Paul Ince sacked by Reading after saying Man City’s Pep Guardiola and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp couldn’t avoid crisis

Reading have sacked Paul Ince following the Royals’ defeat at Preston North End on Easter Monday.

The former Manchester United midfielder issued a defiant response to the last minute 2-1 defeat at Deepdale, insisting not even Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola or Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp could stop the rot.

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Monday’s loss leaves the former Premier League side in the Championship relegation zone, one point from safety with just five games left in the season.

But after the game Ince hinted Reading’s six-point deduction means he didn’t deserve to get the blame for teetering near the edge of falling into League One.

“I’ve got absolutely no qualms about that,” he said when pressed if he was worried about his own position.

“At the end of the day, we are in this position that we’ve been put into [the six point deduction]. You need to think about that when you think about how unfair that is to me and the players.

“We’d be sitting on 47 points and if you look at the injuries it’s going to be tough. If you get Pep [Guardiola] in here, it’d be no different. You could get [Jurgen] Klopp in here, it’d be no different because we have eight first-team players out.

“I think it’s a bit unfair to ask that question – I’m not sure where you are trying to go with it. There are three weeks left and I don’t think I am important in this – the players are and trying to lift them again and go again on Saturday.”

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Less than 24 hours later, Ince was dismissed.

In a statement on Tuesday morning, the Royals said: “Reading Football Club can confirm that the contract of first team manager Paul Ince has been terminated with immediate effect.

“Under-21s Manager and former Royals striker, Noel Hunt, has been installed as Interim First Team Manager until the end of the season.”

Former Charlton and Newcastle midfielder Darren Ambrose thinks it’s a good appointment, though called the Reading job ‘a poisoned chalice.’

“Knowing Noel, he will get the team on side!”

Reading next face already-promoted league leaders Burnley on Saturday as they look to claw their way to safety.

Ince spent 14 months at the Select Car Leasing Stadium after taking over in February 2022 and lead Reading to safety last season.