When : Tuesday 22nd February 2022, 8pm
Where : SCL, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161
New dawn or same old cr@p that we've all been used to? For this one I'll tend towards the latter as a) Reading are at home and they haven't won a game at home since 16th October, b) I really can't see what effect the "dynamic duo" could have on the team in 3 days considering the long journey back from Preston and the subsequent required rest times, c) it's midweek and Reading really do not do midweek games and, finally, d) it's Birmingham and Birmingham at home is notorious for utterly shambolic performances that return nil points.
But then this is Paul Ince and Paul Ince could play and Paul Ince could be steel when he did play and Paul Ince will hopefully start instilling some of that into the players, and perhaps those players will respond as Paul Ince should - at least to begin with - be a name that players would respect given that Paul Ince achieved at the highest level. Let's hope Paul Ince manages to achieve things quickly but that it doesn't finish as badly as that run that Reading experienced under Paul Ince's team mate. Then there's Paul Ince's son Tom Ince, I wonder if Paul Ince will guarantee a start for him every game (and how does that dynamic work, son of manager in squad
). And Michael Gilkes will form part of the managerial double act and Michael can hopefully bring some of the "Reading" way to the playing side and perhaps, just perhaps, we might start to see - over time - a team that returns to attacking wing play which, if nothing else, would at least provide some positive entertainment.
Birmingham are a total jinx to Reading at home even when they're cr@p - and there's been a lot of cr@p from Birmingham over the last few seasons, almost equal to the cr@pness shown by Reading in fact but somehow the midlanders just keep on the fringes of each relegation battle and never quite succumb. This season Brum are their usual "a team you should beat" but as usual that never applies to Reading when the game is in RG2.
Form up in the blue part of Birmingham started poorly and has since become utterly nondescript with 1 win, 3 draws and 2 defeats in the last 7. However they have won 1 and drawn 1 of their last 2 games including a point at a useful Stoke oil Saturday so there is some decent organisation there for new manager to try and unfathom.
Lukas Jutkiewicz is still there and continues to be the main "off the bench" threat but the big goalscoring problem comes in the form of Scott Hogan who is the blues leading scorer by a long way on 10 from 24(4) apps. However the big issue to watch here is going to be on loan striker Lyle Taylor as the Forest player has bagged 3 goals in 5 starts since arriving in January to cover for the injury to Troy Deeney.
Gary Gardner in midfield (with 5 strikes) would probably be a good place to start though when you want to stop Birmingham playing.
Injuries mean Birmingham will be without Troy Deeney, Matija Sarkic, Adan George and Taylor Richards. Reading's injury problems are more on the manageable side now with just the 6 expected out; Laurent, Ejaria, Dann, Tetek, Azeez and former Drum player Halilovic. Araruna can, sadly, be forgotten about entirely given he is out for the rest of the season and then out of contract as well.
Lastly midweek home form for Reading is pretty awful. Since the start of season 2014-15 Reading have played 53 home games in midweek (these are league games with 7.45/8pm kick offs on a Tuesday or Wednesday) won 14 but suffered 32 defeats so it is quite staggeringly bad. And I'm trying to be positive as if you look at the same form since 2018-19 began it becomes 6 wins and 20 defeats in 28 games!
For the record four of those 53 games have been against Birmingham and Reading did actually manage a 0-0 in one them!
Good luck Mr Ince sir, you've got some real work on your hands here so you're really going to need it.
Referee
Simon Hooper
Previously
25 Apr 21 > Reading 2-2 Swansea City
31 Jan 20 > Cardiff City 1-1 Reading
30 Dec 17 > Barnsley 1-1 Reading
12 Feb 17 > Reading 1-1 Fulham
07 May 17 > Burton Albion 2-4 Reading
09 Aug 16 > Reading 2-0 Plymouth Argyle (League Cup)
05 Mar 16 > Reading 2-2 Fulham
26 Dec 15 > Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Reading
17 Feb 15 > Reading 0-1 Wigan Athletic
16 Aug 14 > Reading 1-0 Ipswich Town
23 Sep 14 > Derby County 2-0 Reading (League Cup)
14 Apr 14 > Reading 1-1 Leicester City
20 Mar 12 > Peterborough United 2-1 Reading
26 Dec 11 > Reading 3-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
01 Jan 11 > Swansea City 1-0 Reading
28 Dec 09 > Plymouth Argyle 4-1 Reading
18 Aug 09 > Swansea City 0-0 Reading
Historically
Well at least this one doesn’t present much to live up to. Previous home league games with Birmingham have generally worked out to be utter disasters with Reading usually handing performances that at best can only be described as shambolic.
Games with Birmingham only go back 35 years or so and in that time Birmingham have turned up in Reading on 18 occasions and won 8 times while Reading have struggled to a mere 4 victories. Most depressing are the last 7 games played at home to Brum which has seen the home team manage a fantastic return of 2 whole points while serving up some quite clueless and utterly inept performances (e.g. that dreadful 0-2 of January 2018).
So, if I were you, I’d avoid this one like you would avoid a crawl through a working sewage pipe in a Vindaloo only area.
However if you are a masochist, this is how to follow the game
- Red button
- Use your favourite ticket obtainment procedure followed by whichever suitable means of travel enablement is preferred
- Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
- Ring/text a mate for updates
- Use a RoyalTV subscription
- BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)
