The Royals - Reading FC

[leckuno]

Reading are in real trouble financially at the moment as their owner has missed deadlines for paying players as well as for paying staff at the club and making horrible losses at the club they have been deducted points the last 4 seasons now. The clubs finances are that bad at the moment that the club is in talks to sell their Bearwood Park training ground to fellow League One team and local rivals Wycombe Wanderers for £25million. The training facilities are some of the best outside the Premier League and cost £50million to build in 2019.. Luckily that hasn't happened yet so we're not being forced to move in this save.

Becuase of points being deducted last season then reading finished 22nd in the Championship last season meaning they got relegated down to League one and the news doesn't get much better as we be starting with -6 points to make things even more difficult for us.

The club are currently in a load of debt to the owner but its in terms of a loan and will only be repaid on his departure but with it being £83million its not a small amount.

The board only have a one year plan as well as they are going to try and sell the club but they have no big expectations which is good as I'm going to take everything with a pinch of salt since I don't expect them to be around come the end of the season.

The supporters just want to make sure we get one over our rivals if we come to play them and that we don't get relegated so low expectations so hopefully we can meet those as I don't want to bring any more negative feelings for the fans.

With the season preview even though we were just relegated but with losing players and starting on negative points then we aren't expected to set the league alight with us expected to finish 20th but there are a lot of good teams that we are going to have to overcome to get out the league.

​

 

[leckuno]

The Squad

Well first looking at the squad its a large one with 26 players currently on the books in the first team squad but 4 of them are in on loan at the moment and we have another two out at other clubs.

Looking at our Goalkeepers we have three decent players more than capable of holding down the starting position but I will be going with youth team player Coniah Boyce-Clarke who made his debut last season and I will give him the chance to develop and move forward.

In defence we have some decent home grown prospects again like Jeriel Dorsett and Kelvin Abrefa who again came through the youth ranks and will be given their chance over the course of the season but we do have some experince in there as well which will be vital over the course of the season if we have bad runs of form to get us out of it.

When moving into midfield one player I'm looking forward to working with is former Manchester United graduate Charlie Savage who left to get some first team football and he has experience in League One after spending half the season at Forest Green last year. Again I feel like we have a nice balance of youth and experience to keep us going

Up top we have 3 promising players but we do lack experience there and it may cost us over the course of the season but at least we're helping players develop.

The other thing to notice is that a lot of players are on deals until the end of the season so we will need to try and tie players down to longer deals.

The club has a rich history of bringing players through the youth ranks and its something we will look to do as well and hope we can find the next Michael Olise to either sell for a fortune or keep and use him to drive the club towards the Premier League title.

We have been under a transfer embargo right until the start of July so haven't been able to sign any attached players so I'm actually going to try and not sign anybody over the whole of the first window.


Friendlies

We played some big friendlies to try and raise some money for the club and its actually went ok with loses against Spurs, Arsenal and Bastia but at least we got a huge win over Rangers and got a lot of confidence from beating the other teams.

August

Not the easiest start to the season here but at least we have a favourable drawy in the Carabao Cup against Colchester.​

 

[leckuno]

August

Reading v Peterborough

A perfect start for us here even though things were a bit ropey in the first half but the 2nd was a different game as we manage to get a couple of chances on goal and took them like they were seasoned players

Carabao Cup 1st Round
Colchester v Reading

A great opening 22 minutes for us as we thought we had already won the game but two poor set pieces from us right before half time nearly undone us but Savage popped up with a belter to put the game beyond doubt again.

Port Vale v Reading

Its never fun going behind in the opening minutes of the game as it took until I was able to have a word with the boys at half time to get their heads back up and it showed as we scored within 3 minutes of the 2nd half starting but then left it very late for Knibbs to poke the ball over the line from the keeper fumbling. With our 2nd win in the league we are now up to 0 points in the table.

Reading v Cheltenham

Its not often you see a penalty this early in a game of football but it was for a poor challenge which they were lucky to be left with 11 players on the field after it but Knibbs slotted it home after which it became one of the dullest games of football you've ever seen.

Reading v Stevenage

What a 12 minute performance from Dom Bollard here in the 2nd half as he bangs in a hat-trick to show his composure at only 18.

Exeter v Reading

We seem to have no problems scoring at the moment which is always good as we have another great first half here with 3 great goals.

Carabao Cup 2nd Round
Reading v Tottenham

We got a really unlucky draw here and the result went totally as expected with it being a one sided result and it wasn't even their strongest XI either.

League

I couldn't be happier with how we have performed in the league this month with winning every game and sitting in 5th spot considering we start 6 points behind everybody else.

EFL Trophy

Not the worst draw in the world here as I don't feel like we have anything to fear with Brighton U21's as most of their decent young players are out on loan.

September

I always forget how busy it is in the lower leagues with the amount of league and cup games.​

 

[leckuno]

September

Cambridge v Reading

Cambridge were sitting just below us in the league coming into this game but leapfrog us here after a poor performance in defence cost us

EFL Trophy
Reading v Brighton U21's

Brighton didn't have any players in the starting XI today to worry us as we went out and did exactly what we needed to do to get us off to a winning start.

Reading v Bristol Rovers

Azeez scored a good goal cutting in off the wing and we looked good value for the win but sadly conceded right at the end to have to walk away with a point.

Reading v Bolton

Another game where I thought we managed to get the 3 points but our young squad came undone right at the death to concede but at least we still got a point I suppose.

Blackpool v Reading

Its never good going behind in the opening seconds of the game and then made all the harder to go two goals behind. It seemed like we got ourselves back into the game but then they scored again but we were always chasing our tails in this game.

Reading v Burton

A result that was sorely needed to get the confidence back up in the team as our midfield was perfect here setting up each of the goals they weren't scoring.

We've fallen down to 9th here but after 10 games there are still a lot of positives even though we are only 6 points ahead of the relegation zone.

October

A busy month again here with games coming thick and fast. Injuries are also starting to stack up now which isn't going to help things.​

 

[leckuno]

October

Northampton v Reading

A great win as Azeez got us off to a flyer as he lobbed the keeper after a great solo run from his own half, after the goal we never looked back.

Leyton Orient v Reading

Confidence was high going into this game with 2 good wins under our belts but sadly it wasn't to be.

EFL Trophy
Reading v Swindon

Falling behind is never fun and always gives me the fear but we retaliated straight away and put the game to bed as we then ran riot in the run up to half time.

Reading v Oxford United

We were given false hope when taking the lead before being pegged back straight away and then right on half time put us on the back foot and we never got back into the game

Charlton v Reading

Another poor performance here in a game I expected more

Reading v Fleetwood

Our form seems to have really gone here as we completely bottled it here and had so many chances to see the game out.

Reading v Portsmouth

Another loss here at home and I would of loved to blame the sending off but sadly had nothing to do with it.

League

A really poor month sees us tumble down the league and we're now only 5 points above the relegation zone as Derby already looking like they are going to run away with it.

Takeover

Well it looks like we are going to have a new owner at the club soon as it looks like it will be a director but at least he could clear the club debts.

November

We need to do something this month around our form and we will need to do it quickly if we want to get past Flyde in the FA Cup. The Derby game will be tough for us and then we play local rivals Wycombe which could be a game changer if we beat them​

 

[leckuno]

November

FA Cup 1st Round
Reading v AFC Flyde

We make sure there are no slipups in the FA Cup first round as we put out a strong team and even though Ballard got us off to a fast start we were made to wait until the 2nd half to take our chances and secure the win

Shrewsbury v Reading

Our first win in the league since the start of October so its been vital as we start to turn our form around but again we leave it late to secure the 3 points but its a huge win for us

EFL Trophy
Reading v Walsall

Our final group game here and we get off to a flyer with Craig scoring a screamer from outside the box and we win the group with a 100% record

Reading v Derby

Derby are the league leaders just now and we knew this was going to be a tough game and it was made even more difficult with us going down to 10 men just after half time but we did well to stay in the game for so long but they made the final man count when the legs started to go with their 2 quick goals.

Wycombe v Reading

A must win game for us in the fans eyes and going behind after the penalty things didn't look good but we rallied and Mukairu got the equaliser from tapping in at the back post. Mola then get sent off for a poor challenge and I decided that with not long to go we were going to throw the kitchen sink and Wycombe and it worked as Ballard was 1on1 with the keeper and chips him to send the traveling fans wild.

Reading v Carlisle

Sam Smith was given a rare chance to start and her got two goals either side of half time to give us another win as we keep our run going.

League

A much better month this time around but we still find ourselves in 13th but most importantly is that we're now 10 points above the relegatation zone and only 5 spots off the playoffs

Takeover

The takeover has now been completed and their will be no no funds given to the club but they have written of the club debts no so we no longer owe of £80million.

December

A tough draw for the FA Cup this time but at least we're at home so can give it our best shot anyway​

 

[leckuno]

December

FA Cup 2nd Round
Reading v Derby

You've got to love the cup as Derby hammered us 3-0 in the league a couple of games ago but an early goal and then goals right at the end of each half get us through to the 3rd round.

EFL Trophy 2nd Round
Reading v Stevenage

Complacency nearly got the better of us here as we thought this was going to be an easy game but our sending off right after half time made things very difficult for us as we then had to come back from behind before going to penalties where we managed to hold out and get into the next round.

Reading v Barnsley

Always got to love an early goal when it goes in your favour especially when its the fastest goal this season in the league as our form certainly seems to have turned around from last month.

Lincoln v Reading

Another impressive win on the road here with goals coming from our 2 players down the righthand side of the pitch.

Reading v Wigan

Wigan have done well this season considering they started in a worse position than us but they were no match for us here once we got going

Peterborough v Reading

Our luck was always going to turn at some point as our legs went with the final 10 minutes and it cost us with them winning in the dying 2nds of the game.

Cheltenham v Reading

Its amazing how 1 bad result breads more as of course we drop more points against one of the teams in the relegation zone

League

We've moved up to 8th spot now as we are now 13 points above the relegation zone and just 3 points of the playoff spots

January

We get into the 3rd round of the the FA Cup this month and its not the worst draw in the world against Barnsley at home as we will have a chance of getting past them​

 

[leckuno]

January

Reading v Exeter

Our first win in 3 games as we start to bounce back with two good first half goals.

FA Cup 3rd Round
Reading v Barnsley

A very good result here in the FA Cup as we get a good result against a team only 6 points behind us in the league as we make home advantage count with the fans being our 12th man on the pitch and we make them count as Ballard and Smith fire us into the 4th round

EFL Trophy 3rd Round
Reading v Swindon

A really favourable tie here as Swindon are in the bottom half of League 2 just now and we punish them straight away with 2 goals in the opening 15 minutes as we progress to the next round.

Reading v Port Vale

Harvey Knibbs is on fire just now as he bangs in a hat-trick but even with that our defence and goalkeeper are also doing really well just now as they keep their 4th clean sheet in a row.

Stevenage v Reading

If you keep a clean sheer the goals will come and boy did we leave it late this time but with 2 very late goals come the important 3 points.

Wigan v Reading

Well Wigan played us off the park here and fully deserved their win but it does show how important the last 5 clean sheets were.

Reading v Leyton Orient

Both teams are fighting for the playoff spots here so it was important to see which team wanted it more and sadly it seems our players didn't as Orient walk away with the 3 points.

FA Cup 4th Round
Aston Villa v Reading

Well we knew a result like this was going to come but on the positive side we were winning the game for a whole 4 minutes before Villa got their 2nd of the game and came very close to taking a draw into half time.

EFL Trophy Quarter Final
Tranmere Rovers v Reading

Another good draw for us here coming up against Tranmere but our form recently has been going the wrong way and we really struggled here but Knibbs got us ahead with just under half an hour to go but McAlear got the equaliser but thankfully we came out top on penalties to make it into the Semi Fianls.

League

We're still just outside the play off spots but its only by 2 points so anything is possible but Derby are really running away with it at the top of the table now with a 10 point lead over Bolton

Transfers

I didn't plan on making any transfers this month but we managed to get Manchester United as a parent club so we have brought in Omari Forson as a back up to Knibbs for the rest of the season.

February

A much quieter month this time thankfully with 6 games but within those 6 games we've got to play 3 of the 7 teams currently above us.​

 

[leckuno]

February

Oxford United v Reading

Our third loss in a row now in the league as I hoped to turn things around but Oxford get a lucky penalty to give them the 3 points.

Reading v Charlton

We've finally turned it around now as its Knibbs that makes the difference as he comes into the first XI and scores two great solo goals from just outside the box.

Fleetwood v Reading

The fear of falling behind is always bad but here to took well into the 2nd half before we even got back to level pegging and then after a few choice subs afterwards made all the difference as we were able to make the game our own and get another 3 points.

Portsmouth v Reading

I'm really disappointed with the team here with throwing away a 2 goal lead in the final 15 minutes as we should of been a lot better defensively in the closing momnets of the game.

Derby v Reading

Jesus not a result I expected here with it being away from home but we just ran riot as we played counter attacking football and they couldn't cope with it and that was even before the sending off.

Reading v Shrewsbury

We fall behind early again here as we are slow to start but by the end of the first half we are up to full speed and Shrewsbury just collapsed as we grab 3 quick goals.

League

4th spot looks like as best as we're going to be able to get with 10 games left to go but we are only 5 points ahead of Cambridge in 7th so we can still drop out.

March

A big semi final to look forward to against Oxford United but at least we have some easier games in the league this time around.​

 

[leckuno]

March

Carlisle v Reading

What an opening 5 minutes for us with our defenders getting us off to a flyer and after that we never looked back getting our 2 goal lead back right before half time to secure the 3 points.

Reading v Wycombe

Our big derby game and Forson steps up for the 2nd game in a row since joining before Bindon secures the win with a great header from a corner.

EFL Trophy Semi Final
Reading v Oxford United

A big semi final for us and we're on form while Oxford have been struggling recently and they didn't stand a chance here as we ran riot in the second have to get to our first final.

Reading v Cambridge

We make light work of Cambridge here as our form continues and we try and cement our play off spot

Reading v Northampton

We are on fire and Forson has been a big part of it since he's joined from Manchester United as he gets an excellent brace here.

League

Derby and Bolton are now guarenteed play off spots but I would be very surprised if they didn't go up automatically. For us we're only 3 points ahead of 7th so its going to be a nervy final 6 games.

Youth Intake

Its the most wonderful time of the year as we have a superb youth intake

I'll share the 3 stand out players in my opinion who might make it one day at the club.

Pearce Balchin

Balchin looks like he could develop into a decent inside forward given the right training and should hopefully get some game time.

Callum Hepworth

Another right wingers for us who looks like will need a bit more work but you never know and worst case should earn us some cash if we sell him.

Kady McBeam

Jesus look at those mental stats for McBeam who looks like he can develop into a **** of a player and is already good enough to get some game time if he's needed but we'll look to develop him and nurture him to become a club legend if possible.

April

Our final 6 games and hopefully there will be nothing to worry about but we also have our first final to look forward to against Derby.​

 

[leckuno]

April

Bolton v Reading

Bolton had it all to play for here but Forson had other ideas with a lovely curling effort into the top corner for the only goal of the game.

EFL Trophy Final
Derby v Reading

Our first final already and we absolutely smashed it in the 2nd half as Sam Smith put it a top performance up top with a brace before Bindon heads home the 3rd to put us in command and win it.

Bristol Rovers v Reading

I thought being on a high we would of been ok here but we were over confident and it caught us out here as we were poor.

Barnsley v Reading

Another poor game here and it cost us in the first half but Smith did manage a consolation goal right at the end for us.

Reading v Lincoln

We needed to turn our form around and Smith got us a very lucky goal as he jumped on a bad back pass to then slot it home.

Burton v Reading

Turns out our form isn't turned around as we have to come back 4 times here against Burton to get a point but at least it did show our resilience

Reading v Blackpool

Final game of the season and we take a good lead with Azeez getting a rare goal from the right wing before we get a huge deflection which takes the ball past the keeper for our 2nd but it was a nervy end to the game when Blackpool pulled one back with 4 minutes to go but we hold on for the 3 points.

League

Well we've known for a while now that Derby and Bolton were going to be the two going up automatically but we've taken 4th spot but it turns out even without the point reduction it wouldn't of been enough to go up in the top 2 but at least with being 4th we will face Blackpool who we have just beaten in the playoffs​

 

[leckuno]

The Playoffs

Blackpool v Reading

A decent result away from home as we take a good result back home as we're still in it thanks to Azeez tapping in at the back post.

Reading v Blackpool

A much better game here where we were able to dictate the rate of play with our midfield which was rewarded with a rare goal from Michael Craig as he gets us on our way but we play out a nervy 40 minutes before Dorsett heads home from a free kick right at the end to send us into the final

The Final
Oxford United v Reading

Got to love final that you totally dominate and we do. Bindon was on top form and dominated in the air from set pieces, Forson dominated in the attacking channels which allowed him to get between the defenders and score a brace as well and Ballard made sure one of our strikers got in on the action as well to make sure we return to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Budgets

A £50,000 increase in wages which I'm sure will be eaten up quickly by contract renewals and new signings but we have been given a decent transfer budget considering the mess we were in at the start of the season and I'm sure we can spend smart to start to build the squad for the seasons to come​

 

[leckuno]

Season 2

Transfers Out

No real surprises for players leaving the club here as we've been able to retain the big players at the club for the season ahead but even with bringing in close to £3,000,000 we're only able to get 40% of any transfer funds into our budget so it doesn't add a lot for us which is why we've held onto the big players since we can't reinvest the full amount in the squad at the moment.

Transfers In

With us moving up a division we've been busy to bring in players that will make the squad stronger as we've had to be sensible with the budgets at our disposable but we have brought in 10 players.

George Edmundson

Always on the lookout for strong centre backs as they are always vital and here we sign Edmundson from Ipswich where he struggled for game time last season for just £475,000 and he'll be a big player for us this season

Jensen Weir

This was a bit of a surprise as my scouts brought the son of Scotland legend David Weir to my attention and that his contract was expiring and he looks like he could be a decent midfielder for us so we snapped him up on a free from Brighton

Shola Shoretire

A real coup in my eyes as we snap up Shoretire on a free transfer from Manchester United to come in and strengthen our attacking options after he played 40 games at Preston last season

Arthur Okonkwo

Not a player I was originally looking to sign but he had a good season at Wrexham last season and is actually a step up in goal for us at the moment so he will be given a chance this season as he joins on a free from Arsenal.

Anthony Ralston

We were on the lookout for a new RB this window and Ralston was transfer listed by Celtic for £375,000 so the Scotland international will be going straight into the starting XI

Luizao

We wanted another CB to pplay alongside Edmundson and Luizao is perfect as he joins on loan from West Ham as he will slot in nicely as a left footed player.

Allen Obando

We've been struggling to bring in a new striker due to our budgets so we've taken a gamble on the young Ecuadorian to lead the line for us as he joins from Manchester United on loan

Tarique Fosu

When casting an eye over the squad it became apparent that some new wingers were needed so we splashed the cash on Fosu who we could of signed on a free transfer at the start of last season from Aimiens SC for a whopping £1,000,000

Theo

The youngest of Zidane's children joins on a free transfer after his contract at Real expried and he looks like he could do well for us in the Championship this season as competition to Shoretire

Amario Cozier-Duberry

As mentioned another winger was needed and this time he is natural down the right but can also play down the left as Cozier-Duberry joins for the season on loan from Arsenal.

Squad

There are still a few gaps and lack of quality in some positions but we will need to do our best over the course of the season to build up our bank balances to be able to get decent transfer and wage budgets and make the push for promotion in the coming seasons.

Friendlies

Not the worst season as we had some good results and confidence building for the new players coming in for the season ahead.

Expectations

We still have a wee bit of cash available for players if we find the right one to come into the team but expectations are low this season with the board just wanting us to avoid relegation and be competitive in the cups as well which is nice and low again.

Season Preview

Some big teams in the division this season as its always one of the hardest leagues to get out of thanks to the money the teams being relegated from the Premier League have. We are expected to finish 21st this season but at least if we get that then we're not being relegated but hopefully we don't get pulled into the relegation battle.

August

The joy of the Championship and starting the season off with a 7 game month and it looks like we don't have a single easy game this month either​

 

[leckuno]

August

Stoke v Reading

A great start to the season here as 3 debutants get the goals here as even with the score line it was a lot more comfortable than it looks and its great to see how well our new singings have slotted in

Carabao Cup 1st Round
Reading v Doncaster

Shoretire and Obando are looking like they could be great signings with goals again here to get us into the 2nd round but it was great to see Edmundson using his 6'3 height and 16 jumping to do exactly what he was signed to do and get above the rest of the defenders to head home

Reading v Birmingham

We're brought back down a peg here with a draw but Shoretire is on fire with his 3rd goal in 3 games as he proves to be a great signing.

Sunderland v Reading

Straight back to winning ways as Sunderland struggled with the pace from our wingers here and it showed in the opening 5 minutes with them both making great runs and being rewarded with early goals.

Reading v Ipswich

Football is a cruel game as McBurnie destroyed us here as for some reason our defence just couldn't deal with him at all as his 3 goals here matched his tally for the entire of last season

Sheffield United v Reading

Another poor performance defensively here see's us hammered again but we knew it was going to be a hard game so need to try and not be to disheartened by it.

Carabao Cup 2nd Round
Crystal Palace v Reading

We knew this was going to be a hard game and Crystal Palace were just too strong for us as we go crashing out of the cup

Reading v Luton

A very positive point here even though we were unlucky with giving away the penalty but considering they were in the Premier League last season and we saw how the Sheffield United game went then we will grab the point with both hands.

League

5 points off top spit and 4 above relegation so lets just finish the season now after 6 games and I'll be happy.

Transfers Out

Another transfer out with Jeriel Dorsett leaving to join Hearts as he'd fallen down the pecking order here so it made sense to sell him when his contract is up at the end of the season.

Transfer In

We had one player to join the club before the end of the transfer window and he looks like a great signing.

Jeyson Rojas

Rojas joins from Colo Colo for just £1,100,000 and his value jumps to over £20 million after he signs but at 22 he is already a full international with Chile and can be at the club for a long time or a short time if we make a huge profit off him to balance the books

September

A much quieter month here to give the players a rest but a horrible game away to Bournemouth but we know we can beat Derby so fingers crossed we can get some points this month​

 

[leckuno]

September

Reading v Plymouth

Its great to get back to winning ways here as Shoretire and Cozier-Duberry have a great game with a brace each it was Shoretire's brace in 2 minutes was the standout moment.

Bournemouth v Reading

An expected result here as there wasn't much we could do here to stop them

Reading v Derby

We knew going into this game that we could get 3 points and its exactly what we did here with Camara given a very rare start and was rewarded with a goal in just 5 minutes but it was Theo's goal that was like rolling back the years for his dad with a great solo goal.

Cardiff v Derby

A really good game for the neutrals here as we take a two goal lead before Cardiff pull it back in the final 10 minutes of the first half and it could of dented our confidence here but we came out at half time and made sure we didn't let our head drops as Obando gets the important 3rd goal before Fosu gets his second to get the 3 points.

League

A good month with 3 wins sees us move up to 7th spot after just 10 games and we're somehow just 3 points off the top of the table as well.

October

Another short month but we've got tough games again here and we will need to do our best to pick up points where we can​

 

[leckuno]

October

Watford v Reading

Everything looked great with us taking the lead after just 6 minutes through Obando who scored a lovely finish given his age and inexperience but sadly Watford showed a lot more killer instinct in the final 20 minutes and got the 3 points.

Reading v Blackburn

Well a tale of two halves here as we looked the much better team in the opening half and it showed as we took a 2 goal lead in but then completely bottled in in the 2nd half to let Blackburn get an undeserved point.

Reading v Swansea

A very tough win here but Theo was able to convert the penalty for what was a very dull game.

Huddersfield v Reading

This time it was us who managed a big comeback with Shoretire running things from just behind the striker and doing really well with getting into space and he was rewarded with two goals.

League

We are still somehow only 5 point behind top spot after a mixed month here but are well away from the relegation fight which is what was expected of us here.

Transfer In

I decided we needed a bit more experience in the team so we searched the players who were still out of contract from the summer and find a huge player for us in Jamaal Lascelles who is a true leader of players and brings in a wealth of experience from the Premier League

November

There is no such thing as an easy month here with having to face established teams week in week out and having to try and hold our heads above water against them​

 

[leckuno]

November

Sheffield Wednesday v Reading

Wednesday have been struggling so far this season so it was a disappointing loss after taking the lead

Reading v Hull

A very good point in my opinion as Hull have been performing above expectations so far.

Reading v Bristol City

Another good draw here with Bristol City 3rd in the table so to keep them at bay was impressive

Coventry v Reading

It was a mixed game here as there were plenty of positives with first of all taking the lead in the first half and then again in the 2nd but there were worries as well with conceding 2 goals right at half time

Reading v Southampton

What a start with Obando getting in behind the defence and chipping the keeper as again we get a respectable point here.

League

With not picking up a win this month its seen us drop down the table but we're exactly where we want to be just now

December

4 away games this month to compete with but at least we get to play Derby and Bolton where we can hopefully pick up some points again​

 

[leckuno]

December

Bolton v Reading

An easier game of the month here as Cozier-Duberry cuts in off the wing to get the opening goal of the game but we left it very late to secure the win with Bindon getting a late header.

Reading v Preston

A very good attacking game from our midfield here with Theo showing glimpses of skill to get his goals. It was disappoints to concede right at the end but its a huge win for us

West Brom v Reading

2 quick goals from West Brom was enough to get them the win here as it took us a while to get back into it but Weir got another good goal to get 2 in 2 games.

Middlesbrough v Reading

A poor game here and the early goal from McNair took it out us as there was no coming back after it.

Reading v Bolton

Our 2nd game against Bolton this month but it was a lot more difficult at home as we really struggled to break them down Until Fosu was able to get on the end of a cross to volley it in for the 3 points

Derby v Reading

An excellent first half is enough to see us past Derby again as we continue our excellent record against them even though they've been doing a lot better than us this season so far.

League

Thanks to the win over Derby we've actually leapfrogged them in the league now but we still have a great chance of reaching the playoff spots at the halfway stage of the season.

January

A quiet January with just the 5 games and we have the magic of the FA Cup again where we will need to beat West Brom after they beat us this month​

 

[leckuno]

January

Transfers In

We've been busy in the transfer window here as we've signed 7 players in this window with 5 joining on permanent deals and 2 on loan

Suphanat Mueanta

I decided I wanted a new striker to come in on a permanent basis so we went to Thailand for inform striker Mueanta as he joins from Buriram United for a bargain £900,000

Alex Paulsen

An absolute steal here as we sign Paulsen from Wellington Phoenix for only £2.5million and he looks like he'll be our keeper for years to come now

Lukas Ullrich

A new LB was needed to come in and challenge as our scouts scoured Europe and found Ullrich at Borussia Mönchengladbach but we had to fork out £2.6million

Donny van de Beek

An absolute steal here as we sign van de Beek on a free transfer after he was released by Manchester United in the summer and then couldn't find a club so he decides to slum it in the Championship with us

Tyrique George

We needed a new RW to come in as Cozier-Duberry was recalled by Arsenal and George was the best going that we could bring in during the window as he joins on loan from Chelsea

Kaine Kesler Hayden

I wanted more cover at the fullback positions and Hayden comes in and can cover both sides and will challenge for a starting position for the rest of the season.

Callan McKenna

We're now overrun with keepers but there is no way I could turn this move down as he will be the future Scotland No.1 if given the right development and in my eyes is better than the coach's summary

Transfers Out

The transfers coming in were only made possible by us having a bit of a clear out and we sold a total of 7 players for just under £21,000,000 but it was also done as well to repair the financial issues at the club to ensure we had a positive bank balance

Reading v Cardiff

What a debut for Mueanta as he introduced himself to English football in the perfect way with a goal before leaving it very late before getting the 3 points.

FA Cup 3rd Round
West Brom v Reading

We get revenge over West Brom here thanks to a great attacking performance from our defenders to move into the 4th round.

Blackburn v Reading

Fosu is great at finding space at the back post for tap ins before Obando gets the ball and runs past two defenders before a nice finish to get the 3 points.

Reading v Watford

Watford were just far too strong for us here and we couldn't cope with them at all.

Swansea v Reading

Another poor lose here as we just couldn't take our chances here and it cost us

FA Cup 4th Round
Coventry V Reading

We should of really seen this game out as we had two goals chopped off for offside here as we we will now go to a replay

League

We've fallen down a position but its fair to say we're safe from relegation with nearly a 20 point lead over 22nd and just 2 points off the play offs still.

February

A busy month here thats to the FA Cup Replay as if we get through it we'll also have the 5th round added in as well.​

 

[leckuno]

February

Reading v Huddersfield

We're back to winning ways in the league as George has a dream debut with a goal from the RW with a thunderbolt of a shot.

FA Cup 4th Round Replay
Reading v Coventry

A much better performance this time against Coventry as we make home advantage count here as Weir gets us off to a quick start before Obando is able to double the lead and from there its plain sailing to the next round.

Reading v Sheffield United

We did so well with a strong performance right up until our defence went to sleep for a second and let Tesor walk through for a goal before he doubled the lead from the penalty spot

Luton v Reading

A very strong first half performance with goals at either side of it as well is enough to record a huge win for us over Luton

Plymouth v Reading

A really disappointing result here after being in control of the game it managed to all go to Sh*t over the course of 3 minutes.

Reading v Bournemouth

Going in against the league leaders here we didn't expect anything from this game but Weir was able to pop up just on the outside of the area here to hammer home a very late equaliser for us

FA Cup 5th Round
Crystal Palace v Reading

Crystal Palace also put us out of the Carabao Cup at the start of the season and sadly it was the same story here again but we did well to stay in the game and give them a proper go at it.

League

Even though we're in 10th we're still managing to stay in touching distance of the play off spots as we still perform well above expectations this season.

March

With just 11 games left to go of the season its vital that we kick on and pick up points from the teams below and around us and all the better if we get anything from the teams above us to help us move up the table.​