told he is no longer fit enough to lead his men, just when it seemed to all that a victory was possible.
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4 comments:
I can't see how you can possibly portray Brendan Rodgers in a heroic light, leading from the front. He was utterly useless. The only reason he was showing signs of improvement was because he'd managed to take Reading to such a low point that you could look at a 1-1 draw at home with Scunthorpe and think 'well at least we created a few chances.' We'll have to agree to disagree on 'charismatic' too; I happened to really dislike his smug, arrogant demeanor when he had so little to back it up with.
I agree that Brian McDermott isn't the way forward either. We need someone to come in with the know-how to turn things around in the short-term and the ability to put in place a longer term plan. The longer we wait before appointing such a manager, the worse it will get.
I'm not sure I 'overdid' the heroic angle - merely suggested that he was liked and respected by the players. Personally I though he came across as personable and bright. I never felt he was smug or arrogant. Didn't he say after QPR game 'if I'm the problem then I go'? Hardly the words of an arrogant man. OK, 'Leading from the front' was a little over-cooked - clearly no manager really does that.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Scunthorpe was a McDermott game? I was really pleased to see the reaction at Bristol City, but clearly it was a flash in the pan. I keep coming back to this point - in 2009 Steve Coppell could do no better than Rodgers and he had premier league players. I'm not sure who would have done any better, so to suggest 'he'd managed to take Reading to such a low point' is a little tough on him. On the whole I preferred the way we played under BR over the dreadful rubbish served up from January to May earlier this year. Yes, I know it's a results business - but clearly some players aren't up to the task.
My analogy is used mainly to reiterate the point that, whatever you thought of him, the sacking of Brendan Rodgers was very poorly timed and does not seem to have been clearly thought through. Perhaps it's all part of a clever master plan by SJM - but somehow I doubt it.
The way he treated Tim Dellor was certainly very arrogant and his continual insistence that we'd been 'outstanding' 'world-class' etc... after performances that were nothing like that was very irritating in my eyes (ears?)
Scunthorpe was Rodgers' last game in charge - it was the game after which he lost it on the radio. Possibly Swansea that you're thinking of? I accept that we weren't much good during Coppell's last six months in charge, but I'm not sure we can justify Rodgers' poor performance by saying 'but the last guy was useless too!'
Although I did think that sacking Rodgers was the right decision, you might be surprised to hear that I actually agree with you re: the timing. I initially thought that it was done because a replacement had already been lined up, which would have been fine. To sack a manager and put an untested reserve team boss in charge for the foreseeable future just smacks of a knee-jerk reaction and terrible planning. At the moment the club is in limbo and it can't be good for team morale.
Well, McDermott is now in charge on a rolling 12-month contract - care to write a blog post on the choice?
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