Fan Forum: https://hobnob.royals.org/forum/ Reading. Not a small club neither a massive one but one that is a well known Championship club who (like us) have been in England's top flight a few times over the past decade. They have won this division and they were almost relegatee last season and to finish off the mixed bag - almost made the playoffs two years ago when we went up. So, if there was one thing you could call Reading, it would be inconsistent. Reading have a few connections with us, one being the current Leicester City boss who is skating on very thin ice. Rodgers' was our gaffer before he jumped ship for the Royals after a short spell. He did alright for them overall and there has never been any tension between Watford and Reading for that. Speaking of Gaffers... The Gov'ner: Paul Ince is Reading Royal Ince is person who almost every football follower knows or has at least heard of. Having played the vast majority of his career at Man Utd and Liverpool, he also had stints at Middlesbrough, West Ham and Inter Malan before retiring after playing for Wolves, then returning to the beautiful game in a manager role. He's had a mixed bag to say the least in this area of the sport. After learning stripes at Swindon Town, he got his first big gig at Macclesfield town before two goes at MK Dons, Notts County, Blackburn and most recently, Blackpool (where his own son was a player). Ince had a ropey start at Reading, but this season despite getting tonked at Rotherham, they have been blasting up the table and sit inside the top six - overall a good start. Ince is sometimes considered by some to be a good footballer in his prime but a poor coach. Personally, I think he's a nice guy and I want him to succeed (just not at the weekend). For us, now the dreaded Window has slammed shut, been bolted and sealed with super glue and duct tape - cluibs can get their dirty paws off Pedro and Sarr until January at the earliest. That means, what we have right now if what we have. No more outgoings but the possible one free loanee is still a possiblilty. Watford have been very, well, Watford in these opening games. Never fully dominating any game, being very lucky in some in avoiding a deserved defeat and also very unlucky in another to not grab a very, very late point. What is a concern though, is our new ability to fall asleep at the start of games. This was highlighted with massive red flags in our most recent game at Rotherham. It took barely three minutes for Kabasele, Cathcart and Bachmann to combine like the three stooges and conceed a very soft goal which put us on the back foot. However we did alright after Bayo got his second in as many games to level the scores, before we had the lions share of chances to win it as our usual lack of finishing proved the loss of two points. Still, unbeaten away from home and just one loss so far is pretty good start for early season, and we are picking up points by nook or crook. If you can't win a game then don't lose it. Reading have had a bit of a spurt on recently and it seems their own game at Millmoor was a kick up the arse they needed. I hope that follows true for us, as we really need to begin putting together a run of results to maintain an early challenge. Fail to win on Saturday and we will be plunged towards the mid table mire of the division. Norwich have picked up now, Burnley are winning games and Sheff Utd look like a good pace setters as it stands. If we want any chance of being in the mix come May, we need to turn these draws into wins. End of November there is a small break in the programme for the World Cup. Before that we want to be at least in the top six. Edwards has his work well and truly cut out for him. He's a good english manager who is young and hungry to succeed at this level, but our owners continue the tradition of shafting managers left right and centre with poor handouts and never giving them the tools to succeed. Keeping hold of JP and Sarr was a quite a coup however, and they are by far two of the best players in this division on their day. With Bayo finding his feet now in front of goal, Louza to come back from a long layoff, Hause impressing in defense and Davis with a bright cameo last week, there are shoots of possible signs we could be alright in the end. However, our squad is very, very light on reserves and we still have players who should be gone by now. Edwards also needs to find a system and stick to it - even if it's not his style of play, we cannot continue with Kamara on the right for example. Serralta needs a good game and I hope he is picked over Kabasele. Prediction: Watford 1 Reading 0
Reading are the most nothing club in existence. No fans, only ever successful when bankrolled by a millionaire, ground is boring. Kit is boring. Mascot is boring. Absolute no mark club in every possible way. 2-1 Reading
Watford 1 Lucas Joao 2. An excellent day for the bedwetters who will lambast the club for not signing Joao
Probably 1-0 at half time after they score in the first 10mins. Davis to come on midway through 2nd half and turn the game. Pedro first then Bayo with the winner.
Its about who scores first for me, if we get an early one I can see them crumbling and us bagging 3 or 4. If they score first then they will dig in but we should get a draw.
I always considered Walsall and Port Vale to be in the same category, but Reading win by a mile. At least those two have an edge to them, whereas Reading is the most bland away day going, culminating in a bus or taxi ride to an industrial estate by the M4 for the ultimate crap modern football experience. One of the very few times I've kicked off at football was at Reading. A couple of their fans were shoving an old couple in Watford shirts after the game we drew 1-1 when Rodgers was in charge of Reading. I went over and booted one of them and they ran off. It's all about the first 30 minutes. Whilst they are doing well, they're not going to stay up there. If we turn up at the start, we should be OK.
Reading were in a right state at the end of last season. Might not have even got a viable squad together. So to be fair they're doing amazingly well. The fans I know were not expecting anything at all this season. We'd better win as I'm taking my kids and my youngest has still NEVER seen us win a game (closest was 3-0 up against Tranmere and we managed to somehow mess that up). Have to silence mutterings about Brentford being a good team to support. Watford 3-2 Reading (Sarr, Pedro, Kayembe)
At the risk of being lambasted as being entitled and having a mistaken sense of self importance, we really really really should win this one.
Readings main rivals are Swindon and Oxford. Is there a more tinpot rivalry in world football than this
Just get all 11 men behind the ball for the first 10 minutes to hold onto 0-0. Then open up and better them. Never forgive them for this:
Not even important enough to start the game ? The equivalent of our Dan Gosling ? Their fans should down tools and be asking to leave in the January window.
Don’t know why we are even bothering playing this game since the players turn up expecting to lose every game, as they should may I add. Anything other than a losing mentality is clearly entitlement. As a fan I use to believe that I could expect my team to win against teams we should clearly be beating, however in today’s woke culture apparently I’m not allowed to expect that. Believing in winning according to the snowflakes is an act of entitlement, offensive to the other team, backroom staff and fans, and all around toxic to Watford FC because we should not expect anything of our players as that’s not fair on them. We should just smile and wave boys, smile and wave. Good job I say what a load crap to all that. I fully expect us to beat Reading and we should. Anything other than a win is a poor result and Edwards needs to be seriously questioned. Draws to Birmingham, Preston and Rotherham are horrendous results. 6 points clearly dropped. Edwards needs to stop being a laughing stock by playing 3 at the back with our clowns that he has. Why play 3 CB’s when you only need to play 2. We are a much better side with a back 4 and the squad far more balanced. However if Kamara is to be out for a few weeks, I will give him time. When Kamara is back though, he needs to go to a back 4 ASAP. Failure to do so will show he is a poor head coach. Watford 4-1 Reading
The day Steve Coppell went down in my estimation. I’d always liked him as a player and as manager at Palace, but he, along with everyone else in the ground except Atwell, knew it wasn’t a goal and he should have allowed us to walk in an equaliser. Even Bielsa instructed Leeds to do it once and there are other examples.
Regarding woke culture, I do understand the importance of respecting how other people identify but at the same time it is very disappointing that we don't seem to have at least for 4 people in our squad who identify as defenders.
Reading Racers speedway were 100% more interesting to watch than these hob nobs. Shame they folded in 2008 and not the football club, who decided to level the speedway stadium to use as an overflow car park. Never forget, never forgive.
Yes - I was at that game. If I remember correctly it was Atwell's first ever game in charge. We seem to get that a lot - remember the Aussie (awful) referee for our game against Newcastle last season? How he gave that goal to this day - is beyond anyone with any sense of relaity. We even went 2-1 ahead but blew it in the final moments and had to settle for a point. Bizzare game it really was, but at least it was exciting and stuck in the memory.
Disgraceful. Sadly happened to quite a few tracks since the Sky Sports-funded heyday of my early teens. I was fortunate enough to get out to Oxford during a trip home in July, and enjoy a night of speedway with a couple of mates who used to go weekly with me back in the day. I’ve been trying to keep up with the GP series this year, although coverage isn’t consistent out here.
I've got a feeling we might click in this game, with Hause and Davis coming in i think we'll turn a corner as long as we try and play in their half... Exciting game... (15 goal attempts 10 on target) 1-0
