Ruben Selles has become a popular figure in Berkshire – but he may not be at the club for too much longer if they are relegated.
Things looked rosy for them after their 2-0 win against Port Vale last week.
But their 3-2 home defeat against Shrewsbury Town at the weekend and the two points they have been deducted for late payment of HMRC this week has placed the Royals back into real danger.
| League One Table (20th-24th) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (As of February 29th) | P | GD | Pts | |
| 20 | Reading | 35 | -6 | 36 |
| 21 | Cheltenham Town | 33 | -17 | 33 |
| 22 | Port Vale | 33 | -20 | 32 |
| 23 | Fleetwood Town | 35 | -22 | 28 |
| 24 | Carlisle United | 34 | -29 | 23 |
It could be argued that the Royals can win any of their remaining games, seeing as they have a reasonably strong squad on paper.
However, survival isn’t guaranteed and with a further suspended two-point deduction potentially to come, they are in real trouble at this point.
If they do go down, they will probably lose some of their best players, including Harvey Knibbs, Sam Smith, Lewis Wing and Femi Azeez, with the latter out of contract at the end of this season anyway.
Ruben Selles’ time at Reading FC so far
Selles’ tenure at the Select Car Leasing Stadium got off to a rough start, but a very eventful summer didn’t exactly help, as a team rebuild was ongoing in the early going of the season.
Having spent a significant portion of the season in the drop zone, the former Southampton manager most likely would have been fired at most other teams.
However, the Royals’ dire financial circumstances most likely kept him afloat in the end, as he was able to do even better in 2024.
His win percentage isn’t great however, and some of his outcomes, like the shock of last weekend’s loss to Shrewsbury, have been dismal.
| Ruben Selles’ time at Reading (All competitions) | |
| [As of February 29th) | |
| Games | 39 |
| Wins | 13 |
| Draws | 9 |
| Losses | 17 |
| Win rate | 33.3% |
However, in recent months, they have also managed to pick up some important points.
They could find great value in their away success against Stevenage in the first week of February. In January, they also triumphed 1-0 at home against Derby County.
With only three losses in their past 16 league games, both the Royals and Selles should be pleased with their record given their off-field financial difficulties. If the Berkshire side fails, you believe the latter can move on.
It could be possible for Reading FC to lose Ruben Selles.
Selles hasn’t had the best season statistically, but he has performed admirably lately in spite of the club’s significant issues.
He hasn’t used the Royals’ disastrous season to justify point deductions, even though it is a real possibility.
Rather, by using that as fuel, he and his team have been able to achieve some excellent results against formidable opponents, such as Derby. Since they abandoned the 4-2-2-2 system, they have also put up a lot of strong performances, with their movement giving opponents a lot of trouble.
Many would argue that Selles hasn’t performed well if the Berkshire team is demoted.
To suggest that Reading fans have had a difficult season would be to understate one of the biggest stories of the league season thus far.
He cannot, however, bear the brunt of the responsibility should relegation occur, as the club’s owner Dai Yongge is mostly to blame for the current state of affairs.
If the Royals fall to League Two, it wouldn’t even be shocking to see the former Saints boss go, in part due to the likely psychological toll the position has taken on him.
If he were to depart, there would be no shortage of offers for him to manage or coach in other places; the forty-year-old has managed in the Premier League and coached at many clubs in the past, including Valencia and FC Copenhagen.
The Royals’ prospects of keeping their manager could depend on how late they stay up.
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