Hard to believe it's been almost four years now, no?
I remember when he first joined Reading, most people had never heard of him. He had spent the first part of his managerial career as an assistant under Leftwich at Greensbury. Was part of their run through League Two all the way up to the Championship in one swoop.
I suppose looking at the way that Greensbury team played we could have seen it coming, but it was hard to predict how extreme of a tactics change he would bring. There was a also a question as to how involved he was, and how much credit should have been given to Leftwhich.
Greensbury are back down playing non League football and Leftwich was managing some second rate Scottish side, so we have our answer now.
People didn't have high expectations for Reading so it wasn't a surprise that they hired such an unproven manager. Credit to the owners, the Oden family for seeing what no one else had seen yet, and taking the chance. God knows they got their reward.
Their first match in the league was Liverpool away. Anfield is tough enough for the vets, forget about the first time managers. The crowd is practically on top of you. They ended up narrowly losing that match 5-4. This was a Liverpool team that took the league to the last weekend the season before, getting edged out by Chelsea on goal difference.
The next week they faced their fellow Championship promotees in Luton Town.: 9-4. That's when people started to pay attention. Leeds: 6-6. Brighton: 8-3. Then Arsenal at home: 10-6.
People couldn't believe their eyes at the scorelines. They had to watch the games for themselves to believe it. Gorgeous attacking football. Defense optional. Formations and in game schemes never before seen. Teams didn't know how to line up.
They were ok with conceding so many because they knew they could outgun you. Then the critics came out: "He's ruining the game." "They'll never win the league."
One year later, after a busy summer transfer window where he was given free reign to construct his squad, they walked to the title—averaging 7.8 goals a game. Man U never recovered from the record shellacking: 14-2. They're still down in the Championship licking their wounds.
And then he just up and quit, no warning. At the summit of his power. Last we heard, he's got a farm somewhere in New Zealand.
And now I'm here to follow his act.