Reading appoint Nigel Adkins as new manager

Reading have appointed former Southampton boss Nigel Adkins as their new manager.

Adkins, who replaces Brian McDermott at the Madejski Stadium, has signed a contract that will keep him at the club until summer 2016.
"I am pleased to be the Reading manager," the 48-year-old said.

"We will take it one game at a time and try to keep this club in the Premier League. It's a good club - I've been impressed with them."

Adkins, who will have former Saints assistant Andy Crosby alongside him in the dugout, added: "We're in the Premier League and we want to stay there. I am excited."

McDermott led Reading to promotion last season, but four successive Premier League defeats left them in relegation trouble - the 51-year-old lost his job on 11 March as a consequence.

Coach Eamonn Dolan took charge for the league match at Manchester United on 16 March, which the Royals lost 1-0. They are currently seven points adrift of safety and second bottom.

Brighton boss Gus Poyet had been in the running for the Reading job but opted to stay at the play-off chasing Championship side, while former Swindon boss Paolo Di Canio was also a target.

Owner Anton Zingarevich was delighted with the arrival of Adkins and said it was an appointment for the "short and long term".

"He has great respect within the game," said the Russian.

"His CV speaks for itself and he has many attributes as a manager, he is progressive, he develops players, his teams play attacking, passing football but most of all he knows how to win games at all levels.

"This is an appointment we have made both with the short and long term in mind and Nigel can take our club forward."

Eh, a pretty sideways move from McDermott. Better than Poyet though.

Too late, too much to do and a squad that is not good enough. Add in to the equation a set of horrific up-coming fixtures and you can basically say that the club is relegated.

Long term goal will be to return to the EPL and I'm sure under Atkins that they will be able to achieve this goal, however that is no certainty as Blackburn & Wolves have found out this season.

Adkins has experience of getting out of the lower leagues though.

Wolves and Blackburn hired random people from European leagues, with good CVs but no lower league experience. Look at Sven and McClaren.

He may not be a ' big name manager ' but Adkins is a far better manager then McDermott Poyet or Di Canio

I think he will do well at Reading to be honest , although keeping them in the Premier league maybe difficult unless they have that ' new manager ' run that teams can go on

Seems a strange decision to remove Mcdermott and replace him with Adkins.

I dont doubt that Adkins is a good manager but thought they wanted a big name manager? I wouldnt put him in that bracket yet

Adkins far better than McDermott? Give McDermott the funds Adkins had at Southampton and I doubt theres a big gap.

Personally i feel McDermott is a better manager than Adkins, so i still can't understand the logic in all of this, and as GSC said it does seem like a sideways move

I do also agree Adkins is a better appointment than Poyet or Di Canio. He has worked wonders at Scunthorpe and Southampton in his managerial carrier. Harshfully sacked by the Southampton scum when he was doing fine, and still building them as a football club.

I hope he can do well at Reading, surviving does look very bleek, but next season i think they will be one of the favorites for promotion.

I would disagree , but i have never rated McDermott . But thats just my opinion so doesn't really count for anything .

I do think he wont walk into another job though

McDermott has done a class job IMO at Reading. He won the league last year, with a **** all budget and had them playing some good football whilst doing so.

They had a superb January in the prem and arguably could of still stayed up, had they got that winning mentally they had when they won the Championship last year.

It's a totally sideways move and I can't see it keeping them in the Premier League, just means Adkin's reign is going to start on a sour note.

If they wanted a manager to get them back out of the Championship next season, seeming as McDermott had done it once, why couldn't he do it again?

The players all speak very very highly of McDermott, and you can tell from interviews they're clearly affected by his sacking.

Very strange move all of this by Reading. Although Adkins should do alright

i think its a good move because they have clearly planned for next season...reading are doomed and Adkins will get them out of the championship imo