Reading have had a season to forget so far, with the Royals having so far only tasting victory on two occasions this term, thus seeing them currently sitting in 22nd place after what has been an awful few months for the Berkshire based club. 

Following a summer of high profile signings arriving at the club, many had the Royals down as one of their promotion contenders, however, things just haven't worked out for the club, with new additions such as George Puscas and Lucas Joao having so far failed to have made an impact since moving to the Madejski.

Meanwhile, results have steadily declined after a semi-positive start, thus leading to the sacking of popular Portuguese manager Jose Gomes, who was given his marching orders following a series of poor performances.

The Royals are now seeking to appoint a replacement, with many names being linked with the role, however, it now appears that the club's sporting director, Mark Bowen is set to take over the role, with GetReading.co.uk reporting that the 55-year-old is expected to be appointed this week.

Here, we take a look at TWO pros and TWO cons to Reading appointing the sporting director...

Pros

Knows the club

Bowen joined the club as a technical director earlier this year, before then being promoted into his current role this summer, underlining how well thought of the 55-year-old is at the Madejski, with the fact that he has got his feet under the table since coming in at the club surely being a major reason behind why the board are so keen to appoint him.

His position as sporting director should also help the Royals in the transfer market, with roles of this nature tending to involve the management and negotiations of transfers in and out of the club, a factor which should help to aid future player recruitment.

Experienced coach

Despite having never held a managerial role throughout his career, Bowen has vast experience in coaching, with the 55-year-old having enjoyed spells at Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, QPR and Stoke.

This experience will surely stand Bowen in good stead should he be given the role by the club's board, particularly as he has been involved in job roles which have put him at the forefront of player development and one to one coaching, meaning that he has a good skill set for the role of manager from a tactical point of view.

Cons

No previous managerial experience

Probably the most clearest and most obvious con to any deal for Bowen is the fact that he has no previous managerial experience, with the 55-year-old having only enjoyed a few caretaker spells throughout his career in football.

This lack of experience could prove to be a hindrance for the club, particularly with the Royals already sitting in a perilous position as we come up towards the halfway point of the season, meaning that whoever takes over the hot seat will be facing immediate pressure to get results.

Fan backlash 

One other con to any kind of agreement for Bowen is that he may face a widescale backlash from supporters, with many feeling angry at the way Gomes was treated by the club, particularly as he was clearly an extremely popular figure at the Madejski throughout his time at the club.

The only way Bowen can win over the Royals faithful is by picking up results and subsequently guiding the club away from trouble, which is easier said than done considering the Berkshire based outfit have only picked up eight points from a possible 33 so far.

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