Leam Richardson, 33 Games In: Reflections And Approval Rating

Leam Richardon’s got some work to do, hasn’t he? In the space of under a year, we’ve gone from a united fanbase who were behind the team, the manager and the ousting of the owner to now feeling completely disconnected with the team and the majority seemingly disillusioned with the manager. Maybe there’s a good manager in there, somewhere, but it’s becoming more and more clear that Richardson isn’t the right manager for this team or this club.

He seems somewhat overwhelmed by the expectations and size of Reading. His comments post-match are becoming increasingly bizarre. We’ve had excuses about pitch conditions, having too many games, injuries, not enough available players, needing more time to develop the playing style of the team like other managers have had, the players not doing what he wants and his favourite line – about needing a pre-season and a few transfer windows.

However, the reality is that he’s had it as easy as Noel Hunt, and Hunt – an inexperienced manager – still delivered far more with far less. Look at this table: This provides the number of players used each month between December and April this season and last. It also compares the number of games played and fixture congestion.

This is a timely comparison because Hunt and Richardson came into their roles at similar times. The raw data says it all, and it isn’t surprising: Richardson bemoans no pre-season and a lack of fitness, but he’s been in a similar position to his predecessor in terms of players available, the number of matches and time between games to work on things and implement his playing style. Plus, Richardson has had a higher number of extended breaks – essentially anything above seven days – between matches.