Midfielder not disappointed with McDermott exit

The apparent feud between Danny Guthrie and Brian McDermott was a strange one, but the midfielder has spoken out about the sacking of his former boss.

The 25-year old has been in and out of the team under McDermott, with rather strange omissions along the way, refusing to travel to Sunderland in December. However, in Nigel Adkins first game as manager, Guthrie was in the starting XI for the first time in nearly two months and he didn’t mince his words about his former boss.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Guthrie said: “I think some of the lads who were guaranteed a place in the past have to be a little bit sharper and for players like me it`s a new chance under a new manager. It has a big impact on everyone. “I don`t know if there were favourites under Brian McDermott, but there were players who played every week.’

‘When a new manager comes in, it`s a fresh start for everyone. It`s been a while for me. I was just happy to be in the starting XI. I want to get some games under my belt, start helping the team get some results because we`re running out of games. We need some back to back wins. That would make all the difference.”

You can criticise Guthrie’s professional and respect all you want, at the end of the day, McDermott’s favourites clearly obstructed what could have been a profitable Royals career for the former Newcastle player. His performance against Arsenal was questionable, but offers a lot more than the rest of the central midfield selection.

Wiki page: Danny Guthrie