Jose Gomes: Reading sack manager after poor run of form

Jose Gomes steered Reading to Championship safety last season by seven points

Reading have sacked manager Jose Gomes after just 10 months in charge following a poor run of form.

Portuguese coach Gomes departs with the Royals third from bottom and without a win in six Championship games.

He was appointed at the Madejski Stadium in December after leaving Rio Ave in Portugal's top flight.

Gomes, 49, guided Reading to safety and 20th last season, but they have won just two league games this season and lost 1-0 at Bristol City on Saturday.

He is the third manager to depart Reading in just 19 months after Jaap Stam parted company with the club in March 2018 and Paul Clement was sacked midway through last season.

A club statement said: "Following just two wins in the first 11 league games in 2019-20, owner Mr Yongge Dai has made the difficult decision to part company with Gomes and make a change at first-team level.

"We would like to sincerely thank Jose for his hard work during his tenure as manager at Reading Football Club and we wish him the very best of luck in his future career."

Reading won just eight of 34 Championship games with Gomes in charge.

He was backed in the transfer market last summer by the club's Chinese owners as seven new players were brought in during the last window.

They included the high-profile signings of Romania striker George Puscas from Inter Milan and Lucas Joao from Sheffield Wednesday, as well as returns for centre-back Matt Miazga and midfielder Ovie Ejaria on season-long loans from Chelsea and Liverpool respectively.

But Reading have scored just 11 goals in their 11 league games this season and despite some encouraging results in the opening weeks of the campaign, they have not won in the Championship since beating Huddersfield on 24 August.

The Royals' next Championship match sees them host Preston on 19 October.

"I strongly believe that the quality of the players that the club has at its disposal is sufficient to finish the season in the battle for promotion," Gomes said in a statement released by the League Managers' Association.

"However, I understand the world of football and accept the decision taken by the club, about which I will never have a bad word to say and to whom I will forever be grateful for giving me the chance to work in English football.

"I sincerely wish Reading FC and the new manager all the very best of success in the future and I can tell you that, as of today, the club has itself another fan."

Analysis

Tim Dellor, BBC Radio Berkshire sports editor

Jose Gomes' appointment last December underwhelmed many fans, all of whom had to Google his name to find out where he had previously worked.

Questions were immediately asked and eyebrows raised. He appeared not to have any previous relevant experience.

A charming, personable and stylish man, he quickly made friends in Reading and six wins secured safety in the Championship last season, but hardly set the Madejski Stadium alight.

He was able to spend mega-bucks in August and, for one week only, everything seemed hunky dory.

With seven points in seven days after wins against Cardiff and Huddersfield and a draw at West Brom, surely this was what the fans had been waiting for?

But one point from the past six games and a complete collapse in form means Reading are now looking for a ninth manager in 10 years, which just about sums up the shambolic last decade.