Not sure if anybody's been following this, but... Alan Pardew, Reading's manager, has been linked to West Ham since Roeder was fired. Reading, especially their chairman John Madejski, has refused any approach for West Ham. Today, Pardew offered his resignation, only to have Reading refuse to accept it. Pardew says he wants to quit because Reading wouldn't let him talk to West Ham. Ironically enough, the two teams play this weekend. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3092634.stm Marcus may lose one, if not the biggest, benefactors he has at Reading. It's doubtful he would lose the #1 role, but the new manager might not have the same loyalty that Pardew has.
My opinion: Reading's a team that should end up in the Premiership, but without Pardew and the shockwaves it'll create, I doubt they go up this season. They might not even make the playoffs.
Assistant Kevin Dillon takes over for Saturday's match against the Hammers. http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~422759,00.html
The only thing Marcus has to worry about is putting his team in position for the playoffs and a chance to move up. He's established himself as the clear #1 and one of the top, if not the top keeper in the 1st divison. I don't however, undersatnd Pardew's logic for sending in his resignation and basically jumping ship on his team. His focus should of been less about himself and more about Reading. I imagine some of the players must be upset and i hope it turns into a positive and not a negative.
May turn out OK....if West Ham go up, maybe old coach tries to lure Marcus over.....even so, maybe Reading goes up....so maybe Marcus has now 2 shots to go up...
I heard on this board that James is lousy. So Marcus should have no problem displacing him as WH's number one.
It shouldn't make any odds at all. The number two keeper, Jamie Ashdown, is still pretty young and not really challenging Marcus for the starting position. The only danger would be if a new manager came in a signed a new keeper, but that's unlikely. Many are predicting a Reading collapse, but when exactly the same thing happened in the 94/95 season Reading went on to finish second. If Dillon takes over then they maintain continuity and any kind of slump is much less likely. As to why West Ham? I did read somewhere that he supported them as a kid, but I've no idea if that's true or not. But if it is it would explain why he's quit to take a job which, bearing in mind he'd have been offered plenty of others, looked like right club, wrong time.
It would be hilarious if Marcus went there and forced his way onto the field. Our 5th or 6th keeper starting over the English 1st keeper.
As for MH, he'll be fine. Even if Reading collapse, he's built a top knotch rep there this past year. But as for this news, I'm gutted. Looking back, I think this has been coming. Pardew has been putting Dillon out front handling the press this season, pardew's been in the background. jmad didn't let him go easily, but did he toss extra cash in? RichardL, I hope you're right. But Pards has been a blessing and advancing without him will be even more difficult than the already huge task it is. Course, if you are right, then won't the FA lump the number 2 spot into the promotion playoffs?
Reportedly Pardew makes a base of £65,000 with Reading. West Ham is offering a base of £200,000. Now Reading is a fine club, but West Ham has tradition, and one of the best youth systems in England - if not the best. With Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Jermain Defoe coming out just the past few years - the opportunity to manage more talent like that is pretty alluring in and of itself.
This from SkySports: HAHNEMANN STUNNED BY PARDEW EXIT http://msn.skysports.com/skysports/article/0,,7-1103373,00.html
well we did manage to finish 2nd in the only season since automatic promotion began 100 years that 2nd didn't get you automatic promotion, which was a fine piece of luck, but it'd do this year.
Pards is gone. Marcus is shocked. JMad is threatening a lawsuit. . The FA is investigating. And West Ham seem to be content to sit for quite a while with Brooking. I am going to be serously miffed if Pards leaves, gets nixed by West ham by necessity and ends up at Notts or Cambridge or some such place just to earn a living. I'm also wondering what the hell MH is thinking voicing such insecurities to the press. That can't be good for team morale. And richardL, given our history in the top league (130 years and still waiting) don't put too much down on second being an automatic if we grab it.
I don't think there was anything insecure about it - just a reporter's spin on it. There's nothing in quotes at all about team confidence being affected, just a disappointment because many of the team we brought in by him and clearly rated him as a manager. If we finish 2nd we are up. Certain. There is nothing at all the FA could do about it. They don't veto clubs gaining promotion - not that they would even want to block Reading anyway. There have been smaller clubs than Reading in the Premiership since it began not so long ago - Swindon, Barnsley, Notts County, Bradford, Coventry, Luton, Wimbledon etc.
RichardL, I was joking. Sorry it didn't come across. Nice end to this week would be to take three points off west ham, though, wouldn't it.
He'll be fine. Even if the West Ham thing doesn't happen, there'll be plenty of spaces available soon enough. Give it a few months and a third of Premiership managers will be feeling the heat. Looking in Hoddle's direction for no apparent reason. Then there's division 1. He's more than welcome to have Craig Brown's place at PNE.