MATCHWATCH : Bournemouth (h)

[Sutekh]

When : Saturday 30 October 2021, 8pm
Where : Select Car Leasing Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161


Reading’s currently woeful form next has a visit from the division leaders Bournemouth. And it gets worse as it’s on the telly (at stupid o’clock for a Saturday game) and with Reading’s poor record in such games (7 wins from the last 26 attempts) I’m not going to expect very much.

Bournemouth last lost a league game in May and are on a run of 3 defeats in the last 23 league games. Of the remaining 20 games in that run they’ve won 16. Currently the Cherries have won 4 of their last 4 games and not conceded a goal for 304 minutes. Even better is the fact that Bournemouth have not conceded a league goal away from home for 582 minutes - which is approx 6.5 games which is all the way back in August!

Main threat is Dominic Solanke who has hit 10 goals in 14 starts, then there’s Phil Billing with 5 from 13, after that it gets a bit quiet for them goal-wise so if there’s anyway to get the better of them keeping those 2 quiet has to be a must.

David Brooks, Adam Smith and Lewis Crook will miss the game for Bournemouth while Reading’s fit player for this game is expected to be Luke Southwood… but don’t hold the club to that.

Referee

Oliver Langford

Previously

01 May 21 > Norwich City 4-1 Reading
16 Feb 21 > Bristol City 0-2 Reading
02 Dec 20 > Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Reading
19 Apr 19 > Bristol City 1-1 Reading
12 Jan 19 > Reading 2-0 Nottingham Forest
24 Nov 18 > Wigan Athletic 0-0 Reading
22 Aug 18 > Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Reading
17 Mar 18 > Norwich City 3-2 Reading
26 Dec 17 > Bristol City 2-0 Reading
28 Oct 17 > Reading 0-2 Middlesbrough
12 Jan 17 > Reading 0-1 Queen’s Park Rangers
03 Dec 16 > Fulham 5-0 Reading
04 Oct 16 > Portsmouth 2-2 Reading U23 (Checkacrowd Trophy)
27 Sep 16 > Brentford 4-1 Reading
19 Jan 16 > Reading 5-2 Huddersfield Town (FAC3R)
16 Dec 15 > Hull City 2-1 Reading
11 Mar 14 > Leeds United 2-4 Reading
14 Dec 13 > Huddersfield Town 0-1 Reading
06 Mar 12 > Reading 1-0 Portsmouth
27 Aug 11 > Hull City 1-0 Reading
16 Oct 10 > Reading 0-1 Swansea City
09 Feb 10 > Reading 1-0 Plymouth Argyle

Historically

Bournemouth are Reading’s most frequent league opponent with 106 previous meetings, so this is the 54th league game between the two sides in Reading.

Reading have only won 1 of the previous 4 home games but it was the last time the Cherries popped in way back in January.

Overall Reading have managed 31 wins at home while Bournemouth have 13 victories which leaves 9 occasions where the points have been shared.

How to follow the game

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

[Simmops]

Hope we lose so pauno goes

[Delboy]

Stupid comment with so many injuries he Chas few options , any new manager would be in the same situation

[CountryRoyal]

Any points in this will be nothing short of miraculous. Expecting a comfortable evening for Bournemouth.

[windermereROYAL]

Giving this one a miss, I normally enjoy my Saturday evenings, can`t put myself through what is likely to be a torturous 90 minutes.

[South Coast Royal]

The irony with this fixture is the role reversal.
In the Pardew days, and to some extent later, we were perceived by Bournemouth fans as being big spenders who were buying their way towards success at a time when they were struggling badly financially.

Fast forward to just 7 or so years ago we had Reading no longer spending big bucks but Bournemouth spending a fortune to get promoted to the Premier League to such an extent that they ended up being fined around £12,000,000 for breaching FFP.

Since then they have enjoyed financial backing from the owner plus massive income streams by virtue of remaining in the Premier League for 5 yearsand latterly with parachute payments.
During the same period we know what has happened at our club.

Coming right up-to-date we are brassic and seemingly unable to boost our badly depleted squad and Bournemouth have brought in Robbie Brady after the close of the transfer window as a "free" agent to add to an already strong midfield reduced because of the long-term sickness expectation for David Brooks who, incidentally, has hardly played this season.

Events are cyclical but our current place is not so good on or off the pitch.

As for Saturday's game , they are stronger this season in terms of available squad size (despite a number of injuries) whereas we are weaker without Richards, Joao, Olise and Meite.
One area where we can match them for ability is in midfield but without a striker and the defence being the 3rd worst in the division the odds are in their favour.

The bonus for them has been the two left-sided players in Zemura and Anthony who were both on the fringes last season and a Liam Kelly type in central or right midfield in Kilkenny but, as Olise and Richards did for us last season, they have progressed rapidly and are starters taking advantage of Stanislaus' and Lewis Cook's injuries and Brooks' malaise.

Having mentioned our midfield we know that Swift is as good as anybody at this level but he needs to have an on day as does Ejaria who could have success up against Stacey who I feel is a bit of a rare weak link for them.

For them, apart from general play, I fear crosses from corners or set-pieces into our box because, apart from Solanke, they have strength in the air through Cahill, Kelly and Billing and that has not been an area of strength for us.

I will travel up in hope rather than expectation and would just luvvv it if we ended their unbeaten run.

[Delboy]

Should we go 5 at the back bring in Holmes for Ejaria?

[leon]

Giving this one a miss, I normally enjoy my Saturday evenings, can`t put myself what is likely to be a torturous 90 minutes.

Yes this has crossed my mind. Really can't be arsed to drive up from London to watch us get battered and then drive home.

[Snowflake Royal]

On the other hand we expected a pasting from Fulham and beat them.

[Crowbar6753]

Should we go 5 at the back bring in Holmes for Ejaria?

Been saying this for a while now. Pauno's biggest fault is not being able to adapt to the players available. Its great with a full squad, i'm pretty sure i could put a team out with a fully fit 22 players at my disposal.
However, this isn't the case anymore, and the 4-2-3-1 formation is nowhere near as effective with the current players available.

I'm thinking a 5-3-2 or 3-5-2 would be better suited for now, i would go with:

Center backs: Moore, Holmes & Dann
Wing Backs: Yiadom & Babba (Both i feel are better suited to the wing back role as both seem better going forward than defending)
Midfield: Drinkwater, Swift & TDB (Sorry, ejaria just isn't cutting it for me and TDB would be much better suited for this role. I would have drinkwater playing deep with the other two playing the center midfield roles.)
Forwards: Puscas & Clarke (Our attacking play is so flawed with Puscas on his own, so i would put Clarke by his side to hold up the ball as he's a big guy and let Puscas feed of him)

I'm not saying this will work, but we have to try something different, even if it's just to throw other teams off a bit!! every team on the planet knows we 'll play 4-2-3-1 with Pauno!! we're so easy to work out, its madness.

[Zip]

Langford owes us for his reffing of our game v Sheff Weds when he waved away several nailed on pen claims

[Wycombe Royal]

Coming right up-to-date we are brassic

Are we? And there was me just thinking it was all down to FFP. At least I know now that we have no money.....

[muirinho]

Coming right up-to-date we are brassic

Are we? And there was me just thinking it was all down to FFP. At least I know now that we have no money.....

We are brassic - because we can't spend money unless we have the income stream to match, regardless of whether the money's actually there, or not. Bournemouth have that income.

[Wycombe Royal]

Coming right up-to-date we are brassic

Are we? And there was me just thinking it was all down to FFP. At least I know now that we have no money.....

We are brassic - because we can't spend money unless we have the income stream to match, regardless of whether the money's actually there, or not. Bournemouth have that income.

Obviously depends on your interpretation of it. We aren't brassic. We have money to spend. The rules prevent us spending it.

[Stranded]

Are we? And there was me just thinking it was all down to FFP. At least I know now that we have no money.....

We are brassic - because we can't spend money unless we have the income stream to match, regardless of whether the money's actually there, or not. Bournemouth have that income.

Obviously depends on your interpretation of it. We aren't brassic. We have money to spend. The rules prevent us spending it.

It's semantics of course but in terms of the world the club has to live in, we are brassic.

[URZZZZ]

Should we go 5 at the back bring in Holmes for Ejaria?

Wing Backs: Yiadom & Babba (Both i feel are better suited to the wing back role as both seem better going forward than defending)

Don’t disagree with the bulk of your post - but not sure about this bit

Yiadom’s lack of composure in the final third has been highlighted many times before and Baba doesn’t really seem to be offering anything going forward on his early showings. Neither really get behind their man; will only just add to the current problem of us being too narrow and therefore too predictable

[Coppells Lost Coat]

We need to be setting up purely to frustrate and counter. We play so much better when the other team are trying to break us down.
So a nice flat back 4 line with a dynamic 2 sitting in front please. Force them out wide to cross. Maximum of 3 passes in our own 3rd, if it doesn't open up then play into a channel. Give the Bournemouth defenders something to look out for.

I would love to be wrong and i hope i am - But what will happen, early goal conceded, persevering with 5 yard passes on the edge of our area, heads to go and be 2-0 by halftime. Moore gets injured and replaced just before HT. After HT we look okay then concede a soft goal from a soft free kick. We continue to pass from the back and there is a 40 yard gap between midfield and our lone striker. We wait until the 77 minute to make another change.....I really hope i am wrong

[Wycombe Royal]

We are brassic - because we can't spend money unless we have the income stream to match, regardless of whether the money's actually there, or not. Bournemouth have that income.

Obviously depends on your interpretation of it. We aren't brassic. We have money to spend. The rules prevent us spending it.

It's semantics of course but in terms of the world the club has to live in, we are brassic.

Sorry I will continue to disagree. If we have a bill to pay we can can pay it. If we were brassic we would struggle. Derby are brassic.

[Snowflake Royal]

Are we? And there was me just thinking it was all down to FFP. At least I know now that we have no money.....

We are brassic - because we can't spend money unless we have the income stream to match, regardless of whether the money's actually there, or not. Bournemouth have that income.

Obviously depends on your interpretation of it. We aren't brassic. We have money to spend. The rules prevent us spending it.

As always, the answer is we are brassic because owner wealth =/= club wealth.

The club is in a huge red hole financially. The owner has vastly more than the red hole, but until he puts it in, it isn’t ours.

It's like saying BHS wasn’t oxf*rd just because Phillip Green remained minted.

[Stranded]

Obviously depends on your interpretation of it. We aren't brassic. We have money to spend. The rules prevent us spending it.

It's semantics of course but in terms of the world the club has to live in, we are brassic.

Sorry I will continue to disagree. If we have a bill to pay we can can pay it. If we were brassic we would struggle. Derby are brassic.

We are brassic in terms of if we want to go and sign player x in January for 2m we can't as in the rules we don't have a penny to spend. In transfer terms we are brassic as we overspent in accordance to the agreed rules - yes we can pay the bills - no argument there.