MATCHWATCH : Bolton Wanderers (a) sponsored by 12 Parkinsons

[Sutekh]

When : Tuesday 21st November, 8pm
Where : Macron Stadium, Burnden Way, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 6JW
Capacity : 28,723
Away Stand : South Stand at one end of the ground
What might I see in the area : Parky handing out free match tickets

A Tuesday night local derby for fans this week. NOT. As per usual Reading get these games in midweek as the FL continue to encourage attendances. Still at least it's not Newcastle so shows some improvement.

Believe Reading have only ever played a league game against a side managed by Mr Philip Parkinson once before and that was the 2-2 with Charlton at home back in 2009. Seem to remember that was a bit of a malaise of a performance that heavily contributed to Reading managing to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at the end of the season. For completists the other games against Mr Parkinson's teams were at Charlton in the League Cup and of course the Bradford game in the FA Cup.

Despite Bolton's lowly position in the relegation places this one will not be a cakewalk. Anyone expecting this to simply be a case of rolling up, collecting the points and ********* off home again needs to go and have their head examined by a top quality psychiatrist. Bolton's position is largely due to a run of 7 successive league defeats, the last of which was a 1-0 reverse at Aston Villa on 30 September. Since then Bolton have played 6 games and not been beaten in any of them - though 4 of them have been draws.

Bolton have ex-Royals Jem Karacan and Adam Le Fondre in their ranks. Both a currently fit but neither played any part of the 0-0 a Preston on Friday. I know that Le Fondre has recently recovered from a calf problem so perhaps he'll make the bench on Tuesday night.

Reading's catalogue of woe injury wise has lessened. Bodvarsson, Kelly, Berg and Lori are all fit again though Berg will be suspended after collecting his 5th booking of the season v Wolves and so there's bound to be yet more fiddling about with the starting XI from Mr Stam. Personally I'd go with Mannone, Gunter, Moore, McShane, Richards, Edwards, Bacuna, Barrow, Swift, Aluko and Kermorgant

Referee

It's supposedly Andrew Madley again for this one - and he's already overseen two away league defeats this season.



Previous

26 Sep 2017 > Millwall 2-1 Reading
19 Aug 2017 > Preston North End 1-0 Reading
04 Mar 2017 > Reading 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
17 Aug 2016 > Newcastle United 4-1 Reading
07 May 2016 > Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Reading
03 Dec 2015 > Reading 0-1 Queen's Park Rangers
29 Aug 2015 > Brentford 1-3 Reading
25 Apr 2015 > Reading 0-2 Brentford
15 Jan 2015 > Milwall 0-0 Reading
05 Apr 2014 > Charlton Athletic 0-1 Reading
25 Jan 2014 > Ipswich Town 2-0 Reading

Historically

Just the 3 wins to show from 14 previous league visits to Bolton Wanderers and all league games have been played in the years since 1984. Bolton have managed more than double the number of Reading wins so Bolton away is a game that usually results in a case of depression. Interestingly the 4 draws have all been by the same 1-1 scoreline

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel to the game
2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
3. Ring/text a mate for updates
4. Use an iFollow subscription
5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[Hound]

They’re unbeaten for a while but we really need to be beating teams like Bolton

Would go for the same team as you. If Bod isn’t fit for more than 15 mins would have Smith on the bench as well

[tidus_mi2]

They’re unbeaten for a while but we really need to be beating teams like Bolton

Would go for the same team as you. If Bod isn’t fit for more than 15 mins would have Smith on the bench as well

Yes, a bit of a difficult one, they're unbeaten but mostly through draws, hence why their unbeaten run hasn't seen them climb out of the bottom three. I think based on our recent performances we should win this one.

[Lower West]

If Bod isn’t fit for more than 15 mins would have Smith on the bench as well

Smith is out injured.

As the home team Bolton need to open up and play. Should play into our fast counterattacking game.

[Royal_jimmy]

Expect us to gift them at least one goal

[JoeyJoeJoeJnrShabadoo]

thanks

[John Smith]

That ref is the absolute joker who turned down our stonewall pen at Millwall earlier this season. Let's hope we do enough without having to rely on him

[Stranded]

No JVDB for this one, so would imagine Bacuna will move back into midfield with Richards potentially coming back in,

[BR2]

Expect us to gift them at least one goal

With Gunter and the rest all looking and wondering who should have been marking the goalscorer.
Would be delighted if we won this one but am not that optimistic.

[Royal_jimmy]

That ref is the absolute joker who turned down our stonewall pen at Millwall earlier this season. Let's hope we do enough without having to rely on him

Don't forget the 2nd stone wall penalty he turned down at Newcastle last season too

[Royal_jimmy]

A defeat puts us 2-3 points above 22nd

[Sutekh]

No JVDB for this one, so would imagine Bacuna will move back into midfield with Richards potentially coming back in,

I expect Edwards will come in for Berg and with Kermorgant fit and Stam's insistence that Beerens always plays that means Bacuna and Gunter are likely to remain in the same positions as Saturday

But then this is Stam so heaven knows what "miracle" line up and formation will actually take to the field.

[Hound]

I expect Richards will come in for Joey and Bacuna into midfield alongside Swift and Edwards, which would work for me

Think Beerens will be axed for this and Aluko and Barrow on the wings.

[Stranded]

Think Aluko will be back in, just wasn't 100% on Saturday,

[Hound]

Loader has travelled with the squad apparently, so may have a place on the bench

[Sutekh]

Loader has travelled with the squad apparently, so may have a place on the bench

Or that both Bod and Kermorgant are injured again.

[muirinho]

Loader has travelled with the squad apparently, so may have a place on the bench

Or that both Bod and Kermorgant are injured again.

Sam Smith also injured

[Sutekh]

Pre match views from the Bolton end

http://the-wanderer.co.uk/boards/viewto ... =4&t=26690

Seems the key issue is that they're worried about a defensive crisis with Mark Little, Antonee Robinson, big doubts and Beevers suspended.

[Hound]

Pre match views from the Bolton end

http://the-wanderer.co.uk/boards/viewto ... =4&t=26690

Seems the key issue is that they're worried about a defensive crisis with Mark Little, Antonee Robinson, big doubts and Beevers suspended.

Interesting read.

You'd think our strong points is getting Swift on the ball to get Barrow and Aluko behind the FBs. If they are playing makeshift FBs or WBs, you'd have to think we'd be very dangerous

I do wonder if they will sit back and let us do our crappy sterile possession thing though looking at their possession stats

[Victor Meldrew]

Pre match views from the Bolton end

http://the-wanderer.co.uk/boards/viewto ... =4&t=26690

Seems the key issue is that they're worried about a defensive crisis with Mark Little, Antonee Robinson, big doubts and Beevers suspended.

That's good news-if Beevers is out Bartley may play at the back which would stop him doing some of the enforcing in midfield.
I feel a bit better about the outcome now.