Still waiting for him to return from his loan. Beginning to wonder what is going on, as I have heard a rumour that he has left Reading for Cambridge United.
If Zola had been as consistent in his selections as this chap, we’d have gone up easily in 2013. Doesn’t tinker and faff about to try to be clever.
I’m a little surprised with no changes, but it gives the 11 a chance for a decent performance after 2 lethargic ones! Thought Cleverly would be in, but as he is not even on the bench that suggests he isn’t ready yet COYH
Richards, Reading's Bayern Munich-bound LB, only fit enough for the bench. Could prove decisive; that Reading back line (Yiadom-Moore-Holmes-Gibson) looks very vulnerable.
I was going to say, I had no idea if they're flagging or not, Richards being on the bench is a big boost for us! Still, they had a depleted team for the game at the Madejski and we couldn't take advantage...
Simple really. They need to get points we need to get points. Go at them from the off and don't give them a sniff. We have been too passive recently. Let's kindly put Brentford and Swansea out of their misery as soon as possible and start planning for next season and trying to stay up.
Just looked at their XI from that game, which feels worlds away. Yiadom and Ejaria were out, while Joao as he is tonight, was on the bench. But they had Michael Morrison and Omar Richards available. Our XI was more different. Still in the old shape with Ivic. 3-5-2 with a midfield 3 of TDB (who of course went off injured) Garner and Chalobah.
TDB looked good in that game, it was his first ever league start, but he did look much more creative than anyone we had available to us at the time, with Chalobah still feeling his way back and Garner looking a boy in men's football, that was a grim midfield!
Remember when we alternated JP for Gray? In all seriousness, I think Ivic gave Xisco a platform where he can now afford to keep a settled XI at a time where the smaller squads are feeling the heat, hopefully it makes a difference tonight
A rare 8 day gap between this and our next fixture, pour it all out and leave nothing on the pitch tonight!
Let's hope we come fired up this evening after the last 2 damp squib performances. WAKEY WAKEY WATFORD. RISE 'N 'EFFING SHINE.
Surprised Joao is on the bench, but Reading have a pretty decent side. Laurent's missus has had a baby at 5am this morning so hopefully his mind is elsewhere...
I posted some of the respective starting XI's from last time we met on the Championship thread a couple of weeks ago - we were literally a different team, with 3 at the back and IIRC Cathcart and Kabasele two of them. As has been said above, the midfield was a hideous joke, and the majority of our current starters were either not playing at all, playing out of position, or still recovering from a multiple-year witch's curse on the way to becoming a real footballer again.
They will never be royals. It dont run in their blood. That kind of lux just ain't for them. They crave a different kind of buzz.
