Best Ever Managers

[southbank1871]

Bullivant was shit, but he was let down by the players a fair bit I'd say. The team wasn't actually that bad on the whole but they just didn't perform. His fault for not motivating them I suppose.

Burns (RIP) was worse IMO and I still blame him for Madejski's reluctance ever since to really compete in the transfer market after the amount he spunked on terrible players.

[Wimb]

Disagree with Burns, he's probably had the most cash (relatively speaking) of any Reading manager in history and just got the tactics/personnel decisions so horribly horribly wrong.

Van Der Kwaak, Evers, Fleck... come on

He even cocked up with Murty, signing him as a winger who was never fit!

But to me his biggest crimes were at the start of 1998/99 when he 'exiled' Davies, Lambert, Asaba, Lovell and someone else who I can't remember. The decision to sell Asaba in particular riled me as we had utterly no other striking options.

[Aubery Boyce]

Steve Coppell
Maurice Evans

Doesn't mean it's a vote for Best Ever Manager particularly as that has to go to Coppell, but I enjoyed myself watching games under McGhee more than at any other time. I was gobsmacked at the style of football we played as it was such a contrast from much of what had come in the preceding years. Couldn't believe I was standing on the South Bank with goose pimples just applauding passing movements I had never expected to see down there. Great stuff and of course that was continued under Jim and Mick for a while.

Agreed. Simon Osborn in particular in 94/95. Shame we missed him for a few months with that broken leg. He was possibly the best passer of the ball I've seen in Reading shirt to this day.

Agree. Ozzie was superb. shame he didn't stay long.

With Gilkesey and Scotty Taylor ripping teams apart with thier pace on the wings and Quinny and Archie up front always looking like they'd score i loved the McGhee years, which was probably why it hurt so much when he fcuked off.

we'd genreally played horrible football to a greater of lesser extent of success in the proceeding decade so it was a joy to behold seeing players like Dillon, Osborn and Dariusz actaully PASSING the ball and us tearing teams apart with passing football as opposed to the long ball stuff of Branfoot Out, Porterfield etc.

Add to that, some actual homegrown players break in to the team and establish themselves.....

[bobbybottler]

Maurice Evans

You never went when Evans was in charge. Give it a rest.

As for me, I agree with everything Rother has posted on this one. McGhee for the constant

[Aubery Boyce]

But to me his biggest crimes were at the start of 1998/99 when he 'exiled' Davies, Lambert, Asaba, Lovell and someone else who I can't remember. The decision to sell Asaba in particular riled me as we had utterly no other striking options.

Parky!!!

I remember talking to Davies in the pub in Crowthorne and him saying that Burns was trying to offload him and Parky for about £40k to Wycombe!! neither of them would go!

[Duke the Dog]

I thought Andy "long trhow" Legg and Jason Bowen were exiled in there as well, or was that just wishful thinking on my part (Bowen in particular!).

I only saw a handful of games between late seventies and late eighties so can't comment on Maurice, but my brother holds him in high regard.

However, the Branfoot era was dreadful (albeit with the Simod) and under Porterfield we were just sooo dull!

McGhee showed us how to play football, but hasn't really reproduced anywhere else (Aberdeen, Brighton, Leicester, Wolves etc). Maybe there's time for him to come back It feels like unfinished business with him.

But Coppell for BEM, as he was the most successful, no question. Shame he couldn't hold us there (goal difference had scuppered us remember, both up and down!).

[Wimb]

Legg and Bowen may well have been in there, thinking about it maybe Archie wasn't one of them. It was just a totally random and unprofessional way to treat players, some of whom had been with the club for a number of years and many of which were upgrades on the utter dross that he bought in.

[Millsy]

Obviously Sir Steve is going to be a big favourite given what happened between 2005-2007 but with hindsight, should the end of 2003/04, 2004/05, relegation in 2007/08 and failure to win promotion in 2008/09 be held against him?

Jokes.

Sir Steve obviously all the way.

Good thread though - the likes of McGhee, Parj did a lot for us and built the foundation for Sir Steve.

I'm not knocking Madejski for his spending policy as we are a solid club thanks to him but this does have to be taken into account when considering managers as in my time as a supporter every manager without fail has strongly criticised (Coppell perhaps not as strongly as everyone else) Madejski's lack of spending. Now I'm not going to turn this into a Madejski bash because overall he's not done a bad job, but it has to be taken into account when trying to judge managers.

Parj, Coppell (except for the Prem) and McGhee managed a good job despite Madejski. Respect to Jim & Mick: they did a great job holding things together (Mick Gooding's analysis of his lack of financial support is clear as daylight and says it all really). Burns and Rodgers- not bad managers but awful under Madejski's way of doing things. Bullivant - awful full stop.

McDermott - delighted with him so far and definitely doing an amazing job despite Madejski.

Overall whilst it is as easy to knock Madejski for his money-grabbing as it for being stuck up his rectum for his past glories, one thing that cannot be taken away from him is his ability to appoint not just good managers but good managers even under his lack of support. 5 good managers out of 8 in my time (or 7 out of 8 taking into account how they are as managers under a 'normal' chairman) is not bad at all.

[Wimb]

Fair enough 2WW but how was Burns a victim under the Madejski way? he was given shedloads of cash to spend which he wasted on duff talent from the SPL, selling the 1 decent player we got from there (Brebner) and nearly taking us down into the fourth tier.

As someone else said, you can quite possibly argue that it was Burns disastrous spending that led to the purse strings being tightened.

[Royal Rother]

Madejski has said exactly that himself.

[southbank1871]

Obviously Sir Steve is going to be a big favourite given what happened between 2005-2007 but with hindsight, should the end of 2003/04, 2004/05, relegation in 2007/08 and failure to win promotion in 2008/09 be held against him?

Jokes.

Sir Steve obviously all the way.

Good thread though - the likes of McGhee, Parj did a lot for us and built the foundation for Sir Steve.

I'm not knocking Madejski for his spending policy as we are a solid club thanks to him but this does have to be taken into account when considering managers as in my time as a supporter every manager without fail has strongly criticised (Coppell perhaps not as strongly as everyone else) Madejski's lack of spending. Now I'm not going to turn this into a Madejski bash because overall he's not done a bad job, but it has to be taken into account when trying to judge managers.

Parj, Coppell (except for the Prem) and McGhee managed a good job despite Madejski. Respect to Jim & Mick: they did a great job holding things together (Mick Gooding's analysis of his lack of financial support is clear as daylight and says it all really). Burns and Rodgers- not bad managers but awful under Madejski's way of doing things. Bullivant - awful full stop.

McDermott - delighted with him so far and definitely doing an amazing job despite Madejski.

Overall whilst it is as easy to knock Madejski for his money-grabbing as it for being stuck up his rectum for his past glories, one thing that cannot be taken away from him is his ability to appoint not just good managers but good managers even under his lack of support. 5 good managers out of 8 in my time (or 7 out of 8 taking into account how they are as managers under a 'normal' chairman) is not bad at all.

Oh dear oh dear, absolutely clueless.

Coppell (except for the Prem)? I guess 8th place in our first season wasn't satisfactory?

Why am I bothering here actually?

[Terminal Boardom]

SJM has generally kept a tight rein on the purse strings ever since he took over. One of the reasons McGhee left was because SJM refused to pay for the fish and chips on the coach journey home from away games. IIRC, McGhee wanted £100k or thereabouts for John Williams from Coventry to bolster the forward line as JQ was suffering from sciatica and Uwe was shit. The double act of McGhee and Lee was as good as anything I have seen from a footballing perspective. As for team spirit and total effort, SSC 2005 - 2007 wins hands down.

[Duke the Dog]

TB2 - Right man at the wrong time. Had he taken over from J&M then maybe, just maybe, he could've done something for us in Div 1 (Championship, div 2, whatever you call it). He didn't have a clue about League One / Div 3 English footie and it showed. Thrashing around buying players in the hope than someone did the job for him. It wasn't until he got Neil Smith and Peter Grant did he show any signs of getting anywhere, but it was too late by then. Did he buy Fozzie though? Kromheer and van Der Flap, I shudder at the memory, the list is endless.......

TB1 - Utter joke! Might've been a good coach, but a god awful manager. He's not managed since has he?

Coppell's record when buying big doesn't stack up does it. Fae and Halford spring to mind. Seol wasn't too bad and Lita faded away (all 1 mill plus signings). Were there others?

[sandman]

One of the reasons McGhee left was because SJM refused to pay for the fish and chips on the coach journey home from away games.

And here I was thinking it was Wenger who introduced healthy eating to English football. What a visionary SJM was.

[Optimist]

Sir Steve wins hands down. I agree with wimb, Burns is the main reason why SJM is reluctant to loosen the purse strings.

[southbank1871]

I think it was me that said that, but carry on.

[Wimb]

I think it was me that said that, but carry on.

^^^ valid

[Ian Royal]

Sir Steve wins hands down. I agree with wimb, Burns is the main reason why SJM is reluctant to loosen the purse strings.

I'd say Rodgers may have had a thing or two in refreshing Madejski's resolve in keeping money tight after the Burns debacle. He did commit about £3.5m on new players, only one of which has proven to be a particularly good signing IMO.

The others not necessarily actively bad, but just not exactly unqualified successes either.

[Wimb]

Sir Steve wins hands down. I agree with wimb, Burns is the main reason why SJM is reluctant to loosen the purse strings.

I'd say Rodgers may have had a thing or two in refreshing Madejski's resolve in keeping money tight after the Burns debacle. He did commit about £3.5m on new players, only one of which has proven to be a particularly good signing IMO.

The others not necessarily actively bad, but just not exactly unqualified successes either.

Don't see how he's wasted much, out of those he signed Mills is now club captain, McAnuff was reportedly subject of a bid 3x the value we paid, Cummings is starting to look a real prospect and whatever we paid for Bertrand last year was worth it. The only possible question marks were over Rasiak, who still scored 10+ goals in a year and maybe Brian Howard.

Out of interest I wonder how much we've actually paid for Mills.

[Pete10]

First fell in love with Jack Mansell's great 69/70 team, but for me Mark McGhee was the nexus for our eventual rise to the Prem with Coppell.

After years of complete dire shite, McGhee's teams played some of the best football I have ever seesn from a Reading team. There were glimpses early in 92/93 after a very shaky start - people were calling for McGhee's head after five games without a win - and personally I think I realised that the club was on the cusp of something great on a very, very wet night at Watford for a League Cup tie in September 92. A brilliant performance, the club persevered with McGhee and he delivered the title the following season.

Was at that game we where just superb.