It’s that awful time again: the nothingness of the international break. Time stands still, and little joy is found in results against Andorra, Azerbaijan, Austria or whoever. It just doesn’t hit the same for me, never has. When these breaks arrive, a whole fortnight of emptiness stretches ahead, rarely filled by anything else.
That sense of drop-off was made worse by how we drifted into the break, with a disappointing loss to our rivals, Swindon Town, down the M4 in the Pizza Cup.
Many fans felt a massive
sense of injustice that Noel Hunt didn’t appear to take the fixture as seriously as he could or should have. By making wholesale changes – something that’s happened in every cup game at this level previously – he stuck to the well-trodden path. What he failed to account for was the significance of this particular fixture, which doesn’t come around often.
Even stripping out the emotion, there’s an argument for both sides. The bona fide first-team players didn’t need another fixture and could benefit from rest. On the other hand, they clearly needed more minutes together to gel and develop that magical cohesion required for any squad.
It’s this kind of miscalculation that sums up the current state of play pretty well.
Whichever camp you’re in, neither is particularly satisfying or compelling. It could be argued that Hunt has either had enough time to define a style uniquely his own, or he needs more time, now that the squad is complete, to allow that glue to set.
“We’re in a see-saw of styles where the manager doesn’t seem entirely sure what we’re trying to achieve. The spinning plates appear more like panic than in firm control”
After the Swindon loss, some have felt that enough is enough. Yes, it may have been a deliberate choice that Hunt did not want to expose his players to another bruising encounter. Whatever the evaluation, the result and performance have not served Hunt well.
Questions about replacing Hunt are already brewing, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of September. Some would argue that Hunt’s hand has always been tied by financial constraints and the desires of certain players to leave the club, coupled with a new sustainability ethos from the owners. The counterpoint is that a good manager should always be able to fashion a squad of acceptable quality and instil a recognisable style.
At the moment, we’re in a see-saw of styles where the manager doesn’t seem entirely sure what we’re trying to achieve. The spinning plates appear more like panic than in firm control.
This is when fans start getting itchy, wanting the big red button to be pressed. When analysed further, the underlying feeling is that Reading need a manager with solid experience, particularly at League One level.
It could be argued that the club hasn’t had an experienced manager ticking all the boxes since Brian McDermott’s second stint in 2016. Since then, we’ve had managers with limited experience. Punts, if you will. Or they were coaches that were new to the English game.
After Paul Ince’s tempestuous period, Hunt was installed on an interim basis, and then replaced briefly by the rookie Ruben Selles, before eventually returning after Selles had had enough of the ownership shenanigans.
While Hunt clearly has the club at heart and has helped shape the academy, his credentials are being questioned now that the most perilous period in the club’s history is behind us.
The jury remains out, and questions like this surface when there’s a long break from league or cup football. Maybe the whirlwind around the club hasn’t settled enough to evaluate the manager fairly. Maybe the squad just needs time to gel now that the window has closed. Maybe a wiser head could provide a different perspective.
There’s no suggestion the owners wish to push the button any time soon, but strong murmurings among fans suggest a change may be needed. If a change were to happen, an international break like this would be an ideal time, yet any decision obviously comes with financial implications. Money will be a big factor in any such choice.
Deep down, I want Hunt to succeed for the obvious reasons of loving the club. On the other hand, I want to see more of a Hunt-style. What is it? Will it look better now we have the likes of Jack Marriott and Matt Ritchie in situ? I’m itching to find out.
And that’s why international breaks annoy me. They make me think far, far too much.
