Next Reading Manager Odds

Reading are in need of a permanent manager come the end of the season, following former Royals striker, Noel Hunt, overseeing the remainder of their campaign as an Interim Manager.

It has been a troubled season for the Royals, who despite their bright start under Paul Ince, slipped down to 22nd in the standings where they'd eventually finish, partially due to a six-point penalty given to them by the EFL for breaching Profit and Sustainability limits.

Under Ince, Reading managed to win just 18 of their 58 matches, drawing 11 and losing 29, equating to a 31% win percentage.

Meanwhile, Hunt's spell as Interim Manager saw them draw three and lose two of the five matches he managed.

Former Watford manager Chris Wilder is the favourite for the job at Reading, having failed to earn a renewal of his contract at Vicarage Road.

The 55-year-old managed both Watford and Middlesbrough during the 2022/23 campaign, with the former role seeing him win just three of his 11 matches in charge.

At Boro, Wilder won 18 of his 45 matches in charge at the Riverside Stadium with his record being significantly worsened following a run of two wins in his last 11 matches which left the Teesiders in the relegation zone. However, despite this setback, Wilder will be fondly remembered for times at other clubs he has managed.

Notably, Wilder took Sheffield United to the Premier League via finishing as runner-up in the Championship during the 2018/19 season, this was after winning League One with the Blades in 2016/17. On top of this, he has also managed promotions with the likes of Alfreton Town, Oxford United and Northampton Town.

Former Reading First Team Coach, Chris Davies is in contention for the role, having recently departed his job as assistant manager at Leicester City following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers.

The 38-year-old’s coaching career began all the way back in 2004 when he was part of Reading’s academy staff. However, it wasn’t until he teamed up with Rodgers at Swansea in 2010 that he became an assistant manager, with the Nothern Irishman taking him to various clubs such as Liverpool, Celtic and the Foxes.

This could be a good opportunity for Davies to gain some managerial experience at a club that he knows well while having a squad that is capable of earning promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Former Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley is also on the lookout for a new job, having had his contract terminated earlier on in the campaign by the South Coast club.

The 44-year-old lost his job at Fratton Park in January having failed to win a league game for over two months, leaving Pompey in 12th at the time, while his overall managerial record of the club lies at 42 wins and 27 draws from 97 matches, equating to a 43.3% win percentage.

Cowley previously managed Huddersfield Town in the Championship for a total of 40 matches, winning 13 and drawing 11, consolidating the Terriers' place in the division during the 2019/20 season.

His three-year spell at Lincoln City will be remembered as his best managerial spell to date, having won two promotions from the National League (2016/17) and League Two (2018/19) by winning each division, on top of this, the Imps also won the EFL Trophy in 2018, while being the first side in over 100 years to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup outside of the Football League in the 2016/17 season.

Former Reading defender John O’Shea is one of the favourites to get the job on a permanent basis, having reportedly impressed in his time as a coach at the club and in other roles.

Since retiring from playing at the end of the 2018/19 season, O’Shea became a coach at Reading until 2021, while also taking up the role of Assistant Manager of the Republic of Ireland’s Under 21s before being promoted to first team Assistant Manager of the Boys in Green.

On top of this, O’Shea also coaches at Stoke City and completed his UEFA Pro License, meaning that the 41-year-old is eligible to manage a senior side.

Notts County manager, Luke Williams, has also been linked to the vacancy at Reading, following an impressive time as coach of the Magpies.

Williams’ side managed to earn promotion from the National League via the play-offs in the 2022/23 campaign after finishing second in the table with 107 points, behind eventual champions, Wrexham.

Since making the move to Meadow Lane, Williams has overseen a total of 51 matches, winning 34, drawing 13 and losing on just four occasions, seeing the 42-year-old having a win percentage of 67%.

Shrewsbury Town manager Steve Cotterill has emerged as one of the favourites for the job at Reading, following the Royals' relegation to League One.

The 58-year-old oversaw a 12th-placed finish with the Shrews during the 2022/23 season and has a decent record at League One level, having guided Bristol City to the League One title and Football League Trophy back in 2014/15.

Cotterill is known for offering sides stability, having managed Cheltenham Town between 1997 and 2002, overseeing two promotions and an EFL Trophy win, while also being held in high regard at Burnley for his spell at Turf Moor between 2004 and 2007 in what were tough times for the Turf Moor side.

Nathan Jones has emerged as one of the contenders for the job at Reading, as the Welshman looks to rebuild his managerial career following his bizarre spell at Southampton.

Jones started his coaching career at Brighton in 2013, serving as an assistant manager to the likes of Oscar Garcia, Sami Hyypia and Chris Hughton, before being demoted to first-team coach by the latter.

As a manager, the majority of Jones’ success has been with Luton Town, having earned promotion from League Two with the Hatters in 2016/17 via a second-place finish. He also laid down the foundations for Luton in 2018/19, leaving them second in League One in January before taking the Stoke City job where he won just six of his 38 games in charge.

Jones made a shock return to Luton and turned their Championship fortunes on their head, having helped them survive from what looked like an impossible situation towards the end of 2019/20 season, before overseeing their qualification for the play-offs last season.

The Welshman will be keen to bounce back having lost his job at Southampton on 12th February following five wins and nine losses in 14 games, with four of his victories being in cup competitions.

Current Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens is in the frame for the job at Reading, having impressively earned promotion to League One with the Brisbane Road club this season.

The 43-year-old has overseen 63 matches in charge of the O's, winning 34, equating to a 54% win percentage, culminating in his side winning England’s fourth-tier title.

Having previously shown his capabilities in League Two with the likes of Leyton Orient and Swindon Town, having also earned promotion with the latter in the 2019/20 season, Wellens will perhaps feel as though he could impress at League One with Reading.

Graeme Murty will be a name that is fondly remembered with Reading, having served the club as a player for 11 years between 1998 and 2009, playing a large part in Reading’s record-breaking 2005/06 Championship winning campaign where they amassed 106 points.

The 48-year-old has previously managed Reading as a Caretaker Manager between February 2017 and March of the same year, winning three and drawing one of his six matches in charge. On top of this, he has also done the same role at Rangers in the 2017/18 campaign, finishing with a respectable win percentage of 62%, winning 18 and drawing two of his 29 matches at the club.

Current Interim Manager Noel Hunt is at 8/1 odds to be given the job on a permanent basis.

In his playing days, the 43-year-old Irishman made 145 league appearances for the Royals and has managed them five times, drawing three and losing twice.

Before stepping up as Interim Manager, Hunt had been the Royals Under 23s Manager since the start of the campaign. On top of this, Hunt has experience of being a Caretaker Manager at Swindon Town, where he won one and lost one of his two games in charge between 4th November 2020 and 12th November.

Recently sacked Oxford United boss Karl Robinson is in the frame to become Reading’s next manager.

At present, the ex-MK Dons manager is assistant manager to Sam Allardyce at Leeds United until the end of the season.

Robinson is perhaps best known for his six-year spell as manager at Stadium MK between 2010 and 2016 where he earned them promotion to the Championship back in the 2014/15 season via a second-place finish.

Following his time at MK, the 41-year-old Liverpudlian took charge of Charlton Athletic between November 2016 and March 2018, but, departed from The Valley by mutual consent after winning just 27 of his 74 matches in charge.

Robinson was in charge of Oxford between March 2018 and February 2023, managing The U’s 274 times, winning 110 of these matches.

Hibernian manager Lee Johnson is within an outside shot of landing the job at Reading.

Johnson has managed Hibs 39 times, winning 16 and drawing five, seeing a significant upturn in form since the Easter Road club’s sacking of Shaun Maloney as coach.

The ex-Bristol City manager has a decent reputation in England as a manager, having won 84 and drawn 54 of his 217 matches as manager of the Robins between February 2016 and July 2020, on top of having good spells in charge of Oldham Athletic and Barnsley prior to his time at Ashton Gate. In terms of major honours, Johnson has one to his name, having guided Sunderland to an EFL Trophy win during the 2020/21 campaign.

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