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Matthew Glazier argues that Reading have just made a like-for-like replacement at the Madejski Stadium which will leave the fans confused.
Nigel Adkins has been unveiled as the new manager of Reading FC, with the 48-year-old now attempting the almost impossible job of keeping the Royals in the Premier League this season.
The likelihood is that Reading will be relegated from the Premier League this term and Adkins will once again set about trying to get a team promoted from Championship, having done the same with Southampton last season.
Which begs the question: why have the Royals made a like-for-like replacement?
Brian McDermott was making a decent fist of keeping the Berkshire club in the top flight before Anton Zingarevich decided that a new manager was required at the helm as the club attempt to revive their flagging survival hopes.
Let’s also remember that McDermott won the Championship last season with Reading, finishing ahead of Nigel Adkins’ Southampton in the process and you could argue that the former also had a less talented squad and a lower wage bill.
McDermott wasn’t given vast sums of money to spend last summer and yet his team were gradually working their way out of the drop zone at the beginning of February, only for the side to suffer a six-match defeat.
Now Adkins has a tough remaining set of matches this season and there’s a strong chance he will set about getting Reading promoted although are his credentials really any better than the predecessor?
While Adkins overachieved with Scunthorpe and claimed a double promotion with Southampton, he was sacked by the Saints a couple of months ago who wanted to head in a different direction. Home wins against Manchester City and Liverpool look as though the board made the right choice.
Sadly for Reading, by sacking McDermott and installing Adkins into the hot seat, they have brought about a disruption at precisely the wrong time. Surely the odds are stacked against them staying up considering they are seven points away from safety?
Article provided by Bettingpro.com.au
