Meet Pedro Bruno, Reading Women’s First-Team Manager
Towards the end of Reading Women’s difficult rebuild season, Pete sat down with manager Pedro Bruno for an in-depth chat about his time at the club so far, the 2024/25 season, his time before Reading, and plenty else.
After funding from the club stopped last summer, Reading Women found themselves with no other option but to elect for voluntary relegation from the Championship and, effectively, start again in tier five.
With a month to go before the start of the season, the team found themselves in a position where they had no players, no management and no home they could call their own.
One of the boxes was ticked when Pedro Bruno was announced as Reading Women’s first-team manager, just three weeks before the season started. His commitment to the project was evident early on - being interviewed while abroad on his honeymoon.
With player trials in full flow and no time for pre-season, it was nothing short of a miracle (or rather some exceptional hard work behind the scenes) to see the Royals able to field a team for their first match of the season, away to Sholing.
So, was the new Reading manager phased or surprised by the scale of the challenge which lay ahead of him?
“Not really. In all honesty, no,” Bruno recalls. “I’m not trying to undermine the dimension of the challenge, because it’s a big challenge - but I didn’t feel the pressure of the challenge.
“For me, it was not about the task. When I discussed this with Emma Hopkins (head of women’s football) and Dave Evans (Reading Community Trust manager), I was actually buzzing about it.”
A tough start
Although the first half of the season proved to be difficult, with Reading starting the new year bottom of the league, Bruno’s optimism and confidence were unwavering.
The turning point of the season came in mid-January, the Royals picking up a vital three points with their first league win: a 2-1 victory over fellow relegation-battlers Selsey. Since then they’ve chalked up two further two league victories, completing the double over Selsey and winning away to Badshot Lea, to put themselves in a great position and clear of the relegation places.
“Before Christmas, I kept saying [to the players] we haven’t played a team I don’t believe we can beat,” Bruno says. “We were demolished by some teams but there were always things that could be explored (and exploited) to play against.
“The only team I remember that were very organised, very disciplined were Porchester, and we’ve only played them once. But against every team I felt like, with the right tools, we could get a result, even against the big ones.”
(Ascot United, Wycombe Wanderers and Oxford City currently make up the top three).
“And then comes the reality of what the players can do, what side starts the match and things like that - you can’t control that,” Bruno adds.
The reality is that results to date mean Reading have been cut adrift in a mini-league of their own, in a relegation play-off battle with Selsey and Badshot Lea.
“You can’t change everything and you can’t build Rome in one day, right?” Bruno continues. “You have to pick your battles, so I’m picking the battle of surviving. And that’s what we want.
“So, let’s win our mini-league first which, so far, we are doing, and then if we can snatch any other points, that’s brilliant: it feeds the ego, feeds the belief, the confidence and it will take a bit of the pressure off.”
Bruno’s managerial approach
The Royals manager explained that he has tried to keep his approach to coaching pragmatic, simple, and realistic, which may be a reflection of his full-time day job as a tutor for Procision Football Academy in Newbury.
“We provide all the players with a nine-point game plan - within two printouts,” Bruno says.
“The first includes a countdown of the day: what time you should be in for, what time you should be ready, what time you should be doing the dynamic warm-up, what time you should be doing the passing and finishing drill, what time you should go to the toilet. Every single thing is accounted for - so you need to be ready, right?
“The second one is a breakdown for individual players, covering their individual targets per position. So if you play as a centre-back or full-back you know your goals, you know what the target is for the game, for both a centre-back and a full-back - because you might switch in between the two - and you can then help your teammates to know exactly what she should be doing - when the team has possession and when the team doesn’t.”
“That’s it - nine points - all together. All you need to do is memorise nine points - across the two. Can’t be more basic than that.”
An evolving squad
The players registered and available have changed many times throughout the season (the registration of new players is now closed). In the recent 1-0 win at Badshot Lea there were only five players (out of a matchday squad of 16) who were involved in the first game of the season.
What’s it been like for Bruno to manage this evolving squad of players?
“It’s about understanding that we will have players in and out - new faces coming in, faces leaving us,” Bruno says.
“There’s always that question: ‘Why can’t we repeat the starting XI week in, week out? [But there are always outside factors to consider:] Injuries, availability, other commitments. It is important to keep a core group, to create synergies, but sometimes you just can’t.
“I’ve had to put myself into the players’ context as well, because I think I had a bit of high expectations from my previous experiences.”
Gone are the days of Championship arrangements with coach travel provided. Players now have to make their own way to games or be driven by teammates, or parents, if they’re unable (or perhaps not old enough) to drive.
“I had to realise that I was dealing with such a big mix of backgrounds, abilities, travel arrangements - with some of the players in full-time employment or still at college - and they are doing this all voluntarily,” Bruno explains.
Setting standards
Regardless of age and experience, Bruno still expects high standards when it comes to their own self-accountability and respect - for themselves, to the coaching team and to their teammates.
“Be respectful to the team and don’t waste the opportunity you have been given,” Bruno emphasises. “Be on time - so you don’t mess up our [pre-match] plan and you don’t miss our warm-up. As a one-off I understand but you don’t have an emergency every week - you need to be realistic.
“We all come from a long way - we all need to plan our journeys in advance. Know your targets: if you don’t know your targets for the game, and your individual targets, you’re not doing anything for yourself, or for the team.”
Training is twice a week, on a Wednesday and Friday, and generally held at Reading’s Arbour Park, Slough home ground - with the coaching team using different teaching and learning methods to convey their message to the players.
“We do demos (kinaesthetic), we use a tactic board (visual), and we actually tell you (audio) what to do,” Bruno says. We’ve had two team meetings across the season where we discussed the values, the expectations and we actually gave them a power of choice as well.”
All of the matches are recorded using VEO camera technology and are made available for use by the Reading coaching team and to the players.
“We gave the players an option again, democratically,” Bruno continues. “What resources would you rather have, more resources that could reduce the weight of the commute [or other areas such as continuing the technology support]? We can potentially help with one of them, not both, unfortunately. The players chose the VEO technology to watch back, to create portfolios and I was happy with it.”
“The players all have a gym programme that they can follow on their own time [if they have membership elsewhere] or they can use the facilities at Arbour Park before the session or if there’s a session where they don’t need to take part, they can jump in the gym and do it.
“So, those are little things that we try to to keep in place.”
With this, however, comes responsibility. Bruno is keen to remind the players of what a great opportunity this is for them and that they should grab it with both hands.
“This season is a big opportunity for the players and an opportunity to showcase themselves because, in an ideal scenario, they wouldn’t normally be playing first-team football at that age - unless you are an extraordinary player,” he highlights.
(Many of the players are in their teenage years or early 20s.)
“I will always try to show them how to improve as a player.
“A lot of players come to me: ‘How can I improve my game?’ I say: ‘Have you watched your game back? That’s a start. Go and watch yourself back, because what you think after the game is completely different to what you’re gonna think after you watch yourself. Completely different.’”
A Cambridge education
It’s clear that Bruno’s desire for the players to acknowledge the opportunity given to them - and to grasp this fully - is a reflection of his own values, appetite for learning and journey to first-team management. He started at Cambridge United (then a League Two side) and made the most of the opportunities given to him, volunteering as a second-year student in the analysis department.
“The analysis department would text to say: ‘Who’s available for Saturday?’ I was always available, any match - under-16s, under-18s, under-21s and the first team.
“I ended up filming, in that season, every single home game of Cambridge United’s first team. By the end of the season, I knew exactly how they play, who were the key players, I knew exactly who we played and I didn’t do any analysis - it was just observing.’
He has a thirst to soak up as much football information as possible and is quick to attribute a lot of that learning from his time at Cambridge United, having worked alongside managers and coaches such as Colin Calderwood, Shaun Derry, Richard Money, Joe Dunne, Mark Bonner (director of football) and Tom Pell (academy manager at Charlton Athletic).
His earlier coaching experience included time at the Cambridge University Women’s football team...
“I came up against Tanya Oxtoby (now manager of Northern Ireland women’s national team) who was coaching for the Nottingham University first team,” Bruno recalls.
...and also at Reading, where he was assistant coach for the under-16s and also contributed significantly towards the Women’s first team, as an analyst, while they were in the Championship.
Behind-the-scenes support
The Women’s team was saved by the support and financial backing of the Community Trust. What more needs to be done to secure the longer-term plans and sustainability of the side and, with another prospective new owner interested, would this be good news for the Women’s future?
“Any change [in ownership] is viewed as a positive thing,” Bruno says.
“The club have helped us massively with the kit and have made sure we have a home and away kit - and printed with Select Car Leasing, and we are very grateful of their continued support and sponsorship.
“We gave them pieces of training kit from the previous season. There were plenty of spare ones but they are limited in sizes - so some girls have more t-shirts than others because there’s not enough on that size to accommodate everyone. Some girls have left and haven’t returned the kit.
“They have a tracksuit for travelling and game days that they can wear. They have shorts and t-shirts for training, if they want, and rain jackets. That’s pretty much it, unfortunately, but it’s better than nothing.”
The washing of the matchday kit also falls within the remit of the coaching team.
“Sometimes it’s me, sometimes it’s Emma, we try to split - that’s fine,” Bruno says. “We are not in a position where we can have a kit person. We might stretch ourselves a little bit, but if we divide and conquer, we can manage.”
For this season the Community Trust have agreed to pay the subscription fees for the players, but what is the status for longer-term resources?
“We decided not [to pass on this cost to the players] this year,” Bruno explains. “Not only were we starting after everyone else, our priority was to help attract and interest new players.
“We are thinking of new strategies to bring more money to our budget to make sure they are equipped for the day and for the games. Potentially crowdfunding, see who out there is willing to help us, for example, to keep the VEO - and the cost of this subscription for another year.”
Managing the workload
The first-team manager role is, technically, a part-time position (10-12 hours a week), but Bruno’s commitment means that he, along with others, is doing far more than this. How is he managing to fit this all in alongside his busy full-time day job?
“Dave and Emma managed to get the team under the Community Trust and that is massive. I can’t do things on my own so I want to mention [and thank] a few of my coaching staff,” Bruno says.
“Shelley Strange, assistant coach, for all her support. She also challenges me with questions like: ‘Why are you doing that? Why are you saying that? Why are you thinking of that? What about this?’ Which is important and useful.
“And I feel when things don’t go well, you always ask yourself ‘what else can I be doing?’ And that’s what I’ve been asking myself every single week. I’m realistic, and have chatted with Emma and my wife about this.
“Angy King, Women’s chaplain, is someone I don’t want to lose. The work she does in the background, voluntarily, being there and talking to people, shouldn’t be underestimated.
“Finlay Ward is our physiotherapist and works also for the men’s first team. He puts an unbelievable work ethic and effort week in week out.
“Daniel Rowlands is our strength and conditioning coach. He developed the physical plan, the gym programme and the warm-up routines. He provides this on a voluntary basis and also has another job supporting the boys’ youth development within the academy.
“A special mention to Ryan Robinson, who has been helping us with goalkeeping, dividing his time between helping the Community Trust and his role as manager of the Maidenhead United women’s development team.
“There are lots of heroes here, so I don’t want to single out anyone on their own - everyone is important, it’s a team effort and if I’ve missed someone, I apologise now.”
The fans have also been clocking up some miles this season, with home matches played at Slough Town’s Arbour Park, as well as some fair distances to travel around the league - and Bruno is keen to acknowledge this too.
“And, of course, if you really want to catalogue someone as heroes, it’s the fans. They actually have to endure everything, continuing with their support, coming to every game and they can’t change anything.
“They can only show up - they don’t train, they don’t coach, you know? But they show up, shout, encourage, put a smile on, be positive and go back home - and even after a long journey and defeat, where I wish we could have won, they do the same again, week after week. Thank you.”
Life outside football
If there’s any spare time found (there’s very little, he assures me), he tries to spend it with his (very understanding) wife and walking their two dogs. Also outside of football, music is (or was) a keen interest.
“I used to play guitar in my free time - in a rock band - but I haven’t managed to take the dust out of it as well,” Bruno recalls.
On a matchday you can hear the music pumping out of the changing room or during the pitch-side warm-up but, not surprisingly, it’s the girls selecting the music and not the manager.
He is, however, up for a turn on the karaoke machine and, whether it’s a threat or a promise, he has made a deal with the team.
“The girls know already: we have a bet that I would have to sing a karaoke song in the changing room,” Bruno adds. “They were trying to make me do it on Sunday but I said no (because of the mini relegation league we’re in) but maybe after the next winning match.”
There’s only four matches of the season remaining (including a local tie against Woodley United on March 23 and one remaining home match against Badshot Lea on April 6), so if we hear the dulcet tones of ‘Simply the Best’ or ‘Sweet Caroline’, sung with a Portuguese accent, we know the boss is happy and relaxed.