News and Views
Paul Ince Sacked - Noel Hunt Steps Up
11 April 2023
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading have sacked manager Paul Ince after a terrible run of form combined with a six point deduction has left Reading deep in relegation trouble. Under Ince the Royals have won just two games all year and have gone the last eight games without a victory - a run of 5 defeats and 3 draws.
Paul Ince went the way of so many recent Reading managers - a promising start followed by a massive drop in form and a rapid drop down the Championship. The big difference was his lack of dignity compared with previous managers, persistently blaming his players and failing to take any blame. His claims that his players weren't good enough to play football in a recent post match interview said it all. It is no surprise to see him go and the right decision with so little of the season left. The Royals are now firmly in the bottom three and facing relegation to League One.
Under 21 manager and former player Noel Hunt will step up to take temporary charge. Hunt has five league games left to save Reading's future - but won't be expected to achieve that.
Discussion On This Story:
Snowflake Royal
Huzzah.
Big thanks to Paul for turning around the slump under Paunovic and getting us off to a good start. Plus his work on the behind the scenes changes.
But he really was doing a dreadful job with the team by the end.
He's not a manager, but I think he could do a good job as a crisis consultant to struggling teams.
Big thanks to Paul for turning around the slump under Paunovic and getting us off to a good start. Plus his work on the behind the scenes changes.
But he really was doing a dreadful job with the team by the end.
He's not a manager, but I think he could do a good job as a crisis consultant to struggling teams.
Sanguine
You’re not alone
The job he did last season was massive in the circumstances and the whole club has been hamstrung by previous indiscretions. However, my sadness is tempered somewhat by his own decline since October.
Given what I’ve seen and heard of AC2 I’d like to think he could add something to the team motivation even if he’s not qualified for coaching
Yeah I’ve sympathy for him and he was doing a great job til Christmas but he was taking us only one way and the football has got worse as the season has gone on
Hope people remember him for pushing through necessary change at the club rather than the tired uninspired tactics etc that he ended with
All of this, not quite sure I understand the vitriol directed at him, to be honest. So we've lost our way a bit. Not a crime. And he has operated through his entire tenure in pretty shambolic circumstances.
BarryWhiteRFC
My opinion, for what it's worth. I think it is pointless to sack him now. He has really worked miracles on a shoestring budget (well worse than that really). He has created a team that at least competes at this level. I think nearly any manager in the country would struggle to have put together the side he has and gained the points he has. I don't think getting on his back (Ince Out etc) helped the team in anyway. Sometimes, whether you like it or not, you just have to support the team. I think the fans have let Paul Ince down if I'm honest.
I'm not sure changing now will change anything. We should have either changed 5 games ago, or just left it until the end of the season. I think he would've got the results to keep us up. However, we will never know.
I hope I'm wrong and Noel Hunt works wonders. I loved him as a player, I hope I'll get to love him as a manager.
I'm not sure changing now will change anything. We should have either changed 5 games ago, or just left it until the end of the season. I think he would've got the results to keep us up. However, we will never know.
I hope I'm wrong and Noel Hunt works wonders. I loved him as a player, I hope I'll get to love him as a manager.
Doolittle
Up till recently Ince had done OK, but his negativity had clearly affected the players during the past couple of months - they had become scared to play, and the statuesque teams he kept picking made things worse. Noel Hunt is a positive character who may be more likely to pick a team with some energy and balance, because he knows what the young players can do. He might be just what the players need for this last few games.
clauski
I don’t think Ince was the future and whether we stay up or go down I think there would have been a change in the Summer so a view probably taken what is to lose by trying something different now. It’s a shame to see some of the comments towards him though, I think he’s genuinely done his best for the club in a difficult time and thank him for that. Now we move forward.
Wycombe Royal
I have no doubts the Ince has done his best, but like so many before you can tell when their time is coming to an end because the interviews they give become more strange with each passing match that they fail to win. Gone are the days when managers will resign, because ultimately they want their payoff so just wait and I believe in some instances even try to get themselves sacked, not by setting teams up to lose, but by what they say post match.
We now have 5 matches, and whilst Noel Hunt is obviously very inexperienced he is such a bubbly happy character that if even just a bit of that rubs off on the players we will see some more positivity on the pitch.
It will also lift the crowd which is needed. There is no point making a quick external appointment now. We need to get through these 5 matches and take time to select the right candidate for whichever division we are in.
We now have 5 matches, and whilst Noel Hunt is obviously very inexperienced he is such a bubbly happy character that if even just a bit of that rubs off on the players we will see some more positivity on the pitch.
It will also lift the crowd which is needed. There is no point making a quick external appointment now. We need to get through these 5 matches and take time to select the right candidate for whichever division we are in.
stealthpapes
There's definitely been a drop in form directly after the news of a second deduction was announced.
First news of potential points deduction this season was March 1st 2023 (see, e.g. here: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/01/reading-facing-second-points-deduction-for-breaching-financial-rules)
That's between games 33 (win at Blackpool, 25th Feb) and 34, above.
(The other striking run of poor form is October-November, where we played 11 games in about 43 days around the world cup)
The effect of the deduction, or at least rumours of a deduction, is more marked than last year, I think - our form cratered after Xmas, a month or so after the deduction was enforced. The biggest event before that one would have been Kiddy away - we were actually alright vs Derby, if a bit naive in the last twenty.
Norfolk Royal
Thanks to Paul Ince for the positive things he did, ie getting the wins to keep us up last season and putting together a squad who wanted to play for us (at least initially) this season.
Without the six-point deduction he would in all probability still be the manager so he's unlucky in that respect for something which was not his fault and he could do nothing about.
That said, it's poor results that kill managers in the end. Those poor results, usually accompanied certainly in this case by dreadful football, lead to losing the fans and loss of confidence among the playing squad. That quickly makes any other considerations irrelevant and the manager's position untenable. That's what's happened here.
Best of luck in the future Paul.
Without the six-point deduction he would in all probability still be the manager so he's unlucky in that respect for something which was not his fault and he could do nothing about.
That said, it's poor results that kill managers in the end. Those poor results, usually accompanied certainly in this case by dreadful football, lead to losing the fans and loss of confidence among the playing squad. That quickly makes any other considerations irrelevant and the manager's position untenable. That's what's happened here.
Best of luck in the future Paul.
blythspartan
I’m glad he’s gone but I do feel that he has helped to improve the structure of the football club.
The negative football has been terrible to watch and I can see why he hasn’t lasted too long anywhere as a manager. I still believe we’ll get relegated but Mr Hunt will have my wholehearted support.
The negative football has been terrible to watch and I can see why he hasn’t lasted too long anywhere as a manager. I still believe we’ll get relegated but Mr Hunt will have my wholehearted support.
Webster750
Unfortunate for Hunt that his first 2 (arguably 3) fixtures are ones where defensive/negative tactics would probably be preferred if we're looking to get anything simply due to how good the opposition is.
Just hope everybody backs him throughout now, regardless of where we find ourselves following those games.
Just hope everybody backs him throughout now, regardless of where we find ourselves following those games.
Snowball
There's definitely been a drop in form directly after the news of a second deduction was announced.
First news of potential points deduction this season was March 1st 2023 (see, e.g. here: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/01/reading-facing-second-points-deduction-for-breaching-financial-rules)
That's between games 33 (win at Blackpool, 25th Feb) and 34, above.
(The other striking run of poor form is October-November, where we played 11 games in about 43 days around the world cup)
The effect of the deduction, or at least rumours of a deduction, is more marked than last year, I think - our form cratered after Xmas, a month or so after the deduction was enforced. The biggest event before that one would have been Kiddy away - we were actually alright vs Derby, if a bit naive in the last twenty.
Since the early-season excitement we have been P30 W6-D8-L16 26 Points
Well over half a season of very poor results. Can't argue with that!
Fezza
I feel for the man, he's done exactly what was required of him nut has been let down by our ast mismanagement and a frankly awful run of injuries. This said his nonsensical interviews and the dire performances mean that this is for the best. Fingers crossed Noel can inject some positivity and get some you players with pace into the team.
Mr Angry
I'm never a fan of sacking a manager but there was an inevitability about this decision that is hard to argue against.
Did I read somewhere that Paul Ince has never managed a side for a complete season (ie: from Game 1 to Game 46)?
I only hope that we haven't seen Thomas Ince in a Reading shirt for the last time as a result of this decision, but it certainly means he might be a tiny bit less motivated to return quickly from his injury.......
Did I read somewhere that Paul Ince has never managed a side for a complete season (ie: from Game 1 to Game 46)?
I only hope that we haven't seen Thomas Ince in a Reading shirt for the last time as a result of this decision, but it certainly means he might be a tiny bit less motivated to return quickly from his injury.......
Lower West
Nice deflection by Dai. Why now? Thrown under a bus. The puppet master is rapidly running out of strings to pull. Wonder if Ince spoke his mind to the invisible owner. Caused a bust up. Feel sorry for Paul Ince. Under intolerable levels of pressure. Honest decent guy. Wish him well.
Five games under a novice manager. Not the way to fight relegation.
PS, Where's the CEO? Is Bowen the only one left able to speak.
Five games under a novice manager. Not the way to fight relegation.
PS, Where's the CEO? Is Bowen the only one left able to speak.
Stranded
Whilst I do have sympathy for Ince, 2023 has been pretty horrific to date and whilst it is a club fcuk up to be where we are, the form gave no confidence that we already had enough points or any view of how we could move forward effectively.
It was increasingly clear that Ince was not going to be here next year regardless of success in keeping us up, so replacing him now does improve the chances we do - it certainly changes the narrative around the club - and gives Bowen & co the chance to find the right person to take the side forward in whichever division as we rebuild outside restrictions.
Greatwesternline
One can imagine that Noel Hunt will have asked for a pay rise in recognition of his status, and that someone else will be asking for a similar payment to look after the U21s. But yes, sacking someone with 5 games to go isnt going to cost the earth.
If it keeps us up it pays for itself.
tmesis
There's definitely been a drop in form directly after the news of a second deduction was announced.
First news of potential points deduction this season was March 1st 2023 (see, e.g. here: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/01/reading-facing-second-points-deduction-for-breaching-financial-rules)
That's between games 33 (win at Blackpool, 25th Feb) and 34, above.
(The other striking run of poor form is October-November, where we played 11 games in about 43 days around the world cup)
The effect of the deduction, or at least rumours of a deduction, is more marked than last year, I think - our form cratered after Xmas, a month or so after the deduction was enforced. The biggest event before that one would have been Kiddy away - we were actually alright vs Derby, if a bit naive in the last twenty.
I do wonder when the players first knew about us probably having points deducted, as I'd be amazed if it was the same time that it was made public.
Then again, at the time it was announced it looked like we'd stay up comfortably.
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