Former Reading midfielder Jeff Hendrick believes Kevin Doyle’s claim that Reading’s record-breaking 2005-06 side is the best Championship team ever should be treated with some caution.
Doyle recently gave his verdict on the long-running debate, insisting there was “no debate” over which team was the best.
The former Reading striker pointed to the Royals’ record 106-point haul, as well as their success in the Premier League the following season with largely the same squad.
But Hendrick believes Doyle’s connection to the team means he is naturally going to favour the Royals.
“Kevin is obviously going to be a little bit biased!” Hendrick said.
The former Republic of Ireland international, who spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Reading, nevertheless acknowledged the achievements of Steve Coppell’s side.
“But they did get 106 points, that record is impressive,” he said.
Hendrick also pointed to two other sides that could be considered among the best in Championship history.
“The Leicester team who went up were really good as well, and the Wolves team under Nuno was good,” he said.
Reading’s 2005-06 team remain the only side to reach 106 points in the second tier, while Doyle previously argued that the numbers made their case difficult to dispute.
Hendrick admitted he did not see enough of the Reading side at the time to make a definitive judgement.
“Reading, I think they finished seventh or eighth (in the Premiership) when they went up. So the numbers prove it. It was probably a bit before my time, so I didn’t see loads of them,” he said.
Reading finished eighth in their first Premier League season after promotion, narrowly missing out on European qualification, with much of the same squad retained.
For Hendrick, however, the lack of a head-to-head meeting between the greatest Championship teams makes comparisons difficult.
“It’s hard to pick the best ever unless you can get them to play each other, which is impossible,” he said.
“But a couple of other teams come to mind.”
This interview was conducted with Andy’s Bet Club: www.andysbetclub.co.uk/tips/football
