Nigel Adkins takes over as Reading manager

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Nigel Adkins

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."

Adkins guided the Saints to back-to-back promotions before he was sacked in January. He also previously managed at Bangor City and Scunthorpe United.

After a trip to Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on Saturday, hiss first home game in charge will be against his former employers, Southampton.

The former Wigan player thanked the players, staff and supporters at St Mary's at Tuesday's news conference before confirming the circumstances of his sacking at the club was "in the hands of the League Managers' Association".

He was dismissed in January, when the south-coast club were three points clear of the relegation zone in their first season back in the Premier League, and replaced by former Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino.

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284 comments

  • Wishing Reading every success under NA & delighted for him. You'll get a talented, optimistic manager, playing great football and a thoroughly good man. It may be too late for this season; support him and you'll resettle in Prem. We're grateful for all he did for us & I won't be alone in cheering him on each week (after 6th)

  • @21 - 'One guy with real integrity has replaced another which is rare in today's game'

    Absolutely spot on Alan.

  • Interesting appointment, I wish him well especially after the dreadful treatment from the Southampton owner. One guy with real integrity has replaced another which is rare in today's game. I also wish McDermott well and hope he secures a position he deserves

  • It was a shame that McDemott got the sack but they have replaced him with a good man.

  • Best of luck Nigel. You did a great job for us at Saints, and I'm sure you'll be a great appointment for Reading.

    I doubt they'll be able to stay up this year, but I would put money on them coming straight back up.

  • A manager who should never have been unemployed taking a vacancy that should never have been available!

  • @71 JDandfries

    Is this QPR who are currently 7 points from safety after spending millions on the likes of Remy and Samba. Redknapp is doing a great job there at the moment isn't he!

  • I'm a little surprised that Reading have been able find someone of genuine quality to take up the challenge.
    Maybe Adkins feels he can either reverse the slide, or just take them back up first time.

    Though I suppose it's better than the Blackburn job ...

  • As long as he has some assurances that whatever happens this season (probably relegation) he will be supported by the Chairman then it isn't a bad move. If they are expecting miracles then it's a poor decision.

  • NA did a great job for Saints and suspect they would have stayed up under his leadership. McDermott shouldn't have been sacked. Talk of premiership vs championship managers is nonsense with a couple of exceptions. Premiership is ALL about buying success. An idiot manager backed by a billionaire would have no problem staying in top half of the table. These teams will always struggle without cash.

  • @ 38 Baggios

    I think the combination of JD and fries has addled whatever few brain cells existed in the first instance.

    I don't think that McDermott or Adkins could be described as failures.

    Southampton weren't in the relegation zone when they pushed Adkins overboard and Reading simply had one of the weakest squads in the PL. At the end of the season 3 clubs are going down!

  • Can't understand some of the comments on here. I think Adkins is a terrific appointment.

    Has a proven record of getting a club promoted from the Championship recently and has worked with a similar and ambitious ownership structure at Southampton.

    I think Saints fans will be looking at Reading's results more closely now.

    http://www.sportinglybetter.com/2013/03/next-manager-betting-reading/

  • It's some of the chairmen and boards who need sacking not the managers. This season has been particularly bad for inexplicable decisions.

    As has already been pointed out, it would be wonderfully ironic if Adkins manages to keep Reading up and the Saints go down.

  • @71 JDandfries

    Let's try again... Three clubs will get relegated each season from the PL. that does not make either the club or the manager a failure except in the narrowest and most simplistic definition. If clubs were to view the first promotion and subsequent relegation as part of the natural evolution then the crazy debt fuelled spending binges to try and stay up might not happen.

  • @29 Two promotions on the trot was a failure was it ? Adkins was also steering Soton to a safe position when he was sacked. He picked them up from rock bottom and delivered premiership football, have you ever visited the planet earth. McDermott delivered promotion too. We are talking about two who have had great success, PL survival is never a foregone conclusion. Purile comment to say the least

  • I think this is a wise appoinment, although I do believe in miracles.... this is more towards next season. NA knows how to get promoted and got a raw deal at S'ampton.Still confused as to why BMc was fired so late in the season! I hope Brian gets a good appoinment soon as he deserves to be at a good club, maybe he will go to Crawley now under his old mentor Coppell - good luck Nigel Adkins

  • I think Reading fans will be quite happy now, correct me if wrong guys and gals. I thought McDermott did an excellent job for you guys and was upset to see the guy sacked, personally I think he should have been given at least until the end of the season and possibly the whole of next to see if he could get you guys back up if you went down. However, I think Adkins is a fantastic guy, Good Luck!

  • Another Premiership manager unfairly dismissed in recent years was Chris Hughton whilst at NUFC but after his season at Birmingham has done a fantastic job so far with Norwich City. Reading fans shouldn't be too downhearted if the worse does happen

  • What ridiculous comments about Saints getting relegated to serve them right for sacking Adkins. Lets not forget your board just sacked your manager and he wasn't doing much better/worse than Adkins. Don't wish for others that which you wouldn't wish for yourselves. Adkins was loved at Saints and the mistakes of the board should cost them their jobs, not cause loyal fans hardship.

  • @112 - You don't seem capable of analysing anything - Just ask yourself, would you come out with such rubbish if either of the two were part of your family, and no, I haven't met either. I respect people's opinions, but when they are ill thought through, hostile, unfair and unconstructive, I take a stance. These two guys have real integrity and have had success during their careers, failures, not

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