‘We still trust him’ Selles backs Reading FC stopper Button after 3-1 defeat to Northampton Town

READING FC boss Ruben Selles has defended Royals’ goalkeeper David Button following Tuesday night’s defeat to Northampton Town.

Shipping three goals on the night, two before half-time, the Royals succombed to their sixth league defeat of the season.

Of the defeat, Selles said: “A tough night, a tough night away. Another first part of the game where we were not ready.

“The clearances were short. When we needed to keep the ball down, we kicked it long. It looks like we did things the wrong way around. Then it’s difficult in this league to come back in these moments.

“The goalkeeper made two fantastic saves and straight after we conceded the second goal. In the second half we were there, we scored our goal. We had the chances to equalise but when you’re chasing the game in the last minutes, you can make those mistakes.

READING FC boss Ruben Selles has defended Royals’ goalkeeper David Button following Tuesday night’s defeat to Northampton Town.

Shipping three goals on the night, two before half-time, the Royals succombed to their sixth league defeat of the season.

Of the defeat, Selles said: “A tough night, a tough night away. Another first part of the game where we were not ready.

“The clearances were short. When we needed to keep the ball down, we kicked it long. It looks like we did things the wrong way around. Then it’s difficult in this league to come back in these moments.

“The goalkeeper made two fantastic saves and straight after we conceded the second goal. In the second half we were there, we scored our goal. We had the chances to equalise but when you’re chasing the game in the last minutes, you can make those mistakes.

“We need to demand more and be clinical in our finishing.”

It was a tough night for goalkeeper David Button, who arguably should have done better with all three of the goal Reading conceded on the night.

“Today was probably not his night but we still trust him,” the Spaniard explained.

“He has been excellent for us on many occasions and has kept us in games. We can all have a bad day, we can accept that but the trust in him is still 100%.”

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Ruben Selles is the latest individual to give the job a go in somewhat difficult circumstances, and it remains to be seen as to whether the Spaniard is going to be a success or a failure – but what of those Reading bosses that proved to be busts?

Based on head coaches that have been in charge for at least 10 matches, let’s take a look at the SIX worst managers in the Royals’ existence.

With Reading struggling in the second tier of English football in March 1998, Terry Bullivant was sacked as manager by John Madejski, and after a week with Alan Pardew in caretaker charge, former Celtic boss Burns was appointed.

Burns could not turn around the Royals’ fortunes in the final month and a half of the season, in-fact they got even worse as they lost six of the last seven matches under the Scotsman, but he was allowed to take them into the 1998-99 Division Two season.

They finished in mid-table that year in the third tier under Burns, and after just one month of the 1999-2000 campaign, but with four league defeats in the opening six matches of that season, he was given his marching orders having won just 20 matches in 68 games managed.

Before he became the permanent Reading manager in May 2022, Ince took caretaker charge of the club in February of that year alongside first-team coach Gilkes after the departure of Veljko Paunovic.

Ince, whose son Tom was playing for the club at the time, arrived to try and keep the club in the Championship despite having not been involved in management for the best part of eight years, but he just about managed to secure the club’s status along with Gilkes.

They only survived by four points though as the pair won just the four times in 14 matches managed – it still saw Ince land the job on a full-time basis when 2021-22 was over.

After a long six years in charge at Reading, Roy Bentley was dismissed as manager in 1969 and replaced by Henderson on a temporary basis as caretaker.

Henderson got a decent amount of time for an interim boss as he managed 15 matches between February and April, but he won just four of them before the job was given to Jack Mansell.

Steve Coppell was in charge at the Madejski Stadium for nearly six years, but in 2009 he resigned after a two-legged Championship play-off semi-final defeat against Burnley.

Chairman Madejski went in a new direction, appointing former reserve team player Rodgers as the new manager at the age of just 36, taking him from Watford for a figure that could have risen to £1 million.

Rodgers proved not to be worth the outlay though as in his six months at the club he won just six matches out of a total of 23 managed, and by the time he was sacked in December 2009, the Royals were battling relegation.

Brian McDermott came in and turned their fortunes around but it just didn’t work out for Rodgers, although he soon had success with Swansea City.