If Madejski's Next Appointment Fails...

[Dirk Gently]

As someone more closely connected to the club would you agree that Brendan Rodgers handling of the Smith saga was something that the board and Hammond were never quite able to get over. I cant help feeling that if he hadn't been quite so public in his dealings they might have given hima bit longer. I'm one of those who feel he wasnt the right fit for Reading but interested in other views.

I'm wondering the best way to answer this. Potentially the fit could have been fine, but only with flexibility. I think part of the problem was that Brendan was too tied into his way of doing things and too convinced that they would be successful - I suppose if you've been trained as a manager by "The Special One" you will have a certain self-belief, but you can only get away with that it brings results. As I put months ago, you can't just talk the talk, you need to walk the walk as well.

It's all down to interpretation of course, though - one man's "self-belief" is another man's "arrogance" .....

I think you're over-estimating the importance of the TS business a bit - I think at the time everyone was so pleased that we had a manager who actually said interesting things to the press that it took a while to sink in what he was actually saying!

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

Well, either
a) Mills has a horrendous fitness level, constantly injured
b) Mills is a horrendously poor excuse for a footballer
or
c) Mills and Rodgers had a falling out

Only c) would make it worthwhile keeping Mills on, and either way it doesn't exactly make Rodgers look good.

Considering the number of clubs that have been chasing Mills previously,id discount B
If A were true then why did Rodgers buy him
C is definitely where the smoking gun lay

[readingbedding]

Arrogance is well placed confidence and indeed welcomed if the manager of your team can back it up.

[RoyalBlue]

Should Madejski promise the fans to sell up and place the club on the market.

The club is on the market. Has been for several years.

What are you suggesting? He puts it on eBay?

I've had my house on the market for the past three years. Given I am only asking for twice it's value, I really can't work out why I haven't had any serious offers.

[Jimmy the Tree]

Yes lets all spout a lot of guff about something we have no control over and try to get rid of people who are doing their best to prevent us going the way of Watford and Cardiff (Southampton, Leeds, Portsmouth.....).

I'm sure there are many people who would be willing to buy the club and support it's losses, fund multi-million pound player purchases and increase player wages.

Now what's the number of that Arab 'Billionaire' who bought Portsmouth, not the one with no money, the other one.....oh.

There's always the guys who bought Notts County......

Good Call.

Now if we only knew who they were, come in splash the cash, sort the tax debt, then sell for a pound!

As long as Notts County can pay the wage bill they might actually have helped them, but it just feels dodgy, what did they get out of it?

[Arnie_Pie]

If I win the Euro Millions tonight I am going to keep £9million and offer JM £50m for the club.

Now I am going to need a board of directors. Who is with me?

[Only one Trevor Morley]

As someone more closely connected to the club would you agree that Brendan Rodgers handling of the Smith saga was something that the board and Hammond were never quite able to get over. I cant help feeling that if he hadn't been quite so public in his dealings they might have given hima bit longer. I'm one of those who feel he wasnt the right fit for Reading but interested in other views.

I'm wondering the best way to answer this. Potentially the fit could have been fine, but only with flexibility. I think part of the problem was that Brendan was too tied into his way of doing things and too convinced that they would be successful - I suppose if you've been trained as a manager by "The Special One" you will have a certain self-belief, but you can only get away with that it brings results. As I put months ago, you can't just talk the talk, you need to walk the walk as well.

It's all down to interpretation of course, though - one man's "self-belief" is another man's "arrogance" .....

I think you're over-estimating the importance of the TS business a bit - I think at the time everyone was so pleased that we had a manager who actually said interesting things to the press that it took a while to sink in what he was actually saying!

yes I agree on the Special one point - but I think that underneath that persona of belief there was a man who did feel doubt - as witnessed by the constant tinkering. What he lacked strangely was the confidence to do nothing. he spoke about the confidence in his players and yet his actions suggested otherwise

I may be overemphasising the Smioth affair but washing own linen in public was something that Reading hate doing. You only have to listen the the Madjeski press conference to realise what the line to take should be at reading. What struck me was the lack of support from both Hammond and Madjeski after QPR - I mean that really was early on and yet there was just no comment from them both

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

As someone more closely connected to the club would you agree that Brendan Rodgers handling of the Smith saga was something that the board and Hammond were never quite able to get over. I cant help feeling that if he hadn't been quite so public in his dealings they might have given hima bit longer. I'm one of those who feel he wasnt the right fit for Reading but interested in other views.

I'm wondering the best way to answer this. Potentially the fit could have been fine, but only with flexibility. I think part of the problem was that Brendan was too tied into his way of doing things and too convinced that they would be successful - I suppose if you've been trained as a manager by "The Special One" you will have a certain self-belief, but you can only get away with that it brings results. As I put months ago, you can't just talk the talk, you need to walk the walk as well.

It's all down to interpretation of course, though - one man's "self-belief" is another man's "arrogance" .....

I think you're over-estimating the importance of the TS business a bit - I think at the time everyone was so pleased that we had a manager who actually said interesting things to the press that it took a while to sink in what he was actually saying!

yes I agree on the Special one point - but I think that underneath that persona of belief there was a man who did feel doubt - as witnessed by the constant tinkering. What he lacked strangely was the confidence to do nothing. he spoke about the confidence in his players and yet his actions suggested otherwise

I may be overemphasising the Smioth affair but washing own linen in public was something that Reading hate doing. You only have to listen the the Madjeski press conference to realise what the line to take should be at reading. What struck me was the lack of support from both Hammond and Madjeski after QPR - I mean that really was early on and yet there was just no comment from them both

You expect the grape feeding mute to say anything ?? ...he's far too busy licking the chairmans arse to come out and do and say anything constructive - would we be any worse a club without the paper pushing, grape feeding, arse licker? Not at all ! if the clubs is so tight with finances then why the F*** dont they get shot of that useless excuse for a DOF !

[Stranded]

Ah the old lets blame NH whenever things aren't going right routine - I've yet to see a coherent arguement from any anti NH poster as to why he is rubbish and should go (yet you nearly always see decent and well balanced thoughts from those who aren't) it usually just resorts to name calling and insults.

If he is to blame now then it must follow that all the good things that have happened (may happen) are down to him too...

[Dirk Gently]

You expect the grape feeding mute to say anything ?? ...he's far too busy licking the chairmans arse to come out and do and say anything constructive - would we be any worse a club without the paper pushing, grape feeding, arse licker? Not at all ! if the clubs is so tight with finances then why the F*** dont they get shot of that useless excuse for a DOF !

Have you actually got any knowledge of what the role of Director of Football at Reading involves?

Or anything to actually contribute to the discussion apart from abuse?

[Stevie G]

And now from BBC Sport, Sir John states that while we've had applications for the managers job coming in for weeks (!), we're going to stick with McDermott. However, he then says 'We're a community club and I want all the fans to get behind the team and the decision we've made and we can all move on together'. Well if you listened to the fans groaning over what Rogers tabled on the pitch for us then it might be worthwhile taking some food for thought on who we think should be the next manager and the latest he should be appointed, because from where I'm sitting the release of BR and his team just looks like a face and cost saving exercise right now that results in a not-best-motivated side fighting a relegation battle that I think we'll lose.

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

You expect the grape feeding mute to say anything ?? ...he's far too busy licking the chairmans arse to come out and do and say anything constructive - would we be any worse a club without the paper pushing, grape feeding, arse licker? Not at all ! if the clubs is so tight with finances then why the F*** dont they get shot of that useless excuse for a DOF !

Have you actually got any knowledge of what the role of Director of Football at Reading involves?

Or anything to actually contribute to the discussion apart from abuse?

Have you got any knowledge of what it involves then?

Bugs has obviously had a significant say in the new manager appointment and the transfers in and out - that alone makes me question his abilities - you obviously think he's doing a great job then???...are you the Egoman I wonder.....or even the grapefeeder himself ?? ................

[Royalee]

And now from BBC Sport, Sir John states that while we've had applications for the managers job coming in for weeks (!), we're going to stick with McDermott. However, he then says 'We're a community club and I want all the fans to get behind the team and the decision we've made and we can all move on together'. Well if you listened to the fans groaning over what Rogers tabled on the pitch for us then it might be worthwhile taking some food for thought on who we think should be the next manager and the latest he should be appointed, because from where I'm sitting the release of BR and his team just looks like a face and cost saving exercise right now that results in a not-best-motivated side fighting a relegation battle that I think we'll lose.

Spot on.

[Magnus]

Reading FC are a business, not a community club.

[Dirk Gently]

You expect the grape feeding mute to say anything ?? ...he's far too busy licking the chairmans arse to come out and do and say anything constructive - would we be any worse a club without the paper pushing, grape feeding, arse licker? Not at all ! if the clubs is so tight with finances then why the F*** dont they get shot of that useless excuse for a DOF !

Have you actually got any knowledge of what the role of Director of Football at Reading involves?

Or anything to actually contribute to the discussion apart from abuse?

Have you got any knowledge of what it involves then?

Bugs has obviously had a significant say in the new manager appointment and the transfers in and out - that alone makes me question his abilities - you obviously think he's doing a great job then???...are you the Egoman I wonder.....or even the grapefeeder himself ?? ................

Certainly have. He's not a D of F like Wise was at Newcastle, where it failed so spectacularly because they tried to have the D of F as the next level "up" from the manager. Ours isn't like that in the slightest.

You have to put it in the context that we have a Chairman who is very hands-off, and by his own admission does not know enough about football to get involved on a day-to-day basis. So Nicky Hammond is the "link" between the chairman, the management board
and the manager. He talks to agents and players and negotiates contracts etc, working within a budget set from the top, and only dealing with players selected by the manager. So while you seem to think that he has a source of great power and decision-making, in reality he is much more of a facilitator, working on behalf of the manager to make things happen. Manager says who he wants and NHa either makes it happen, gives the reasons why he can't or goes to SJM to get the money. No great power there, despite your "obviously" ....

The traditional English football model is that it's either the manager or the Chairman who does all the contract negotiations (depending on which club it is) - we have a chairman who's too busy and lacks the knowledge to do it himself, and in SC we had a manager who wasn't interested in all that paperwork and negotiating and who wanted to be free to manage, so it makes perfect sense to have someone in the club whose role this is. Otherwise you get the manager being constantly hounded by agents. Some managers love it, we prefer to have someone employed to deal with that side of it all.

As it happens, within football clubs we are one of the few which has made the D of F role work, so much so that other clubs have used our D of F job description as a "best practice" when appointing their own.

Hopefully that helps, and you won't be putting forward an argument from such a position of ignorance any more.

BTW, you may think all the abuse and name-calling makes you appear grown-up, funny and sophisticated. It doesn't, you know - it just makes you appear juvenile and unable to advance an argument properly.....