MATCHWATCH : Brentford (h)

[Sutekh]

When : Wednesday 10th February, 7pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161


Brentford. Round 2. Reading need to continue upping their game against the best teams in the division as getting a decent mass of points off these boys should guarantee a good top 6 finish. If you look at the games against the “big five” (Bournemouth, Brentford, Norwich, Swansea, Watford) so far, Reading’s haul of points is now 7 points from 6 games, thanks to the good home win over the Cherries, but next comes a visit from probably the best team in the league so anything out of this one will be a good result.

Brentford once lost a league game, no really they did! If you go back far enough into history they crashed 3-2 at Stoke in October, since then the league run is played 20, won 12 and drawn 8 so this is going to be the hardest challenge yet in my opinion esp. given Reading performances in the last 3 games against Brentford where Reading have conceded 7 and scored 1 with 0 points return. In addition Brentford have won 5 and drawn 1 of the last 6 league games played (including that easy win over Reading just before the Christmas festivitity (yes I think someone managed a festivity somewhere).

Ivan Toney is by far and away the main threat here with 22 goals from 27 league games (that’s about an average of a goal every 1.22 games) which is a bit better than Joao’s 15 goals in 21 league appearances (a mere 1.4 games a goal) so this is going to be very very difficult for the Reading defence.

Brentford are fairly injury free from what I can make out while Reading’s injury problems have improved a greatly with just Moore left sidelined and the possibility of Araruna and Puscas getting back to training this week. Let’s all hope the slew of injuries experienced by the club this season now remain firmly in the past. Touchwood.

Overall after the fetid drawn performance at Stoke, Reading really need to hit this game running right from the start and provide much more of a Bournemouth performance, anything else could make it a bit of a depressing evening. But at least Reading avoided defeat at Stoke which is better than Brentford did there so there’s certainly hope that the Biscuitmen won’t crumble and will get something from what I think is easily the best team in the division.

Referee

Tony Harrington

Previously

12 Dec 20 > Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Reading
02 Nov 19 > Reading 2-1 Millwall
24 Aug 19 > Huddersfield Town 0-2 Reading
30 Mar 19 > Reading 2-1 Preston North End
23-Oct 18 > Birmingham City 2-1 Reading
24-Feb-18 > Reading 3-3 Derby County
16-Sep-18 > Brentford 1-1 Reading
21-Feb-17 > Huddersfield Town 1-0 Reading
10-Dec-16 > Reading 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
06-Feb-16 > Reading 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
29-Sep-15 > Burnley 1-2 Reading
01-Oct-14 > Reading 0-0 Leeds United

Historically

Brentford are one of the most common opponents for Reading with this game being the 90th time the clubs will have met in the league. Of the 43 league games played in Reading to date there have been 24 wins for the hoops compared to just 10 for the stripes.

However if you think that makes things easier then think again as Brentford have won on five of their last seven league visits, have scored at least two in five of those games and once in each of the others so not even a clean sheet has been kept by Reading in that time.

How to follow the game

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

[Orion1871]

Hopefully we're the ones to initiate the Brentford FC annual fall apart.

[mikey_1871]

Looking forward to this. Should be a much better game to watch than Stoke.
Glad they won today as can't see them losing 2 in a row!

[andrew1957]

Must win if we want any chance of automatic promotion. Should be a good game as Brentford do give chances away at the back but we will need to defend for our lives to keep a clean sheet.

[windermereROYAL]

Only 3 goals conceded since we lost to them before Christmas 7 games ago, one of them was when the wall parted against Bournemouth so maybe not is all lost.

[Zip]

Difficult to see how Liam Moore gets back in the side with only three goals conceded since that Brentford game. That really is miserly stuff.

[Pepe the Horseman]

They're due a loss. Comfortable home win.

[Lower West]

Only 3 goals conceded since we lost to them before Christmas 7 games ago, one of them was when the wall parted against Bournemouth so maybe not is all lost.

Brentford meanwhile have scored 19 goals in the 7 league games since. Not failing to score in any of them.

[Snowflake Royal]

Going to be a tough one, and I'd expect goals a plenty.

Almost certainly first goal wins. We're excellent when we go ahead and often poor when we go behind. And Brentford are likely to pick us apart if we start pressing to get back level. But their defence didn't look all that against us last time.

Would have liked Yiadom to have got time against Stoke to be more ready to step in for this one.

Tough one on whether Meite starts and who to drop for him. It's the sort of game where fancy footwork might get joy. But also where Meite could probably bully the arse off the fullback.

[windermereROYAL]

Saw their game on quest tonight, 4-1 certainly flattered them, that said it`s likely to be our biggest test I`ll be delighted with a draw and ecstatic with a win.

[URZZZZ]

Would stick with the same team for this one and then bring Meite and Yiadom in for Millwall

None of Olise/Ejaria/Swift had a good game against Stoke but I’d fancy then more against more technical sides

[Hendo]

Only 3 goals conceded since we lost to them before Christmas 7 games ago, one of them was when the wall parted against Bournemouth so maybe not is all lost.

Brentford meanwhile have scored 19 goals in the 7 league games since. Not failing to score in any of them.

However more than a third of those came in 1 game.

[Hound]

Does feel more a game for Meite than Olise and think that will be the case with him starting. Think Henry at LB would feel less comfortable against him and Brentford have conceded a couple of very poor goals from crosses recently - so one area to target with Meite

Would keep Holmes starting for similar reasons

It’s about getting some control in midfield I think - can we get Swift and Ejaria on the ball.

Looking forward to seeing how we match up. Brentford are certainly beatable but we’ll need to be right on top of our game

[SCIAG]

Does feel more a game for Meite than Olise and think that will be the case with him starting. Think Henry at LB would feel less comfortable against him and Brentford have conceded a couple of very poor goals from crosses recently - so one area to target with Meite

Would keep Holmes starting for similar reasons

It’s about getting some control in midfield I think - can we get Swift and Ejaria on the ball.

Looking forward to seeing how we match up. Brentford are certainly beatable but we’ll need to be right on top of our game

I’d associate crossing more with Olise than with Meite myself. The stats suggest he puts in at least one cross a match, while Meite only puts in one every ten matches. Not sure to what extent those stats are distorted by set pieces or subjective judgements about whether something is a cross vs a long pass vs a cutback.

Similarly Yiadom puts in marginally more crosses than Holmes, but again could be distorted a bit particularly with Holmes sometimes playing at centre back (and Yiadom barely playing this season).

[Snowflake Royal]

Does feel more a game for Meite than Olise and think that will be the case with him starting. Think Henry at LB would feel less comfortable against him and Brentford have conceded a couple of very poor goals from crosses recently - so one area to target with Meite

Would keep Holmes starting for similar reasons

It’s about getting some control in midfield I think - can we get Swift and Ejaria on the ball.

Looking forward to seeing how we match up. Brentford are certainly beatable but we’ll need to be right on top of our game

I’d associate crossing more with Olise than with Meite myself. The stats suggest he puts in at least one cross a match, while Meite only puts in one every ten matches. Not sure to what extent those stats are distorted by set pieces or subjective judgements about whether something is a cross vs a long pass vs a cutback.

Similarly Yiadom puts in marginally more crosses than Holmes, but again could be distorted a bit particularly with Holmes sometimes playing at centre back (and Yiadom barely playing this season).

Rather think it's about Holmes and Meite being on the end of crosses (probably set pieces), not sending them in.

Personally think this is the sort of game that will be open and have space, which is where Olise can do huge damage. But then, that same game would suit Swift and Ejaria. Whilst Meite is so important to give us a different dimension.

I think Olise will sit on the bench, I'd lean towards resting Ejaria personally, but then of course I would.p

[windermereROYAL]

This refs 7th visit to the Madejski , we haven`t lost any of the previous 6. hope it continues.

[Hound]

Does feel more a game for Meite than Olise and think that will be the case with him starting. Think Henry at LB would feel less comfortable against him and Brentford have conceded a couple of very poor goals from crosses recently - so one area to target with Meite

Would keep Holmes starting for similar reasons

It’s about getting some control in midfield I think - can we get Swift and Ejaria on the ball.

Looking forward to seeing how we match up. Brentford are certainly beatable but we’ll need to be right on top of our game

I’d associate crossing more with Olise than with Meite myself. The stats suggest he puts in at least one cross a match, while Meite only puts in one every ten matches. Not sure to what extent those stats are distorted by set pieces or subjective judgements about whether something is a cross vs a long pass vs a cutback.

Similarly Yiadom puts in marginally more crosses than Holmes, but again could be distorted a bit particularly with Holmes sometimes playing at centre back (and Yiadom barely playing this season).

Rather think it's about Holmes and Meite being on the end of crosses (probably set pieces), not sending them in.

Personally think this is the sort of game that will be open and have space, which is where Olise can do huge damage. But then, that same game would suit Swift and Ejaria. Whilst Meite is so important to give us a different dimension.

I think Olise will sit on the bench, I'd lean towards resting Ejaria personally, but then of course I would.p

Yep being on the end of the crosses

Meite is very unsettling with his power and the Ejaria chip over to him almost paid dividends again on Sat - if Meite had been a little sharper he’d have been on the end of it

Olise’s crossing is excellent but have swift on the set pieces and you get similar quality

[karbota]

I think we will win this, not been impressed with Brentford, they have scored goals, but always look scrappy and very suspect at the back.
So 3-0 to Reading.

[windermereROYAL]

I`ve just dug out the stats from the away game Brentford scored with 3 of their 4 on target shots remember the Raphael clanger for the 1st) we had 5, possession 56%-44% to us, obviously a lot of that could have been in our own half.
You don`t go 20 games unbeaten without being a decent side but after the horrendous first half hour we more than matched them.

[Zip]

Brentford eased off in the second half though. However we had an injury ravaged side out that day. We will be much stronger on Wednesday. We can certainly win this.