The reason Gareth Ainsworth may think twice before swapping Gillingham for Reading FC | OneFootball

Gareth Ainsworth has reason to think twice about leaving Gillingham, should Reading come calling.

Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth is one of the top candidates to replace Noel Hunt, should he depart Reading, but the 52-year-old may think twice about making the switch if the Ding come knocking.

The legendary Wycombe Wanderers boss has seemingly found a new lease of life in Kent, after leaving Shrewsbury Town late last season in favour of a move to Priestfield.

Incredibly, Ainsworth is yet to lose a competitive match in charge of the Gills, having spent 19 games in the dugout, overseeing nine victories and ten draws in all competitions, which has broken a club record of the longest unbeaten streak that previously stood for over 50 years.

However, Gillingham supporters have been left holding their breath this week, as Football League World exclusively revealed that their beloved new manager was a top target of League One side Reading, who are owned by former Wycombe chief Rob Couhig.

Current Royals boss Hunt is under pressure after a poor start to the season, and the American lawyer is keen on reuniting with Ainsworth in Berkshire, but there could be some contributing factors that may make him think twice about making the move.

Gareth Ainsworth's connections to Reading FC owner Rob Couhig

The revelation that Ainsworth is on Couhig's list of potential candidates to replace Hunt at Reading is up there with one of the least surprising things this summer, as his connection with the American runs deep.

The 52-year-old worked a minor miracle by taking Wycombe to League One on a shoestring budget before the Couhig family's acquisition of the club in 2020, which led the Buckinghamshire outfit to new heights.

In their first season working together, they led the Chairboys to the Championship for the first and only time in the club's history, and despite being relegated, the club has completely transformed into a play-off contender in League One.

All good things come to an end though, with Ainsworth departing Adams Park in February 2023 for Queens Park Rangers after a decade of service in Buckinghamshire, whilst Couhig would sell the club to Billionaire Mikheil Lomtadze in May 2024.

It was thought that the 76-year-old would leave EFL ownership when he sold Wycombe, but instead, he bought a club just 20 minutes down the road, just over a year after selling the South Bucks side.

Now, with Wycombe legend Joe Jacobson working as his CEO at Reading, and multiple former Wanderers staff now at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, Couhig is seemingly keen to bring the band back together, and work with someone in the dugout he knows very well.

Ainsworth could think twice about Reading FC gig after QPR struggles

Whilst it may seem likely that the rockstar manager would jump at the opportunity to rejoin his former colleagues in Berkshire, previous evidence suggests that he could well think twice about making the move, should the job become available.

Firstly, we have to assess Ainsworth's torrid tenure at QPR, which ultimately put his career in limbo for a couple of years. Having worked on a small budget at Wycombe, heading to Loftus Road was a whole different kettle of fish, and he soon found that out.

After failing to get the players on side and accumulating just five wins in 29 matches, the 52-year-old was sacked, which saw him left without a job for the best part of the next year.

Ainsworth's talent is clearly building fearless squads at smaller clubs such as Wycombe, Shrewsbury, or Gillingham, where expectations of a giant fanbase aren't creating a pressure cooker of an environment, which is exactly what Reading is currently.

The Gills boss has got a good thing going at Priestfield, and has been reunited with former star players such as Sam Vokes and Garath McCleary, in a new-look squad that is crafted to play to his tactical strengths.

With that being said, despite the previous connections, to jump ship now would be a massive risk for Ainsworth, as he's seemingly getting back to his best at Gillingham, throwing himself back into a high-pressure environment could have disastrous consequences.