FORMER READING FC manager Paul Ince believes he was on track to keep the club in the Championship before he was sacked last season.
Since dismissing Ince in March, the Royals are still looking to appoint a full-time replacement after Noel Hunt took interim charge for the final five games of the 2022/23 campaign.
Speaking on TalkSPORT radio, Ince said: “It was disappointing. The season I came in before, they were going down and I managed to save them.
“I knew the six points were pending and it came at a really bad time for us.
“We had an embargo and nine first-team players out.
“The remit was to stay in the league as as far as I’m concerned, that’s what we were doing until the six points came in March and all of a sudden you lose your job.”
With Reading in the relegation zone with five games to go, Ince’s contract was terminated.
Hunt was unable to prevent the team from succumbing to the drop as the club now prepares for life in League One.
Despite that, Ince is keen to get back into management and is seeking his next opportunity.
He continued: “I hadn’t managed for seven years since I left Blackpool. Football is in my blood, it’s my passion. To have the opportunity to manage Reading in the Championship was something I wanted to do so now I’ve got a taste for it.
“I’m looking for the next opportunity wherever that arises.”