This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Reading have recruited from within, with the appointment of sporting director Mark Bowen as their new manager, taking over from Jose Gomes who was sacked last week, as confirmed on the club website.

The 55-year-old Welshman will work alongside former Chelsea goalkeeper Eddie Niedzwiecki, who is set to become his number two at the Madejski Stadium.

Bowen, who begins his first-ever job as first-team manager, joined the Royals in March as technical director and was promoted to sporting director in the summer.

So is Bowen a good appointment as manager at the Royals?

We discuss........

George Harbey

"I don't think this is a good move by the club at all, and you can tell how strongly Reading fans feel about it.

"Bowen may have been a good assistant manager to Mark Hughes back in the day, but what managerial experience does he have in order to guide the Royals away from the drop zone?

"The Championship is such a competitive league, and I believe that there were better options out there for the Royals to go out and get.

"It just seems bizarre - he's essentially forced Gomes out of the club in order to replace him himself, rather than look for a proper replacement."

Dean Cooke

"Simply put, no. It's quite a shock appointment, and not one that many Reading supporters will be able to get behind in the near future.

"Bowen has no managerial experience and has only coached sides on the training pitch, he'll already be under pressure from the minute of his first fixture against Preston, so it's vital that he gets results straight away.

"After being Sporting Director for the start of the season, his step up to manager seems a bit dodgy to me, considering it would have been very likely that he would have had a say in Jose Gomes' sacking.

"Results are key, and if he can get off to a good start then fans will slowly get behind him, but in this current time, the club has undone everything that had unified the supporters so well last season."

Louie Chandler

"I honestly don't know what they were thinking?

"This is so blatantly an awful move. Both from a PR perspective and just as a managerial appointment in general.

"Bowen is almost certain to have had some involvement in the sacking of Gomes so the club must know how it looks for him to now be hired in his place.

"The reaction from the fans show that this is a move that will be deeply damaging and it will take a lot to fix it."

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