Our first approval rating results for new Reading manager Leam Richardson are in and it’s a clear verdict from you, the voting public: you’re happy with his start.
Not unhappy, not happy, but happy. A whopping 82.3% gave him a 3/5 or 4/5 (30% and 52.3% respectively), which to me suggests that Reading fans are generally happy with the performances they’ve seen from him so far, despite some reservations about certain aspects of his management.
advertise
As for the other scores, no one actually gave Richardson a 0/5, but a few chose a 2/5 (6.9%) or a 5/5 (10.8%). You can see the full breakdown here:
View link
As for those reservations I mentioned, Alex outlined some of the criticisms in his original article on Richardson, regarding youth development, performance and results (although there are plenty of positives worth highlighting as well). I found one of Alex’s points particularly poignant:
“It’s hard to feel how much we’ve benefited from this [Richardson’s] Leadership, or it’s just a case of us having a manager who really knows what he’s doing. “
I agree with this. Has Richardson made Reading – now in the top half of the table and in fine form – the sum of its parts, or is it something more than that? Only time will tell, especially considering Richardson hasn’t played that many games so far despite having been in the role since October. The schedule is weird at times.
advertise
Richardson’s grade point average is 3.67/5a good enough score for a manager’s first approval rating. For context, it’s a good chunk above the 3.02/5 signed by Noel Hunt, but well below Ruben Selles’ numerous attempts outside the 4/5 level.
“Ah, but only if I have other Big DataWrapper chart so I can visualize all Manager support at The Tilehurst End is at an all-time high! “ I hear you cry. Fear not, dear readers, because we can offer that too, here it is:
View link
Therefore, Richardson’s popularity now is roughly similar to Paul Ince’s 3.61/5 in December 2022. Back then, the Royals started the season like a house on fire before falling into the middle of the standings. Another all-time equivalent is Veljko Paunovic’s 3.59/5 in May 2021 – also when Reading started well but then fell off.
advertise
Obviously, things are very different now with Richardson, as he hasn’t been here as long as his two predecessors. So there’s plenty of room for improvement as he continues to settle in at the club, build a team in his image and hopefully push Reading into the playoffs this season.