Brian McDermott launches dig at Chelsea's Roman Abramovich

Reading manager Brian McDermott has suggested that he has an "issue" with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for not backing his managers.

The billionaire Russian has been reported to be considering sacking interim Blues boss Rafael Benitez, who was appointed as the replacement for Roberto Di Matteo in November.

"The only thing I would say about Chelsea is that before Roman Abramovich came in they hadn't won too much," London24 quotes McDermott as saying. "He's the owner, it's his prerogative to do what he has to do. I look at other owners who haven't backed their manager and then sack them every five minutes - I have an issue with that.

"If the owner is backing the manager and getting the best players in the world then he can do what he likes. If he said to me, 'Come on Brian, come and manage Chelsea' and he backed me and I didn't do well and he gave me a load of money to go, I would take that.

"That's how it works. But I have an issue with owners who don't. They talk the talk but don't back the manager. That he decided to sack Di Matteo after winning the Champions League is amazing."

The Royals take on Chelsea at the Madejski Stadium tonight.