Reading Boss Boldly Criticizes Rivals for Sacking Manager

• Dean Smith was sacked after Norwich lost a second successive league game on Boxing Day
• The defeat left the Canaries 12 points off the automatic promotion spots
• Reading manager Paul Ince termed the sacking ‘madness’, saying managers needed to be given more time
• Smith lasted slightly over a year as Norwich manager, having replaced Daniel Farke in November 2021

Reading manager Paul Ince has come out to openly slam the decision by Norwich City to sack Dean Smith after just a year in charge at Carrow Road.

Smith’s time as Norwich City boss came to an end on Tuesday, December 27 as he was shown the door following a defeat in the EFL Championship against 10-man Luton town.

Nine days earlier, Norwich had also succumbed to yet another defeat at the hands of Blackburn Rovers.

In his post-match conference, Smith was the first one to admit he was going through “the toughest spell of his managerial career”.

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"I've not suffered that experience before. It's not nice. Unfortunately, everyone has decided that they are allowed an opinion on managers.” He said as quoted on Sky Sports.

Ince’s take

Paul Ince who is in charge of fellow Championship side Reading, sympathized with Smith, as he termed his dismissal “madness”.

According to the Reading boss, managers should be afforded more time in the dugout, instead of facing the sack at the first sight of adversity.

"It really is pure madness. I don't know what the answer is. I've said before there should be a window for managers... I've been here 10 months and I'm the 7th longest-serving manager. It's not right... It's got to be about longevity." He said.

Smith initially made a promising return to the Championship but has seen his side experience a spectacular dip in form in recent days.

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He took over from Daniel Farke last season but failed to keep Norwich in the Premier League as they finished bottom of the pile.

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Elsewhere, Sports Brief reported on how South African great, and all time Bafana Bafana legend has been praised for the impact that he has had in his role as forwards coach at Manchester United.

This came following the Red Devils' impressive 3-0 victory over a pesky Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Tuesday.