Reading hope for new manager by weekend as Russian owner flies in

• Anton Zingarevich will interview candidates this week
• Ex-Southampton manager Nigel Adkins is frontrunner

by Stuart James 2 months ago

Reading are hopeful they will be in a position to appoint a permanent replacement for Brian McDermott before the weekend. Anton Zingarevich, the club's owner, is due to fly in from Russia this week for talks with prospective candidates, including Nigel Adkins, about becoming the new manager.

Adkins remains the frontrunner, although it is by no means regarded as a formality that the former Southampton manager will take the position if it is offered to him. As well as wanting assurances about the club's direction and resources under Zingarevich, Adkins is likely to have other options available to him in the near future, including the possibility of taking over at Leeds United, where Neil Warnock has confirmed he will step down at the end of the season if the club fail to win promotion to the Premier League.

Blackburn Rovers' decision to sack Michael Appleton has opened up another opportunity in the Championship, albeit one that many will view as a poisoned chalice, given the frequency with which the club's owners, Venky's, have changed managers since their takeover in November 2010.

Eamonn Dolan, who was placed in charge of Reading in a caretaker capacity when McDermott was dismissed, is now second favourite for the Madejski Stadium vacancy with the bookmakers. But there are no plans to interview him or allow him to continue until the end of the season in a temporary role.

Under Dolan, who is highly regarded for his work in the club's academy, Reading gave a decent account of themselves in the 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday. That result, though, leaves Reading second from bottom in the Premier League, seven points adrift of safety with eight matches remaining.