Former Reading FC captain Jobi McAnuff expressed his surprise after the Royals appointed Leam Richardson for the managers job over Matt Bloomield.
Ex Wycombe boss Bloomfield was heavily linked with the position and was shortlisted by the club’s hierarchy.
Bloomfield has a strong connection with Reading owner Rob Couhig having been Wycombe manager under his tenure, and also has links to Reading CEO Joe Jacobson having been teammates together at Wycombe.
However, a quick appointment process saw Richardson hired as the new boss on Tuesday in favour of other candidates.
Speaking on the BBC’s Daily, Jobi McAnuff said: “I’m a little bit surpised because I thought Matt Bloomfield would be the obvious candidate, but in terms of where he’s been operating, is that a budget that Reading can get to now?
“Is this a job that he wants to walk straight into?
“Those would probably be two questions as to why it’s not him, obviously he knows Rob Couhig really well and knows Joe Jacobson extremely well.
“Leam Richardson was out of work, he has a good pedigree at this level in difficult circumstances at Wigan last time around.
“I think for me that’s why it makes sense because he has been prudent before.
“He clearly has been able to get a team together that wasn’t with the biggest budget in the league to go ad be incredibly successful in League One.
“I get it, but will it appease lots of Reading fans at this moment in time? Probably not.
“But I absolutely back him to go in there and get that football club moving in the right direction because that’s where it deserves to go.”
Richardson takes charge of his first game as Reading host Carlisle United in the FA Cup first-round at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
