Modest McDermott the right fit for Reading
A curious twist of fate will see Reading manager Brian McDermott face the man he replaced at the Madejski Stadium when the Royals take on Swansea in Monday's eagerly-anticipated Championship play-off final.
McDermott stepped up from his role of chief scout when after only 23 games at the helm.
Superficially at least, the initial signs were not all that promising as Reading failed to win in their first four league games while McDermott was in temporary charge. However, his team defeated Premier League duo and to convince the board the 50-year-old was the right man to steer the club back into the top flight.
and the club's brave decision to appoint from within rather than seek out someone with a proven managerial track record is looking extremely shrewd.
"I have to say I did not think Brian would want to be manager," said . "But when you look at it now, it was obviously a fabulous decision by the club to give him the job."
Former Exeter boss Dolan has been at Reading since 2004, when he succeeded current Swans manager Rodgers as head of the Royals' academy. McDermott has been at the club even longer - since September 2000 - and in addition to his role as chief scout he has also been worked with the under-19s, the under-17s and managed the reserves.
"The chairman [Sir John Madejski] believes in continuity and community," added Dolan as he explained the decision to appoint McDermott. "Reading is a very unusual club in the way it is run and the reason I say that is because they are sensible in the mad world of football."
But there is also no doubt that Madejski would not have appointed McDermott if he did not believe he could bring success.
The Royals won , and the former Slough Town and Woking boss built a reputation inside the club as knowledgeable, diligent and intelligent during a decade of loyal service.
"Brian is a very special man; he is extremely genuine and what you see is what you get," added Dolan. "He has done every role at Reading and he knows the fabric of the club.
"He is very humble. He is not interested in creating an image for himself but in winning games of football in an exciting manner for the fans. That is his aim."
Back in the late 1970s , he was the player of the year in Sweden in 1984 after a successful spell at IFK Norrkoping and won promotion with Cardiff and Exeter.
"He never mentions that, it is almost as if he wasn't a player," said Dolan.
McDermott, the son of Irish parents, is determined to try to live constantly in the present, never looking too far forward or wallowing too much in previous achievements.
"I very much live in the now really," McDermott told me. "I said to the players at half-time in that they should be careful against looking forward too far. Just play every tackle and kick, pass every ball. That is how I tend to live my life."
If the manager was ever tempted to reflect on his period in charge he would notice an improvement in the final months of last season that built self-belief within the squad. The Royals were 21st in the Championship when Rodgers was sacked but gradually they climbed the table and finished ninth.
"We knew after the way we finished the last campaign that we were capable of reaching the play-offs this year," explained striker Noel Hunt.
One of the reasons often suggested for Rodgers' failure was the difficulty he had in introducing the 4-3-3 system that he favours and which has subsequently worked so well at Swansea.
After taking over, McDermott opted for something closer to the type of formation deployed by . The new boss sent his team out with two wide players and a lone striker, with home-grown Gylfi Sigurdsson playing in the hole just behind the front man. McDermott readily admits that he built his team around the impressive Icelandic international, who was .
The Royals bounced around the middle reaches of the table through the opening months of the 2010-11 season but a run of saw the Berkshire club reach the top six.
A vital player has been striker Shane Long, who and struck a brace in the second leg of the play-off tie at Cardiff as the Royals booked their place in the final at Wembley.
"The spirit and togetherness is great," explained Long. "Everyone is fighting for each other and we have good strength in depth."
The bond and determination within the squad is a theme that emerges again and again when you try to find out why the club has been so successful this season. The togetherness that they have is perhaps exemplified by the fact that even though Sigurdsson has left the club, he flew in from Germany to watch his former team-mates win in Cardiff.
Undoubtedly tied in with this is the fact a number of first-team players graduated through the club's youth system. Long, now 24, was scouted by McDermott before joining the club from Cork City in 2005 and is regarded by Reading as one of their own.
Central midfielder Jem Karacan, winger Hal Robson-Kanu, defender Alex Pearce, striker Simon Church and goalkeeper Alex McCarthy are likely to start or be on the bench against Swansea; all are homegrown.
"When you produce young players it almost gives your club a soul," added Dolan. "A young player that comes through the system is different to one that is brought in. They have been a godsend for the club because they have helped them to be competitive."
It undoubtedly helps that McDermott has such an intimate knowledge of them and has put great faith in their ability to perform in the unforgiving environs of the Championship.
However, he has also supplemented the young players at his disposal with old heads such as .
Mikele Leigertwood, whose plans for a stag do in Las Vegas have been put on the backburner because of the play-off final, was brought in and has been a key figure alongside Karacan in the centre of midfield.
The blend of youth and experience has proved to be a potent mix and the Royals are the team that have come up on the rails this season, picking up points if not all that many headlines.
I suspect that suits the modest McDermott, but that will change overnight if his team can defeat an eye-catching and dangerous Swansea side on Monday to return to the fierce global glare of the Premier League.
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Hello, I'm Paul Fletcher and I mainly write about life in the Football League. I have a great enthusiasm for a whole range of sports and love to spread the word about the great game of rugby league. You can also follow me on .
Comment number 1.
At 27th May 2011, Footballpundit wrote:I think it is Swansea's time to experience the big time. They have transformed a club who 8 years ago were destined for the conference. A lot of people have taken notice of the football they play and I think they will be a welcome addition to the greatest league in the world. There is a lot to admire about the way they go about their business, very cautious and forward thinking when buying players and playing a brand of football which has been compared to Barcelona. Regardless of the outcome, Monday is going to be a great occasion and hopefully the match will live up to the expectations!
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Comment number 2.
At 27th May 2011, rightroyalkneesup wrote:BM has been a phenomenon this season re-building our belief one game at a time, which yet again has proved the value of our club's cast iron backbone; chairman John Madjeski.
As supporters of the club I sometimes feel that our relationship with JM is akin to the reluctant respect a teenager feels for their (seemingly) overprotective parent. He grounds us when we feel like flying but is invariably proven right and never rubs our noses in it.
So, win or lose on Monday (and I pray we win) we know that RFC will be just as strong on Tuesday, even if we don’t seem to appreciate the fact as much as we know we should.
Great article and c'mon URRRRZZZZZZZZ!
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Comment number 3.
At 27th May 2011, philip marlowe wrote:1. reading rarely get much coverage, but it's appreciated that you have noticed the number of academy players that have become integrated into the first team squad, more than most teams in the prem or championship. it's about time someone did.
2. i feel almost too sick in my guts to think about this match, after bolton 95 and walsall 01 - it's such a pivotal moment for reading (yes, and swansea of course)...
3. if royals are promoted will B-Mac try to re-sign Gylfi Sigurdsson, hope so...
after all he was at cardiff to see the s/f second leg, and is expected at wembley...
4. on a sillier note, as kevin phillips is now out of contract, could we sign him as a free agent, and stick him on the bench on monday (sorry simon) ?
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Comment number 4.
At 28th May 2011, George Bouras wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 5.
At 28th May 2011, Andy wrote:Excellent article but I'd like to add some extra points:
Leigertwood's partnership with Karacan has been the turning point of the season in terms of replacing Gylfi and allowing the rest of the team to play. Now that Reading have signed him permanently from QPR, we are ready for anything next season.
Then there's Kebe and McAnuff - how does any article about McDermott's wing-dominated style of play not mention those two! The style was similar under Coppell (e.g. Little and Convey in the 106-point season) and it's no accident that both managers were top-flight wingers themselves. It's also the reason why Rogers had difficulty in changing this style, when it runs right through the club from 1st team to Academy.
Finally, you also don't mention the brilliance of, not only our #1 keeper, Federici, but his reserve, McCarthy, who showed in his short run of games that he is close to overtaking him. Any winning team needs a strong defence and Reading's starts right at the back.
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Comment number 6.
At 28th May 2011, U11846789 wrote:@ philip-marlowe
"1. reading rarely get much coverage"
you could say that about about 88 of the 92 teams in the league!
this game (reading v swansea) is of far more interest to your average fan and yet has barely been mentioned whilst the bbc salivate over their beloved manu.
in fact, apart from this blog, is just isn't mentioned anywhere!
shame (again) on the bbc.
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Comment number 7.
At 28th May 2011, Harry Hotspur wrote:@6: That's not entirely true, but it seems to be mainly just Paul Fletcher here who covers all three of the leagues below the Premiership, so naturally he'll be stretched to do something on all of them. But we've Accrington Stanley, Stockport, Stevenage, another on Reading (links at the bottom of the page, see for yourself). Really if you want to know what's going on with these other clubs, you have to look in the right places, and obviously the ´óÏó´«Ã½ - dominated by headlines that will garner interest all around the world - is not the place for that.
As much as I respect Reading for their excellent chairman and the faith they've shown in a manager promoted from within their ranks, I would prefer to see Swansea win on Monday. I just prefer their style of play, and I think without Blackpool the Premiership needs another exciting underdog. Moreover, I'd just love to see some small-time Welsh club sticking it to the billionaires. That'd just be great.
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Comment number 8.
At 28th May 2011, Spank the Monkey wrote:Lovely article Fletch.
As an Exeter City supporter this play-off final is a difficult one. Ryan Harley is moving to Swansea City for next season, but I still have such great memories of Brian Mc on the right wing for City during their Div 4 championship season of 89/90, before he left for Yeovil with Clive Whitehead the following year.
Also a quick mention for Eamon Dolan. Great player, remembered for a fantastic brace against Birmingham City away in the League Cup, before being diagnosed with Testicular cancer. Fought back from that to eventually manage us after we dropped out of the league at the end of 02/03. Eamon started us on the long road to where we are today, picking up a club in total disarray and helping to create a togetherness that still exists to this day. I have no doubt that Eamo's influence has significantly helped us rise to the fortunate position we find ourselves in as a supporter/community owned football club, in the upper echelons of League One.
So to sum up...
The very best of luck to Brian, Eamon and Reading Football Club.
We're very proud to have been associated with you.
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Comment number 9.
At 28th May 2011, Paul Fletcher wrote:Now then,
Thanks for your thoughts so far. Everyone I speak to has very high expectations for the final - two well run, footballing sides who are good to watch and like to attack.
Most people seem to be going for Swansea but only a fool would write off Reading given their recent form. I have a lot of time for both clubs. There is a lot to like about them, both on and off the field.
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Comment number 10.
At 28th May 2011, godofwine wrote:Great article. It seems whilst the football world gets [rightly] excited about the Champions League clash, the tension and excitement has been bubbling away for the Swans and us Royals alike.
On 606, you can see both sets of fans have great respect for one another's clubs and one another's league success this year. The banter between the fans has been of a far better nature than I have ever seen (though, maybe, all play off finals are like this? It's been a while!).
Picking up on Leigertwood's impact is significant. When he was brought in, it raised a few eyebrows when Mcdermott explained that he had brought him in so that we could play more attacking football - an odd suggestion when bringing in a DMF. It has, however, very much proved to be the case. The team has been able to stream forward more without worrying about conceding - this was already helped by our fantastic defence - but Long's goal tally has shot up since Legs joined. Brian McDermott was once again vindicated in his transfer plans.
Brendan Rodgers had a tough time, but the generally accepted analogy between Royals fans to sum up his time here, was that he was a Square peg trying to force his way into a Round hole. Neither peg is superior, but his just didn't fit in our club at the time. He still goes with good wishes, in general.
Anyway - cheers for keeping two eyes on this Fletch - you've said some very nice things about our club here. It's appreciated.
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Comment number 11.
At 31st May 2011, ´óÏó´«Ã½Rockstar wrote:i to get be sad we lost the match
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Comment number 12.
At 2nd Jun 2011, philip marlowe wrote:what on earth was the defence doing monday...
all 4 swansea goals were a mixture of clinical play from swans and terrible play from royals...
1-0 kebe gives the ball away - straight into our penalty area and WHAM - penalty...
2-0 feds pushes the crossed ball straight to sinclair, who is unmarked in the box, niiiiiice...
3-0 crossed ball from right - khiv's smart backheel straight to dobbie for the third, (the 5 live commentary said harte looked like he was towing a caravan before the cross) ...
4-2 mills poor pass - ball played through to borini, tripped going away from goal by griff, penalty...
can't be considering signing zurab on a permanent now, surely...
terrible feeling, losing the championship play off game...
still traumatised ! ! !
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