Di Canio Early Favourite To Succeed McDermott

All of these odds were taken at around 6.45pm on

Monday evening from Oddschecker.

Paolo Di Canio

ODDS: 5/4

Last Job: Swindon 2011-2013

Career Highlights: League Two Winners (2012), FL Trophy Finalists (2012)

Di Canio would certainly be a controversial choice and very much against the traditional 'Reading way'. The former Italy striker certainly had success down the M4, guiding Swindon to promotion out of League Two as Champions and a cup final at Wembley before seeing them into League One's automatic promotion places. His tenure came to an abrupt end last month after Di Canio quit, citing broken promises over the clubs future during takeover talks.

He's no stranger to publicity, both during his playing days or as a manager. Whether it's pushing over a referee as a Sheffield Wednesday player, or reportedly giving a fascist salute at Lazio he was very much a love or hate kind of player. Then as a manager he was loved by the media, mostly for giving them plenty to write about. Tunnel bust ups, taunting away fans or just bizzare pressers, they were just part of the day-to-day Di Canio experience.

Certainly not in the Reading mould but this isn't the Reading we grew up with.

Nigel Adkins

ODDS: 8/1

Last Job: Southampton 2010-2013

Career Highlights: League One Champions (2007) FL Trophy Finalists (2009) Championship Runners-Up (2012)

Adkins also found himself out of a job just months after leading Southampton to promotion as runners-up to McDermott's Reading. Despite back-to-back promotions, the Southampton board felt that it was time to go with a new direction and the former Scunthorpe Physio found himself on the scrap heap.

Legal problems could well prevent an immediate appointment but Reading could do worse than appoint a manager who's won promotion four times in six years as well as reaching a cup final.

He won plenty of praise for his style at Southampton but again he lacks experience at the top level.

Roberto Di Matteo

ODDS: 14/1

Last Job: Chelsea 2012

Career Highlights: Championship Runners-Up (2010) FA Cup Winners (2012) Champions League Winners (2012)

Hands up if you thought Roberto Di Matteo would be a contender for the Reading job less than a year after winning the Champions League?... No me neither.

Another victim of ruthless owners, Di Matteo has TWICE been sacked less than six months after leading his side to glory. He first found himself sacked by West Brom for Roy Hodgson after taking them out of the Championship and then saw himself dismissed by Roman Abramovich at Chelsea despite winning the FA Cup and Champions League.

He certainly plays a good brand of football but would he want to drop down to manage Reading?

Nigel Gibbs

ODDS: 14/1

Last Job: None (Reading assistant manager)

Gibbo has been a loyal servant to the club and was a big part of Brian McDermott's success at Reading. However if Reading felt that McDermott's idea's weren't working then it's doubtful they would place faith in the man who worked directly with him for the past three years, not to mention their time spent managing the reserves.

Alan Curbishley

ODDS: 25/1

Last Job: West Ham 2006-2008

Career Highlights: First Division Champions (2000) First Division Play-Off Winners (1998)

Curbishley twice led Charlton into the Premier League and helped them firmly establish themselves as a top flight outfit. He left the club a midtable side but a move to West Ham never really panned out, none moreso than when his side were thumped 6-0 at Reading on New Year's Day back in 2007.

Since leaving West Ham a year later he's not had another job despite being linked with just about every Championship and Premier League vacancy going.

After five years out of the game is he still hungry for a job?

Others:

Plenty of other names get thrown into the mix and some may turn out to be more serious leads than we thought but here's a few names that will also get mentioned. Phil Parkinson (25/1) is an obvious one, having spent a highly successful 10 years at the club. He enjoyed success at Colchester but then struggled at Hull and Charlton before leading Bradford to the Capital One Cup final this season. Despite that success, the fact that Parkinson has never really succeeded in the Championship or managed in the Premier League might rule him out.

At the other end of the scale Dick Advocaat (20/1) has been mentioned due to his Russian connections. While Advocaat would be a great choice, I can't see him coming to take over a club with a high chance of being in the Championship next season.

One name not mentioned by the bookies is Eamon Dolan who could be the next one from the 'Reading boot room' or whatever you want to call it. The former Exeter Manager has been with Reading since 2004 and has won plenty of praise for his work with the Academy. A likely manager under the Madejski ownership, I can't see AZ making Dolan his first big appointment but maybe a caretaker role is in the offing if Gibbs goes with Brian.

Beyond that it's hard to see other familiar names like Hoddle, Coyle, Grant etc coming in but you never know with these things.

We'll obviously keep across all of the latest developments right here on The Tilehurst End.