Reading have this afternoon announced the departure of Brian McDermott following the 2-1 home defeat to Villa at the weekend. Reading have issued a statement on their site, in which they emphasise their keenness to appoint a replacement with some haste…
“The search for a successor will start immediately and it is hoped that a new Manager will be in place as soon as possible to lead the fight against potential relegation.”
Reading face a daunting trip to Man United this weekend and it remains to be seen if Russian owner Anton Zingarevich has a name lined up to take control in time for that particular visit. Paulo Di Canio and Nigel Adkins are two names currently occupying the bookies thinking.
While McDermott’s departure is perhaps harsh on a manager who gained them promotion and has battled this term with limited resources, Fantasy Managers will be quick to move on and we must now consider that Reading’s starting XI will be in flux from this point. McDermott had appeared to have settled on his preferred lineup and, until recently, had employed a 4-5-1 system with some regularity.
An upturn in fortunes will be anticipated, such is the expected effect of a new manager’s arrival and it’s also likely that we’ll see a shake-up in personnel. The back four, recognised as the worst in the Premier League on current form, is surely likely to see changes.
We may now see the likes of Sean Morrison, Danny Guthrie and Adam Le Fondre earn regular starts under a new regime and, with the potential for improved results, there could yet be value available in the Royals’ squad over the remaining Gameweeks.
