Brian Howard

[Mike Hunt]

Hate is such a strong word, one that is thrown around way too easily. Not just here, but life in general.

Didn't mind him, although as W_R said, he did have a face you wanted to smack. I will always remember his goal v WBA, only for it to be beaten by the glorious wonder strike by Gylfi a few minutes later.

Thanks for that Ghandi

You're welcome

[AthleticoSpizz]

"Hated" lol

Fair fuchs to the guy, from his downward spiral since his Reading days (including a sh1te spell with Portsmouth recently ffs!!.....now, they really "hated" him)...he has ended up with a contract and wage with one of the Midlands sizeable teams and back in the Championship.

FKH, but in front of scouts, he must be doing something right somewhere?

[super darren caskey]

I liked Howard and thought he was a decent player.He was just very inconsistent that's all.One week he could be a match winner and then the next few games be complete arse.

[P!ssed Off]

Perfectly acceptable footballer who was part of out best BMcD team (that one with Tabby and him in the middle with Sig playing in front - nnnnggggrrrrrr) and to me recollection always gave his all despite not being the most athletic. Admittedly suffers from having one of those faces you just want to slap, but there have been plenty worse footballers (and plenty better) at Reading.

Gonna have to call you out on the best McD team - the other two got to the play-off final and won the league.

To the best of my recollection he was such a passive presence in midfield, and his passing was sloppy as anything. Basically every current sensationalised review of Guthrie now was applicable to him then. I liked him and can't fault his effort but he was one of those player who, in a similar vein to Church, never seemed to come good.

Oh and being at Oxbridge doesn't mean anything I say about a player I saw 4/5 years ago (or even today for that matter) is valid!

Haha, fair enough.

I'm not motivated enough to go and do the math, but I'm fairly sure our form under BMc in the second half of 09/10 was as good as any period following that (15 in 17 run excepted) and the football we were playing with that front 4 of Sig, Long, Jobi, and Kebe far eclipsing anything we saw after, even if we found more success through functionality later on during his reign.

From when Brian took over as interim = 42 points in 25 games = 1.68 ppg
From when Brian took over as full time = 40 points in 20 games = 2 ppg

2ppg over a season would have won the Championship in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Plus 2nd place in 2010.

ppg when we won the league in 2012 = 1.935
excl. first six games = 85 points in 40 games = 2.125 ppg

[handbags_harris]

...our form under BMc in the second half of 09/10 was as good as any period following that (15 in 17 run excepted) and the football we were playing with that front 4 of Sig, Long, Jobi, and Kebe far eclipsing anything we saw after, even if we found more success through functionality later on during his reign.

Howard had his faults by all means, and never put a consistent run of excellent form together, but 'awful' is very very harsh.

This. In spades. 09/10 under McDermott was, eventually, one of the most fun times being a Reading supporter. Excellent attacking football, goals by the bucketload, Sig, Long coming good, fully operational 4-2-3-1 (Federici, Bertrand, Griffin, Mills, Khizanishvili/Ingimarsson, Howard, Tabb, Sigurdsson, Kebe, McAnuff, Long/Church. Even Rasiak went on a bit of a scoring spree at one point. Wonderful times, which made the start to 10/11 against Scunthorpe all the more difficult to take.

[sandman]

Hate is such a strong word, one that is thrown around way too easily. Not just here, but life in general.

Didn't mind him, although as W_R said, he did have a face you wanted to smack. I will always remember his goal v WBA, only for it to be beaten by the glorious wonder strike by Gylfi a few minutes later.

Thanks for that Ghandi

You're welcome

Pull your finger out and make another film you lazy barsteward. What have you been doing, sitting around in silence or summink?

[Terminal Boardom]

A player whose career was based on one goal for BARNSLEY!

[AthleticoSpizz]

Lee Clark (or at least his scouts) has seen more of BH than that.

Really surprised to see him bounce back to these scaley heights tbf

[royalsroyalsroyals92]

I can't remember if it was against Portsmouth at home, But Howard put in a fantastic pass, right around the back of the entire defence which just fell perfectly to Shane Long.

One of then best passes i've ever seen, and although i quite like him, he still struck me as a poor mans matejovsky, which says quite a bit!

[Royal Monk]

[Big Foot]

...our form under BMc in the second half of 09/10 was as good as any period following that (15 in 17 run excepted) and the football we were playing with that front 4 of Sig, Long, Jobi, and Kebe far eclipsing anything we saw after, even if we found more success through functionality later on during his reign.

Howard had his faults by all means, and never put a consistent run of excellent form together, but 'awful' is very very harsh.

This. In spades. 09/10 under McDermott was, eventually, one of the most fun times being a Reading supporter. Excellent attacking football, goals by the bucketload, Sig, Long coming good, fully operational 4-2-3-1 (Federici, Bertrand, Griffin, Mills, Khizanishvili/Ingimarsson, Howard, Tabb, Sigurdsson, Kebe, McAnuff, Long/Church. Even Rasiak went on a bit of a scoring spree at one point. Wonderful times, which made the start to 10/11 against Scunthorpe all the more difficult to take.

Yes, I loved that team at the end of the 09/10 season - partly because it was such a marvellous turn around from the first half of the season (& to an extend, the 2nd half of the 08/09 season).

Still think Howard is a massive pcunt though.

[Geekins]

Never understood his 'washing his face' goal celebration either. Uber-irritating.

He should use a more sensitive face wash then.

lol