Reading FC warned against 'no-go' appointment of ex-Wigan Athletic boss - 'it would be like getting Paul Ince back' | OneFootball

FLW's Reading fan pundit has given his reaction to speculation linking the club with former Rotherham United manager Leam Richardson.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Reading are currently searching for a new manager after parting company with Noel Hunt on Sunday.

Hunt led Reading to a seventh-placed finish in League One last season in difficult circumstances after replacing Ruben Selles in December, but despite the club now being under the more stable ownership of Rob Couhig, he failed to build on that success this campaign.

The Royals have won just three of their first 14 league games this season, and Hunt was dismissed after Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to out-of-form Doncaster Rovers left them sitting 19th in the table, just two points above the relegation zone, with Couhig admitting the decision was "not an easy one".

Shortly after Hunt's dismissal on Sunday, FLW broke the news that former Luton Town manager Matt Bloomfield, who previously worked under Couhig at Wycombe Wanderers, was Reading's number one target to replace the Irishman, but as we exclusively revealed on Monday morning, the 41-year-old is no longer in the running to take over at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

However, a new name has now emerged in the frame, with journalist Pete O'Rourke reporting that ex-Accrington Stanley, Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United boss Leam Richardson is one of those under consideration by the Royals.

The highlight of Richardson's managerial career came when he led Wigan to the League One title in the 2021-22 season, but he has been out of work since April 2024 when he was sacked by Rotherham less than two weeks after their relegation from the Championship was confirmed.

When asked for his thoughts on the potential arrival of Richardson, FLW's Reading fan pundit Johnny Hunt warned the club against appointing the 45-year-old, insisting that there are better options on the market, and he also made a comparison with former Royals manager Paul Ince.

Ince had been out of work for over eight years before surprisingly taking over at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in February 2022 following the sacking of Veljko Paunovic, and while that is significantly longer than Richardson's current hiatus, Johnny believes his time away from management is a cause for concern.

"Leam Richardson is a no-go for me," Johnny told FLW.

"He's been out of the game for a long time, it would be like getting Paul Ince back.

"His record is okay, but there's no wow factor.

"It would be kind of a 'meh' management option for us.

"He did get a promotion, but the rest of the time, he's not been particularly great, and I just think there are far better candidates available who are more suited to what we need for the future of the club.

"It's a no from me."

Leam Richardson would be a big gamble for Reading despite Wigan Athletic success

Richardson does have a strong track record at League One level having first kept Wigan in the division before guiding them to the title against all the odds the following year, so it is easy to see why he has emerged on Reading's radar.

However, Richardson's success with the Latics was over three years ago, and in his next job at Rotherham, he won just two of his 24 games in charge, drawing four and losing 18, and the Millers suffered plenty of comprehensive defeats on their way to relegation from the Championship.

In Richardson's defence, it was always going to be a difficult task to save Rotherham from the drop given their limited budget, but his disappointing time at the New York Stadium does raise a few red flags, and he would be a risky appointment for the Royals, particularly given that they are only just outside the relegation zone.