Michael Hector left baffled by recent Paul Ince comment amid Reading sacking | OneFootball

Former Reading player Michael Hector couldn’t believe Paul Ince’s claim that no other manager would be getting more out of the squad due to the injury issues.

Reading sack Paul Ince

It has been a turbulent campaign once more for the Royals, who are fighting to stay up with just five games to go. With the side in the bottom three, the hierarchy made the decision to sack Ince following the defeat to Preston on Easter Monday.

In fairness to Ince, it’s worth noting that Reading wouldn’t be in the relegation zone if they hadn’t been hit with a six-point deduction, which came as the club failed to follow a business plan they had agreed with the EFL due to breaching the financial rules.

Nevertheless, fans were growing increasingly frustrated with performances from the side, whilst Ince didn’t endear himself to the support as he seemingly refused to accept responsibility for the situation.

That was evident after the loss to North End, where Ince pointed to the injury situation as a reason for the display, as he mentioned the eight senior players they have out. He also stated that Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t be able to get more out of the squad because of the key men missing.

Understandably, that claim raised a few raised eyebrows, and it even bought a response from Hector, with the former centre-back seemingly not having it, as he replied with ‘this can’t be a serious’, along with a laughing emoji on his Twitter account.

It has been confirmed that Noel Hunt will lead the first-team for the remainder of the season, as the former player looks to keep the side in the division. He faces the toughest possible task for his first game this weekend, as Reading host league leaders Burnley.

Ince did himself no favours

It felt like the Royals had reached breaking point with Ince, as the atmosphere around the club was toxic, and a significant proportion of the fanbase wanted the manager gone.

With five games to go, it’s a risky move, and they obviously haven’t managed to bring in an experienced replacement, but the reality is that not having Ince in the dugout will lift the mood in the stadium.

A reason for that is the way he speaks in the media. Everyone knew this would be a tough season for Reading, and having them on 47 points is a good return, with the deduction out of his control. But, he hasn’t connected with the support with the way he addresses the media, and he seemed unwilling to take responsibility for the performances, which have been below par.

That has resulted in some outlandish claims, including the idea that Guardiola or Klopp wouldn’t get more out of this team. It’s a ridiculous thing to say, and most fans will agree with Hector’s response here.