MATCHWATCH : Bristol City (h) sponsored by Bobby Williams

[Sutekh]

When : Tuesday 28th January 2020, 8pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161

Tuesday sees Bristol City bob into town for another difficult league game.

After a bright start to the season that saw only 2 defeats in 17 games, City have gone a bit dodgy with a hugely run of 5 wins and 7 defeats from their last 12 league games. On top of that they were dumped out of the FA Cup at Shrewsbury so I guess now is as good a time to play them as you can get.

Weimann is their leading scorer with 9 from 28 followed by Diedhiou who has managed 6 from 16. They are a good solid side without what you’d call star names but well organised and more than capable of giving as good as they get if not carefully monitored.

City will also be about as fresh as it is possible to get having not played since beating Barnsley 1-0 on 18th January. Reading shouldn’t be far off that though seeing as Mr Bowen rested more or less everyone who would be likely to start from the FA Cup so there really shouldn’t be any excuses on that front.

Bristol will expect to see defenders Nathan Baker and Tomas Kalas back from injury but Marley Watkins is expected to miss out with a calf problem. Callum O’Dowda is a doubt. Reading will have Joao missing as usual and Miazga is looks likely to have a serious ankle injury (either a break or ligaments) so until the subsequent scan reveals more expectation is that he may be as good as out for the season. On the upside Andy Yiadom is expected to rejoin training this week but it’ll probably be the FA Cup replay at Cardiff before he is involved again.

It is also the last week of the transfer window. Reading are rumoured to be after a loan striker but as ever with these things it’s probably going to be the dying embers of the week before anything happens and some movement becomes possible. On the City front they are rumoured to be after defender Filip Benkovic on loan from Leicester as well as trying to permanently sign Burnley striker Nakhi Wells....

Referee

It’s James Linington again...

Previously....

26 Dec 19 > Reading 1-0 Queens Park Rangers
03 Aug 19 > Reading 1-3 Sheffield Wednesday
08 Dec 18 > Reading 0-2 Sheffield United
03 Nov 18 > Reading 3-2 Bristol City
06 Mar 18 > Reading 1-1 Bolton Wanderers
02 Jan 18 > Reading 0-2 Birmingham City
09 Sep 17 > Reading 0-1 Bristol City
08 Apr 17 > Norwich City 7-1 Reading
24 Sep 16 > Reading 1-0 Huddersfield Town
21 Nov 15 > Reading 2-1 Bolton Wanderers
02 May 15 > Derby County 0-3 Reading
28 Dec 14 > Reading 2-1 Norwich City
21 Nov 14 > Cardiff City 2-1 Reading
12 Aug 14 > Reading 3-1 Newport County (League Cup)
10 Sep 11 > Reading 0-2 Watford
30 Apr 11 > Coventry City 0-0 Reading
22 Jan 11 > Reading 1-1 Hull City
02 May 10 > Reading 4-0 Preston North End
30 Jan 10 > Reading 1-0 Barnsley

Historically

This will be the 94th time the two teams have met in the league. Pretty even down the years with Reading just edging ahead on wins by 38 to 37 with 17 draws. At home Reading have 24 wins to 12 defeats (10 draws) and have netted on 75 occasions while conceding 63.

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel to the Mad Stad
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)

[URZZZZ]

Interesting call for Bowen

Rafael

Gunter
Morrison
Moore
Blackett

Pele

Olise
Swift
Adam
Ejaria

Baldock

Walker Osho Obita Rinomhota Meite McCleary Puscas

Harsh on Obita who has looked better in the last few games but I’d rather Adam in I think

Aluko outperformed McCleary today but I’m not sure Aluko would be much use to coming on, it normally takes him a while to adapt to the flow of the game and he’s no where near the starting XI

[muirinho]

Interesting call for Bowen

Rafael

Gunter
Morrison
Moore
Blackett

Pele

Olise
Swift
Adam
Ejaria

Baldock

Walker Osho Obita Rinomhota Meite McCleary Puscas

Harsh on Obita who has looked better in the last few games but I’d rather Adam in I think

Aluko outperformed McCleary today but I’m not sure Aluko would be much use to coming on, it normally takes him a while to adapt to the flow of the game and he’s no where near the starting XI

Adam played the full 90 today, and looked knackered after about 70. Would he really start on Tuesday?

Edit: And pretty much confirmed by Bowen
We have Bristol City here on Tuesday night and I didn't want to play any of the likely team.
https://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/foot ... f-17630608

[Hound]

Yeah pretty sure it’ll be the Forest team with Baldock or Puscas up front being the only call to make

McIntyre is banned for it isn’t he? So maybe Burley or Osho on the bench

[JoeyJoeJoeJnrShabadoo]

thanks

[JoeyJoeJoeJnrShabadoo]

thanks

[Snowflake Royal]

Yeah pretty sure it’ll be the Forest team with Baldock or Puscas up front being the only call to make

McIntyre is banned for it isn’t he? So maybe Burley or Osho on the bench

Got to be Baldock surely if its the same shape. Overall game is much better, he's always more involved and he scored.

Be surprising for Meite not to be involved at some point too given he was back in the cup and previously firmly first choice.

[Zip]

Interesting call for Bowen

Rafael

Gunter
Morrison
Moore
Blackett

Pele

Olise
Swift
Adam
Ejaria

Baldock

Walker Osho Obita Rinomhota Meite McCleary Puscas

Harsh on Obita who has looked better in the last few games but I’d rather Adam in I think

Aluko outperformed McCleary today but I’m not sure Aluko would be much use to coming on, it normally takes him a while to adapt to the flow of the game and he’s no where near the starting XI

I think he will play the same team that started v Forest

[URZZZZ]

Interesting call for Bowen

Rafael

Gunter
Morrison
Moore
Blackett

Pele

Olise
Swift
Adam
Ejaria

Baldock

Walker Osho Obita Rinomhota Meite McCleary Puscas

Harsh on Obita who has looked better in the last few games but I’d rather Adam in I think

Aluko outperformed McCleary today but I’m not sure Aluko would be much use to coming on, it normally takes him a while to adapt to the flow of the game and he’s no where near the starting XI

I think he will play the same team that started v Forest

Most probably

But I thought Adam was good against Cardiff and perhaps deserves to retain his place. Obviously I didn’t watch the Forest away game to see how Obita played

[Old Man Andrews]

James Linington lives at the Madejski Stadium.

[Stranded]

Just seen that Bristol's form is W 3 L 5 in the last 8.

Their 3 wins are against the current bottom 3.

[Hound]

Just seen that Bristol's form is W 3 L 5 in the last 8.

Their 3 wins are against the current bottom 3.

Thing with Bristol, it seems they'll either be on a winning run and be great, or in a trough and be useless. We really should be winning this one tonight

[Stranded]

Just seen that Bristol's form is W 3 L 5 in the last 8.

Their 3 wins are against the current bottom 3.

Thing with Bristol, it seems they'll either be on a winning run and be great, or in a trough and be useless. We really should be winning this one tonight

Yep we really should be looking to win this tonight especially if we do fancy our chances at the top 6.

Looking further back - since a win at Cardiff on the 10th November - they have won 5 of 12 - 4 of which are the current bottom 4. The anomaly being a 2-1 win at Fulham.

[Hound]

Found the Johnson pre match quotes interesting. Same old shit about net spend, individual quality, and also about how they travel well to Reading and how it is 'open'. Did smack a little bit of something that might have worked/been true 4 months ago, but possibly in for a bit of a rude awakening tonight (hopefully)

[Hendo]

Found the Johnson pre match quotes interesting. Same old shit about net spend, individual quality, and also about how they travel well to Reading and how it is 'open'. Did smack a little bit of something that might have worked/been true 4 months ago, but possibly in for a bit of a rude awakening tonight (hopefully)

Which is odd, seeing as they have only won twice in 8 visits since 2009.

[URZZZZ]

Found the Johnson pre match quotes interesting. Same old shit about net spend, individual quality, and also about how they travel well to Reading and how it is 'open'. Did smack a little bit of something that might have worked/been true 4 months ago, but possibly in for a bit of a rude awakening tonight (hopefully)

Which is odd, seeing as they have only won twice in 8 visits since 2009.

I think he was talking about how many fans they bring to the Madejski

[Hound]

Found the Johnson pre match quotes interesting. Same old shit about net spend, individual quality, and also about how they travel well to Reading and how it is 'open'. Did smack a little bit of something that might have worked/been true 4 months ago, but possibly in for a bit of a rude awakening tonight (hopefully)

Which is odd, seeing as they have only won twice in 8 visits since 2009.

I think he was talking about how many fans they bring to the Madejski

maybe, couldn't quite work out what he meant. Still the rest holds true

[URZZZZ]

Which is odd, seeing as they have only won twice in 8 visits since 2009.

I think he was talking about how many fans they bring to the Madejski

maybe, couldn't quite work out what he meant. Still the rest holds true

Johnson is one of those managers I really dislike, he talks absolute rubbish

[Old Man Andrews]

I think he was talking about how many fans they bring to the Madejski

maybe, couldn't quite work out what he meant. Still the rest holds true

Johnson is one of those managers I really dislike, he talks absolute rubbish

Thought you'd have quite a lot in common with him then.

Before anyone else starts that was a lighthearted dig that Urzzz can handle.

[Hendo]

I think he was talking about how many fans they bring to the Madejski

maybe, couldn't quite work out what he meant. Still the rest holds true

Johnson is one of those managers I really dislike, he talks absolute rubbish

If he was talking about their fans, I'd give a big to that. How many fans you bring has no baring on the result. Look at how many times Reading have taken lots of fans to an away game, only to be let down, time and time again!