You’ll Never Believe Who Made the Top Spot: Ranking Reading FC’s Top 7 Managers by Points Per Game (Hint: Steve Coppell is Only 3rd!)
Despite some promising times at Reading FC, Steve Clarke and Nigel Adkins battled to keep their Premier League position. Mark Bowen started brightly, but appeared to run out of steam at the end of his time at Reading. Ruben Selles has performed admirably in the face of off-field challenges, changing his tactical approach for success. Reading managed to stay in League One last season under Ruben Selles.
On paper, that may not appear to be a significant success given the calibre of players at their disposal, but the Royals’ off-field situation made life extremely difficult during the 2023/24 season. Selles has handled himself and the situation admirably, and retaining him mid-term would be a significant lift for the Royals, given their performance in the second part of the previous season.
In this article, however, we will look back in time to identify the club’s most successful managers based on points per game. To be eligible on this list, managers have to have managed at least 25 Royals games. These statistics were obtained from Transfermarkt.
Adkins and Clarke managed the club at the same time, with the latter succeeding the former. Adkins joined in 2013, hoping to make an immediate effect, however he failed to lead the side to Premier League survival. There were some bright moments under the former Southampton manager, but the Royals began surrendering heavily towards the end of his tenure. Clarke, on the other hand, had the potential to excel at the SCL Stadium.
However, he never really recovered after going for an interview with then-Championship rivals Fulham, with fans losing faith in him during the ordeal.
Bowen was appointed in the early stages of the 2019/20 season, following the resignation of Jose Gomes. Many fans were unhappy with his appointment at the time, as he was regarded as the man who would succeed Gomes. He performed admirably at first, but it appeared that the Welshman lost steam towards the end of his tenure. It appeared like he would lead the club into the 2020/21 season, however he was dismissed just before the season began, with Veljko Paunovic taking over.
Current manager Selles is on this list, as the Royals’ performance in the second half of the season allowed him to achieve a higher average points-per-game total. To be fair to the 40-year-old, he has dealt with some terrible off-field situations and has carried himself admirably, so the Berkshire side’s early 2023/24 form may be excused.
His 4-2-2-2 formation may not have worked, but he realised it and switched to a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-1-4-1, with Selles succeeding with the latter two systems. He deserves the opportunity to lead the Royals into the 2024/25 season if he is up to the task.
Stam joined in the summer of 2016, and it was unknown whether he would be successful, especially given the Dutchman’s changes to the club’s style of play, but he performed admirably in his first season in command. Only losing out on promotion due to a play-off final penalty shootout, he appeared to be on track for a good 2017/18 season, with a wealthy new owner in charge. However, the players selected did not fit Stam’s approach, and his departure in March 2018 was unsurprising.
Coppell is widely regarded as the Royals’ most successful manager of all time, leading them to a record-breaking 106-point season in 2005/2006. He also led the team to a top-half finish at the end of the 2006/07 season, before being relegated on the last day of the following season. The 68-year-old remained in command for the Berkshire club’s first season back in the second division, but resigned at the end of the 2008/09 season after failing to return them to the top level at the first attempt. Many supporters did not want him to leave, but he made the decision to depart SCL Stadium.
This 1.60 points-per-game average is based on his first stint in charge. Initially taking interim command of the team following Brendan Rodgers’ dismissal, an FA Cup victory away at Liverpool helped him earn the post permanently, and the choice to appoint McDermott permanently proved critical. He was able to get the most out of the players he had at his disposal, and after a slow start to the 2011/12 season, he won promotion against the odds.
McDermott was fired in March 2013 when it appeared like the Royals were on the verge of relegation, but the choice proved costly in the end.
Pardew’s choice to transfer from the Royals to West Ham, and how it was handled, have turned him into a villain at the SCL Stadium. However, it was Pardew who helped to transform the club into a real force, guiding them to promotion to the second tier in 2002 and setting them on the correct track. He oversaw the acquisitions of Marcus Hahnemann, Graeme Murty, Nicky Shorey, Ivar Ingimarsson, Steve Sidwell, James Harper, and Dave Kitson, all of whom contributed significantly to the club’s 106-point campaign. This demonstrates how essential Pardew was to the Royals and the success they achieved following his departure.
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