Reading FC & Rob Couhig face 'tricky' Leam Richardson sack decision | OneFootball

FLW's Reading fan pundit has given his reaction to calls from some supporters for manager Leam Richardson to be sacked.

It was a disappointing Easter weekend for Reading FC in League One as their play-off hopes suffered a significant blow.

After a poor start to the season, Reading parted company with manager Noel Hunt in late October, and former Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United boss Leam Richardson took over with the club sitting just outside the relegation zone.

Richardson has won 13 of his 29 games in charge of the Royals so far, drawing eight and losing eight, and his side have climbed the table under his guidance in recent months to move into play-off contention.

However, after conceding a 96th-minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw with fellow top six hopefuls Huddersfield Town on Good Friday, Reading suffered another late setback on Easter Monday as Lincoln City netted in the same minute to seal their promotion to the Championship with a 2-1 victory at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

With other results going against them, the Royals have now dropped down to eighth in the table, and while they are only two points behind sixth-placed Stevenage, Alex Revell's side have two games in hand, while seventh-placed Plymouth Argyle have also played one game less than the Berkshire outfit.

Despite Richardson's impressive record, there has been increasing discontent among Reading supporters about his style of football of late, and many called for owner Rob Couhig to sack him on social media over the weekend.

Leam Richardson concerns raised amid growing Reading sack calls

When asked for his thoughts on Richardson's future, FLW's Reading fan pundit Johnny Hunt claimed that Couhig is unlikely to make a managerial change in the summer, but he admitted that he has doubts over whether the 46-year-old is the right man to take the club forward.

"It's a tricky one," Johnny told FLW.

"Points wise, we've done okay and got to the fringes of the play-offs, but the football is tepid to watch at the best of times.

"We rely on quality moments from players like Lewis Wing and Jack Marriott to win us games.

"There doesn't seem to be any real plan or structure, it's very negative and sitting back.

"I just thought his rant after the game yesterday where he blamed people and what's gone on before was pathetic and childish.

"He's the one that sends the team out, he's been with them long enough to know their strengths and weaknesses and how he wants them to play.

"I thought he was throwing the players under the bus by blaming them, he should take some responsibility as he's the manager.

"I don't think Rob Couhig will sack him, I'd be very surprised.

"I think he'll give him the summer because he's his man, and we know Couhig's ego, so he'll probably let him build a team over the summer.

"I think the play-offs are gone now.

"I'm not convinced, and I'm sure many Reading fans aren't either.

"We don't have a style.

"You look at Lincoln, top of the league, and the way they play and work for each other.

"We were so pedestrian (v Lincoln) and just passing it backwards and forwards so slowly, there was no incision or sharpness, and that's why fans are fed up, including me."

Rob Couhig must be cautious over Leam Richardson decision as Reading fan pressure builds

After conceding another two late goals over the Easter weekend, it is easy to see why Reading supporters are becoming frustrated with Richardson, particularly as his side continue to deliver uninspiring performances.

However, while his football may not have been thrilling to watch, only four sides have picked up more points in League One than the Royals since Richardson's arrival in October, and he has transformed them into serious play-off candidates.

If performances do not improve, the form that Reading have produced under Richardson is unlikely to be sustainable long-term, but based on results alone, he has arguably deserved the opportunity to stamp his mark on the squad over the summer.