Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United could face a tougher challenge to avoid relegation now that Reading have sacked Paul Ince. The Royals had failed to win any of their last eight matches and were heading for the drop after their six-point deduction.
Reading currently sit one point from safety at the bottom of the Championship and haven’t won since their 3-1 victory over Blackpool in February. The Berkshire outfit are hot favourites to be relegated this season but they will now be looking to improve their form under interim head coach Noel Hunt.
The former striker is set to take charge of the club for the rest of the season before the Royals look to appoint a new manager and they will be hoping that is in the Championship.
Here are 12 managers Reading could look at if they can stay up this season...
1. Ian Evatt
Evatt just won the Papa John’s Trophy with Bolton Wanderers and is also on course to reach the League One play-offs. It would take a lot for the former defender to leave his current club, especially if they are promoted.
2. Scott Parker
Previously winning promotion to the Premier League with both Bournemouth and Fulham, Parker was recently sacked by Club Brugge after two months in Belgium.
3. Karl Robinson
Robinson spent five years with Oxford United, leading them to the play-offs on two occasions before he was sacked in February.
4. Neil Critchley
Critchley previously won promotion to the Championship with Blackpool and kept them up the following season. However, his most recent appointment at QPR only lasted two months.
5. Nathan Jones
Jones enjoyed two successful stints with Luton Town, taking them to League Two promotion in 2018. He won the Championship Manager of the Season award last year but is now out of work after a terrible spell with Southampton.
6. Leam Richardson
The 43-year-old won promotion to the Championship with Wigan Athletic last season before he was (arguably) unfairly sacked with the club two points inside the relegation zone - two weeks after he signed a new contract. The Latics are now on their second manager since and sit eight points adrift.