MATCHWATCH : Bristol City (a)

[Sutekh]

When : Wednesday 9th February 2022, 7.45pm
Where : Ashton Gate, Ashton Road, Bristol, BS3 2EJ, Bristol
Capacity : 27,000

A trip to the West Country for the Biscuitmen arrives next and, like Reading, Bristol City haven’t exactly had the best of seasons thus far though they do exhibit a tad more organisation (as well as points) than that which is directed by the Serbian management from RG2.

City’s form isn’t great. The Robins have clocked up 2 wins and 2 draws in the last 9 league games, which is obviously better than Reading’s 5 points from their last 9 league games, but still less than a point a game and therefore would be worrying for the City supporters if it wasn’t for the ineptitude of sides like Reading. So there is some hope that Reading might be able to at least match City and the fact Bristol haven’t kept a clean sheet in the last 10 will give some encouragement.

Sadly for Reading though City can be very potent in attack as the 22 goal forward line of Andreas Weimann (14) and Chris Martin (8) goes to prove. Callum O’Dowda has proved pretty useful in supply from midfield while Tomas Kalas leads from the back. The Robins appear to be favouring a 3-4-3/5-2-3 formation currently so there could be space to be had though the general lack of pace makes getting hold of that through a counter attack as unlikely as ever.

The other issue with this game is Reading’s utterly appalling away league record in midweek fixtures which currently stands at 4 wins from 46 attempts over the last 7 years. However the brighter news is that all 4 of those wins were at teams beginning with the letter B; Birmingham, Burton, Blackburn and Bristol City - but then will the fact the Reading have already won at City in that run mean it won't happen again?

Bristol have 4 injured; Rob Atkinson, Matty James, Andy King and George Tanner while Reading may be able to report pretty much a clean bill of health, for the first time since what seems like about 1871, with just Meite and Araruna the crocks for the game (well you can hope).

Just for the record think I’d go for a starting XI of Southwood, Yiadom, Holmes, Morrison, Rahman, Rinomhota, Laurent, Swift, Ince, Ejaria and Joao - certainly couldn’t be worse than what VP has concocted recently.

Referee

Oliver “I did this game last year too” Langford

Previously

30 Oct 21 > Reading 0-2 Bournemouth
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

Many a season has been shared with the red half of Bristol with this being the 49th league visit to face City. The first league fixture was in 1922 and was a 2-1 defeat at Ashton Gate and the two clubs have been pretty much regularly encountering each other ever since, aside from the late 60s and 1970s when Bristol briefly got ambition and ultimately sailed into the 1st division for 4 seasons leaving Reading to their regular lower division “can't be arsedness”.

Reading have amassed 15 wins from the previous 48 games compared to City’s 25. City do have an unfortunate habit of scoring though as they average around 2 goals a game in this fixture - though Reading's superbly organised defence might well change that on the night!

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and go
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 a RoyalsTV subscription
5. Red button from around 7.40pm
6. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Great - the ref who didn't give us 4 pens at Sheffield last season

[Snowflake Royal]

Great - the ref who didn't give us 4 pens at Sheffield last season

Seem to remember him stitching us up since then as well. Should be reffing the conference.

[Crowbar6753]

Now that we have a decent squad to pick from then i guess its back to the 4-2-3-1 Pauno's preferred formation.

Southwood

Yiadom McIntyre Morrision Babba

Rinhomota Laurent

Ince Swift Ejaria

Joao

This squad has more than enough to be mid table, so we should be able to pull away from the bottom three...however, we all know you have to factor in the incompetency of the management team!!

[Snowflake Royal]

Yeah. Not keen on Ejaria, but no one else stands out there to own the shirt ahead of him, on recent performance at least.

McIntyre would be left and Morro right though.

Drinkwater will play though. Even though he's terrible.

[Crowbar6753]

Yeah. Not keen on Ejaria, but no one else stands out there to own the shirt ahead of him, on recent performance at least.

McIntyre would be left and Morro right though.

Drinkwater will play though. Even though he's terrible.

If Drinkwater plays then he must 100% have a clause written in his contract!! We 110% need the pairing of Rhino and Laurent protecting the back four.
The front four of Joao, Swift, Ince and Ejaria is a front four most championship sides would be happy with, so let Laurent and Rhino do the hustling and then play balls quickly into the front four!!

[Hound]

would be more than happy with the side mentioned. Not sure if Dann is fit but he may be ahead of McIntyre possibly, mainly by playing a bit more recently.

If we can line up like that with Hoilett, TDB, Halilovic, Holmes, Clarke and even Meite on the bench, we do at least have a decent starting 11 and options to come on. No excuses any more (though of course there will be when we lose and have 5 shots on goal all match)

[Coppells Lost Coat]

5 shots? dont be silly.

There has been zero excuses the last few games with the players available. IIRC Ince is a more direct player who looks forward rather than safe sideways passes so makes Joao stay further forward and not drop deep to get involved. If we line up with Rino and Laurent like we have been hoping for weeks I see no issue with Ejaria in the team as I think he is the best option for transitions from defence to attack - hopefully he has learned to release the ball though. If Drinkwater plays we are in trouble, it is as simple as that. The imbalance is too much to handle unless we drop Swift.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Southwood
Yiadom Morrison McIntyre Rahman
Rino Laurent
Ince Swift Ejaria
Joao

Would be my team that I would expect to play on Tuesday. Drinkwater and Dele-Bashiru maybe a shout for CM and LW given the managers preferences recently as well as fitness as others, namely Ejaria.

Pauno stated this was the month where he believed we could kick on properly so, putting a dismal January behind us, hopefully we can start February in decent fashion. A much improved performance and hopefully taking something out of the game would be a good start for us.

I'll go for a 2-2 draw. Both teams like to concede goals.

[NathStPaul]

Would take a solid 0-0. Just want to stop the rot. Keep a clean sheet and build a little bit of confidence.

[Hendo]

Yeah, think I would much rather get a well fought 0-0 than a high scoring draw.

[Felt91]

Doesn’t look like many tickets sold for this short trip down the m4.
Bristol been on a poor run recently so not expecting a great game. Hopefully last minute winner will do nicely, we are owed a few!

[tidus_mi2]

Doesn’t look like many tickets sold for this short trip down the m4.
Bristol been on a poor run recently so not expecting a great game. Hopefully last minute winner will do nicely, we are owed a few!

Maybe our form being so bad everything just looks amazing but a 6 game form of 2-1-3 doesn't seem so bad.

[NathStPaul]

Doesn’t look like many tickets sold for this short trip down the m4.
Bristol been on a poor run recently so not expecting a great game. Hopefully last minute winner will do nicely, we are owed a few!

We have nearly sold out our allocation.

[Hound]

Would take a solid 0-0. Just want to stop the rot. Keep a clean sheet and build a little bit of confidence.

Stop the bleeding. Think thats my least favourite of Pauno's sayings.

[NathStPaul]

Would take a solid 0-0. Just want to stop the rot. Keep a clean sheet and build a little bit of confidence.

Stop the bleeding. Think thats my least favourite of Pauno's sayings.

If we lose this then we may as well give up. Bristol City's season is more or less over. They won't go up or go down, very little for them to get excited about. We also have a much better team than them on paper imo, it is about time the players show it on the pitch.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Would take a solid 0-0. Just want to stop the rot. Keep a clean sheet and build a little bit of confidence.

Stop the bleeding. Think thats my least favourite of Pauno's sayings.

If we lose this then we may as well give up. Bristol City's season is more or less over. They won't go up or go down, very little for them to get excited about. We also have a much better team than them on paper imo, it is about time the players show it on the pitch.

It only takes a really poor run of form for BC to suddenly get dragged into it. I can't see it happening, but they won't be taking any chances.

I'm not a massive fan of the "nothing to play for" argument, especially when it's still mid-season anyway.

[NathStPaul]

Stop the bleeding. Think thats my least favourite of Pauno's sayings.

If we lose this then we may as well give up. Bristol City's season is more or less over. They won't go up or go down, very little for them to get excited about. We also have a much better team than them on paper imo, it is about time the players show it on the pitch.

It only takes a really poor run of form for BC to suddenly get dragged into it. I can't see it happening, but they won't be taking any chances.

I'm not a massive fan of the "nothing to play for" argument, especially when it's still mid-season anyway.

They literally have nothing to play for though. HTH.

[paultheroyal]

Stop the bleeding. Think thats my least favourite of Pauno's sayings.

If we lose this then we may as well give up. Bristol City's season is more or less over. They won't go up or go down, very little for them to get excited about. We also have a much better team than them on paper imo, it is about time the players show it on the pitch.

It only takes a really poor run of form for BC to suddenly get dragged into it. I can't see it happening, but they won't be taking any chances.

I'm not a massive fan of the "nothing to play for" argument, especially when it's still mid-season anyway.

Watford at home a few years ago a case in point or us versus Derby a few seasons back.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

If we lose this then we may as well give up. Bristol City's season is more or less over. They won't go up or go down, very little for them to get excited about. We also have a much better team than them on paper imo, it is about time the players show it on the pitch.

It only takes a really poor run of form for BC to suddenly get dragged into it. I can't see it happening, but they won't be taking any chances.

I'm not a massive fan of the "nothing to play for" argument, especially when it's still mid-season anyway.

They literally have nothing to play for though. HTH.

It doesn't make it an easy game though, they've still got some decent players and again, it's only mid-season. Maybe by game 35-40 they'd be thinking they were safe properly, but they'll want to tally a good number of points by then to make sure they are realistically clear. Players will be playing for their futures as well to either secure a contract at BC or elsewhere, especially considering they are under the EFL's FFP hammer now as well it seems.